diff --git a/packages/core/src/location-services.ts b/packages/core/src/location-services.ts
index 45ce648695..c1e2fda6af 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/location-services.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/location-services.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { Effect, Layer, LayerMap } from "effect"
+import { existsSync } from "fs"
 import path from "path"
 import { Agent } from "./agent.js"
 import { AISDK } from "./aisdk.js"
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ export function buildLocationServiceMap(
             Layer.provide(LayerNode.compile(location.hoisted)),
           )
         },
-        { idleTimeToLive: "60 minutes" },
+        { idleTimeToLive: (ref) => (existsSync(ref.directory) ? "60 minutes" : 0) },
       ),
       (inner) => ({
         ...inner,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/session.ts b/packages/core/src/session.ts
index 4432691718..81a9a903ce 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/session.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/session.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 export * as Session from "./session.js"
 export * from "./session/schema.js"
 
-import { Effect, Layer, Schema, Context, RcMap, Stream, Scope } from "effect"
+import { Cause, Effect, Layer, Schema, Context, RcMap, Stream, Scope } from "effect"
 import { ListAnchor } from "@opencode-ai/schema/session"
 import { and, asc, desc, eq, gt, isNull, like, lt, or, type SQL } from "drizzle-orm"
 import { Project } from "./project.js"
@@ -156,6 +156,11 @@ export class DestinationNotDirectoryError extends Schema.TaggedError<Destination
   "Session.DestinationNotDirectoryError",
   { directory: AbsolutePath },
 ) {}
+
+export class DestinationUnavailableError extends Schema.TaggedError<DestinationUnavailableError>()(
+  "Session.DestinationUnavailableError",
+  { directory: AbsolutePath },
+) {}
 export const MessageNotFoundError = SessionRevert.MessageNotFoundError
 export type MessageNotFoundError = SessionRevert.MessageNotFoundError
 
@@ -218,7 +223,10 @@ export interface Interface {
     directory: AbsolutePath
     workspaceID?: Location.Ref["workspaceID"]
     delivery?: SessionInbox.Delivery
-  }) => Effect.Effect<void, NotFoundError | DestinationNotFoundError | DestinationNotDirectoryError>
+  }) => Effect.Effect<
+    void,
+    NotFoundError | DestinationNotFoundError | DestinationNotDirectoryError | DestinationUnavailableError
+  >
   readonly prompt: (input: {
     id?: SessionMessage.ID
     sessionID: SessionSchema.ID
@@ -772,12 +780,22 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
         if (!info) return yield* new DestinationNotFoundError({ directory })
         if (info.type !== "Directory") return yield* new DestinationNotDirectoryError({ directory })
         const project = yield* projects.resolve(directory)
-        yield* persistProject(project)
         const payload: SessionInbox.MovePayload = {
           location: Location.Ref.make({ directory, workspaceID: input.workspaceID }),
           projectID: project.id,
           subpath: RelativePath.make(path.relative(project.directory, directory).replaceAll("\\", "/")),
         }
+        yield* Location.Service.pipe(
+          Effect.provide(locations.get(payload.location)),
+          Effect.scoped,
+          Effect.catchCause((cause) => {
+            if (Cause.hasInterruptsOnly(cause)) return Effect.failCause(cause)
+            return Effect.logWarning("session move destination unavailable", { directory, cause }).pipe(
+              Effect.andThen(Effect.fail(new DestinationUnavailableError({ directory }))),
+            )
+          }),
+        )
+        yield* persistProject(project)
         const item = SessionInbox.Item.make({
           type: "move",
           payload,
diff --git a/packages/core/test/location-layer.test.ts b/packages/core/test/location-layer.test.ts
index 25c4e13e7c..e9c4d09135 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/location-layer.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/location-layer.test.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,28 @@ const itWithSdk = testEffect(
 )
 
 describe("LocationServiceMap", () => {
+  it.live("retries a location after its missing directory is recreated", () =>
+    Effect.acquireRelease(
+      Effect.promise(() => tmpdir()),
+      (dir) => Effect.promise(() => dir[Symbol.asyncDispose]()),
+    ).pipe(
+      Effect.flatMap((dir) =>
+        Effect.gen(function* () {
+          const locations = yield* LocationServiceMap.Service
+          const directory = path.join(dir.path, "recreated")
+          const ref = Location.Ref.make({ directory: AbsolutePath.make(directory) })
+
+          const first = yield* Location.Service.pipe(Effect.provide(locations.get(ref)), Effect.scoped, Effect.exit)
+          expect(first._tag).toBe("Failure")
+
+          yield* Effect.promise(() => fs.mkdir(directory))
+          const location = yield* Location.Service.pipe(Effect.provide(locations.get(ref)), Effect.scoped)
+          expect(location.directory).toBe(ref.directory)
+        }),
+      ),
+    ),
+  )
+
   itWithSdk.live("preserves embedded SDK plugins after Location eviction", () =>
     Effect.acquireRelease(
       Effect.promise(() => tmpdir()),
diff --git a/packages/core/test/session-move.test.ts b/packages/core/test/session-move.test.ts
index d97e1ccf77..82f895f5b3 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/session-move.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/session-move.test.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 import { describe, expect } from "bun:test"
 import path from "path"
 import { mkdir, rm } from "fs/promises"
-import { Effect } from "effect"
+import { Effect, Layer, LayerMap } from "effect"
 import { Worktree } from "@opencode-ai/schema/worktree"
 import { Bus } from "@opencode-ai/core/bus"
 import { Database } from "@opencode-ai/core/database/database"
 import { AppNodeBuilder } from "@opencode-ai/core/effect/app-node-builder"
 import { Location } from "@opencode-ai/core/location"
+import { LocationServiceMap } from "@opencode-ai/core/location-service-map"
+import type { LocationServices } from "@opencode-ai/core/location-services"
 import { Project } from "@opencode-ai/core/project"
 import { AbsolutePath } from "@opencode-ai/core/schema"
 import { Session } from "@opencode-ai/core/session"
@@ -28,8 +30,47 @@ const it = testEffect(
     ],
   ),
 )
+const unavailableLocations = Layer.effect(
+  LocationServiceMap.Service,
+  LayerMap.make(
+    () => Layer.effectDiscard(Effect.fail(new Error("broken location"))) as unknown as Layer.Layer<LocationServices>,
+  ),
+)
+const itWithUnavailableDestination = testEffect(
+  AppNodeBuilder.build(
+    LayerNode.group([Database.node, Bus.node, SessionProjector.node, SessionStore.node, Session.node]),
+    [
+      [Project.node, globalProjectLayer],
+      [SessionExecution.node, SessionExecution.noopLayer],
+      [LocationServiceMap.node, unavailableLocations],
+    ],
+  ),
+)
 
 describe("Session.move", () => {
+  itWithUnavailableDestination.effect("rejects an unavailable destination before admitting the move", () =>
+    Effect.acquireRelease(
+      Effect.promise(() => tmpdir()),
+      (tmp) => Effect.promise(() => tmp[Symbol.asyncDispose]()),
+    ).pipe(
+      Effect.flatMap((tmp) =>
+        Effect.gen(function* () {
+          const session = yield* Session.Service
+          const source = AbsolutePath.make(path.join(tmp.path, "source"))
+          const destination = AbsolutePath.make(path.join(tmp.path, "destination"))
+          yield* Effect.promise(() => Promise.all([mkdir(source), mkdir(destination)]))
+          const created = yield* session.create({ location: Location.Ref.make({ directory: source }) })
+
+          const error = yield* session.move({ sessionID: created.id, directory: destination }).pipe(Effect.flip)
+
+          expect(error).toEqual(new Session.DestinationUnavailableError({ directory: destination }))
+          expect((yield* session.get(created.id)).location.directory).toBe(source)
+          expect(yield* session.inbox(created.id)).toEqual([])
+        }),
+      ),
+    ),
+  )
+
   it.effect("applies a move immediately when the source directory no longer exists", () =>
     Effect.acquireRelease(
       Effect.promise(() => tmpdir()),
diff --git a/packages/server/src/handlers/session.ts b/packages/server/src/handlers/session.ts
index d4a82e1288..506702ff26 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/handlers/session.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/handlers/session.ts
@@ -240,6 +240,9 @@ export const SessionHandler = HttpApiBuilder.group(Api, "server.session", (handl
               Effect.catchTag("Session.DestinationNotDirectoryError", (error) =>
                 Effect.fail(new InvalidRequestError({ message: `Not a directory: ${error.directory}` })),
               ),
+              Effect.catchTag("Session.DestinationUnavailableError", (error) =>
+                Effect.fail(new InvalidRequestError({ message: `Directory is unavailable: ${error.directory}` })),
+              ),
             )
           return HttpApiSchema.NoContent.make()
         }),