diff --git a/packages/daemon/src/domain/session-transport.ts b/packages/daemon/src/domain/session-transport.ts
index 292cc2ce4..9884657c2 100644
--- a/packages/daemon/src/domain/session-transport.ts
+++ b/packages/daemon/src/domain/session-transport.ts
@@ -2904,7 +2904,10 @@ export class SessionTransport {
       let failure = "";
       const failed = (message: string) => { failure = ` Leaving it failed: ${message.trim().replace(/\s+/g, " ").replace(/\.$/, "")}.`; };
       try {
-        const left = typeof this.tmuxAdapter.cancelPaneMode === "function" ? await this.tmuxAdapter.cancelPaneMode(readTarget) : undefined;
+        // Leave through the seat's address, as the text and Enter writes do; the guard writes to its bound pane. A raw
+        // pane id can match a stale binding elsewhere (tmux reuses ids after a server restart), and the guard refuses an
+        // ambiguous target before writing anything, so the mode was never left.
+        const left = typeof this.tmuxAdapter.cancelPaneMode === "function" ? await this.tmuxAdapter.cancelPaneMode(sessionName) : undefined;
         if (left && !left.ok) failed(left.message);
       } catch (error) { failed(error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)); }
       if (await readPaneInMode() !== true) return null;
diff --git a/packages/daemon/test/session-transport.test.ts b/packages/daemon/test/session-transport.test.ts
index 8842eb9bd..70383dd48 100644
--- a/packages/daemon/test/session-transport.test.ts
+++ b/packages/daemon/test/session-transport.test.ts
@@ -694,6 +694,40 @@ describe("SessionTransport", () => {
       expect(callOrder).toEqual(["cancelPaneMode", "sendText", "sendKeys:Enter"]);
     });
 
+    it("leaves the mode through the seat's address when a stale binding elsewhere names the same pane", async () => {
+      const { node } = seedCanonicalRig();
+      sessionRegistry.updateBinding(node.id, { tmuxPane: "%27" });
+      // tmux reuses pane ids after a server restart: another rig's binding can still name %27.
+      const studio = rigRepo.createRig("studio-build");
+      const stale = rigRepo.addNode(studio.id, "sdk.impl", { role: "worker", runtime: "claude-code" });
+      sessionRegistry.registerSession(stale.id, "sdk-impl@studio-build");
+      sessionRegistry.updateBinding(stale.id, { tmuxSession: "sdk-impl@studio-build", tmuxPane: "%27" });
+      // The guard can't resolve the raw pane id to one seat, so a write addressed to it is refused before any key.
+      expect(resolveGuardTarget(db, "%27")).toBeNull();
+      expect(resolveGuardTarget(db, "dev-impl@my-rig")).toMatchObject({ nodeId: node.id, pane: "%27" });
+      const callOrder: string[] = [];
+      const tmux = modalPane({ leaves: true, callOrder });
+      const modeReads: string[] = [];
+      let left = false;
+      tmux.isPaneInMode = vi.fn(async (target: string) => { modeReads.push(target); return !left; });
+      const cancelTargets: string[] = [];
+      // As the adapter's guarded write does: an unresolvable target writes nothing, so the pane stays in its mode.
+      tmux.cancelPaneMode = vi.fn(async (target: string) => {
+        cancelTargets.push(target); callOrder.push("cancelPaneMode");
+        if (!resolveGuardTarget(db, target)) return { ok: false as const, code: "guard_target_unknown", message: `Cannot establish managed input target ${target}; no input written.` };
+        left = true;
+        return { ok: true as const };
+      });
+      const transport = createTransport(tmux);
+
+      const result = await transport.send("dev-impl@my-rig", "hello");
+      // The person's harm first: the message is delivered and submitted, not refused as pane_in_mode.
+      expect(result).toMatchObject({ ok: true });
+      expect(callOrder).toEqual(["cancelPaneMode", "sendText", "sendKeys:Enter"]);
+      expect(cancelTargets).toEqual(["dev-impl@my-rig"]);
+      expect(modeReads.every(target => target === "%27")).toBe(true);
+    });
+
     it("leaves the mode before a submitOnly Enter", async () => {
       seedCanonicalRig();
       const callOrder: string[] = [];