diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.ts
index 6b4b08f945f4e..ca73467f681b3 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   getRememberedWorkspaceCwd,
   sessionPinId,
   setActiveSessionId,
+  setAttentionSessionIds,
   setAwaitingResponse,
   setBusy,
   setCurrentBranch,
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ import {
   setSessionStartedAt,
   setSessionsTotal,
   setTurnStartedAt,
+  setWorkingSessionIds,
   setYoloActive
 } from '@/store/session'
 import { reportBackendContract } from '@/store/updates'
@@ -293,6 +295,11 @@ export function useSessionActions({
       setSelectedStoredSessionId(null)
       selectedStoredSessionIdRef.current = null
       setMessages([])
+      // Clear stale session busy/attention indicators so background sessions
+      // that were still working when we navigated away don't visually persist
+      // as running rows or "needs input" dots in the sidebar of the new chat.
+      setWorkingSessionIds([])
+      setAttentionSessionIds([])
       setCurrentUsage({
         calls: 0,
         input: 0,
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-state-cache.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-state-cache.ts
index 8683aa4a80c66..10116b389d2eb 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-state-cache.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-state-cache.ts
@@ -157,22 +157,31 @@ export function useSessionStateCache({
         setSessionAttention(previous.storedSessionId, false)
       }
 
-      setSessionWorking(next.storedSessionId, next.busy)
-      setSessionAttention(next.storedSessionId, next.needsInput)
-
-      // Every state update is effectively a "still alive" heartbeat for
-      // streaming events. The session-store watchdog uses this to keep the
-      // working flag alive during long-running turns and to clear it once
-      // the stream goes silent.
-      if (next.busy) {
-        noteSessionActivity(next.storedSessionId)
+      // Only update the global working/attention atoms when this session is
+      // the one the user is currently viewing. Background sessions still
+      // update their own cache entry but must not re-add themselves to the
+      // global sidebar indicators after the user has started a new chat and
+      // startFreshSessionDraft cleared them — otherwise late gateway events
+      // from a still-busy old session make it appear as if the new chat is
+      // still working or waiting for input.
+      if (sessionId === activeSessionIdRef.current) {
+        setSessionWorking(next.storedSessionId, next.busy)
+        setSessionAttention(next.storedSessionId, next.needsInput)
+
+        // Every state update is effectively a "still alive" heartbeat for
+        // streaming events. The session-store watchdog uses this to keep the
+        // working flag alive during long-running turns and to clear it once
+        // the stream goes silent.
+        if (next.busy) {
+          noteSessionActivity(next.storedSessionId)
+        }
       }
 
       syncSessionStateToView(sessionId, next)
 
       return next
     },
-    [ensureSessionState, syncSessionStateToView]
+    [activeSessionIdRef, ensureSessionState, syncSessionStateToView]
   )
 
   return {