diff --git a/packages/core/src/session/execution/restart.ts b/packages/core/src/session/execution/restart.ts
index 72f606416c3..7038349350c 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/session/execution/restart.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/session/execution/restart.ts
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ export const layer = (options?: Options) =>
       const recoverShell = Effect.fnUntraced(function* (
         background: Job.Background,
         recovery: Extract<Job.Recovery, { kind: "shell" }>,
-        suspended: ReadonlySet<SessionSchema.ID>,
       ) {
         const state = background.status === "running" ? "cancelled" : background.status
         const text =
@@ -124,7 +123,9 @@ export const layer = (options?: Options) =>
               state,
               text,
             }),
-            ...(suspended.has(recovery.sessionID) ? { resume: false } : {}),
+            // Restart notices must not revive idle owners of long-lived shells.
+            // Interrupted executions resume separately after their notices are admitted.
+            resume: false,
           })
           .pipe(
             Effect.catchTag("Session.NotFoundError", () => Effect.void),
@@ -208,7 +209,7 @@ export const layer = (options?: Options) =>
               if ((yield* jobs.get(background.id))?.status === "running") return
               const recovery = background.recovery
               yield* recovery.kind === "shell"
-                ? recoverShell(background, recovery, suspended)
+                ? recoverShell(background, recovery)
                 : recoverSubagent(background, recovery, suspended)
             }),
             { discard: true },
diff --git a/packages/core/test/session-execution.test.ts b/packages/core/test/session-execution.test.ts
index 8cd7324f9e5..9f838e66ba3 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/session-execution.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/session-execution.test.ts
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ describe("SessionExecution lifecycle", () => {
 })
 
 describe("SessionRestart background recovery", () => {
-  it.effect("wakes idle shell owners and delivers recovered notices exactly once", () =>
+  it.effect("keeps shell owners idle until a user prompt delivers recovered notices exactly once", () =>
     Effect.gen(function* () {
       const database = yield* Database.Service
       const store = yield* SessionStore.Service
@@ -416,6 +416,20 @@ describe("SessionRestart background recovery", () => {
       yield* restart.resumeSuspendedSessions
       yield* Effect.forEach([parent, child], execution.awaitIdle, { discard: true })
 
+      expect(drained).toEqual([])
+      expect(yield* SessionInbox.list(database.db, parent)).toHaveLength(1)
+      expect(yield* SessionInbox.list(database.db, child)).toHaveLength(1)
+      expect(yield* restarted.pendingBackground).toEqual([])
+      yield* restart.resumeSuspendedSessions
+      expect(drained).toEqual([])
+      expect(yield* SessionInbox.list(database.db, parent)).toHaveLength(1)
+      expect(yield* SessionInbox.list(database.db, child)).toHaveLength(1)
+
+      yield* seedInbox(database, parent, ["steer"])
+      yield* seedInbox(database, child, ["steer"])
+      yield* execution.wake(parent)
+      yield* execution.wake(child)
+      yield* Effect.forEach([parent, child], execution.awaitIdle, { discard: true })
       expect(drained.toSorted()).toEqual([parent, child].toSorted())
       expect((yield* store.context(parent)).filter((message) => message.type === "synthetic")).toMatchObject([
         {
@@ -509,7 +523,7 @@ describe("SessionRestart background recovery", () => {
       yield* Context.get(context, SessionRestart.Service).resumeSuspendedSessions
       yield* Context.get(context, SessionExecution.Service).awaitIdle(sessionID)
 
-      expect(drained).toEqual([sessionID])
+      expect(drained).toEqual([])
       const inbox = yield* SessionInbox.list(database.db, sessionID)
       expect(inbox).toMatchObject([
         {
@@ -561,7 +575,6 @@ describe("SessionRestart background recovery", () => {
         expect(yield* restarted.pendingBackground).toEqual([])
         expect(yield* SessionInbox.list(database.db, sessionID)).toHaveLength(delivered ? 0 : 1)
         yield* SessionInbox.promote(database.db, bus, sessionID, "steer")
-        // Recovery ends a busy period, so an idle marker follows the notification.
         const messages = (yield* sessions.messages({ sessionID })).filter((message) => message.type !== "idle")
         expect(messages).toMatchObject([
           {