diff --git a/src-tauri/src/rdp/mod.rs b/src-tauri/src/rdp/mod.rs
index a2dbb1a..11484b7 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/rdp/mod.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/rdp/mod.rs
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ impl RdpService {
         let (ready_tx, ready_rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel::<Result<(), String>>();
 
         std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            let result = std::panic::catch_unwind(std::panic::AssertUnwindSafe(|| {
             let rt = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
                 .enable_all()
                 .build()
@@ -166,6 +167,18 @@ impl RdpService {
                 info!("RDP session {} ended", sid);
                 sessions_ref.remove(&sid);
             });
+            }));
+            if let Err(panic) = result {
+                let msg = if let Some(s) = panic.downcast_ref::<String>() {
+                    s.clone()
+                } else if let Some(s) = panic.downcast_ref::<&str>() {
+                    s.to_string()
+                } else {
+                    "unknown panic".to_string()
+                };
+                let _ = crate::write_log(&crate::data_directory().join("wraith.log"), &format!("RDP thread PANIC: {}", msg));
+                // ready_tx is dropped here, which triggers the "died unexpectedly" error
+            }
         });
 
         match ready_rx.recv() {
@@ -176,7 +189,7 @@ impl RdpService {
             }
             Err(_) => {
                 self.sessions.remove(&session_id);
-                return Err("RDP connection thread died unexpectedly".into());
+                return Err("RDP connection thread panicked — check wraith.log for details".into());
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/ssh/session.rs b/src-tauri/src/ssh/session.rs
index 3af25f1..5e1c29b 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/ssh/session.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/ssh/session.rs
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ impl SshService {
                 "__wraith_osc7() { printf '\\e]7;file://localhost/%s\\a' \"$(pwd | sed 's/ /%20/g')\"; }; ",
                 "if [ -n \"$ZSH_VERSION\" ]; then precmd() { __wraith_osc7; }; ",
                 "elif [ -n \"$BASH_VERSION\" ]; then PROMPT_COMMAND=__wraith_osc7; fi; ",
-                "stty echo; clear; cd .\n"
+                "stty echo; clear; cd ~\n"
             );
             let h = handle.lock().await;
             let _ = h.data(channel_id, CryptoVec::from_slice(osc7_hook.as_bytes())).await;