diff --git a/src/__tests__/renderer/utils/tabHelpers.test.ts b/src/__tests__/renderer/utils/tabHelpers.test.ts
index 951d799adb..70b19952e1 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/renderer/utils/tabHelpers.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/renderer/utils/tabHelpers.test.ts
@@ -451,6 +451,103 @@ describe('tabHelpers', () => {
 			expect(result!.session.activeTabId).toBe('mock-generated-id');
 		});
 
+		it('leaves zero AI tabs when closing the only AI tab beside a terminal tab', () => {
+			const tab = createMockTab({ id: 'tab-1' });
+			const session = createMockSession({
+				aiTabs: [tab],
+				activeTabId: 'tab-1',
+				terminalTabs: [{ id: 'term-1' }] as never,
+				unifiedTabOrder: [
+					{ type: 'terminal', id: 'term-1' },
+					{ type: 'ai', id: 'tab-1' },
+				],
+			});
+
+			const result = closeTab(session, 'tab-1');
+
+			expect(result!.session.aiTabs).toHaveLength(0);
+			// activeTabId must not keep pointing at the tab we just removed
+			expect(result!.session.activeTabId).toBe('');
+			// the surviving terminal tab takes over the view
+			expect(result!.session.activeTerminalTabId).toBe('term-1');
+			expect(result!.session.inputMode).toBe('terminal');
+			// no phantom AI ref is left behind in the unified order
+			expect(result!.session.unifiedTabOrder).toEqual([{ type: 'terminal', id: 'term-1' }]);
+		});
+
+		it('leaves zero AI tabs when closing the only AI tab beside a browser tab', () => {
+			const tab = createMockTab({ id: 'tab-1' });
+			const session = createMockSession({
+				aiTabs: [tab],
+				activeTabId: 'tab-1',
+				browserTabs: [createMockBrowserTab()] as never,
+				unifiedTabOrder: [
+					{ type: 'browser', id: 'browser-tab-1' },
+					{ type: 'ai', id: 'tab-1' },
+				],
+			});
+
+			const result = closeTab(session, 'tab-1');
+
+			expect(result!.session.aiTabs).toHaveLength(0);
+			expect(result!.session.activeTabId).toBe('');
+			expect(result!.session.activeBrowserTabId).toBe('browser-tab-1');
+		});
+
+		it('does not crash closing the only AI tab beside a terminal tab in unread-filter mode', () => {
+			const tab = createMockTab({ id: 'tab-1' });
+			const session = createMockSession({
+				aiTabs: [tab],
+				activeTabId: 'tab-1',
+				terminalTabs: [{ id: 'term-1' }] as never,
+				unifiedTabOrder: [
+					{ type: 'terminal', id: 'term-1' },
+					{ type: 'ai', id: 'tab-1' },
+				],
+			});
+
+			const result = closeTab(session, 'tab-1', true);
+
+			expect(result!.session.aiTabs).toHaveLength(0);
+			expect(result!.session.activeTabId).toBe('');
+		});
+
+		it('clears activeTabId when the closed sole AI tab was not the active tab', () => {
+			const tab = createMockTab({ id: 'tab-1' });
+			const session = createMockSession({
+				aiTabs: [tab],
+				// User is focused on the terminal, so activeTabId is not the tab being closed
+				activeTabId: 'tab-1-stale',
+				inputMode: 'terminal',
+				terminalTabs: [{ id: 'term-1' }] as never,
+				activeTerminalTabId: 'term-1',
+				unifiedTabOrder: [
+					{ type: 'terminal', id: 'term-1' },
+					{ type: 'ai', id: 'tab-1' },
+				],
+			});
+
+			const result = closeTab(session, 'tab-1');
+
+			expect(result!.session.aiTabs).toHaveLength(0);
+			expect(result!.session.activeTabId).toBe('');
+		});
+
+		it('still creates a fresh tab when closing the only AI tab with no other tabs', () => {
+			const tab = createMockTab({ id: 'tab-1' });
+			const session = createMockSession({
+				aiTabs: [tab],
+				activeTabId: 'tab-1',
+				unifiedTabOrder: [{ type: 'ai', id: 'tab-1' }],
+			});
+
+			const result = closeTab(session, 'tab-1');
+
+			expect(result!.session.aiTabs).toHaveLength(1);
+			expect(result!.session.activeTabId).toBe('mock-generated-id');
+			expect(result!.session.unifiedTabOrder).toEqual([{ type: 'ai', id: 'mock-generated-id' }]);
+		});
+
 		it('maintains max 25 items in closed tab history', () => {
 			const tab = createMockTab({ id: 'tab-1' });
 			const existingHistory: ClosedTab[] = Array.from({ length: 25 }, (_, i) => ({
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/MainPanel/MainPanel.tsx b/src/renderer/components/MainPanel/MainPanel.tsx
index 617d1a4d6d..3af15ca525 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/MainPanel/MainPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/MainPanel/MainPanel.tsx
@@ -223,6 +223,24 @@ export const MainPanel = React.memo(
 		);
 		const activeTabError = activeTab?.agentError;
 
+		// Whether the agent has any tab at all. An agent is allowed to have zero AI
+		// tabs as long as some other tab kind is still open, so the tab strip has to
+		// key off the union rather than aiTabs alone.
+		const hasAnyTab = useMemo(
+			() =>
+				(activeSession?.aiTabs?.length ?? 0) +
+					(activeSession?.filePreviewTabs?.length ?? 0) +
+					(activeSession?.terminalTabs?.length ?? 0) +
+					(activeSession?.browserTabs?.length ?? 0) >
+				0,
+			[
+				activeSession?.aiTabs,
+				activeSession?.filePreviewTabs,
+				activeSession?.terminalTabs,
+				activeSession?.browserTabs,
+			]
+		);
+
 		// SSH remote name for header display
 		const sshRemoteName = useSshRemoteName(
 			activeSession?.sessionSshRemoteConfig?.enabled,
@@ -832,80 +850,79 @@ export const MainPanel = React.memo(
 							/>
 						)}
 
-						{/* Tab Bar - shown in AI and terminal modes when we have tabs (AI + file + terminal) */}
-						{activeSession.aiTabs &&
-							activeSession.aiTabs.length > 0 &&
-							onTabSelect &&
-							onTabClose &&
-							onNewTab && (
-								<TabBar
-									tabs={activeSession.aiTabs}
-									activeTabId={activeSession.activeTabId}
-									theme={theme}
-									sessionId={activeSession.id}
-									sessionAgentSessionId={activeSession.agentSessionId}
-									onTabSelect={onTabSelect}
-									onTabClose={onTabClose}
-									onNewTab={onNewTab}
-									onRequestRename={onRequestTabRename}
-									onTabReorder={onTabReorder}
-									onUnifiedTabReorder={onUnifiedTabReorder}
-									onTabStar={onTabStar}
-									onTabMarkUnread={onTabMarkUnread}
-									onMergeWith={onMergeWith}
-									onSendToAgent={onSendToAgent}
-									onSummarizeAndContinue={onSummarizeAndContinue}
-									onCopyContext={onCopyContext}
-									onExportHtml={onExportHtml}
-									onSnooze={handleOpenSnooze}
-									onPublishGist={props.onPublishTabGist}
-									ghCliAvailable={props.ghCliAvailable}
-									showUnreadOnly={showUnreadOnly}
-									onToggleUnreadFilter={onToggleUnreadFilter}
-									onOpenTabSearch={onOpenTabSearch}
-									onOpenOutputSearch={onOpenOutputSearch}
-									onOpenCrossTabSearch={onOpenCrossTabSearch}
-									onCloseAllTabs={onCloseAllTabs}
-									onCloseOtherTabs={onCloseOtherTabs}
-									onCloseTabsLeft={onCloseTabsLeft}
-									onCloseTabsRight={onCloseTabsRight}
-									// Unified tab system props (Phase 4)
-									unifiedTabs={unifiedTabs}
-									activeFileTabId={activeFileTabId}
-									activeBrowserTabId={activeBrowserTabId}
-									onFileTabSelect={onFileTabSelect}
-									onFileTabClose={onFileTabClose}
-									onNewFileTab={onNewFileTab}
-									onNewBrowserTab={onNewBrowserTab}
-									onBrowserTabSelect={onBrowserTabSelect}
-									onBrowserTabClose={onBrowserTabClose}
-									onBrowserTabRename={onBrowserTabRename}
-									onBrowserTabResetName={onBrowserTabResetName}
-									// Terminal tab props (Phase 8)
-									onNewTerminalTab={onNewTerminalTab}
-									activeTerminalTabId={activeSession.activeTerminalTabId}
-									inputMode={activeSession.inputMode}
-									onTerminalTabSelect={onTerminalTabSelect}
-									onTerminalTabClose={onTerminalTabClose}
-									onTerminalTabRename={onTerminalTabRename}
-									onTerminalTabConfigureStartupCommand={onTerminalTabConfigureStartupCommand}
-									onCopyTerminalBuffer={props.onCopyText ? handleCopyTerminalBuffer : undefined}
-									onPublishTerminalBufferGist={
-										props.onPublishTextAsGist ? handlePublishTerminalBufferGist : undefined
-									}
-									onSendTerminalBufferToAgent={
-										props.onSendTextToAgent ? handleSendTerminalBufferToAgent : undefined
-									}
-									onCopyBrowserContent={props.onCopyText ? handleCopyBrowserContent : undefined}
-									onSendBrowserContentToAgent={
-										props.onSendTextToAgent ? handleSendBrowserContentToAgent : undefined
-									}
-									// Accessibility
-									colorBlindMode={colorBlindMode}
-									// Hide local-only OS actions (Reveal in Finder) when the agent runs over SSH
-									sshRemote={Boolean(filePreviewSshRemoteId)}
-								/>
-							)}
+						{/* Tab Bar - shown in AI and terminal modes when we have tabs of any kind.
+						    An agent can sit at zero AI tabs while terminal/file/browser tabs are
+						    open, so gating this on aiTabs alone would hide the whole strip (and
+						    the "+" button) and strand the user in whatever view was last active. */}
+						{hasAnyTab && onTabSelect && onTabClose && onNewTab && (
+							<TabBar
+								tabs={activeSession.aiTabs}
+								activeTabId={activeSession.activeTabId}
+								theme={theme}
+								sessionId={activeSession.id}
+								sessionAgentSessionId={activeSession.agentSessionId}
+								onTabSelect={onTabSelect}
+								onTabClose={onTabClose}
+								onNewTab={onNewTab}
+								onRequestRename={onRequestTabRename}
+								onTabReorder={onTabReorder}
+								onUnifiedTabReorder={onUnifiedTabReorder}
+								onTabStar={onTabStar}
+								onTabMarkUnread={onTabMarkUnread}
+								onMergeWith={onMergeWith}
+								onSendToAgent={onSendToAgent}
+								onSummarizeAndContinue={onSummarizeAndContinue}
+								onCopyContext={onCopyContext}
+								onExportHtml={onExportHtml}
+								onSnooze={handleOpenSnooze}
+								onPublishGist={props.onPublishTabGist}
+								ghCliAvailable={props.ghCliAvailable}
+								showUnreadOnly={showUnreadOnly}
+								onToggleUnreadFilter={onToggleUnreadFilter}
+								onOpenTabSearch={onOpenTabSearch}
+								onOpenOutputSearch={onOpenOutputSearch}
+								onOpenCrossTabSearch={onOpenCrossTabSearch}
+								onCloseAllTabs={onCloseAllTabs}
+								onCloseOtherTabs={onCloseOtherTabs}
+								onCloseTabsLeft={onCloseTabsLeft}
+								onCloseTabsRight={onCloseTabsRight}
+								// Unified tab system props (Phase 4)
+								unifiedTabs={unifiedTabs}
+								activeFileTabId={activeFileTabId}
+								activeBrowserTabId={activeBrowserTabId}
+								onFileTabSelect={onFileTabSelect}
+								onFileTabClose={onFileTabClose}
+								onNewFileTab={onNewFileTab}
+								onNewBrowserTab={onNewBrowserTab}
+								onBrowserTabSelect={onBrowserTabSelect}
+								onBrowserTabClose={onBrowserTabClose}
+								onBrowserTabRename={onBrowserTabRename}
+								onBrowserTabResetName={onBrowserTabResetName}
+								// Terminal tab props (Phase 8)
+								onNewTerminalTab={onNewTerminalTab}
+								activeTerminalTabId={activeSession.activeTerminalTabId}
+								inputMode={activeSession.inputMode}
+								onTerminalTabSelect={onTerminalTabSelect}
+								onTerminalTabClose={onTerminalTabClose}
+								onTerminalTabRename={onTerminalTabRename}
+								onTerminalTabConfigureStartupCommand={onTerminalTabConfigureStartupCommand}
+								onCopyTerminalBuffer={props.onCopyText ? handleCopyTerminalBuffer : undefined}
+								onPublishTerminalBufferGist={
+									props.onPublishTextAsGist ? handlePublishTerminalBufferGist : undefined
+								}
+								onSendTerminalBufferToAgent={
+									props.onSendTextToAgent ? handleSendTerminalBufferToAgent : undefined
+								}
+								onCopyBrowserContent={props.onCopyText ? handleCopyBrowserContent : undefined}
+								onSendBrowserContentToAgent={
+									props.onSendTextToAgent ? handleSendBrowserContentToAgent : undefined
+								}
+								// Accessibility
+								colorBlindMode={colorBlindMode}
+								// Hide local-only OS actions (Reveal in Finder) when the agent runs over SSH
+								sshRemote={Boolean(filePreviewSshRemoteId)}
+							/>
+						)}
 
 						{/* Agent Error Banner */}
 						{activeTabError && (
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/QuickActionsModal/commands/tabCommands.ts b/src/renderer/components/QuickActionsModal/commands/tabCommands.ts
index f740fa12a7..bfa9e1c427 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/QuickActionsModal/commands/tabCommands.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/components/QuickActionsModal/commands/tabCommands.ts
@@ -251,7 +251,10 @@ export function buildTabCommands({
 			id: 'closeAllTabs',
 			label: 'Close All Tabs',
 			shortcut: tabShortcuts?.closeAllTabs,
-			subtext: `Close all ${activeSession.aiTabs.length} tabs (creates new tab)`,
+			subtext:
+				activeSession.aiTabs.length === 1
+					? 'Close 1 tab'
+					: `Close all ${activeSession.aiTabs.length} tabs`,
 			action: () => {
 				onCloseAllTabs();
 				setQuickActionOpen(false);
diff --git a/src/renderer/hooks/remote/useRemoteIntegration.ts b/src/renderer/hooks/remote/useRemoteIntegration.ts
index 300afbf35b..4932c61ca3 100644
--- a/src/renderer/hooks/remote/useRemoteIntegration.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/hooks/remote/useRemoteIntegration.ts
@@ -1220,7 +1220,9 @@ export function useRemoteIntegration(deps: UseRemoteIntegrationDeps): UseRemoteI
 					prevSessionStatesRef.current.set(session.id, session.state);
 				}
 
-				if (!session.aiTabs || session.aiTabs.length === 0) return;
+				// An empty aiTabs array is a valid state and still has to be broadcast,
+				// otherwise remote clients keep rendering tabs the user already closed.
+				if (!session.aiTabs) return;
 
 				// Create a hash of tab properties that should trigger a broadcast when changed
 				const tabsHash = session.aiTabs
diff --git a/src/renderer/hooks/session/useSessionRestoration.ts b/src/renderer/hooks/session/useSessionRestoration.ts
index 97da4bce42..5c99f973b0 100644
--- a/src/renderer/hooks/session/useSessionRestoration.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/hooks/session/useSessionRestoration.ts
@@ -203,11 +203,18 @@ export function useSessionRestoration(): SessionRestorationReturn {
 				session = { ...session, createdAt: backfill };
 			}
 
-			// Sessions must have aiTabs - if missing, this is a data corruption issue
-			// Create a default tab to prevent crashes when code calls .find() on aiTabs
-			if (!session.aiTabs || session.aiTabs.length === 0) {
+			// An agent may legitimately have zero AI tabs as long as some other tab kind
+			// is still open (the user closed the last chat but kept a terminal around).
+			// Only a session with no tabs whatsoever is treated as data corruption -
+			// recovering the zero-AI-tab case would wipe the tabs the user still has.
+			const restoredTabCount =
+				(session.aiTabs?.length ?? 0) +
+				(session.filePreviewTabs?.length ?? 0) +
+				(session.terminalTabs?.length ?? 0) +
+				(session.browserTabs?.length ?? 0);
+			if (restoredTabCount === 0) {
 				logger.error(
-					'[restoreSession] Session has no aiTabs - data corruption, creating default tab:',
+					'[restoreSession] Session has no tabs of any kind - data corruption, creating default tab:',
 					undefined,
 					session.id
 				);
@@ -249,6 +256,12 @@ export function useSessionRestoration(): SessionRestorationReturn {
 				};
 			}
 
+			// Normalize a missing aiTabs array so the rest of the app can keep calling
+			// .find()/.map() on it. Zero AI tabs is a valid state; undefined is not.
+			if (!session.aiTabs) {
+				session = { ...session, aiTabs: [] };
+			}
+
 			// Fix inconsistency: activeFileTabId should only be set in AI mode.
 			// If inputMode is 'terminal' but a file tab is still active, clear it to prevent
 			// rendering a file preview without a tab bar (orphaned file preview bug).
diff --git a/src/renderer/utils/tabHelpers.ts b/src/renderer/utils/tabHelpers.ts
index a024b15656..74a56d0ebe 100644
--- a/src/renderer/utils/tabHelpers.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/utils/tabHelpers.ts
@@ -664,7 +664,8 @@ export interface CloseTabResult {
  * unless skipHistory is true (e.g., for wizard tabs which should not be restorable).
  * If the closed tab was active, the next tab (or previous if at end) becomes active.
  * When showUnreadOnly is true, prioritizes switching to the next unread tab.
- * If closing the last tab, a fresh new tab is created to replace it.
+ * Closing the last AI tab creates a fresh replacement only when the agent has no
+ * other tabs (terminal/file/browser) left, so an agent can sit at zero AI tabs.
  *
  * @param session - The Maestro session containing the tab
  * @param tabId - The ID of the tab to close
@@ -711,11 +712,22 @@ export function closeTab(
 	// Remove tab from aiTabs
 	let updatedTabs = session.aiTabs.filter((tab) => tab.id !== tabId);
 
-	// If we just closed the last tab, create a fresh new tab to replace it
+	// Tabs of other kinds that survive this close. Closing the last AI tab only
+	// forces a fresh replacement when the agent would otherwise be left with no
+	// tabs at all, so a brand new agent still always has a chat to type into.
+	// Once the user has opened terminal/file/browser tabs, the agent is allowed to
+	// sit at zero AI tabs instead of keeping a dead one around - the "+" menu is
+	// still on screen to open whatever they want next.
+	const otherTabCount =
+		(session.filePreviewTabs?.length ?? 0) +
+		(session.terminalTabs?.length ?? 0) +
+		(session.browserTabs?.length ?? 0);
+
 	let newActiveTabId = session.activeTabId;
 	// Fallback unified tab ref when the closed tab was active — may be terminal or file
 	let fallbackRef: UnifiedTabRef | null = null;
-	if (updatedTabs.length === 0) {
+	let createdFreshTab = false;
+	if (updatedTabs.length === 0 && otherTabCount === 0) {
 		const freshTab: AITab = {
 			id: generateId(),
 			agentSessionId: null,
@@ -729,11 +741,12 @@ export function closeTab(
 		};
 		updatedTabs = [freshTab];
 		newActiveTabId = freshTab.id;
+		createdFreshTab = true;
 	} else if (session.activeTabId === tabId) {
 		// If we closed the active tab, select the tab to the left (previous tab)
 		// If closing the first tab, select the new first tab (was previously to the right)
 
-		if (showUnreadOnly) {
+		if (showUnreadOnly && updatedTabs.length > 0) {
 			// When filtering unread tabs, find the previous unread tab to switch to
 			// Build a temporary session with the updated tabs to use getNavigableTabs
 			const tempSession = { ...session, aiTabs: updatedTabs };
@@ -767,7 +780,7 @@ export function closeTab(
 			if (closedUnifiedIndex !== -1 && remainingUnified.length > 0) {
 				const fallbackIndex = Math.max(0, closedUnifiedIndex - 1);
 				fallbackRef = remainingUnified[Math.min(fallbackIndex, remainingUnified.length - 1)];
-			} else {
+			} else if (updatedTabs.length > 0) {
 				// unifiedTabOrder out of sync — fall back to aiTabs position
 				const newIndex = Math.max(0, tabIndex - 1);
 				newActiveTabId = updatedTabs[newIndex].id;
@@ -775,6 +788,12 @@ export function closeTab(
 		}
 	}
 
+	// No AI tab survives, so there is nothing for activeTabId to point at. Covers
+	// every path above, including closing a non-active sole AI tab.
+	if (updatedTabs.length === 0) {
+		newActiveTabId = '';
+	}
+
 	// Add to closed tab history unless skipHistory is set (e.g., for wizard tabs)
 	// Wizard tabs should not be restorable via Cmd+Shift+T
 	const updatedHistory = options.skipHistory
@@ -788,12 +807,17 @@ export function closeTab(
 
 	// If we created a fresh tab, add it to unifiedTabOrder at the end
 	let finalUnifiedTabOrder = updatedUnifiedTabOrder;
-	if (session.aiTabs.length === 1 && updatedTabs.length === 1 && updatedTabs[0].id !== tabId) {
-		// A fresh tab was created to replace the closed one
+	if (createdFreshTab) {
 		const freshTabRef: UnifiedTabRef = { type: 'ai', id: updatedTabs[0].id };
 		finalUnifiedTabOrder = [...updatedUnifiedTabOrder, freshTabRef];
 	}
 
+	// With no AI tabs left, activeTabId must stop pointing at the tab we just
+	// removed. A dangling id makes a later switch back to AI mode render an input
+	// area bound to a tab that no longer exists. Non-AI fallbacks otherwise keep
+	// activeTabId so returning to AI mode lands on the same tab as before.
+	const survivingActiveTabId = updatedTabs.length === 0 ? '' : session.activeTabId;
+
 	// Create updated session.
 	// When the fallback is a non-AI tab (terminal or file), we must update the corresponding
 	// active ID and inputMode so the UI switches to the correct view.
@@ -802,7 +826,8 @@ export function closeTab(
 			? {
 					...session,
 					aiTabs: updatedTabs,
-					// Keep activeTabId as-is; the terminal tab is now active
+					// Keep activeTabId unless no AI tab survives; the terminal tab is now active
+					activeTabId: survivingActiveTabId,
 					activeTerminalTabId: fallbackRef.id,
 					activeFileTabId: null,
 					inputMode: 'terminal',
@@ -813,6 +838,7 @@ export function closeTab(
 				? {
 						...session,
 						aiTabs: updatedTabs,
+						activeTabId: survivingActiveTabId,
 						activeFileTabId: fallbackRef.id,
 						activeBrowserTabId: null,
 						activeTerminalTabId: null,
@@ -824,6 +850,7 @@ export function closeTab(
 					? {
 							...session,
 							aiTabs: updatedTabs,
+							activeTabId: survivingActiveTabId,
 							activeFileTabId: null,
 							activeBrowserTabId: fallbackRef.id,
 							activeTerminalTabId: null,