diff --git a/desktop/terminal/terminal-command.helpers.test.ts b/desktop/terminal/terminal-command.helpers.test.ts
index f4570088..67d31644 100644
--- a/desktop/terminal/terminal-command.helpers.test.ts
+++ b/desktop/terminal/terminal-command.helpers.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,67 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
-import { resolveTerminalEnv } from './terminal-command.helpers'
+import {
+  getWslTerminalLaunch,
+  resolveTerminalCommand,
+  resolveTerminalEnv,
+} from './terminal-command.helpers'
+
+const windowsEnv = {
+  PATH: 'C:\\Windows\\System32',
+  USERPROFILE: 'C:\\Users\\Tester',
+}
+
+describe('terminal command helpers', () => {
+  it('maps WSL UNC project paths to a WSL terminal launch on Windows', () => {
+    const launch = getWslTerminalLaunch('\\\\wsl.localhost\\Ubuntu-24.04\\home\\me\\project', {
+      platform: 'win32',
+      env: windowsEnv,
+    })
+
+    expect(launch).toEqual({
+      distro: 'Ubuntu-24.04',
+      linuxPath: '/home/me/project',
+      windowsSpawnCwd: 'C:\\Users\\Tester',
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('supports the legacy wsl$ UNC prefix', () => {
+    const command = resolveTerminalCommand(
+      {
+        projectId: '\\\\wsl$\\Ubuntu\\home\\me\\repo',
+        cwd: '\\\\wsl$\\Ubuntu\\home\\me\\repo',
+        launchMode: 'shell',
+        cols: 80,
+        rows: 24,
+      },
+      { platform: 'win32', env: windowsEnv },
+    )
+
+    expect(command.shell.endsWith('wsl.exe')).toBe(true)
+    expect(command).toMatchObject({
+      args: ['-d', 'Ubuntu', '--cd', '/home/me/repo'],
+      cwd: 'C:\\Users\\Tester',
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('keeps native Windows projects on the normal Windows shell', () => {
+    const command = resolveTerminalCommand(
+      {
+        projectId: 'C:\\Projects\\app',
+        cwd: 'C:\\Projects\\app',
+        launchMode: 'shell',
+        cols: 80,
+        rows: 24,
+      },
+      { platform: 'win32', env: { COMSPEC: 'C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe' } },
+    )
+
+    expect(command).toEqual({
+      shell: 'C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe',
+      args: [],
+      cwd: undefined,
+    })
+  })
+})
 
 describe('resolveTerminalEnv', () => {
   it('advertises a portable xterm truecolor baseline for shell sessions', () => {
diff --git a/desktop/terminal/terminal-command.helpers.ts b/desktop/terminal/terminal-command.helpers.ts
index 5add0363..71783974 100644
--- a/desktop/terminal/terminal-command.helpers.ts
+++ b/desktop/terminal/terminal-command.helpers.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import { getPersistedSessionPath } from '../../shared/session-paths.ts'
 import type { TerminalOpenRequest } from '../../shared/terminal-contracts.ts'
 import { getBundledThemes } from '../bundled-themes.ts'
 
+const wslUncPathPattern = /^\\\\(?:wsl\$|wsl\.localhost)\\([^\\/]+)([\\/].*)?$/i
+
 function getProcessEnvironmentVariable(name: string) {
   return process.env[name]
 }
@@ -20,6 +22,35 @@ function getEnvironmentVariable(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv, name: string) {
   return env[name]
 }
 
+function getSafeWindowsSpawnCwd(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv) {
+  return (
+    getEnvironmentVariable(env, 'USERPROFILE') ||
+    getEnvironmentVariable(env, 'SystemRoot') ||
+    process.cwd()
+  )
+}
+
+export function getWslTerminalLaunch(
+  cwd: string | null | undefined,
+  options?: { platform?: NodeJS.Platform; env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv },
+) {
+  const platform = options?.platform ?? process.platform
+  if (platform !== 'win32' || !cwd) return null
+
+  const match = cwd.match(wslUncPathPattern)
+  if (!match) return null
+
+  const distro = match[1]
+  const rawLinuxPath = match[2] ?? ''
+  if (!distro) return null
+
+  return {
+    distro,
+    linuxPath: rawLinuxPath ? rawLinuxPath.replaceAll('\\', '/') : '/',
+    windowsSpawnCwd: getSafeWindowsSpawnCwd(options?.env ?? process.env),
+  }
+}
+
 function getPiSessionCommandArgs(sessionPath: string | null | undefined) {
   const persistedSessionPath = getPersistedSessionPath(sessionPath)
   const args = persistedSessionPath ? ['--session', persistedSessionPath] : []
@@ -74,11 +105,37 @@ export function resolveTerminalCommand(
 ) {
   const platform = options?.platform ?? process.platform
   const env = options?.env ?? process.env
+  const wslLaunch = getWslTerminalLaunch(request.cwd, { platform, env })
 
   if (request.launchMode === 'pi-session') {
+    if (wslLaunch) {
+      return {
+        shell: findExecutable('wsl.exe', getEnvironmentVariable(env, 'PATH') ?? ''),
+        args: [
+          '-d',
+          wslLaunch.distro,
+          '--cd',
+          wslLaunch.linuxPath,
+          '--',
+          'pi',
+          ...getPiSessionCommandArgs(request.sessionPath),
+        ],
+        cwd: wslLaunch.windowsSpawnCwd,
+      }
+    }
+
     return {
       shell: getPiSessionShell(platform, env),
       args: getPiSessionCommandArgs(request.sessionPath),
+      cwd: undefined,
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (wslLaunch) {
+    return {
+      shell: findExecutable('wsl.exe', getEnvironmentVariable(env, 'PATH') ?? ''),
+      args: ['-d', wslLaunch.distro, '--cd', wslLaunch.linuxPath],
+      cwd: wslLaunch.windowsSpawnCwd,
     }
   }
 
@@ -86,12 +143,14 @@ export function resolveTerminalCommand(
     return {
       shell: getEnvironmentVariable(env, 'COMSPEC') || 'powershell.exe',
       args: [] as string[],
+      cwd: undefined,
     }
   }
 
   return {
     shell: getEnvironmentVariable(env, 'SHELL') || '/bin/bash',
     args: ['-i'],
+    cwd: undefined,
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/desktop/terminal/terminal-process.ts b/desktop/terminal/terminal-process.ts
index 4adb3c4a..e3b127a1 100644
--- a/desktop/terminal/terminal-process.ts
+++ b/desktop/terminal/terminal-process.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export async function startProcess(record: TerminalSessionRecord, reason: 'start
     const processHandle = await adapter.spawn({
       shell: command.shell,
       args: command.args,
-      cwd: record.snapshot.cwd,
+      cwd: command.cwd ?? record.snapshot.cwd,
       cols: record.snapshot.cols,
       rows: record.snapshot.rows,
       env: resolveTerminalEnv(request),
diff --git a/src/app/settings/settings/settingsDescriptorProjects.tsx b/src/app/settings/settings/settingsDescriptorProjects.tsx
index a67fe0ac..83d3ebc1 100644
--- a/src/app/settings/settings/settingsDescriptorProjects.tsx
+++ b/src/app/settings/settings/settingsDescriptorProjects.tsx
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ export function buildProjectsSettingsDescriptors({
             className={cn(settingsInputClass, 'w-full pl-9')}
             placeholder={
               controller.resolvedPiDirectory
-                ? `Default: ${controller.resolvedPiDirectory}`
-                : 'Default: ~/.pi/agent'
+                ? `Default: ${controller.resolvedPiDirectory} (useful for WSL)`
+                : 'Default: ~/.pi/agent (useful for WSL)'
             }
             aria-label="Custom Pi directory"
           />