diff --git a/backend/internal/session_manager/manager.go b/backend/internal/session_manager/manager.go
index 19a548120..104982bd9 100644
--- a/backend/internal/session_manager/manager.go
+++ b/backend/internal/session_manager/manager.go
@@ -361,8 +361,6 @@ func (m *Manager) markSpawnFailedTerminated(ctx context.Context, id domain.Sessi
 // don't accumulate terminated rows in session lists. DeleteSession only removes
 // rows still in seed state; if the row has progressed or the delete itself
 // fails, fall back to parking it terminated so a phantom row never looks live.
-// (Kill is not a usable fallback here: it refuses seed rows with
-// ErrIncompleteHandle before recording terminal intent.)
 func (m *Manager) rollbackSpawnSeedRow(ctx context.Context, id domain.SessionID) {
 	if deleted, err := m.store.DeleteSession(ctx, id); err == nil && deleted {
 		return
@@ -405,6 +403,11 @@ func (m *Manager) RollbackSpawn(ctx context.Context, id domain.SessionID) (delet
 // workspace. A workspace teardown refused by the worktree-remove safety
 // (uncommitted work) is never forced: the session still terminates and Kill
 // succeeds with freed=false, signalling the workspace was preserved.
+//
+// A session whose runtime handle or workspace path is missing (e.g. spawn
+// failed partway, handle lost after a crash) is still terminated — the destroy
+// steps are skipped for whatever is absent, but the session record always
+// moves to terminal state so it can be cleaned up from the dashboard.
 func (m *Manager) Kill(ctx context.Context, id domain.SessionID) (bool, error) {
 	rec, ok, err := m.store.GetSession(ctx, id)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -415,22 +418,31 @@ func (m *Manager) Kill(ctx context.Context, id domain.SessionID) (bool, error) {
 	}
 	handle := runtimeHandle(rec.Metadata)
 	ws := workspaceInfo(rec)
-	if handle.ID == "" || ws.Path == "" {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("kill %s: %w", id, ErrIncompleteHandle)
-	}
+
+	// Always record terminal intent so the session is marked terminated even
+	// when the runtime/workspace handle is missing.
 	if err := m.lcm.MarkTerminated(ctx, id); err != nil {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("kill %s: %w", id, err)
 	}
-	if err := m.runtime.Destroy(ctx, handle); err != nil {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("kill %s: runtime: %w", id, err)
-	}
-	if err := m.workspace.Destroy(ctx, ws); err != nil {
-		if errors.Is(err, ports.ErrWorkspaceDirty) {
-			return false, nil
+
+	// Only tear down what exists. A session may have lost its handle after a
+	// crash or never acquired one if spawn failed partway.
+	if handle.ID != "" {
+		if err := m.runtime.Destroy(ctx, handle); err != nil {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("kill %s: runtime: %w", id, err)
 		}
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("kill %s: workspace: %w", id, err)
 	}
-	return true, nil
+	freed := false
+	if ws.Path != "" {
+		if err := m.workspace.Destroy(ctx, ws); err != nil {
+			if errors.Is(err, ports.ErrWorkspaceDirty) {
+				return false, nil
+			}
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("kill %s: workspace: %w", id, err)
+		}
+		freed = true
+	}
+	return freed, nil
 }
 
 // Restore relaunches a torn-down session in its workspace. The fallible I/O runs
diff --git a/backend/internal/session_manager/manager_test.go b/backend/internal/session_manager/manager_test.go
index e3a8afd49..b7f3dccac 100644
--- a/backend/internal/session_manager/manager_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/session_manager/manager_test.go
@@ -425,11 +425,23 @@ func TestKill_TearsDownRuntimeAndWorkspace(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("kill should destroy runtime and workspace")
 	}
 }
-func TestKill_RefusesIncompleteHandle(t *testing.T) {
+
+// TestKill_TerminatesIncompleteHandle: a session whose runtime handle or
+// workspace path is missing is still terminated — the destroy steps are
+// skipped, but the session moves to terminal state so it can be cleaned up
+// from the dashboard.
+func TestKill_TerminatesIncompleteHandle(t *testing.T) {
 	m, st, _, _ := newManager()
 	st.sessions["mer-1"] = domain.SessionRecord{ID: "mer-1", ProjectID: "mer", Activity: domain.Activity{State: domain.ActivityActive}}
-	if _, err := m.Kill(ctx, "mer-1"); !errors.Is(err, ErrIncompleteHandle) {
-		t.Fatalf("want ErrIncompleteHandle, got %v", err)
+	freed, err := m.Kill(ctx, "mer-1")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("want nil error, got %v", err)
+	}
+	if freed {
+		t.Fatal("freed = true, want false for session with no workspace")
+	}
+	if !st.sessions["mer-1"].IsTerminated {
+		t.Fatal("session should be terminated even without a handle")
 	}
 }