diff --git a/app/backend/static/css/output.css b/app/backend/static/css/output.css
index 551c3af..20b6fd8 100644
--- a/app/backend/static/css/output.css
+++ b/app/backend/static/css/output.css
@@ -369,6 +369,9 @@
   .block {
     display: block;
   }
+  .contents {
+    display: contents;
+  }
   .flex {
     display: flex;
   }
diff --git a/app/backend/static/js/terminal.js b/app/backend/static/js/terminal.js
index b850351..e682fce 100644
--- a/app/backend/static/js/terminal.js
+++ b/app/backend/static/js/terminal.js
@@ -31,61 +31,16 @@ document.addEventListener('alpine:init', () => {
   Alpine.data('terminalManager', () => ({
     tabs: [],
     activeTab: 0,
-    terminals: {},
-    sockets: {},
     command: '',
+    _terminals: {},
+    _sockets: {},
+    _containers: {},
 
     init() {
+      this._wrapper = document.getElementById('xterm-wrapper');
       this.addTab();
     },
 
-    _createTerminal(id, hostName) {
-      const term = new Terminal({
-        theme: termTheme,
-        fontFamily: "'JetBrains Mono', monospace",
-        fontSize: 13,
-        lineHeight: 1.5,
-        cursorBlink: true,
-        cursorStyle: 'bar',
-        allowProposedApi: true,
-        scrollback: 5000,
-      });
-      this.terminals[id] = term;
-      return term;
-    },
-
-    _connectWebSocket(id, hostID, hostName) {
-      const ws = new WebSocket(
-        (location.protocol === 'https:' ? 'wss:' : 'ws:') +
-        '//' + location.host + '/terminal/ws/' + hostID
-      );
-      this.sockets[id] = ws;
-
-      const term = this.terminals[id];
-
-      ws.onopen = () => {
-        term.focus();
-      };
-
-      ws.onmessage = (ev) => {
-        term.write(ev.data);
-      };
-
-      ws.onclose = () => {
-        term.write('\r\n\x1b[33m[Connection closed]\x1b[0m\r\n');
-      };
-
-      ws.onerror = () => {
-        term.write('\r\n\x1b[31m[Connection error]\x1b[0m\r\n');
-      };
-
-      term.onData((data) => {
-        if (ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
-          ws.send(data);
-        }
-      });
-    },
-
     _getHostForTab() {
       let host;
       if (selectedHostId) {
@@ -104,30 +59,82 @@ document.addEventListener('alpine:init', () => {
       const id = 'tab-' + Date.now() + '-' + Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 6);
 
       this.tabs.push({ id, name: host.name, host: host.ip, hostID: host.id });
-      this.activeTab = this.tabs.length - 1;
 
-      this._createTerminal(id, host.name);
+      // Create xterm container DOM element directly
+      const container = document.createElement('div');
+      container.id = 'xterm-' + id;
+      container.className = 'absolute inset-0';
+      container.style.display = 'none';
+      this._wrapper.appendChild(container);
+      this._containers[id] = container;
 
-      const tryOpen = (retries) => {
-        const container = document.getElementById('xterm-' + id);
-        if (container) {
-          this.terminals[id].open(container);
-          this._connectWebSocket(id, host.id, host.name);
-        } else if (retries > 0) {
-          requestAnimationFrame(() => tryOpen(retries - 1));
-        }
+      // Create xterm.js terminal
+      const term = new Terminal({
+        theme: termTheme,
+        fontFamily: "'JetBrains Mono', monospace",
+        fontSize: 13,
+        lineHeight: 1.5,
+        cursorBlink: true,
+        cursorStyle: 'bar',
+        allowProposedApi: true,
+        scrollback: 5000,
+      });
+      this._terminals[id] = term;
+      term.open(container);
+
+      // Connect WebSocket
+      const wsUrl =
+        (location.protocol === 'https:' ? 'wss:' : 'ws:') +
+        '//' + location.host + '/terminal/ws/' + host.id;
+      console.log('[terminal] connecting to', wsUrl);
+      const ws = new WebSocket(wsUrl);
+      this._sockets[id] = ws;
+
+      ws.onopen = () => {
+        console.log('[terminal] ws open for', host.id);
+        term.focus();
       };
-      this.$nextTick(() => tryOpen(10));
+
+      ws.onmessage = (ev) => {
+        term.write(ev.data);
+      };
+
+      ws.onclose = () => {
+        console.log('[terminal] ws closed for', host.id);
+        term.write('\r\n\x1b[33m[Connection closed]\x1b[0m\r\n');
+      };
+
+      ws.onerror = (err) => {
+        console.error('[terminal] ws error for', host.id, err);
+        term.write('\r\n\x1b[31m[Connection error]\x1b[0m\r\n');
+      };
+
+      term.onData((data) => {
+        if (ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
+          ws.send(data);
+        }
+      });
+
+      // Switch to new tab
+      this.activeTab = this.tabs.length - 1;
+      this._showActiveTerminal();
     },
 
     switchTab(i) {
       this.activeTab = i;
-      this.$nextTick(() => {
-        const cur = this.tabs[this.activeTab];
-        if (cur && this.terminals[cur.id]) {
-          this.terminals[cur.id].focus();
-        }
+      this._showActiveTerminal();
+    },
+
+    _showActiveTerminal() {
+      const cur = this.tabs[this.activeTab];
+      if (!cur) return;
+      Object.keys(this._containers).forEach((key) => {
+        this._containers[key].style.display = key === cur.id ? 'block' : 'none';
       });
+      if (this._terminals[cur.id]) {
+        this._terminals[cur.id].focus();
+        this._terminals[cur.id].refresh(0, this._terminals[cur.id].rows);
+      }
     },
 
     closeTab(i) {
@@ -135,24 +142,24 @@ document.addEventListener('alpine:init', () => {
       const tab = this.tabs[i];
       const id = tab.id;
 
-      if (this.sockets[id]) {
-        this.sockets[id].close();
-        delete this.sockets[id];
+      if (this._sockets[id]) {
+        this._sockets[id].close();
+        delete this._sockets[id];
       }
-      if (this.terminals[id]) {
-        this.terminals[id].dispose();
-        delete this.terminals[id];
+      if (this._terminals[id]) {
+        this._terminals[id].dispose();
+        delete this._terminals[id];
+      }
+      if (this._containers[id]) {
+        this._containers[id].remove();
+        delete this._containers[id];
       }
 
       this.tabs.splice(i, 1);
       if (this.activeTab >= this.tabs.length) {
         this.activeTab = this.tabs.length - 1;
       }
-
-      const cur = this.tabs[this.activeTab];
-      if (cur && this.terminals[cur.id]) {
-        this.$nextTick(() => this.terminals[cur.id].focus());
-      }
+      this._showActiveTerminal();
     },
 
     submitCommand() {
@@ -160,7 +167,7 @@ document.addEventListener('alpine:init', () => {
       if (!cmd) return;
       const cur = this.tabs[this.activeTab];
       if (!cur) return;
-      const ws = this.sockets[cur.id];
+      const ws = this._sockets[cur.id];
       if (ws && ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
         ws.send(cmd + '\r');
       }
@@ -175,7 +182,7 @@ document.addEventListener('alpine:init', () => {
     clearBuffer() {
       const cur = this.tabs[this.activeTab];
       if (!cur) return;
-      const term = this.terminals[cur.id];
+      const term = this._terminals[cur.id];
       if (term) {
         term.clear();
         term.write('\x1b[2J\x1b[H');
diff --git a/app/backend/views/terminal_content.html b/app/backend/views/terminal_content.html
index c9bcb13..4e7a427 100644
--- a/app/backend/views/terminal_content.html
+++ b/app/backend/views/terminal_content.html
@@ -49,16 +49,8 @@
       </div>
     </div>
 
-    <!-- xterm.js containers — one per tab, shown/hidden by Alpine -->
-    <div class="flex-1 relative min-h-0">
-      <template x-for="(tab, idx) in tabs" :key="tab.id">
-        <div x-show="idx === activeTab"
-             x-cloak
-             class="absolute inset-0">
-          <div :id="'xterm-' + tab.id" class="w-full h-full"></div>
-        </div>
-      </template>
-    </div>
+    <!-- xterm.js containers — managed by JS, not Alpine -->
+    <div id="xterm-wrapper" class="flex-1 relative min-h-0"></div>
 
     <!-- Input prompt -->
     <form @submit.prevent="submitCommand()"