diff --git a/src/__tests__/pieceExecution-session-loading.test.ts b/src/__tests__/pieceExecution-session-loading.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e09d0d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/__tests__/pieceExecution-session-loading.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,221 @@
+/**
+ * Tests: session loading behavior in executePiece().
+ *
+ * Normal runs pass empty sessions to PieceEngine;
+ * retry runs (startMovement / retryNote) load persisted sessions.
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, vi } from 'vitest';
+import type { PieceConfig } from '../core/models/index.js';
+
+const { MockPieceEngine, mockLoadPersonaSessions, mockLoadWorktreeSessions } = vi.hoisted(() => {
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-require-imports
+  const { EventEmitter: EE } = require('node:events') as typeof import('node:events');
+
+  const mockLoadPersonaSessions = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ coder: 'saved-session-id' });
+  const mockLoadWorktreeSessions = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ coder: 'worktree-session-id' });
+
+  class MockPieceEngine extends EE {
+    static lastInstance: MockPieceEngine;
+    readonly receivedOptions: Record<string, unknown>;
+
+    constructor(config: PieceConfig, _cwd: string, _task: string, options: Record<string, unknown>) {
+      super();
+      this.receivedOptions = options;
+      MockPieceEngine.lastInstance = this;
+    }
+
+    abort(): void {}
+
+    async run(): Promise<{ status: string; iteration: number }> {
+      this.emit('piece:complete', { status: 'completed', iteration: 1 });
+      return { status: 'completed', iteration: 1 };
+    }
+  }
+
+  return { MockPieceEngine, mockLoadPersonaSessions, mockLoadWorktreeSessions };
+});
+
+vi.mock('../core/piece/index.js', () => ({
+  PieceEngine: MockPieceEngine,
+}));
+
+vi.mock('../infra/claude/index.js', () => ({
+  detectRuleIndex: vi.fn(),
+  interruptAllQueries: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('../agents/ai-judge.js', () => ({
+  callAiJudge: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('../infra/config/index.js', () => ({
+  loadPersonaSessions: mockLoadPersonaSessions,
+  updatePersonaSession: vi.fn(),
+  loadWorktreeSessions: mockLoadWorktreeSessions,
+  updateWorktreeSession: vi.fn(),
+  loadGlobalConfig: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ provider: 'claude' }),
+  saveSessionState: vi.fn(),
+  ensureDir: vi.fn(),
+  writeFileAtomic: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('../shared/context.js', () => ({
+  isQuietMode: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(true),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('../shared/ui/index.js', () => ({
+  header: vi.fn(),
+  info: vi.fn(),
+  warn: vi.fn(),
+  error: vi.fn(),
+  success: vi.fn(),
+  status: vi.fn(),
+  blankLine: vi.fn(),
+  StreamDisplay: vi.fn().mockImplementation(() => ({
+    createHandler: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(vi.fn()),
+    flush: vi.fn(),
+  })),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('../infra/fs/index.js', () => ({
+  generateSessionId: vi.fn().mockReturnValue('test-session-id'),
+  createSessionLog: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({
+    startTime: new Date().toISOString(),
+    iterations: 0,
+  }),
+  finalizeSessionLog: vi.fn().mockImplementation((log, status) => ({
+    ...log,
+    status,
+    endTime: new Date().toISOString(),
+  })),
+  initNdjsonLog: vi.fn().mockReturnValue('/tmp/test-log.jsonl'),
+  appendNdjsonLine: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('../shared/utils/index.js', () => ({
+  createLogger: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({
+    debug: vi.fn(),
+    info: vi.fn(),
+    warn: vi.fn(),
+    error: vi.fn(),
+  }),
+  notifySuccess: vi.fn(),
+  notifyError: vi.fn(),
+  preventSleep: vi.fn(),
+  isDebugEnabled: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(false),
+  writePromptLog: vi.fn(),
+  generateReportDir: vi.fn().mockReturnValue('test-report-dir'),
+  isValidReportDirName: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(true),
+  playWarningSound: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('../shared/prompt/index.js', () => ({
+  selectOption: vi.fn(),
+  promptInput: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('../shared/i18n/index.js', () => ({
+  getLabel: vi.fn().mockImplementation((key: string) => key),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('../shared/exitCodes.js', () => ({
+  EXIT_SIGINT: 130,
+}));
+
+import { executePiece } from '../features/tasks/execute/pieceExecution.js';
+
+function makeConfig(): PieceConfig {
+  return {
+    name: 'test-piece',
+    maxMovements: 5,
+    initialMovement: 'implement',
+    movements: [
+      {
+        name: 'implement',
+        persona: '../agents/coder.md',
+        personaDisplayName: 'coder',
+        instructionTemplate: 'Implement task',
+        passPreviousResponse: true,
+        rules: [{ condition: 'done', next: 'COMPLETE' }],
+      },
+    ],
+  };
+}
+
+describe('executePiece session loading', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mockLoadPersonaSessions.mockReturnValue({ coder: 'saved-session-id' });
+    mockLoadWorktreeSessions.mockReturnValue({ coder: 'worktree-session-id' });
+  });
+
+  it('should pass empty initialSessions on normal run', async () => {
+    // Given: normal execution (no startMovement, no retryNote)
+    await executePiece(makeConfig(), 'task', '/tmp/project', {
+      projectCwd: '/tmp/project',
+    });
+
+    // Then: PieceEngine receives empty sessions
+    expect(mockLoadPersonaSessions).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockLoadWorktreeSessions).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(MockPieceEngine.lastInstance.receivedOptions.initialSessions).toEqual({});
+  });
+
+  it('should load persisted sessions when startMovement is set (retry)', async () => {
+    // Given: retry execution with startMovement
+    await executePiece(makeConfig(), 'task', '/tmp/project', {
+      projectCwd: '/tmp/project',
+      startMovement: 'implement',
+    });
+
+    // Then: loadPersonaSessions is called to load saved sessions
+    expect(mockLoadPersonaSessions).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/tmp/project', 'claude');
+  });
+
+  it('should load persisted sessions when retryNote is set (retry)', async () => {
+    // Given: retry execution with retryNote
+    await executePiece(makeConfig(), 'task', '/tmp/project', {
+      projectCwd: '/tmp/project',
+      retryNote: 'Fix the failing test',
+    });
+
+    // Then: loadPersonaSessions is called to load saved sessions
+    expect(mockLoadPersonaSessions).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/tmp/project', 'claude');
+  });
+
+  it('should load worktree sessions on retry when cwd differs from projectCwd', async () => {
+    // Given: retry execution in a worktree (cwd !== projectCwd)
+    await executePiece(makeConfig(), 'task', '/tmp/worktree', {
+      projectCwd: '/tmp/project',
+      startMovement: 'implement',
+    });
+
+    // Then: loadWorktreeSessions is called instead of loadPersonaSessions
+    expect(mockLoadWorktreeSessions).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/tmp/project', '/tmp/worktree', 'claude');
+    expect(mockLoadPersonaSessions).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('should not load sessions for worktree normal run', async () => {
+    // Given: normal execution in a worktree (no retry)
+    await executePiece(makeConfig(), 'task', '/tmp/worktree', {
+      projectCwd: '/tmp/project',
+    });
+
+    // Then: neither session loader is called
+    expect(mockLoadPersonaSessions).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockLoadWorktreeSessions).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('should load sessions when both startMovement and retryNote are set', async () => {
+    // Given: retry with both flags
+    await executePiece(makeConfig(), 'task', '/tmp/project', {
+      projectCwd: '/tmp/project',
+      startMovement: 'implement',
+      retryNote: 'Fix issue',
+    });
+
+    // Then: sessions are loaded
+    expect(mockLoadPersonaSessions).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/tmp/project', 'claude');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/features/tasks/execute/pieceExecution.ts b/src/features/tasks/execute/pieceExecution.ts
index e660f95..ba3d19c 100644
--- a/src/features/tasks/execute/pieceExecution.ts
+++ b/src/features/tasks/execute/pieceExecution.ts
@@ -218,8 +218,9 @@ export async function executePiece(
     : undefined;
   const out = createOutputFns(prefixWriter);
 
-  // Always continue from previous sessions (use /clear to reset)
-  log.debug('Continuing session (use /clear to reset)');
+  // Retry reuses saved sessions; normal runs start fresh
+  const isRetry = Boolean(options.startMovement || options.retryNote);
+  log.debug('Session mode', { isRetry, isWorktree: cwd !== projectCwd });
 
   out.header(`${headerPrefix} ${pieceConfig.name}`);
 
@@ -292,7 +293,7 @@ export async function executePiece(
         displayRef.current.createHandler()(event);
       };
 
-  // Load saved agent sessions for continuity (from project root or clone-specific storage)
+  // Load saved agent sessions only on retry; normal runs start with empty sessions
   const isWorktree = cwd !== projectCwd;
   const globalConfig = loadGlobalConfig();
   const shouldNotify = globalConfig.notificationSound !== false;
@@ -306,9 +307,11 @@ export async function executePiece(
   if (globalConfig.preventSleep) {
     preventSleep();
   }
-  const savedSessions = isWorktree
-    ? loadWorktreeSessions(projectCwd, cwd, currentProvider)
-    : loadPersonaSessions(projectCwd, currentProvider);
+  const savedSessions = isRetry
+    ? (isWorktree
+        ? loadWorktreeSessions(projectCwd, cwd, currentProvider)
+        : loadPersonaSessions(projectCwd, currentProvider))
+    : {};
 
   // Session update handler - persist session IDs when they change
   // Clone sessions are stored separately per clone path