diff --git a/src/app/actions.rs b/src/app/actions.rs
index 5330408a110..8a42480d8ff 100644
--- a/src/app/actions.rs
+++ b/src/app/actions.rs
@@ -644,6 +644,36 @@ impl AppState {
                 self.terminal_runtime_shutdowns.push(terminal_id);
             }
         }
+        self.prune_runtime_binding_owners();
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn runtime_binding_owner_is_live(&self, public_pane_id: &str) -> bool {
+        let Some((workspace_id, _)) = public_pane_id.split_once(':') else {
+            return false;
+        };
+        self.workspaces
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|ws| ws.id == workspace_id)
+            .any(|ws| {
+                ws.public_pane_numbers.iter().any(|(&pane_id, &number)| {
+                    ws.pane_state(pane_id).is_some()
+                        && crate::workspace::public_pane_id_for_number(&ws.id, number)
+                            == public_pane_id
+                })
+            })
+    }
+
+    /// Drops binding owners, bound or unbound, whose public pane no longer exists.
+    /// Owners of open panes are kept so an unbind followed by a rebind of the same
+    /// binding on the same pane continues its sequence guard.
+    pub(crate) fn prune_runtime_binding_owners(&mut self) -> bool {
+        let before = self.runtime_binding_owners.len();
+        let owners = std::mem::take(&mut self.runtime_binding_owners);
+        self.runtime_binding_owners = owners
+            .into_iter()
+            .filter(|(_, owner)| self.runtime_binding_owner_is_live(&owner.pane_id))
+            .collect();
+        self.runtime_binding_owners.len() != before
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn remove_plugin_pane_records(
diff --git a/src/app/api/runtime_attachment.rs b/src/app/api/runtime_attachment.rs
index af89c539572..acef238d9fb 100644
--- a/src/app/api/runtime_attachment.rs
+++ b/src/app/api/runtime_attachment.rs
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ impl App {
                 },
             );
         }
+        let pruned = self.state.prune_runtime_binding_owners();
         if exact {
             if let Some(update) = self.state.update_terminal_state(pane_id, |terminal| {
                 Some(terminal.mutate_runtime_binding(None, None))
@@ -259,9 +260,11 @@ impl App {
                 self.emit_pane_state_update(&update);
             }
             self.sync_agent_metadata_deadline();
-            self.schedule_session_save();
             self.emit_pane_updated(ws_idx, pane_id);
         }
+        if exact || pruned {
+            self.schedule_session_save();
+        }
         encode_success(
             id,
             ResponseResult::PaneRuntime {
@@ -394,6 +397,110 @@ mod tests {
         app.state.assert_invariants_for_test();
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn runtime_attachment_owner_is_pruned_when_owning_pane_closes() {
+        let mut app = app();
+        let pane_id = |app: &App, tab: usize| {
+            app.public_pane_id(0, app.state.workspaces[0].tabs[tab].root_pane)
+                .unwrap()
+        };
+        let bound_pane = pane_id(&app, 0);
+        let unbound_pane = pane_id(&app, 1);
+        let survivor_pane = pane_id(&app, 2);
+        let bind = |pane_id: &str, binding_id: &str| PaneBindRuntimeParams {
+            pane_id: pane_id.into(),
+            binding_id: binding_id.into(),
+            attachment: attachment(),
+        };
+        for (pane, binding_id) in [(&bound_pane, "bound"), (&unbound_pane, "unbound")] {
+            assert!(app
+                .handle_pane_bind_runtime("bind".into(), bind(pane, binding_id))
+                .contains("\"applied\":true"));
+        }
+        assert!(app
+            .handle_pane_unbind_runtime(
+                "unbind".into(),
+                PaneUnbindRuntimeParams {
+                    pane_id: unbound_pane.clone(),
+                    binding_id: "unbound".into(),
+                }
+            )
+            .contains("\"applied\":true"));
+        assert!(app.state.runtime_binding_owners.contains_key("unbound"));
+
+        app.handle_pane_close(
+            "close-bound".into(),
+            PaneTarget {
+                pane_id: bound_pane,
+            },
+        );
+        assert!(!app.state.runtime_binding_owners.contains_key("bound"));
+        assert!(app.state.runtime_binding_owners.contains_key("unbound"));
+        app.state.assert_invariants_for_test();
+
+        app.handle_pane_close(
+            "close-unbound".into(),
+            PaneTarget {
+                pane_id: unbound_pane,
+            },
+        );
+        assert!(app.state.runtime_binding_owners.is_empty());
+        app.state.assert_invariants_for_test();
+
+        let rebound: SuccessResponse = serde_json::from_str(
+            &app.handle_pane_bind_runtime("rebind".into(), bind(&survivor_pane, "bound")),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let ResponseResult::PaneRuntime {
+            binding: Some(binding),
+            ..
+        } = rebound.result
+        else {
+            panic!("released binding should bind to a live pane")
+        };
+        assert_eq!(binding.pane_id, survivor_pane);
+        assert_eq!(binding.seq, None);
+        app.state.assert_invariants_for_test();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn runtime_attachment_unbind_prunes_owners_of_missing_panes() {
+        let mut app = app();
+        let pane_id = app
+            .public_pane_id(0, app.state.workspaces[0].tabs[0].root_pane)
+            .unwrap();
+        let bind = PaneBindRuntimeParams {
+            pane_id: pane_id.clone(),
+            binding_id: "binding-a".into(),
+            attachment: attachment(),
+        };
+        app.handle_pane_bind_runtime("bind".into(), bind.clone());
+        let mut stale = app.state.runtime_binding_owners["binding-a"].clone();
+        stale.binding_id = "stale".into();
+        stale.pane_id = format!("{}:p{}", app.state.workspaces[0].id, "ZZZ");
+        app.state
+            .runtime_binding_owners
+            .insert("stale".into(), stale);
+        assert!(app
+            .handle_pane_unbind_runtime(
+                "unbind".into(),
+                PaneUnbindRuntimeParams {
+                    pane_id: pane_id.clone(),
+                    binding_id: "binding-a".into(),
+                }
+            )
+            .contains("\"applied\":true"));
+        assert_eq!(
+            app.state.runtime_binding_owners.keys().collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+            vec!["binding-a"]
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            app.state.runtime_binding_owners["binding-a"].pane_id,
+            pane_id
+        );
+        app.state.assert_invariants_for_test();
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn runtime_attachment_observation_survives_tui_navigation_and_expires() {
         let mut app = app();
diff --git a/src/app/mod.rs b/src/app/mod.rs
index ad1f9e3fb76..73b0cb5feab 100644
--- a/src/app/mod.rs
+++ b/src/app/mod.rs
@@ -535,6 +535,9 @@ impl App {
         };
 
         state.terminals = restored_terminals;
+        // Owners of panes that did not survive restore, or tombstones from older
+        // snapshots, are dropped and written out with the next session save.
+        state.prune_runtime_binding_owners();
 
         for ws_idx in 0..state.workspaces.len() {
             let cwd = state.workspaces[ws_idx]
@@ -673,6 +676,7 @@ impl App {
         app.terminal_runtimes = runtimes.into();
         app.state.runtime_binding_owners = snapshot.runtime_binding_owners.clone();
         app.sync_agent_metadata_deadline();
+        app.state.prune_runtime_binding_owners();
         app.state.active = snapshot
             .active
             .filter(|&idx| idx < app.state.workspaces.len());
diff --git a/src/app/session.rs b/src/app/session.rs
index bac22adea6e..604f6f38bf5 100644
--- a/src/app/session.rs
+++ b/src/app/session.rs
@@ -149,3 +149,61 @@ fn run_session_save_job(
         SessionSaveJob::Save { snapshot, history } => writer.save(&snapshot, history.as_ref()),
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn session_save_clears_after_last_runtime_binding_owner_pane_closes() {
+        let (_, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::unbounded_channel();
+        let mut app = App::new(
+            &crate::config::Config::default(),
+            crate::app::AppPolicy::TEST,
+            None,
+            rx,
+            crate::api::EventHub::default(),
+        );
+        app.state = crate::app::AppState::test_with_adversarial_identity_state();
+        app.state.ensure_test_terminals();
+        let pane_id = app
+            .public_pane_id(0, app.state.workspaces[0].tabs[0].root_pane)
+            .expect("root pane should have a public ID");
+        app.state.runtime_binding_owners.insert(
+            "binding-a".into(),
+            crate::api::schema::RuntimeBinding {
+                pane_id,
+                binding_id: "binding-a".into(),
+                attachment: crate::api::schema::RuntimeAttachment {
+                    provider: "shuvcode".into(),
+                    home_id: "home-a".into(),
+                    session_id: "ses_a".into(),
+                    location: "/".into(),
+                    host_id: "local".into(),
+                    attach_argv: vec!["shuvcode".into()],
+                },
+                seq: Some(3),
+                state: crate::api::schema::RuntimeState::Unknown,
+                label: None,
+                ttl_ms: crate::runtime_attachment::DEFAULT_TTL_MS,
+                fresh: false,
+            },
+        );
+        app.state.assert_invariants_for_test();
+        assert!(matches!(
+            app.capture_session_save_job(),
+            SessionSaveJob::Save { .. }
+        ));
+
+        while !app.state.workspaces.is_empty() {
+            app.state.close_selected_workspace();
+        }
+
+        assert!(app.state.runtime_binding_owners.is_empty());
+        assert!(matches!(
+            app.capture_session_save_job(),
+            SessionSaveJob::Clear
+        ));
+        app.state.assert_invariants_for_test();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/app/state.rs b/src/app/state.rs
index f85e88e4546..51660d325fa 100644
--- a/src/app/state.rs
+++ b/src/app/state.rs
@@ -1168,6 +1168,13 @@ impl AppState {
     }
 
     pub fn assert_invariants_for_test(&self) {
+        for (binding_id, owner) in &self.runtime_binding_owners {
+            assert!(
+                self.runtime_binding_owner_is_live(&owner.pane_id),
+                "runtime binding owner {binding_id} references closed pane {}",
+                owner.pane_id
+            );
+        }
         if self.workspaces.is_empty() {
             assert!(
                 self.active.is_none(),
diff --git a/src/persist/restore.rs b/src/persist/restore.rs
index a2e536420bd..e8f7038d659 100644
--- a/src/persist/restore.rs
+++ b/src/persist/restore.rs
@@ -269,7 +269,8 @@ fn restore_with_imports_and_failures(
     render_notify: Arc<Notify>,
     render_dirty: Arc<RenderSignal>,
 ) -> RestoreFailures<RestoredSession> {
-    // Closed attachment owners still reserve public identity after an empty restart.
+    // Saved attachment owners reserve their public identity even when their pane fails
+    // to restore, so a later pane never reuses an ID a pre-restore client may hold.
     crate::workspace::reserve_public_workspace_ids(
         snapshot
             .runtime_binding_owners
@@ -1563,6 +1564,114 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(workspace.next_public_tab_number, 6);
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn restore_keeps_live_runtime_binding_owners_and_reserves_their_identity() {
+        let cwd = std::env::current_dir().unwrap();
+        let owner = |binding_id: &str, pane_id: &str| {
+            (
+                binding_id.to_string(),
+                crate::api::schema::RuntimeBinding {
+                    pane_id: pane_id.into(),
+                    binding_id: binding_id.into(),
+                    attachment: crate::api::schema::RuntimeAttachment {
+                        provider: "shuvcode".into(),
+                        home_id: "home-a".into(),
+                        session_id: binding_id.into(),
+                        location: cwd.display().to_string(),
+                        host_id: "local".into(),
+                        attach_argv: vec!["shuvcode".into()],
+                    },
+                    seq: Some(7),
+                    state: crate::api::schema::RuntimeState::Unknown,
+                    label: None,
+                    ttl_ms: crate::runtime_attachment::DEFAULT_TTL_MS,
+                    fresh: false,
+                },
+            )
+        };
+        let live_workspace = format!("w{}", crate::workspace::encode_public_number(40));
+        let closed_workspace = format!("w{}", crate::workspace::encode_public_number(41));
+        let live_pane = crate::workspace::public_pane_id_for_number(&live_workspace, 1);
+        let snapshot = SessionSnapshot {
+            version: super::super::snapshot::SNAPSHOT_VERSION,
+            workspaces: vec![WorkspaceSnapshot {
+                id: Some(live_workspace.clone()),
+                custom_name: None,
+                identity_cwd: cwd.clone(),
+                worktree_space: None,
+                public_pane_numbers: HashMap::from([(0, 1)]),
+                next_public_pane_number: 2,
+                public_tab_numbers: vec![1],
+                next_public_tab_number: 2,
+                tabs: vec![TabSnapshot {
+                    custom_name: None,
+                    layout: LayoutSnapshot::Pane(0),
+                    panes: HashMap::from([(
+                        0,
+                        super::super::snapshot::PaneSnapshot {
+                            cwd: cwd.clone(),
+                            label: None,
+                            agent_name: None,
+                            managed_agent_kind: None,
+                            agent_session: None,
+                            runtime_binding: None,
+                            launch_argv: None,
+                        },
+                    )]),
+                    zoomed: false,
+                    focused: Some(0),
+                    root_pane: Some(0),
+                }],
+                active_tab: 0,
+            }],
+            active: Some(0),
+            selected: 0,
+            sidebar_width: None,
+            sidebar_section_split: None,
+            collapsed_space_keys: Default::default(),
+            runtime_binding_owners: HashMap::from([
+                owner("live-binding", &live_pane),
+                owner(
+                    "legacy-tombstone",
+                    &crate::workspace::public_pane_id_for_number(&closed_workspace, 1),
+                ),
+            ]),
+        };
+        let (events, _event_rx) = mpsc::channel(4);
+
+        let (workspaces, terminals, _runtimes) = restore(
+            &snapshot,
+            None,
+            24,
+            80,
+            0,
+            test_restore_shell(),
+            crate::config::ShellModeConfig::NonLogin,
+            false,
+            events,
+            Arc::new(Notify::new()),
+            Arc::new(RenderSignal::new()),
+        );
+
+        let next = crate::workspace::generate_workspace_id();
+        assert!(
+            crate::workspace::public_workspace_number(&next).is_some_and(|number| number > 41),
+            "restored owner identities must stay reserved, got {next}"
+        );
+        let mut state = crate::app::AppState::test_new();
+        state.workspaces = workspaces;
+        state.terminals = terminals;
+        state.active = Some(0);
+        state.runtime_binding_owners = snapshot.runtime_binding_owners.clone();
+        assert!(state.prune_runtime_binding_owners());
+        assert_eq!(
+            state.runtime_binding_owners.keys().collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+            vec!["live-binding"]
+        );
+        assert_eq!(state.runtime_binding_owners["live-binding"].seq, Some(7));
+        state.assert_invariants_for_test();
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn cold_restore_with_gapped_public_tab_numbers_drops_unmanaged_agent_name() {
         let cwd = std::env::current_dir().unwrap();
diff --git a/tests/api_ping.rs b/tests/api_ping.rs
index c38e2c7dac5..a0d43e6ae5a 100644
--- a/tests/api_ping.rs
+++ b/tests/api_ping.rs
@@ -2791,7 +2791,7 @@ fn native_runtime_attachment_public_json_persists_identity_and_rejects_stale_rep
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn native_runtime_attachment_closed_owner_reserves_identity_after_empty_restart() {
+fn native_runtime_attachment_closed_owner_is_released_after_empty_restart() {
     let _lock = test_lock();
     let base = unique_test_dir();
     fs::create_dir_all(&base).unwrap();
@@ -2830,12 +2830,11 @@ fn native_runtime_attachment_closed_owner_reserves_identity_after_empty_restart(
         serde_json::json!({"cwd":base,"focus":false}),
     );
     let replacement_pane = &replacement["result"]["root_pane"]["pane_id"];
-    assert_ne!(replacement_pane, pane);
     bind["pane_id"] = replacement_pane.clone();
-    assert_eq!(
-        request(&socket, "pane.bind_runtime", bind)["error"]["code"],
-        "runtime_binding_conflict"
-    );
+    let rebound = request(&socket, "pane.bind_runtime", bind);
+    assert_eq!(rebound["result"]["applied"], true, "{rebound}");
+    assert_eq!(rebound["result"]["binding"]["pane_id"], *replacement_pane);
+    assert!(rebound["result"]["binding"]["seq"].is_null());
     request(&socket, "server.stop", serde_json::json!({}));
     restarted.child.wait().unwrap();
     cleanup_spawned_herdr(restarted, base);