diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/directive-scope.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/directive-scope.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..08d1804dfba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/directive-scope.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+import type { Unstable_TriggerItem } from '@assistant-ui/core'
+import { act, renderHook } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import { useComposerTrigger } from './hooks/use-composer-trigger'
+import { pathifyRefs } from './path-refs'
+import { composerPlainText, insertComposerContentsAtCaret, RICH_INPUT_SLOT } from './rich-editor'
+import { detectTrigger, openDirectiveScope, textBeforeCaret } from './text-utils'
+import { linkifyUrls } from './url-refs'
+
+function folderItem(rel: string): Unstable_TriggerItem {
+  const rawText = `@folder:${rel}/`
+
+  return {
+    id: `${rawText}|0`,
+    type: 'folder',
+    label: rel.split('/').filter(Boolean).pop() ?? rel,
+    metadata: { icon: 'folder', display: `${rel}/`, meta: 'dir', rawText, insertId: `${rel}/` }
+  }
+}
+
+/** Literally-typed text, caret `fromEnd` characters before the end. */
+function typed(text: string, fromEnd = 0) {
+  const editor = document.createElement('div')
+
+  editor.contentEditable = 'true'
+  editor.dataset.slot = RICH_INPUT_SLOT
+  document.body.append(editor)
+
+  const node = document.createTextNode(text)
+
+  editor.append(node)
+
+  const range = document.createRange()
+
+  range.setStart(node, text.length - fromEnd)
+  range.collapse(true)
+
+  const sel = window.getSelection()
+
+  sel?.removeAllRanges()
+  sel?.addRange(range)
+
+  return editor
+}
+
+function withTrigger(editor: HTMLDivElement, draft: string) {
+  const editorRef = { current: editor as HTMLDivElement | null }
+
+  const { result } = renderHook(() =>
+    useComposerTrigger({
+      at: { adapter: null, loading: false },
+      draftRef: { current: draft },
+      editorRef,
+      requestMainFocus: vi.fn(),
+      setComposerText: vi.fn(),
+      slash: { adapter: null, loading: false }
+    })
+  )
+
+  act(() => result.current.refreshTrigger())
+
+  return result
+}
+
+/** The composer's paste handler, minus the clipboard plumbing. */
+function paste(editor: HTMLDivElement, text: string) {
+  insertComposerContentsAtCaret(editor, pathifyRefs(linkifyUrls(text)), openDirectiveScope(editor))
+}
+
+describe('directive scope is a browse mode, not text to maintain', () => {
+  it('Tab-descend carries the scope down instead of dropping to a bare path', () => {
+    const editor = typed('@folder:apps/deskt')
+    const result = withTrigger(editor, '@folder:apps/deskt')
+
+    expect(result.current.trigger).toMatchObject({ kind: '@', scope: 'folder', value: 'apps/deskt' })
+
+    act(() => result.current.replaceTriggerWithChip(folderItem('apps/desktop'), { descend: true }))
+
+    expect(composerPlainText(editor)).toBe('@folder:apps/desktop/')
+  })
+
+  it('Backspace climbs the path, then drops the whole scope', () => {
+    const editor = typed('@folder:apps/desktop/')
+    const result = withTrigger(editor, '@folder:apps/desktop/')
+
+    act(() => result.current.ascendTriggerPath())
+    expect(composerPlainText(editor)).toBe('@folder:apps/')
+
+    act(() => result.current.refreshTrigger())
+    act(() => result.current.ascendTriggerPath())
+    expect(composerPlainText(editor)).toBe('@folder:')
+
+    // The scope is one unit: Backspace drops it whole rather than nibbling
+    // back through `:`, `r`, `e`, `d`, `l`, `o`, `f`.
+    act(() => result.current.refreshTrigger())
+    act(() => result.current.ascendTriggerPath())
+    expect(composerPlainText(editor)).toBe('@')
+  })
+
+  it('leaves Backspace alone when there is no scope and no path', () => {
+    const editor = typed('@apps')
+    const result = withTrigger(editor, '@apps')
+
+    let handled = true
+
+    act(() => {
+      handled = result.current.ascendTriggerPath()
+    })
+
+    expect(handled).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('a pick mid-message keeps the trailing prose and consumes the whole token', () => {
+    const editor = typed('@folder:apps/deskt and some trailing words', 24)
+    const result = withTrigger(editor, '@folder:apps/deskt and some trailing words')
+
+    act(() => result.current.replaceTriggerWithChip(folderItem('apps/desktop')))
+
+    expect(composerPlainText(editor)).toBe('@folder:`apps/desktop/` and some trailing words')
+    expect(editor.querySelector('[data-ref-kind="folder"]')).not.toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('pasting into an open @url: scope consumes it instead of stacking', () => {
+    const editor = typed('refer to @url:')
+
+    paste(editor, 'https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/74533')
+
+    expect(composerPlainText(editor)).toBe('refer to @url:`https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/74533`')
+    expect(editor.textContent).not.toContain('@url:@url:')
+  })
+
+  it('a normal paste with no open scope is untouched', () => {
+    const editor = typed('look at ')
+
+    paste(editor, 'https://example.com/x')
+
+    expect(composerPlainText(editor)).toBe('look at @url:`https://example.com/x`')
+  })
+
+  it('scope parsing leaves an unscoped @ query alone', () => {
+    expect(detectTrigger('@apps/desk')).toMatchObject({ kind: '@', value: 'apps/desk' })
+    expect(detectTrigger('@apps/desk')?.scope).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+
+  it('openDirectiveScope only fires on an EMPTY scope', () => {
+    // The count is what a paste consumes: `@url:` is 5 characters of syntax
+    // the user never typed and shouldn't be left holding.
+    expect(openDirectiveScope(typed('@url:'))).toBe(5)
+    expect(openDirectiveScope(typed('@url:https://x.com'))).toBe(0)
+    expect(openDirectiveScope(typed('plain text'))).toBe(0)
+  })
+
+  it('chips stay atomic to scope detection', () => {
+    const editor = typed('@folder:apps/desktop/')
+    const result = withTrigger(editor, '@folder:apps/desktop/')
+
+    act(() => result.current.replaceTriggerWithChip(folderItem('apps/desktop')))
+
+    // A committed chip is one object-replacement char, so a fresh `@` typed
+    // after it opens an unscoped browse rather than inheriting the old scope.
+    expect(detectTrigger(`${textBeforeCaret(editor)}@`)?.scope).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/text-utils.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/text-utils.test.ts
index ddb15ec677d..a2e54b2c07e 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/text-utils.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/text-utils.test.ts
@@ -4,19 +4,19 @@ import { blobDedupeKey, detectTrigger, extractClipboardImageBlobs } from './text
 
 describe('detectTrigger', () => {
   it('detects a bare slash trigger with an empty query', () => {
-    expect(detectTrigger('/')).toEqual({ kind: '/', query: '', tokenLength: 1 })
+    expect(detectTrigger('/')).toEqual({ kind: '/', query: '', tokenLength: 1, value: '' })
   })
 
   it('detects a slash command query', () => {
-    expect(detectTrigger('/skill')).toEqual({ kind: '/', query: 'skill', tokenLength: 6 })
+    expect(detectTrigger('/skill')).toEqual({ kind: '/', query: 'skill', tokenLength: 6, value: 'skill' })
   })
 
   it('detects a bare at-mention trigger with an empty query', () => {
-    expect(detectTrigger('@')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: '', tokenLength: 1 })
+    expect(detectTrigger('@')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: '', tokenLength: 1, value: '' })
   })
 
   it('detects an at-mention query', () => {
-    expect(detectTrigger('@file')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: 'file', tokenLength: 5 })
+    expect(detectTrigger('@file')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: 'file', tokenLength: 5, value: 'file' })
   })
 
   it('returns null for plain text', () => {
@@ -27,17 +27,20 @@ describe('detectTrigger', () => {
     expect(detectTrigger('/personality ')).toEqual({
       kind: '/',
       query: 'personality ',
-      tokenLength: 13
+      tokenLength: 13,
+      value: 'personality '
     })
     expect(detectTrigger('/personality alic')).toEqual({
       kind: '/',
       query: 'personality alic',
-      tokenLength: 17
+      tokenLength: 17,
+      value: 'personality alic'
     })
     expect(detectTrigger('/tools enable foo')).toEqual({
       kind: '/',
       query: 'tools enable foo',
-      tokenLength: 17
+      tokenLength: 17,
+      value: 'tools enable foo'
     })
   })
 
@@ -54,14 +57,25 @@ describe('detectTrigger', () => {
   it('keeps the at-mention live while walking into subfolders', () => {
     // A `/` inside the query is path navigation, not the end of the token —
     // the popover has to stay open so the next directory level can load.
-    expect(detectTrigger('@./')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: './', tokenLength: 3 })
-    expect(detectTrigger('@./src')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: './src', tokenLength: 6 })
-    expect(detectTrigger('@~/Desktop/')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: '~/Desktop/', tokenLength: 11 })
-    expect(detectTrigger('@/usr/local')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: '/usr/local', tokenLength: 11 })
+    expect(detectTrigger('@./')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: './', tokenLength: 3, value: './' })
+    expect(detectTrigger('@./src')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: './src', tokenLength: 6, value: './src' })
+    expect(detectTrigger('@~/Desktop/')).toEqual({
+      kind: '@',
+      query: '~/Desktop/',
+      tokenLength: 11,
+      value: '~/Desktop/'
+    })
+    expect(detectTrigger('@/usr/local')).toEqual({
+      kind: '@',
+      query: '/usr/local',
+      tokenLength: 11,
+      value: '/usr/local'
+    })
     expect(detectTrigger('@apps/desktop/src')).toEqual({
       kind: '@',
       query: 'apps/desktop/src',
-      tokenLength: 17
+      tokenLength: 17,
+      value: 'apps/desktop/src'
     })
   })
 
@@ -70,20 +84,48 @@ describe('detectTrigger', () => {
     // assistant-ui's Lexical DirectivePlugin gets the same semantics from node
     // boundaries: typing a trigger right after a chip (no space) still opens
     // the popover, and a chip inside a token ends it.
-    expect(detectTrigger('\uFFFC@Desk')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: 'Desk', tokenLength: 5 })
+    expect(detectTrigger('\uFFFC@Desk')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: 'Desk', tokenLength: 5, value: 'Desk' })
     // Not position 0, so it's an inline reference — not a command invocation.
-    expect(detectTrigger('\uFFFC/cle')).toEqual({ inline: true, kind: '/', query: 'cle', tokenLength: 4 })
+    expect(detectTrigger('\uFFFC/cle')).toEqual({
+      inline: true,
+      kind: '/',
+      query: 'cle',
+      tokenLength: 4,
+      value: 'cle'
+    })
     // The placeholder itself never leaks into a query.
     expect(detectTrigger('@a\uFFFCb')).toBeNull()
   })
 
-  it('keeps the at-mention live for a typed ref kind with a path', () => {
+  it('splits a typed ref kind off as the browse scope', () => {
+    // `@folder:apps/` is ONE token with TWO parts. The kind is the mode the
+    // user is browsing in, so it's held as `scope` rather than left in `value`
+    // for every consumer to re-parse (or, worse, to preserve by hand).
     expect(detectTrigger('@file:src/main.tsx')).toEqual({
       kind: '@',
       query: 'file:src/main.tsx',
-      tokenLength: 18
+      scope: 'file',
+      tokenLength: 18,
+      value: 'src/main.tsx'
     })
-    expect(detectTrigger('@folder:apps/')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: 'folder:apps/', tokenLength: 13 })
+    expect(detectTrigger('@folder:apps/')).toEqual({
+      kind: '@',
+      query: 'folder:apps/',
+      scope: 'folder',
+      tokenLength: 13,
+      value: 'apps/'
+    })
+    // A scope with nothing typed after it is the empty-browse state the
+    // popover renders a header for.
+    expect(detectTrigger('@url:')).toEqual({ kind: '@', query: 'url:', scope: 'url', tokenLength: 5, value: '' })
+  })
+
+  it('only treats a KNOWN kind as a scope', () => {
+    // `@teknium1:` is a handle with a colon, not a directive — inventing a
+    // scope for it would make Backspace eat the whole word.
+    expect(detectTrigger('@teknium1:')?.scope).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(detectTrigger('@teknium1:')?.value).toBe('teknium1:')
+    expect(detectTrigger('@localhost:8080')?.scope).toBeUndefined()
   })
 
   it('still ends the at-mention token at whitespace', () => {
@@ -92,15 +134,28 @@ describe('detectTrigger', () => {
     expect(detectTrigger('look at @apps/desktop')).toEqual({
       kind: '@',
       query: 'apps/desktop',
-      tokenLength: 13
+      tokenLength: 13,
+      value: 'apps/desktop'
     })
   })
 
   it('treats a mid-message slash as an inline reference', () => {
     // Skills have to be reachable anywhere in a prompt, not just at position 0.
-    expect(detectTrigger('hello /')).toEqual({ kind: '/', inline: true, query: '', tokenLength: 1 })
-    expect(detectTrigger('hello /clean')).toEqual({ kind: '/', inline: true, query: 'clean', tokenLength: 6 })
-    expect(detectTrigger('text\n/skill')).toEqual({ kind: '/', inline: true, query: 'skill', tokenLength: 6 })
+    expect(detectTrigger('hello /')).toEqual({ kind: '/', inline: true, query: '', tokenLength: 1, value: '' })
+    expect(detectTrigger('hello /clean')).toEqual({
+      kind: '/',
+      inline: true,
+      query: 'clean',
+      tokenLength: 6,
+      value: 'clean'
+    })
+    expect(detectTrigger('text\n/skill')).toEqual({
+      kind: '/',
+      inline: true,
+      query: 'skill',
+      tokenLength: 6,
+      value: 'skill'
+    })
   })
 
   it('does not carry arg completion into an inline slash reference', () => {