diff --git a/web/src/components/terminal/TerminalPanel.tsx b/web/src/components/terminal/TerminalPanel.tsx
index 4d97167..43b103d 100644
--- a/web/src/components/terminal/TerminalPanel.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/terminal/TerminalPanel.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { FitAddon } from "@xterm/addon-fit";
 import { Terminal } from "@xterm/xterm";
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 
-import { useProcessWebSocket } from "@/lib/api/process";
+import { useProcessStatus, useProcessWebSocket } from "@/lib/api/process";
 
 interface TerminalPanelProps {
   workspaceId: string | null;
@@ -16,7 +16,12 @@ export function TerminalPanel({ workspaceId }: TerminalPanelProps) {
   const isDeadRef = useRef(false);
   const [failed, setFailed] = useState(false);
   const [isDead, setIsDead] = useState(false);
-  const { status, send, onData } = useProcessWebSocket(workspaceId);
+  const { data: processStatus } = useProcessStatus(workspaceId);
+  const processRunning = processStatus?.running === true;
+  const { status, send, onData } = useProcessWebSocket(
+    workspaceId,
+    processRunning,
+  );
 
   // Initialize xterm once and keep it alive across WS status changes.
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -148,11 +153,15 @@ export function TerminalPanel({ workspaceId }: TerminalPanelProps) {
         ? "connecting…"
         : null;
 
+  const hint = processRunning
+    ? statusHint
+    : "process not running — start it from the toolbar";
+
   return (
     <section className="flex h-full w-full flex-col overflow-hidden bg-[#171717]">
-      {statusHint && (
+      {hint && (
         <div className="flex h-6 shrink-0 items-center px-2 text-[11px] text-muted-foreground">
-          {statusHint}
+          {hint}
         </div>
       )}
       <div ref={containerRef} className="min-h-0 flex-1 p-2" />
diff --git a/web/src/lib/api/process.ts b/web/src/lib/api/process.ts
index 1d1b50c..863b44e 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api/process.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api/process.ts
@@ -97,9 +97,10 @@ export interface ProcessWebSocket {
 
 export function useProcessWebSocket(
   workspaceId: string | null,
+  enabled: boolean = true,
 ): ProcessWebSocket {
   const [status, setStatus] = useState<ProcessWebSocketStatus>(() =>
-    workspaceId ? "connecting" : "idle",
+    workspaceId && enabled ? "connecting" : "idle",
   );
   const statusRef = useRef(status);
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -133,14 +134,26 @@ export function useProcessWebSocket(
   }, [clearReconnectTimeout]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!workspaceId) {
+    if (!workspaceId || !enabled) {
       setStatus("idle");
+      clearReconnectTimeout();
+      const socket = socketRef.current;
+      if (socket) {
+        socket.onclose = null;
+        socket.close();
+        socketRef.current = null;
+      }
+      reconnectAttemptsRef.current = 0;
+      lastFrameWasExitRef.current = false;
+      intentionalCloseRef.current = false;
+      serverCleanCloseRef.current = false;
       return;
     }
 
     reconnectAttemptsRef.current = 0;
     lastFrameWasExitRef.current = false;
     intentionalCloseRef.current = false;
+    serverCleanCloseRef.current = false;
 
     const openSocket = () => {
       const wsUrl =
@@ -211,9 +224,15 @@ export function useProcessWebSocket(
     openSocket();
 
     return () => {
-      closeSocket();
+      clearReconnectTimeout();
+      const socket = socketRef.current;
+      if (socket) {
+        socket.onclose = null;
+        socket.close();
+        socketRef.current = null;
+      }
     };
-  }, [workspaceId, closeSocket]);
+  }, [workspaceId, enabled, clearReconnectTimeout]);
 
   const send = useCallback((data: string) => {
     const socket = socketRef.current;