diff --git a/src/__tests__/opencode_cell_actions.spec.ts b/src/__tests__/opencode_cell_actions.spec.ts
index 54ab25f..61f3216 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/opencode_cell_actions.spec.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/opencode_cell_actions.spec.ts
@@ -1123,9 +1123,6 @@ describe('OpenCodeInlinePrompt', () => {
         { id: 'sess-B', title: 'second' },
       ]
     });
-    mockedSetActiveSession.mockResolvedValue({
-      ok: true, notebookPath: 'foo.ipynb', activeSessionId: 'sess-B',
-    });
     mockedBindExistingSession.mockResolvedValue({
       ok: true, notebookPath: 'foo.ipynb', sessionId: 'sess-B',
     });
@@ -1144,7 +1141,11 @@ describe('OpenCodeInlinePrompt', () => {
     select.value = 'sess-B';
     select.dispatchEvent(new Event('change'));
     await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 5));
-    expect(mockedSetActiveSession).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    // bind-existing is the single call (it does both bind AND set
+    // active on the server). Calling set_active first would 400
+    // because the session is not yet bound.
+    expect(mockedBindExistingSession).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockedSetActiveSession).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect((prompt as any)._sessionId).toBe('sess-B');
   });
 
diff --git a/src/components/opencode_cell_actions.ts b/src/components/opencode_cell_actions.ts
index e19d061..ed8f272 100644
--- a/src/components/opencode_cell_actions.ts
+++ b/src/components/opencode_cell_actions.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ import {
   callOpenCodeReplyPermission,
   callOpenCodeReplyQuestion,
   callOpenCodeSessionMessages,
-  callOpenCodeSetActiveSession,
   subscribeOpenCodeEvents,
   type OpenCodeEventSubscription
 } from '../api/opencode_client';
@@ -222,7 +221,12 @@ export class OpenCodeCellActions extends Widget {
         // Closing the SSE first ensures the old session's events stop
         // coming in while we transition.
         this._closeSse();
-        const r = await callOpenCodeSetActiveSession(
+        // PUT /sessions/notebook binds AND sets active in one call.
+        // (The separate PUT /sessions/active is only for switching
+        // between sessions that are ALREADY bound; for a session the
+        // user just picked from the global list, we need to bind
+        // first — calling set_active before bind returns 400.)
+        const r = await callOpenCodeBindExistingSession(
           this._context.notebookPath,
           sessionId,
           _serverSettings
@@ -230,14 +234,6 @@ export class OpenCodeCellActions extends Widget {
         if (!r.ok) {
           return false;
         }
-        // The session was not necessarily bound to this notebook yet.
-        // Bind it (idempotent; the server's PUT /sessions/notebook
-        // also sets it as active, so we don't need a separate call).
-        await callOpenCodeBindExistingSession(
-          this._context.notebookPath,
-          sessionId,
-          _serverSettings
-        );
         this._prompt?.setSessionId(sessionId);
         return true;
       },