diff --git a/packages/client/runtime/src/client/index.ts b/packages/client/runtime/src/client/index.ts
index f697fd3f1a..3b8e02b5a9 100644
--- a/packages/client/runtime/src/client/index.ts
+++ b/packages/client/runtime/src/client/index.ts
@@ -154,6 +154,12 @@ export function apply(ctx: Context): void {
       workspaces.handleConnected()
       ctx.emit('connection/reset')
     },
+    onStateChange: (state) => {
+      // Generation death fires before any next-generation frame can arrive
+      // (reconnect replays flow from stream open, ahead of onConnected):
+      // the only safe moment to drop generation-scoped interaction state.
+      if (state === 'reconnecting') sessions.handleDisconnected()
+    },
   })
   ctx.effect(() => () => { loop.stop() }, 'runtime: connection stream loop')
 }
diff --git a/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/manager.ts b/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/manager.ts
index 62a0241df5..396c0be6e7 100644
--- a/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/manager.ts
+++ b/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/manager.ts
@@ -443,14 +443,32 @@ export class SessionManager {
     }
   }
 
-  /** After each connection generation: refresh the session baseline and rebuild opened windows. */
-  handleConnected(): void {
-    // Approvals resolved while disconnected send no frame: drop the bits and
-    // let the mux-open replay re-add every still-pending question.
+  /**
+   * The moment a connection generation dies (before any next-generation frame
+   * can arrive — onConnected waits for the readiness handshake while replayed
+   * frames flow from stream open, so clearing there would race the replay):
+   * drop generation-scoped live state. Approvals resolved while disconnected
+   * send no frame, so the stale bits and the buffered answerable frames must
+   * not survive into the next generation — the mux-open replay re-adds every
+   * still-pending question with its live rpcId.
+   */
+  handleDisconnected(): void {
     if (this.waitingApprovals.size > 0) {
       this.waitingApprovals.clear()
       this.notifier.markDirty()
     }
+    for (const [sessionId, buffer] of [...this.pendingBuffers]) {
+      const kept = buffer.filter(item =>
+        item.payload.type !== 'approval/requested' && item.payload.type !== 'approval/resolved'
+        && item.payload.type !== 'question/requested' && item.payload.type !== 'question/resolved')
+      if (kept.length === buffer.length) continue
+      if (kept.length === 0) this.pendingBuffers.delete(sessionId)
+      else this.pendingBuffers.set(sessionId, kept)
+    }
+  }
+
+  /** After each connection generation: refresh the session baseline and rebuild opened windows. */
+  handleConnected(): void {
     void this.refreshList()
     for (const session of this.sessions.values()) void session.resync()
   }
diff --git a/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/service.ts b/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/service.ts
index 27965c2902..71067d6330 100644
--- a/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/service.ts
+++ b/packages/client/runtime/src/client/sessions/service.ts
@@ -294,6 +294,11 @@ export class SessionsService implements ISessions {
     this.manager.handleConnected()
   }
 
+  /** Drop generation-scoped live interaction state the moment a connection generation dies. */
+  handleDisconnected(): void {
+    this.manager.handleDisconnected()
+  }
+
   /**
    * Create a session on the host. Resolution guarantee: by the time the
    * promise resolves, the created session is in the list store and
diff --git a/packages/client/runtime/tests/manager.spec.ts b/packages/client/runtime/tests/manager.spec.ts
index 90ab196059..33b46538d9 100644
--- a/packages/client/runtime/tests/manager.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/client/runtime/tests/manager.spec.ts
@@ -406,12 +406,32 @@ describe('waiting-approval list bit', () => {
     expect(manager.getListSnapshot().items).toHaveLength(0)
   })
 
-  it('drops stale bits on reconnect — the reopen replay re-adds still-pending questions', () => {
+  it('drops stale bits at generation death — BEFORE the reopen replay re-adds still-pending questions', () => {
     const manager = new SessionManager(new FakeApiClient())
     manager.handleHostEnvelope({ rpcId: 'h1' as never, payload: { type: 'host/session-added', sessionId: S1, blank: false } })
     manager.handleMuxEnvelope({ rpcId: 'ra' as never, payload: { type: 'approval/requested', sessionId: S1, approvalId: 'ap1' as never, toolName: 'rm' } })
     expect(manager.getListSnapshot().items[0]?.waitingApproval).toBe(true)
-    manager.handleConnected() // resolved-while-disconnected questions send no frame
+    // Generation death clears (resolved-while-disconnected questions send no frame)…
+    manager.handleDisconnected()
     expect(manager.getListSnapshot().items[0]?.waitingApproval).toBe(false)
+    // …and a replayed frame arriving before onConnected (stream open precedes
+    // the readiness handshake) survives the later handleConnected untouched.
+    manager.handleMuxEnvelope({ rpcId: 'ra' as never, payload: { type: 'approval/requested', sessionId: S1, approvalId: 'ap1' as never, toolName: 'rm' } })
+    manager.handleConnected()
+    expect(manager.getListSnapshot().items[0]?.waitingApproval).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('generation death drops buffered answerable frames (a dead generation cannot be answered)', () => {
+    const manager = new SessionManager(new FakeApiClient())
+    manager.handleHostEnvelope({ rpcId: 'h1' as never, payload: { type: 'host/session-added', sessionId: S1, blank: false } })
+    // Buffered pre-instantiation: an approval pair and a queued row.
+    manager.handleMuxEnvelope({ rpcId: 'ra' as never, payload: { type: 'approval/requested', sessionId: S1, approvalId: 'ap1' as never, toolName: 'rm' } })
+    manager.handleMuxEnvelope({ rpcId: 'q1' as never, payload: { type: 'question/requested', sessionId: S1, questions: [] } })
+    manager.handleDisconnected()
+    // Instantiate after the death sweep: no zombie interaction replays (the
+    // pendingBuffers held only dead-generation rpcIds), so the session mints
+    // no pending waits.
+    const session = manager.get(S1)
+    expect(session.getSnapshot().pending).toEqual([])
   })
 })