diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/browser/terminal-tab-title-loading.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/browser/terminal-tab-title-loading.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..93e9e72aed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/browser/terminal-tab-title-loading.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+import { test, expect, type Page } from "../support/fixtures";
+import { clickNewTerminal, gotoWorkspace } from "../support/helpers/launcher";
+import { renameModalInput, renameModalSubmit } from "../support/helpers/rename";
+import { seedWorkspace, type SeededWorkspace } from "../support/helpers/seed-client";
+import { selectWorkspaceInSidebar } from "../support/helpers/sidebar";
+
+function terminalTab(page: Page, terminalId: string) {
+  // Terminal tab chips have no tab role; their persistent identity survives title loading.
+  return page.getByTestId(`workspace-tab-terminal_${terminalId}`).filter({ visible: true }).first();
+}
+
+async function createNamedTerminal(page: Page, workspace: SeededWorkspace, title: string) {
+  await gotoWorkspace(page, workspace.workspaceId);
+  await clickNewTerminal(page);
+  const list = () =>
+    workspace.client.listTerminals(workspace.repoPath, undefined, {
+      workspaceId: workspace.workspaceId,
+    });
+  await expect.poll(async () => (await list()).terminals.length).toBe(1);
+  const terminalId = (await list()).terminals[0]!.id;
+  await terminalTab(page, terminalId).click({ button: "right" });
+  await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Rename", exact: true }).click();
+  const modal = `workspace-tab-rename-modal-terminal-${terminalId}`;
+  await renameModalInput(page, modal).fill(title);
+  await renameModalSubmit(page, modal).click();
+  await expect(renameModalInput(page, modal)).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(terminalTab(page, terminalId)).toHaveText(title);
+  return terminalId;
+}
+
+async function recordRestoredTabText(page: Page, terminalId: string) {
+  // Install before the next document loads: a final-state assertion would miss the flash.
+  await page.addInitScript((id) => {
+    const samples: string[] = [];
+    Object.assign(window, { terminalTitleSamples: samples });
+    new MutationObserver(() => {
+      const tab = document.querySelector(`[data-testid="workspace-tab-terminal_${id}"]`);
+      if (!tab) return;
+      const text = (tab.textContent ?? "").trim();
+      if (samples.at(-1) !== text) samples.push(text);
+    }).observe(document, { subtree: true, childList: true, characterData: true });
+  }, terminalId);
+}
+
+async function expectRestoredTitle(page: Page, terminalId: string, title: string, stage: string) {
+  await expect(terminalTab(page, terminalId)).toHaveText(title, { timeout: 30_000 });
+  const samples = await page.evaluate(
+    () => (window as unknown as { terminalTitleSamples: string[] }).terminalTitleSamples,
+  );
+  await test.info().attach(`${stage}-tab-text`, {
+    body: JSON.stringify(samples),
+    contentType: "application/json",
+  });
+  expect(samples).toContain(title);
+  expect(samples).not.toContain("Terminal");
+}
+
+test("restored terminal titles do not flash a default name while loading", async ({ page }) => {
+  const workspace = await seedWorkspace({ repoPrefix: "terminal-title-loading-", git: false });
+  const other = await seedWorkspace({ repoPrefix: "terminal-title-other-", git: false });
+  try {
+    const title = "My named terminal";
+    const terminalId = await createNamedTerminal(page, workspace, title);
+    await recordRestoredTabText(page, terminalId);
+
+    await test.step("reload with a terminal tab restored", async () => {
+      await page.reload();
+      await expectRestoredTitle(page, terminalId, title, "reload");
+    });
+
+    await test.step("first workspace visit in a fresh page session", async () => {
+      await gotoWorkspace(page, other.workspaceId);
+      await selectWorkspaceInSidebar(page, workspace.workspaceId);
+      await expectRestoredTitle(page, terminalId, title, "first-visit");
+    });
+
+    await test.step("return to the workspace with its titles already loaded", async () => {
+      await selectWorkspaceInSidebar(page, other.workspaceId);
+      await selectWorkspaceInSidebar(page, workspace.workspaceId);
+      await expectRestoredTitle(page, terminalId, title, "return-visit");
+    });
+  } finally {
+    await workspace.cleanup();
+    await other.cleanup();
+  }
+});
diff --git a/packages/app/src/panels/terminal-panel.tsx b/packages/app/src/panels/terminal-panel.tsx
index 32dd1f188d..8082bd36e5 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/panels/terminal-panel.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/panels/terminal-panel.tsx
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ function useTerminalPanelDescriptor(
     label,
     subtitle: t("workspace.tabs.fallback.terminal"),
     tooltip: label,
-    titleState: "ready",
+    titleState: terminalsQuery.isPending ? "loading" : "ready",
     icon: Terminal,
     statusBucket: deriveTerminalActivityStatusBucket(terminal?.activity),
   };
diff --git a/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-desktop-tabs-row.tsx b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-desktop-tabs-row.tsx
index b462cf0cd5..5c183dc94c 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-desktop-tabs-row.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-desktop-tabs-row.tsx
@@ -1487,9 +1487,7 @@ function ResolvedDesktopTabChip({
   );
 
   const rawTooltipLabel =
-    presentation.titleState === "loading"
-      ? t("workspace.tabs.loadingAgentTitle")
-      : presentation.tooltip;
+    presentation.titleState === "loading" ? t("common.states.loading") : presentation.tooltip;
   const accessibilityLabel =
     item.tab.target.kind === "agent"
       ? normalizeAgentTooltipTitle(rawTooltipLabel)