diff --git a/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/session.test.ts b/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/session.test.ts
index 1e4a45cdd..ee65e5dfb 100644
--- a/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/session.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/session.test.ts
@@ -365,6 +365,34 @@ describe("session ls", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("marks metadata-based orchestrators correctly in JSON output", async () => {
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(sessionsDir, "app-control"),
+      "branch=control\nstatus=working\nrole=orchestrator\n",
+    );
+
+    mockTmux.mockResolvedValue(null);
+    mockGit.mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+    await program.parseAsync(["node", "test", "session", "ls", "--json"]);
+
+    expect(consoleSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(JSON.parse(String(consoleSpy.mock.calls[0][0]))).toEqual([
+      {
+        id: "app-control",
+        projectId: "my-app",
+        projectName: "My App",
+        role: "orchestrator",
+        branch: "control",
+        status: "working",
+        issueId: null,
+        pr: null,
+        workspacePath: null,
+        lastActivityAt: null,
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("returns an empty JSON array when there are no active sessions", async () => {
     mockTmux.mockResolvedValue(null);
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/session.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/session.ts
index 80ea17c7f..36a76780b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/session.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/session.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
 import chalk from "chalk";
 import type { Command } from "commander";
-import { loadConfig, SessionNotRestorableError, WorkspaceMissingError } from "@composio/ao-core";
+import {
+  isOrchestratorSession,
+  loadConfig,
+  SessionNotRestorableError,
+  WorkspaceMissingError,
+} from "@composio/ao-core";
 import { git, getTmuxActivity, tmux } from "../lib/shell.js";
 import { formatAge } from "../lib/format.js";
 import { getSessionManager } from "../lib/create-session-manager.js";
@@ -50,6 +55,9 @@ export function registerSession(program: Command): void {
 
       // Iterate over all configured projects (not just ones with sessions)
       const projectIds = opts.project ? [opts.project] : Object.keys(config.projects);
+      const allSessionPrefixes = Object.entries(config.projects).map(
+        ([id, project]) => project.sessionPrefix ?? id,
+      );
       const jsonOutput: SessionListEntry[] = [];
 
       for (const projectId of projectIds) {
@@ -97,7 +105,11 @@ export function registerSession(program: Command): void {
           const prUrl = s.metadata["pr"] ?? null;
 
           if (opts.json) {
-            const role = isOrchestratorSessionName(config, s.id, projectId)
+            const role = isOrchestratorSession(
+              s,
+              project.sessionPrefix ?? projectId,
+              allSessionPrefixes,
+            )
               ? "orchestrator"
               : "worker";