diff --git a/packages/app/src/new-session/workspace/controller.test.ts b/packages/app/src/new-session/workspace/controller.test.ts
index 4c5f242f772..44949821938 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/new-session/workspace/controller.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/new-session/workspace/controller.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
-import {
-  normalizeNewSessionWorktree,
-  resolveNewSessionBranch,
-  resolveNewSessionGit,
-  resolveNewSessionWorktree,
-} from "./controller"
+import { resolveNewSessionBranch, resolveNewSessionGit, resolveNewSessionWorktree } from "./controller"
 
 describe("new session workspace selection", () => {
   test("uses main when the workspace bar is unavailable", () => {
@@ -12,8 +7,6 @@ describe("new session workspace selection", () => {
       resolveNewSessionWorktree({
         enabled: false,
         selected: "/project/feature",
-        directory: "/project/feature",
-        projectWorktree: "/project",
       }),
     ).toBe("main")
   })
@@ -22,31 +15,21 @@ describe("new session workspace selection", () => {
     expect(
       resolveNewSessionWorktree({
         enabled: true,
-        directory: "/project/feature",
-        projectWorktree: "/project",
         fallback: "create",
       }),
     ).toBe("create")
     expect(
       resolveNewSessionWorktree({
         enabled: true,
-        directory: "/project/feature",
-        projectWorktree: "/project",
         fallback: "main",
       }),
-    ).toBe("/project")
-  })
-
-  test("normalizes main to the project root outside the main worktree", () => {
-    expect(normalizeNewSessionWorktree("main", "/project/feature", "/project")).toBe("/project")
-    expect(normalizeNewSessionWorktree("main", "/project", "/project")).toBe("main")
-  })
-
-  test("treats equivalent Windows roots as the main worktree", () => {
-    expect(
-      resolveNewSessionWorktree({ enabled: true, directory: "C:\\Repo\\", projectWorktree: "c:/repo" }),
     ).toBe("main")
-    expect(normalizeNewSessionWorktree("main", "C:\\Repo\\", "c:/repo")).toBe("main")
+  })
+
+  test("keeps local selection when the cached project path is stale", () => {
+    const input = { enabled: true, directory: "C:/Projects/repo", projectWorktree: "D:/Projects/repo" }
+    expect(resolveNewSessionWorktree(input)).toBe("main")
+    expect(resolveNewSessionWorktree({ ...input, selected: "/worktree" })).toBe("/worktree")
   })
 
   test("resolves the branch from the active location", () => {
diff --git a/packages/app/src/new-session/workspace/controller.ts b/packages/app/src/new-session/workspace/controller.ts
index 6bdfcd7e9e8..b0e42ddb91f 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/new-session/workspace/controller.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/new-session/workspace/controller.ts
@@ -11,27 +11,15 @@ import { normalizeProjectInfo } from "@/runtime/server/global-sync/utils"
 import {
   isWorkspaceDirectory,
   isWorkspaceSelection,
-  sameDirectory,
   workspaceDefaultSelection,
   workspaceDirectories,
   workspaceSelectionDestination,
 } from "@/workspaces/paths"
 
-export function resolveNewSessionWorktree(input: {
-  enabled: boolean
-  selected?: string
-  directory: string
-  projectWorktree?: string
-  fallback?: string
-}) {
+export function resolveNewSessionWorktree(input: { enabled: boolean; selected?: string; fallback?: string }) {
   if (!input.enabled) return "main"
   if (input.selected) return input.selected
-  return normalizeNewSessionWorktree(input.fallback ?? "main", input.directory, input.projectWorktree)
-}
-
-export function normalizeNewSessionWorktree(value: string, directory: string, projectWorktree?: string) {
-  if (value === "main" && projectWorktree && !sameDirectory(directory, projectWorktree)) return projectWorktree
-  return value
+  return input.fallback ?? "main"
 }
 
 export function resolveNewSessionBranch(input: {
@@ -92,8 +80,6 @@ export function createNewSessionWorkspaceController(input: {
     resolveNewSessionWorktree({
       enabled: visible(),
       selected: selected(),
-      directory: sdk().directory,
-      projectWorktree: currentProject()?.worktree,
       fallback: fallback(),
     }),
   )
@@ -145,7 +131,7 @@ export function createNewSessionWorkspaceController(input: {
       remember,
       set: (worktree: string) => {
         input.setSelectedBranch(undefined)
-        input.setSelectedWorktree(normalizeNewSessionWorktree(worktree, sdk().directory, currentProject()?.worktree))
+        input.setSelectedWorktree(worktree)
         remember(worktree)
       },
       create: (branch: string) => {