diff --git a/src/components/FocusModeTaskIndicators.tsx b/src/components/FocusModeTaskIndicators.tsx
index 54c51fd5..f2673206 100644
--- a/src/components/FocusModeTaskIndicators.tsx
+++ b/src/components/FocusModeTaskIndicators.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 import { For, Show } from 'solid-js';
-import { getTaskAttentionState, getTaskDotStatus, setActiveTask, store } from '../store/store';
+import {
+  getTaskAttentionState,
+  getTaskDotStatus,
+  activateTaskFromPointer,
+  store,
+} from '../store/store';
 import { openPanelOrder } from '../store/navigation';
 import { documentAgentTaskId } from '../documents/task-id';
 import { StatusDot } from './StatusDot';
@@ -32,7 +37,7 @@ export function FocusModeTaskIndicators() {
                 type="button"
                 class={`focus-mode-task-indicator${isActive() ? ' active' : ''}`}
                 onMouseDown={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
-                onClick={() => setActiveTask(item.id)}
+                onClick={() => activateTaskFromPointer(item.id)}
                 title={isActive() ? `${item.name} (current)` : `Switch to ${item.name}`}
                 aria-label={isActive() ? `${item.name}, current item` : `Switch to ${item.name}`}
                 aria-current={isActive() ? 'true' : undefined}
diff --git a/src/components/SubTaskStrip.tsx b/src/components/SubTaskStrip.tsx
index fbf44c16..0f72dffc 100644
--- a/src/components/SubTaskStrip.tsx
+++ b/src/components/SubTaskStrip.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { For, Show, createMemo, createSignal, createUniqueId, onMount } from 'solid-js';
-import { store, setActiveTask, getTaskDotStatus, uncollapseTask } from '../store/store';
+import { store, activateTaskFromPointer, getTaskDotStatus, uncollapseTask } from '../store/store';
 import { getCoordinatorChildren } from '../store/sidebar-order';
 import { invoke } from '../lib/ipc';
 import { IPC } from '../../electron/ipc/channels';
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ export function SubTaskStrip(props: SubTaskStripProps) {
                   if (task.collapsed) {
                     uncollapseTask(task.id);
                   }
-                  setActiveTask(task.id);
+                  activateTaskFromPointer(task.id);
                 }}
                 title={taskTone(task) ? `${task.name} — ${taskTone(task)?.label}` : task.name}
                 style={{
diff --git a/src/components/TaskPanel.reasoning.client.test.tsx b/src/components/TaskPanel.reasoning.client.test.tsx
index 81ac5b2e..71ca0565 100644
--- a/src/components/TaskPanel.reasoning.client.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/TaskPanel.reasoning.client.test.tsx
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ vi.mock('../store/store', () => {
     setTaskFocusedPanel: vi.fn(),
     triggerFocus: vi.fn(),
     setActiveTask: (id: string) => setStore('activeTaskId', id),
+    activateTaskFromPointer: (id: string) => setStore('activeTaskId', id),
     toggleFocusMode: (on?: boolean) => setStore('focusMode', on ?? !store.focusMode),
   };
 });
diff --git a/src/components/TaskPanel.tsx b/src/components/TaskPanel.tsx
index 0d22193b..171753ed 100644
--- a/src/components/TaskPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/TaskPanel.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Show, createSignal, createEffect, createMemo, onMount, onCleanup, batch
 import {
   store,
   retryCloseTask,
-  setActiveTask,
+  activateTaskFromPointer,
   setActiveAgent,
   clearInitialPrompt,
   clearPrefillPrompt,
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ export function TaskPanel(props: TaskPanelProps) {
         position: 'relative',
       }}
       onClick={() => {
-        setActiveTask(props.task.id);
+        activateTaskFromPointer(props.task.id);
       }}
     >
       <TaskClosingOverlay
diff --git a/src/components/TaskTitleBar.tsx b/src/components/TaskTitleBar.tsx
index 97535c93..1038cab7 100644
--- a/src/components/TaskTitleBar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/TaskTitleBar.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { Show } from 'solid-js';
 import {
   store,
   reorderTask,
-  setActiveTask,
+  activateTaskFromPointer,
   updateTaskName,
   collapseTask,
   getTaskDotStatus,
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ export function TaskTitleBar(props: TaskTitleBarProps) {
       itemId: props.task.id,
       getTaskOrder: () => store.taskOrder,
       onReorder: reorderTask,
-      onTap: () => setActiveTask(props.task.id),
+      onTap: () => activateTaskFromPointer(props.task.id),
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/src/components/TerminalPanel.tsx b/src/components/TerminalPanel.tsx
index 62fd737e..0df77018 100644
--- a/src/components/TerminalPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/TerminalPanel.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import {
   store,
   closeTerminal,
   updateTerminalName,
-  setActiveTask,
+  activateTaskFromPointer,
   reorderTask,
   registerFocusFn,
   unregisterFocusFn,
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export function TerminalPanel(props: TerminalPanelProps) {
       itemId: props.terminal.id,
       getTaskOrder: () => store.taskOrder,
       onReorder: reorderTask,
-      onTap: () => setActiveTask(props.terminal.id),
+      onTap: () => activateTaskFromPointer(props.terminal.id),
     });
   }
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ export function TerminalPanel(props: TerminalPanelProps) {
         overflow: 'clip',
         position: 'relative',
       }}
-      onClick={() => setActiveTask(props.terminal.id)}
+      onClick={() => activateTaskFromPointer(props.terminal.id)}
     >
       {/* Title bar */}
       <div
diff --git a/src/store/navigation.client.test.tsx b/src/store/navigation.client.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..95fcd435
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/store/navigation.client.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+// Where DOM focus goes when a column is clicked after moving through the sidebar.
+// Real store, focus registry, sidebar navigation and title-bar drag handler; the
+// column is reduced to a title, a terminal and an input, with a copy of
+// TaskPanel's "respond to focus panel changes" effect (TerminalPanel's version
+// only adds a 'terminal' default).
+import { createEffect, For } from 'solid-js';
+import { render } from 'solid-js/web';
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { store, setStore } from './core';
+import { activateTaskFromPointer, setActiveTask } from './navigation';
+import { registerFocusFn, scheduleTaskFocus, unregisterFocusFn } from './focused-panel';
+import { focusSidebar, navigateRow } from './focus';
+import { handleDragReorder } from '../lib/dragReorder';
+
+vi.mock('../lib/ipc', () => ({ invoke: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock('./persistence', () => ({ saveState: vi.fn() }));
+
+const ids = ['task-a', 'task-b'];
+const panel = (id: string) => `ai-terminal:${id}-agent`;
+let dispose: (() => void) | undefined;
+let sidebarEl!: HTMLDivElement;
+const terminals: Record<string, HTMLTextAreaElement> = {};
+
+function mount(activate: (id: string) => void) {
+  const root = document.createElement('div');
+  document.body.appendChild(root);
+  dispose = render(() => {
+    createEffect(() => {
+      if (store.sidebarFocused) sidebarEl.focus();
+    });
+    registerFocusFn('sidebar', () => sidebarEl.focus());
+    return (
+      <div>
+        <div ref={sidebarEl} tabIndex={0} />
+        <For each={ids}>
+          {(id) => {
+            createEffect(() => {
+              if (store.activeTaskId !== id) return;
+              const p = store.focusedPanel[id];
+              if (p) scheduleTaskFocus(id, p);
+            });
+            registerFocusFn(`${id}:${panel(id)}`, () => terminals[id].focus());
+            return (
+              <div data-task-id={id} onClick={() => activate(id)}>
+                <div
+                  data-testid={`title-${id}`}
+                  onMouseDown={(e) =>
+                    handleDragReorder(e, {
+                      itemId: id,
+                      getTaskOrder: () => store.taskOrder,
+                      onReorder: () => {},
+                      onTap: () => activate(id),
+                    })
+                  }
+                >
+                  title
+                </div>
+                <textarea ref={(el) => (terminals[id] = el)} />
+                <input data-testid={`input-${id}`} />
+              </div>
+            );
+          }}
+        </For>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }, root);
+}
+
+function tapTitle(id: string) {
+  const el = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>(`[data-testid="title-${id}"]`);
+  if (!el) throw new Error(`no title for ${id}`);
+  el.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent('mousedown', { bubbles: true, button: 0, clientX: 10 }));
+  window.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent('mouseup', { bubbles: true, button: 0, clientX: 10 }));
+  el.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent('click', { bubbles: true, button: 0, clientX: 10 }));
+}
+
+const settle = () => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+
+async function moveIntoSidebar() {
+  terminals['task-a'].focus();
+  focusSidebar();
+  navigateRow('down');
+  await settle();
+  expect(store.sidebarFocused).toBe(true);
+  expect(document.activeElement).toBe(sidebarEl);
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  setStore({
+    tasks: Object.fromEntries(
+      ids.map((id) => [
+        id,
+        {
+          id,
+          name: id,
+          projectId: 'p',
+          branchName: id,
+          worktreePath: `/w/${id}`,
+          agentIds: [`${id}-agent`],
+          shellAgentIds: [],
+          notes: '',
+          lastPrompt: '',
+          gitIsolation: 'worktree',
+        },
+      ]),
+    ),
+    taskOrder: [...ids],
+    collapsedTaskOrder: [],
+    projects: [{ id: 'p', name: 'p', path: '/p', color: '#fff' }] as never,
+    terminals: {},
+    focusedPanel: { 'task-a': panel('task-a'), 'task-b': panel('task-b') },
+    activeTaskId: 'task-a',
+    activeAgentId: 'task-a-agent',
+    activeDocumentProjectId: null,
+    newTaskPanelFocused: false,
+    placeholderFocused: false,
+    sidebarFocused: false,
+    sidebarFocusedTaskId: null,
+    sidebarFocusedProjectId: null,
+  } as never);
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  dispose?.();
+  dispose = undefined;
+  document.body.innerHTML = '';
+  for (const id of ids) unregisterFocusFn(`${id}:${panel(id)}`);
+});
+
+// Control: a tap moves no DOM focus by itself (in the app the drag handler
+// prevents the mousedown default; happy-dom moves none on mousedown either), so
+// through setActiveTask alone focus stays on the sidebar.
+it('setActiveTask leaves focus on the sidebar after a title tap', async () => {
+  mount(setActiveTask);
+  await moveIntoSidebar();
+  tapTitle('task-b');
+  await settle();
+  expect(store.activeTaskId).toBe('task-b');
+  expect(document.activeElement).toBe(sidebarEl);
+});
+
+it('a title tap on another column moves focus into it', async () => {
+  mount(activateTaskFromPointer);
+  await moveIntoSidebar();
+  tapTitle('task-b');
+  await settle();
+  expect(store.sidebarFocused).toBe(false);
+  expect(document.activeElement).toBe(terminals['task-b']);
+});
+
+// Nothing about the selection changes here, so the column's focus effect does
+// not run again; the activation itself has to move focus back.
+it('a title tap on the column that was already active moves focus back into it', async () => {
+  mount(activateTaskFromPointer);
+  await moveIntoSidebar();
+  tapTitle('task-a');
+  await settle();
+  expect(store.sidebarFocused).toBe(false);
+  expect(document.activeElement).toBe(terminals['task-a']);
+});
+
+// Only leaving the sidebar moves focus. A tap on the active column's title while
+// focus is already somewhere in the column must leave it there.
+it('leaves focus alone when the sidebar did not have it', async () => {
+  mount(activateTaskFromPointer);
+  await settle(); // let the active column's initial focus land first
+  const input = document.querySelector<HTMLInputElement>('[data-testid="input-task-a"]');
+  if (!input) throw new Error('no input');
+  input.focus();
+  tapTitle('task-a');
+  await settle();
+  expect(document.activeElement).toBe(input);
+});
diff --git a/src/store/navigation.test.ts b/src/store/navigation.test.ts
index 57608a2c..68a2bb52 100644
--- a/src/store/navigation.test.ts
+++ b/src/store/navigation.test.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ vi.mock('./notification', () => ({ showNotification: vi.fn() }));
 vi.mock('./projects', () => ({ pickAndAddProject: vi.fn() }));
 vi.mock('./tasks', () => ({ reorderTask: vi.fn() }));
 
-import { jumpToTask, moveActiveTask } from './navigation';
+import { activateTaskFromPointer, jumpToTask, moveActiveTask, setActiveTask } from './navigation';
+import { isPanelFocused } from './focused-panel';
 import { reorderTask } from './tasks';
 
 beforeEach(() => {
@@ -164,3 +165,46 @@ describe('jumpToTask', () => {
     expect(mockStore.sidebarFocusedProjectId).toBe(null);
   });
 });
+
+// `sidebarFocused` gates every panel: while it is set, `isPanelFocused` is false
+// and `scheduleTaskFocus` will not move DOM focus. A click into a column is the
+// user leaving the sidebar; a keyboard jump is not.
+describe('activateTaskFromPointer', () => {
+  const panel = 'ai-terminal:agent-b';
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockStore.activeTaskId = 'task-1';
+    mockStore.sidebarFocused = true;
+    mockStore.focusedPanel = { 'task-2': panel };
+  });
+
+  it('setActiveTask leaves sidebarFocused set (keyboard jumps rely on it)', () => {
+    setActiveTask('task-2');
+    expect(mockStore.activeTaskId).toBe('task-2');
+    expect(isPanelFocused('task-2', panel)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('activates the column and hands it focus', () => {
+    activateTaskFromPointer('task-2');
+    expect(mockStore.activeTaskId).toBe('task-2');
+    expect(mockStore.sidebarFocused).toBe(false);
+    expect(isPanelFocused('task-2', panel)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('clears the sidebar gate when the clicked column is already active', () => {
+    mockStore.activeTaskId = 'task-2';
+    activateTaskFromPointer('task-2');
+    expect(isPanelFocused('task-2', panel)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('leaves the sidebar focused when the id is not something setActiveTask accepts', () => {
+    activateTaskFromPointer('no-such-task');
+    expect(mockStore.activeTaskId).toBe('task-1');
+    expect(mockStore.sidebarFocused).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps keyboard jumps on the sidebar, as they were', () => {
+    jumpToTask(1);
+    expect(mockStore.sidebarFocused).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/store/navigation.ts b/src/store/navigation.ts
index b3ec79db..5bf5f105 100644
--- a/src/store/navigation.ts
+++ b/src/store/navigation.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
+import { batch } from 'solid-js';
 import { documentAgentTaskId } from '../documents/task-id';
 import { store, setStore } from './core';
-import { getTaskFocusedPanel, setTaskFocusedPanel, triggerFocus } from './focused-panel';
+import {
+  getTaskFocusedPanel,
+  scheduleTaskFocus,
+  setTaskFocusedPanel,
+  triggerFocus,
+} from './focused-panel';
 import { showNotification } from './notification';
 import { pickAndAddProject } from './projects';
 import { reorderTask } from './tasks';
@@ -52,6 +58,23 @@ export function setActiveTask(id: string): void {
   setStore('activeAgentId', activeAgentId);
 }
 
+/** Activate a task from a click or tap into its column. Unlike `setActiveTask`,
+ *  which keyboard jumps share, this also takes focus away from the sidebar. */
+export function activateTaskFromPointer(id: string): void {
+  const leavingSidebar = store.sidebarFocused;
+  const wasActive = store.activeTaskId === id;
+  batch(() => {
+    setActiveTask(id);
+    // Only when the id was one setActiveTask accepted.
+    if (store.activeTaskId === id) setStore('sidebarFocused', false);
+  });
+  // A column that was already active re-runs none of its focus effects, so
+  // nothing else would move DOM focus back into it.
+  if (leavingSidebar && wasActive && store.activeTaskId === id) {
+    scheduleTaskFocus(id, getTaskFocusedPanel(id));
+  }
+}
+
 export function setActiveAgent(agentId: string): void {
   setStore('activeAgentId', agentId);
   const taskId = store.activeTaskId;
diff --git a/src/store/store.ts b/src/store/store.ts
index 595c7c7e..1f302242 100644
--- a/src/store/store.ts
+++ b/src/store/store.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ export {
 export { updateTaskBranch, undoBranchAdoption, dismissBranchAdoptionNotice } from './task-branch';
 export {
   setActiveTask,
+  activateTaskFromPointer,
   setActiveAgent,
   moveActiveTask,
   jumpToTask,