diff --git a/src/browser_harness/daemon.py b/src/browser_harness/daemon.py
index de51934..fb443c2 100644
--- a/src/browser_harness/daemon.py
+++ b/src/browser_harness/daemon.py
@@ -207,9 +207,22 @@ class Daemon:
         targets = (await self.cdp.send_raw("Target.getTargets"))["targetInfos"]
         pages = [t for t in targets if is_real_page(t)]
         if not pages:
-            # No real pages — create one instead of attaching to omnibox popup
-            tid = (await self.cdp.send_raw("Target.createTarget", {"url": "about:blank"}))["targetId"]
-            log(f"no real pages found, created about:blank ({tid})")
+            # No real pages: attach to an existing plain page tab (e.g. an
+            # about:blank left by a prior attach) before creating anything.
+            # is_real_page() rejects about: urls, so without this fallback a
+            # blank-only browser mints a NEW blank on every re-attach, forever.
+            pages = [t for t in targets if t.get("type") == "page"]
+            if pages:
+                log(f"no real pages found, reusing {pages[0].get('url','')[:60]} ({pages[0]['targetId']})")
+        if not pages:
+            # Truly no page tabs — create one instead of attaching to omnibox
+            # popup. background=True: a foreground Target.createTarget raises
+            # the Chrome window and steals macOS app focus (2026-07-15 7/7
+            # same-second correlation); a re-attach must never pop a window.
+            tid = (await self.cdp.send_raw(
+                "Target.createTarget", {"url": "about:blank", "background": True}
+            ))["targetId"]
+            log(f"no page tabs at all, created background about:blank ({tid})")
             pages = [{"targetId": tid, "url": "about:blank", "type": "page"}]
         self.session = (await self.cdp.send_raw(
             "Target.attachToTarget", {"targetId": pages[0]["targetId"], "flatten": True}