diff --git a/frontend/src/renderer/components/TerminalPane.test.tsx b/frontend/src/renderer/components/TerminalPane.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5be8fb7c2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/renderer/components/TerminalPane.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { WorkspaceSession } from "../types/workspace";
+import { TerminalPane } from "./TerminalPane";
+
+vi.mock("./XtermTerminal", () => ({
+	XtermTerminal: () => <div data-testid="xterm" />,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../hooks/useTerminalSession", () => ({
+	useTerminalSession: () => ({
+		attach: vi.fn(),
+		state: "idle",
+		error: undefined,
+	}),
+}));
+
+const worker = {
+	id: "sess-1",
+	workspaceId: "proj-1",
+	workspaceName: "my-app",
+	title: "do the thing",
+	provider: "claude-code",
+	kind: "worker",
+	branch: "ao/sess-1",
+	status: "working",
+	updatedAt: "2026-06-10T00:00:00Z",
+	prs: [],
+} satisfies WorkspaceSession;
+
+const orchestrator = {
+	...worker,
+	id: "sess-orch",
+	title: "orchestrate",
+	kind: "orchestrator",
+} satisfies WorkspaceSession;
+
+function renderPane(session?: WorkspaceSession) {
+	const queryClient = new QueryClient({ defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false } } });
+	const previousAO = window.ao;
+	window.ao = {} as typeof window.ao;
+	const result = render(
+		<QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
+			<TerminalPane daemonReady fontSize={12} session={session} theme="dark" />
+		</QueryClientProvider>,
+	);
+	return {
+		...result,
+		restore: () => {
+			window.ao = previousAO;
+		},
+	};
+}
+
+describe("TerminalPane empty states", () => {
+	it("shows a no-selection message when no session is selected", () => {
+		const view = renderPane();
+		try {
+			expect(screen.getByText("Agent Orchestrator")).toBeInTheDocument();
+			expect(screen.getByText("No session selected. Pick a worker to attach its terminal.")).toBeInTheDocument();
+		} finally {
+			view.restore();
+		}
+	});
+
+	it("shows a startup message when a selected session has no terminal handle yet", () => {
+		const view = renderPane(worker);
+		try {
+			expect(screen.getByText("Starting session")).toBeInTheDocument();
+			expect(
+				screen.getByText(
+					"Preparing the worker terminal. This can take a moment while AO creates the worktree and starts the agent.",
+				),
+			).toBeInTheDocument();
+			expect(screen.queryByText("No session selected. Pick a worker to attach its terminal.")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+		} finally {
+			view.restore();
+		}
+	});
+
+	it("shows orchestrator-specific startup copy for a pending orchestrator terminal", () => {
+		const view = renderPane(orchestrator);
+		try {
+			expect(screen.getByText("Starting session")).toBeInTheDocument();
+			expect(
+				screen.getByText(
+					"Preparing the orchestrator terminal. This can take a moment while AO creates the worktree and starts the agent.",
+				),
+			).toBeInTheDocument();
+			expect(screen.queryByText(/worker terminal/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+		} finally {
+			view.restore();
+		}
+	});
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/renderer/components/TerminalPane.tsx b/frontend/src/renderer/components/TerminalPane.tsx
index 79367e1a38..126dc858b0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/renderer/components/TerminalPane.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/renderer/components/TerminalPane.tsx
@@ -207,6 +207,12 @@ function AttachedTerminal({ session, theme, daemonReady, terminalTarget, fontSiz
 	const banner = bannerText(state, error);
 	const showEmptyState = !handleId;
 	const showExitedState = state === "exited";
+	const emptyStateTitle = session ? "Starting session" : "Agent Orchestrator";
+	const emptyStateMessage = session
+		? session.kind === "orchestrator"
+			? "Preparing the orchestrator terminal. This can take a moment while AO creates the worktree and starts the agent."
+			: "Preparing the worker terminal. This can take a moment while AO creates the worktree and starts the agent."
+		: "No session selected. Pick a worker to attach its terminal.";
 
 	return (
 		<div className="flex h-full min-h-0 flex-col bg-terminal">
@@ -231,10 +237,8 @@ function AttachedTerminal({ session, theme, daemonReady, terminalTarget, fontSiz
 				{showEmptyState && (
 					<div className="absolute inset-0 grid place-items-center bg-terminal font-mono text-[13px]">
 						<div className="text-center">
-							<div className="text-[var(--term-fg)]">Agent Orchestrator</div>
-							<div className="mt-2 text-[var(--term-dim)]">
-								No session selected. Pick a worker to attach its terminal.
-							</div>
+							<div className="text-[var(--term-fg)]">{emptyStateTitle}</div>
+							<div className="mt-2 text-[var(--term-dim)]">{emptyStateMessage}</div>
 						</div>
 					</div>
 				)}