diff --git a/src/client/TerminalView.tsx b/src/client/TerminalView.tsx
index eed678f..ac14191 100644
--- a/src/client/TerminalView.tsx
+++ b/src/client/TerminalView.tsx
@@ -99,6 +99,12 @@ export function TerminalView(props: { sessionId: string; tabId: string }) {
       window.clearTimeout(retry)
       observer.disconnect()
       inputSub.dispose()
+      // Tell the host the owning tab is gone so it releases the terminal
+      // quota immediately (best effort; a dropped socket gets the grace
+      // period on the host side instead).
+      if (socket !== null && socket.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
+        socket.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'close' }))
+      }
       socket?.close()
       term.dispose()
       connectRef.current = null
diff --git a/src/client/index.tsx b/src/client/index.tsx
index 9bcb286..8259880 100644
--- a/src/client/index.tsx
+++ b/src/client/index.tsx
@@ -1,17 +1,56 @@
 /**
- * Client half of dsh-better-sidebar: mounts the right sidebar portal and
- * registers the turn-tail interception. Requires the runtime's slots and
- * sessions services; the bundle itself is a module-table consumer only
- * (react + ui-primitives + xterm, all provided or inlined).
+ * Client half of dsh-better-sidebar: mounts the right sidebar portal (inside
+ * an error boundary so a rendering failure shows an error strip instead of a
+ * blank panel) and registers the turn-tail interception. Requires the
+ * runtime's slots and sessions services; the bundle itself is a module-table
+ * consumer only (react + ui-primitives + xterm, all provided or inlined).
  */
+import { Component, createElement, type ErrorInfo, type ReactNode } from 'react'
 import { createRoot } from 'react-dom/client'
 import type { Context } from '../context-types.ts'
 import { Sidebar } from './Sidebar.tsx'
 import { registerTurnTailInterception } from './intercept.tsx'
+import { t } from './locales.ts'
+import css from './sidebar.module.css'
 
 /** Services required before mounting (provided by the client runtime). */
 export const inject = ['slots', 'sessions']
 
+/**
+ * Error boundary over the sidebar tree: a render error must never blank the
+ * whole panel silently — it shows a dismissible error strip and logs the
+ * stack for diagnosis.
+ */
+class SidebarBoundary extends Component<{ children: ReactNode }, { error: string | null }> {
+  state = { error: null as string | null }
+
+  static getDerivedStateFromError(error: unknown): { error: string } {
+    return { error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error) }
+  }
+
+  componentDidCatch(error: Error, info: ErrorInfo): void {
+    console.error('[dsh-better-sidebar] render error:', error, info.componentStack)
+  }
+
+  render(): ReactNode {
+    if (this.state.error !== null) {
+      return (
+        <div className={css.boundaryError}>
+          <span>dsh-better-sidebar: {this.state.error}</span>
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            className={css.terminalRetry}
+            onClick={() => { this.setState({ error: null }) }}
+          >
+            {t('terminalRetry')}
+          </button>
+        </div>
+      )
+    }
+    return this.props.children
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Client plugin body.
  * @param ctx - the client cordis context (slots, sessions).
@@ -22,7 +61,7 @@ export function apply(ctx: Context): void {
     host.setAttribute('data-dsh-better-sidebar', '')
     document.body.appendChild(host)
     const root = createRoot(host)
-    root.render(<Sidebar ctx={ctx} />)
+    root.render(createElement(SidebarBoundary, null, createElement(Sidebar, { ctx })))
     return () => {
       root.unmount()
       host.remove()
diff --git a/src/client/sidebar.module.css b/src/client/sidebar.module.css
index 3b54ac8..c66275a 100644
--- a/src/client/sidebar.module.css
+++ b/src/client/sidebar.module.css
@@ -609,6 +609,24 @@
   background: var(--dsw-alias-state-warn-tertiary);
 }
 
+.boundaryError {
+  position: fixed;
+  right: 0;
+  top: 0;
+  bottom: 0;
+  z-index: 50;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 8px;
+  align-items: flex-start;
+  padding: 16px;
+  background: var(--dsw-alias-bg-layer-1);
+  border-left: 1px solid var(--dsw-alias-border-l2);
+  font: var(--dsw-font-xxs-12);
+  color: var(--dsw-alias-state-error-primary);
+  overflow: auto;
+}
+
 .terminalRetry {
   flex: none;
   padding: 1px 8px;
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 6b70139..8c0ec3b 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ const MEDIA_LIMIT = 20 * 1024 * 1024
 const LIST_LIMIT = 1000
 /** Terminals per session. */
 const TERMINALS_PER_SESSION = 3
+/** How long a disconnected terminal process survives awaiting a reconnect. */
+const TERMINAL_RECONNECT_GRACE_MS = 30_000
 
 /** Content types for the media route, by extension. */
 const MEDIA_TYPES: Record<string, string> = {
@@ -325,7 +327,6 @@ async function attachTerminal(
     const exitSub = handle.pty.onExit(onExit)
     ws.on('message', (data) => {
       const text = data.toString('utf8')
-      if (handle.exited) return
       // Control frames are JSON with a known shape; anything else (including
       // JSON that is not a recognized control) is terminal input, verbatim.
       let control: { type?: unknown; cols?: unknown; rows?: unknown } | null = null
@@ -337,8 +338,14 @@ async function attachTerminal(
       } catch {
         // Not JSON: terminal input.
       }
+      if (control !== null && control.type === 'close') {
+        // The owning tab was closed: release the quota immediately.
+        ptyManager.scheduleClose(handle.key, 0)
+        return
+      }
+      if (handle.exited) return
       if (
-        control !== null && typeof control === 'object'
+        control !== null
         && control.type === 'resize'
         && typeof control.cols === 'number' && typeof control.rows === 'number'
       ) {
@@ -350,6 +357,10 @@ async function attachTerminal(
     ws.on('close', () => {
       dataSub.dispose()
       exitSub.dispose()
+      // A bare socket drop (refresh, tab switch) leaves the process alive
+      // for a grace period so a quick reconnect keeps it; the reconnect's
+      // open() cancels the pending close.
+      ptyManager.scheduleClose(handle.key, TERMINAL_RECONNECT_GRACE_MS)
     })
   } catch (error) {
     ws.close(1011, error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error))
diff --git a/src/pty-manager.ts b/src/pty-manager.ts
index c5092cf..0663265 100644
--- a/src/pty-manager.ts
+++ b/src/pty-manager.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ export interface SidebarPty {
  */
 export class PtyManager {
   private readonly sessions = new Map<string, SidebarPty>()
+  private readonly pendingCloses = new Map<string, ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>>()
 
   constructor(
     private readonly shell: string,
@@ -76,7 +77,11 @@ export class PtyManager {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Open (or reuse) the terminal for a session/tab key.
+   * Open (or reuse) the terminal for a session/tab key. A handle whose
+   * process already exited is replaced with a fresh spawn (reconnecting a
+   * dead terminal must yield a live shell, not an input sink). Reopening
+   * also cancels any pending scheduled close (a reconnect within the grace
+   * window keeps the process alive).
    * @param sessionId - conversation id.
    * @param tabId - client tab id.
    * @param cwd - initial working directory (the session's cwd).
@@ -87,8 +92,10 @@ export class PtyManager {
    */
   open(sessionId: string, tabId: string, cwd: string, cols: number, rows: number): SidebarPty {
     const key = `${sessionId}:${tabId}`
+    this.cancelClose(key)
     const existing = this.sessions.get(key)
-    if (existing !== undefined) return existing
+    if (existing !== undefined && !existing.exited) return existing
+    if (existing !== undefined) this.close(key)
     if (this.keysOf(sessionId).length >= this.maxPerSession) {
       throw new SidebarError('pty-error', `terminal limit reached (${this.maxPerSession}) for this session`, 400)
     }
@@ -120,6 +127,29 @@ export class PtyManager {
     return handle
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Schedule the terminal's destruction after `delayMs`. A tab close sends
+   * delay 0 (release the quota immediately); a bare socket drop (refresh,
+   * crash) uses the grace period so a quick reconnect keeps the process.
+   * `open()` cancels any pending close.
+   */
+  scheduleClose(key: string, delayMs: number): void {
+    const handle = this.sessions.get(key)
+    if (handle === undefined) return
+    this.cancelClose(key)
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => { this.close(key) }, delayMs)
+    this.pendingCloses.set(key, timer)
+  }
+
+  /** Cancel a pending scheduled close (the terminal is being reopened). */
+  cancelClose(key: string): void {
+    const timer = this.pendingCloses.get(key)
+    if (timer !== undefined) {
+      clearTimeout(timer)
+      this.pendingCloses.delete(key)
+    }
+  }
+
   /** Resolve a live handle by key, or undefined. */
   get(key: string): SidebarPty | undefined {
     return this.sessions.get(key)
@@ -127,6 +157,7 @@ export class PtyManager {
 
   /** Close a terminal and drop its state (the owning tab was closed). */
   close(key: string): void {
+    this.cancelClose(key)
     const handle = this.sessions.get(key)
     if (handle === undefined) return
     this.sessions.delete(key)
@@ -139,6 +170,8 @@ export class PtyManager {
 
   /** Close every terminal (plugin teardown). */
   disposeAll(): void {
+    for (const timer of this.pendingCloses.values()) clearTimeout(timer)
+    this.pendingCloses.clear()
     for (const key of [...this.sessions.keys()]) this.close(key)
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/smoke.spec.ts b/tests/smoke.spec.ts
index 8d41c12..9afd927 100644
--- a/tests/smoke.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/smoke.spec.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 import { apply } from '../src/index.ts'
 import * as git from '../src/git.ts'
 import { listDirectory } from '../src/fs-tree.ts'
+import { defaultShell, PtyManager } from '../src/pty-manager.ts'
 import type { SidebarWebRoute, SidebarWebUpgradeRoute } from '../src/context-types.ts'
 
 interface FakeContext {
@@ -58,6 +59,47 @@ describe('host plugin smoke', () => {
     expect(branches.names).toContain(branches.current)
   })
 
+  it('pty manager releases the quota on close and respawns after exit', async () => {
+    const manager = new PtyManager(defaultShell(), 3)
+    try {
+      const first = manager.open('s1', 't1', process.cwd(), 80, 24)
+      expect(manager.keysOf('s1')).toHaveLength(1)
+      // Tab-close semantics (close frame): quota released immediately.
+      manager.scheduleClose(first.key, 0)
+      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 50))
+      expect(manager.keysOf('s1')).toHaveLength(0)
+      // Reopen spawns a fresh process.
+      const second = manager.open('s1', 't1', process.cwd(), 80, 24)
+      expect(second).not.toBe(first)
+      expect(manager.keysOf('s1')).toHaveLength(1)
+      // After the shell exits, a reconnect respawns instead of reusing the dead handle.
+      second.pty.write('exit\r')
+      const deadline = Date.now() + 5000
+      while (!second.exited && Date.now() < deadline) {
+        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 100))
+      }
+      expect(second.exited).toBe(true)
+      const third = manager.open('s1', 't1', process.cwd(), 80, 24)
+      expect(third.exited).toBe(false)
+      expect(third).not.toBe(second)
+    } finally {
+      manager.disposeAll()
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('pty manager: a reconnect within the grace period cancels the pending close', async () => {
+    const manager = new PtyManager(defaultShell(), 3)
+    try {
+      const handle = manager.open('s2', 't1', process.cwd(), 80, 24)
+      manager.scheduleClose(handle.key, 200)
+      manager.open('s2', 't1', process.cwd(), 80, 24)
+      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 400))
+      expect(manager.get(handle.key)).toBeDefined()
+    } finally {
+      manager.disposeAll()
+    }
+  })
+
   it('lists the repository root level', async () => {
     const listing = await listDirectory(process.cwd(), 1000)
     expect(listing.entries.some(entry => entry.name === 'src' && entry.isDir)).toBe(true)