diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/close-tab.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/close-tab.ts
index d5a5a0bcae14..098e59108aea 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/close-tab.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/close-tab.ts
@@ -2,17 +2,25 @@ import { closeActiveTerminal } from '@/app/right-sidebar/terminal/terminals'
 import { closeWorkspaceTab } from '@/components/pane-shell/tree/store'
 import { isFocusWithin } from '@/lib/keybinds/combo'
 import { $filePreviewTabs, $previewTarget, closeActiveRightRailTab } from '@/store/preview'
+import { closeSessionTile, nextSessionTileForWorkspace } from '@/store/session-states'
 
 /**
  * ⌘W — close the tab of the context you're in, by precedence:
  *   1. a focused terminal → its active terminal tab,
  *   2. right-rail tabs (live preview and/or file peeks),
  *   3. the MAIN zone → its active tab (a session tile stacked into the workspace).
+ *   4. the MAIN (workspace) tab itself, when session tabs are stacked with it:
+ *      the workspace can't close, so ⌘W shifts the NEXT session tab into main
+ *      (loads it as the primary + drops its now-redundant tile).
  * Returns false when nothing closes, so ⌘W is a no-op — it never closes the
  * window (a bare workspace stays put). Shared by the keyboard path (Win/Linux)
  * and the macOS menu-accelerator IPC.
+ *
+ * `loadSessionIntoWorkspace` carries the app's route-based "load this session
+ * into main" (the two call sites have router access); omitting it disables the
+ * step-4 promotion (⌘W stays the pre-existing no-op on the main tab).
  */
-export function closeActiveTab(): boolean {
+export function closeActiveTab(loadSessionIntoWorkspace?: (storedSessionId: string) => void): boolean {
   if (isFocusWithin('[data-terminal]')) {
     closeActiveTerminal()
 
@@ -28,5 +36,27 @@ export function closeActiveTab(): boolean {
     return closeActiveRightRailTab()
   }
 
-  return closeWorkspaceTab()
+  // A closeable main-zone tab (a session tile that's the active tab) closes
+  // outright; the uncloseable workspace tab returns false and falls through.
+  if (closeWorkspaceTab()) {
+    return true
+  }
+
+  // The main (workspace) tab is active and can't be closed — but if session
+  // tabs are stacked with it, ⌘W shifts the next one into the main tab: drop
+  // its tile (the session stays alive, no busy-close prompt) and load it into
+  // main. Order matters — close the tile FIRST so the selection homes to the
+  // workspace instead of re-fronting the tile.
+  if (loadSessionIntoWorkspace) {
+    const next = nextSessionTileForWorkspace()
+
+    if (next) {
+      closeSessionTile(next)
+      loadSessionIntoWorkspace(next)
+
+      return true
+    }
+  }
+
+  return false
 }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/session-tile.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/session-tile.tsx
index e1e149a29d60..5a542d12bfca 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/session-tile.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/session-tile.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from 'react'
 
 import { useGatewayRequest } from '@/app/gateway/hooks/use-gateway-request'
 import { useModelControls } from '@/app/session/hooks/use-model-controls'
+import { resolveStoredSession } from '@/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions/utils'
 import { blobToDataUrl } from '@/app/session/hooks/use-prompt-actions/utils'
 import { ModelMenuPanel } from '@/app/shell/model-menu-panel'
 import { formatRefValue } from '@/components/assistant-ui/directive-text'
@@ -201,6 +202,53 @@ export function SessionTilePane({ storedSessionId }: { storedSessionId: string }
   const resumingRef = useRef(false)
   const view = useMemo(() => buildTileView(storedSessionId), [storedSessionId])
 
+  // A tab-strip "+"/⌘T tab is created UNLISTED — its session stays out of
+  // $sessions (no sidebar clutter) until it's actually used, so the tab shows
+  // "New session". The moment this tile has a message, pull its row into
+  // $sessions via the lightweight by-id lookup so the tab (and a sidebar row)
+  // resolve the real title. `resolveStoredSession` no-ops when it's already
+  // listed, and 404s harmlessly for an in-memory draft that hasn't persisted a
+  // turn yet — so we retry across that brief persist lag and stop as soon as it
+  // lands (a global turn-complete refresh may beat us to it).
+  const hasMessages = useStore(view.$messagesEmpty) === false
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const alreadyListed = () => $sessions.get().some(s => sessionMatchesStoredId(s, storedSessionId))
+
+    if (!runtimeId || !hasMessages || alreadyListed()) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    let cancelled = false
+    let timer: number | undefined
+
+    const attempt = (remaining: number) => {
+      if (cancelled || alreadyListed()) {
+        return
+      }
+
+      void resolveStoredSession(storedSessionId)
+        .then(resolved => {
+          if (cancelled || resolved || remaining <= 0) {
+            return
+          }
+
+          timer = window.setTimeout(() => attempt(remaining - 1), 500)
+        })
+        .catch(() => undefined)
+    }
+
+    attempt(6)
+
+    return () => {
+      cancelled = true
+
+      if (timer !== undefined) {
+        window.clearTimeout(timer)
+      }
+    }
+  }, [hasMessages, runtimeId, storedSessionId])
+
   // Same gating as the primary's route resume (use-route-resume): never fire
   // session.resume before the gateway is OPEN. Persisted tiles mount at boot
   // while it's still connecting — an ungated resume rejected there and
@@ -300,7 +348,9 @@ export function tileStoredRow(storedSessionId: string): SessionInfo | undefined
 function tileTitle(storedSessionId: string): string {
   const stored = tileStoredRow(storedSessionId)
 
-  return stored ? sessionTitle(stored) : 'Session'
+  // A tab-strip "+" tab is unlisted until its first turn persists, so it isn't
+  // in $sessions yet — label it "New session" rather than a bare "Session".
+  return stored ? sessionTitle(stored) : 'New session'
 }
 
 /** The tab's lead-dot color — the tile's session resolved through the SAME
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/hooks/use-desktop-integrations.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/hooks/use-desktop-integrations.ts
index d0af49665906..a1cd3cdfc469 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/hooks/use-desktop-integrations.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/hooks/use-desktop-integrations.ts
@@ -155,10 +155,12 @@ export function useDesktopIntegrations({
   // OS-standard window close, esp. secondary windows). The Win/Linux keyboard
   // path is the `view.closeTab` keybind (use-keybinds), sharing closeActiveTab.
   useEffect(() => {
-    const unsubscribe = window.hermesDesktop?.onClosePreviewRequested?.(() => void closeActiveTab())
+    const unsubscribe = window.hermesDesktop?.onClosePreviewRequested?.(() =>
+      void closeActiveTab(id => navigate(sessionRoute(id)))
+    )
 
     return () => unsubscribe?.()
-  }, [])
+  }, [navigate])
 
   // Another window mutated the shared session list -> re-pull the sidebar.
   useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/wiring.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/wiring.tsx
index e10a998bf32f..ca59bdabdf9f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/wiring.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/wiring.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { type CSSProperties, lazy, type ReactNode, Suspense, useCallback, useEff
 import { useLocation, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
 
 import { formatRefValue } from '@/components/assistant-ui/directive-text'
+import { $newSessionTabAction } from '@/components/pane-shell/tree/store'
 import { BootFailureOverlay } from '@/components/boot-failure-overlay'
 import { DesktopInstallOverlay } from '@/components/desktop-install-overlay'
 import { GatewayConnectingOverlay } from '@/components/gateway-connecting-overlay'
@@ -709,15 +710,33 @@ export function ContribWiring({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
     }
   }, [])
 
+  // The tab-strip "+" and ⌘T share one action: open a new session as its own
+  // tab (stacked into the workspace zone) WITHOUT polluting the session list.
+  // Created `listed: false`, so each new tab's in-memory session stays out of
+  // the sidebar until its first message persists a turn and a refresh surfaces
+  // it — Cursor-style. Every click opens a fresh "New session" tab (multiple
+  // empty tabs are fine since none touch the session list).
+  const openNewSessionTab = useCallback(() => {
+    void openNewSessionTile('center', { listed: false })
+  }, [openNewSessionTile])
+
   // Single global listener for every rebindable hotkey plus the on-screen
   // keybind editor's capture mode (same as DesktopController).
   useKeybinds({
-    openNewSessionTab: () => void openNewSessionTile('center'),
+    openNewSessionTab,
     startFreshSession: startFreshSessionDraft,
     toggleCommandCenter,
     toggleSelectedPin
   })
 
+  // Register the tab-strip "+" action (the generic renderer stays
+  // session-agnostic; null until wired hides the glyph).
+  useEffect(() => {
+    $newSessionTabAction.set(openNewSessionTab)
+
+    return () => $newSessionTabAction.set(null)
+  }, [openNewSessionTab])
+
   // The controller's entire callback surface, gathered into the stable
   // `actions` bag. `nextActions` is TS-checked against WiringActions each
   // render; its fields are copied into the ref object so `actions` keeps one
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/hooks/use-keybinds.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/hooks/use-keybinds.ts
index 2c46da2d2c62..e4c84963d6b5 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/hooks/use-keybinds.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/hooks/use-keybinds.ts
@@ -181,10 +181,12 @@ export function useKeybinds(deps: KeybindRuntimeDeps): void {
     'view.closeTerminal': () => $terminalTakeover.get() && closeActiveTerminal(),
     'view.flipPanes': togglePanesFlipped,
     // ⌘W: close the focused tab (terminal / preview target / zone tree tab).
-    // On macOS the menu accelerator owns ⌘W and routes through the same
+    // On the main tab with session tabs stacked, it shifts the next one in —
+    // the loader navigates to that session's route (loads it into main). On
+    // macOS the menu accelerator owns ⌘W and routes through the same
     // closeActiveTab via IPC (see use-desktop-integrations); this binding is
     // the Win/Linux path where ⌘W reaches the renderer directly.
-    'view.closeTab': () => void closeActiveTab(),
+    'view.closeTab': () => void closeActiveTab(id => navigate(sessionRoute(id))),
     'view.reopenTab': reopenLastClosedTile,
 
     'appearance.toggleMode': () => setMode(resolvedMode === 'dark' ? 'light' : 'dark'),
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions/index.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions/index.ts
index e0ca3084cd08..d1775f4846b1 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions/index.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions/index.ts
@@ -457,10 +457,19 @@ export function useSessionActions({
   )
 
   /** Create a fresh session and open it as a tile — leaves the primary chat alone.
-   *  Used by the New session row's "Open in split" menu (and any future
-   *  "new chat beside" affordance). */
+   *  Used by the New session row's "Open in split" menu and the tab-strip "+".
+   *
+   *  `listed` (default true) controls sidebar visibility. A brand-new backend
+   *  session is IN-MEMORY only until its first turn persists a row, so
+   *  `listSessions(min_messages=1)` already hides an unused one — the sidebar
+   *  pollution comes solely from the optimistic upsert here. The tab-strip "+"
+   *  passes `listed: false` so an unused new tab never clutters the session
+   *  list (Cursor-style draft tab); it surfaces on the next refresh once the
+   *  first message persists a turn. "Open in split" keeps the listed behavior. */
   const openNewSessionTile = useCallback(
-    async (dir: TileDock = 'right') => {
+    async (dir: TileDock = 'right', options?: { listed?: boolean }) => {
+      const listed = options?.listed ?? true
+
       try {
         // Fresh tile → the resolved new-session cwd (project/default), not the
         // primary composer's live cwd.
@@ -476,17 +485,25 @@ export function useSessionActions({
         }
 
         createdThisRun.add(stored)
-        // Seed the sidebar + per-runtime cache, but DON'T steal the primary
-        // selection — this session lives in the tile. Prime it with the create
-        // runtime so the tile skips a redundant resume.
-        upsertOptimisticSession(created, stored, null, null)
+
+        // Seed the per-runtime cache so the tile renders immediately without a
+        // redundant resume. Only add the row to the SIDEBAR when `listed` — an
+        // unlisted (draft) tab stays out of the session list until its first
+        // turn persists and a refresh surfaces it.
+        if (listed) {
+          upsertOptimisticSession(created, stored, null, null)
+        }
+
         const runtimeInfo = applyRuntimeInfo(created.info)
         updateSessionState(created.session_id, state => (runtimeInfo ? { ...state, ...runtimeInfo } : state), stored)
 
         openSessionTile(stored, dir)
         patchSessionTile(stored, { runtimeId: created.session_id })
         revealTreePane(`session-tile:${stored}`)
-        broadcastSessionsChanged()
+
+        if (listed) {
+          broadcastSessionsChanged()
+        }
       } catch (error) {
         notifyError(error, copy.createSessionFailed)
       }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx
index 37bd9a8f01c6..16e2672bbf3e 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import {
   $hiddenTreePanes,
   $layoutTree,
   $narrowViewport,
+  $newSessionTabAction,
   $treeDragging,
   activateTreePane,
   closeTreePane,
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ export function TreeGroup({
 
   const hiddenPanes = useStore($hiddenTreePanes)
   const narrow = useStore($narrowViewport)
+  const newSessionTabAction = useStore($newSessionTabAction)
 
   const paneFor = (id: string) => panes.find(p => p.id === id)
 
@@ -485,6 +487,23 @@ export function TreeGroup({
                 // tile tab); the wrapper needs the key since it's the root.
                 return <Fragment key={paneId}>{chrome.tabWrap ? chrome.tabWrap(tab) : tab}</Fragment>
               })}
+
+              {/* Plain "+" after the last tab of the MAIN strip (the workspace
+                  zone) — always shown, no tab/button chrome, just the glyph.
+                  Creates a new session tab (mirrors ⌘T) via the app-registered
+                  action; hidden when unwired or the zone is minimized. */}
+              {node.panes.includes('workspace') && newSessionTabAction && !node.minimized && (
+                <button
+                  aria-label={t.zones.newSessionTab}
+                  className="grid size-7 shrink-0 place-items-center self-center bg-transparent text-(--ui-text-quaternary) transition-colors hover:text-foreground [-webkit-app-region:no-drag]"
+                  onClick={() => newSessionTabAction()}
+                  onPointerDown={e => e.stopPropagation()}
+                  title={t.zones.newSessionTab}
+                  type="button"
+                >
+                  <Codicon name="add" size="0.8125rem" />
+                </button>
+              )}
             </div>
             {minimizable && (
               <button
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/store.ts b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/store.ts
index 5013e9f2ddd8..b07f4eb44243 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/store.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/store.ts
@@ -343,6 +343,13 @@ export function treePanesWithPrefix(prefix: string): string[] {
   return tree ? allPaneIds(tree).filter(id => id.startsWith(prefix)) : []
 }
 
+/** The main tab strip's "+": open a new session as its own tab (reusing an
+ *  already-open unused tab when one exists, so repeated clicks don't pile up
+ *  empty sessions). The app wiring registers the concrete action so this
+ *  generic renderer stays session-agnostic; null until wired (the "+" hides).
+ *  An atom so the strip re-renders when the action becomes available. */
+export const $newSessionTabAction = atom<(() => void) | null>(null)
+
 /** ⌘1…⌘9: activate the Nth tab of the FOCUSED zone (the interaction tracker's
  *  group), but only when it's a real tab strip (≥2 panes). Returns false so the
  *  caller falls back to its default (profile switch) — the number keys mean
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts
index 4837b9437ebb..cd0034a00304 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts
@@ -2429,6 +2429,7 @@ export const en: Translations = {
     closeOthers: 'Close others',
     closeToRight: 'Close to the right',
     closeAll: 'Close all',
+    newSessionTab: 'New session tab',
     split: dir => `Split ${dir}`,
     move: dir => `Move ${dir}`,
     dirUp: 'up',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts
index 4fe8afa76bfe..361378553a34 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts
@@ -2362,6 +2362,7 @@ export const ja = defineLocale({
     closeOthers: '他を閉じる',
     closeToRight: '右側を閉じる',
     closeAll: 'すべて閉じる',
+    newSessionTab: '新しいセッションタブ',
     split: dir => `${dir}に分割`,
     move: dir => `${dir}へ移動`,
     dirUp: '上',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts
index 5eff59e68f2d..9a55d2f1a46d 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts
@@ -2048,6 +2048,7 @@ export interface Translations {
     closeOthers: string
     closeToRight: string
     closeAll: string
+    newSessionTab: string
     split: (dir: string) => string
     move: (dir: string) => string
     dirUp: string
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts
index 9b455d79c081..8657437368a0 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts
@@ -2290,6 +2290,7 @@ export const zhHant = defineLocale({
     closeOthers: '關閉其他',
     closeToRight: '關閉右側',
     closeAll: '全部關閉',
+    newSessionTab: '新增工作階段分頁',
     split: dir => `向${dir}分割`,
     move: dir => `向${dir}移動`,
     dirUp: '上',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts
index c32a986dae32..f8deceddb926 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts
@@ -2604,6 +2604,7 @@ export const zh: Translations = {
     closeOthers: '关闭其他',
     closeToRight: '关闭右侧',
     closeAll: '全部关闭',
+    newSessionTab: '新建会话标签',
     split: dir => `向${dir}拆分`,
     move: dir => `向${dir}移动`,
     dirUp: '上',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts
index 7041d26b3be7..d8248f00d8ea 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts
@@ -540,6 +540,37 @@ export function openSessionTile(
   }
 }
 
+/** ⌘W on the MAIN tab: the next session tab stacked WITH the workspace, to
+ *  shift into main. Walks the workspace group's strip from the workspace tab
+ *  outward (the tab after it first, then wrapping to the ones before), and
+ *  returns the first session tile's stored id. Null when the workspace has no
+ *  session tab stacked beside it (⌘W then stays the no-op it was). */
+export function nextSessionTileForWorkspace(): null | string {
+  const tree = $layoutTree.get()
+  const group = tree ? findGroupOfPane(tree, 'workspace') : null
+
+  if (!group) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  const tiles = $sessionTiles.get()
+  const idx = group.panes.indexOf('workspace')
+  // After the workspace tab first, then the ones before it (nearest-out).
+  const ordered = [...group.panes.slice(idx + 1), ...group.panes.slice(0, idx).reverse()]
+
+  for (const paneId of ordered) {
+    if (paneId.startsWith(TILE_PANE_PREFIX)) {
+      const storedSessionId = paneId.slice(TILE_PANE_PREFIX.length)
+
+      if (tiles.some(t => t.storedSessionId === storedSessionId)) {
+        return storedSessionId
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return null
+}
+
 /** If a session is already ON SCREEN — an open tile OR the one loaded in main —
  *  front its tab (and focus its zone) and return true. A sidebar click on an
  *  already-open chat JUMPS to its tab instead of reloading it; `false` means the