diff --git a/internal/acp/agent.go b/internal/acp/agent.go
index 7c301044c..003a2c1cb 100644
--- a/internal/acp/agent.go
+++ b/internal/acp/agent.go
@@ -106,6 +106,14 @@ type acpSession struct {
 	restrictModels bool
 	cancel         context.CancelFunc
 	history        []turnRecord
+
+	// readOnly marks a session published by session/load for a kind that is
+	// not resumable (a child, side or spec sub-run). Load still replays its
+	// transcript, which is the render-only use a client needs, but a prompt
+	// would continue the sub-run as a standalone conversation, which every
+	// other resume path refuses (sessions.IsResumableKind). Set once when the
+	// session is first registered and never changed, so it is read without mu.
+	readOnly bool
 }
 
 // NewAgent builds the ACP server and registers its method handlers on conn.
@@ -204,7 +212,7 @@ func (a *Agent) handleSessionNew(ctx context.Context, params json.RawMessage) (a
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, RPCError(codeInternalError, "create session: "+err.Error())
 	}
-	sess, _ := a.registerSession(meta.SessionID, root, nil, model, models, restrictModels)
+	sess, _ := a.registerSession(meta.SessionID, root, nil, model, models, restrictModels, false)
 	return NewSessionResult{
 		SessionID:     sess.id,
 		ConfigOptions: a.configOptions(sess),
@@ -311,7 +319,10 @@ func (a *Agent) activatePersistedSession(ctx context.Context, p LoadSessionParam
 			models = append(models, SessionConfigOptionValue{Value: persistedModel, Name: persistedModel})
 		}
 	}
-	sess, existed := a.registerSession(meta.SessionID, root, history, model, models, restrictModels)
+	// Resume has already refused a non-resumable kind above, so only load can
+	// reach here with one, and it publishes that session for viewing only.
+	readOnly := !sessions.IsResumableKind(meta.SessionKind)
+	sess, existed := a.registerSession(meta.SessionID, root, history, model, models, restrictModels, readOnly)
 	if existed {
 		_, messages, historyWarning, historyErr = a.refreshSessionHistory(sess, requireHistoryLog)
 		if operation == persistedSessionResume && historyErr != nil {
@@ -433,6 +444,9 @@ func (a *Agent) handleSessionPrompt(ctx context.Context, params json.RawMessage)
 	if sess == nil {
 		return nil, RPCError(codeInvalidParams, "unknown session: "+p.SessionID)
 	}
+	if sess.readOnly {
+		return nil, RPCError(codeInvalidParams, "session is not resumable, so it was loaded for viewing only and cannot be prompted: "+p.SessionID)
+	}
 
 	// Serialize turns for this session so two prompts can't interleave history or
 	// fight over the single cancel slot. session/cancel still works concurrently
@@ -1154,13 +1168,13 @@ func promptImages(blocks []ContentBlock) []zeroruntime.ImageBlock {
 // The bool reports that case so persisted activation can re-read and apply disk
 // history under turnMu. history is set BEFORE first publication so no concurrent
 // prompt can read a half-initialized session.
-func (a *Agent) registerSession(id, cwd string, history []turnRecord, model string, models []SessionConfigOptionValue, restrictModels bool) (*acpSession, bool) {
+func (a *Agent) registerSession(id, cwd string, history []turnRecord, model string, models []SessionConfigOptionValue, restrictModels bool, readOnly bool) (*acpSession, bool) {
 	a.mu.Lock()
 	defer a.mu.Unlock()
 	if existing := a.sessions[id]; existing != nil {
 		return existing, true
 	}
-	sess := &acpSession{id: id, cwd: cwd, mode: agent.PermissionModeAuto, model: model, models: models, restrictModels: restrictModels, history: history}
+	sess := &acpSession{id: id, cwd: cwd, mode: agent.PermissionModeAuto, model: model, models: models, restrictModels: restrictModels, history: history, readOnly: readOnly}
 	a.sessions[id] = sess
 	return sess, false
 }
diff --git a/internal/acp/agent_test.go b/internal/acp/agent_test.go
index 41457549e..88635d99e 100644
--- a/internal/acp/agent_test.go
+++ b/internal/acp/agent_test.go
@@ -1251,6 +1251,85 @@ func TestACPResumeAppliesStandaloneSessionKindPolicy(t *testing.T) {
 			}, &LoadSessionResult{}); err != nil {
 				t.Fatalf("session/load should retain render-only access: %v", err)
 			}
+			// The check above only showed the refused resume never registered the
+			// session. Load does register it, so the prompt that matters is the one
+			// AFTER the load: render-only means the transcript can be read and the
+			// sub-run cannot be continued.
+			err = h.client.Call(ctx, MethodSessionPrompt, PromptParams{
+				SessionID: created.SessionID, Prompt: []ContentBlock{TextBlock("must stay closed after load")},
+			}, &PromptResult{})
+			if !errors.As(err, &rpcErr) || rpcErr.Code != codeInvalidParams {
+				t.Fatalf("session/prompt after load of a %s session = %v, want invalid params", tc.name, err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// LOAD PUBLISHES A SUB-RUN FOR VIEWING, NOT FOR CONTINUING. Every other resume
+// path (the TUI, exec sessions, the exec CLI, and ACP's own session/resume)
+// refuses a kind sessions.IsResumableKind rejects. session/load has a real
+// render-only use, a client rebuilding a transcript it can scroll, so it keeps
+// loading those sessions; what it must not do is publish one that accepts a
+// prompt, because the prompt would carry on a child, side or spec sub-run as a
+// standalone conversation. Checked in both directions, so a gate that refused
+// everything would fail on the resumable kinds.
+func TestACPLoadPublishesSubRunsReadOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name     string
+		kind     sessions.SessionKind
+		readOnly bool
+	}{
+		{name: "regular", kind: ""},
+		{name: "fork", kind: sessions.SessionKindFork},
+		{name: "child", kind: sessions.SessionKindChild, readOnly: true},
+		{name: "side", kind: sessions.SessionKindSide, readOnly: true},
+		{name: "spec draft", kind: sessions.SessionKindSpecDraft, readOnly: true},
+		{name: "spec impl", kind: sessions.SessionKindSpecImpl, readOnly: true},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := !sessions.IsResumableKind(tc.kind); got != tc.readOnly {
+				t.Fatalf("SETUP INVALID: IsResumableKind(%q) disagrees with this table (readOnly=%v), so the cases no longer mean what they say", tc.kind, tc.readOnly)
+			}
+			deps := testDeps(t)
+			workspace := t.TempDir()
+			created, err := deps.Store.Create(sessions.CreateInput{
+				SessionID: "load-" + strings.ReplaceAll(tc.name, " ", "-"), Cwd: workspace, SessionKind: tc.kind,
+			})
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			h := newHarness(t, deps)
+			defer h.stop()
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+			defer cancel()
+
+			if err := h.client.Call(ctx, MethodSessionLoad, LoadSessionParams{
+				SessionID: created.SessionID, Cwd: workspace,
+			}, &LoadSessionResult{}); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("session/load of a %s session: %v", tc.name, err)
+			}
+			err = h.client.Call(ctx, MethodSessionPrompt, PromptParams{
+				SessionID: created.SessionID, Prompt: []ContentBlock{TextBlock("continue")},
+			}, &PromptResult{})
+			// A resumable session has to be genuinely promptable, not merely "not
+			// refused as view-only": any other failure would hide a broken
+			// writable path behind a passing test.
+			if !tc.readOnly {
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("session/prompt after load of a %s session = %v, want success", tc.name, err)
+				}
+				return
+			}
+			// The decision is the RPC code; the message only distinguishes the
+			// view-only refusal from other invalid-params errors such as an
+			// unknown session id.
+			var rpcErr *rpcError
+			if !errors.As(err, &rpcErr) || rpcErr.Code != codeInvalidParams {
+				t.Fatalf("session/prompt after load of a %s session = %v, want invalid params", tc.name, err)
+			}
+			if !strings.Contains(rpcErr.Message, "loaded for viewing only") {
+				t.Fatalf("session/prompt after load of a %s session was refused for another reason: %v", tc.name, err)
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }