diff --git a/src/editor/core/controller.ts b/src/editor/core/controller.ts
index cd913ba58..3e0ac510e 100644
--- a/src/editor/core/controller.ts
+++ b/src/editor/core/controller.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ import {
   enforceTabLimit,
   findTab,
   initialTabsState,
+  mergeSessionTabs,
   moveTab,
   moveTabToNewSplit,
   neighbourPane,
@@ -531,7 +532,9 @@ export class EditorController implements SlotHost {
     this.restoredTabs = new Set(Object.values(state.panes).flatMap((p) => p.tabs.map((t) => t.id)));
     this.restoring = true;
     try {
-      useTabs.setState(state, true);
+      // A restore landing after tabs were already opened (e.g. a launched file
+      // admitted while the transition was still in flight) must not wipe them.
+      useTabs.setState((current) => mergeSessionTabs(current, state), true);
     } finally {
       this.restoring = false;
     }
diff --git a/src/editor/core/lightedit-launch.test.ts b/src/editor/core/lightedit-launch.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d0af5ed79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/editor/core/lightedit-launch.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { EditorController, LIGHT_EDIT_SESSION, openFilePaths, useTabs } from "./controller";
+import { createMemoryBackend } from "./backend";
+import { initialTabsState } from "./model/tabs";
+import { storeSession } from "./model/session";
+import { useProject } from "@/platform/project";
+
+let ctrl: EditorController | null = null;
+const initialSettings = useProject.getState().settings;
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  ctrl?.stop();
+  ctrl = null;
+  useTabs.setState(initialTabsState(), true);
+  useProject.setState({ project: null, lightEdit: false, settings: initialSettings } as never);
+  try {
+    localStorage.removeItem(`openidea.editorSession.v1:${LIGHT_EDIT_SESSION}`);
+  } catch {
+    /* ignore */
+  }
+});
+
+function activePath() {
+  const state = useTabs.getState();
+  const pane = state.panes[state.activePane]!;
+  return pane.tabs.find((tab) => tab.id === pane.active)?.input.path;
+}
+
+function seedLightEditSession() {
+  storeSession(LIGHT_EDIT_SESSION, {
+    version: 1,
+    layout: { kind: "pane", tabs: [{ path: "/p/a.ts" }], active: 0 },
+    activePane: 0,
+    files: {},
+  });
+}
+
+describe("lightedit launch (#2229)", () => {
+  it("admits the launched file after the saved session restores", async () => {
+    seedLightEditSession();
+    ctrl = new EditorController(createMemoryBackend({ "/p/a.ts": "a", "/p/b.ts": "b" }));
+    ctrl.start();
+    // openFilesHere: window has neither project nor LightEdit -> openLightEdit(b) then openInEditor([b]).
+    useProject.setState({ project: null, lightEdit: true });
+    await ctrl.openFile("/p/b.ts", { focus: true });
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 50));
+    expect(openFilePaths(useTabs.getState()).sort()).toEqual(["/p/a.ts", "/p/b.ts"]);
+    expect(activePath()).toBe("/p/b.ts");
+  });
+
+  it("merges a late saved-session restore with the launched tab instead of replacing it", async () => {
+    seedLightEditSession();
+    ctrl = new EditorController(createMemoryBackend({ "/p/a.ts": "a", "/p/b.ts": "b" }));
+    ctrl.start();
+    useProject.setState({ project: null, lightEdit: true });
+    await ctrl.openFile("/p/b.ts", { focus: true });
+    // A stale/second transition restore landing after the admit (#2229).
+    ctrl.restoreSession(LIGHT_EDIT_SESSION);
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 50));
+    expect(openFilePaths(useTabs.getState()).sort()).toEqual(["/p/a.ts", "/p/b.ts"]);
+    expect(activePath()).toBe("/p/b.ts");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/editor/core/model/tabs.ts b/src/editor/core/model/tabs.ts
index b582a9285..ae3099c85 100644
--- a/src/editor/core/model/tabs.ts
+++ b/src/editor/core/model/tabs.ts
@@ -93,6 +93,29 @@ export function openKeys(s: TabsState): Set<string> {
   return keys;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Folds restored tabs into the current tabs without losing anything open: tabs
+ * already open stay (with their active tab), restored tabs missing by key are
+ * appended to the active pane. An empty window takes the restored state as-is,
+ * keeping its saved layout and active tab.
+ */
+export function mergeSessionTabs(current: TabsState, restored: TabsState): TabsState {
+  const target = current.panes[current.activePane];
+  if (!target || !Object.values(current.panes).some((p) => p.tabs.length)) return restored;
+  const seen = openKeys(current);
+  const additions: Tab[] = [];
+  for (const pane of Object.values(restored.panes))
+    for (const tab of pane.tabs) {
+      if (seen.has(tab.input.key)) continue;
+      seen.add(tab.input.key);
+      additions.push(tab);
+    }
+  if (!additions.length) return current;
+  const tabs = [...target.tabs, ...additions];
+  const mru = [...target.mru, ...additions.map((t) => t.id).filter((id) => !target.mru.includes(id))];
+  return withPane(current, { ...target, tabs, mru });
+}
+
 function withPane(s: TabsState, pane: Pane): TabsState {
   return { ...s, panes: { ...s.panes, [pane.id]: pane } };
 }