diff --git a/Sources/AppDelegate.swift b/Sources/AppDelegate.swift
index 6b4acc59..1b979eac 100644
--- a/Sources/AppDelegate.swift
+++ b/Sources/AppDelegate.swift
@@ -5776,6 +5776,13 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate, UNUserNotificationCent
                         "expectedLatestWindowId": window1.windowId.uuidString,
                         "expectedLatestTabId": tabId1.uuidString,
                     ], at: path)
+                    self.prepareMultiWindowNotificationSourceTerminalIfNeeded(
+                        at: path,
+                        windowId: window1.windowId,
+                        tabManager: window1.tabManager,
+                        tabId: tabId1,
+                        surfaceId: surfaceId1
+                    )
                     self.publishMultiWindowNotificationSocketStateIfNeeded(at: path)
                 }
                 }
@@ -5783,6 +5790,71 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate, UNUserNotificationCent
         }
     }
 
+    private func prepareMultiWindowNotificationSourceTerminalIfNeeded(
+        at path: String,
+        windowId: UUID,
+        tabManager: TabManager,
+        tabId: UUID,
+        surfaceId: UUID
+    ) {
+        let env = ProcessInfo.processInfo.environment
+        guard env["CMUX_UI_TEST_NOTIFY_SOURCE_TERMINAL_READY"] == "1" else { return }
+
+        writeMultiWindowNotificationTestData([
+            "sourceTerminalReady": "pending",
+            "sourceTerminalFocusFailure": "",
+        ], at: path)
+
+        let deadline = Date().addingTimeInterval(8.0)
+
+        func publish(ready: Bool, failure: String = "") {
+            writeMultiWindowNotificationTestData([
+                "sourceTerminalReady": ready ? "1" : "0",
+                "sourceTerminalFocusFailure": failure,
+            ], at: path)
+        }
+
+        func poll() {
+            guard let workspace = tabManager.tabs.first(where: { $0.id == tabId }) else {
+                publish(ready: false, failure: "workspace_missing")
+                return
+            }
+            guard let terminalPanel = workspace.terminalPanel(for: surfaceId) else {
+                publish(ready: false, failure: "terminal_missing")
+                return
+            }
+
+            let isWindowFrontmost = {
+                guard let window = self.mainWindow(for: windowId) else { return false }
+                return NSApp.keyWindow === window || NSApp.mainWindow === window
+            }()
+            if isWindowFrontmost && terminalPanel.hostedView.isSurfaceViewFirstResponder() {
+                publish(ready: true)
+                return
+            }
+
+            guard Date() < deadline else {
+                publish(
+                    ready: false,
+                    failure: isWindowFrontmost ? "terminal_not_first_responder" : "window_not_frontmost"
+                )
+                return
+            }
+
+            _ = self.focusMainWindow(windowId: windowId)
+            if let tab = tabManager.tabs.first(where: { $0.id == tabId }) {
+                tabManager.selectTab(tab)
+                tabManager.focusSurface(tabId: tabId, surfaceId: surfaceId)
+            }
+
+            DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 0.05) {
+                poll()
+            }
+        }
+
+        poll()
+    }
+
     private func publishMultiWindowNotificationSocketStateIfNeeded(at path: String) {
         let env = ProcessInfo.processInfo.environment
         guard env["CMUX_UI_TEST_SOCKET_SANITY"] == "1" else { return }
diff --git a/cmuxUITests/MultiWindowNotificationsUITests.swift b/cmuxUITests/MultiWindowNotificationsUITests.swift
index 43696454..632ad44d 100644
--- a/cmuxUITests/MultiWindowNotificationsUITests.swift
+++ b/cmuxUITests/MultiWindowNotificationsUITests.swift
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ final class MultiWindowNotificationsUITests: XCTestCase {
         app.launchEnvironment["CMUX_SOCKET_MODE"] = "allowAll"
         app.launchEnvironment["CMUX_SOCKET_ENABLE"] = "1"
         app.launchEnvironment["CMUX_UI_TEST_SOCKET_SANITY"] = "1"
+        app.launchEnvironment["CMUX_UI_TEST_NOTIFY_SOURCE_TERMINAL_READY"] = "1"
         app.launchEnvironment["CMUX_UI_TEST_ENABLE_DUPLICATE_LAUNCH_OBSERVER"] = "1"
         app.launchEnvironment["CMUX_TAG"] = launchTag
         app.launch()
@@ -211,9 +212,15 @@ final class MultiWindowNotificationsUITests: XCTestCase {
                 let tabId2 = data["tabId2"] ?? ""
                 let surfaceId2 = data["surfaceId2"] ?? ""
                 let socketReady = data["socketReady"] ?? ""
-                return !tabId2.isEmpty && !surfaceId2.isEmpty && !socketReady.isEmpty && socketReady != "pending"
+                let sourceTerminalReady = data["sourceTerminalReady"] ?? ""
+                return !tabId2.isEmpty &&
+                    !surfaceId2.isEmpty &&
+                    !socketReady.isEmpty &&
+                    socketReady != "pending" &&
+                    !sourceTerminalReady.isEmpty &&
+                    sourceTerminalReady != "pending"
             },
-            "Expected multi-window notification setup data and socket readiness"
+            "Expected multi-window notification setup data, socket readiness, and source terminal focus"
         )
 
         guard let setup = loadData() else {
@@ -224,18 +231,6 @@ final class MultiWindowNotificationsUITests: XCTestCase {
             XCTFail("Missing setup workspace id")
             return
         }
-        guard let tabId1 = setup["tabId1"], !tabId1.isEmpty else {
-            XCTFail("Missing source workspace id")
-            return
-        }
-        guard let window1Id = setup["window1Id"], !window1Id.isEmpty else {
-            XCTFail("Missing source window id")
-            return
-        }
-        guard let sourceSurfaceId = setup["surfaceId1"], !sourceSurfaceId.isEmpty else {
-            XCTFail("Missing source surface id")
-            return
-        }
         if let expectedSocketPath = setup["socketExpectedPath"], !expectedSocketPath.isEmpty {
             socketPath = expectedSocketPath
         }
@@ -257,6 +252,13 @@ final class MultiWindowNotificationsUITests: XCTestCase {
             XCTFail("Missing target surface id for workspace \(tabId2)")
             return
         }
+        guard setup["sourceTerminalReady"] == "1" else {
+            XCTFail(
+                "Expected source terminal to be focused before typing. " +
+                "failure=\(setup["sourceTerminalFocusFailure"] ?? "<unknown>")"
+            )
+            return
+        }
 
         XCTAssertTrue(waitForWindowCount(atLeast: 2, app: app, timeout: 6.0))
 
@@ -302,13 +304,6 @@ final class MultiWindowNotificationsUITests: XCTestCase {
             )
             return
         }
-        XCTAssertEqual(socketCommand("focus_window \(window1Id)"), "OK", "Expected source window to be focusable")
-        XCTAssertEqual(socketCommand("select_workspace \(tabId1)"), "OK", "Expected source workspace to be selectable")
-        XCTAssertEqual(socketCommand("focus_surface \(sourceSurfaceId)"), "OK", "Expected source terminal to be focusable")
-        XCTAssertTrue(
-            waitForTerminalFocus(surfaceId: sourceSurfaceId, timeout: 4.0),
-            "Expected source terminal surface to own first responder before typing"
-        )
 
         app.typeText("sh \(commandScriptPath)")
         app.typeKey(XCUIKeyboardKey.return.rawValue, modifierFlags: [])