diff --git a/src/runtime/automation_snapshot.zig b/src/runtime/automation_snapshot.zig
index 67eaa556c..05a2a3527 100644
--- a/src/runtime/automation_snapshot.zig
+++ b/src/runtime/automation_snapshot.zig
@@ -46,16 +46,31 @@ pub fn RuntimeAutomationSnapshot(comptime Runtime: type) type {
                     .text_layout_line_budget = canvas_limits.max_canvas_text_layout_lines_per_view,
                 };
             }
+            var window_count: usize = 0;
             var view_count: usize = 0;
             var widget_count: usize = 0;
             var menu_item_count: usize = 0;
-            for (self.windows[0..count], 0..) |window, index| {
-                self.automation_windows[index] = .{
+            // CLOSED windows are skipped, not reported. A closed window
+            // keeps its runtime table slot (with `info.open = false`)
+            // until its label or id is re-created — `removeWindowAt` runs
+            // at re-creation, not at close — so `self.windows[0..count]`
+            // still carries every window the app has ever declared. Their
+            // views are gone from `self.views` the moment they close, so
+            // an unfiltered pass published a window line with no views
+            // under it: a ghost that made every automation assertion on
+            // window COUNT (a settings window that must close, a
+            // reconciled window set) pass against a window that is not on
+            // screen. The output index advances only for the windows that
+            // survive the filter.
+            for (self.windows[0..count]) |window| {
+                if (!window.info.open) continue;
+                self.automation_windows[window_count] = .{
                     .id = window.info.id,
                     .title = if (window.info.title.len > 0) window.info.title else title,
                     .bounds = window.info.frame,
                     .focused = window.info.focused,
                 };
+                window_count += 1;
                 if (view_count < self.automation_views.len) {
                     const views = self.listViews(window.info.id, self.automation_views[view_count..]);
                     view_count += views.len;
@@ -63,7 +78,7 @@ pub fn RuntimeAutomationSnapshot(comptime Runtime: type) type {
                 appendAutomationWidgets(self, window.info.id, &widget_count, &menu_item_count);
             }
             return .{
-                .windows = self.automation_windows[0..count],
+                .windows = self.automation_windows[0..window_count],
                 .views = self.automation_views[0..view_count],
                 .widgets = self.automation_widgets[0..widget_count],
                 .commands = self.options.commands,