diff --git a/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.generated.ts b/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.generated.ts
index 392a71bc52..a91142764b 100644
--- a/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.generated.ts
+++ b/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.generated.ts
@@ -2762,6 +2762,7 @@ export interface SessionCreateParams {
   cols?: number | null
   source?: string | null
   cwd?: string | null
+  cwd_explicit?: boolean | null
   messages?: SeedMessage[] | null
   parent_session_id?: string | null
   title?: string | null
diff --git a/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.openrpc.json b/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.openrpc.json
index 6b1374a20f..f922bcb555 100644
--- a/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.openrpc.json
+++ b/apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.openrpc.json
@@ -28659,6 +28659,18 @@
             "default": null,
             "title": "Cwd"
           },
+          "cwd_explicit": {
+            "anyOf": [
+              {
+                "type": "boolean"
+              },
+              {
+                "type": "null"
+              }
+            ],
+            "default": null,
+            "title": "Cwd Explicit"
+          },
           "messages": {
             "anyOf": [
               {
diff --git a/tui_gateway/contracts/sessions.py b/tui_gateway/contracts/sessions.py
index d2c1809cbd..be298aebf7 100644
--- a/tui_gateway/contracts/sessions.py
+++ b/tui_gateway/contracts/sessions.py
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ class SessionCreateParams(ProfileParams):
     cols: int | None = None
     source: str | None = None
     cwd: str | None = None
+    # #52589: provenance for ``cwd`` — true only for a deliberate workspace pick;
+    # an inherited app-global workspace must yield to a named profile's terminal.cwd.
+    cwd_explicit: bool | None = None
     messages: list[SeedMessage] | None = None
     parent_session_id: str | None = None
     title: str | None = None