diff --git a/macos/Sources/Features/App Intents/CloseTerminalIntent.swift b/macos/Sources/Features/App Intents/CloseTerminalIntent.swift
index c3cca2514..e8a666827 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Features/App Intents/CloseTerminalIntent.swift	
+++ b/macos/Sources/Features/App Intents/CloseTerminalIntent.swift	
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ struct CloseTerminalIntent: AppIntent {
             throw GhosttyIntentError.surfaceNotFound
         }
 
-        guard let controller = surfaceView.window?.windowController as? BaseTerminalController else {
+        guard let controller = BaseTerminalController.controller(owning: surfaceView) else {
             return .result()
         }
 
diff --git a/macos/Sources/Features/App Intents/FocusTerminalIntent.swift b/macos/Sources/Features/App Intents/FocusTerminalIntent.swift
index 21dd71b15..3dbd40457 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Features/App Intents/FocusTerminalIntent.swift	
+++ b/macos/Sources/Features/App Intents/FocusTerminalIntent.swift	
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ struct FocusTerminalIntent: AppIntent {
             throw GhosttyIntentError.surfaceNotFound
         }
 
-        guard let controller = surfaceView.window?.windowController as? BaseTerminalController else {
+        guard let controller = BaseTerminalController.controller(owning: surfaceView) else {
             return .result()
         }
 
diff --git a/macos/Sources/Features/AppleScript/ScriptTerminal.swift b/macos/Sources/Features/AppleScript/ScriptTerminal.swift
index 202eb662b..8c6b1b6df 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Features/AppleScript/ScriptTerminal.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/Features/AppleScript/ScriptTerminal.swift
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ final class ScriptTerminal: NSObject {
             baseConfig = nil
         }
 
-        guard let controller = surfaceView.window?.windowController as? BaseTerminalController else {
+        guard let controller = BaseTerminalController.controller(owning: surfaceView) else {
             command.scriptErrorNumber = errAEEventFailed
             command.scriptErrorString = "Terminal is not in a splittable window."
             return nil
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ final class ScriptTerminal: NSObject {
             return nil
         }
 
-        guard let controller = surfaceView.window?.windowController as? BaseTerminalController else {
+        guard let controller = BaseTerminalController.controller(owning: surfaceView) else {
             command.scriptErrorNumber = errAEEventFailed
             command.scriptErrorString = "Terminal is not in a window."
             return nil
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ final class ScriptTerminal: NSObject {
             return nil
         }
 
-        guard let controller = surfaceView.window?.windowController as? BaseTerminalController else {
+        guard let controller = BaseTerminalController.controller(owning: surfaceView) else {
             command.scriptErrorNumber = errAEEventFailed
             command.scriptErrorString = "Terminal is not in a window."
             return nil
diff --git a/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/BaseTerminalController.swift b/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/BaseTerminalController.swift
index 269fbca49..5b8d130d9 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/BaseTerminalController.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/BaseTerminalController.swift
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ class BaseTerminalController: NSWindowController,
                               TerminalViewModel,
                               ClipboardConfirmationViewDelegate,
                               FullscreenDelegate {
+    /// Weak surface-to-controller ownership independent of AppKit's transient
+    /// view and window attachment state.
+    private static let surfaceControllers =
+        NSMapTable<Ghostty.SurfaceView, BaseTerminalController>.weakToWeakObjects()
+
     /// The app instance that this terminal view will represent.
     let ghostty: Ghostty.App
 
@@ -42,7 +47,10 @@ class BaseTerminalController: NSWindowController,
 
     /// The tree of splits within this terminal window.
     @Published var surfaceTree: SplitTree<Ghostty.SurfaceView> = .init() {
-        didSet { surfaceTreeDidChange(from: oldValue, to: surfaceTree) }
+        didSet {
+            Self.updateSurfaceControllers(self, from: oldValue, to: surfaceTree)
+            surfaceTreeDidChange(from: oldValue, to: surfaceTree)
+        }
     }
 
     /// This can be set to show/hide the command palette.
@@ -140,6 +148,7 @@ class BaseTerminalController: NSWindowController,
         // Initialize our initial surface.
         guard let ghostty_app = ghostty.app else { preconditionFailure("app must be loaded") }
         self.surfaceTree = tree ?? .init(view: Ghostty.SurfaceView(ghostty_app, baseConfig: base))
+        Self.updateSurfaceControllers(self, from: .init(), to: surfaceTree)
 
         // Setup our bell state for the window
         setupBellNotificationPublisher()
@@ -231,6 +240,44 @@ class BaseTerminalController: NSWindowController,
 
     // MARK: Methods
 
+    /// Finds the controller whose split tree owns the given surface.
+    ///
+    /// A surface's `window` can briefly be nil or point at its previous window
+    /// while AppKit is attaching or moving a native tab. Callers performing
+    /// lifecycle operations must use tree ownership rather than that transient
+    /// view relationship.
+    static func controller(owning surface: Ghostty.SurfaceView) -> BaseTerminalController? {
+        if let controller = surfaceControllers.object(forKey: surface),
+           controller.surfaceTree.contains(surface) {
+            return controller
+        }
+
+        if let controller = surface.window?.windowController as? BaseTerminalController,
+           controller.surfaceTree.contains(surface) {
+            return controller
+        }
+
+        return NSApp.windows
+            .compactMap { $0.windowController as? BaseTerminalController }
+            .first { $0.surfaceTree.contains(surface) }
+    }
+
+    private static func updateSurfaceControllers(
+        _ controller: BaseTerminalController,
+        from oldTree: SplitTree<Ghostty.SurfaceView>,
+        to newTree: SplitTree<Ghostty.SurfaceView>
+    ) {
+        for surface in oldTree where !newTree.contains(surface) {
+            if surfaceControllers.object(forKey: surface) === controller {
+                surfaceControllers.removeObject(forKey: surface)
+            }
+        }
+
+        for surface in newTree {
+            surfaceControllers.setObject(controller, forKey: surface)
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Create a new split.
     @discardableResult
     func newSplit(
diff --git a/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalController.swift b/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalController.swift
index d19323dde..d2415c660 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalController.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalController.swift
@@ -667,12 +667,20 @@ class TerminalController: BaseTerminalController, TabGroupCloseCoordinator.Contr
 
         // More than 1 window means we have tabs and we're closing a tab
         if window?.tabGroup?.windows.count ?? 0 > 1 {
-            closeTab(nil)
+            if withConfirmation {
+                closeTab(nil)
+            } else {
+                closeTabImmediately()
+            }
             return
         }
 
         // 1 window, closing the window
-        closeWindow(nil)
+        if withConfirmation {
+            closeWindow(nil)
+        } else {
+            closeWindowImmediately()
+        }
     }
 
     func closeTabImmediately(registerRedo: Bool = true) {