diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 878dbe41..39636667 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ release/
 .vite/
 .electron-vite/
 out/
+.dir-locals.el
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/server/src/config/schema.ts b/packages/server/src/config/schema.ts
index a2c88f02..266d69b4 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/config/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/config/schema.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const PreferencesSchema = z.object({
   toolOutputExpansion: z.enum(["expanded", "collapsed"]).default("expanded"),
   diagnosticsExpansion: z.enum(["expanded", "collapsed"]).default("expanded"),
   showUsageMetrics: z.boolean().default(true),
+  autoCleanupBlankSessions: z.boolean().default(true),
 })
 
 const RecentFolderSchema = z.object({
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/App.tsx b/packages/ui/src/App.tsx
index e76a69b7..dd8f5e2c 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/App.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/App.tsx
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ const App: Component = () => {
     preferences,
     recordWorkspaceLaunch,
     toggleShowThinkingBlocks,
+    toggleAutoCleanupBlankSessions,
     toggleUsageMetrics,
     setDiffViewMode,
     setToolOutputExpansion,
@@ -206,6 +207,7 @@ const App: Component = () => {
 
   const { commands: paletteCommands, executeCommand } = useCommands({
     preferences,
+    toggleAutoCleanupBlankSessions,
     toggleShowThinkingBlocks,
     toggleUsageMetrics,
     setDiffViewMode,
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-commands.ts b/packages/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-commands.ts
index 087eebf9..6b5ff746 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-commands.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/lib/hooks/use-commands.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export interface UseCommandsOptions {
   preferences: Accessor<Preferences>
   toggleShowThinkingBlocks: () => void
   toggleUsageMetrics: () => void
+  toggleAutoCleanupBlankSessions: () => void
   setDiffViewMode: (mode: "split" | "unified") => void
   setToolOutputExpansion: (mode: ExpansionPreference) => void
   setDiagnosticsExpansion: (mode: ExpansionPreference) => void
@@ -145,10 +146,10 @@ export function useCommands(options: UseCommandsOptions) {
 
     commandRegistry.register({
       id: "cleanup-blank-sessions",
-      label: "Cleanup Blank Sessions",
-      description: "Remove empty sessions from the current instance",
+      label: "Scrub Sessions",
+      description: "Remove empty sessions, subagent sessions that have completed their primary task, and extraneous forked sessions.",
       category: "Session",
-      keywords: ["cleanup", "blank", "empty", "sessions", "remove", "delete"],
+      keywords: ["cleanup", "blank", "empty", "sessions", "remove", "delete",  "scrub"],
       action: async () => {
         const instance = activeInstance()
         if (!instance) return
@@ -481,6 +482,18 @@ export function useCommands(options: UseCommandsOptions) {
       keywords: ["token", "usage", "cost", "stats"],
       action: options.toggleUsageMetrics,
     })
+
+    commandRegistry.register({
+      id: "auto-cleanup-blank-sessions",
+      label: () => {
+        const enabled = options.preferences().autoCleanupBlankSessions
+        return `Auto-Cleanup Blank Sessions · ${enabled ? "Enabled" : "Disabled"}`
+      },
+      description: "Automatically clean up blank sessions when creating new ones",
+      category: "System",
+      keywords: ["auto", "cleanup", "blank", "sessions", "toggle"],
+      action: options.toggleAutoCleanupBlankSessions,
+    })
  
     commandRegistry.register({
       id: "help",
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/stores/preferences.tsx b/packages/ui/src/stores/preferences.tsx
index 59611498..5849dc3f 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/stores/preferences.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/stores/preferences.tsx
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ export interface Preferences {
   toolOutputExpansion: ExpansionPreference
   diagnosticsExpansion: ExpansionPreference
   showUsageMetrics: boolean
+  autoCleanupBlankSessions?: boolean
 }
 
 export interface OpenCodeBinary {
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ const defaultPreferences: Preferences = {
   toolOutputExpansion: "expanded",
   diagnosticsExpansion: "expanded",
   showUsageMetrics: true,
+  autoCleanupBlankSessions: true,
 }
 
 function deepEqual(a: unknown, b: unknown): boolean {
@@ -98,6 +100,7 @@ function normalizePreferences(pref?: Partial<Preferences> & { agentModelSelectio
     toolOutputExpansion: sanitized.toolOutputExpansion ?? defaultPreferences.toolOutputExpansion,
     diagnosticsExpansion: sanitized.diagnosticsExpansion ?? defaultPreferences.diagnosticsExpansion,
     showUsageMetrics: sanitized.showUsageMetrics ?? defaultPreferences.showUsageMetrics,
+    autoCleanupBlankSessions: sanitized.autoCleanupBlankSessions ?? defaultPreferences.autoCleanupBlankSessions,
   }
 }
 
@@ -285,6 +288,11 @@ function toggleUsageMetrics(): void {
   updatePreferences({ showUsageMetrics: !preferences().showUsageMetrics })
 }
 
+function toggleAutoCleanupBlankSessions(): void {
+  console.log("toggle auto cleanup")
+  updatePreferences({ autoCleanupBlankSessions: !preferences().autoCleanupBlankSessions })
+}
+
 function addRecentFolder(path: string): void {
   updateConfig((draft) => {
     draft.recentFolders = buildRecentFolderList(path, draft.recentFolders)
@@ -386,6 +394,7 @@ interface ConfigContextValue {
   updateConfig: typeof updateConfig
   toggleShowThinkingBlocks: typeof toggleShowThinkingBlocks
   toggleUsageMetrics: typeof toggleUsageMetrics
+  toggleAutoCleanupBlankSessions: typeof toggleAutoCleanupBlankSessions
   setDiffViewMode: typeof setDiffViewMode
   setToolOutputExpansion: typeof setToolOutputExpansion
   setDiagnosticsExpansion: typeof setDiagnosticsExpansion
@@ -418,6 +427,7 @@ const configContextValue: ConfigContextValue = {
   updateConfig,
   toggleShowThinkingBlocks,
   toggleUsageMetrics,
+  toggleAutoCleanupBlankSessions,
   setDiffViewMode,
   setToolOutputExpansion,
   setDiagnosticsExpansion,
@@ -473,6 +483,7 @@ export {
   updateConfig,
   updatePreferences,
   toggleShowThinkingBlocks,
+  toggleAutoCleanupBlankSessions,
   toggleUsageMetrics,
   recentFolders,
   addRecentFolder,
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/stores/session-api.ts b/packages/ui/src/stores/session-api.ts
index bfbe7212..ab213316 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/stores/session-api.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/stores/session-api.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import type { Session } from "../types/session"
 import type { Message } from "../types/message"
 
 import { instances, refreshPermissionsForSession } from "./instances"
-import { setAgentModelPreference } from "./preferences"
+import { preferences, setAgentModelPreference } from "./preferences"
 import { setSessionCompactionState } from "./session-compaction"
 import {
   activeSessionId,
@@ -231,7 +231,9 @@ async function createSession(instanceId: string, agent?: string): Promise<Sessio
       return next
     })
 
-    await cleanupBlankSessions(instanceId, session.id)
+    if (preferences().autoCleanupBlankSessions) {
+      await cleanupBlankSessions(instanceId, session.id)
+    }
 
     return session
   } catch (error) {