diff --git a/desktop/src/pages/ActiveSession.test.tsx b/desktop/src/pages/ActiveSession.test.tsx
index c1ac306d..00a9a4cb 100644
--- a/desktop/src/pages/ActiveSession.test.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/pages/ActiveSession.test.tsx
@@ -958,6 +958,63 @@ describe('ActiveSession task polling', () => {
     expect(useTabStore.getState().activeTabId).toBe(terminalTab?.sessionId)
   })
 
+  it('keeps the docked terminal usable on a new empty session', () => {
+    const sessionId = 'empty-terminal-session'
+
+    useSessionStore.setState({
+      sessions: [{
+        id: sessionId,
+        title: 'Empty Terminal Session',
+        createdAt: '2026-04-10T00:00:00.000Z',
+        modifiedAt: '2026-04-10T00:00:00.000Z',
+        messageCount: 0,
+        projectPath: '/tmp/project-root',
+        workDir: '/tmp/project-root',
+        workDirExists: true,
+      }],
+      activeSessionId: sessionId,
+      isLoading: false,
+      error: null,
+    })
+    useTabStore.setState({
+      tabs: [{ sessionId, title: 'Empty Terminal Session', type: 'session', status: 'idle' }],
+      activeTabId: sessionId,
+    })
+    useChatStore.setState({
+      sessions: {
+        [sessionId]: {
+          messages: [],
+          chatState: 'idle',
+          connectionState: 'connected',
+          streamingText: '',
+          streamingToolInput: '',
+          activeToolUseId: null,
+          activeToolName: null,
+          activeThinkingId: null,
+          pendingPermission: null,
+          pendingComputerUsePermission: null,
+          tokenUsage: { input_tokens: 0, output_tokens: 0 },
+          streamingResponseChars: 0,
+          elapsedSeconds: 0,
+          statusVerb: '',
+          slashCommands: [],
+          agentTaskNotifications: {},
+          elapsedTimer: null,
+        },
+      },
+    })
+    useTerminalPanelStore.getState().openPanel(sessionId)
+
+    render(<ActiveSession />)
+
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('active-session-chat-column')).toHaveClass('min-h-0')
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('empty-session-hero')).toHaveClass('min-h-0')
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('empty-session-hero')).toHaveClass('pb-6')
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('empty-session-hero')).not.toHaveClass('pb-32')
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('session-terminal-panel')).toHaveStyle({ height: '420px' })
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('terminal-resize-handle')).toHaveAttribute('aria-valuemax', '760')
+  })
+
   it('keeps the docked terminal mounted when the panel is hidden', async () => {
     const sessionId = 'terminal-hide-session'
 
diff --git a/desktop/src/pages/ActiveSession.tsx b/desktop/src/pages/ActiveSession.tsx
index 39cd5cc5..45f63d32 100644
--- a/desktop/src/pages/ActiveSession.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/pages/ActiveSession.tsx
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ export function ActiveSession() {
   const streamingText = sessionState?.streamingText ?? ''
   const activeGoal = sessionState?.activeGoal ?? null
   const isEmpty = messages.length === 0 && !streamingText && (session?.messageCount ?? 0) === 0
+  const compactEmptyHero = isEmpty && showTerminalPanel
   const isHistoryLoading =
     !isMemberSession &&
     (session?.messageCount ?? 0) > 0 &&
@@ -370,7 +371,7 @@ export function ActiveSession() {
       <div data-testid="active-session-content-row" className="flex min-h-0 min-w-0 flex-1">
         <div
           data-testid="active-session-chat-column"
-          className={`flex flex-col ${showRightPanel ? CHAT_COLUMN_WITH_WORKSPACE_CLASS : isMobileLayout ? 'min-w-0 flex-1' : 'min-w-[360px] flex-1'}`}
+          className={`flex min-h-0 flex-col ${showRightPanel ? CHAT_COLUMN_WITH_WORKSPACE_CLASS : isMobileLayout ? 'min-w-0 flex-1' : 'min-w-[360px] flex-1'}`}
         >
           {isMemberSession && (
             <div className="shrink-0 border-b border-[var(--color-border)] bg-[var(--color-surface-container)]">
@@ -418,11 +419,17 @@ export function ActiveSession() {
           )}
 
           {isEmpty ? (
-            <div className="flex flex-1 flex-col items-center justify-center p-8 pb-32">
+            <div
+              data-testid="empty-session-hero"
+              className={[
+                'flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col items-center justify-center overflow-hidden px-8 pt-8',
+                compactEmptyHero ? 'pb-6' : 'pb-32',
+              ].join(' ')}
+            >
               <div className="flex max-w-md flex-col items-center text-center">
                 {isMemberSession ? (
                   <>
-                    <span className="material-symbols-outlined text-[48px] mb-4 text-[var(--color-text-tertiary)]">smart_toy</span>
+                    <span className={`material-symbols-outlined mb-4 text-[var(--color-text-tertiary)] ${compactEmptyHero ? 'text-[36px]' : 'text-[48px]'}`}>smart_toy</span>
                     <p className="text-[var(--color-text-secondary)]">
                       {memberInfo?.status === 'running'
                         ? `${memberInfo.role} ${t('teams.working')}`
@@ -431,11 +438,15 @@ export function ActiveSession() {
                   </>
                 ) : (
                   <>
-                    <img src={publicAssetPath('app-icon.png')} alt="Claude Code Haha" className="mb-6 h-24 w-24" />
-                    <h1 className="mb-2 text-3xl font-extrabold tracking-tight text-[var(--color-text-primary)]" style={{ fontFamily: 'var(--font-headline)' }}>
+                    <img
+                      src={publicAssetPath('app-icon.png')}
+                      alt="Claude Code Haha"
+                      className={compactEmptyHero ? 'mb-4 h-16 w-16' : 'mb-6 h-24 w-24'}
+                    />
+                    <h1 className={`${compactEmptyHero ? 'mb-1 text-2xl' : 'mb-2 text-3xl'} font-extrabold tracking-tight text-[var(--color-text-primary)]`} style={{ fontFamily: 'var(--font-headline)' }}>
                       {t('empty.title')}
                     </h1>
-                    <p className="mx-auto max-w-xs text-[var(--color-text-secondary)]" style={{ fontFamily: 'var(--font-body)' }}>
+                    <p className={`mx-auto max-w-xs text-[var(--color-text-secondary)] ${compactEmptyHero ? 'text-sm' : ''}`} style={{ fontFamily: 'var(--font-body)' }}>
                       {t('empty.subtitle')}
                     </p>
                   </>
@@ -543,7 +554,7 @@ export function ActiveSession() {
             <div
               data-testid="session-terminal-panel"
               className={[
-                'flex shrink-0 flex-col border-t border-[var(--color-border)] bg-[var(--color-surface-container-lowest)]',
+                'flex min-h-0 shrink-0 flex-col border-t border-[var(--color-border)] bg-[var(--color-surface-container-lowest)]',
                 showTerminalPanel ? '' : 'hidden',
               ].join(' ')}
               style={{ height: showTerminalPanel ? terminalPanelHeight : 0 }}
diff --git a/desktop/src/stores/terminalPanelStore.ts b/desktop/src/stores/terminalPanelStore.ts
index 6d6190af..3979bc08 100644
--- a/desktop/src/stores/terminalPanelStore.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/stores/terminalPanelStore.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import { create } from 'zustand'
 import { destroyTerminalRuntime } from '../lib/terminalRuntime'
 
-export const TERMINAL_PANEL_DEFAULT_HEIGHT = 300
-export const TERMINAL_PANEL_MIN_HEIGHT = 220
-export const TERMINAL_PANEL_MAX_HEIGHT = 560
+export const TERMINAL_PANEL_DEFAULT_HEIGHT = 420
+export const TERMINAL_PANEL_MIN_HEIGHT = 260
+export const TERMINAL_PANEL_MAX_HEIGHT = 760
 export const SESSION_TERMINAL_RUNTIME_PREFIX = '__session_terminal__'
 
 type TerminalPanelSessionState = {