diff --git a/src/client/GitView.tsx b/src/client/GitView.tsx
index 6c5ab26..66acbe9 100644
--- a/src/client/GitView.tsx
+++ b/src/client/GitView.tsx
@@ -471,6 +471,9 @@ export function GitView(props: {
 
       {status !== null && status.isRepo && (
         <>
+          {status.truncated === true && (
+            <div className={css.gitEmpty}>{t('statusTruncated')}</div>
+          )}
           <div className={css.gitSection}>
             <div className={css.gitSectionHeader}>
               <span>{t('staged')} ({stagedEntries.length})</span>
diff --git a/src/client/api.ts b/src/client/api.ts
index cf4e14f..8173cd9 100644
--- a/src/client/api.ts
+++ b/src/client/api.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ export interface GitStatusResult {
   isRepo: boolean
   branch?: string
   entries: GitStatusEntry[]
+  /** True when the host capped `entries` (huge untracked set); the panel
+   *  shows a truncation notice instead of freezing (#369). */
+  truncated?: boolean
   root?: string
   repositories?: string[]
 }
diff --git a/src/client/locales-ar.ts b/src/client/locales-ar.ts
index 385b427..3431011 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-ar.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-ar.ts
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ export const ar: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'تقسيم لأسفل',
   notRepo: 'هذا الدليل ليس مستودع git',
   noChanges: 'لا تغييرات',
+  statusTruncated: 'التغييرات كثيرة جدًا؛ يتم عرض أول 2000 إدخال فقط',
   stage: 'إدراج',
   unstage: 'إلغاء الإدراج',
   stageAll: 'إدراج الكل',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-de.ts b/src/client/locales-de.ts
index b4177c9..a73124e 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-de.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-de.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ export const de: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Nach unten teilen',
   notRepo: 'Dieses Verzeichnis ist kein Git-Repository',
   noChanges: 'Keine Änderungen',
+  statusTruncated: 'Zu viele Änderungen; nur die ersten 2000 Einträge werden angezeigt',
   stage: 'Stagen',
   unstage: 'Unstagen',
   stageAll: 'Alle stagen',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-fr.ts b/src/client/locales-fr.ts
index ae1c6e5..eb645a6 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-fr.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-fr.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ export const fr: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Diviser en bas',
   notRepo: 'Ce répertoire n’est pas un dépôt git',
   noChanges: 'Aucune modification',
+  statusTruncated: 'Trop de modifications ; seules les 2000 premières entrées sont affichées',
   stage: 'Mettre en scène',
   unstage: 'Annuler la mise en scène',
   stageAll: 'Tout mettre en scène',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-hi.ts b/src/client/locales-hi.ts
index 58e66a5..cf98156 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-hi.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-hi.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ export const hi: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'नीचे स्प्लिट',
   notRepo: 'यह डायरेक्टरी एक git रिपॉज़िटरी नहीं है',
   noChanges: 'कोई बदलाव नहीं',
+  statusTruncated: 'बहुत अधिक बदलाव; केवल पहली 2000 प्रविष्टियाँ दिखाई जा रही हैं',
   stage: 'स्टेज',
   unstage: 'अनस्टेज',
   stageAll: 'सभी स्टेज करें',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-id.ts b/src/client/locales-id.ts
index 6e418be..e14502f 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-id.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-id.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ export const id: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Bagi ke bawah',
   notRepo: 'Direktori ini bukan repositori git',
   noChanges: 'Tidak ada perubahan',
+  statusTruncated: 'Terlalu banyak perubahan; hanya 2000 entri pertama yang ditampilkan',
   stage: 'Stage',
   unstage: 'Unstage',
   stageAll: 'Stage semua',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-it.ts b/src/client/locales-it.ts
index 89d6bd3..dcff13f 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-it.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-it.ts
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ export const it: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Dividi in basso',
   notRepo: 'Questa directory non è un repository git',
   noChanges: 'Nessuna modifica',
+  statusTruncated: 'Troppe modifiche; vengono mostrate solo le prime 2000 voci',
   stage: 'Prepara',
   unstage: 'Rimuovi dalla preparazione',
   stageAll: 'Prepara tutto',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-ja.ts b/src/client/locales-ja.ts
index 4dfed03..f984147 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-ja.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-ja.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ export const ja: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: '下に分割',
   notRepo: 'このディレクトリは git リポジトリではありません',
   noChanges: '変更はありません',
+  statusTruncated: '変更が多すぎるため、最初の 2000 件のみ表示しています',
   stage: 'ステージ',
   unstage: 'ステージ解除',
   stageAll: 'すべてステージ',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-ko.ts b/src/client/locales-ko.ts
index dbe0882..9b8d241 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-ko.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-ko.ts
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ export const ko: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: '아래로 분할',
   notRepo: '현재 디렉터리는 git 저장소가 아닙니다',
   noChanges: '변경 사항 없음',
+  statusTruncated: '변경 사항이 너무 많아 처음 2000개만 표시합니다',
   stage: '스테이징',
   unstage: '스테이징 해제',
   stageAll: '모두 스테이징',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-nl.ts b/src/client/locales-nl.ts
index 54943d3..dd5854f 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-nl.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-nl.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ export const nl: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Splitsen omlaag',
   notRepo: 'Deze map is geen git-repository',
   noChanges: 'Geen wijzigingen',
+  statusTruncated: 'Te veel wijzigingen; alleen de eerste 2000 items worden weergegeven',
   stage: 'Stagen',
   unstage: 'Unstagen',
   stageAll: 'Alles stagen',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-pl.ts b/src/client/locales-pl.ts
index 298e9b0..0b2fe4f 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-pl.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-pl.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ export const pl: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Podziel w dół',
   notRepo: 'Ten katalog nie jest repozytorium git',
   noChanges: 'Brak zmian',
+  statusTruncated: 'Zbyt wiele zmian; pokazywane jest tylko pierwsze 2000 wpisów',
   stage: 'Dodaj do indeksu',
   unstage: 'Usuń z indeksu',
   stageAll: 'Dodaj wszystko do indeksu',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-pt.ts b/src/client/locales-pt.ts
index 78bd21e..8804450 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-pt.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-pt.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ export const pt: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Dividir abaixo',
   notRepo: 'Este diretório não é um repositório git',
   noChanges: 'Sem alterações',
+  statusTruncated: 'Muitas alterações; exibindo apenas as primeiras 2000 entradas',
   stage: 'Preparar (stage)',
   unstage: 'Desfazer stage',
   stageAll: 'Preparar tudo',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-ru.ts b/src/client/locales-ru.ts
index d25ae20..5afceb9 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-ru.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-ru.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ export const ru: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Разделить вниз',
   notRepo: 'Этот каталог не является git-репозиторием',
   noChanges: 'Нет изменений',
+  statusTruncated: 'Слишком много изменений; показаны только первые 2000 записей',
   stage: 'Индексировать',
   unstage: 'Убрать из индекса',
   stageAll: 'Индексировать всё',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-sv.ts b/src/client/locales-sv.ts
index 2527872..cdb7824 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-sv.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-sv.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ export const sv: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Dela ner',
   notRepo: 'Denna katalog är inte ett Git-arkiv',
   noChanges: 'Inga ändringar',
+  statusTruncated: 'För många ändringar; endast de första 2000 posterna visas',
   stage: 'Köa',
   unstage: 'Avköa',
   stageAll: 'Köa alla',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-th.ts b/src/client/locales-th.ts
index 48db69c..937d557 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-th.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-th.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ export const th: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'แยกลง',
   notRepo: 'ไดเรกทอรีนี้ไม่ใช่ git repository',
   noChanges: 'ไม่มีการเปลี่ยนแปลง',
+  statusTruncated: 'การเปลี่ยนแปลงมากเกินไป แสดงเพียง 2000 รายการแรก',
   stage: 'Stage',
   unstage: 'Unstage',
   stageAll: 'Stage ทั้งหมด',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-tr.ts b/src/client/locales-tr.ts
index b558673..45010eb 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-tr.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-tr.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ export const tr: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Aşağı böl',
   notRepo: 'Bu dizin bir git deposu değil',
   noChanges: 'Değişiklik yok',
+  statusTruncated: 'Çok fazla değişiklik var; yalnızca ilk 2000 giriş gösteriliyor',
   stage: 'Sahnele',
   unstage: 'Sahnelemeden kaldır',
   stageAll: 'Tümünü sahnele',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-vi.ts b/src/client/locales-vi.ts
index cb27ede..94c8e6a 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-vi.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-vi.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ export const vi: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Chia xuống dưới',
   notRepo: 'Thư mục hiện tại không phải repo git',
   noChanges: 'Không có thay đổi',
+  statusTruncated: 'Quá nhiều thay đổi; chỉ hiển thị 2000 mục đầu tiên',
   stage: 'Stage',
   unstage: 'Unstage',
   stageAll: 'Stage tất cả',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-zh-HK.ts b/src/client/locales-zh-HK.ts
index 04fd5b5..7e8cb94 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-zh-HK.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-zh-HK.ts
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ export const zhHK: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: '向下分欄',
   notRepo: '目前目錄不是 git 倉庫',
   noChanges: '沒有變更',
+  statusTruncated: '變更過多，僅顯示前 2000 條',
   stage: '暫存',
   unstage: '取消暫存',
   stageAll: '全部暫存',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-zh-MO.ts b/src/client/locales-zh-MO.ts
index e20f8a0..e21f71b 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-zh-MO.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-zh-MO.ts
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ export const zhMO: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: '向下分欄',
   notRepo: '目前目錄不是 git 倉庫',
   noChanges: '沒有變更',
+  statusTruncated: '變更過多，僅顯示前 2000 條',
   stage: '暫存',
   unstage: '取消暫存',
   stageAll: '全部暫存',
diff --git a/src/client/locales-zh-TW.ts b/src/client/locales-zh-TW.ts
index 92a0d58..2d81e3f 100644
--- a/src/client/locales-zh-TW.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales-zh-TW.ts
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ export const zhTW: Record<string, string> = {
   splitDown: '向下分欄',
   notRepo: '目前目錄不是 git 倉庫',
   noChanges: '沒有變更',
+  statusTruncated: '變更過多，僅顯示前 2000 條',
   stage: '暫存',
   unstage: '取消暫存',
   stageAll: '全部暫存',
diff --git a/src/client/locales.ts b/src/client/locales.ts
index 59ff3eb..23ee8f7 100644
--- a/src/client/locales.ts
+++ b/src/client/locales.ts
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ export const zh = {
   splitDown: '向下分栏',
   notRepo: '当前目录不是 git 仓库',
   noChanges: '没有变更',
+  statusTruncated: '变更过多，仅显示前 2000 条',
   stage: '暂存',
   unstage: '取消暂存',
   stageAll: '全部暂存',
@@ -453,6 +454,7 @@ export const en: Record<keyof typeof zh, string> = {
   splitDown: 'Split down',
   notRepo: 'This directory is not a git repository',
   noChanges: 'No changes',
+  statusTruncated: 'Too many changes; showing the first 2,000 entries',
   stage: 'Stage',
   unstage: 'Unstage',
   stageAll: 'Stage all',
diff --git a/src/client/state.ts b/src/client/state.ts
index 7420e54..f596eec 100644
--- a/src/client/state.ts
+++ b/src/client/state.ts
@@ -1036,25 +1036,55 @@ export function defaultWidthFor(viewport: number, percent: number): number {
   return Math.min(viewport, Math.max(PANEL_MIN, Math.round(viewport * percent / 100)))
 }
 
+/**
+ * URL escape hatch (#369): loading the app with `?dsh-sidebar-reset` drops
+ * the persisted layout for the session instead of restoring it. When a
+ * restored tab hangs the page on mount (the #369 freeze loop), reloading
+ * into the same state replays the hang forever; this param starts from the
+ * default layout and clears the stored copy, breaking the loop. Persisting
+ * resumes as soon as the param is gone from the URL.
+ */
+const RESET_PARAM = 'dsh-sidebar-reset'
+
+/** Whether the current page load asked for a persisted-state reset. */
+function resetRequested(): boolean {
+  try {
+    return new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).has(RESET_PARAM)
+  } catch {
+    return false
+  }
+}
+
 function loadState(sessionId: string, prefs: SidebarPrefs): SidebarState {
+  const reset = resetRequested()
+  if (reset) {
+    try {
+      localStorage.removeItem(`${STORAGE_PREFIX}:${sessionId}`)
+      localStorage.removeItem(GLOBAL_WIDTH_KEY)
+    } catch {
+      // Storage unavailable: the default layout below is still the escape.
+    }
+  }
   // The panel width is a cross-session preference: the last dragged width
   // wins over a session's own persisted value, so switching conversations
   // keeps the width the user chose anywhere.
-  const globalWidth = readGlobalWidth()
-  try {
-    const raw = localStorage.getItem(`${STORAGE_PREFIX}:${sessionId}`)
-    if (raw !== null) {
-      const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as unknown
-      // Seed the uid counter past the persisted ids (it resets on reload);
-      // sanitize re-ids any duplicates the pre-seeding counter left behind.
-      nextIdCounter = maxCounterId(parsed)
-      const sanitized = sanitizeState(parsed)
-      if (sanitized !== undefined) {
-        return globalWidth === undefined ? sanitized : { ...sanitized, width: globalWidth }
+  const globalWidth = reset ? undefined : readGlobalWidth()
+  if (!reset) {
+    try {
+      const raw = localStorage.getItem(`${STORAGE_PREFIX}:${sessionId}`)
+      if (raw !== null) {
+        const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as unknown
+        // Seed the uid counter past the persisted ids (it resets on reload);
+        // sanitize re-ids any duplicates the pre-seeding counter left behind.
+        nextIdCounter = maxCounterId(parsed)
+        const sanitized = sanitizeState(parsed)
+        if (sanitized !== undefined) {
+          return globalWidth === undefined ? sanitized : { ...sanitized, width: globalWidth }
+        }
       }
+    } catch {
+      // Corrupt or unavailable storage: fall through to the default.
     }
-  } catch {
-    // Corrupt or unavailable storage: fall through to the default.
   }
   // New sessions seed from the user's side card prefs: the width is the
   // chosen percent of the window (clamped to the panel floor and the
diff --git a/src/git.ts b/src/git.ts
index dc0879f..9b9f151 100644
--- a/src/git.ts
+++ b/src/git.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ export interface GitStatusResult {
   isRepo: boolean
   branch?: string
   entries: GitStatusEntry[]
+  /** True when the working tree had more rows than `GIT_STATUS_LIMIT`; the
+   *  panel shows a truncation notice instead of freezing on a huge untracked
+   *  set (issue #369). */
+  truncated?: boolean
   /** Selected repository root, or the discovered roots when the cwd is a container. */
   root?: string
   repositories?: string[]
@@ -184,10 +188,28 @@ function runGit(cwd: string, args: string[], timeoutMs = 30_000): Promise<string
   })
 }
 
-/** Whether the directory is inside a git work tree (exit-0 `git rev-parse`). */
+/** Cap on child directories probed by the workspace-container fallback scan.
+ *  A home-directory cwd can hold hundreds of visible folders (Library, iCloud
+ *  mounts…); probing them all serially is what froze the panel in #369. */
+const DISCOVERY_LIMIT = 200
+/** Per-probe and direct-discovery budget. `rev-parse` is millisecond-scale on
+ *  a healthy checkout; a probe that needs longer is a stalled mount and is
+ *  better abandoned than waited on. */
+const DISCOVERY_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000
+/** Discovery results are cheap to recompute but expensive to storm: the panel
+ *  polls every 2s and each poll fans out into several git.* calls that all
+ *  resolve the same roots. A short TTL keeps fan-out at one scan per cwd. */
+const DISCOVERY_CACHE_TTL_MS = 60_000
+
+const repoRootsCache = new Map<string, { roots: string[]; expires: number }>()
+const repoRootsInFlight = new Map<string, Promise<string[]>>()
+
+/** Whether the directory is inside a git work tree (exit-0 `git rev-parse`).
+ *  Probe timeout is short: a cwd on a stalled mount must not hold the panel
+ *  hostage for the full command budget (issue #369). */
 export async function isGitRepo(cwd: string): Promise<boolean> {
   try {
-    const out = await runGit(cwd, ['rev-parse', '--is-inside-work-tree'])
+    const out = await runGit(cwd, ['rev-parse', '--is-inside-work-tree'], DISCOVERY_TIMEOUT_MS)
     return out.trim() === 'true'
   } catch {
     return false
@@ -196,12 +218,34 @@ export async function isGitRepo(cwd: string): Promise<boolean> {
 
 /** The repository top level containing `cwd` (`git rev-parse --show-toplevel`). */
 async function directRepoRoot(cwd: string): Promise<string> {
-  const out = await runGit(cwd, ['rev-parse', '--show-toplevel'])
+  const out = await runGit(cwd, ['rev-parse', '--show-toplevel'], DISCOVERY_TIMEOUT_MS)
   return out.trim()
 }
 
-/** Discover the current repository or direct child repositories. */
-export async function repoRoots(cwd: string): Promise<string[]> {
+/** Discover the current repository or direct child repositories. Results are
+ *  cached per cwd and concurrent callers share one in-flight scan, so opening
+ *  the panel (three parallel git.* requests) costs a single discovery pass. */
+export function repoRoots(cwd: string): Promise<string[]> {
+  const cached = repoRootsCache.get(cwd)
+  if (cached !== undefined && cached.expires > Date.now()) return Promise.resolve(cached.roots)
+  const pending = repoRootsInFlight.get(cwd)
+  if (pending !== undefined) return pending
+  const promise = discoverRepoRoots(cwd).then(
+    (roots) => {
+      repoRootsCache.set(cwd, { roots, expires: Date.now() + DISCOVERY_CACHE_TTL_MS })
+      repoRootsInFlight.delete(cwd)
+      return roots
+    },
+    (error: unknown) => {
+      repoRootsInFlight.delete(cwd)
+      throw error
+    },
+  )
+  repoRootsInFlight.set(cwd, promise)
+  return promise
+}
+
+async function discoverRepoRoots(cwd: string): Promise<string[]> {
   try {
     return [await directRepoRoot(cwd)]
   } catch {
@@ -209,7 +253,8 @@ export async function repoRoots(cwd: string): Promise<string[]> {
     const roots: string[] = []
     for (const entry of entries
       .filter(entry => entry.isDirectory() && !entry.name.startsWith('.') && entry.name !== 'node_modules')
-      .sort((left, right) => left.name.localeCompare(right.name))) {
+      .sort((left, right) => left.name.localeCompare(right.name))
+      .slice(0, DISCOVERY_LIMIT)) {
       try {
         const root = await directRepoRoot(join(cwd, entry.name))
         if (!roots.some(existing => pathIdentity(existing) === pathIdentity(root))) roots.push(root)
@@ -241,6 +286,12 @@ export async function currentBranch(cwd: string): Promise<string> {
   return out.trim()
 }
 
+/** Upper bound on status rows shipped to the client. Beyond this the result
+ *  is truncated (with `truncated: true`) so a pathological untracked set —
+ *  e.g. the working tree discovered under a home-directory cwd — cannot
+ *  freeze the browser main thread on JSON parse or list render (#369). */
+const GIT_STATUS_LIMIT = 2_000
+
 /**
  * Working-tree status (untracked included). `--untracked-files=all` lists
  * the contents of new directories as individual entries, while preserving
@@ -254,7 +305,16 @@ export async function status(cwd: string, selected?: string): Promise<GitStatusR
     currentBranch(root).catch(() => 'HEAD'),
     runGit(root, ['status', '--porcelain=v1', '-z', '--untracked-files=all']),
   ])
-  return { isRepo: true, branch, entries: parsePorcelainZ(raw), root, repositories }
+  const parsed = parsePorcelainZ(raw)
+  const truncated = parsed.length > GIT_STATUS_LIMIT
+  return {
+    isRepo: true,
+    branch,
+    entries: truncated ? parsed.slice(0, GIT_STATUS_LIMIT) : parsed,
+    truncated,
+    root,
+    repositories,
+  }
 }
 
 /** Platform-aware identity used only for comparing absolute checkout roots. */
diff --git a/tests/git.spec.ts b/tests/git.spec.ts
index 7d6e02d..6d7059e 100644
--- a/tests/git.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/git.spec.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,60 @@ describe('git parsing', () => {
     }
   })
 
+  it('caps status entries at the truncation limit (issue #369)', async () => {
+    // A pathological untracked set — e.g. a repository discovered under a
+    // home-directory cwd — must ship a bounded payload: the browser main
+    // thread froze when one status response carried tens of thousands of
+    // rows into response.json() and the unvirtualized change list.
+    const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'dsh-git-truncate-'))
+    try {
+      execFileSync('git', ['init', '-q'], { cwd: root })
+      const many = join(root, 'many')
+      mkdirSync(many)
+      for (let index = 0; index <= 2_000; index += 1) writeFileSync(join(many, `f${index}.ts`), 'x')
+      const result = await status(root)
+      expect(result.entries).toHaveLength(2_000)
+      expect(result.truncated).toBe(true)
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true })
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('leaves ordinary statuses untruncated', async () => {
+    const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'dsh-git-untruncated-'))
+    try {
+      execFileSync('git', ['init', '-q'], { cwd: root })
+      for (const name of ['a.ts', 'b.ts', 'c.ts']) writeFileSync(join(root, name), 'x')
+      const result = await status(root)
+      expect(result.entries).toHaveLength(3)
+      expect(result.truncated).toBe(false)
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true })
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('shares one in-flight discovery scan between concurrent callers and caches the result (issue #369)', async () => {
+    // The panel fires gitStatus/gitBranch/gitLog in parallel and then polls
+    // every 2s; without sharing/caching, each call re-probed every visible
+    // child directory of the cwd (the home-directory spawn storm of #369).
+    const workspace = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'dsh-git-cache-'))
+    const repo = join(workspace, 'a-repo')
+    try {
+      await mkdir(repo)
+      await execFileAsync('git', ['-C', repo, 'init'])
+      const first = repoRoots(workspace)
+      // A second call while the first scan is still running joins it…
+      expect(repoRoots(workspace)).toBe(first)
+      const roots = await first
+      expect(roots).toEqual([canonical(repo)])
+      // …and once settled, the cached array (same reference) is served
+      // without re-probing for the TTL window.
+      await expect(repoRoots(workspace)).resolves.toBe(roots)
+    } finally {
+      await rm(workspace, { recursive: true, force: true })
+    }
+  })
+
   it('parses log rows with unit separators (full hash + refs)', () => {
     const rows = parseLogLines(
       'abc1234\x1fFirst subject\x1fAlice\x1f2024-01-01 10:00:00 +0800\x1fabc1234def5678abc1234def5678abc1234def5678\x1fHEAD -> main, origin/main\n'
diff --git a/tests/state.spec.ts b/tests/state.spec.ts
index 0142559..48ad578 100644
--- a/tests/state.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/state.spec.ts
@@ -1213,3 +1213,73 @@ describe('free windows (v0.16.0)', () => {
     })
   })
 })
+
+describe('URL reset escape hatch (issue #369)', () => {
+  // Same browser-global stubs as the v0.12.0 block above; loadState reads
+  // window.location.search (reset param) and localStorage (persisted state).
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    const g = globalThis as Record<string, unknown>
+    g.window = { clearTimeout: () => {}, setTimeout: () => 0, innerWidth: 1024, innerHeight: 800, location: { search: '' } }
+    g.localStorage = { getItem: () => null, setItem: () => {}, removeItem: () => {} }
+  })
+  afterEach(() => {
+    const g = globalThis as Record<string, unknown>
+    delete g.window
+    delete g.localStorage
+  })
+
+  /** A persisted layout whose restored git tab would re-hang the page. */
+  const frozenState = JSON.stringify({
+    panelOpen: true,
+    width: 400,
+    nextTerminal: 1,
+    activePane: 'pane:1',
+    expanded: [],
+    splits: { kind: 'leaf', id: 'pane:1', active: 'g1', tabs: [{ id: 'g1', type: 'git', title: 'Git' }] },
+    bottomSplits: { kind: 'leaf', id: 'pane:b', active: null, tabs: [] },
+  })
+
+  const searchOf = (): { search: string } =>
+    (globalThis as unknown as { window: { location: { search: string } } }).window.location
+
+  it('restores the persisted layout when the param is absent', () => {
+    const g = globalThis as Record<string, unknown>
+    g.localStorage = {
+      getItem: (key: string) => (key === 'dsh-sidebar:v1:s1' ? frozenState : null),
+      setItem: () => {},
+      removeItem: () => {},
+    }
+    const store = createSidebarStore()
+    store.setSession('s1')
+    const leaf = store.getSnapshot().state!.splits as { tabs: { type: string }[] }
+    expect(leaf.tabs.map(tab => tab.type)).toEqual(['git'])
+  })
+
+  it('?dsh-sidebar-reset drops the persisted layout and clears the stored copy', () => {
+    const g = globalThis as Record<string, unknown>
+    const removed: string[] = []
+    g.localStorage = {
+      getItem: (key: string) => (key === 'dsh-sidebar:v1:s1' ? frozenState : null),
+      setItem: () => {},
+      removeItem: (key: string) => { removed.push(key) },
+    }
+    searchOf().search = '?dsh-sidebar-reset'
+    const store = createSidebarStore()
+    store.setSession('s1')
+    // The default layout (editor home tab) — NOT the frozen git-only state.
+    const leaf = store.getSnapshot().state!.splits as { tabs: { type: string }[] }
+    expect(leaf.tabs.map(tab => tab.type)).toEqual(['editor'])
+    // The stored copy is gone, so reloading without the param cannot restore
+    // the hanging layout either.
+    expect(removed).toContain('dsh-sidebar:v1:s1')
+    expect(removed).toContain('dsh-sidebar:v1:width')
+  })
+
+  it('the reset param tolerates a value (?dsh-sidebar-reset=1)', () => {
+    searchOf().search = '?foo=bar&dsh-sidebar-reset=1'
+    const store = createSidebarStore()
+    store.setSession('s1')
+    const leaf = store.getSnapshot().state!.splits as { tabs: { type: string }[] }
+    expect(leaf.tabs.map(tab => tab.type)).toEqual(['editor'])
+  })
+})