diff --git a/static/boot.js b/static/boot.js
index b3daf912..70f50ebe 100644
--- a/static/boot.js
+++ b/static/boot.js
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ async function _savedSessionShouldStaySidebarOnly(sid){
   try{
     const data = await api(`/api/session?session_id=${encodeURIComponent(sid)}&messages=0&resolve_model=0`);
     const session = data&&data.session;
-    return !!(session&&(session.active_stream_id||session.pending_user_message));
+    return !!(session&&(session.active_stream_id||session.pending_user_message||session.archived));
   }catch(e){
     return false;
   }
diff --git a/static/sessions.js b/static/sessions.js
index 4aa8e388..2a991bc1 100644
--- a/static/sessions.js
+++ b/static/sessions.js
@@ -3558,6 +3558,7 @@ async function _archiveSession(session, archived=true, beforeListRender=null){
     const cached=(_allSessions||[]).find(s=>s&&s.session_id===session.session_id);
     if(cached) cached.archived=archived;
     if(S.session&&S.session.session_id===session.session_id) S.session.archived=archived;
+    try{ if(archived&&session.session_id&&localStorage.getItem('hermes-webui-session')===session.session_id) localStorage.removeItem('hermes-webui-session'); }catch(_){ }
     showToast(session.archived?_sessionArchiveToast(response,session):t('session_restored'));
     if(renderHold) await renderHold;
     if(_showArchived&&!_sessionPrefersReducedMotion()) _sessionSwipeReturnOffsets.set(session.session_id,'0px');
diff --git a/tests/test_1694_root_saved_running_policy.py b/tests/test_1694_root_saved_running_policy.py
index e5ebb218..00a72234 100644
--- a/tests/test_1694_root_saved_running_policy.py
+++ b/tests/test_1694_root_saved_running_policy.py
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ def test_saved_running_session_helper_uses_metadata_only_and_runtime_markers():
     assert "resolve_model=0" in helper, "helper must avoid unnecessary model resolution"
     assert "active_stream_id" in helper, "helper must treat active_stream_id as running"
     assert "pending_user_message" in helper, "helper must treat pending_user_message as running"
+    assert "session.archived" in helper, (
+        "helper must skip auto-opening archived localStorage sessions so root "
+        "boot lands on the empty state instead of reopening archived chats"
+    )
     assert "loadSession(" not in helper, (
         "helper must not call loadSession(), because that would already project "
         "the saved session into the active pane"
diff --git a/tests/test_session_action_menu_regression.py b/tests/test_session_action_menu_regression.py
index e9fd77c1..f3fe576b 100644
--- a/tests/test_session_action_menu_regression.py
+++ b/tests/test_session_action_menu_regression.py
@@ -46,6 +46,19 @@ def test_archive_action_repaints_sidebar_before_full_refresh():
     assert helper_body.index(api_call) < helper_body.index(optimistic) < helper_body.index(cached_render) < helper_body.index(full_refresh)
 
 
+def test_archive_action_clears_saved_session_pointer_for_archived_current_session():
+    """Archiving the saved active session should not leave boot localStorage stale."""
+    helper_body = _function_block(SESSIONS_JS, "_archiveSession")
+    stale_saved_pointer_guard = (
+        "try{ if(archived&&session.session_id&&localStorage.getItem('hermes-webui-session')===session.session_id) "
+        "localStorage.removeItem('hermes-webui-session'); }catch(_){ }"
+    )
+
+    assert stale_saved_pointer_guard in helper_body
+    assert helper_body.index("if(S.session&&S.session.session_id===session.session_id) S.session.archived=archived;") < helper_body.index(stale_saved_pointer_guard)
+    assert helper_body.index(stale_saved_pointer_guard) < helper_body.index("showToast(session.archived?_sessionArchiveToast(response,session):t('session_restored'));")
+
+
 def test_delete_action_repaints_sidebar_before_loading_remaining_sessions():
     """Delete should remove the row locally before loading replacement session data."""
     body = _function_block(SESSIONS_JS, "deleteSession")