feat(maestro): swap web session-list/pane focus keys to Tab/Esc

Tab now moves the keyboard from the session list to the pane (was
Escape); Escape moves it back from the pane to the list, intercepted via
xterm's attachCustomKeyEventHandler so it never reaches the shell/app.
Matches the TUI's `tab`/`esc` pair; Ctrl+Q was ruled out since browsers
reserve it and never deliver it to page JS.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

crates/maestro-tui/src/app.rs

@@ -608,7 +608,19 @@ impl App {
     /// daemon never adopts an existing worktree (docs/WORKTREES.md), same
     /// rule as web/src/spawnSimilar.ts.
     fn open_spawn_modal(&mut self) {
-        let seed_cwd = self.state.active_session().and_then(|sid| {
+        let mut draft = DraftPane::default();
+        draft.seed_cwd = self.focused_seed_cwd();
+        self.draft = Some(draft);
+        self.state.open_spawn_modal();
+    }
+
+    /// The project of the session the operator was last on — its base
+    /// repository for a worktree session, its cwd otherwise. Shared by the
+    /// plain spawn modal seed and fast-forward's project pick (#67 review):
+    /// both should land on "where I currently am", not just "whatever's
+    /// freshest".
+    fn focused_seed_cwd(&self) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+        self.state.active_session().and_then(|sid| {
             self.catalog
                 .snapshot()
                 .sessions
@@ -618,11 +630,7 @@ impl App {
                     Some(wt) => wt.base_repo.clone(),
                     None => s.cwd.clone(),
                 })
-        });
-        let mut draft = DraftPane::default();
-        draft.seed_cwd = seed_cwd;
-        self.draft = Some(draft);
-        self.state.open_spawn_modal();
+        })
     }
 
     /// Close the form and drop its half-filled state — reopening starts clean,
@@ -767,9 +775,11 @@ impl App {
             info,
             projects,
             names,
+            focused_cwd,
         } = update
         {
-            self.fast_forward_spawn(info, projects, names).await;
+            self.fast_forward_spawn(info, projects, names, focused_cwd)
+                .await;
             return;
         }
         let want = match &update {
@@ -836,6 +846,7 @@ impl App {
     /// `/api/projects` walks all of `$HOME`, and pressing the key must not
     /// freeze keys, frames and attached panes until it returns.
     fn spawn_fast_forward(&self) {
+        let focused_cwd = self.focused_seed_cwd();
         let (daemon, http, base, tx) = self.loader_handles();
         tokio::spawn(async move {
             let (info, projects) = tokio::join!(daemon.daemon_info(), daemon.list_projects());
@@ -844,6 +855,7 @@ impl App {
                 info: info.ok(),
                 projects: projects.ok(),
                 names,
+                focused_cwd,
             });
         });
     }
@@ -853,6 +865,7 @@ impl App {
         info: Option<maestro_protocol::DaemonInfo>,
         projects: Option<Vec<maestro_protocol::Project>>,
         names: Vec<String>,
+        focused_cwd: Option<PathBuf>,
     ) {
         // Keep the home dir: without it the pre-filled draft renders
         // unabbreviated paths and "Other directory…" seeds `/` instead of
@@ -866,8 +879,13 @@ impl App {
             _ => Vec::new(),
         };
         let discovered = projects.unwrap_or_default();
-        let resolved =
-            crate::fast_forward::resolve(&discovered, &presets, names.first().cloned(), Utc::now());
+        let resolved = crate::fast_forward::resolve(
+            &discovered,
+            &presets,
+            names.first().cloned(),
+            Utc::now(),
+            focused_cwd.as_deref(),
+        );
         if let Some(req) = resolved.build_request() {
             self.submit_spawn(req).await;
             return;
@@ -1166,6 +1184,7 @@ enum DraftUpdate {
         info: Option<maestro_protocol::DaemonInfo>,
         projects: Option<Vec<maestro_protocol::Project>>,
         names: Vec<String>,
+        focused_cwd: Option<PathBuf>,
     },
 }
 

crates/maestro-tui/src/config.rs

@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ const DEFAULT_NORMAL: &[(&str, &str)] = &[
     ("c", "ToggleSidebarGroup"),
     // Catalog actions
     ("enter", "AttachHighlighted"),
+    // Tab focuses the highlighted pane, mirroring the web keybind — bare
+    // because Normal mode only exists while the sidebar is focused, so
+    // nothing forwards it to a pty.
+    ("tab", "AttachHighlighted"),
     ("s", "OpenSpawnModal"),
     // Fast-forward spawn (#67): the spawn key's neighbour does the same
     // thing with every default resolved and no form.
@@ -63,14 +67,17 @@ const DEFAULT_NORMAL: &[(&str, &str)] = &[
     ("ctrl-w b", "ToggleSidebar"),
     ("?", "ShowHelp"),
     ("ctrl-w q", "Quit"),
+    // Bare quit, AoE-style: only reachable from the sidebar (Normal mode
+    // never forwards keys to a pty), same reasoning as bare `tab` above.
+    ("q", "Quit"),
     // Mouse
     ("mouse:dblclick(sidebar-row)", "AttachHighlighted"),
 ];
 
-/// Default Insert-mode bindings. Empty by default — the only Insert binding
-/// is the leader, which is inserted dynamically by [`TuiConfig::load`] so
-/// rebinding the leader rebinds its Insert escape automatically.
-const DEFAULT_INSERT: &[(&str, &str)] = &[];
+/// Default Insert-mode bindings. The leader (`LeaveInsert`) is inserted
+/// dynamically by [`TuiConfig::load`] so rebinding it rebinds its Insert
+/// escape automatically; `esc` is a second, fixed way back to the sidebar.
+const DEFAULT_INSERT: &[(&str, &str)] = &[("esc", "LeaveInsert")];
 
 impl TuiConfig {
     /// Build a runtime config from a [`TuiSection`] (typically the `tui`
@@ -222,6 +229,23 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    /// AoE-style defaults (#shortcuts): `q` and `tab` are bare because Normal
+    /// mode only exists while the sidebar is focused, so neither can leak
+    /// into a pty; `esc` is a second way out of Insert alongside the leader.
+    #[test]
+    fn aoe_style_defaults_are_bound() {
+        let cfg = TuiConfig::load(&TuiSection::default()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(cfg.keymap.resolve(Mode::Normal, "q"), Some(Action::Quit));
+        assert_eq!(
+            cfg.keymap.resolve(Mode::Normal, "tab"),
+            Some(Action::AttachHighlighted),
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            cfg.keymap.resolve(Mode::Insert, "esc"),
+            Some(Action::LeaveInsert),
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn default_leader_is_ctrl_a_and_escapes_insert() {
         let cfg = TuiConfig::load(&TuiSection::default()).unwrap();

crates/maestro-tui/src/fast_forward.rs

@@ -26,16 +26,25 @@ pub struct FastForwardDefaults {
 
 /// Resolve the fast-forward defaults from the daemon's answers. `name` is
 /// `None` when `/api/names` yielded nothing; `presets` may be empty (the
-/// caller falls back to the built-ins it already has).
+/// caller falls back to the built-ins it already has). `focused_cwd` is the
+/// project of the session the operator was last on ([`crate::app`]'s
+/// `focused_seed_cwd`) — when it matches a known project, that project wins
+/// over the global recency ranking, so `N` lands where the operator
+/// currently is rather than wherever was freshest.
 pub fn resolve(
     projects: &[Project],
     presets: &[SpawnPreset],
     name: Option<String>,
     now: DateTime<Utc>,
+    focused_cwd: Option<&std::path::Path>,
 ) -> FastForwardDefaults {
-    let project = crate::projects::sort_projects(projects.to_vec(), now)
-        .into_iter()
-        .next();
+    let project = focused_cwd
+        .and_then(|cwd| projects.iter().find(|p| p.path == cwd).cloned())
+        .or_else(|| {
+            crate::projects::sort_projects(projects.to_vec(), now)
+                .into_iter()
+                .next()
+        });
     let command = project
         .as_ref()
         .and_then(|p| p.last_command.clone())
@@ -155,7 +164,13 @@ mod tests {
             repo_project("/repos/fresh", "/repos/fresh", 0, Some("claude")),
         ];
         let presets = vec![preset("aider", "aider"), preset("custom", "")];
-        let r = resolve(&projects, &presets, Some("amber-falcon".into()), Utc::now());
+        let r = resolve(
+            &projects,
+            &presets,
+            Some("amber-falcon".into()),
+            Utc::now(),
+            None,
+        );
         assert_eq!(
             r.project.as_ref().unwrap().path,
             PathBuf::from("/repos/fresh")
@@ -176,6 +191,46 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(wt.create_branch, "fresh branch named after the session");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn the_focused_sessions_project_wins_over_the_freshest_one() {
+        let projects = vec![
+            repo_project("/repos/fresh", "/repos/fresh", 0, Some("claude")),
+            project("/repos/current", 5, Some("zsh")),
+        ];
+        let presets = vec![preset("claude", "claude")];
+        let r = resolve(
+            &projects,
+            &presets,
+            Some("n".into()),
+            Utc::now(),
+            Some(std::path::Path::new("/repos/current")),
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            r.project.as_ref().unwrap().path,
+            PathBuf::from("/repos/current")
+        );
+        assert_eq!(r.command.as_deref(), Some("zsh"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn an_unknown_focused_cwd_falls_back_to_the_freshest_project() {
+        let projects = vec![
+            project("/repos/old", 30, Some("zsh")),
+            repo_project("/repos/fresh", "/repos/fresh", 0, Some("claude")),
+        ];
+        let r = resolve(
+            &projects,
+            &[preset("claude", "claude")],
+            Some("n".into()),
+            Utc::now(),
+            Some(std::path::Path::new("/repos/gone")),
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            r.project.as_ref().unwrap().path,
+            PathBuf::from("/repos/fresh")
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn worktree_of_the_most_recent_project_targets_its_base_repo() {
         let projects = vec![repo_project("/repos/main/wt-x", "/repos/main", 0, None)];
@@ -184,6 +239,7 @@ mod tests {
             &[preset("zsh", "zsh")],
             Some("s".into()),
             Utc::now(),
+            None,
         );
         let wt = r.build_request().unwrap().worktree.unwrap();
         assert_eq!(wt.base_repo, PathBuf::from("/repos/main"));
@@ -193,7 +249,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn missing_last_command_falls_back_to_the_first_non_custom_preset() {
         let projects = vec![project("/repos/p", 0, None)];
         let presets = vec![preset("custom", ""), preset("claude", "claude")];
-        let r = resolve(&projects, &presets, Some("n".into()), Utc::now());
+        let r = resolve(&projects, &presets, Some("n".into()), Utc::now(), None);
         assert_eq!(r.command.as_deref(), Some("claude"));
     }
 
@@ -201,7 +257,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn an_empty_last_command_is_no_command_at_all() {
         let projects = vec![project("/repos/p", 0, Some(""))];
         let presets = vec![preset("custom", "")];
-        let r = resolve(&projects, &presets, Some("n".into()), Utc::now());
+        let r = resolve(&projects, &presets, Some("n".into()), Utc::now(), None);
         assert_eq!(r.command, None);
         assert!(r.build_request().is_none());
     }
@@ -213,6 +269,7 @@ mod tests {
             &[preset("claude", "claude")],
             Some("n".into()),
             Utc::now(),
+            None,
         );
         assert_eq!(r.project, None);
         // No project → no directory → no request, even with command + name.
@@ -222,14 +279,26 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn a_missing_generated_name_downgrades_to_a_draft() {
         let projects = vec![project("/repos/p", 0, Some("claude"))];
-        let r = resolve(&projects, &[preset("claude", "claude")], None, Utc::now());
+        let r = resolve(
+            &projects,
+            &[preset("claude", "claude")],
+            None,
+            Utc::now(),
+            None,
+        );
         assert!(r.build_request().is_none(), "no name → no immediate spawn");
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn unresolvable_defaults_still_seed_the_draft_with_what_resolved() {
         let projects = vec![repo_project("/repos/p", "/repos/p", 0, Some("aider"))];
-        let r = resolve(&projects, &[preset("aider", "aider")], None, Utc::now());
+        let r = resolve(
+            &projects,
+            &[preset("aider", "aider")],
+            None,
+            Utc::now(),
+            None,
+        );
 
         let mut draft = DraftPane::default();
         r.apply_to_draft(&mut draft);
@@ -251,6 +320,7 @@ mod tests {
             &[preset("claude", "claude")],
             Some("amber-falcon".into()),
             Utc::now(),
+            None,
         );
         let mut draft = DraftPane::default();
         named.apply_to_draft(&mut draft);
@@ -263,7 +333,13 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn an_unresolved_name_still_gets_generated_by_a_later_batch() {
         let projects = vec![project("/repos/p", 0, Some("claude"))];
-        let r = resolve(&projects, &[preset("claude", "claude")], None, Utc::now());
+        let r = resolve(
+            &projects,
+            &[preset("claude", "claude")],
+            None,
+            Utc::now(),
+            None,
+        );
         let mut draft = DraftPane::default();
         r.apply_to_draft(&mut draft);
         draft.seed_names(vec!["late-name".into()]);
@@ -273,7 +349,13 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn a_last_command_no_preset_advertises_lands_in_custom_text() {
         let projects = vec![project("/repos/p", 0, Some("nvim -d"))];
-        let r = resolve(&projects, &[preset("claude", "claude")], None, Utc::now());
+        let r = resolve(
+            &projects,
+            &[preset("claude", "claude")],
+            None,
+            Utc::now(),
+            None,
+        );
         let mut draft = DraftPane::default();
         r.apply_to_draft(&mut draft);
         assert_eq!(draft.command(), "nvim -d");

docs/SIDEBAR.md

@@ -51,13 +51,15 @@ command. `<duration>` follows in the rail's colour when shown. There is no
 state word and no second badge: the rail exists so the state is still legible
 when a row is dimmed or the terminal renders the duration in the default fg.
 
-In the **web client** the rail is a 5px bar positioned inside the row's own
-indent gutter — it shifts outward with nesting depth exactly as the gutter
-does — spanning the full card height. It carries motion, reserved for states
-that need attention (DESIGN.md's "living signals" rule): a slow breathing
-opacity while `Active`, a hard blink while `AwaitingInput`, a fast flash while
-`Error`. `Idle` is solid and still, on purpose. `prefers-reduced-motion`
-leaves every state as a solid bar.
+In the **web client** the rail is a 5px bar pinned to the row's own left
+edge, square corners, spanning the full card height edge to edge — it
+shifts outward with nesting depth along with the row's own padding, since
+it is positioned relative to the row. It carries motion only for states that
+need attention (DESIGN.md's "living signals" rule): a hard blink while
+`AwaitingInput`, a fast flash while `Error`. `Active` and `Idle` are both
+solid and still — colour alone (green vs. the idle grey) is the signal for
+`Active`, so it does not also pulse. `prefers-reduced-motion` leaves every
+state as a solid bar.
 
 In the **TUI** the rail is a one-column-wide block glyph (`▌`) in the state's
 palette role, leading the existing indent gutter (`INDENT`/`META_INDENT`) on

web/src/attach.ts

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { Terminal } from "@xterm/xterm";
 import "@xterm/xterm/css/xterm.css";
 
 import { attachWsUrl } from "./routes.js";
+import { FOCUS_SIDEBAR_EVENT } from "./catalog.js";
 import { escapeHtml } from "./html.js";
 import { INITIAL_RECONNECT_MS, MAX_RECONNECT_MS } from "./reconnect.js";
 import { applyModsToChar, cursorSeq, tildeSeq } from "./keys.js";
@@ -134,6 +135,15 @@ export function createAttachConnection(
   term.loadAddon(fit);
   term.open(body);
 
+  // Plain Escape hands the keyboard back to the session list instead of the
+  // shell/app. `false` tells xterm to skip its own handling of this event.
+  term.attachCustomKeyEventHandler((e) => {
+    if (e.type !== "keydown" || e.key !== "Escape") return true;
+    if (e.ctrlKey || e.altKey || e.metaKey || e.shiftKey) return true;
+    document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent(FOCUS_SIDEBAR_EVENT));
+    return false;
+  });
+
   // Touch scrolling: xterm's built-in touch handling is jittery (drags crawl a
   // line at a time and stall), so map finger drags ourselves. Two routes:
   //   • normal buffer  → term.scrollLines walks the scrollback.

web/src/catalog.ts

@@ -36,14 +36,26 @@ export function requestOpenSpawn(): void {
 }
 
 /** Ask the shell to hand the keyboard back to the focused pane's terminal —
- *  what Escape in the sidebar list does. Handled in main.ts, which owns the
+ *  what Tab in the sidebar list does. Handled in main.ts, which owns the
  *  connection pool. */
 export const FOCUS_PANE_EVENT = "catalog-focus-pane";
 
+/** Ask the shell to hand the keyboard back to the session list — what Escape
+ *  does when the pane's terminal is focused. Handled in main.ts. */
+export const FOCUS_SIDEBAR_EVENT = "catalog-focus-sidebar";
+
 /** Ask the shell to open the spawn modal seeded from an existing session
  *  ("Spawn similar"). Detail is the session being cloned. */
 export const SPAWN_SIMILAR_EVENT = "catalog-spawn-similar";
 
+/** A session row was clicked (issue #133). The row's `href` drives normal
+ *  hash navigation, but a split/drag can move focus without ever touching
+ *  `location.hash` — so a click back onto a session whose hash still
+ *  matches fires no `hashchange` and the app never hears about it. This
+ *  event is the click-driven path that doesn't depend on the hash actually
+ *  changing. */
+export const SESSION_SELECT_EVENT = "catalog-session-select";
+
 /** The rows a keyboard walk stops on, in visual (document) order. Expanded
  *  folder headers are skipped: a directory is not something to focus, and the
  *  cards under it are one row away anyway. A *collapsed* folder still counts —
@@ -68,13 +80,11 @@ const STATE_WORDS: Record<string, string> = {
   error: "Error",
 };
 
-/** docs/SIDEBAR.md: the activity rail sits inside the row's own indent
- * gutter, so it shifts outward with nesting depth exactly as that gutter
- * does. `depth * 16 + 8` is the same expression `renderNode` uses for the
- * row's own padding — the rail sits just inside it. */
-function activityRailMarkup(slug: string, stateWord: string, depth: number): string {
-  const left = depth * 16 + 2;
-  return `<span class="activity-rail" data-activity="${slug}" style="left:${left}px" role="img" title="${escapeHtml(stateWord)}" aria-label="${escapeHtml(stateWord)}"></span>`;
+/** docs/SIDEBAR.md: the activity rail is pinned to the row's own left edge,
+ * full height. The row's own padding (`renderNode`) shifts outward with
+ * nesting depth, carrying the rail with it. */
+function activityRailMarkup(slug: string, stateWord: string): string {
+  return `<span class="activity-rail" data-activity="${slug}" role="img" title="${escapeHtml(stateWord)}" aria-label="${escapeHtml(stateWord)}"></span>`;
 }
 
 function metaLine(s: Session, now: number): string {
@@ -172,7 +182,7 @@ function renderNode(node: TreeNode, depth: number): HTMLElement {
   );
   // docs/SIDEBAR.md: line 1 reserves action width, and line 2 is unconditional.
   row.innerHTML = `
-    ${activityRailMarkup(slug, stateWord, depth)}
+    ${activityRailMarkup(slug, stateWord)}
     <span class="card-line1">
       <span class="leaf-name">${escapeHtml(name)}</span>
       <span class="leaf-actions">
@@ -194,6 +204,9 @@ function renderNode(node: TreeNode, depth: number): HTMLElement {
     ev.stopPropagation();
     void requestKill(s, name);
   });
+  row.addEventListener("click", () => {
+    document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent(SESSION_SELECT_EVENT, { detail: s.id }));
+  });
   row.addEventListener("contextmenu", (ev) => {
     ev.preventDefault();
     ev.stopPropagation();
@@ -559,7 +572,7 @@ export function renderSidebar(store: CatalogStore, opts: SidebarOptions = {}): S
     if (e.key === "j" || e.key === "ArrowDown") moveNav(1);
     else if (e.key === "k" || e.key === "ArrowUp") moveNav(-1);
     else if (e.key === "Enter") activateNav();
-    else if (e.key === "Escape") document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent(FOCUS_PANE_EVENT));
+    else if (e.key === "Tab") document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent(FOCUS_PANE_EVENT));
     else return;
     e.preventDefault();
   });

web/src/fastForward.test.ts

@@ -47,6 +47,30 @@ describe("resolveFastForward (#67)", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("prefers the focused session's project over the freshest one", () => {
+    const projects = [
+      project({ path: "/repos/fresh", name: "fresh", last_command: "claude" }),
+      project({
+        path: "/repos/current",
+        name: "current",
+        last_activity: "2020-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+        last_command: "zsh",
+      }),
+    ];
+    const res = resolveFastForward(projects, presets, "n", "/repos/current");
+    expect(res.project?.path).toBe("/repos/current");
+    expect(res.command).toBe("zsh");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to the freshest project when the focused cwd is unknown", () => {
+    const projects = [
+      project({ path: "/repos/old", name: "old", last_activity: "2020-01-01T00:00:00Z" }),
+      project({ path: "/repos/fresh", name: "fresh" }),
+    ];
+    const res = resolveFastForward(projects, presets, "n", "/repos/gone");
+    expect(res.project?.path).toBe("/repos/fresh");
+  });
+
   it("falls back to the first non-custom preset when there is no last command", () => {
     const res = resolveFastForward([project({ last_command: undefined })], presets, "n");
     expect(res.command).toBe("claude");

web/src/fastForward.ts

@@ -13,15 +13,20 @@ export interface FastForwardResolution {
   name?: string;
 }
 
-/** The defaults: most recent project (fresh-first, same ordering the picker
- *  shows), its last command falling back to the first non-custom preset, and
- *  a freshly generated name when the daemon supplied one. */
+/** The defaults: the currently focused session's project when it's still a
+ *  known project, else the most recent one (fresh-first, same ordering the
+ *  picker shows) — so `N` lands where the operator currently is, matching
+ *  what plain `n` seeds from `spawnSimilarProjectSeed`. Its last command
+ *  falls back to the first non-custom preset, and the name is freshly
+ *  generated when the daemon supplied one. */
 export function resolveFastForward(
   projects: Project[],
   presets: SpawnPreset[],
   name?: string,
+  focusedCwd?: string,
 ): FastForwardResolution {
-  const project = sortProjects(projects, new Date())[0];
+  const project =
+    projects.find((p) => p.path === focusedCwd) ?? sortProjects(projects, new Date())[0];
   const lastCommand = project?.last_command?.trim();
   const command =
     lastCommand || presets.find((p) => p.command !== "")?.command || undefined;

web/src/help.ts

@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ export const SHORTCUTS: ShortcutGroup[] = [
       { keys: ["j"], description: "Highlight the next session" },
       { keys: ["k"], description: "Highlight the previous session" },
       { keys: ["Enter"], description: "Open the highlighted session, or expand a folder" },
-      { keys: ["Esc"], description: "Hand the keyboard back to the pane" },
+      { keys: ["Tab"], description: "Send the keyboard to the pane" },
+      { keys: ["Esc"], description: "Hand the keyboard back to the session list, from the pane" },
     ],
   },
   {

web/src/main.ts

@@ -29,7 +29,13 @@ import { mountHud, type Hud } from "./hud.js";
 import { emptyLayout, type Layout, openSessions } from "./layout.js";
 import { createMultiView, type MultiView } from "./multiview.js";
 import { loadLayout, saveLayout } from "./persistence.js";
-import { FOCUS_PANE_EVENT, OPEN_SPAWN_EVENT, SPAWN_SIMILAR_EVENT } from "./catalog.js";
+import {
+  FOCUS_PANE_EVENT,
+  FOCUS_SIDEBAR_EVENT,
+  OPEN_SPAWN_EVENT,
+  SESSION_SELECT_EVENT,
+  SPAWN_SIMILAR_EVENT,
+} from "./catalog.js";
 import { initTheme } from "./theme.js";
 import { sessionName, type Project, type Session, type SpawnPreset } from "./types.js";
 import { installViewportSizing } from "./viewport.js";
@@ -257,13 +263,28 @@ function requestOpenSpawn(): void {
   // beside it is the point.
   // The session you were last on preselects its project: `n` then Enter spawns
   // another session there without touching the picker.
-  const focused = mv?.focusedSessionId() ?? null;
-  const current = focused ? store.snapshot().sessions.get(focused) : undefined;
+  const current = focusedSession();
   openSpawnModal({
     seed: current ? spawnSimilarProjectSeed(current) : undefined,
     onSuccess: (session) => mountSpawned(session, { newTab: true }),
   });
 }
+
+/** The session the operator was last on, if any. Shared by the plain spawn
+ *  modal seed and fast-forward's project pick: both should land on "where I
+ *  currently am". */
+function focusedSession(): Session | undefined {
+  const focused = mv?.focusedSessionId() ?? null;
+  return focused ? store.snapshot().sessions.get(focused) : undefined;
+}
+
+/** The focused session's project — its base repo for a worktree session, its
+ *  cwd otherwise (same rule as spawnSimilarProjectSeed). */
+function focusedProjectCwd(): string | undefined {
+  const s = focusedSession();
+  if (!s) return undefined;
+  return s.worktree ? s.worktree.base_repo : s.cwd;
+}
 document.addEventListener(OPEN_SPAWN_EVENT, () => requestOpenSpawn());
 document.addEventListener(SPAWN_SIMILAR_EVENT, (ev) => {
   const s = (ev as CustomEvent<Session>).detail;
@@ -298,7 +319,7 @@ async function requestFastForward(): Promise<void> {
   } catch {
     /* keep fallbacks */
   }
-  const resolved = resolveFastForward(discovered, presets, name);
+  const resolved = resolveFastForward(discovered, presets, name, focusedProjectCwd());
   const req = buildFastForwardRequest(resolved);
   if (req) {
     try {
@@ -352,8 +373,27 @@ window.addEventListener("keydown", (e) => {
   }
 });
 
-// Escape in the session list hands the keyboard back to the pane.
+// Tab in the session list hands the keyboard to the pane; Escape in the pane
+// hands it back — the pair the TUI gets from `tab` and `esc`.
 document.addEventListener(FOCUS_PANE_EVENT, () => pool.focusTerminal());
+document.addEventListener(FOCUS_SIDEBAR_EVENT, () => {
+  drawer.open(); // no-op on desktop; on mobile the list is off-canvas
+  sidebar.focusList();
+});
+
+/** Open/focus a session and reflect it in the shell chrome. Shared by the
+ *  hash router and the sidebar's click-driven path (#133), which can't rely
+ *  on `hashchange` alone — a split or drag can move focus without the hash
+ *  changing, leaving a click back onto that session's row silently ignored. */
+function focusSession(sessionId: string): void {
+  showMultiView();
+  mv.openSession(sessionId);
+  updateShellRoute();
+}
+
+document.addEventListener(SESSION_SELECT_EVENT, (e) => {
+  focusSession((e as CustomEvent<string>).detail);
+});
 
 type Route =
   | { kind: "catalog" }
@@ -373,9 +413,7 @@ function dispatch(): void {
   switch (route.kind) {
     case "attach":
       // Deep-link: open/focus the session, then show the layout.
-      showMultiView();
-      mv.openSession(route.sessionId);
-      updateShellRoute();
+      focusSession(route.sessionId);
       return;
     case "not-found":
       shellEl.dataset.route = "notfound";

web/src/sidebarNav.test.ts

@@ -109,11 +109,11 @@ describe("sidebar keyboard navigation", () => {
     expect(handle.hasListFocus()).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it("Escape asks the shell for the pane back", () => {
+  it("Tab asks the shell for the pane back", () => {
     const { el } = twoFolders();
     let asked = 0;
     document.addEventListener(FOCUS_PANE_EVENT, () => (asked += 1));
-    press(tree(el), "Escape");
+    press(tree(el), "Tab");
     expect(asked).toBe(1);
   });
 

web/src/styles.css

@@ -1393,23 +1393,21 @@ input.leaf-rename:focus {
   color: var(--danger);
 }
 
-/* docs/SIDEBAR.md: the activity rail replaces the old inline dot. It sits
-   inside the row's own indent gutter (`.tree-leaf` is already positioned),
-   at a `left` set inline per nesting depth — see `activityRailMarkup` in
+/* docs/SIDEBAR.md: the activity rail replaces the old inline dot. It is
+   pinned to the row's own left edge, full height, square corners — see
    catalog.ts. Idle stays solid and still on purpose: motion is reserved for
    states that need attention (DESIGN.md's "living signals" rule). */
 .activity-rail {
   position: absolute;
-  top: 4px;
-  bottom: 4px;
+  top: 0;
+  bottom: 0;
+  left: 0;
   width: 5px;
-  border-radius: 2px;
   background: currentColor;
 }
 
 .activity-rail[data-activity="active"] {
   color: var(--live);
-  animation: pulse 2.4s var(--ease-out) infinite;
 }
 .activity-rail[data-activity="idle"] {
   color: var(--border-strong);