diff --git a/src/web/public/app.js b/src/web/public/app.js
index d2d31601..fc7e5278 100644
--- a/src/web/public/app.js
+++ b/src/web/public/app.js
@@ -2665,6 +2665,39 @@ class CodemanApp {
       this._fullRenderSessionTabs();
     }
 
+    this.updateTabOverflowMode();
+  }
+
+  // Auto-wrap desktop session tabs to a second row when they overflow one row,
+  // unless the user has pinned the manual two-row layout (tabTwoRows). Mobile/
+  // tablet keep horizontal scroll. Policy lives in constants.js for unit testing.
+  updateTabOverflowMode() {
+    const container = this.$('sessionTabs');
+    if (!container) return;
+
+    const deviceType = MobileDetection.getDeviceType();
+    const settings = this.loadAppSettingsFromStorage();
+    const defaults = this.getDefaultSettings();
+    const manualTwoRows = deviceType === 'desktop' ? (settings.tabTwoRows ?? defaults.tabTwoRows ?? false) : false;
+
+    if (manualTwoRows || deviceType !== 'desktop') {
+      container.classList.remove('tabs-auto-wrap');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Measure the natural one-row overflow, then enable wrapping only if needed.
+    container.classList.remove('tabs-auto-wrap');
+    const shouldWrap = window.CodemanTabOverflow?.shouldAutoWrapTabs
+      ? window.CodemanTabOverflow.shouldAutoWrapTabs({
+          deviceType,
+          manualTwoRows,
+          tabCount: this.sessions.size,
+          scrollWidth: container.scrollWidth,
+          clientWidth: container.clientWidth,
+        })
+      : container.scrollWidth > container.clientWidth + 1;
+
+    container.classList.toggle('tabs-auto-wrap', shouldWrap);
   }
 
   _fullRenderSessionTabs() {
@@ -2741,6 +2774,12 @@ class CodemanApp {
 
     // Update connection lines after tabs change (positions may have shifted)
     this.updateConnectionLines();
+
+    // Re-evaluate desktop auto-wrap for every full rebuild, including the incremental
+    // branch's early `_fullRenderSessionTabs(); return;` paths and the manual two-rows
+    // toggle (applyTabWrapSettings calls this) which would otherwise leave a stale
+    // tabs-auto-wrap class until the next content render.
+    this.updateTabOverflowMode();
   }
 
   // Set up arrow key navigation for session tabs (accessibility)
diff --git a/src/web/public/constants.js b/src/web/public/constants.js
index e375fafa..379b97c3 100644
--- a/src/web/public/constants.js
+++ b/src/web/public/constants.js
@@ -114,9 +114,24 @@ function evaluateWebGLLongTaskTrip(recent, entries, now, config = WEBGL_FALLBACK
 // Expose for tests. `const` declarations at the top of a non-module script
 // are global lexical bindings but not `window` properties, so explicit
 // assignment is the test-visible API surface.
+// Desktop tab-overflow policy: auto-wrap the session tabs to a second row when
+// they overflow one row (and the user hasn't pinned the manual two-row layout).
+function shouldAutoWrapTabs(input) {
+  if (!input || input.deviceType !== 'desktop') return false;
+  if (input.manualTwoRows) return false;
+  if ((input.tabCount || 0) < 2) return false;
+
+  const scrollWidth = Number(input.scrollWidth) || 0;
+  const clientWidth = Number(input.clientWidth) || 0;
+  return scrollWidth > clientWidth + 1;
+}
+
 if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
   window.WEBGL_FALLBACK = WEBGL_FALLBACK;
   window.evaluateWebGLLongTaskTrip = evaluateWebGLLongTaskTrip;
+  window.CodemanTabOverflow = {
+    shouldAutoWrapTabs,
+  };
 }
 
 // Scheduler API — prioritize terminal writes over background UI updates.
diff --git a/src/web/public/mobile-handlers.js b/src/web/public/mobile-handlers.js
index a24fd569..f55bd2e1 100644
--- a/src/web/public/mobile-handlers.js
+++ b/src/web/public/mobile-handlers.js
@@ -139,6 +139,9 @@ const MobileDetection = {
       resizeTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
         this.updateBodyClass();
         this.updateAppHeight();
+        // Tab auto-wrap is width-driven, so it must re-evaluate on resize — the only
+        // other trigger is a tab content render. No-op on mobile/tablet (method bails).
+        if (typeof app !== 'undefined') app.updateTabOverflowMode?.();
       }, 100);
     };
     window.addEventListener('resize', this._resizeHandler);
diff --git a/src/web/public/styles.css b/src/web/public/styles.css
index d0861a4a..ba3f1622 100644
--- a/src/web/public/styles.css
+++ b/src/web/public/styles.css
@@ -312,6 +312,13 @@ body {
   max-height: 120px;
 }
 
+.session-tabs.tabs-auto-wrap {
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  overflow-x: hidden;
+  overflow-y: auto;
+  max-height: 96px;
+}
+
 .session-tabs::-webkit-scrollbar {
   width: 4px;
   height: 0;
diff --git a/test/tab-overflow.test.ts b/test/tab-overflow.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0ed7895a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tab-overflow.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { resolve } from 'node:path';
+import vm from 'node:vm';
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+function loadTabOverflowHelper() {
+  const context = vm.createContext({ window: {}, globalThis: {} });
+  const source = readFileSync(resolve(import.meta.dirname, '../src/web/public/constants.js'), 'utf8');
+  vm.runInContext(source, context, { filename: 'constants.js' });
+  return (context.window as { CodemanTabOverflow: { shouldAutoWrapTabs: (input: unknown) => boolean } })
+    .CodemanTabOverflow;
+}
+
+describe('tab overflow layout policy', () => {
+  it('auto-wraps desktop tabs when their rendered width exceeds available tab space', () => {
+    const helper = loadTabOverflowHelper();
+
+    expect(
+      helper.shouldAutoWrapTabs({
+        deviceType: 'desktop',
+        manualTwoRows: false,
+        tabCount: 18,
+        scrollWidth: 1400,
+        clientWidth: 760,
+      })
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('does not auto-wrap when manual tall tabs are enabled or on mobile/tablet', () => {
+    const helper = loadTabOverflowHelper();
+
+    expect(
+      helper.shouldAutoWrapTabs({
+        deviceType: 'desktop',
+        manualTwoRows: true,
+        tabCount: 18,
+        scrollWidth: 1400,
+        clientWidth: 760,
+      })
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      helper.shouldAutoWrapTabs({
+        deviceType: 'mobile',
+        manualTwoRows: false,
+        tabCount: 18,
+        scrollWidth: 1400,
+        clientWidth: 320,
+      })
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('respects the boundary conditions (exact fit, +1 tolerance, and tabCount < 2)', () => {
+    const helper = loadTabOverflowHelper();
+    const base = { deviceType: 'desktop' as const, manualTwoRows: false, tabCount: 6 };
+
+    // Exact fit: no overflow, no wrap.
+    expect(helper.shouldAutoWrapTabs({ ...base, scrollWidth: 800, clientWidth: 800 })).toBe(false);
+    // Within the +1 sub-pixel tolerance: still no wrap.
+    expect(helper.shouldAutoWrapTabs({ ...base, scrollWidth: 801, clientWidth: 800 })).toBe(false);
+    // 2px over: wrap.
+    expect(helper.shouldAutoWrapTabs({ ...base, scrollWidth: 802, clientWidth: 800 })).toBe(true);
+    // A single overflowing tab must not wrap (need at least 2 to form a second row).
+    expect(helper.shouldAutoWrapTabs({ ...base, tabCount: 1, scrollWidth: 1400, clientWidth: 760 })).toBe(false);
+  });
+});