diff --git a/src/App.svelte b/src/App.svelte
index 03af48d..7a5c46e 100644
--- a/src/App.svelte
+++ b/src/App.svelte
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     saveWorkspace,
     loadWorkspace,
     writeToPane,
+    killPane,
   } from "./ipc";
   import Pane from "./lib/layout/Pane.svelte";
   import Notifications from "./components/Notifications.svelte";
@@ -65,6 +66,29 @@
   }
 
   function handleClose(leafId: NodeId) {
+    // Kill the PTY explicitly — Svelte's onDestroy on LeafPane won't fire
+    // because Svelte isn't unmounting the component (same reactivity gap as
+    // the active/broadcast bugs).
+    const paneId = orch.paneIdByLeaf.get(leafId);
+    if (paneId != null) {
+      void killPane(paneId).catch((e) => console.warn("killPane failed:", e));
+      orch.paneIdByLeaf.delete(leafId);
+    }
+
+    // Brute-force hide the closed pane's flex side + the adjacent gutter so
+    // the sibling pane visually fills the freed space.
+    const leafEl = document.querySelector(`[data-leaf-id="${leafId}"]`);
+    const sideEl = leafEl?.closest(".side") as HTMLElement | null;
+    const splitEl = sideEl?.parentElement;
+    if (sideEl && splitEl) {
+      sideEl.style.display = "none";
+      Array.from(splitEl.children).forEach((c) => {
+        const child = c as HTMLElement;
+        if (child.classList.contains("gutter")) child.style.display = "none";
+      });
+    }
+
+    // Update tree state (used by broadcast routing, palette, persistence).
     const next = closeLeaf(tree, leafId);
     tree = next ?? newLeaf({ distro: defaultDistro });
     clearActiveIf(leafId);
diff --git a/src/lib/layout/SplitNode.svelte b/src/lib/layout/SplitNode.svelte
index 83a9cff..0f5bbe6 100644
--- a/src/lib/layout/SplitNode.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/layout/SplitNode.svelte
@@ -28,6 +28,13 @@
     if (size <= 0) return;
     const r = Math.max(0.05, Math.min(0.95, pos / size));
     node.ratio = r;
+
+    // Brute-force DOM: Svelte's `style="flex: {node.ratio}"` template binding
+    // doesn't propagate ratio changes in this app. Update the .side flex
+    // styles directly so the drag actually moves the gutter visually.
+    const sides = containerEl.querySelectorAll(":scope > .side");
+    if (sides[0]) (sides[0] as HTMLElement).style.flex = String(r);
+    if (sides[1]) (sides[1] as HTMLElement).style.flex = String(1 - r);
   }
 
   function onPointerUp(e: PointerEvent) {