diff --git a/client/src/components/lanes/FileExplorer.tsx b/client/src/components/lanes/FileExplorer.tsx
index c85a82e4..35bf3f7e 100644
--- a/client/src/components/lanes/FileExplorer.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/lanes/FileExplorer.tsx
@@ -369,16 +369,21 @@ export function FileBrowser({
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [laneId, initialHome, session, source, initialPath]);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
+  // Re-read after every change here too: deleting a workspace's folder takes
+  // it out of the places (a workspace whose folder is gone has nothing to show).
+  const loadLanes = useCallback(() => {
     api.lanes
       .list()
       .then((r) => setLanes(r.lanes))
       .catch(() => setLanes([]));
+  }, []);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    loadLanes();
     api.files
       .homes()
       .then((r) => setHomes(r.homes))
       .catch(() => setHomes([]));
-  }, []);
+  }, [loadLanes]);
   // Another user's home (an admin's view) is read-only.
   const ro = isHomePlace(target) && !!homes.find((h) => h.id === target.home)?.readOnly;
   // Clone into the open folder: the absolute path of a workspace's own folder
@@ -439,6 +444,8 @@ export function FileBrowser({
       } else if (view === "trash") setTrash((await api.files.trash(target)).items);
       else setListing(await api.files.list(target, path));
     } catch (e) {
+      // Never leave the last folder's entries under another folder's error.
+      if (view === "files") setListing(null);
       // A dashboard that does not know /fs yet (not restarted) answers 404.
       setError(
         (e as { status?: number }).status === 404 && !errCode(e) ? t("fx.unavailable") : errText(e)
@@ -455,6 +462,7 @@ export function FileBrowser({
 
   const changed = () => {
     void load();
+    loadLanes();
     onChanged?.();
   };
 
@@ -932,11 +940,18 @@ export function FileBrowser({
   // owner whose home this viewer may not open (an analyst's view of other
   // users) still gets a row, one that only groups. A workspace with no owner
   // stays in the flat Workspaces list. Which rows are open is per browser.
+  // A workspace whose folder was deleted has nothing to browse — it stays a
+  // place only while it is the one open (so its error has a row to sit on).
+  const placeLanes = useMemo(
+    () =>
+      lanes.filter((l) => !l.folder_missing || (!isHomePlace(target) && laneOf(target) === l.id)),
+    [lanes, target]
+  );
   const { lanesOfHome, userRows } = useMemo(() => {
     const ids = new Set(homes.map((h) => h.id));
     const map = new Map<string, Lane[]>();
     const extra = new Map<string, UserRow>();
-    for (const l of lanes) {
+    for (const l of placeLanes) {
       const home =
         myId != null && l.owner_id === myId && ids.has("me")
           ? "me"
@@ -959,9 +974,9 @@ export function FileBrowser({
       ...[...extra.values()].sort((a, b) => a.label.localeCompare(b.label)),
     ];
     return { lanesOfHome: map, userRows: rows };
-  }, [homes, lanes, myId]);
+  }, [homes, placeLanes, myId]);
   const grouped = new Set([...lanesOfHome.values()].flat().map((l) => l.id));
-  const looseLanes = lanes.filter((l) => !grouped.has(l.id));
+  const looseLanes = placeLanes.filter((l) => !grouped.has(l.id));
   // A home holding the open workspace shows it, whatever was stored.
   const homeIsOpen = (id: string, own: Lane[]) =>
     openHomes.has(id) ||
@@ -1687,9 +1702,7 @@ export function FileBrowser({
                 </MenuItem>
               )}
               {isHtml(menuItem) && menuTargets.length === 1 && (
-                <MenuItem onSelect={close(() => download([menuItem]))}>
-                  {t("fx.download")}
-                </MenuItem>
+                <MenuItem onSelect={close(() => download([menuItem]))}>{t("fx.download")}</MenuItem>
               )}
               <MenuSeparator />
               {!ro && (
diff --git a/client/src/components/lanes/WorkspaceRow.tsx b/client/src/components/lanes/WorkspaceRow.tsx
index 3d8495ce..7bef583b 100644
--- a/client/src/components/lanes/WorkspaceRow.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/lanes/WorkspaceRow.tsx
@@ -161,12 +161,19 @@ export function WorkspaceRow({
             e.preventDefault();
             onReorder(index, index + (e.key === "ArrowUp" ? -1 : 1));
           }}
-          title={`${lane.cwd}\n${readOnly ?? t("row.hint")}`}
+          title={`${lane.cwd}\n${lane.folder_missing ? t("row.folderMissing") : (readOnly ?? t("row.hint"))}`}
           className="flex min-w-0 flex-1 items-center gap-2 py-1.5 text-left"
         >
           <span aria-hidden className={`h-2 w-2 shrink-0 rounded-full ${workspaceDot(lane)}`} />
           <span className="sr-only">{t(`row.state.${workspaceDotLabel(lane)}`)}</span>
-          <span className="truncate text-[13px] font-medium text-fg-primary">{name}</span>
+          <span
+            data-folder-missing={lane.folder_missing ? "true" : undefined}
+            className={`truncate text-[13px] font-medium ${
+              lane.folder_missing ? "text-fg-muted line-through" : "text-fg-primary"
+            }`}
+          >
+            {name}
+          </span>
         </button>
       )}
       {readOnly && <Eye aria-label={readOnly} className="mr-1 h-3 w-3 shrink-0 text-fg-muted" />}
diff --git a/client/src/components/lanes/__tests__/FileExplorer.test.tsx b/client/src/components/lanes/__tests__/FileExplorer.test.tsx
index fde3e3ad..7ed805bd 100644
--- a/client/src/components/lanes/__tests__/FileExplorer.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/lanes/__tests__/FileExplorer.test.tsx
@@ -459,6 +459,33 @@ describe("FileExplorer", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("leaves a workspace whose folder was deleted out of the places", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(api.lanes.list).mockResolvedValue({
+      lanes: [
+        { id: 1, title: "one", cwd: "/w/one" },
+        { id: 2, title: "two", cwd: "/w/two", folder_missing: true },
+      ],
+      counts: {},
+    } as never);
+    open();
+    await screen.findByText("a.txt");
+    await waitFor(() => expect(api.lanes.list).toHaveBeenCalled());
+    await screen.findByText("one", { selector: "aside span" });
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: "two" })).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("drops the last folder's entries when the next one cannot be read", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(api.files.list).mockImplementation(async (_t, p = "") => {
+      if (p === "src") throw new Error("ENOENT: no such file or directory");
+      return root;
+    });
+    open();
+    await screen.findByText("a.txt");
+    fireEvent.doubleClick(row("src"));
+    await screen.findByText(/ENOENT/);
+    expect(screen.queryByText("a.txt")).toBeNull();
+  });
+
   it("right-clicks a sidebar workspace and a path crumb", async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     open();
diff --git a/client/src/i18n/locales/en/lanes.json b/client/src/i18n/locales/en/lanes.json
index 963f12ee..cb5135fb 100644
--- a/client/src/i18n/locales/en/lanes.json
+++ b/client/src/i18n/locales/en/lanes.json
@@ -343,6 +343,7 @@
   "changes.takeTheirsHint": "Take the incoming version of the whole file",
   "row.actions": "Workspace actions",
   "row.hint": "Double-click to rename · drag or Alt+↑/↓ to reorder · right-click for actions",
+  "row.folderMissing": "Folder deleted — remove this workspace from its ⋯ menu",
   "menu.rename": "Rename",
   "menu.newHere": "New workspace here…",
   "menu.copyPath": "Copy path",
diff --git a/client/src/i18n/locales/vi/lanes.json b/client/src/i18n/locales/vi/lanes.json
index b17dfdf2..83109af9 100644
--- a/client/src/i18n/locales/vi/lanes.json
+++ b/client/src/i18n/locales/vi/lanes.json
@@ -343,6 +343,7 @@
   "changes.takeTheirsHint": "Lấy bản kia cho cả file",
   "row.actions": "Thao tác workspace",
   "row.hint": "Nhấp đúp để đổi tên · kéo hoặc Alt+↑/↓ để sắp xếp · chuột phải để xem thao tác",
+  "row.folderMissing": "Thư mục đã bị xóa — gỡ workspace này trong menu ⋯",
   "menu.rename": "Đổi tên",
   "menu.newHere": "Workspace mới tại đây…",
   "menu.copyPath": "Sao chép đường dẫn",
diff --git a/client/src/lib/types.ts b/client/src/lib/types.ts
index b824472f..50a5c4ba 100644
--- a/client/src/lib/types.ts
+++ b/client/src/lib/types.ts
@@ -2731,6 +2731,8 @@ export interface Lane {
   stage_seconds: number | null;
   last_event_seconds: number | null;
   liveness: "active" | "idle" | "dead";
+  /** The workspace's folder no longer exists (deleted from Files or a shell). */
+  folder_missing?: boolean;
   /** Stage id the server's heuristic infers from ingested tool events, or null
    *  if no signal was seen. Independent of `stage` (the agent's own declaration). */
   detected_stage: string | null;
diff --git a/client/src/pages/FilesPage.tsx b/client/src/pages/FilesPage.tsx
index 7e30fb7a..f3007cc0 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/FilesPage.tsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/FilesPage.tsx
@@ -50,7 +50,10 @@ export function FilesPage() {
       // The workspace last shown first: Files reached from a workspace opens
       // THAT workspace (from PhuNT → AC_SHOP it opened your own home, empty
       // but for hidden files); the home is the fallback.
-      const { lanes } = await api.lanes.list().catch(() => ({ lanes: [] }));
+      // A workspace whose folder was deleted has nothing to open.
+      const lanes = (await api.lanes.list().catch(() => ({ lanes: [] }))).lanes.filter(
+        (l) => !l.folder_missing
+      );
       const last = lastWorkspace();
       const shown = lanes.find((l) => l.id === last);
       if (shown) return setStart({ lane: shown.id });
diff --git a/docs/LANES.md b/docs/LANES.md
index 5481ff85..d7eaef44 100644
--- a/docs/LANES.md
+++ b/docs/LANES.md
@@ -1629,6 +1629,8 @@ curl -X POST http://localhost:4820/api/lanes/5/remove \
 
 **Actions gated behind confirmation:** `remove` requires the `confirm` flag to prevent accidentally dropping a workspace's record. It deletes that record only — never the worktree, the branch or the database.
 
+**A workspace whose folder was deleted** (from Files, or a shell) is not removed for you — its record still holds its sessions' history. Every workspace payload carries `folder_missing` (true only when its `cwd` is gone — `ENOENT`/`ENOTDIR`, never a folder the server merely cannot read): the Files page leaves such a workspace out of its places, and the Workspace sidebar shows its name struck through with a hint to remove it from its ⋯ menu.
+
 ## Proof gallery
 
 A workspace's proof gallery is a collection of QC screenshots captured during active work, grouped by feature (the same slug from **Per-feature state and archive** above) and phase (e.g. desktop, mobile, e2e, visual). A QC agent running an MCP server like `playwright-mcp` captures screenshots to disk at `<lane.cwd>/.playwright-mcp/proof/<slug>/<phase-group>/` and generates an optional ticket report at `<slug>/ticket/REPORT.html`. The Workspace gallery panel displays these files grouped by feature, using the same feature picker as the per-feature state section.
diff --git a/server/__tests__/lanes-lib.test.js b/server/__tests__/lanes-lib.test.js
index 9e14f6ac..07edcfff 100644
--- a/server/__tests__/lanes-lib.test.js
+++ b/server/__tests__/lanes-lib.test.js
@@ -337,6 +337,16 @@ describe("lanes lib", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("payload says folder_missing only when the folder is gone", () => {
+    const fs = require("node:fs");
+    const dir = fs.mkdtempSync(pathMod.join(os.tmpdir(), "lane-gone-"));
+    const l = lanes.createLane({ cwd: dir });
+    assert.equal(lanes.lanePayload(lanes.getLane(l.id)).folder_missing, false);
+    fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+    assert.equal(lanes.lanePayload(lanes.getLane(l.id)).folder_missing, true);
+    lanes.deleteLane(l.id);
+  });
+
   it("payload carries node states and progress", () => {
     const l = lanes.createLane({ cwd: "/tmp/wt/d" });
     lanes.setStage(l.id, { stage: "review" });
diff --git a/server/lib/lanes.js b/server/lib/lanes.js
index f96661b2..7956e081 100644
--- a/server/lib/lanes.js
+++ b/server/lib/lanes.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  * @author Nguyễn Ngọc Trí Vĩ <vinnt@smartgift.vn>
  */
 
+const fs = require("node:fs");
 const path = require("node:path");
 const { db } = require("../db");
 const aiTools = require("./ai-tools");
@@ -749,6 +750,17 @@ function ownerNames(id) {
   };
 }
 
+/** True only when the folder is GONE (ENOENT/ENOTDIR) — a folder this
+ *  process may not read is still there, so it never counts as deleted. */
+function folderMissing(cwd) {
+  try {
+    fs.statSync(cwd);
+    return false;
+  } catch (err) {
+    return err.code === "ENOENT" || err.code === "ENOTDIR";
+  }
+}
+
 function lanePayload(lane, ageSec = null) {
   const pipeline = getPipeline(lane.pipeline);
   const since = lane.stage_since ? Date.parse(lane.stage_since) : NaN;
@@ -775,6 +787,9 @@ function lanePayload(lane, ageSec = null) {
       : Math.max(0, Math.round((Date.now() - since) / 1000)),
     last_event_seconds: ageSec,
     liveness: classifyLiveness({ status: lane.status, stage: lane.stage, ageSec }, DEAD_SEC),
+    // The folder was deleted under the workspace (from Files, a shell): the
+    // record stays — its sessions are history — but nothing can open in it.
+    folder_missing: folderMissing(lane.cwd),
   };
 }