diff --git a/static/boot.js b/static/boot.js
index 60a00f93..6d7ba8d8 100644
--- a/static/boot.js
+++ b/static/boot.js
@@ -194,6 +194,19 @@ function handleWorkspaceClose(){
   closeWorkspacePanel();
 }
 
+async function _maybeBindFreshDefaultWorkspaceSession(){
+  if(S.session) return false;
+  if(_workspacePanelMode!=='browse') return false;
+  if(!S._profileDefaultWorkspace) return false;
+  try{
+    await newSession(false, {awaitWorkspaceLoad: true});
+    return true;
+  }catch(e){
+    console.warn('[hermes] failed to bind fresh default workspace session', e);
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Set a tooltip on a button, preferring the custom CSS tooltip (`data-tooltip`)
  * when the element opts in via the `has-tooltip` class. Falls back to the
@@ -2481,6 +2494,7 @@ window._applyTitlebarProfileVisibility=_applyTitlebarProfileVisibility;
   const _freshPanelPref=localStorage.getItem('hermes-webui-workspace-panel-pref')==='open'
     || localStorage.getItem('hermes-webui-workspace-panel')==='open';
   if(_freshPanelPref&&!_isCompactWorkspaceViewport()) _workspacePanelMode='browse';
+  await _maybeBindFreshDefaultWorkspaceSession();
   syncWorkspacePanelState();
   $('emptyState').style.display='';
   await renderSessionList();
diff --git a/tests/test_issue4877_fresh_blank_boot_workspace_bind.py b/tests/test_issue4877_fresh_blank_boot_workspace_bind.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..497a4b48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_issue4877_fresh_blank_boot_workspace_bind.py
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+"""Behavioral regression for #4877 fresh blank boot workspace binding."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import textwrap
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+BOOT_JS = ROOT / "static" / "boot.js"
+NODE = shutil.which("node")
+
+node_test = pytest.mark.skipif(NODE is None, reason="node not on PATH")
+
+
+def _extract_async_function(source: str, name: str) -> str:
+    marker = f"async function {name}("
+    start = source.find(marker)
+    assert start >= 0, f"{name}() function must exist"
+    brace = source.find("{", source.find(")", start))
+    assert brace > start, f"{name}() function body must start"
+    depth = 0
+    in_string = None
+    escaped = False
+    in_line_comment = False
+    in_block_comment = False
+    for idx in range(brace, len(source)):
+        ch = source[idx]
+        nxt = source[idx + 1] if idx + 1 < len(source) else ""
+        if in_line_comment:
+            if ch == "\n":
+                in_line_comment = False
+            continue
+        if in_block_comment:
+            if ch == "*" and nxt == "/":
+                in_block_comment = False
+            continue
+        if in_string:
+            if escaped:
+                escaped = False
+            elif ch == "\\":
+                escaped = True
+            elif ch == in_string:
+                in_string = None
+            continue
+        if ch == "/" and nxt == "/":
+            in_line_comment = True
+            continue
+        if ch == "/" and nxt == "*":
+            in_block_comment = True
+            continue
+        if ch in ("'", '"', "`"):
+            in_string = ch
+            continue
+        if ch == "{":
+            depth += 1
+        elif ch == "}":
+            depth -= 1
+            if depth == 0:
+                return source[start : idx + 1]
+    raise AssertionError(f"could not extract {name}()")
+
+
+def _run_node(script: str) -> dict:
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        [NODE, "-e", script],
+        cwd=ROOT,
+        text=True,
+        capture_output=True,
+        timeout=30,
+        check=False,
+    )
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr or result.stdout
+    return json.loads(result.stdout)
+
+
+def _helper_driver(panel_mode: str, default_workspace: str | None, *, reject: bool = False) -> dict:
+    helper = _extract_async_function(BOOT_JS.read_text(encoding="utf-8"), "_maybeBindFreshDefaultWorkspaceSession")
+    default_workspace_repr = json.dumps(default_workspace)
+    script = textwrap.dedent(
+        f"""
+        let calls = [];
+        let shouldReject = {str(reject).lower()};
+        let S = {{
+          session: null,
+          _profileDefaultWorkspace: {default_workspace_repr},
+        }};
+        var _workspacePanelMode = {json.dumps(panel_mode)};
+        function newSession(a, b) {{
+          calls.push({{arg0:a,arg1:b}});
+          return shouldReject ? Promise.reject(new Error('bind-failed')) : Promise.resolve({{}});
+        }}
+        {helper}
+        _maybeBindFreshDefaultWorkspaceSession().then((bound)=>{{
+          process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({{bound,calls}}));
+        }}).catch(err=>{{
+          console.error(err && err.stack || err);
+          process.exit(1);
+        }});
+        """
+    )
+    return _run_node(script)
+
+
+@node_test
+def test_blank_boot_open_panel_auto_binds_default_workspace_session():
+    result = _helper_driver("browse", "/default-workspace")
+
+    assert result["bound"] is True
+    assert result["calls"] == [{"arg0": False, "arg1": {"awaitWorkspaceLoad": True}}]
+
+
+@node_test
+def test_blank_boot_closed_panel_does_not_create_session():
+    result = _helper_driver("closed", "/default-workspace")
+
+    assert result["bound"] is False
+    assert result["calls"] == []
+
+
+@node_test
+def test_blank_boot_without_default_workspace_does_not_create_session():
+    result = _helper_driver("browse", None)
+
+    assert result["bound"] is False
+    assert result["calls"] == []
+
+
+@node_test
+def test_blank_boot_bind_failure_falls_back_cleanly():
+    result = _helper_driver("browse", "/default-workspace", reject=True)
+
+    assert result["bound"] is False
+    assert len(result["calls"]) == 1
+
+
+def test_no_saved_session_branch_restores_panel_pref_before_bind_attempt():
+    src = BOOT_JS.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    marker = "// no saved session - show empty state, wait for user to hit +"
+    marker_idx = src.find(marker)
+    assert marker_idx >= 0, "no-saved-session path not found"
+    start = marker_idx
+    sync_idx = src.find("syncWorkspacePanelState();", start)
+    assert sync_idx > start, "no-saved-session path must still call syncWorkspacePanelState()"
+    segment = src[start:sync_idx]
+    fresh_pref = "if(_freshPanelPref&&!_isCompactWorkspaceViewport()) _workspacePanelMode='browse';"
+    pref_idx = segment.find(fresh_pref)
+    assert pref_idx >= 0, "no-saved-session path must restore panel preference"
+    bind_call = "await _maybeBindFreshDefaultWorkspaceSession();"
+    bind_idx = segment.find(bind_call)
+    assert bind_idx >= 0, "no-saved-session path must attempt to bind after pref restore"
+    assert pref_idx < bind_idx, "panel preference restoration must happen before bind attempt"