diff --git a/inc/Workspace/RemoteWorkspaceBackend.php b/inc/Workspace/RemoteWorkspaceBackend.php
index 40735108..d502844b 100644
--- a/inc/Workspace/RemoteWorkspaceBackend.php
+++ b/inc/Workspace/RemoteWorkspaceBackend.php
@@ -149,7 +149,11 @@ public function worktree_remove( string $repo_name, string $branch ): array|\WP_
 		$handle = $repo_name . '@' . $this->branch_slug($branch);
 		$state  = $this->state();
 		if ( ! isset($state['worktrees'][ $handle ]) ) {
-			return new \WP_Error('remote_workspace_worktree_not_found', sprintf('Remote workspace worktree "%s" is not registered.', $handle), array( 'status' => 404 ));
+			$stored_handle = $this->find_worktree_handle_by_repo_branch($state, $repo_name, $branch);
+			if ( null === $stored_handle ) {
+				return new \WP_Error('remote_workspace_worktree_not_found', sprintf('Remote workspace worktree "%s" is not registered.', $handle), array( 'status' => 404 ));
+			}
+			$handle = $stored_handle;
 		}
 
 		unset($state['worktrees'][ $handle ]);
@@ -163,6 +167,37 @@ public function worktree_remove( string $repo_name, string $branch ): array|\WP_
 		);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Find the stored worktree handle for a repo/branch pair.
+	 *
+	 * Remote worktree handles can outlive branch changes when an existing
+	 * worktree is reused for a fresh branch. Remove by the current branch should
+	 * still clear that registered row instead of requiring operators to know the
+	 * stale handle slug.
+	 *
+	 * @param  array<string,mixed> $state     Remote workspace state.
+	 * @param  string              $repo_name Workspace repo name.
+	 * @param  string              $branch    Current branch name.
+	 * @return string|null Stored handle, if exactly matched.
+	 */
+	private function find_worktree_handle_by_repo_branch( array $state, string $repo_name, string $branch ): ?string {
+		foreach ( (array) ( $state['worktrees'] ?? array() ) as $stored_handle => $worktree ) {
+			if ( ! is_array($worktree) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			if ( $repo_name !== (string) ( $worktree['repo_name'] ?? '' ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			if ( $branch !== (string) ( $worktree['branch'] ?? '' ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			return (string) $stored_handle;
+		}
+
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Prune remote worktree state whose primary repo registration disappeared.
 	 *
diff --git a/tests/smoke-remote-workspace-backend.php b/tests/smoke-remote-workspace-backend.php
index 434642be..b72ced8b 100644
--- a/tests/smoke-remote-workspace-backend.php
+++ b/tests/smoke-remote-workspace-backend.php
@@ -262,13 +262,28 @@ function update_option( string $key, mixed $value, bool $autoload = true ): bool
     $second_worktree = $backend->worktree_add('example', 'fix/remove-me');
     $assert('second worktree add succeeds', ! is_wp_error($second_worktree) && 'example@fix-remove-me' === $second_worktree['handle']);
 
-    $remove = $backend->worktree_remove('example', 'fix/remove-me');
-    $assert('worktree remove clears remote runtime state', ! is_wp_error($remove) && 'example@fix-remove-me' === $remove['handle']);
-    $removed_status = $backend->git_status('example@fix-remove-me');
-    $assert('removed worktree no longer resolves', is_wp_error($removed_status) && 'remote_workspace_repo_not_found' === $removed_status->get_error_code());
-
-    $state = $GLOBALS['dmc_remote_workspace_options']['datamachine_code_remote_workspace_state'];
-    $state['worktrees']['missing@stale'] = array(
+	$remove = $backend->worktree_remove('example', 'fix/remove-me');
+	$assert('worktree remove clears remote runtime state', ! is_wp_error($remove) && 'example@fix-remove-me' === $remove['handle']);
+	$removed_status = $backend->git_status('example@fix-remove-me');
+	$assert('removed worktree no longer resolves', is_wp_error($removed_status) && 'remote_workspace_repo_not_found' === $removed_status->get_error_code());
+
+	$state = $GLOBALS['dmc_remote_workspace_options']['datamachine_code_remote_workspace_state'];
+	$state['worktrees']['example@old-reused-handle'] = array(
+		'repo_name'       => 'example',
+		'repo'            => 'chubes4/example',
+		'branch'          => 'fix/current-branch',
+		'pending_files'   => array(),
+		'changed_files'   => array(),
+		'last_commit_sha' => '',
+	);
+	$GLOBALS['dmc_remote_workspace_options']['datamachine_code_remote_workspace_state'] = $state;
+	$reused_remove = $backend->worktree_remove('example', 'fix/current-branch');
+	$assert('worktree remove finds reused handle by stored branch', ! is_wp_error($reused_remove) && 'example@old-reused-handle' === $reused_remove['handle']);
+	$state = $GLOBALS['dmc_remote_workspace_options']['datamachine_code_remote_workspace_state'];
+	$assert('worktree remove clears reused handle row', ! isset($state['worktrees']['example@old-reused-handle']));
+
+	$state = $GLOBALS['dmc_remote_workspace_options']['datamachine_code_remote_workspace_state'];
+	$state['worktrees']['missing@stale'] = array(
         'repo_name' => 'missing',
         'repo'      => 'chubes4/missing',
         'branch'    => 'stale',