diff --git a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle.py b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle.py
index f42d066..d2eb01b 100644
--- a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle.py
+++ b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle.py
@@ -22,9 +22,21 @@ import sys
 from typing import Mapping
 
 from .. import Bottle, ExecResult
+from . import pty_resize as _pty_resize
 from . import smolvm as _smolvm
 
 
+# Absolute path to the pty_resize wrapper. The dashboard's tmux
+# pane (split-window / respawn-pane) opens the new pane in its
+# OWN cwd, not the cwd of the process running split-window — so
+# invoking the wrapper as `python -m <dotted-path>` would fail
+# with ModuleNotFoundError whenever the operator's tmux pane was
+# started from anywhere outside the claude-bottle repo. Absolute
+# path sidesteps the cwd dependence (the wrapper has no
+# claude_bottle.* imports, so it runs as a standalone script).
+_PTY_RESIZE_SCRIPT = _pty_resize.__file__
+
+
 # Per-user env the agent image's USER (node) expects. claude
 # reads ~/.claude.json + writes session state under ~/.claude/;
 # bare `runuser -u` inherits root's HOME=/root, which claude
@@ -96,8 +108,7 @@ class SmolmachinesBottle(Bottle):
             # happen to go through this method) stay light.
             return flags
         return [
-            sys.executable, "-m",
-            "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.pty_resize",
+            sys.executable, _PTY_RESIZE_SCRIPT,
             self.name, "--", *flags,
         ]
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_smolmachines_bottle.py b/tests/unit/test_smolmachines_bottle.py
index a6d5777..58d3039 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_smolmachines_bottle.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_smolmachines_bottle.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import sys
 import unittest
 
+from claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines import pty_resize as _pty_resize
 from claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.bottle import SmolmachinesBottle
 
 
@@ -40,13 +41,15 @@ class TestClaudeArgvWrapped(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_pty_resize_wrapper_prefix(self):
         argv = _bottle().claude_argv([])
+        # Absolute script path (not `-m <dotted>`) so the tmux
+        # pane's cwd doesn't matter — see the `_PTY_RESIZE_SCRIPT`
+        # docstring in bottle.py.
         self.assertEqual(
             [
-                sys.executable, "-m",
-                "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.pty_resize",
+                sys.executable, _pty_resize.__file__,
                 "claude-bottle-dev-abc", "--",
             ],
-            argv[:5],
+            argv[:4],
         )
 
     def test_minimal_inner_argv_no_prompt(self):
@@ -128,7 +131,7 @@ class TestClaudeArgvNoTTY(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_no_wrapper_when_tty_false(self):
         argv = _bottle().claude_argv([], tty=False)
         self.assertEqual("smolvm", argv[0])
-        self.assertNotIn("pty_resize", " ".join(argv))
+        self.assertFalse(any("pty_resize" in a for a in argv))
 
     def test_tty_false_drops_it_flags(self):
         argv = _bottle().claude_argv([], tty=False)