diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 394b0266..bf931ce1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+- Fixed session becoming permanently unresponsive when the working directory is on a git branch whose name contains dots (e.g. `feature/e9.5-refactor`)
+
 # 1.2.20 (2026-06-22)
 
 - Fixed documentation artifact name in GitHub Releases to match the plugin artifact name
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 8cde9216..6e23a2bc 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
     <groupId>io.github.nbplugins</groupId>
     <artifactId>netbeans-plugin-claude-code-gui</artifactId>
-    <version>1.2.21-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>1.2.23-SNAPSHOT</version>
     <packaging>nbm</packaging>
     <name>Netbeans Plugin Claude Code GUI</name>
     <description>NetBeans plugin that provides a GUI for Claude Code CLI — run claude code sessions directly inside the IDE.</description>
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/controller/ClaudeSessionController.java b/src/main/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/controller/ClaudeSessionController.java
index 2744fc05..89a7e00a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/controller/ClaudeSessionController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/controller/ClaudeSessionController.java
@@ -1083,10 +1083,15 @@ void pollScreenState() {
         // Sending /model while Claude is blocked by such a dialog causes the
         // model menu to appear only after the dialog is dismissed, by which
         // time discovery has already timed out and given up.
+        // Also defer when the screen shows "esc to interrupt": detectInputPromptReady
+        // returns true even while Claude is WORKING (the ❯ area is always visible),
+        // so without this guard, discoverModels() would fire immediately, send /model
+        // to a busy Claude, time out, and leave the session permanently stuck in WORKING.
         if (model.getLifecycle() == SessionLifecycle.READY
                 && !modelComboPopulated && !modelDiscoveryInProgress
                 && model.getActiveChoiceMenu() == null
-                && screenContentDetector.detectChoiceMenu(lines).isEmpty()) {
+                && screenContentDetector.detectChoiceMenu(lines).isEmpty()
+                && screenContentDetector.detectSessionState(lines) != ScreenContentDetector.DetectedSessionState.WORKING) {
             discoverModels();
             detectAndApplyInitialEditMode(lines);
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/process/ScreenContentDetector.java b/src/main/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/process/ScreenContentDetector.java
index 8c408c9c..65188632 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/process/ScreenContentDetector.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/process/ScreenContentDetector.java
@@ -560,13 +560,14 @@ public DetectedSessionState detectSessionState(List<String> lines) {
             if (INPUT_PROMPT.matcher(line.trim()).find()) {
                 boolean separatorAbove = i > 0 && (
                         isSeparatorLine(lines.get(i - 1).trim()) ||
-                        PLAN_NAME_DASHES_PATTERN.matcher(lines.get(i - 1).trim()).find()
+                        PLAN_NAME_DASHES_PATTERN.matcher(lines.get(i - 1).trim()).find() ||
+                        isSeparatorLineWithLabel(lines.get(i - 1).trim())
                 );
                 // Autocomplete popup lines may appear between ❯ and the separator below —
                 // scan up to 5 lines down to find it.
                 boolean separatorBelow = false;
                 for (int j = i + 1; j < lines.size() && j <= i + 5; j++) {
-                    if (isSeparatorLine(lines.get(j).trim())) {
+                    if (isSeparatorLine(lines.get(j).trim()) || isSeparatorLineWithLabel(lines.get(j).trim())) {
                         separatorBelow = true;
                         break;
                     }
@@ -782,4 +783,25 @@ private static boolean isSeparatorLine(String trimmed) {
         if (trimmed.length() < 4) return false;
         return trimmed.chars().allMatch(c -> c == '\u2500' || c == '\u2501' || c == '\u2014' || c == '-' || c == '=');
     }
+
+    private static boolean isBoxDash(int c) {
+        return c == '\u2500' || c == '\u2501' || c == '\u2014' || c == '-' || c == '=';
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns true for the input-box top border that embeds a label (e.g. git branch name):
+     * "\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 refactor-menu-reorder-e9.5-e9.8 \u2500\u2500".
+     * {@link #isSeparatorLine} rejects it (embedded text) and
+     * {@link #PLAN_NAME_DASHES_PATTERN} rejects labels with dots or slashes, so without this
+     * helper {@code detectSessionState} would mis-classify the idle screen as WORKING.
+     * A line qualifies when it starts and ends with box-drawing dashes and those dashes
+     * make up at least half of its characters.
+     */
+    private static boolean isSeparatorLineWithLabel(String trimmed) {
+        if (trimmed.length() < 4) return false;
+        if (!isBoxDash(trimmed.charAt(0)) || !isBoxDash(trimmed.charAt(1))) return false;
+        if (!isBoxDash(trimmed.charAt(trimmed.length() - 1))) return false;
+        long dashes = trimmed.chars().filter(ScreenContentDetector::isBoxDash).count();
+        return dashes * 2 >= trimmed.length();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/controller/ClaudeSessionControllerTest.java b/src/test/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/controller/ClaudeSessionControllerTest.java
index 6960b7e3..78dbcb21 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/controller/ClaudeSessionControllerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/controller/ClaudeSessionControllerTest.java
@@ -354,6 +354,92 @@ void pollScreenStateSetsNewMenuAfterStaleMenuCleared() throws Exception {
         assertNotNull(m.getActiveChoiceMenu(), "new menu must be detected after stale cleared");
     }
 
+    // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // pollScreenState — model discovery deferred while screen shows WORKING
+    // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    /**
+     * Regression: when --continue resumes a session where Claude is still actively
+     * working, detectInputPromptReady() returns true (❯ is always visible), causing
+     * STARTING → READY, and then discoverModels() fires immediately. discoverModels()
+     * sets lifecycle back to WORKING and sends /model to a busy Claude, which times
+     * out and leaves the session stuck permanently in WORKING.
+     *
+     * Fix: model discovery must be deferred when detectSessionState returns WORKING
+     * (i.e. "esc to interrupt" is visible in the footer).
+     */
+    @Test
+    void pollScreenState_doesNotTriggerModelDiscovery_whileScreenShowsWorking() throws Exception {
+        List<String> workingScreen = Arrays.asList(
+                "Some previous Claude output here",
+                "────────────────",
+                "❯",
+                "────────────────",
+                "  esc to interrupt"
+        );
+        AtomicReference<Integer> discoveryCalls = new AtomicReference<>(0);
+        ClaudeSessionModel m = new ClaudeSessionModel();
+        ClaudeSessionController c = new ClaudeSessionController(m, () -> workingScreen) {
+            @Override void discoverModels() { discoveryCalls.set(discoveryCalls.get() + 1); }
+        };
+
+        // Session starts in STARTING; first poll: STARTING→READY (❯ visible),
+        // then READY→WORKING (esc to interrupt); discovery must be deferred
+        c.pollScreenState();
+
+        assertEquals(SessionLifecycle.WORKING, m.getLifecycle(),
+                "lifecycle must be WORKING: STARTING→READY then READY→WORKING (esc to interrupt)");
+        assertEquals(0, (int) discoveryCalls.get(),
+                "discoverModels must NOT fire while screen shows 'esc to interrupt'");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Verifies that model discovery IS triggered once the screen transitions to
+     * truly idle state (❯ visible, no "esc to interrupt").
+     */
+    @Test
+    void pollScreenState_triggersModelDiscovery_whenScreenBecomesReady() throws Exception {
+        List<String> workingScreen = Arrays.asList(
+                "Some previous Claude output here",
+                "────────────────",
+                "❯",
+                "────────────────",
+                "  esc to interrupt"
+        );
+        List<String> readyScreen = Arrays.asList(
+                "Some previous Claude output here",
+                "────────────────",
+                "❯",
+                "────────────────",
+                "  ⏸ plan mode on  ·  ? for shortcuts"
+        );
+        AtomicReference<List<String>> screenRef = new AtomicReference<>(workingScreen);
+        AtomicReference<Integer> discoveryCalls = new AtomicReference<>(0);
+        ClaudeSessionModel m = new ClaudeSessionModel();
+        ClaudeSessionController c = new ClaudeSessionController(m, screenRef::get) {
+            @Override void discoverModels() { discoveryCalls.set(discoveryCalls.get() + 1); }
+        };
+
+        // First poll: STARTING → READY → WORKING; discovery deferred
+        c.pollScreenState();
+        assertEquals(SessionLifecycle.WORKING, m.getLifecycle());
+        assertEquals(0, (int) discoveryCalls.get(), "no discovery while screen shows WORKING");
+
+        // Screen transitions to idle
+        screenRef.set(readyScreen);
+
+        // Second poll: WORKING → READY (screen sync fires at end of poll);
+        // model discovery guard runs before the sync, so discovery not yet triggered
+        c.pollScreenState();
+        assertEquals(SessionLifecycle.READY, m.getLifecycle(),
+                "lifecycle must be READY once screen shows idle state");
+
+        // Third poll: lifecycle is READY, screen is READY → discovery fires
+        c.pollScreenState();
+        assertEquals(1, (int) discoveryCalls.get(),
+                "discoverModels must fire once the screen becomes truly idle");
+    }
+
     // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
     // custom model list — appended after standard models in discoverModels
     // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/test/resources/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/process/screen-content-detector/detect-session-state/ready-named-separator-above-dotted-branch.expectedState.txt b/src/test/resources/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/process/screen-content-detector/detect-session-state/ready-named-separator-above-dotted-branch.expectedState.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a37f2c28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/resources/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/process/screen-content-detector/detect-session-state/ready-named-separator-above-dotted-branch.expectedState.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+READY
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/resources/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/process/screen-content-detector/detect-session-state/ready-named-separator-above-dotted-branch.src.txt b/src/test/resources/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/process/screen-content-detector/detect-session-state/ready-named-separator-above-dotted-branch.src.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..04b2b8d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/resources/io/github/nbplugins/claudecodegui/process/screen-content-detector/detect-session-state/ready-named-separator-above-dotted-branch.src.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+✻ Cogitated for 12m 3s
+
+──────────────────────── refactor-menu-reorder-e9.5-e9.8 ──
+❯
+────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  ⏵⏵ auto mode on (shift+tab to cycle) · ← for agents