diff --git a/src/components/main-content/view/MainContent.tsx b/src/components/main-content/view/MainContent.tsx
index 5d6ef05..8919715 100644
--- a/src/components/main-content/view/MainContent.tsx
+++ b/src/components/main-content/view/MainContent.tsx
@@ -146,7 +146,12 @@ function MainContent({
 
           {activeTab === 'shell' && (
             <div className="h-full w-full overflow-hidden">
-              <StandaloneShell project={selectedProject} session={selectedSession} showHeader={false} />
+              <StandaloneShell
+                project={selectedProject}
+                session={selectedSession}
+                showHeader={false}
+                isActive={activeTab === 'shell'}
+              />
             </div>
           )}
 
diff --git a/src/components/shell/view/Shell.tsx b/src/components/shell/view/Shell.tsx
index 0f9b7c6..3d51980 100644
--- a/src/components/shell/view/Shell.tsx
+++ b/src/components/shell/view/Shell.tsx
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export default function Shell({
   onProcessComplete = null,
   minimal = false,
   autoConnect = false,
-  isActive,
+  isActive = true,
 }: ShellProps) {
   const { t } = useTranslation('chat');
   const [isRestarting, setIsRestarting] = useState(false);
@@ -48,9 +48,6 @@ export default function Shell({
   const promptCheckTimer = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null);
   const onOutputRef = useRef<(() => void) | null>(null);
 
-  // Keep the public API stable for existing callers that still pass `isActive`.
-  void isActive;
-
   const {
     terminalContainerRef,
     terminalRef,
@@ -157,6 +154,24 @@ export default function Shell({
     }
   }, [isConnected]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isActive || !isInitialized || !isConnected) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const focusTerminal = () => {
+      terminalRef.current?.focus();
+    };
+
+    const animationFrameId = window.requestAnimationFrame(focusTerminal);
+    const timeoutId = window.setTimeout(focusTerminal, 0);
+
+    return () => {
+      window.cancelAnimationFrame(animationFrameId);
+      window.clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+    };
+  }, [isActive, isConnected, isInitialized, terminalRef]);
+
   const sendInput = useCallback(
     (data: string) => {
       sendSocketMessage(wsRef.current, { type: 'input', data });
diff --git a/src/components/standalone-shell/view/StandaloneShell.tsx b/src/components/standalone-shell/view/StandaloneShell.tsx
index c152461..c22ac41 100644
--- a/src/components/standalone-shell/view/StandaloneShell.tsx
+++ b/src/components/standalone-shell/view/StandaloneShell.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ type StandaloneShellProps = {
   session?: ProjectSession | null;
   command?: string | null;
   isPlainShell?: boolean | null;
+  isActive?: boolean;
   autoConnect?: boolean;
   onComplete?: ((exitCode: number) => void) | null;
   onClose?: (() => void) | null;
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ export default function StandaloneShell({
   session = null,
   command = null,
   isPlainShell = null,
+  isActive = true,
   autoConnect = true,
   onComplete = null,
   onClose = null,
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ export default function StandaloneShell({
           selectedSession={session}
           initialCommand={command}
           isPlainShell={shouldUsePlainShell}
+          isActive={isActive}
           onProcessComplete={handleProcessComplete}
           minimal={minimal}
           autoConnect={minimal ? true : autoConnect}