diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/xterm/decorationAddon.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/xterm/decorationAddon.ts
index 6320465258e..c0d71ee566a 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/xterm/decorationAddon.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/xterm/decorationAddon.ts
@@ -28,12 +28,14 @@ import { ILifecycleService } from '../../../../services/lifecycle/common/lifecyc
 import { IHoverService } from '../../../../../platform/hover/browser/hover.js';
 import { MarkdownString } from '../../../../../base/common/htmlContent.js';
 import { IChatContextPickService } from '../../../chat/browser/chatContextPickService.js';
-import { IChatWidgetService } from '../../../chat/browser/chat.js';
+import { IChatWidgetService, showChatView } from '../../../chat/browser/chat.js';
 import { IInstantiationService } from '../../../../../platform/instantiation/common/instantiation.js';
 import { TerminalContext } from '../../../chat/browser/actions/chatContext.js';
 import { getTerminalUri, parseTerminalUri } from '../terminalUri.js';
 import { URI } from '../../../../../base/common/uri.js';
 import { ChatAgentLocation } from '../../../chat/common/constants.js';
+import { IViewsService } from '../../../../services/views/common/viewsService.js';
+import { IWorkbenchLayoutService } from '../../../../services/layout/browser/layoutService.js';
 
 interface IDisposableDecoration { decoration: IDecoration; disposables: IDisposable[]; exitCode?: number; markProperties?: IMarkProperties }
 
@@ -67,7 +69,9 @@ export class DecorationAddon extends Disposable implements ITerminalAddon, IDeco
 		@IHoverService private readonly _hoverService: IHoverService,
 		@IChatContextPickService private readonly _contextPickService: IChatContextPickService,
 		@IChatWidgetService private readonly _chatWidgetService: IChatWidgetService,
-		@IInstantiationService private readonly _instantiationService: IInstantiationService
+		@IInstantiationService private readonly _instantiationService: IInstantiationService,
+		@IViewsService private readonly _viewsService: IViewsService,
+		@IWorkbenchLayoutService private readonly _layoutService: IWorkbenchLayoutService
 	) {
 		super();
 		this._register(toDisposable(() => this._dispose()));
@@ -527,14 +531,24 @@ export class DecorationAddon extends Disposable implements ITerminalAddon, IDeco
 		return {
 			class: undefined, tooltip: labelAttachToChat, id: 'terminal.attachToChat', label: labelAttachToChat, enabled: true,
 			run: async () => {
-				const widget = this._chatWidgetService.lastFocusedWidget ?? this._chatWidgetService.getWidgetsByLocations(ChatAgentLocation.Chat)?.find(w => w.attachmentCapabilities.supportsTerminalAttachments);
+				let widget = this._chatWidgetService.lastFocusedWidget ?? this._chatWidgetService.getWidgetsByLocations(ChatAgentLocation.Chat)?.find(w => w.attachmentCapabilities.supportsTerminalAttachments);
+
+				// If no widget found (e.g., after window reload when chat hasn't been focused), open chat view
+				if (!widget) {
+					widget = await showChatView(this._viewsService, this._layoutService);
+				}
+
+				if (!widget) {
+					return;
+				}
+
 				let terminalContext: TerminalContext | undefined;
 				if (this._resource) {
 					const parsedUri = parseTerminalUri(this._resource);
 					terminalContext = this._instantiationService.createInstance(TerminalContext, getTerminalUri(parsedUri.workspaceId, parsedUri.instanceId!, undefined, command.id));
 				}
 
-				if (terminalContext && widget && widget.attachmentCapabilities.supportsTerminalAttachments) {
+				if (terminalContext && widget.attachmentCapabilities.supportsTerminalAttachments) {
 					try {
 						const attachment = await terminalContext.asAttachment(widget);
 						if (attachment) {