diff --git a/apps/web/src/app/services/external-playback.service.spec.ts b/apps/web/src/app/services/external-playback.service.spec.ts
index 4dd3db10a..059a31c17 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app/services/external-playback.service.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/app/services/external-playback.service.spec.ts
@@ -94,22 +94,57 @@ describe('ExternalPlaybackService', () => {
                 contentType: 'vod',
             })
         ).toBeNull();
+        expect(service.visibleSession()).toBeNull();
     });
 
     it('delegates close requests for closable sessions', async () => {
         const session = createSession({ status: 'opened' });
         listener?.(session);
 
+        closeExternalPlayerSession.mockResolvedValue(
+            createSession({
+                ...session,
+                status: 'closed',
+                canClose: false,
+                updatedAt: '2026-03-07T10:00:10.000Z',
+            })
+        );
+
         await service.closeActiveSession();
 
         expect(closeExternalPlayerSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith(session.id);
+        expect(service.visibleSession()).toBeNull();
     });
 
     it('can close a specific session directly', async () => {
         const session = createSession({ id: 'session-2', status: 'playing' });
 
+        closeExternalPlayerSession.mockResolvedValue(
+            createSession({
+                ...session,
+                status: 'closed',
+                canClose: false,
+                updatedAt: '2026-03-07T10:00:12.000Z',
+            })
+        );
+
         await service.closeSession(session);
 
         expect(closeExternalPlayerSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith('session-2');
     });
+
+    it('hides terminal sessions from the dock', () => {
+        listener?.(createSession({ status: 'closed', canClose: false }));
+        expect(service.visibleSession()).toBeNull();
+
+        listener?.(
+            createSession({
+                id: 'session-3',
+                status: 'error',
+                error: 'Launch failed',
+                canClose: false,
+            })
+        );
+        expect(service.visibleSession()).toBeNull();
+    });
 });
diff --git a/apps/web/src/app/services/external-playback.service.ts b/apps/web/src/app/services/external-playback.service.ts
index 6eeca0f8b..3cedd66d2 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app/services/external-playback.service.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/app/services/external-playback.service.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@ export class ExternalPlaybackService {
 
     readonly visibleSession = computed(() => {
         const session = this.activeSession();
-        if (!session || session.status === 'closed') {
+        if (
+            !session ||
+            session.status === 'closed' ||
+            session.status === 'error'
+        ) {
             return null;
         }
 
@@ -43,11 +47,43 @@ export class ExternalPlaybackService {
     async closeSession(
         session: ExternalPlayerSession | null | undefined
     ): Promise<void> {
-        if (!session?.canClose || !window.electron?.closeExternalPlayerSession) {
+        if (!session) {
             return;
         }
 
-        await window.electron.closeExternalPlayerSession(session.id);
+        if (!session.canClose || !window.electron?.closeExternalPlayerSession) {
+            this.dismissedSessionId.set(session.id);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        const previousDismissedSessionId = this.dismissedSessionId();
+        this.dismissedSessionId.set(session.id);
+
+        try {
+            const updatedSession = await window.electron.closeExternalPlayerSession(
+                session.id
+            );
+            if (updatedSession) {
+                this.handleSessionUpdate(updatedSession);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            this.activeSession.update((current) =>
+                current?.id === session.id
+                    ? {
+                          ...current,
+                          status: 'closed',
+                          canClose: false,
+                          updatedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+                      }
+                    : current
+            );
+        } catch (error) {
+            if (this.dismissedSessionId() === session.id) {
+                this.dismissedSessionId.set(previousDismissedSessionId);
+            }
+            throw error;
+        }
     }
 
     findMatchingSession(
diff --git a/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.html b/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.html
index fc47e2859..00aa5cd13 100644
--- a/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.html
+++ b/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.html
@@ -53,14 +53,5 @@
                 }
             </button>
         }
-        <button
-            type="button"
-            mat-icon-button
-            class="external-playback-dock__dismiss"
-            (click)="dismissClicked.emit()"
-            aria-label="Dismiss now playing panel"
-        >
-            <mat-icon>close</mat-icon>
-        </button>
     </div>
 </section>
diff --git a/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.scss b/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.scss
index 38fdcc55d..e1589007f 100644
--- a/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.scss
+++ b/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.scss
@@ -150,10 +150,7 @@
 
 .external-playback-dock__button {
     border-radius: 999px;
-}
-
-.external-playback-dock__dismiss {
-    color: var(--mat-sys-on-surface-variant);
+    white-space: nowrap;
 }
 
 @media (max-width: 720px) {
diff --git a/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.spec.ts b/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.spec.ts
index 68dc925be..f5c35531e 100644
--- a/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.spec.ts
+++ b/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.spec.ts
@@ -36,17 +36,14 @@ describe('ExternalPlaybackDockComponent', () => {
         expect(text).toContain('Close player');
     });
 
-    it('emits close and dismiss actions', () => {
+    it('emits a single close action', () => {
         const closeSpy = jest.fn();
-        const dismissSpy = jest.fn();
         component.closeClicked.subscribe(closeSpy);
-        component.dismissClicked.subscribe(dismissSpy);
 
         const buttons = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.css('button'));
         buttons[0].nativeElement.click();
-        buttons[1].nativeElement.click();
 
         expect(closeSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(dismissSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(buttons).toHaveLength(1);
     });
 });
diff --git a/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.ts b/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.ts
index 72928da8a..9e4e531da 100644
--- a/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.ts
+++ b/libs/ui/components/src/lib/external-playback-dock/external-playback-dock.component.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ export class ExternalPlaybackDockComponent {
     readonly compact = input(false);
 
     readonly closeClicked = output<void>();
-    readonly dismissClicked = output<void>();
 
     readonly playerLabel = computed(() => this.session().player.toUpperCase());
     readonly statusLabel = computed(() => {
diff --git a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/workspace-shell.component.html b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/workspace-shell.component.html
index 1f0056177..22c9b2ac5 100644
--- a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/workspace-shell.component.html
+++ b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/workspace-shell.component.html
@@ -261,7 +261,6 @@
                 <app-external-playback-dock
                     [session]="session"
                     (closeClicked)="closeActiveExternalSession()"
-                    (dismissClicked)="dismissActiveExternalSession()"
                 />
             </footer>
         }
diff --git a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/workspace-shell.component.ts b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/workspace-shell.component.ts
index 7546cd012..923d62e99 100644
--- a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/workspace-shell.component.ts
+++ b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/workspace-shell.component.ts
@@ -312,10 +312,6 @@ export class WorkspaceShellComponent {
             this.externalPlayback.activeSession()
         );
     }
-
-    dismissActiveExternalSession(): void {
-        this.externalPlayback.dismissActiveSession();
-    }
     readonly searchPlaceholder = computed(() => {
         this.languageTick();