diff --git a/packages/ui/src/stores/connection-resync-gate.test.ts b/packages/ui/src/stores/connection-resync-gate.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aaa5fef1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ui/src/stores/connection-resync-gate.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict"
+import { describe, it } from "node:test"
+import { ConnectionResyncGate } from "./connection-resync-gate.ts"
+
+describe("connection resync gate", () => {
+  it("skips initial connection and resyncs once after a stream failure", () => {
+    const gate = new ConnectionResyncGate()
+    assert.equal(gate.observe("instance", "connecting"), false)
+    assert.equal(gate.observe("instance", "connected"), false)
+    assert.equal(gate.observe("instance", "error"), false)
+    assert.equal(gate.observe("instance", "connected"), true)
+    assert.equal(gate.observe("instance", "connected"), false)
+  })
+
+  it("does not resync a deliberately stopped or cleared workspace", () => {
+    const gate = new ConnectionResyncGate()
+    assert.equal(gate.observe("instance", "disconnected", "workspace stopped"), false)
+    assert.equal(gate.observe("instance", "connected"), false)
+    gate.observe("instance", "disconnected")
+    gate.clear("instance")
+    assert.equal(gate.observe("instance", "connected"), false)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/stores/connection-resync-gate.ts b/packages/ui/src/stores/connection-resync-gate.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..88d30b96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ui/src/stores/connection-resync-gate.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import type { InstanceStreamStatus } from "../../../server/src/api-types"
+
+export class ConnectionResyncGate {
+  private readonly pending = new Set<string>()
+
+  observe(instanceId: string, status: InstanceStreamStatus, reason?: string): boolean {
+    if (status === "error" || (status === "disconnected" && reason !== "workspace stopped")) {
+      this.pending.add(instanceId)
+      return false
+    }
+    if (status !== "connected") return false
+    return this.pending.delete(instanceId)
+  }
+
+  clear(instanceId: string): void {
+    this.pending.delete(instanceId)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/stores/instances.ts b/packages/ui/src/stores/instances.ts
index 271e5c94..79e73dc4 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/stores/instances.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/stores/instances.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import { getRootClient } from "./opencode-client"
 import { buildV2RequestLocations } from "./request-locations"
 import { fetchCommands, clearCommands } from "./commands"
 import { getInstanceRefreshTargets, type InstanceRefreshTarget } from "./instance-invalidation"
+import { ConnectionResyncGate } from "./connection-resync-gate"
 import { serverSettings } from "./preferences"
 import {
   reconcileSessionPendingState,
@@ -271,6 +272,7 @@ const connectionResyncs = new TrailingResyncCoordinator(
     log.warn("Failed to resync sessions after instance connection", { instanceId, error })
   },
 )
+const connectionResyncGate = new ConnectionResyncGate()
 
 function resyncConnectedInstance(instanceId: string): void {
   void connectionResyncs.request(instanceId)
@@ -313,11 +315,13 @@ function refreshVolatileInstanceState(
 }
 
 serverEvents.on("instance.eventStatus", (event) => {
-  if (event.type !== "instance.eventStatus" || event.status !== "connected") return
+  if (event.type !== "instance.eventStatus") return
+  const shouldResync = connectionResyncGate.observe(event.instanceId, event.status, event.reason)
+  if (event.status !== "connected") return
   if (disconnectedInstance()?.id === event.instanceId) {
     setDisconnectedInstance(null)
   }
-  resyncConnectedInstance(event.instanceId)
+  if (shouldResync) resyncConnectedInstance(event.instanceId)
 })
 
 function createRestoreCreationRequestId(): string {
@@ -1064,6 +1068,7 @@ function updateInstance(id: string, updates: Partial<Instance>) {
 }
 
 function removeInstance(id: string, options: { authoritative?: boolean } = {}) {
+  connectionResyncGate.clear(id)
   const removedInstance = instances().get(id)
   const removedOccurrence = removedInstance
     ? Array.from(instances().values())