diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 6d755e4..bb1da6d 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "drover",
-  "version": "0.1.18",
+  "version": "0.1.19",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "drover",
-      "version": "0.1.18",
+      "version": "0.1.19",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@radix-ui/react-alert-dialog": "1.1.23",
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
         "@xterm/addon-fit": "0.11.0",
         "@xterm/addon-search": "0.16.0",
         "@xterm/addon-web-links": "0.12.0",
-        "@xterm/addon-webgl": "0.19.0",
         "@xterm/xterm": "6.0.0",
         "class-variance-authority": "0.7.1",
         "clsx": "2.1.1",
@@ -5359,12 +5358,6 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-4Smom3RPyVp7ZMYOYDoC/9eGJJJqYhnPLGGqJ6wOBfB8VxPViJNSKdgRYb8NpaM6YSelEKbA2SStD7lGyqaobw==",
       "license": "MIT"
     },
-    "node_modules/@xterm/addon-webgl": {
-      "version": "0.19.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@xterm/addon-webgl/-/addon-webgl-0.19.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-b3fMOsyLVuCeNJWxolACEUED0vm7qC0cy4wRvf3oURSzDTYVQiGPhTnhWZwIHdvC48Y+oLhvYXnY4XDXPoJo6A==",
-      "license": "MIT"
-    },
     "node_modules/@xterm/xterm": {
       "version": "6.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@xterm/xterm/-/xterm-6.0.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d0c37d6..f23b1cc 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "drover",
   "productName": "Drover",
-  "version": "0.1.18",
+  "version": "0.1.19",
   "description": "A native workspace for Herdr-powered agents, terminals, worktrees, and live sessions.",
   "main": ".vite/build/main.js",
   "private": true,
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@
     "@xterm/addon-fit": "0.11.0",
     "@xterm/addon-search": "0.16.0",
     "@xterm/addon-web-links": "0.12.0",
-    "@xterm/addon-webgl": "0.19.0",
     "@xterm/xterm": "6.0.0",
     "class-variance-authority": "0.7.1",
     "clsx": "2.1.1",
diff --git a/src/renderer/App.test.tsx b/src/renderer/App.test.tsx
index ad6287c..701b73a 100644
--- a/src/renderer/App.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/App.test.tsx
@@ -1121,6 +1121,30 @@ describe('App', () => {
     expect(screen.getByTestId('terminal-w1:p1')).not.toBeVisible();
   });
 
+  it('constrains the persistent terminal while switching pane views', async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    const terminalFirstSnapshot: SessionSnapshot = {
+      ...snapshot,
+      panes: snapshot.panes.map((pane) =>
+        pane.pane_id === 'w1:p1' ? { ...pane, agent_has_arguments: true } : pane,
+      ),
+    };
+    vi.mocked(window.herdr.bootstrap).mockResolvedValue({
+      ...connected,
+      snapshot: terminalFirstSnapshot,
+    });
+    render(<App />);
+
+    const terminal = await screen.findByTestId('terminal-w1:p1');
+    const surface = terminal.parentElement;
+    expect(surface).toHaveClass('flex', 'min-h-0', 'min-w-0', 'flex-1', 'overflow-hidden');
+    expect(surface).not.toHaveClass('hidden');
+
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Chat view' }));
+    expect(terminal.parentElement).toBe(surface);
+    expect(surface).toHaveClass('hidden', 'min-h-0', 'min-w-0', 'flex-1', 'overflow-hidden');
+  });
+
   it('opens complete pane controls and routes graphical actions to Herdr', async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     render(<App />);
@@ -1740,6 +1764,32 @@ describe('App', () => {
     expect(screen.getByRole('heading', { name: 'drover' })).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  it('keeps the canonical session when a background bootstrap transiently fails', async () => {
+    let sessionEvent:
+      | ((event: { event: string; data: Record<string, unknown> }) => void)
+      | undefined;
+    window.herdr.onSessionEvent = vi.fn((listener) => {
+      sessionEvent = listener;
+      return () => undefined;
+    });
+    vi.mocked(window.herdr.bootstrap).mockResolvedValueOnce(connected).mockResolvedValue({
+      state: 'error',
+      message: 'Herdr could not be reached.',
+      details: 'transient socket error',
+    });
+    render(<App />);
+    await screen.findByRole('heading', { name: 'drover' });
+
+    act(() => sessionEvent?.({ event: 'layout.updated', data: {} }));
+    await waitFor(() => expect(window.herdr.bootstrap).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2), {
+      timeout: 2_000,
+    });
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole('heading', { name: 'drover' })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText('Herdr could not be reached')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('Engine disconnected')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   it('coalesces background refreshes while session events stream', async () => {
     let sessionEvent:
       | ((event: { event: string; data: Record<string, unknown> }) => void)
diff --git a/src/renderer/App.tsx b/src/renderer/App.tsx
index 30e881d..eef5e9d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/App.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/App.tsx
@@ -752,7 +752,11 @@ function PersistentTerminalSurface({ pane, visible }: { pane: PaneInfo; visible:
     return null;
   }
   return (
-    <div aria-hidden={visible ? undefined : true} hidden={!visible}>
+    <div
+      aria-hidden={visible ? undefined : true}
+      className={cn('min-h-0 min-w-0 flex-1 overflow-hidden', visible ? 'flex' : 'hidden')}
+      hidden={!visible}
+    >
       <TerminalPanel
         onOpenExternal={(url) => void window.herdr.openExternal(url)}
         onScrollRequest={(request) =>
@@ -1936,13 +1940,20 @@ function AppContent() {
   >([]);
 
   const streamStateRevision = useRef(0);
-  const applyLatestResult = useCallback((sequence: number, next: EngineBootstrap) => {
-    if (sequence !== resultRequestSequence.current) {
-      return false;
-    }
-    setResult(next);
-    return true;
-  }, []);
+  const applyLatestResult = useCallback(
+    (sequence: number, next: EngineBootstrap, preserveConnected = false) => {
+      if (sequence !== resultRequestSequence.current) {
+        return false;
+      }
+      setResult((current) =>
+        preserveConnected && next.state !== 'connected' && current?.state === 'connected'
+          ? current
+          : next,
+      );
+      return true;
+    },
+    [],
+  );
 
   const load = useCallback(
     async (quiet = false) => {
@@ -1955,7 +1966,10 @@ function AppContent() {
       }
       try {
         const next = await window.herdr.bootstrap();
-        if (applyLatestResult(sequence, next) && streamStateRevision.current === streamRevision) {
+        if (
+          applyLatestResult(sequence, next, quiet) &&
+          streamStateRevision.current === streamRevision
+        ) {
           setConnectionState(next.state === 'connected' ? 'connected' : 'disconnected');
         }
       } finally {
diff --git a/src/renderer/terminal/TerminalPanel.test.tsx b/src/renderer/terminal/TerminalPanel.test.tsx
index 5ab8221..9485529 100644
--- a/src/renderer/terminal/TerminalPanel.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/terminal/TerminalPanel.test.tsx
@@ -40,20 +40,6 @@ const terminalControl = vi.hoisted(() => ({
 const webLinks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   activate: undefined as ((event: MouseEvent, uri: string) => void) | undefined,
 }));
-const webgl = vi.hoisted(() => ({
-  contextLoss: undefined as (() => void) | undefined,
-  dispose: vi.fn(),
-}));
-
-vi.mock('@xterm/addon-webgl', () => ({
-  WebglAddon: class {
-    dispose = webgl.dispose;
-    onContextLoss(listener: () => void) {
-      webgl.contextLoss = listener;
-      return { dispose() {} };
-    }
-  },
-}));
 vi.mock('@xterm/addon-fit', () => ({
   FitAddon: class {
     fit() {}
@@ -164,8 +150,6 @@ describe('TerminalPanel', () => {
     terminalControl.write.mockReset();
     resizeObserver.listener = undefined;
     webLinks.activate = undefined;
-    webgl.contextLoss = undefined;
-    webgl.dispose.mockReset();
     terminalControl.scrollToBottom.mockReset();
     window.herdr = {
       terminal: {
@@ -201,13 +185,20 @@ describe('TerminalPanel', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it('uses the WebGL renderer and falls back cleanly after context loss', () => {
+  it('uses xterm DOM rendering without a GPU context', () => {
     render(<TerminalPanel pane={pane} />);
 
-    expect(terminalControl.loadedAddons).toHaveLength(4);
-    expect(webgl.contextLoss).toEqual(expect.any(Function));
-    webgl.contextLoss?.();
-    expect(webgl.dispose).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(terminalControl.loadedAddons).toHaveLength(3);
+  });
+
+  it('contains xterm intrinsic dimensions within the pane', () => {
+    render(<TerminalPanel pane={pane} />);
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole('region', { name: 'Terminal output w1:p2' }).parentElement).toHaveClass(
+      'min-h-0',
+      'min-w-0',
+      'overflow-hidden',
+    );
   });
 
   it('enables xterm screen-reader DOM only when Electron accessibility is active', async () => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/terminal/TerminalPanel.tsx b/src/renderer/terminal/TerminalPanel.tsx
index e987103..b75a2f9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/terminal/TerminalPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/terminal/TerminalPanel.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { FitAddon } from '@xterm/addon-fit';
 import { SearchAddon } from '@xterm/addon-search';
 import { WebLinksAddon } from '@xterm/addon-web-links';
-import { WebglAddon } from '@xterm/addon-webgl';
 import { Terminal } from '@xterm/xterm';
 import {
   ArrowDownToLine,
@@ -217,13 +216,6 @@ export function TerminalPanel({ pane, onOpenExternal, onScrollRequest }: Termina
       })
       .catch(() => undefined);
     terminal.open(container);
-    try {
-      const webglAddon = new WebglAddon();
-      webglAddon.onContextLoss(() => webglAddon.dispose());
-      terminal.loadAddon(webglAddon);
-    } catch {
-      // xterm keeps its default renderer when WebGL2 is unavailable.
-    }
     terminal.attachCustomKeyEventHandler((event) => {
       if (
         event.type === 'keydown' &&
@@ -367,7 +359,7 @@ export function TerminalPanel({ pane, onOpenExternal, onScrollRequest }: Termina
   }, [copySelection, pane.pane_id, pasteClipboard]);
 
   return (
-    <div className="relative min-h-0 flex-1 bg-[#0f0f10]">
+    <div className="relative min-h-0 min-w-0 flex-1 overflow-hidden bg-[#0f0f10]">
       <section
         aria-label={`Terminal output ${pane.pane_id}`}
         className="h-full w-full p-3"