diff --git a/contrib/windows/README.md b/contrib/windows/README.md
index 2fed2cc7..6f3fda49 100644
--- a/contrib/windows/README.md
+++ b/contrib/windows/README.md
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File contrib\windows\collie-c
 ```
 
 `start` registers a Task Scheduler job (`herdr.collie`, override with `COLLIE_TASK_NAME`) that runs
-at logon, restarts after failures, and outlives Herdr. `status` prints the same readiness banner the
+at logon, restarts after failures, and outlives Herdr. It launches through `conhost --headless`
+so the bridge gets a pseudoconsole with no window: a bare `powershell.exe` action would surface
+on Windows 11 as a Windows Terminal tab, which kills the bridge when someone closes it. `status` prints the same readiness banner the
 POSIX script does; `logs` tails the bridge's stdout/stderr, including the pair preserved from the
 last crash. Config is the usual `.env` in the plugin config dir
 ([`.env.example`](../../.env.example) documents every key).
diff --git a/contrib/windows/collie-ctl.ps1 b/contrib/windows/collie-ctl.ps1
index 36dcb8b5..dc6ea420 100644
--- a/contrib/windows/collie-ctl.ps1
+++ b/contrib/windows/collie-ctl.ps1
@@ -223,7 +223,13 @@ function Register-CollieTask {
   $arguments = '-NoProfile -NonInteractive -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "{0}" -TaskConfigDir "{1}" -TaskSocketPath "{2}" _exec-bridge' -f $ctl, $script:ConfigDir, $script:SocketPath
   $identity = [Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent().Name
 
-  $action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute $powershell -Argument $arguments -WorkingDirectory $script:PluginRoot
+  # No console, so the bridge is not a closable Windows Terminal tab; the launcher is still $powershell.
+  $conhost = Join-Path $env:SystemRoot "System32\conhost.exe"
+  $action = if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $conhost) {
+    New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute $conhost -Argument ('--headless "{0}" {1}' -f $powershell, $arguments) -WorkingDirectory $script:PluginRoot
+  } else {
+    New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute $powershell -Argument $arguments -WorkingDirectory $script:PluginRoot
+  }
   $trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtLogOn -User $identity
   $principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId $identity -LogonType Interactive -RunLevel (Get-CollieTaskRunLevel)
   $settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet `
diff --git a/contrib/windows/collie-ctl.test.ps1 b/contrib/windows/collie-ctl.test.ps1
index 6899ca9f..93342068 100644
--- a/contrib/windows/collie-ctl.test.ps1
+++ b/contrib/windows/collie-ctl.test.ps1
@@ -148,6 +148,8 @@ COLLIE_HOST="127.0.0.1"
   Assert-Equal $script:registered.Principal.RunLevel "Limited" "task privilege"
   Assert-Equal $script:registered.Settings.ExecutionTimeLimit ([TimeSpan]::Zero) "task execution limit"
   Assert-Equal $script:registered.Settings.RestartCount 999 "task restart policy"
+  Assert-Contains $script:registered.Action.Execute "conhost.exe" "task launcher is headless"
+  Assert-Contains $script:registered.Action.Argument "--headless" "task action asks for no console"
 
   $env:COLLIE_TASK_RUN_LEVEL = "highest"
   function Test-Administrator { $true }