diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/regression/side-panels.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/regression/side-panels.spec.ts
index b4cd9fe1900e..1344ed9ce75d 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/regression/side-panels.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/regression/side-panels.spec.ts
@@ -190,6 +190,28 @@ test("new tab selection and closing stay in the focused pane", async ({ page })
   await expect(sideTabs.nth(0)).toHaveAttribute("aria-selected", "true")
 })
 
+test("closing the last New tab closes the side region, and only a New tab lists the launchers", async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1440, height: 900 })
+  await openSession(page, { name: "LastNewTab", seed: { panes: { ses_lastnewtab: { review: true } } } })
+
+  const panel = page.locator("#review-panel")
+  const toggle = page.getByRole("button", { name: "Toggle review", exact: true })
+  const newTab = panel.getByRole("tab", { name: "New tab", exact: true })
+  const review = panel.getByRole("button", { name: /^Review/ })
+
+  // An empty side region opens on a New tab listing the launchers.
+  await expect(newTab).toHaveAttribute("aria-selected", "true")
+  await expect(review).toBeVisible()
+
+  // Closing it leaves no tab, so the region closes rather than listing the launchers without one.
+  await newTab.locator("..").getByRole("button", { name: "Close tab" }).click()
+  await expect(toggle).toHaveAttribute("aria-expanded", "false")
+
+  await toggle.click()
+  await expect(newTab).toHaveAttribute("aria-selected", "true")
+  await expect(review).toBeVisible()
+})
+
 // A DOM mark survives only while the same node stays mounted.
 function mark(locator: Locator) {
   return locator.evaluate((element) => element.setAttribute("data-e2e-mounted", "original"))
diff --git a/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/panels.tsx b/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/panels.tsx
index f84aaccf9962..91c61637fa9e 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/panels.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/panels.tsx
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ export function createRegion(input: {
   open: (key: string) => void
   /** Whether the side region is open, and the user's toggle for it. */
   side: Accessor<{ opened(): boolean; toggle(): void }>
-  /** Runs when a close leaves no stored tab, in the same batch as the close. */
+  /** Runs when a close leaves no stored tab and no New tab, in the same batch as the close. */
   onEmptied?: () => void
   /** Runs work that forces a layout, like moving focus, once the region's open motion lands. */
   settled?: (run: () => void) => void
@@ -327,6 +327,14 @@ export function createRegion(input: {
     if (state.adding.some((value) => !live(value))) setState("adding", (list) => list.filter(live))
   })
 
+  // Closing the last New tab of a strip with no tabs closes the region, as closing its last tab does.
+  const dismissNewTab = (id: string) =>
+    batch(() => {
+      setState("adding", (list) => list.filter((value) => value.id !== id))
+
+      if (stored().length === 0 && !state.adding.some(live)) input.onEmptied?.()
+    })
+
   return {
     /** Whether a key event belongs to the side region rather than the session around it. */
     focus: createSideFocus(),
@@ -372,15 +380,13 @@ export function createRegion(input: {
         setState("chosen", pane, id)
       })
     },
-    dismissNewTab(id: string) {
-      setState("adding", (list) => list.filter((value) => value.id !== id))
-    },
+    dismissNewTab,
     /** Closes the shown new tab view in the given or active pane; returns whether one was showing. */
     closeNewTab(pane: SessionPane = activePane()) {
       const value = shownNewTab(pane)
 
       if (!value) return false
-      setState("adding", (list) => list.filter((entry) => entry.id !== value.id))
+      dismissNewTab(value.id)
 
       return true
     },
diff --git a/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/side-region.tsx b/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/side-region.tsx
index 2c10a6d190b3..29bd1ad04d4c 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/side-region.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/side-region.tsx
@@ -383,23 +383,15 @@ export function PaneTabs(props: {
       </Show>
       <Show when={props.placeholder && !current() && props.pane.active() === undefined}>
         <Tabs.Content value="empty" class="flex flex-col h-full overflow-hidden contain-strict">
-          {/* After + runs a primary item, its tab owns the empty pane until it arrives. */}
+          {/* After + runs a primary item, its tab owns the empty pane until it arrives. The launchers list only in a
+              New tab, not in a pane with no tabs. */}
           <Show when={!primary()}>
-            <Show
-              when={launchers().length > 0}
-              fallback={
-                <div class="relative pt-2 flex-1 min-h-0 overflow-hidden">
-                  <div class="h-full px-6 pb-42 -mt-4 flex flex-col items-center justify-center text-center gap-6">
-                    <Mark class="w-14 opacity-10" />
-                    <div class="text-14-regular text-text-weak max-w-56">
-                      {language.t("session.files.selectToOpen")}
-                    </div>
-                  </div>
-                </div>
-              }
-            >
-              <Launchers items={launchers()} onChoose={target} closed={closed} />
-            </Show>
+            <div class="relative pt-2 flex-1 min-h-0 overflow-hidden">
+              <div class="h-full px-6 pb-42 -mt-4 flex flex-col items-center justify-center text-center gap-6">
+                <Mark class="w-14 opacity-10" />
+                <div class="text-14-regular text-text-weak max-w-56">{language.t("session.files.selectToOpen")}</div>
+              </div>
+            </div>
           </Show>
         </Tabs.Content>
       </Show>
@@ -518,7 +510,7 @@ function AddMenu(props: { items: readonly SessionPanelMenuItem[]; onChoose: () =
   )
 }
 
-/** The + menu items as rows, then the session's recently closed tabs, in the empty side region and the new tab view. */
+/** The + menu items as rows, then the session's recently closed tabs, in the new tab view. */
 function Launchers(props: {
   items: readonly SessionPanelMenuItem[]
   onChoose: () => void