diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/app-shell.tsx b/apps/web/src/shell/app-shell.tsx
index a6b91cf45..db5d0e694 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/app-shell.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/app-shell.tsx
@@ -67,6 +67,14 @@ export function AppShell({
     }
   };
 
+  // Open a channel into the canvas without leaving the current page. Unlike
+  // handleChannelChange, this never touches the URL — a channel row click in
+  // col2 should pop the conversation open in col4 and keep the user on /library
+  // (or wherever they are). Deep-link navigation is reserved for the URL.
+  const handleOpenInCanvas = (channelId: string) => {
+    setCanvasState(openChannelInCanvas(channelId));
+  };
+
   return (
     <CanvasAvailabilityProvider allowed={canvasAllowed}>
       <div className="shell-frame" ref={frameRef}>
@@ -83,6 +91,7 @@ export function AppShell({
             canvasOpen={canvasState.open}
             onToggleCanvas={() => setCanvasState(toggleCanvasColumn)}
             canvasAllowed={canvasAllowed}
+            onOpenInCanvas={handleOpenInCanvas}
           />
         )}
         <div className="shell-main" ref={mainRef}>
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/contextual-panel.tsx b/apps/web/src/shell/contextual-panel.tsx
index 3fcf5e674..9599fe65f 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/contextual-panel.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/contextual-panel.tsx
@@ -25,20 +25,22 @@ export function ContextualPanel({
   canvasOpen,
   onToggleCanvas,
   canvasAllowed,
+  onOpenInCanvas,
 }: {
   readonly path: string;
   readonly onNavigate: (to: string) => void;
   readonly canvasOpen: boolean;
   readonly onToggleCanvas: () => void;
   readonly canvasAllowed: boolean;
+  readonly onOpenInCanvas: (channelId: string) => void;
 }) {
   const contribution = resolvePanelContribution(path);
-  const pageBand = contribution?.pageBand({ path, onNavigate }) ?? {
+  const renderCtx = { path, onNavigate, onOpenInCanvas };
+  const pageBand = contribution?.pageBand(renderCtx) ?? {
     title: "Workbench",
     subtitle: "Navigate from the rail",
   };
-  const pageSpecific =
-    contribution?.pageSpecific?.({ path, onNavigate }) ?? null;
+  const pageSpecific = contribution?.pageSpecific?.(renderCtx) ?? null;
 
   const [pins] = useState<readonly Pin[]>(() => loadPins());
 
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/panel-contribution.ts b/apps/web/src/shell/panel-contribution.ts
index ce2ee3a93..531bc02f3 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/panel-contribution.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/panel-contribution.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ export type PageBand = {
 export type PanelRenderContext = {
   readonly path: string;
   readonly onNavigate: (to: string) => void;
+  /**
+   * Open a channel into the canvas without leaving the current page. Channel
+   * rows in the panel call this instead of navigating so a user on /library can
+   * pop a conversation open in column 4 and stay where they are.
+   */
+  readonly onOpenInCanvas: (channelId: string) => void;
 };
 
 export type PanelContribution = {
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/panel-contributions.tsx b/apps/web/src/shell/panel-contributions.tsx
index 9a71f3ca2..5b48941d1 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/panel-contributions.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/panel-contributions.tsx
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ function pathMatches(prefix: string, path: string): boolean {
 
 function ChannelsBand({
   path,
-  onNavigate,
+  onOpenInCanvas,
 }: {
   readonly path: string;
-  readonly onNavigate: (to: string) => void;
+  readonly onOpenInCanvas: (channelId: string) => void;
 }) {
   const { selectedTenantId } = useBench();
   const activity = useBenchActivity(selectedTenantId);
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ function ChannelsBand({
               key={channel.id}
               name={channel.title || "Untitled channel"}
               selected={channel.id === activeId}
-              onSelect={() => onNavigate(`${channelPath(channel.id)}`)}
+              onSelect={() => onOpenInCanvas(channel.id)}
             />
           ))}
         </div>
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ function ChannelsBand({
               key={channel.id}
               name={channel.title || "Untitled chat"}
               selected={channel.id === activeId}
-              onSelect={() => onNavigate(`${channelPath(channel.id)}`)}
+              onSelect={() => onOpenInCanvas(channel.id)}
             />
           ))}
         </div>
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ export function ensurePanelContributions(): void {
       ],
     }),
     pageSpecific: (ctx) => (
-      <ChannelsBand path={ctx.path} onNavigate={ctx.onNavigate} />
+      <ChannelsBand path={ctx.path} onOpenInCanvas={ctx.onOpenInCanvas} />
     ),
   });
 
diff --git a/apps/web/test/contextual-panel.test.tsx b/apps/web/test/contextual-panel.test.tsx
index 9b62c610d..9f26da0cd 100644
--- a/apps/web/test/contextual-panel.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/test/contextual-panel.test.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ function renderPanel(path: string): string {
         <ContextualPanel
           path={path}
           onNavigate={noop}
+          onOpenInCanvas={noop}
           canvasOpen={false}
           onToggleCanvas={noop}
           canvasAllowed={false}
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ describe("ContextualPanel", () => {
             <ContextualPanel
               path="/"
               onNavigate={noop}
+              onOpenInCanvas={noop}
               canvasOpen={false}
               onToggleCanvas={noop}
               canvasAllowed={false}
@@ -128,6 +130,7 @@ describe("ContextualPanel", () => {
             <ContextualPanel
               path="/"
               onNavigate={noop}
+              onOpenInCanvas={noop}
               canvasOpen={false}
               onToggleCanvas={noop}
               canvasAllowed={false}
@@ -204,6 +207,7 @@ describe("ContextualPanel", () => {
             <ContextualPanel
               path="/"
               onNavigate={noop}
+              onOpenInCanvas={noop}
               canvasOpen={false}
               onToggleCanvas={noop}
               canvasAllowed={false}
diff --git a/apps/web/test/panel-contribution.test.ts b/apps/web/test/panel-contribution.test.ts
index 601d67bbc..4346f490f 100644
--- a/apps/web/test/panel-contribution.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/test/panel-contribution.test.ts
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@ describe("createPanelRegistry", () => {
     });
     expect(registry.list()).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(
-      registry
-        .resolve("/agents")
-        ?.pageBand({ path: "/agents", onNavigate: () => undefined }).title,
+      registry.resolve("/agents")?.pageBand({
+        path: "/agents",
+        onNavigate: () => undefined,
+        onOpenInCanvas: () => undefined,
+      }).title,
     ).toBe("Agents v2");
   });