diff --git a/packages/app/src/app.tsx b/packages/app/src/app.tsx
index 0c950871a335..ec8b082d4a9e 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/app.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/app.tsx
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ import { ServerConnection, ServerProvider, serverName, useServer } from "@/conte
 import { SettingsProvider, useSettings } from "@/context/settings"
 import { TabsProvider, useTabs, type DraftTab } from "@/context/tabs"
 import { SDKProvider, useSDK } from "@/context/sdk"
+import { TerminalProvider, TerminalRegistryProvider } from "@/context/terminal"
 import { WslServersProvider } from "@/wsl/context"
 import DirectoryLayout, { DirectoryDataProvider } from "@/pages/directory-layout"
 import LegacyLayout from "@/pages/layout"
@@ -378,15 +379,17 @@ function NewAppLayout(props: ParentProps<{ serverScoped?: JSX.Element }>) {
   )
 }
 
-// The draft page only renders the prompt composer, so it drops TerminalProvider.
-// FileProvider and CommentsProvider stay because PromptInput uses file search and comment context.
+// Drafts share their workspace with the terminal, files, and prompt context. A new chat can
+// therefore open the same bottom terminal before its first prompt is submitted.
 function DraftProviders(props: ParentProps) {
   return (
-    <FileProvider>
-      <PromptProvider>
-        <CommentsProvider>{props.children}</CommentsProvider>
-      </PromptProvider>
-    </FileProvider>
+    <TerminalProvider>
+      <FileProvider>
+        <PromptProvider>
+          <CommentsProvider>{props.children}</CommentsProvider>
+        </PromptProvider>
+      </FileProvider>
+    </TerminalProvider>
   )
 }
 
@@ -413,11 +416,13 @@ export function AppBaseProviders(
               }}
             >
               <QueryProvider>
-                <WslServersProvider>
-                  <DialogProvider>
-                    <FileComponentProvider component={File}>{props.children}</FileComponentProvider>
-                  </DialogProvider>
-                </WslServersProvider>
+                <TerminalRegistryProvider>
+                  <WslServersProvider>
+                    <DialogProvider>
+                      <FileComponentProvider component={File}>{props.children}</FileComponentProvider>
+                    </DialogProvider>
+                  </WslServersProvider>
+                </TerminalRegistryProvider>
               </QueryProvider>
             </ErrorBoundary>
           </UiI18nBridge>
diff --git a/packages/app/src/context/terminal.test.ts b/packages/app/src/context/terminal.test.ts
index 25ef35dd4138..d97e3e31b361 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/context/terminal.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/context/terminal.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { ServerScope } from "@/utils/server-scope"
 let getWorkspaceTerminalCacheKey: typeof import("./terminal").getWorkspaceTerminalCacheKey
 let getLegacyTerminalStorageKeys: (dir: string, legacySessionID?: string) => string[]
 let migrateTerminalState: (value: unknown) => unknown
+let createWorkspaceTerminalRegistry: typeof import("./terminal").createWorkspaceTerminalRegistry
 
 beforeAll(async () => {
   mock.module("@solidjs/router", () => ({
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ beforeAll(async () => {
   getWorkspaceTerminalCacheKey = mod.getWorkspaceTerminalCacheKey
   getLegacyTerminalStorageKeys = mod.getLegacyTerminalStorageKeys
   migrateTerminalState = mod.migrateTerminalState
+  createWorkspaceTerminalRegistry = mod.createWorkspaceTerminalRegistry
 })
 
 describe("getWorkspaceTerminalCacheKey", () => {
@@ -89,3 +91,39 @@ describe("migrateTerminalState", () => {
     })
   })
 })
+
+describe("createWorkspaceTerminalRegistry", () => {
+  test("reuses one terminal session across chats in the same workspace", () => {
+    const registry = createWorkspaceTerminalRegistry<{ id: string }>()
+    const disposed: string[] = []
+    const first = registry.get("server\u0000repo-a", () => ({
+      value: { id: "terminal-a" },
+      dispose: () => disposed.push("terminal-a"),
+    }))
+    const second = registry.get("server\u0000repo-a", () => ({
+      value: { id: "replacement" },
+      dispose: () => disposed.push("replacement"),
+    }))
+
+    expect(second).toBe(first)
+    expect(disposed).toEqual([])
+    registry.dispose()
+    expect(disposed).toEqual(["terminal-a"])
+  })
+
+  test("keeps workspaces separate and evicts the least recently used entry", () => {
+    const registry = createWorkspaceTerminalRegistry<{ id: string }>(2)
+    const disposed: string[] = []
+    const create = (id: string) => ({ value: { id }, dispose: () => disposed.push(id) })
+
+    expect(registry.get("server\u0000repo-a", () => create("a")).id).toBe("a")
+    expect(registry.get("server\u0000repo-b", () => create("b")).id).toBe("b")
+    expect(registry.get("server\u0000repo-a", () => create("replacement")).id).toBe("a")
+    expect(registry.get("server\u0000repo-c", () => create("c")).id).toBe("c")
+
+    expect(registry.peek("server\u0000repo-a")?.id).toBe("a")
+    expect(registry.peek("server\u0000repo-b")).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(registry.peek("server\u0000repo-c")?.id).toBe("c")
+    expect(disposed).toEqual(["b"])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/app/src/context/terminal.tsx b/packages/app/src/context/terminal.tsx
index df575b71f7ce..571e5e256f42 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/context/terminal.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/context/terminal.tsx
@@ -96,12 +96,41 @@ export function getLegacyTerminalStorageKeys(dir: string, legacySessionID?: stri
 
 type TerminalSession = ReturnType<typeof createWorkspaceTerminalSession>
 
-type TerminalCacheEntry = {
-  value: TerminalSession
-  dispose: VoidFunction
+export function createWorkspaceTerminalRegistry<T>(limit = MAX_TERMINAL_SESSIONS) {
+  const cache = new Map<string, { value: T; dispose: VoidFunction }>()
+
+  return {
+    get(key: string, create: () => { value: T; dispose: VoidFunction }) {
+      const existing = cache.get(key)
+      if (existing) {
+        cache.delete(key)
+        cache.set(key, existing)
+        return existing.value
+      }
+
+      const entry = create()
+      cache.set(key, entry)
+      while (cache.size > limit) {
+        const first = cache.keys().next().value
+        if (!first) break
+        cache.get(first)?.dispose()
+        cache.delete(first)
+      }
+      return entry.value
+    },
+    peek(key: string) {
+      return cache.get(key)?.value
+    },
+    dispose() {
+      for (const entry of cache.values()) entry.dispose()
+      cache.clear()
+    },
+  }
 }
 
-const caches = new Set<Map<string, TerminalCacheEntry>>()
+type TerminalRegistry = ReturnType<typeof createWorkspaceTerminalRegistry<TerminalSession>>
+
+const registries = new Set<TerminalRegistry>()
 
 const trimTerminal = (pty: LocalPTY) => {
   if (!pty.buffer && pty.cursor === undefined && pty.scrollY === undefined) return pty
@@ -124,10 +153,7 @@ export function clearWorkspaceTerminals(
   scope: ServerScopeValue = ServerScope.local,
 ) {
   const key = getWorkspaceTerminalCacheKey(dir, scope)
-  for (const cache of caches) {
-    const entry = cache.get(key)
-    entry?.value.clear()
-  }
+  for (const registry of registries) registry.peek(key)?.clear()
 
   void removePersisted(terminalPersistTarget(scope, dir), platform)
 
@@ -143,6 +169,20 @@ export function clearWorkspaceTerminals(
   }
 }
 
+export const { use: useTerminalRegistry, provider: TerminalRegistryProvider } = createSimpleContext({
+  name: "TerminalRegistry",
+  gate: false,
+  init: () => {
+    const registry = createWorkspaceTerminalRegistry<TerminalSession>()
+    registries.add(registry)
+    onCleanup(() => {
+      registries.delete(registry)
+      registry.dispose()
+    })
+    return registry
+  },
+})
+
 function createWorkspaceTerminalSession(
   sdk: DirectorySDK,
   dir: string,
@@ -460,51 +500,21 @@ export const { use: useTerminal, provider: TerminalProvider } = createSimpleCont
   init: () => {
     const sdk = useSDK()
     const serverSDK = useServerSDK()
+    const registry = useTerminalRegistry()
     const params = useParams()
-    const cache = new Map<string, TerminalCacheEntry>()
     const scope = () => serverSDK().scope
     const directory = createMemo(() => base64Encode(sdk().directory))
 
-    caches.add(cache)
-    onCleanup(() => caches.delete(cache))
-
-    const disposeAll = () => {
-      for (const entry of cache.values()) {
-        entry.dispose()
-      }
-      cache.clear()
-    }
-
-    onCleanup(disposeAll)
-
-    const prune = () => {
-      while (cache.size > MAX_TERMINAL_SESSIONS) {
-        const first = cache.keys().next().value
-        if (!first) return
-        const entry = cache.get(first)
-        entry?.dispose()
-        cache.delete(first)
-      }
-    }
-
     const loadWorkspace = (dir: string, legacySessionID: string | undefined, serverScope: ServerScopeValue) => {
-      // Terminals are workspace-scoped so tabs persist while switching sessions in the same directory.
+      // The app-level registry outlives chat routes, while each entry keeps the DirectorySDK from
+      // the workspace that created it. The server scope in the key prevents cross-server reuse.
       const key = getWorkspaceTerminalCacheKey(dir, serverScope)
-      const existing = cache.get(key)
-      if (existing) {
-        cache.delete(key)
-        cache.set(key, existing)
-        return existing.value
-      }
-
-      const entry = createRoot((dispose) => ({
-        value: createWorkspaceTerminalSession(sdk(), dir, serverScope, legacySessionID),
-        dispose,
-      }))
-
-      cache.set(key, entry)
-      prune()
-      return entry.value
+      return registry.get(key, () =>
+        createRoot((dispose) => ({
+          value: createWorkspaceTerminalSession(sdk(), dir, serverScope, legacySessionID),
+          dispose,
+        })),
+      )
     }
 
     const workspace = createMemo(() => loadWorkspace(directory(), params.id, scope()))