diff --git a/lib/builtin/claude/src/claude_pane.dart b/lib/builtin/claude/src/claude_pane.dart
index 82957ea1..cc24aa62 100644
--- a/lib/builtin/claude/src/claude_pane.dart
+++ b/lib/builtin/claude/src/claude_pane.dart
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import 'conversation_view.dart';
 import 'prompt_card.dart';
 import 'session_index.dart';
 import 'session_naming.dart';
+import 'session_orchestrator.dart';
 import 'session_picker.dart';
 import 'slash_commands.dart';
 import 'stream_json_session.dart';
@@ -64,6 +65,9 @@ class _ClaudePaneState extends State<ClaudePane> {
 
   bool _spawned = false;
 
+  /// This pane's stable key in the session orchestrator (T-169).
+  String get _orchId => widget.isPrimary ? 'primary' : 'secondary-${widget.secondaryIndex}';
+
   // The status line surfaced to the bottom status bar via ClidePane — the
   // live session fields (model/mode/context, T-150) plus the configured
   // skills count from ClaudeConfig (T-154). Null when there's nothing yet.
@@ -109,8 +113,12 @@ class _ClaudePaneState extends State<ClaudePane> {
     activeClaudeConfig?.removeListener(_onConfigChanged);
     _statusSub?.cancel();
     _statusSub = null;
-    // The controller's onDispose kills the session (process + streams).
-    _conversation?.dispose();
+    // The orchestrator owns the session, so disposing this pane does NOT kill
+    // it — that's what lets a hidden/kept-alive pane keep its session (T-169).
+    // A secondary tab being *closed* is a real teardown, so close its session;
+    // the primary persists (its deterministic id resumes next launch), and the
+    // orchestrator disposes everything on extension teardown.
+    if (!widget.isPrimary) unawaited(activeSessionOrchestrator?.close(_orchId));
     _conversation = null;
     _session = null;
     super.dispose();
@@ -160,24 +168,32 @@ class _ClaudePaneState extends State<ClaudePane> {
     final home = Platform.environment['HOME'] ?? '';
     final transcriptFile = '$home/.claude/projects/${repoRoot.replaceAll('/', '-')}/$_sessionId.jsonl';
     final resume = await File(transcriptFile).exists();
-    final sessionArgs = claudeLaunchArgs(_sessionId!, resume: resume);
 
-    final StreamJsonSession session;
+    // The orchestrator owns the session (T-169): spawn-or-bind by our pane key,
+    // so the session (and its accumulating conversation) outlives this pane.
+    final orch = activeSessionOrchestrator;
+    if (orch == null) {
+      setState(() => _error = 'Session orchestrator unavailable.');
+      return;
+    }
+    final ManagedSession managed;
     try {
-      final proc = await ClaudeStreamJsonProcess.start(sessionArgs: sessionArgs, cwd: repoRoot);
-      session = StreamJsonSession(proc)..start();
+      managed = await orch.spawn(SpawnSpec(
+        id: _orchId,
+        role: widget.isPrimary ? 'primary' : 'session ${widget.secondaryIndex}',
+        sessionId: _sessionId!,
+        cwd: repoRoot,
+        resume: resume,
+      ));
     } catch (e) {
       if (mounted) setState(() => _error = 'Could not start claude: $e');
       return;
     }
-    if (!mounted) {
-      await session.dispose();
-      return;
-    }
+    if (!mounted) return;
 
-    _session = session;
-    _conversation = ConversationController(stream: session.items, onDispose: session.dispose);
-    _statusSub = session.statusStream.listen((s) {
+    _session = managed.session;
+    _conversation = managed.conversation;
+    _statusSub = managed.session.statusStream.listen((s) {
       if (!mounted) return;
       setState(() => _status = s);
     });
@@ -229,11 +245,11 @@ class _ClaudePaneState extends State<ClaudePane> {
   }
 
   /// Tear the current session down and respawn bound to [sessionId]. The old
-  /// process is killed; its transcript stays on disk (history preserved).
+  /// process is killed via the orchestrator; its transcript stays on disk.
   Future<void> _respawnWithSession(String sessionId) async {
     _statusSub?.cancel();
     _statusSub = null;
-    _conversation?.dispose(); // onDispose kills the old session
+    await activeSessionOrchestrator?.close(_orchId); // kills the old session
     _conversation = null;
     _session = null;
     _sessionId = sessionId;
diff --git a/lib/builtin/claude/src/extension.dart b/lib/builtin/claude/src/extension.dart
index f722762d..47d3fa43 100644
--- a/lib/builtin/claude/src/extension.dart
+++ b/lib/builtin/claude/src/extension.dart
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import 'package:clide/clide.dart';
 import 'package:clide/builtin/claude/src/claude_config.dart';
 import 'package:clide/builtin/claude/src/claude_session_host.dart';
 import 'package:clide/builtin/claude/src/session_naming.dart';
+import 'package:clide/builtin/claude/src/session_orchestrator.dart';
 import 'package:clide/builtin/claude/src/pane_context_status.dart';
 import 'package:clide/builtin/claude/src/claude_meta_sidebar.dart';
 import 'package:clide/builtin/claude/src/session_index.dart';
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ class ClaudeExtension extends ClideExtension {
 
   TeamObserver? _observer;
   ClaudeConfig? _config;
+  ClaudeSessionOrchestrator? _orchestrator;
   final List<StreamSubscription<dynamic>> _subs = [];
 
   /// App-wide Claude environment (skills, commands, settings, permissions,
@@ -110,6 +112,11 @@ class ClaudeExtension extends ClideExtension {
       _subs.add(ctx.events.on<ProjectOpened>().listen((e) => cfg.setProjectDir(Directory(e.path))));
     }
 
+    // The clide-managed session set (T-169). Panes spawn/bind through it so a
+    // session outlives its pane and is shared across surfaces.
+    _orchestrator = ClaudeSessionOrchestrator();
+    activeSessionOrchestrator = _orchestrator;
+
     // Cold-start reap: kill any leftover secondary tmux sessions from
     // a previous run. D-41's "secondary numbering resets between
     // clide runs" only holds if the leftovers are gone before the new
@@ -151,6 +158,9 @@ class ClaudeExtension extends ClideExtension {
     }
     _subs.clear();
     _stopObserver();
+    if (identical(activeSessionOrchestrator, _orchestrator)) activeSessionOrchestrator = null;
+    _orchestrator?.dispose();
+    _orchestrator = null;
     if (identical(activeClaudeConfig, _config)) activeClaudeConfig = null;
     _config?.dispose();
     _config = null;
diff --git a/lib/builtin/claude/src/session_orchestrator.dart b/lib/builtin/claude/src/session_orchestrator.dart
index f3762ff1..0aa6065a 100644
--- a/lib/builtin/claude/src/session_orchestrator.dart
+++ b/lib/builtin/claude/src/session_orchestrator.dart
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ class ManagedSession {
   bool visible;
 }
 
+/// App-wide orchestrator, set by the Claude extension on activate (like
+/// `activeClaudeConfig`). Panes spawn/bind their session through it so the
+/// session set is shared across panes, the cockpit, and team tiles.
+ClaudeSessionOrchestrator? activeSessionOrchestrator;
+
 class ClaudeSessionOrchestrator extends ChangeNotifier {
   ClaudeSessionOrchestrator({ProcessFactory? processFactory}) : _factory = processFactory ?? _spawnClaude;