diff --git a/crates/openshell-bootstrap/src/lib.rs b/crates/openshell-bootstrap/src/lib.rs
index b6423aae..192b6c3f 100644
--- a/crates/openshell-bootstrap/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/openshell-bootstrap/src/lib.rs
@@ -48,10 +48,10 @@ pub use crate::docker::{
     DockerPreflight, ExistingGatewayInfo, check_docker_available, create_ssh_docker_client,
 };
 pub use crate::metadata::{
-    GatewayMetadata, clear_active_gateway, extract_host_from_ssh_destination, get_gateway_metadata,
-    list_gateways, load_active_gateway, load_gateway_metadata, load_last_sandbox,
-    remove_gateway_metadata, resolve_ssh_hostname, save_active_gateway, save_last_sandbox,
-    store_gateway_metadata,
+    GatewayMetadata, clear_active_gateway, clear_last_sandbox, extract_host_from_ssh_destination,
+    get_gateway_metadata, list_gateways, load_active_gateway, load_gateway_metadata,
+    load_last_sandbox, remove_gateway_metadata, resolve_ssh_hostname, save_active_gateway,
+    save_last_sandbox, store_gateway_metadata,
 };
 
 /// Options for remote SSH deployment.
diff --git a/crates/openshell-bootstrap/src/metadata.rs b/crates/openshell-bootstrap/src/metadata.rs
index bd49ba8c..5faf3386 100644
--- a/crates/openshell-bootstrap/src/metadata.rs
+++ b/crates/openshell-bootstrap/src/metadata.rs
@@ -271,6 +271,17 @@ pub fn load_last_sandbox(gateway: &str) -> Option<String> {
     if name.is_empty() { None } else { Some(name) }
 }
 
+/// Remove the persisted last-used sandbox for a gateway.
+pub fn clear_last_sandbox(gateway: &str) -> Result<()> {
+    let path = last_sandbox_path(gateway)?;
+    if path.exists() {
+        std::fs::remove_file(&path)
+            .into_diagnostic()
+            .wrap_err_with(|| format!("failed to remove {}", path.display()))?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// List all gateways that have stored metadata.
 ///
 /// Scans `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/openshell/gateways/` for subdirectories containing
@@ -596,4 +607,19 @@ mod tests {
             );
         });
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn clear_last_sandbox_removes_saved_value() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        with_tmp_xdg(tmp.path(), || {
+            save_last_sandbox("gateway-a", "sandbox-a").unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(
+                load_last_sandbox("gateway-a"),
+                Some("sandbox-a".to_string())
+            );
+
+            clear_last_sandbox("gateway-a").unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(load_last_sandbox("gateway-a"), None);
+        });
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/openshell-cli/src/main.rs b/crates/openshell-cli/src/main.rs
index 84a323b5..197a5730 100644
--- a/crates/openshell-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/openshell-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -2058,7 +2058,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
                             run::sandbox_list(endpoint, limit, offset, ids, names, &tls).await?;
                         }
                         SandboxCommands::Delete { names, all } => {
-                            run::sandbox_delete(endpoint, &names, all, &tls).await?;
+                            run::sandbox_delete(endpoint, &ctx.name, &names, all, &tls).await?;
                         }
                         SandboxCommands::Connect { name, editor } => {
                             let name = resolve_sandbox_name(name, &ctx.name)?;
diff --git a/crates/openshell-cli/src/run.rs b/crates/openshell-cli/src/run.rs
index 37f11fcb..184d141b 100644
--- a/crates/openshell-cli/src/run.rs
+++ b/crates/openshell-cli/src/run.rs
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ use hyper_util::{client::legacy::Client, rt::TokioExecutor};
 use indicatif::{MultiProgress, ProgressBar, ProgressStyle};
 use miette::{IntoDiagnostic, Result, WrapErr};
 use openshell_bootstrap::{
-    DeployOptions, GatewayMetadata, RemoteOptions, clear_active_gateway, container_name,
-    extract_host_from_ssh_destination, get_gateway_metadata, list_gateways, load_active_gateway,
-    remove_gateway_metadata, resolve_ssh_hostname, save_active_gateway, save_last_sandbox,
-    store_gateway_metadata,
+    DeployOptions, GatewayMetadata, RemoteOptions, clear_active_gateway, clear_last_sandbox,
+    container_name, extract_host_from_ssh_destination, get_gateway_metadata, list_gateways,
+    load_active_gateway, load_last_sandbox, remove_gateway_metadata, resolve_ssh_hostname,
+    save_active_gateway, save_last_sandbox, store_gateway_metadata,
 };
 use openshell_core::proto::{
     ApproveAllDraftChunksRequest, ApproveDraftChunkRequest, ClearDraftChunksRequest,
@@ -1819,6 +1819,7 @@ fn sandbox_should_persist(
 
 async fn finalize_sandbox_create_session(
     server: &str,
+    gateway_name: &str,
     sandbox_name: &str,
     persist: bool,
     session_result: Result<()>,
@@ -1829,7 +1830,7 @@ async fn finalize_sandbox_create_session(
     }
 
     let names = [sandbox_name.to_string()];
-    if let Err(err) = sandbox_delete(server, &names, false, tls).await {
+    if let Err(err) = sandbox_delete(server, gateway_name, &names, false, tls).await {
         if session_result.is_ok() {
             return Err(err);
         }
@@ -2295,6 +2296,7 @@ pub async fn sandbox_create(
 
                 return finalize_sandbox_create_session(
                     &effective_server,
+                    effective_tls.gateway_name().unwrap_or(gateway_name),
                     &sandbox_name,
                     persist,
                     connect_result,
@@ -2330,6 +2332,7 @@ pub async fn sandbox_create(
 
             finalize_sandbox_create_session(
                 &effective_server,
+                effective_tls.gateway_name().unwrap_or(gateway_name),
                 &sandbox_name,
                 persist,
                 exec_result,
@@ -2740,6 +2743,7 @@ pub async fn sandbox_list(
 /// Delete a sandbox by name, or all sandboxes when `all` is true.
 pub async fn sandbox_delete(
     server: &str,
+    gateway_name: &str,
     names: &[String],
     all: bool,
     tls: &TlsOptions,
@@ -2784,8 +2788,14 @@ pub async fn sandbox_delete(
         let deleted = response.into_inner().deleted;
         if deleted {
             println!("{} Deleted sandbox {name}", "✓".green().bold());
+            if load_last_sandbox(gateway_name).as_deref() == Some(name.as_str()) {
+                clear_last_sandbox(gateway_name)?;
+            }
         } else {
             println!("{} Sandbox {name} not found", "!".yellow());
+            if load_last_sandbox(gateway_name).as_deref() == Some(name.as_str()) {
+                clear_last_sandbox(gateway_name)?;
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/openshell-cli/tests/sandbox_create_lifecycle_integration.rs b/crates/openshell-cli/tests/sandbox_create_lifecycle_integration.rs
index 9fcfeced..90dce185 100644
--- a/crates/openshell-cli/tests/sandbox_create_lifecycle_integration.rs
+++ b/crates/openshell-cli/tests/sandbox_create_lifecycle_integration.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2025-2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-use openshell_bootstrap::load_last_sandbox;
+use openshell_bootstrap::{load_last_sandbox, save_last_sandbox};
 use openshell_cli::run;
 use openshell_cli::tls::TlsOptions;
 use openshell_core::proto::open_shell_server::{OpenShell, OpenShellServer};
@@ -716,3 +716,34 @@ async fn sandbox_create_keeps_sandbox_with_forwarding() {
 
     assert!(deleted_names(&server).await.is_empty());
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn sandbox_delete_clears_matching_last_used_sandbox() {
+    let server = run_server().await;
+    let fake_ssh_dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let xdg_dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let _env = test_env(&fake_ssh_dir, &xdg_dir);
+    let tls = test_tls(&server);
+
+    save_last_sandbox("openshell", "stale-sandbox").expect("save should succeed");
+    assert_eq!(
+        load_last_sandbox("openshell").as_deref(),
+        Some("stale-sandbox")
+    );
+
+    run::sandbox_delete(
+        &server.endpoint,
+        "openshell",
+        &["stale-sandbox".to_string()],
+        false,
+        &tls,
+    )
+    .await
+    .expect("sandbox delete should succeed");
+
+    assert_eq!(load_last_sandbox("openshell"), None);
+    assert_eq!(
+        deleted_names(&server).await,
+        vec![vec!["stale-sandbox".to_string()]]
+    );
+}