diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/store.ts b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/store.ts
index b1e37ec2747..98d576192f7 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/store.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/store.ts
@@ -966,8 +966,13 @@ export const useTabsStore = create<TabsStore>()(
 
 						// If clicking the same file that's already in preview, just focus it
 						if (isSameFile) {
-							const nextViewMode =
-								options.viewMode ?? existingFileViewer.viewMode;
+							// Conflicted files must default to the conflict viewer even
+							// when callers do not pass an explicit viewMode.
+							const conflictFallbackViewMode =
+								options.diffCategory === "conflicted"
+									? "conflict"
+									: existingFileViewer.viewMode;
+							const nextViewMode = options.viewMode ?? conflictFallbackViewMode;
 							const shouldUpdateViewerState =
 								nextViewMode !== existingFileViewer.viewMode ||
 								options.line !== undefined ||
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/utils.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/utils.test.ts
index eaded10ba4d..fe075f50da9 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/utils.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/utils.test.ts
@@ -595,6 +595,53 @@ describe("applyFileViewerOpenOptionsToPane", () => {
 			initialColumn: 7,
 		});
 	});
+
+	it("forces conflict viewer for conflicted files when no explicit viewMode is provided", () => {
+		const pane: Pane = {
+			id: "pane-a",
+			tabId: "tab-a",
+			type: "file-viewer",
+			name: "file.ts",
+			fileViewer: {
+				filePath: "/repo/file.ts",
+				viewMode: "raw",
+				isPinned: false,
+				diffLayout: "inline",
+				diffCategory: "conflicted",
+			},
+		};
+
+		const result = applyFileViewerOpenOptionsToPane(pane, {
+			filePath: "/repo/file.ts",
+			diffCategory: "conflicted",
+		});
+
+		expect(result.fileViewer?.viewMode).toBe("conflict");
+	});
+
+	it("preserves explicit viewMode for conflicted files", () => {
+		const pane: Pane = {
+			id: "pane-a",
+			tabId: "tab-a",
+			type: "file-viewer",
+			name: "file.ts",
+			fileViewer: {
+				filePath: "/repo/file.ts",
+				viewMode: "raw",
+				isPinned: false,
+				diffLayout: "inline",
+				diffCategory: "conflicted",
+			},
+		};
+
+		const result = applyFileViewerOpenOptionsToPane(pane, {
+			filePath: "/repo/file.ts",
+			diffCategory: "conflicted",
+			viewMode: "raw",
+		});
+
+		expect(result.fileViewer?.viewMode).toBe("raw");
+	});
 });
 
 describe("activatePaneInWorkspace", () => {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/utils.ts b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/utils.ts
index ae697442db0..93eb1cefcc0 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/utils.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/stores/tabs/utils.ts
@@ -980,9 +980,17 @@ export const applyFileViewerOpenOptionsToPane = (
 		return pane;
 	}
 
+	// Conflicted files must render in the conflict viewer. If the reused pane
+	// has a stale non-conflict viewMode (e.g. was opened as raw before the
+	// merge marked the file as conflicted), force it back to "conflict" when
+	// no explicit override is provided.
+	const fallbackViewMode =
+		options.diffCategory === "conflicted"
+			? "conflict"
+			: pane.fileViewer.viewMode;
 	const nextFileViewer: FileViewerState = {
 		...pane.fileViewer,
-		viewMode: options.viewMode ?? pane.fileViewer.viewMode,
+		viewMode: options.viewMode ?? fallbackViewMode,
 		isPinned: pane.fileViewer.isPinned || (options.isPinned ?? false),
 		oldPath: options.oldPath ?? pane.fileViewer.oldPath,
 		initialLine: options.line ?? pane.fileViewer.initialLine,