diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/hide-only-strip-tabs.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/hide-only-strip-tabs.test.ts
index de8fb9bf14..e18913aaea 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/hide-only-strip-tabs.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/hide-only-strip-tabs.test.ts
@@ -104,14 +104,14 @@ describe('hide-only strip tabs', () => {
     expect(hideOnlyZoneTabs('g-main')).toEqual([])
   })
 
-  it('refuses to hide the strip that is the only handle for hide-only tabs', () => {
+  it('honors never on the sessions/Bots strip', () => {
     sessionsBotsTree()
     setTreeGroupTabStrip('g-side', 'never')
 
     const side = $layoutTree.get()
     const group = side && side.type === 'split' ? side.children[0] : side
 
-    expect(group && group.type === 'group' ? tabStripVisibleForGroup(group) : false).toBe(true)
+    expect(group && group.type === 'group' ? tabStripVisibleForGroup(group) : true).toBe(false)
   })
 
   it('excludes hide-only tabs from every close verb', () => {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/collapse-restore-affordance.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/collapse-restore-affordance.test.tsx
index 0209ae8728..02faeb78ec 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/collapse-restore-affordance.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/collapse-restore-affordance.test.tsx
@@ -135,15 +135,13 @@ describe('Sessions/Bots strip — #91223', () => {
     expect(tabEl('hermes-bots:pane')).toBeTruthy()
   })
 
-  it('an explicit never still paints the strip — hide-only chrome has no other handle', () => {
+  it('an explicit never hides the sessions/Bots strip', () => {
     setTreeGroupTabStrip('g-side', 'never')
-    expect(tabStripVisibleForGroup(zoneAt(0))).toBe(true)
+    expect(tabStripVisibleForGroup(zoneAt(0))).toBe(false)
 
     render(<LiveTreeGroup parentAxis="row" />)
 
-    expect(tablist()).toBeTruthy()
-    expect(tabEl('sessions')).toBeTruthy()
-    expect(tabEl('hermes-bots:pane')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(tablist()).toBeNull()
   })
 })
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/strip-visibility.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/strip-visibility.test.ts
index 668c85bf62..c12973042f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/strip-visibility.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/strip-visibility.test.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ const tile = (): StripPane => ({ collapsePane: false, placement: 'main' })
 const workspace = (): StripPane => ({ collapsePane: false, placement: 'main', uncloseable: true })
 const toolPanel = (): StripPane => ({ collapsePane: true, placement: 'bottom' })
 const sideChrome = (): StripPane => ({ collapsePane: false, placement: 'right' })
-const hideOnlyChrome = (): StripPane => ({ collapsePane: false, hideOnly: true, placement: 'left' })
 
 describe('auto (no stored choice)', () => {
   it('gives a lone workspace no strip and a stack of two a strip', () => {
@@ -45,18 +44,14 @@ describe('no dead zone', () => {
     expect(resolveTabStripVisible({ mode: 'never', shown: [toolPanel()] })).toBe(true)
   })
 
-  it('keeps the strip for hide-only chrome even when the zone says never', () => {
-    // Sessions / Bots: the Show/Hide rows and the chips themselves live on
-    // the strip. Hiding it is the #91223 trap — nothing left to click.
-    expect(resolveTabStripVisible({ mode: 'never', shown: [hideOnlyChrome()] })).toBe(true)
-    expect(resolveTabStripVisible({ mode: 'never', shown: [hideOnlyChrome(), hideOnlyChrome()] })).toBe(true)
-  })
-
   it('still hides a zone that cannot strand anything', () => {
-    // The workspace is uncloseable, and a stack is reachable by tab cycling —
-    // the invariant protects handles, it does not veto hiding as such.
+    // The workspace is uncloseable, a stack is reachable by tab cycling, and
+    // hide-only chrome (sessions / Bots) keeps its panes + ⌘⌥T — the invariant
+    // protects handles, it does not veto hiding as such.
     expect(resolveTabStripVisible({ mode: 'never', shown: [workspace()] })).toBe(false)
     expect(resolveTabStripVisible({ mode: 'never', shown: [toolPanel(), toolPanel()] })).toBe(false)
+    expect(resolveTabStripVisible({ mode: 'never', shown: [sideChrome()] })).toBe(false)
+    expect(resolveTabStripVisible({ mode: 'never', shown: [sideChrome(), sideChrome()] })).toBe(false)
   })
 })
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/strip-visibility.ts b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/strip-visibility.ts
index 201d627589..573e8a9879 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/strip-visibility.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/strip-visibility.ts
@@ -19,9 +19,6 @@ import { paneChrome } from './track-model'
 export interface StripPane {
   /** A tool panel (terminal / logs) that collapses rather than closes. */
   collapsePane: boolean
-  /** Standing chrome (sessions / Bots) whose only handle is the strip:
-   *  show/hide replaces Close, and the Show/Hide rows live on the strip. */
-  hideOnly?: boolean
   /** Contribution placement — `'main'` marks a docked tile (session, page,
    *  preview) as opposed to standing side chrome. */
   placement?: string
@@ -42,9 +39,11 @@ export interface StripZone {
 /**
  * A pane is STRANDED without a strip when the strip is the only thing carrying
  * its handle: a lone closeable tile needs its ✕, a lone tool panel needs a chip
- * to grab, hide-only chrome (sessions / Bots) needs the chip that show/hide
- * lives on. The uncloseable workspace is not strandable — it cannot be closed
- * or lost, so a lone chat is free to be chromeless.
+ * to grab. The uncloseable workspace is not strandable — it cannot be closed
+ * or lost, so a lone chat is free to be chromeless. Hide-only chrome (sessions
+ * / Bots) is the same: the panes stay, Show/Hide is a separate verb, and a
+ * hidden strip comes back via ⌘⌥T. Treating it as stranded at any count made
+ * Hide tabs a silent no-op on the sessions sidebar.
  *
  * This outranks an explicit `never` on purpose. "Hide the strip" is a request
  * about chrome, never a request to make a surface unreachable, and a zone that
@@ -59,12 +58,6 @@ export interface StripZone {
  * both the menu row and ⌘⌥T became silent no-ops.
  */
 function stranded(shown: readonly StripPane[]): boolean {
-  // Hide-only chrome is stranded at ANY count: it has no close verb at all, and
-  // both the chips and the Show/Hide rows that replace one live on the strip.
-  if (shown.some(pane => pane.hideOnly)) {
-    return true
-  }
-
   if (shown.length !== 1) {
     return false
   }
@@ -123,7 +116,6 @@ export function tabStripVisibleForZone(zone: {
 
       return {
         collapsePane: zone.isCollapsePane(id),
-        hideOnly: chrome.hideOnly,
         placement: chrome.placement,
         uncloseable: chrome.uncloseable
       }