diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/close-tab.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/close-tab.ts
index bf8b2899870a..89c852593128 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/close-tab.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/close-tab.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { closeActiveTerminal } from '@/app/right-sidebar/terminal/terminals'
-import { closeWorkspaceTab } from '@/components/pane-shell/tree/store'
+import { closeFocusedSessionTab } from '@/components/pane-shell/tree/store'
 import { isFocusWithin } from '@/lib/keybinds/combo'
 import { $previewTabs, closeActiveRightRailTab } from '@/store/preview'
 import { closeSessionTile, nextSessionTileForWorkspace } from '@/store/session-states'
@@ -8,14 +8,17 @@ import { closeSessionTile, nextSessionTileForWorkspace } from '@/store/session-s
  * ⌘W — close the tab of the context you're in, by precedence:
  *   1. a focused terminal → its active terminal tab,
  *   2. right-rail tabs (live preview and/or file peeks),
- *   3. the MAIN zone → its active tab (a session tile stacked into the workspace).
- *   4. the MAIN (workspace) tab itself, when session tabs are stacked with it:
+ *   3. the FOCUSED chat zone → its active tab (a session tile stacked into it).
+ *   4. the workspace tab itself, when session tabs are stacked with it:
  *      the workspace can't close, so ⌘W shifts the NEXT session tab into main
  *      (loads it as the primary + drops its now-redundant tile).
  * Returns false when nothing closes, so ⌘W is a no-op — it never closes the
  * window (a bare workspace stays put). Shared by the keyboard path (Win/Linux)
  * and the macOS menu-accelerator IPC.
  *
+ * Steps 3-4 follow the same focused zone ⌘1…⌘9 indexes, so a second chat zone
+ * with its own tab strip closes ITS tab instead of main's.
+ *
  * `loadSessionIntoWorkspace` carries the app's route-based "load this session
  * into main" (the two call sites have router access); omitting it disables the
  * step-4 promotion (⌘W stays the pre-existing no-op on the main tab).
@@ -28,15 +31,15 @@ export function closeActiveTab(loadSessionIntoWorkspace?: (storedSessionId: stri
   }
 
   // Gate on tab *presence*, not on the selection: a stale `$rightRailActiveTabId`
-  // would otherwise make ⌘W fall through to closeWorkspaceTab() and look broken
-  // with a tab still on screen. The store resolves which tab that is.
+  // would otherwise make ⌘W fall through to closeFocusedSessionTab() and look
+  // broken with a tab still on screen. The store resolves which tab that is.
   if ($previewTabs.get().length > 0) {
     return closeActiveRightRailTab()
   }
 
-  // A closeable main-zone tab (a session tile that's the active tab) closes
-  // outright; the uncloseable workspace tab returns false and falls through.
-  if (closeWorkspaceTab()) {
+  // A closeable tab in the focused chat zone (a session tile that's the active
+  // tab) closes outright; the uncloseable workspace tab falls through.
+  if (closeFocusedSessionTab()) {
     return true
   }
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/session-drag.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/session-drag.ts
index b4ca62802de3..16945edbe4aa 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/session-drag.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/session-drag.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import {
   $layoutTree,
   $treeDragging,
   type DropHint,
+  isSessionStripPane,
   revealTreePane,
   SESSION_TILE_DRAG
 } from '@/components/pane-shell/tree/store'
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ function chatZonePane(groupId: string): null | string {
   const tree = $layoutTree.get()
   const panes = tree ? (findGroup(tree, groupId)?.panes ?? []) : []
 
-  return panes.find(p => p === 'workspace' || p.startsWith('session-tile:')) ?? null
+  return panes.find(isSessionStripPane) ?? null
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/focused-session-tab.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/focused-session-tab.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3e857386118f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/focused-session-tab.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+// ⌘W / ⌘T / ⌘⇧T / the strip "+" used to hardcode the workspace's zone while
+// ⌘1…⌘9 followed the interacted zone — so every tab verb missed a SECOND chat
+// zone the user was working in. They now resolve the same focused zone.
+
+describe('focused chat zone drives the tab verbs', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    window.localStorage.clear()
+    vi.resetModules()
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.resetModules()
+  })
+
+  async function setup() {
+    const tree = await import('@/components/pane-shell/tree/store')
+    const model = await import('@/components/pane-shell/tree/model')
+    const { registry } = await import('@/contrib/registry')
+
+    for (const id of ['workspace', 'files', 'session-tile:a', 'session-tile:b']) {
+      registry.register({
+        area: 'panes',
+        data: id === 'workspace' ? { placement: 'main', uncloseable: true } : { placement: 'main' },
+        id,
+        render: () => null,
+        title: id
+      })
+    }
+
+    // Two chat zones side by side: main holds the workspace, the second holds
+    // its own session tabs (a split-off stack).
+    tree.declareDefaultTree(
+      model.split('row', [
+        model.group(['workspace'], { active: 'workspace', id: 'grp-main' }),
+        model.group(['session-tile:a', 'session-tile:b'], { active: 'session-tile:b', id: 'grp-side' })
+      ])
+    )
+
+    return { model, tree }
+  }
+
+  it('⌘T anchors the new tab to the focused zone, not always the workspace', async () => {
+    const { tree } = await setup()
+
+    tree.noteActiveTreeGroup('grp-side')
+    expect(tree.focusedSessionTabAnchor()).toBe('session-tile:b')
+
+    tree.noteActiveTreeGroup('grp-main')
+    expect(tree.focusedSessionTabAnchor()).toBe('workspace')
+  })
+
+  it('a non-chat zone (files/terminal focus) falls back to the workspace', async () => {
+    const { model, tree } = await setup()
+
+    tree.declareDefaultTree(
+      model.split('row', [
+        model.group(['workspace'], { active: 'workspace', id: 'grp-main' }),
+        model.group(['files'], { active: 'files', id: 'grp-files' })
+      ])
+    )
+    tree.noteActiveTreeGroup('grp-files')
+
+    expect(tree.focusedSessionTabAnchor()).toBe('workspace')
+    // ⌘W must not close the file tree just because it holds focus.
+    expect(tree.closeFocusedSessionTab()).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('⌘W closes the focused zone active tab and leaves the workspace alone', async () => {
+    const { model, tree } = await setup()
+
+    tree.noteActiveTreeGroup('grp-side')
+    expect(tree.closeFocusedSessionTab()).toBe(true)
+    expect(model.allPaneIds(tree.$layoutTree.get()!)).not.toContain('session-tile:b')
+
+    // Back on main: the uncloseable workspace is a no-op (the caller promotes
+    // a stacked session instead of closing the window).
+    tree.noteActiveTreeGroup('grp-main')
+    expect(tree.closeFocusedSessionTab()).toBe(false)
+    expect(model.allPaneIds(tree.$layoutTree.get()!)).toContain('workspace')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx
index 31b5646813ac..8c480dbefcd0 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ import {
   collapseTreePane,
   dismissTreePane,
   isCollapsePane,
+  isSessionStripPane,
   moveTreePane,
+  noteActiveTreeGroup,
   restoreTreePane,
   SESSION_TILE_DRAG,
   setTreeGroupHeaderHidden,
@@ -507,16 +509,26 @@ export function TreeGroup({
                 return <Fragment key={paneId}>{chrome.tabWrap ? chrome.tabWrap(tab) : tab}</Fragment>
               })}
 
-              {/* Plain "+" after the last tab of the MAIN strip (the workspace
-                  zone) — always shown, no tab/button chrome, just the glyph.
-                  Creates a new session tab (mirrors ⌘T) via the app-registered
-                  action; hidden when unwired or the zone is minimized. */}
-              {node.panes.includes('workspace') && newSessionTabAction && !node.minimized && (
+              {/* Plain "+" after the last tab of a CHAT strip (the workspace
+                  zone, or any zone holding session tabs) — always shown, no
+                  tab/button chrome, just the glyph. Creates a new session tab
+                  (mirrors ⌘T) via the app-registered action; the pointerdown
+                  focuses this zone first, so the tab lands in THIS strip.
+                  Hidden when unwired or the zone is minimized. */}
+              {shown.some(isSessionStripPane) && newSessionTabAction && !node.minimized && (
                 <button
                   aria-label={t.zones.newSessionTab}
                   className="grid size-7 shrink-0 place-items-center self-center bg-transparent text-(--ui-text-quaternary) transition-colors hover:text-foreground [-webkit-app-region:no-drag]"
                   onClick={() => newSessionTabAction()}
-                  onPointerDown={e => e.stopPropagation()}
+                  onPointerDown={e => {
+                    e.stopPropagation()
+                    // The action docks into the FOCUSED chat zone; clicking a
+                    // background strip's "+" must make THAT zone the focused
+                    // one first, or the tab opens in whichever zone was last
+                    // clicked. (pointerdown's own focus tracking would land
+                    // after the click handler reads the anchor.)
+                    noteActiveTreeGroup(node.id)
+                  }}
                   title={t.zones.newSessionTab}
                   type="button"
                 >
@@ -716,7 +728,7 @@ function ZoneDropOverlay({ node }: { node: GroupNode }) {
   // now (stack into its tabs / split its edges); only a CHAT zone's center is
   // a link-to-chat (the composer overlay owns that visual).
   const sessionDrag = dragging === SESSION_TILE_DRAG
-  const chatZone = node.panes.some(p => p === 'workspace' || p.startsWith('session-tile:'))
+  const chatZone = node.panes.some(isSessionStripPane)
 
   const isDragSource = node.panes.includes(dragging)
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/store.ts b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/store.ts
index e8a6bc4a28b7..8b760d69f061 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/store.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/store.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   findGroup,
   findGroupOfPane,
   groupLeafIds,
+  type GroupNode,
   insertAtGroup,
   isLayoutNode,
   type LayoutNode,
@@ -282,12 +283,49 @@ const isUncloseablePane = (paneId: string): boolean =>
     (registry.getArea('panes').find(c => c.id === paneId)?.data as { uncloseable?: boolean } | undefined)?.uncloseable
   )
 
-/** ⌘W "main tabs always": close the MAIN (workspace) zone's active tab, unless
- *  it's the uncloseable workspace itself. Returns false when there's nothing to
- *  close, so ⌘W stays a no-op — it never closes the window. */
-export function closeWorkspaceTab(): boolean {
+/** A pane that belongs to a CHAT tab strip — the workspace or a session tile. */
+export const isSessionStripPane = (paneId: string): boolean =>
+  paneId === 'workspace' || paneId.startsWith('session-tile:')
+
+/** The zone the session-tab verbs (⌘W / ⌘T / ⌘⇧T / the strip's "+") act on:
+ *  the FOCUSED zone when it hosts a chat strip, else the workspace's zone.
+ *  Same source ⌘1…⌘9 indexes ($activeTreeGroup), so the number keys and the
+ *  tab verbs can't disagree about which strip is "the" strip. Focus parked in
+ *  the sidebar / terminal / files must NOT retarget them — those zones fall
+ *  back to main rather than letting ⌘W close the file tree. */
+function focusedSessionGroup(): GroupNode | null {
   const tree = $layoutTree.get()
-  const active = tree ? findGroupOfPane(tree, 'workspace')?.active : null
+
+  if (!tree) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  const groupId = $activeTreeGroup.get()
+  const focused = groupId ? findGroup(tree, groupId) : null
+
+  return focused?.panes.some(isSessionStripPane) ? focused : findGroupOfPane(tree, 'workspace')
+}
+
+/** The pane a NEW session tab should dock beside (⌘T): the focused chat zone's
+ *  active session pane, else its first. Null when no zone hosts a chat strip —
+ *  the caller falls back to the workspace. */
+export function focusedSessionTabAnchor(): null | string {
+  const group = focusedSessionGroup()
+
+  if (!group) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  const active = group.active
+
+  return active && isSessionStripPane(active) ? active : (group.panes.find(isSessionStripPane) ?? null)
+}
+
+/** ⌘W: close the FOCUSED chat zone's active tab, unless it's the uncloseable
+ *  workspace itself. Returns false when there's nothing to close, so ⌘W stays a
+ *  no-op — it never closes the window. */
+export function closeFocusedSessionTab(): boolean {
+  const active = focusedSessionGroup()?.active
 
   if (!active || isUncloseablePane(active)) {
     return false
@@ -416,7 +454,7 @@ export function cycleTreeTabInFocusedZone(direction: 1 | -1): boolean {
   const group = groupId && tree ? findGroup(tree, groupId) : null
   const panes = group ? shownPanesInGroup(group) : []
 
-  if (panes.length < 2 || !panes.some(id => id === 'workspace' || id.startsWith('session-tile:'))) {
+  if (panes.length < 2 || !panes.some(isSessionStripPane)) {
     return false
   }
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts
index 53ad8ee89a78..273b03158732 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/session-states.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { findGroup, findGroupOfPane, type LayoutNode } from '@/components/pane-s
 import {
   $activeTreeGroup,
   $layoutTree,
+  focusedSessionTabAnchor,
   moveTreePane,
   noteActiveTreeGroup,
   revealTreePane
@@ -522,7 +523,11 @@ function syncTileStripOrder() {
  *  move path is what lets a tile's own TAB be dragged like a sidebar row — drop
  *  it on a zone/edge/strip and the tile goes there (drop-on-a-composer links
  *  instead, handled by the drag resolver). The session LOADED IN MAIN never
- *  opens as a tile (same transcript twice, fighting one runtime — silly). */
+ *  opens as a tile (same transcript twice, fighting one runtime — silly).
+ *
+ *  An unanchored open (⌘T, ⌘⇧T on a tile that predates anchors) docks into the
+ *  FOCUSED chat zone — the same zone ⌘1…⌘9 and ⌘W act on — so a new tab lands
+ *  in the strip the user is looking at, not always main's. */
 export function openSessionTile(
   storedSessionId: string,
   dir: TileDock = 'right',
@@ -535,8 +540,10 @@ export function openSessionTile(
     return
   }
 
+  const dock = anchor ?? focusedSessionTabAnchor() ?? undefined
+
   if (!tiles.some(t => t.storedSessionId === storedSessionId)) {
-    saveTiles([...tiles, { anchor, before, dir, storedSessionId }])
+    saveTiles([...tiles, { anchor: dock, before, dir, storedSessionId }])
     // Adoption is async via the registry — order sync runs after the move path
     // below; a brand-new tile's strip slot is already in `before`.
 
@@ -546,11 +553,11 @@ export function openSessionTile(
   // Already open: relocate the existing pane to the drop target (pane-mirror
   // only docks on first adoption, so a re-drag must move the tree pane itself).
   const tree = $layoutTree.get()
-  const target = tree ? findGroupOfPane(tree, anchor ?? 'workspace')?.id : null
+  const target = tree ? findGroupOfPane(tree, dock ?? 'workspace')?.id : null
 
   if (target) {
     moveTreePane(`${TILE_PANE_PREFIX}${storedSessionId}`, { before: before ?? null, groupId: target, pos: dir })
-    patchSessionTile(storedSessionId, { anchor, before: before ?? undefined, dir })
+    patchSessionTile(storedSessionId, { anchor: dock, before: before ?? undefined, dir })
     syncTileStripOrder()
   }
 }