diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/browser/sidebar-workspace-rename.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/browser/sidebar-workspace-rename.spec.ts
index 8a857281e7..e733f8004d 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/browser/sidebar-workspace-rename.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/browser/sidebar-workspace-rename.spec.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,15 @@ async function chooseRenameFromKebab(page: Page, workspaceId: string): Promise<v
   await renameItem.click();
 }
 
+/** Lets the app render a server message the gate just forwarded. */
+async function waitForTwoFrames(page: Page): Promise<void> {
+  await page.evaluate(async () => {
+    const nextFrame = () => new Promise((resolve) => requestAnimationFrame(resolve));
+    await nextFrame();
+    await nextFrame();
+  });
+}
+
 interface Box {
   x: number;
   y: number;
@@ -165,6 +174,38 @@ test.describe("Sidebar workspace rename", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  test("an untouched in-place rename keeps a title set elsewhere while it was open", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    const workspace = await seedWorkspace({ repoPrefix: "sidebar-rename-external-" });
+
+    try {
+      const gate = await installDaemonWebSocketGate(page);
+      await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1280, height: 800 });
+      await gotoAppShell(page);
+      const row = page.getByTestId(workspaceRowTestId(workspace.workspaceId));
+      const input = page.getByTestId(workspaceRenameInputTestId(workspace.workspaceId));
+
+      await chooseRenameFromKebab(page, workspace.workspaceId);
+      await expect(input).toBeFocused();
+      await expect(input).toHaveValue("main");
+
+      // Another client renames the workspace while this field is open and untouched.
+      gate.holdNextServerMessage("workspace_update");
+      await workspace.client.setWorkspaceTitle(workspace.workspaceId, "External title");
+      await gate.waitForHeldServerMessage("workspace_update");
+      gate.releaseHeldServerMessage("workspace_update");
+      await waitForTwoFrames(page);
+
+      await page.mouse.click(900, 700);
+      await expect(input).toHaveCount(0);
+      await expect(row).toContainText("External title");
+      expect(gate.getClientRequestCount("workspace.title.set.request")).toBe(0);
+    } finally {
+      await workspace.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+
   test("below the lg breakpoint renaming opens the modal", async ({ page }) => {
     const workspace = await seedWorkspace({ repoPrefix: "sidebar-rename-modal-" });
 
diff --git a/packages/app/src/workspace-rename/internal/use-sidebar-workspace-rename.tsx b/packages/app/src/workspace-rename/internal/use-sidebar-workspace-rename.tsx
index 88e05d5ce3..496f79c4af 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/workspace-rename/internal/use-sidebar-workspace-rename.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/workspace-rename/internal/use-sidebar-workspace-rename.tsx
@@ -14,14 +14,21 @@ export interface SidebarRenamableWorkspace extends RenamableWorkspace {
 }
 
 /**
+ * An inline session owns the text editing started from. The field keeps that text while it is
+ * open, so a rename arriving from elsewhere must not make an untouched field read as an edit.
+ *
  * `saving` and `saved` keep the field on screen holding the submitted text. The daemon answers
  * the request before it pushes the updated workspace, so closing on the answer would show the
  * old title for a beat. `saved` ends when the row's title moves off the one editing started from.
  */
-type RenameSession =
-  | { kind: "closed" }
-  | { kind: "modal" }
-  | { kind: "inline"; phase: "editing" | "saving" | "saved"; titleAtStart: string | null };
+interface InlineRenameSession {
+  kind: "inline";
+  phase: "editing" | "saving" | "saved";
+  initialValue: string;
+  titleAtStart: string | null;
+}
+
+type RenameSession = { kind: "closed" } | { kind: "modal" } | InlineRenameSession;
 
 const CLOSED: RenameSession = { kind: "closed" };
 
@@ -50,25 +57,26 @@ export function useSidebarWorkspaceRename(
     setSession(CLOSED);
   }
 
+  const initialValue = workspaceRenameInitialValue(workspace);
   const begin = useCallback(() => {
     setSession(
       resolveWorkspaceRenameSurface() === "inline"
-        ? { kind: "inline", phase: "editing", titleAtStart: currentTitle }
+        ? { kind: "inline", phase: "editing", initialValue, titleAtStart: currentTitle }
         : { kind: "modal" },
     );
-  }, [currentTitle]);
+  }, [currentTitle, initialValue]);
 
   const close = useCallback(() => setSession(CLOSED), []);
 
-  const initialValue = workspaceRenameInitialValue(workspace);
   const commit = useCallback(
     (text: string) => {
+      if (session.kind !== "inline") return;
       const title = text.trim();
-      if (title.length === 0 || title === initialValue) {
+      if (title.length === 0 || title === session.initialValue) {
         setSession(CLOSED);
         return;
       }
-      setSession({ kind: "inline", phase: "saving", titleAtStart: currentTitle });
+      setSession({ ...session, phase: "saving" });
       setWorkspaceTitle(title).then(
         () =>
           setSession((previous) =>
@@ -82,13 +90,13 @@ export function useSidebarWorkspaceRename(
         },
       );
     },
-    [currentTitle, initialValue, setWorkspaceTitle, toast],
+    [session, setWorkspaceTitle, toast],
   );
 
   const titleEditor =
     session.kind === "inline" ? (
       <InlineTitleField
-        initialValue={initialValue}
+        initialValue={session.initialValue}
         placeholder={workspace.name}
         readOnly={session.phase !== "editing"}
         onCommit={commit}