diff --git a/src/session/index.ts b/src/session/index.ts
index 8bb51313d..9c1bccc2f 100644
--- a/src/session/index.ts
+++ b/src/session/index.ts
@@ -244,7 +244,10 @@ export async function listSessions(cwd: string, home: string = homedir()): Promi
       });
       continue;
     }
-    // TUI sessions persist conversation under context/ before run.json exists.
+    // A session directory with context/ but no readable run.json never
+    // reached its first saveState call (see src/tui/runner.ts's early
+    // "running" write) and therefore isn't actually running: report it as
+    // crashed rather than fabricating liveness.
     try {
       const dirStat = await stat(sessionDir(cwd, entry, home));
       await stat(sessionContextDir(cwd, entry, home));
@@ -252,7 +255,7 @@ export async function listSessions(cwd: string, home: string = homedir()): Promi
         sessionId: entry,
         task: "(conversation)",
         startedAt: dirStat.birthtimeMs > 0 ? dirStat.birthtimeMs : dirStat.mtimeMs,
-        status: "running",
+        status: "crashed",
       });
     } catch {
       // Not a resumable session directory.
diff --git a/src/session/list-sessions.test.ts b/src/session/list-sessions.test.ts
index 85b10f0a0..ac869334f 100644
--- a/src/session/list-sessions.test.ts
+++ b/src/session/list-sessions.test.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,15 @@ test("listSessions includes TUI sessions with context/ but no run.json", async (
   expect(row?.task).toBe("Untitled session");
 });
 
+test("listSessions reports crashed, not running, for a session with no readable run.json", async () => {
+  const sessionId = generateSessionId();
+  await initSessionDir(cwd, sessionId, home);
+  const listed = await listSessions(cwd, home);
+  const row = listed.find((s) => s.sessionId === sessionId);
+  expect(row?.status).not.toBe("running");
+  expect(row?.status).toBe("crashed");
+});
+
 test("listSessions prefers run.json task title when present", async () => {
   const sessionId = generateSessionId();
   await initSessionDir(cwd, sessionId, home);