diff --git a/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts b/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts
index 0f24419c9f..1d25cc9313 100644
--- a/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts
+++ b/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts
@@ -212,7 +212,9 @@ async function buildClaudeRuntimeConfig(input: ClaudeExecutionInput): Promise<Cl
     executionTargetIsRemote,
     executionCwd: effectiveExecutionCwd,
   });
-  await ensureAbsoluteDirectory(cwd, { createIfMissing: true });
+  if (!executionTargetIsRemote) {
+    await ensureAbsoluteDirectory(cwd, { createIfMissing: true });
+  }
 
   const envConfig = parseObject(config.env);
   const env: Record<string, string> = { ...buildPaperclipEnv(agent) };
diff --git a/packages/adapters/opencode-local/src/server/execute.ts b/packages/adapters/opencode-local/src/server/execute.ts
index dba49d84c8..c56b7f01c0 100644
--- a/packages/adapters/opencode-local/src/server/execute.ts
+++ b/packages/adapters/opencode-local/src/server/execute.ts
@@ -252,7 +252,9 @@ export async function execute(ctx: AdapterExecutionContext): Promise<AdapterExec
   const effectiveWorkspaceCwd = useConfiguredInsteadOfAgentHome ? "" : workspaceCwd;
   const cwd = effectiveWorkspaceCwd || configuredCwd || process.cwd();
   let effectiveExecutionCwd = adapterExecutionTargetRemoteCwd(executionTarget, cwd);
-  await ensureAbsoluteDirectory(cwd, { createIfMissing: true });
+  if (!executionTargetIsRemote) {
+    await ensureAbsoluteDirectory(cwd, { createIfMissing: true });
+  }
   const openCodeSkillEntries = await readPaperclipRuntimeSkillEntries(config, __moduleDir);
   const desiredOpenCodeSkillNames = resolveLegacyPaperclipDesiredSkillNames(config, openCodeSkillEntries);
   if (!executionTargetIsRemote) {
diff --git a/packages/adapters/pi-local/src/server/execute.ts b/packages/adapters/pi-local/src/server/execute.ts
index 08f80fb991..398bcb7205 100644
--- a/packages/adapters/pi-local/src/server/execute.ts
+++ b/packages/adapters/pi-local/src/server/execute.ts
@@ -255,7 +255,9 @@ export async function execute(ctx: AdapterExecutionContext): Promise<AdapterExec
   const effectiveWorkspaceCwd = useConfiguredInsteadOfAgentHome ? "" : workspaceCwd;
   const cwd = effectiveWorkspaceCwd || configuredCwd || process.cwd();
   let effectiveExecutionCwd = adapterExecutionTargetRemoteCwd(executionTarget, cwd);
-  await ensureAbsoluteDirectory(cwd, { createIfMissing: true });
+  if (!executionTargetIsRemote) {
+    await ensureAbsoluteDirectory(cwd, { createIfMissing: true });
+  }
 
   if (!executionTargetIsRemote) {
     await ensureSessionsDir();
diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/legacy-sandbox-work-folder-startup.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/legacy-sandbox-work-folder-startup.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d5db5cc4f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/legacy-sandbox-work-folder-startup.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import { mkdtemp, readFile, rm, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { execute as claude } from "@paperclipai/adapter-claude-local/server";
+import { execute as opencode } from "@paperclipai/adapter-opencode-local/server";
+import { execute as pi } from "@paperclipai/adapter-pi-local/server";
+
+describe("legacy sandbox workspace ownership", () => {
+  it.each([["claude_local", claude], ["opencode_local", opencode], ["pi_local", pi]] as const)(
+    "%s leaves sandbox paths to the remote runner",
+    async (adapterType, execute) => {
+      const root = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "remote-work-folder-"));
+      const hostSentinel = join(root, "host-file");
+      await writeFile(hostSentinel, "host-owned");
+      // This sandbox path cannot be mkdir'd on the app host. Reaching the
+      // remote command probe proves startup did not claim the path locally.
+      const cwd = join(hostSentinel, "repos", "project");
+      const probe = vi.fn(async () => { throw new Error("remote-probe-reached"); });
+      try {
+        await expect(execute({
+          runId: "remote-work-folder-run",
+          agent: { id: "agent", companyId: "company", name: "test", adapterType, adapterConfig: {} },
+          config: { engine: "cli", cwd, command: "qualified-provider", env: {} },
+          context: { paperclipWorkspace: { cwd } },
+          runtime: { sessionId: null, sessionParams: null, sessionDisplayId: null, taskKey: null },
+          executionTarget: { kind: "remote", transport: "sandbox", providerKey: "daytona",
+            remoteCwd: cwd, workFolderHome: root, runner: { execute: probe } },
+          onLog: async () => {},
+        })).rejects.toThrow("remote-probe-reached");
+        expect(probe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(await readFile(hostSentinel, "utf8")).toBe("host-owned");
+      } finally { await rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true }); }
+    },
+  );
+});