fix: properly quit welcome screen when switching sessions (#4605)

* fix: properly quit welcome screen when switching sessions

* fix tests and add PR to changelog

8 files changed, 64 insertions, 12 deletions

diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 92dc3a15..81559a58 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -24,8 +24,10 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
 * feat: new `layout-manager` interface and plugin API commands (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4601)
 * fix: keep serializing sessions resurrected from the welcome screen (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4604)
 * fix: sanitize session names when deleting them from the CLI (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4583)
+* fix: properly close the welcome screen session when switching sessions away from it (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4605)
 * fix: properly center floating panes started with `--floating` when explicit width/height is provided (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4607)
 
+
 ## [0.43.1] - 2025-08-08
 * fix: pane rename backspace regression (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4346)
 * fix: Zellij Web login issue with safari (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4345)
diff --git a/default-plugins/session-manager/src/main.rs b/default-plugins/session-manager/src/main.rs
index 5c014779..c89b0049 100644
--- a/default-plugins/session-manager/src/main.rs
+++ b/default-plugins/session-manager/src/main.rs
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ impl ZellijPlugin for State {
         if self.is_welcome_screen {
             self.active_screen = ActiveScreen::NewSession;
         }
+        self.new_session_info.is_welcome_screen = self.is_welcome_screen;
         subscribe(&[
             EventType::ModeUpdate,
             EventType::SessionUpdate,
@@ -529,11 +530,11 @@ impl State {
                 self.search_term.clear();
                 self.sessions
                     .update_search_term(&self.search_term, &self.colors);
-                if !self.is_welcome_screen {
-                    // we usually don't want to hide_self() if we're the welcome screen because
-                    // unless the user did something odd like opening an extra pane/tab in the
-                    // welcome screen, this will result in the current session closing, as this is
-                    // the last selectable pane...
+                if self.is_welcome_screen {
+                    // the welcome screen has done its job and now we need to quit this temporary
+                    // session so as not to leave garbage sessions behind
+                    quit_zellij();
+                } else {
                     hide_self();
                 }
             },
@@ -542,6 +543,13 @@ impl State {
                     self.resurrectable_sessions.get_selected_session_name()
                 {
                     switch_session(Some(&session_name_to_resurrect));
+                    if self.is_welcome_screen {
+                        // the welcome screen has done its job and now we need to quit this temporary
+                        // session so as not to leave garbage sessions behind
+                        quit_zellij();
+                    } else {
+                        hide_self();
+                    }
                 }
             },
         }
diff --git a/default-plugins/session-manager/src/new_session_info.rs b/default-plugins/session-manager/src/new_session_info.rs
index a6ff7901..cc8c4af0 100644
--- a/default-plugins/session-manager/src/new_session_info.rs
+++ b/default-plugins/session-manager/src/new_session_info.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ pub struct NewSessionInfo {
     name: String,
     layout_list: LayoutList,
     entering_new_session_info: EnteringState,
+    pub is_welcome_screen: bool,
     pub new_session_folder: Option<PathBuf>,
 }
 
@@ -106,10 +107,24 @@ impl NewSessionInfo {
                     match new_session_layout {
                         Some(new_session_layout) => {
                             let cwd = self.new_session_folder.as_ref().map(|c| PathBuf::from(c));
-                            switch_session_with_layout(new_session_name, new_session_layout, cwd)
+                            switch_session_with_layout(new_session_name, new_session_layout, cwd);
+                            if self.is_welcome_screen {
+                                // the welcome screen has done its job and now we need to quit this temporary
+                                // session so as not to leave garbage sessions behind
+                                quit_zellij();
+                            } else {
+                                hide_self();
+                            }
                         },
                         None => {
                             switch_session(new_session_name);
+                            if self.is_welcome_screen {
+                                // the welcome screen has done its job and now we need to quit this temporary
+                                // session so as not to leave garbage sessions behind
+                                quit_zellij();
+                            } else {
+                                hide_self();
+                            }
                         },
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_plugin_command.snap b/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_plugin_command.snap
index b9528696..6e4cdfc8 100644
--- a/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_plugin_command.snap
+++ b/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_plugin_command.snap
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ Some(
             cwd: None,
         },
         1,
-        None,
+        Some(
+            NotificationEnd {
+                channel: None,
+                exit_status: None,
+                unblock_condition: None,
+                affected_pane_id: None,
+            },
+        ),
     ),
 )
diff --git a/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_with_layout_and_cwd_plugin_command.snap b/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_with_layout_and_cwd_plugin_command.snap
index a29aa181..4d7c327d 100644
--- a/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_with_layout_and_cwd_plugin_command.snap
+++ b/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_with_layout_and_cwd_plugin_command.snap
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ Some(
             ),
         },
         1,
-        None,
+        Some(
+            NotificationEnd {
+                channel: None,
+                exit_status: None,
+                unblock_condition: None,
+                affected_pane_id: None,
+            },
+        ),
     ),
 )
diff --git a/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_with_layout_plugin_command.snap b/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_with_layout_plugin_command.snap
index ba0d9639..a87b04d7 100644
--- a/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_with_layout_plugin_command.snap
+++ b/zellij-server/src/plugins/unit/snapshots/zellij_server__plugins__plugin_tests__switch_session_with_layout_plugin_command.snap
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ Some(
             cwd: None,
         },
         1,
-        None,
+        Some(
+            NotificationEnd {
+                channel: None,
+                exit_status: None,
+                unblock_condition: None,
+                affected_pane_id: None,
+            },
+        ),
     ),
 )
diff --git a/zellij-server/src/plugins/zellij_exports.rs b/zellij-server/src/plugins/zellij_exports.rs
index 82e4dabf..c50f33b5 100644
--- a/zellij-server/src/plugins/zellij_exports.rs
+++ b/zellij-server/src/plugins/zellij_exports.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use crate::global_async_runtime::get_tokio_runtime;
 use crate::plugins::plugin_map::PluginEnv;
 use crate::plugins::wasm_bridge::handle_plugin_crash;
 use crate::pty::{ClientTabIndexOrPaneId, PtyInstruction};
-use crate::route::route_action;
+use crate::route::{route_action, wait_for_action_completion, NotificationEnd};
 use crate::ServerInstruction;
 use interprocess::local_socket::LocalSocketStream;
 use log::warn;
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ use std::{
     thread,
     time::{Duration, Instant},
 };
+use tokio::sync::oneshot;
 use wasmi::{Caller, Linker};
 use zellij_utils::data::{
     CommandType, ConnectToSession, DeleteLayoutResponse, EditLayoutResponse, Event,
@@ -2059,6 +2060,9 @@ fn switch_session(
             return Err(anyhow!("Failed to deserialize layout: {}", e));
         }
     }
+
+    let (completion_tx, completion_rx) = oneshot::channel();
+
     if session_name
         .as_ref()
         .map(|s| s.contains('/'))
@@ -2079,9 +2083,11 @@ fn switch_session(
             .send_to_server(ServerInstruction::SwitchSession(
                 connect_to_session,
                 client_id,
-                None,
+                Some(NotificationEnd::new(completion_tx)),
             ))
             .with_context(err_context)?;
+        let wait_forever = false;
+        let _ = wait_for_action_completion(completion_rx, "switch_session", wait_forever);
     }
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/zellij-server/src/route.rs b/zellij-server/src/route.rs
index f1c47dfa..df9fd305 100644
--- a/zellij-server/src/route.rs
+++ b/zellij-server/src/route.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ pub struct ActionCompletionResult {
     pub affected_pane_id: Option<PaneId>,
 }
 
-fn wait_for_action_completion(
+pub fn wait_for_action_completion(
     receiver: oneshot::Receiver<ActionCompletionResult>,
     action_name: &str,
     wait_forever: bool,