diff --git a/src/App.svelte b/src/App.svelte
index c33edb8..1e90889 100644
--- a/src/App.svelte
+++ b/src/App.svelte
@@ -184,24 +184,29 @@
     return () => window.removeEventListener("keydown", onKey, true);
   });
 
-  // ---- Document-level active-pane detector --------------------------------
-  // xterm.js calls `stopPropagation` on pointerdown inside terminals, so a
-  // per-leaf `onpointerdown` never fires for body clicks. A document-level
-  // CAPTURE-phase listener fires before xterm.js can intercept, then finds
-  // the nearest `data-leaf-id` ancestor to know which pane was clicked.
-  // Toolbar buttons also pass through (they're outside the xterm container,
-  // their own onclick still fires in the bubble phase afterwards).
+  // ---- Active-pane detector via active-element polling --------------------
+  // Tried (and failed in WebView2): per-leaf onpointerdown (xterm blocks
+  // propagation), document-capture pointerdown (Webview2 only delivers the
+  // first one then nothing), document-capture focusin (also silently fails),
+  // xterm.js term.onFocus (no such API), textarea focus listener (race).
+  //
+  // Polling document.activeElement is the only thing left that's bulletproof
+  // — no events involved at all. 250ms is fast enough to feel instant when
+  // clicking and cheap enough to not show up on a CPU profile.
   $effect(() => {
-    function onAnyPointerDown(e: PointerEvent) {
-      const t = e.target as Element | null;
-      if (!t) return;
-      const leafEl = t.closest("[data-leaf-id]");
+    let lastLeafId: string | null = null;
+    const interval = window.setInterval(() => {
+      const el = document.activeElement;
+      if (!el) return;
+      const leafEl = el.closest("[data-leaf-id]");
       if (!leafEl) return;
       const id = leafEl.getAttribute("data-leaf-id");
-      if (id) orch.setActive(id);
-    }
-    document.addEventListener("pointerdown", onAnyPointerDown, true);
-    return () => document.removeEventListener("pointerdown", onAnyPointerDown, true);
+      if (id && id !== lastLeafId) {
+        lastLeafId = id;
+        orch.setActive(id);
+      }
+    }, 250);
+    return () => clearInterval(interval);
   });
 
   // ---- preset layouts ------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/components/XtermPane.svelte b/src/components/XtermPane.svelte
index ccccd09..b50ee6a 100644
--- a/src/components/XtermPane.svelte
+++ b/src/components/XtermPane.svelte
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     onSpawn = undefined,
     onInput = undefined,
     onDataReceived = undefined,
+    onFocus = undefined,
     focusTrigger = 0,
   }: {
     distro?: string;
@@ -31,6 +32,8 @@
     onInput?: (dataB64: string) => void;
     /** Fired whenever output arrives from the PTY. Used for idle detection. */
     onDataReceived?: () => void;
+    /** Fired when xterm's textarea gains focus (i.e., user clicked here). */
+    onFocus?: () => void;
     /** Increment to refocus the terminal programmatically (palette etc.). */
     focusTrigger?: number;
   } = $props();
@@ -112,6 +115,20 @@
       onInput?.(b64);
     });
 
+    // xterm.js's own focus event — fires when the hidden textarea gets focus
+    // (i.e., user clicked anywhere in the terminal). Most reliable signal
+    // for "user wants this pane active" — no DOM event traversal involved.
+    term.onSelectionChange(() => {}); // ensure the addon system is initialized; noop
+    if (typeof (term as unknown as { onFocus?: unknown }).onFocus === "function") {
+      (term as unknown as { onFocus: (cb: () => void) => void }).onFocus(() => {
+        onFocus?.();
+      });
+    } else {
+      // Fallback: listen on the textarea element directly.
+      const ta = containerEl.querySelector(".xterm-helper-textarea");
+      if (ta) ta.addEventListener("focus", () => onFocus?.(), true);
+    }
+
     // Re-fit on container resize; forward new size to the PTY.
     ro = new ResizeObserver(() => {
       try {
diff --git a/src/lib/layout/LeafPane.svelte b/src/lib/layout/LeafPane.svelte
index d190444..645a095 100644
--- a/src/lib/layout/LeafPane.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/layout/LeafPane.svelte
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@
       }}
       onSpawn={onPaneSpawned}
       onInput={onTerminalInput}
+      onFocus={() => orch.setActive(leaf.id)}
       {onDataReceived}
       {focusTrigger}
     />