diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatInput.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatInput.tsx
index d9980561..d05b8b6c 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatInput.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/ChatInput.tsx
@@ -455,6 +455,7 @@ const ChatInputComponent: React.FC<ChatInputProps> = ({
     );
     const newSessionDraft = useSessionUIStore((s) => s.newSessionDraft);
     const newSessionDraftOpen = Boolean(newSessionDraft?.open);
+    const newSessionDraftAnnouncesDirtyState = newSessionDraftOpen && newSessionDraft?.openedAutomatically !== true;
     const draftPermissionAutoAcceptEnabled = useSessionUIStore((s) => (
         s.newSessionDraft?.open ? s.newSessionDraft.permissionAutoAcceptEnabled === true : false
     ));
@@ -3119,6 +3120,7 @@ const ChatInputComponent: React.FC<ChatInputProps> = ({
                             selectedBranchLabel={selectedDraftBranchLabel}
                             selectedBranchIsKnown={selectedDraftBranchIsKnown}
                             hasUncommittedChanges={selectedDraftDirectoryHasUncommittedChanges}
+                            announceDirtyState={newSessionDraftAnnouncesDirtyState}
                             projectRootBranchOption={projectRootBranchOption}
                             worktreeBranchOptions={worktreeBranchOptions}
                             branchItems={draftBranchItems}
@@ -3134,6 +3136,7 @@ const ChatInputComponent: React.FC<ChatInputProps> = ({
                         selectedProject={selectedDraftProject}
                         selectedBranchLabel={selectedDraftBranchLabel}
                         hasUncommittedChanges={selectedDraftDirectoryHasUncommittedChanges}
+                            announceDirtyState={newSessionDraftAnnouncesDirtyState}
                         showBranchSelector={shouldShowDraftBranchSelector}
                         theme={currentTheme}
                         onOpenPicker={setMobileDraftPicker}
@@ -3550,6 +3553,7 @@ const ChatInputComponent: React.FC<ChatInputProps> = ({
                 selectedBranchLabel={selectedDraftBranchLabel}
                 selectedBranchIsKnown={selectedDraftBranchIsKnown}
                 hasUncommittedChanges={selectedDraftDirectoryHasUncommittedChanges}
+                            announceDirtyState={newSessionDraftAnnouncesDirtyState}
                 projectRootBranchOption={projectRootBranchOption}
                 worktreeBranchOptions={worktreeBranchOptions}
                 branchItems={draftBranchItems}
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/composer/ui/DraftTargetSelectors.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/composer/ui/DraftTargetSelectors.tsx
index a025ae4c..5c6e2578 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/composer/ui/DraftTargetSelectors.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/composer/ui/DraftTargetSelectors.tsx
@@ -46,6 +46,14 @@ export interface DraftTargetProps {
     selectedBranchLabel: string | null;
     selectedBranchIsKnown: boolean;
     hasUncommittedChanges: boolean;
+    /**
+     * Whether the dirty warning may announce itself by opening its tooltip
+     * unprompted. Off for a draft the app opened on its own at boot: that
+     * draft is often only a placeholder until the last session restores, and
+     * a tooltip on an otherwise empty screen reads as a glitch. The warning
+     * icon still shows and the tooltip stays reachable by hover or long press.
+     */
+    announceDirtyState: boolean;
     projectRootBranchOption: BranchOption | null;
     worktreeBranchOptions: readonly BranchOption[];
     branchItems: readonly BranchOption[];
@@ -100,26 +108,27 @@ const DIRTY_TOOLTIP_FLASH_MS = 5000;
 /**
  * Opens the tooltip for a few seconds when the dirty state first appears, so
  * the warning is seen without hovering, then hands control back to hover.
+ * Only when the draft may announce itself — see `announceDirtyState`.
  */
-function useDirtyFlashTooltip(hasUncommittedChanges: boolean) {
+function useDirtyFlashTooltip(hasUncommittedChanges: boolean, announce: boolean) {
     const [open, setOpen] = React.useState(false);
 
     React.useEffect(() => {
-        if (!hasUncommittedChanges) {
+        if (!hasUncommittedChanges || !announce) {
             setOpen(false);
             return;
         }
         setOpen(true);
         const timer = window.setTimeout(() => setOpen(false), DIRTY_TOOLTIP_FLASH_MS);
         return () => window.clearTimeout(timer);
-    }, [hasUncommittedChanges]);
+    }, [announce, hasUncommittedChanges]);
 
     return { open, onOpenChange: setOpen };
 }
 
 export function DraftTargetSelectors(props: DraftTargetProps) {
     const { t } = useI18n();
-    const dirtyTooltip = useDirtyFlashTooltip(props.hasUncommittedChanges);
+    const dirtyTooltip = useDirtyFlashTooltip(props.hasUncommittedChanges, props.announceDirtyState);
     const {
         projects,
         selectedProject,
@@ -271,12 +280,12 @@ export function DraftTargetSelectors(props: DraftTargetProps) {
 
 /** Mobile: buttons that open the bottom sheets below. */
 export function MobileDraftTargetTriggers(
-    props: Pick<DraftTargetProps, 'selectedProject' | 'selectedBranchLabel' | 'showBranchSelector' | 'hasUncommittedChanges' | 'theme'>
+    props: Pick<DraftTargetProps, 'selectedProject' | 'selectedBranchLabel' | 'showBranchSelector' | 'hasUncommittedChanges' | 'announceDirtyState' | 'theme'>
         & { onOpenPicker: (picker: 'project' | 'branch') => void },
 ) {
     const { t } = useI18n();
-    const { selectedProject, selectedBranchLabel, showBranchSelector, hasUncommittedChanges, theme, onOpenPicker } = props;
-    const dirtyTooltip = useDirtyFlashTooltip(hasUncommittedChanges);
+    const { selectedProject, selectedBranchLabel, showBranchSelector, hasUncommittedChanges, announceDirtyState, theme, onOpenPicker } = props;
+    const dirtyTooltip = useDirtyFlashTooltip(hasUncommittedChanges, announceDirtyState);
 
     return (
         <div className="mb-1.5 flex min-w-0 items-center gap-x-2 px-0.5">
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/sync/session-ui-store.ts b/packages/ui/src/sync/session-ui-store.ts
index 5af3b683..4dd49c7b 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/sync/session-ui-store.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/sync/session-ui-store.ts
@@ -327,6 +327,8 @@ export type NewSessionDraftState = {
   projectContextPins?: { notes: string[]; plans: string[] }
   target: NewSessionDraftTarget
   preparedChatDirectory?: string | null
+  /** Opened as a programmatic fallback (no session active at boot), not by the user. */
+  openedAutomatically?: boolean
 }
 
 export type ViewportAnchor = {
@@ -1280,6 +1282,7 @@ export const useSessionUIStore = create<SessionUIState>()((set, get) => ({
       syntheticParts: options?.syntheticParts,
       targetFolderId: options?.targetFolderId,
       projectContextPins: options?.projectContextPins,
+      openedAutomatically: options?.automatic === true,
     }
 
     set({