diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.test.ts
index 0a72767c7..8cdcb1fe3 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.test.ts
@@ -1816,6 +1816,8 @@ describe('useIpcEvents updater integration', () => {
     expect(setActiveTabType).toHaveBeenCalledWith('terminal')
     expect(setActiveTab).toHaveBeenCalledWith('tab-new')
     expect(revealWorktreeInSidebar).toHaveBeenCalledWith('wt-2')
+    expect(focusRuntimeTerminalSurface).toHaveBeenCalledWith('tab-new', undefined)
+    expect(focusTerminalTabSurface).toHaveBeenCalledWith('tab-new', undefined)
     expect(setTabCustomTitle).toHaveBeenCalledWith('tab-new', 'Runner', {
       recordInteraction: false
     })
@@ -1836,6 +1838,8 @@ describe('useIpcEvents updater integration', () => {
     setTabCustomTitle.mockClear()
     queueTabStartupCommand.mockClear()
     replyTerminalCreate.mockClear()
+    focusRuntimeTerminalSurface.mockClear()
+    focusTerminalTabSurface.mockClear()
     requestTerminalCreateListenerRef.current({
       requestId: 'req-focused',
       worktreeId: 'wt-3',
@@ -1850,6 +1854,8 @@ describe('useIpcEvents updater integration', () => {
     expect(setActiveTabType).toHaveBeenCalledWith('terminal')
     expect(setActiveTab).toHaveBeenCalledWith('tab-new')
     expect(revealWorktreeInSidebar).toHaveBeenCalledWith('wt-3')
+    expect(focusRuntimeTerminalSurface).toHaveBeenCalledWith('tab-new', undefined)
+    expect(focusTerminalTabSurface).toHaveBeenCalledWith('tab-new', undefined)
     expect(setTabCustomTitle).toHaveBeenCalledWith('tab-new', 'Shell', {
       recordInteraction: false
     })
@@ -1869,6 +1875,8 @@ describe('useIpcEvents updater integration', () => {
     revealWorktreeInSidebar.mockClear()
     setTabCustomTitle.mockClear()
     queueTabStartupCommand.mockClear()
+    focusRuntimeTerminalSurface.mockClear()
+    focusTerminalTabSurface.mockClear()
     requestTerminalCreateListenerRef.current({
       requestId: 'req-renderer-backed',
       worktreeId: 'wt-2',
@@ -1894,6 +1902,8 @@ describe('useIpcEvents updater integration', () => {
     expect(setActiveTabType).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(setActiveTab).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(revealWorktreeInSidebar).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(focusRuntimeTerminalSurface).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(focusTerminalTabSurface).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(dispatchEvent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.objectContaining({
         type: 'orca-background-mount-terminal-worktree',
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts
index 55992b00e..d137d0352 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts
@@ -263,6 +263,12 @@ function activateTerminalInitiatedWorktree(store: AppState, worktreeId: string):
   }
 }
 
+function focusTerminalInitiatedTab(tabId: string, leafId?: string | null): void {
+  if (!focusRuntimeTerminalSurface(tabId, leafId)) {
+    focusTerminalTabSurface(tabId, leafId)
+  }
+}
+
 type TerminalSplitDirection = 'horizontal' | 'vertical'
 
 function insertLeafAfterSource(
@@ -1393,6 +1399,7 @@ export function useIpcEvents(): void {
               store.setActiveTabType('terminal')
               store.setActiveTab(tab.id)
               store.revealWorktreeInSidebar(worktreeId)
+              focusTerminalInitiatedTab(tab.id, leafId)
             }
             // Why: only stamp the runtime-supplied title on freshly created tabs.
             // Existing tabs may have a user customTitle (set via UI rename) that
@@ -1571,6 +1578,7 @@ export function useIpcEvents(): void {
             store.setActiveTabType('terminal')
             store.setActiveTab(tab.id)
             store.revealWorktreeInSidebar(worktreeId)
+            focusTerminalInitiatedTab(tab.id)
           }
           if (data.title) {
             store.setTabCustomTitle(tab.id, data.title, { recordInteraction: false })
@@ -1646,9 +1654,7 @@ export function useIpcEvents(): void {
             })
             return
           }
-          if (!focusRuntimeTerminalSurface(tabId, leafId)) {
-            focusTerminalTabSurface(tabId, leafId)
-          }
+          focusTerminalInitiatedTab(tabId, leafId)
         }
       )
     )