diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.test.tsx
index 60b2113916..baf5874bb3 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.test.tsx
@@ -33,4 +33,20 @@ describe('TerminalRail', () => {
     expect(label?.classList.contains('inline-flex')).toBe(true)
     expect(label?.classList.contains('flex')).toBe(false)
   })
+
+  it('⌘-click closes the tab; a plain click selects it', () => {
+    $terminals.set([
+      ...$terminals.get(),
+      { auto: true, cwd: 'C:\\repo', id: 'term-2', kind: 'user', title: 'zsh' }
+    ])
+
+    render(<TerminalRail />)
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('tab', { name: '2. zsh' }), { metaKey: true })
+    expect($terminals.get().map(term => term.id)).toEqual(['term-1'])
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('tab', { name: '1. PowerShell' }))
+    expect($activeTerminalId.get()).toBe('term-1')
+    expect($terminals.get()).toHaveLength(1)
+  })
 })
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.tsx
index 7b5aee0ffa..d5e654b31b 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
 import { Tip, TipHintLabel } from '@/components/ui/tooltip'
 import { useI18n } from '@/i18n'
 import { formatCombo } from '@/lib/keybinds/combo'
-import { middleClickHandlers } from '@/lib/middle-click'
+import { isMetaClose, middleClickHandlers } from '@/lib/middle-click'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { $bindings } from '@/store/keybinds'
 
@@ -132,7 +132,8 @@ function TerminalRailItem({ active, canCloseOthers, index, term, toggleHint }: T
                   : 'text-(--ui-text-tertiary) hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover) hover:text-foreground'
               )}
               {...middleClickHandlers(() => closeTerminal(term.id))}
-              onClick={() => selectTerminal(term.id)}
+              // ⌘-click closes (the pane-tab gesture); a plain click selects.
+              onClick={event => (isMetaClose(event) ? closeTerminal(term.id) : selectTerminal(term.id))}
               role="tab"
               type="button"
             >
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/terminals.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/terminals.test.ts
index eb99e7a782..9a35fcc926 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/terminals.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/terminals.test.ts
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@ import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 const STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.terminals.v1'
 
 async function loadTerminalStore() {
+  const $currentCwd = atom('/workspace')
+
   vi.doMock('@/store/session', () => ({
-    $currentCwd: atom('/workspace')
+    $currentCwd
   }))
 
-  return import('./terminals')
+  return { ...(await import('./terminals')), $currentCwd }
 }
 
 describe('terminal store persistence', () => {
@@ -121,3 +123,68 @@ describe('terminal store persistence', () => {
     expect($terminals.get().find(term => term.id === userId)?.restoreCwd).toBeUndefined()
   })
 })
+
+describe('session cwd → terminal tab linking', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    window.localStorage.clear()
+    vi.resetModules()
+  })
+
+  it('re-selects the tab already pointed at the new session cwd (trailing slash tolerated)', async () => {
+    const { $activeTerminalId, $currentCwd, createTerminal } = await loadTerminalStore()
+
+    const repoTab = createTerminal('/repo')
+    const otherTab = createTerminal('/elsewhere')
+    expect($activeTerminalId.get()).toBe(otherTab)
+
+    $currentCwd.set('/repo/')
+    expect($activeTerminalId.get()).toBe(repoTab)
+  })
+
+  it('matches the live shell cwd (restoreCwd) over the launch dir', async () => {
+    const { $activeTerminalId, $currentCwd, createTerminal, updateTerminalRestoreCwd } = await loadTerminalStore()
+
+    const movedTab = createTerminal('/repo')
+    updateTerminalRestoreCwd(movedTab, '/repo/packages/api')
+    const otherTab = createTerminal('/elsewhere')
+    expect($activeTerminalId.get()).toBe(otherTab)
+
+    $currentCwd.set('/repo/packages/api')
+    expect($activeTerminalId.get()).toBe(movedTab)
+
+    // The launch dir no longer describes where that shell lives.
+    $currentCwd.set('/repo')
+    expect($activeTerminalId.get()).toBe(movedTab)
+  })
+
+  it('leaves the active tab alone when no tab lives in the session cwd or the cwd is empty', async () => {
+    const { $activeTerminalId, $currentCwd, createTerminal } = await loadTerminalStore()
+
+    createTerminal('/repo')
+    const activeTab = createTerminal('/elsewhere')
+
+    $currentCwd.set('/unrelated')
+    expect($activeTerminalId.get()).toBe(activeTab)
+
+    $currentCwd.set('')
+    expect($activeTerminalId.get()).toBe(activeTab)
+  })
+
+  it('stays put when the active tab already lives in the target cwd, and never matches agent tabs', async () => {
+    const { $activeTerminalId, $currentCwd, createTerminal, ensureAgentTerminal, selectTerminal } =
+      await loadTerminalStore()
+
+    const first = createTerminal('/repo')
+    const second = createTerminal('/repo')
+    ensureAgentTerminal('proc-1', 'background task')
+    selectTerminal(second)
+
+    // Both tabs match; the one already active keeps focus (no first-match steal).
+    $currentCwd.set('/repo')
+    expect($activeTerminalId.get()).toBe(second)
+
+    selectTerminal(first)
+    $currentCwd.set('/repo')
+    expect($activeTerminalId.get()).toBe(first)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/terminals.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/terminals.ts
index c86f57aeea..19b560f49d 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/terminals.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/terminals.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ export interface TerminalEntry {
   /** Working directory, snapshotted once at creation. Terminals live outside
    *  session/project state — the only thing they inherit is this initial cwd
    *  (the project root if opened in one, else the backend's default). Switching
-   *  sessions never moves or recreates a terminal. */
+   *  sessions never moves or recreates a terminal; at most it re-SELECTS a tab
+   *  already pointed at the session's cwd (see the $currentCwd listener). */
   cwd: string
   /** Last observed working directory of the live shell (tracked via the PTY
    *  cwd probe / OSC 7). Used to reopen the tab where the user last `cd`'d
@@ -223,6 +224,45 @@ export function selectTerminal(id: string): void {
   }
 }
 
+// Compare-ready form of a directory path: trimmed, trailing separators dropped
+// (keeping a bare root intact) so `/repo/` and `/repo` are the same place.
+const normalizePath = (value: string) => {
+  const trimmed = value.trim()
+
+  return trimmed.length > 1 ? trimmed.replace(/[\\/]+$/, '') || trimmed : trimmed
+}
+
+/** The directory a tab points at right now — the live shell cwd once observed
+ *  (survives a `cd`), else the launch dir. */
+const terminalCwd = (term: TerminalEntry) => normalizePath(term.restoreCwd || term.cwd)
+
+// Session ↔ terminal linking. Entering a session whose cwd already has a user
+// terminal pointed at it re-selects that tab, so the terminal pane follows the
+// workspace you're in. Selection ONLY — it never creates a shell, never closes
+// one, and never reveals the pane; a detached session (empty cwd) or a cwd no
+// tab lives in leaves the tabs exactly where they were. `listen` (not
+// `subscribe`) so boot keeps the persisted active tab.
+$currentCwd.listen(cwd => {
+  const target = normalizePath(cwd)
+
+  if (!target) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  const list = $terminals.get()
+  const active = list.find(term => term.id === $activeTerminalId.get())
+
+  if (active?.kind === 'user' && terminalCwd(active) === target) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  const match = list.find(term => term.kind === 'user' && terminalCwd(term) === target)
+
+  if (match) {
+    $activeTerminalId.set(match.id)
+  }
+})
+
 /** Move the active tab by `direction` (+1 next / -1 prev), wrapping around. */
 export function cycleTerminal(direction: 1 | -1): void {
   const list = $terminals.get()
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/pane-tab.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/pane-tab.tsx
index 87545f018c..47aad2614d 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/pane-tab.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/pane-tab.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import * as React from 'react'
 
-import { middleClickHandlers } from '@/lib/middle-click'
+import { isMetaClose, middleClickHandlers } from '@/lib/middle-click'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
 /** Inset stroke for a vertical tab rail — content-facing edge. */
@@ -43,12 +43,6 @@ interface PaneTabProps extends React.ComponentProps<'div'> {
   side?: 'left' | 'right'
 }
 
-/** ⌘-click (metaKey + primary button) — the Mac has no middle button, so this
- *  is the trackpad equivalent of middle-click-to-close. Guarded on metaKey so
- *  it never collides with left-click (activate/drag) or ⌃-click (macOS context
- *  menu). */
-const isMetaClose = (event: { button: number; metaKey: boolean }) => event.button === 0 && event.metaKey
-
 /**
  * Editor tab shell — preview rail + zone headers + collapsed vertical rails.
  *
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/middle-click.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/middle-click.ts
index bba5e58743..5d31cdac13 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/middle-click.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/middle-click.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@ import type * as React from 'react'
 /** `MouseEvent.button` for the middle (wheel) button. */
 const MIDDLE_BUTTON = 1
 
+/** ⌘-click (metaKey + primary button) — the Mac has no middle button, so this
+ *  is the trackpad equivalent of middle-click-to-close. Guarded on metaKey so
+ *  it never collides with left-click (activate/drag) or ⌃-click (macOS context
+ *  menu). */
+export const isMetaClose = (event: { button: number; metaKey: boolean }) => event.button === 0 && event.metaKey
+
 /** Where the current middle press started. One pointer holds one button, so a
  *  single slot is the whole state, and it's only ever compared by identity in
  *  the pointerup right after — a value left behind by a press released