diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/utils/mock-server.ts b/packages/app/e2e/utils/mock-server.ts
index 7f920e74e6e7..c769bf0da132 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/utils/mock-server.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/utils/mock-server.ts
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ export interface MockServerConfig {
   onInboxChange?: (input: { sessionID: string; inboxID: string; action: "cancel" | "steer" | "queue" }) => void
   onBackground?: (input: { sessionID: string }) => void
   // Serves the session-scoped persistent PTY routes and their connect WebSockets (`e2e/utils/persistent-pty.ts`).
-  // Without it, those routes answer 503 like a server whose opencode-pty daemon cannot run.
+  // Without it, the server has a working daemon and no terminals; `capability: false` makes the routes answer 503.
   persistentPty?: MockPersistentPtyConfig
   // Answers 500 InvalidDirectory when a request names a directory this server does not own.
   strictDirectory?: boolean
diff --git a/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/side-region.tsx b/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/side-region.tsx
index f12dfe06c031..789d9d325366 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/side-region.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/runtime/plugin/side-region.tsx
@@ -255,8 +255,9 @@ export function PaneTabs(props: {
           selectionEvent.target instanceof Element &&
           selectionEvent.target.closest('[role="tab"]')
         ) {
-          props.region.newTabs(props.pane.id).forEach((entry) => props.region.dismissNewTab(entry.id))
+          // Select first: dismissing the only New tab with nothing selected lets Kobalte pick the first tab meanwhile.
           props.region.select(value)
+          props.region.newTabs(props.pane.id).forEach((entry) => props.region.dismissNewTab(entry.id))
         }
       }}
     >
diff --git a/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/model.ts b/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/model.ts
index a4a9ee0c7afa..71f724d2826d 100644
--- a/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/model.ts
+++ b/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/model.ts
@@ -127,7 +127,11 @@ export function createTerminalModel(input: {
 
         if (supported) refreshServer(server)
       })
-      .catch((error) => console.error("Failed to read server terminal support", error))
+      .catch((error) => {
+        // Like the TUI: unknown support offers no terminals until the next connection checks again.
+        setState("capabilities", server.id, false)
+        console.error("Failed to read server terminal support", error)
+      })
 
   // A restarted server replaces its data under the same ref, so reads that track `server.data` subscribe again.
   const watch = (server: ServerRef) => {
diff --git a/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/panel.tsx b/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/panel.tsx
index decedc9b46f9..99359ad1ab10 100644
--- a/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/panel.tsx
+++ b/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/panel.tsx
@@ -102,15 +102,18 @@ export default function TerminalPanel(props: {
 
       return opened() && id && terminal().focusRequested(id) ? { id } : undefined
     },
-    (request) =>
-      requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+    (request) => {
+      const focusFrame = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
         if (!opened() || active() !== request.id || !terminal().focusRequested(request.id)) return
 
         focusTerminalById(request.id)
         const input = document.getElementById(`terminal-wrapper-${request.id}`)?.querySelector("textarea")
 
         if (input === document.activeElement) terminal().consumeFocus(request.id)
-      }),
+      })
+
+      onCleanup(() => cancelAnimationFrame(focusFrame))
+    },
   )
 
   // Terminals whose tabs the user moved to another pane render there, so this pane lets their screens go.
diff --git a/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/tab.tsx b/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/tab.tsx
index f6ec1f66b535..6230bd6cd952 100644
--- a/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/tab.tsx
+++ b/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/tab.tsx
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ export function TerminalTab(props: {
   }
 
   // Ending the edit unmounts the focused field, whose blur would save again, or save a cancelled title.
+  // The field renders inside the strip's tab trigger, so it keeps its keys, pointer and focus from the trigger: the
+  // tab list returns focus that enters it from outside to the trigger.
+  const isolate = (event: Event) => event.stopPropagation()
+
   const save = () => {
     if (!store.editing || !store.blurEnabled) return
 
@@ -141,8 +145,15 @@ export function TerminalTab(props: {
                 value={store.title}
                 onInput={(e) => setStore("title", e.currentTarget.value)}
                 onBlur={save}
-                onKeyDown={keydown}
-                onMouseDown={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+                onKeyDown={(e) => {
+                  isolate(e)
+                  keydown(e)
+                }}
+                onKeyUp={isolate}
+                onFocusIn={isolate}
+                onPointerDown={isolate}
+                onMouseDown={isolate}
+                onClick={isolate}
                 class="bg-transparent border-none outline-none min-w-0 flex-1 p-0 text-[13px] leading-4 tracking-[-0.04px] text-v2-text-text-base [font-weight:440] [font-variation-settings:'slnt'_0] [font-variant-numeric:tabular-nums]"
               />
             </div>
diff --git a/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/terminal.tsx b/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/terminal.tsx
index b2aa99a9e215..7726dbf2384b 100644
--- a/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/terminal.tsx
+++ b/packages/gui-plugins/src/terminal/terminal.tsx
@@ -307,6 +307,8 @@ export const Terminal = (props: TerminalProps) => {
     // A tab's rename field keeps focus, before and after a tick; it may take it before the terminal mounts. Other
     // fields, such as the command palette that created the terminal, give focus to it.
     const focus = () => {
+      if (disposed) return
+
       const current = document.activeElement
 
       if (current instanceof HTMLInputElement && current.closest('[role="tablist"]')) return