diff --git a/cmd/open.go b/cmd/open.go
index 1df23b6..3993137 100644
--- a/cmd/open.go
+++ b/cmd/open.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/warrenronsiek/ctask/internal/config"
-	"github.com/warrenronsiek/ctask/internal/session"
 	"github.com/warrenronsiek/ctask/internal/workspace"
 )
 
@@ -20,23 +19,27 @@ var openCmd = &cobra.Command{
 }
 
 var (
-	openAll   bool
-	openForce bool
+	openAll    bool
+	openForce  bool
+	openDirect bool
 )
 
 func init() {
 	openCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&openAll, "all", "a", false, "Include archived workspaces in query resolution")
 	openCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&openForce, "force", false, "Skip active-session and stale-workspace warnings")
-	// v0.5.2: completion offers active candidates only (see delete for rationale).
+	openCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&openDirect, "direct", false, "Bypass persistent session mode for this command")
 	openCmd.ValidArgsFunction = completeWorkspaces(completionActive)
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(openCmd)
 }
 
 func runOpen(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	roots := config.SearchRoots()
+	// PRESERVED v0.5.2 behavior: open's archive resolution is opt-in via --all.
+	// resolveOne(roots, query, includeArchived) — distinct from resume's
+	// archived-inclusive-with-restore-hint behavior.
 	ws := resolveOne(roots, args[0], openAll)
 
-	// Update updated_at
+	// updated_at bump (existing v0.4 behavior).
 	now := time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Second)
 	ws.Meta.UpdatedAt = now
 	metaPath := filepath.Join(ws.Path, "task.yaml")
@@ -44,16 +47,14 @@ func runOpen(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("updating metadata: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	envVars := config.EnvVars(ws.Meta.Slug, ws.Meta.Mode, ws.Root, ws.Path, ws.Meta.Category, workspace.EffectiveType(ws.Meta), ws.Meta.LaunchDir)
-
-	return session.Run(session.LaunchOpts{
-		WsDir:     ws.Path,
-		EnvVars:   envVars,
-		Agent:     ws.Meta.Agent,
-		Mode:      ws.Meta.Mode,
-		Slug:      ws.Meta.Slug,
-		Shell:     true, // open always launches shell
-		LaunchDir: ws.Meta.LaunchDir,
-		Force:     openForce,
+	return runWorkspaceEntry(WorkspaceEntryOptions{
+		WsPath:      ws.Path,
+		WsRoot:      ws.Root,
+		WsMeta:      ws.Meta,
+		Agent:       ws.Meta.Agent,
+		Shell:       true, // open always launches a shell
+		Force:       openForce,
+		Direct:      openDirect,
+		CommandName: "open",
 	})
 }
diff --git a/cmd/open_persistent_test.go b/cmd/open_persistent_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13796d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/open_persistent_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/warrenronsiek/ctask/internal/workspace"
+)
+
+// Tests in this file mutate runWorkspaceEntry. Do not run with t.Parallel().
+
+func TestOpenDirectFlagRegistered(t *testing.T) {
+	if openCmd.Flags().Lookup("direct") == nil {
+		t.Error("--direct flag missing from `ctask open`")
+	}
+	if openCmd.Flags().Lookup("all") == nil {
+		t.Error("--all flag missing from `ctask open` (archive resolution must remain opt-in)")
+	}
+}
+
+// Open must hit the shared entry helper with Shell: true and CommandName
+// "open". Open's archive-inclusive lookup is gated by --all, so a bare-name
+// resolution against an active workspace must succeed and the captured opts
+// must reflect Shell=true.
+func TestOpenForwardsToEntryHelperWithShellTrue(t *testing.T) {
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	wsDir := filepath.Join(root, "general", "2026-05-08_open-fwd-demo")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(wsDir, 0755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("mkdir: %v", err)
+	}
+	now := time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Second)
+	meta := &workspace.TaskMeta{
+		ID: "t", Slug: "open-fwd-demo", Title: "open-fwd-demo",
+		CreatedAt: now, UpdatedAt: now,
+		Status: "active", Category: "general", Type: "task",
+		Mode: "local", Agent: "claude",
+	}
+	if err := workspace.WriteMeta(filepath.Join(wsDir, "task.yaml"), meta); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteMeta: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	prevRoot := os.Getenv("CTASK_ROOT")
+	os.Setenv("CTASK_ROOT", root)
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if prevRoot == "" {
+			os.Unsetenv("CTASK_ROOT")
+		} else {
+			os.Setenv("CTASK_ROOT", prevRoot)
+		}
+	})
+
+	var captured WorkspaceEntryOptions
+	orig := runWorkspaceEntry
+	runWorkspaceEntry = func(opts WorkspaceEntryOptions) error {
+		captured = opts
+		return nil
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { runWorkspaceEntry = orig })
+
+	// Reset openAll / openForce / openDirect to defaults explicitly
+	// since they are package globals shared across tests.
+	prevAll, prevForce, prevDirect := openAll, openForce, openDirect
+	openAll, openForce, openDirect = false, false, false
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		openAll = prevAll
+		openForce = prevForce
+		openDirect = prevDirect
+	})
+
+	if err := runOpen(openCmd, []string{"open-fwd-demo"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("runOpen: %v", err)
+	}
+	if captured.CommandName != "open" {
+		t.Errorf("CommandName: got %q, want %q", captured.CommandName, "open")
+	}
+	if !captured.Shell {
+		t.Error("open must set Shell=true")
+	}
+	if captured.WsMeta == nil || captured.WsMeta.Slug != "open-fwd-demo" {
+		t.Errorf("WsMeta not propagated: %+v", captured.WsMeta)
+	}
+}