diff --git a/src/renderer/features/agents/main/active-chat.tsx b/src/renderer/features/agents/main/active-chat.tsx
index cf85ed17..ccd5b266 100644
--- a/src/renderer/features/agents/main/active-chat.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/features/agents/main/active-chat.tsx
@@ -3793,15 +3793,20 @@ const ChatViewInner = memo(function ChatViewInner({
     if (!isActive) return
     if (isMobile) return // Don't autofocus on mobile
 
-    // Use requestAnimationFrame to ensure DOM is ready after render
-    requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+    // Use setTimeout to ensure focus happens after all React DOM updates
+    // and browser focus management has settled. requestAnimationFrame alone
+    // is too early when the terminal is open — the xterm textarea retains
+    // focus and the editor's focus() call doesn't stick.
+    const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
       // Skip if sidebar keyboard navigation is active (user is arrowing through sidebar items)
       if (appStore.get(suppressInputFocusAtom)) {
         appStore.set(suppressInputFocusAtom, false)
         return
       }
       editorRef.current?.focus()
-    })
+    }, 100)
+
+    return () => clearTimeout(timeoutId)
   }, [isActive, subChatId, isMobile])
 
   // Refs for handleSend to avoid recreating callback on every messages change
diff --git a/src/renderer/features/agents/ui/agent-user-message-bubble.tsx b/src/renderer/features/agents/ui/agent-user-message-bubble.tsx
index 37938c7b..b2a2345d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/features/agents/ui/agent-user-message-bubble.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/features/agents/ui/agent-user-message-bubble.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
 import { AgentImageItem } from "./agent-image-item"
 import { RenderFileMentions, extractTextMentions, TextMentionBlocks } from "../mentions/render-file-mentions"
 import { useSearchHighlight, useSearchQuery } from "../search"
+import { useAgentSubChatStore } from "../stores/sub-chat-store"
 
 interface AgentUserMessageBubbleProps {
   messageId: string
@@ -119,6 +120,14 @@ export const AgentUserMessageBubble = memo(function AgentUserMessageBubble({
   const [isExpanded, setIsExpanded] = useState(false)
   const contentRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
 
+  // Close expanded dialog when user switches sub-chat tabs.
+  // The Dialog portals to document.body, so it escapes the hidden tab's
+  // opacity:0 / pointerEvents:none container and would remain visible.
+  const activeSubChatId = useAgentSubChatStore((s) => s.activeSubChatId)
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setIsExpanded(false)
+  }, [activeSubChatId])
+
   // Extract quote/diff mentions to display above the bubble
   const { textMentions, cleanedText } = useMemo(
     () => extractTextMentions(textContent),