diff --git a/extensions/codex/src/app-server/attempt-turn-watches.test.ts b/extensions/codex/src/app-server/attempt-turn-watches.test.ts
index b7aa6f2f945..4c46cdff549 100644
--- a/extensions/codex/src/app-server/attempt-turn-watches.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/codex/src/app-server/attempt-turn-watches.test.ts
@@ -171,35 +171,29 @@ describe("Codex app-server attempt turn watches", () => {
     expect(harness.abortController.signal.aborted).toBe(false);
   });
 
-  it("fires terminal idle timeout while an app-server request is in flight", () => {
+  it("keeps terminal idle gated while an app-server request is in flight", () => {
     const harness = createController();
     harness.activeRequests = 1;
 
     harness.controller.armTerminalIdleWatch();
     vi.advanceTimersByTime(10);
 
-    expect(harness.timeouts).toMatchObject([
-      {
-        kind: "terminal",
-        idleMs: 10,
-        timeoutMs: 10,
-        lastActivityReason: "startup",
-      },
-    ]);
-    expect(harness.abortController.signal.reason).toBe("turn_terminal_idle_timeout");
+    expect(harness.timeouts).toEqual([]);
+    expect(harness.abortController.signal.aborted).toBe(false);
   });
 
-  it("keeps terminal idle alive when notifications arrive during an in-flight request", () => {
+  it("fires terminal idle after the in-flight request settles and silence resumes", () => {
     const harness = createController();
     harness.activeRequests = 1;
 
     harness.controller.armTerminalIdleWatch();
-    vi.advanceTimersByTime(9);
-    harness.controller.noteNotificationReceived("item/commandExecution/outputDelta");
-    vi.advanceTimersByTime(9);
-
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(10);
+    expect(harness.timeouts).toEqual([]);
+
+    harness.activeRequests = 0;
+    harness.controller.touchActivity("request:item/tool/call:response");
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(9);
     expect(harness.timeouts).toEqual([]);
-    expect(harness.abortController.signal.aborted).toBe(false);
 
     vi.advanceTimersByTime(1);
     expect(harness.timeouts).toMatchObject([
@@ -207,9 +201,10 @@ describe("Codex app-server attempt turn watches", () => {
         kind: "terminal",
         idleMs: 10,
         timeoutMs: 10,
-        lastActivityReason: "notification:item/commandExecution/outputDelta",
+        lastActivityReason: "request:item/tool/call:response",
       },
     ]);
+    expect(harness.abortController.signal.reason).toBe("turn_terminal_idle_timeout");
   });
 
   it("keeps completion idle gated while a request is in flight", () => {
diff --git a/extensions/codex/src/app-server/attempt-turn-watches.ts b/extensions/codex/src/app-server/attempt-turn-watches.ts
index 7bfbc0eb542..1f996cd00cf 100644
--- a/extensions/codex/src/app-server/attempt-turn-watches.ts
+++ b/extensions/codex/src/app-server/attempt-turn-watches.ts
@@ -166,7 +166,12 @@ export function createCodexAttemptTurnWatchController(params: {
 
   function scheduleTerminalIdleWatch() {
     clearTerminalIdleTimer();
-    if (params.isCompleted() || params.signal.aborted || !terminalIdleWatchArmed) {
+    if (
+      params.isCompleted() ||
+      params.signal.aborted ||
+      !terminalIdleWatchArmed ||
+      params.getActiveAppServerTurnRequests() > 0
+    ) {
       return;
     }
     const elapsedMs = Math.max(0, Date.now() - completionLastActivityAt);
@@ -366,14 +371,18 @@ export function createCodexAttemptTurnWatchController(params: {
   }
 
   function fireTerminalIdleTimeout() {
-    // This is the physical-client liveness backstop. An in-flight request can
-    // be silent forever if the client is wedged, so only real notifications
-    // reset the terminal clock.
+    // Physical-client liveness backstop. A terminal timeout retires the shared
+    // client, so it must only measure silence the client owns: while a
+    // server->client request is pending (approval/elicitation/tool call) the
+    // app-server legitimately says nothing until we respond. The response path
+    // touches activity when the request settles, so a wedged client is still
+    // caught within one terminal window after our response.
     if (
       params.isCompleted() ||
       params.isTerminalTurnNotificationQueued() ||
       params.signal.aborted ||
-      !terminalIdleWatchArmed
+      !terminalIdleWatchArmed ||
+      params.getActiveAppServerTurnRequests() > 0
     ) {
       return;
     }