diff --git a/packages/app/src/home/sessions/controller.tsx b/packages/app/src/home/sessions/controller.tsx
index 4c7bef90493..706ac244060 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/home/sessions/controller.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/home/sessions/controller.tsx
@@ -146,6 +146,10 @@ export function createHomeSessionsController(home: HomeController) {
       .rename({ sessionID: session.id, title: next })
       .then(() => {
         ctx.data.session.remember({ ...(ctx.data.session.get(session.id) ?? session), title: next })
+        // Rename advances time.updated server-side; re-sync the canonical
+        // record so date grouping and ordering do not go stale.
+        ctx.data.session.invalidate(session.id)
+        void ctx.data.session.sync(session.id)
         queryClient.setQueryData<SessionInfo[]>(["home-sessions", conn], (current) =>
           current?.map((item) => (item.id === session.id ? { ...item, title: next } : item)),
         )
@@ -202,6 +206,9 @@ export function createHomeSessionsController(home: HomeController) {
           directory: session.location.directory,
           sessionIDs: ids,
         })
+        // The pre-mutation cancel may have aborted an in-flight index fetch;
+        // refetch so the full server index is not left unloaded.
+        void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ["home-sessions", conn], exact: true })
         return true
       })
       .catch((cause) => {
diff --git a/packages/app/src/home/sessions/view.tsx b/packages/app/src/home/sessions/view.tsx
index cbd801497d6..ca08ef51bd4 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/home/sessions/view.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/home/sessions/view.tsx
@@ -447,6 +447,7 @@ function HomeSessionRow(
   let longPressTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined
   let longPressStart: { x: number; y: number } | undefined
   let suppressClick = false
+  let menuInteractedOutside = false
 
   const clearLongPress = () => {
     if (longPressTimer !== undefined) clearTimeout(longPressTimer)
@@ -483,10 +484,21 @@ function HomeSessionRow(
     if (!current || current.renaming) return
     props.setRowUI("editor", { ...current, renaming: true })
     const saved = await props.onRenameSession(props.server, props.record.session, current.draft)
+    // Disabling the input during the request drops focus to the body; restore
+    // it unless the user focused another control while the rename was pending.
+    const restore = document.activeElement === document.body || document.activeElement === titleRef
     props.setRowUI("editor", (value) => {
       if (value?.id !== sessionID()) return value
       return saved ? undefined : { ...value, renaming: false }
     })
+    if (!restore) return
+    requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      if (saved) {
+        rowRef?.focus()
+        return
+      }
+      titleRef?.focus()
+    })
   }
 
   return (
@@ -496,8 +508,9 @@ function HomeSessionRow(
       class="group/session relative flex h-10 min-w-0 items-center rounded-[6px] outline-none focus:outline-none focus-visible:outline-none"
       classList={{ group: !!showProjectName() }}
       onContextMenu={(event) => {
-        event.preventDefault()
+        // While renaming, keep the native menu so paste and spelling work.
         if (editor()) return
+        event.preventDefault()
         openMenu(event.currentTarget, event.clientX, event.clientY)
       }}
     >
@@ -531,6 +544,9 @@ function HomeSessionRow(
               }}
               onKeyDown={(event) => {
                 event.stopPropagation()
+                // Enter and Escape during IME composition commit or cancel
+                // the composition, not the rename.
+                if (event.isComposing) return
                 if (event.key === "Enter") {
                   event.preventDefault()
                   void saveEditor()
@@ -539,6 +555,7 @@ function HomeSessionRow(
                 if (event.key !== "Escape") return
                 event.preventDefault()
                 closeEditor()
+                requestAnimationFrame(() => rowRef?.focus())
               }}
               onBlur={closeEditor}
             />
@@ -640,12 +657,18 @@ function HomeSessionRow(
         />
         <Menu.Portal>
           <Menu.Content
+            onInteractOutside={() => {
+              menuInteractedOutside = true
+            }}
             onCloseAutoFocus={(event) => {
               // The trigger is an invisible positioning span, so Kobalte's
               // default close focus restore has no useful target. Skip the
-              // row focus while the rename editor owns focus instead.
+              // row focus when the rename editor owns focus or the user
+              // dismissed the menu by interacting elsewhere.
               event.preventDefault()
-              if (editor()) return
+              const outside = menuInteractedOutside
+              menuInteractedOutside = false
+              if (outside || editor()) return
               requestAnimationFrame(() => rowRef?.focus())
             }}
           >