diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsBreadcrumb.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsBreadcrumb.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b23200c5559b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsBreadcrumb.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+import {
+  Outlet,
+  RouterContextProvider,
+  createMemoryHistory,
+  createRootRoute,
+  createRoute,
+  createRouter,
+  useLocation,
+} from "@tanstack/react-router";
+import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vite-plus/test";
+
+import { SettingsBreadcrumb } from "./SettingsBreadcrumb";
+
+vi.mock("../../lib/archivedThreadsState", () => ({
+  useArchivedProjectModel: () => ({
+    isLoading: false,
+    projectGroups: [{ projectKey: "project-alpha", displayName: "Alpha Project" }],
+  }),
+}));
+
+function createArchiveRouter(initialEntry: string, pauseArchive: boolean) {
+  let markArchiveStarted = () => {};
+  let releaseArchive = () => {};
+  const archiveStarted = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+    markArchiveStarted = resolve;
+  });
+  const archiveReleased = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+    releaseArchive = resolve;
+  });
+
+  const rootRoute = createRootRoute({
+    component: Outlet,
+  });
+  const settingsRoute = createRoute({
+    getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
+    path: "settings",
+    component: SettingsTestLayout,
+  });
+  const generalRoute = createRoute({
+    getParentRoute: () => settingsRoute,
+    path: "general",
+    component: () => <div>General settings</div>,
+  });
+  const archivedRoute = createRoute({
+    getParentRoute: () => settingsRoute,
+    path: "archived",
+    validateSearch: (search): { project?: string } =>
+      typeof search.project === "string" ? { project: search.project } : {},
+    beforeLoad: async () => {
+      if (!pauseArchive) return;
+      markArchiveStarted();
+      await archiveReleased;
+    },
+    component: () => <div>Archived threads</div>,
+  });
+  const routeTree = rootRoute.addChildren([
+    settingsRoute.addChildren([generalRoute, archivedRoute]),
+  ]);
+  const router = createRouter({
+    routeTree,
+    history: createMemoryHistory({ initialEntries: [initialEntry] }),
+  });
+
+  return { archiveStarted, releaseArchive, router };
+}
+
+function SettingsTestLayout() {
+  const pathname = useLocation({ select: (location) => location.pathname });
+  return (
+    <>
+      <SettingsBreadcrumb pathname={pathname} />
+      <Outlet />
+    </>
+  );
+}
+
+function renderBreadcrumb(router: ReturnType<typeof createArchiveRouter>["router"]) {
+  return renderToStaticMarkup(
+    <RouterContextProvider router={router}>
+      <SettingsBreadcrumb pathname={router.state.location.pathname} />
+    </RouterContextProvider>,
+  );
+}
+
+describe("SettingsBreadcrumb", () => {
+  it("waits for the Archive match before reading its search during navigation", async () => {
+    const { archiveStarted, releaseArchive, router } = createArchiveRouter(
+      "/settings/general",
+      true,
+    );
+    await router.load();
+
+    const navigation = router.navigate({
+      to: "/settings/archived",
+      search: { project: "project-alpha" },
+    });
+    await archiveStarted;
+
+    expect(router.state.location.pathname).toBe("/settings/archived");
+    expect(router.state.matches.some((match) => match.routeId === "/settings/archived")).toBe(
+      false,
+    );
+    const pendingMarkup = renderBreadcrumb(router);
+    expect(pendingMarkup).toContain('aria-label="Settings breadcrumb"');
+    expect(pendingMarkup).toContain("Settings");
+    expect(pendingMarkup).toContain("Archive");
+
+    releaseArchive();
+    await navigation;
+
+    const archiveMarkup = renderBreadcrumb(router);
+    expect(archiveMarkup).toContain("Archive");
+    expect(archiveMarkup).toContain("Alpha Project");
+
+    await router.navigate({ to: "/settings/general" });
+    const generalMarkup = renderBreadcrumb(router);
+    expect(generalMarkup).toContain("General");
+    expect(generalMarkup).not.toContain("Alpha Project");
+  });
+
+  it("preserves the selected project on a direct Archive deep link", async () => {
+    const { router } = createArchiveRouter("/settings/archived?project=project-alpha", false);
+    await router.load();
+
+    const markup = renderBreadcrumb(router);
+    expect(router.state.location.search.project).toBe("project-alpha");
+    expect(markup).toContain("Alpha Project");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsBreadcrumb.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsBreadcrumb.tsx
index 67223955cc96..7217989d049d 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsBreadcrumb.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsBreadcrumb.tsx
@@ -20,9 +20,14 @@ function settingsBreadcrumbLabel(pathname: string): string | null {
 }
 
 export function SettingsBreadcrumb({ pathname }: { pathname: string }) {
+  const archiveProjectKey = useSearch({
+    from: "/settings/archived",
+    shouldThrow: false,
+    select: (search) => search.project ?? null,
+  });
   const normalizedPathname = pathname.replace(/\/+$/, "") || "/";
-  if (normalizedPathname === "/settings/archived") {
-    return <ArchivedThreadsBreadcrumb />;
+  if (normalizedPathname === "/settings/archived" && archiveProjectKey !== undefined) {
+    return <ArchivedThreadsBreadcrumb projectKey={archiveProjectKey} />;
   }
   const sectionLabel = settingsBreadcrumbLabel(pathname);
 
@@ -41,8 +46,7 @@ export function SettingsBreadcrumb({ pathname }: { pathname: string }) {
   );
 }
 
-function ArchivedThreadsBreadcrumb() {
-  const search = useSearch({ from: "/settings/archived" });
+function ArchivedThreadsBreadcrumb({ projectKey }: { projectKey: string | null }) {
   const navigate = useNavigate({ from: "/settings/archived" });
   const { isLoading, projectGroups } = useArchivedProjectModel();
 
@@ -59,7 +63,7 @@ function ArchivedThreadsBreadcrumb() {
         });
       }}
       rootLabel="Archive"
-      selectedKey={search.project ?? null}
+      selectedKey={projectKey}
       unavailableLabel={isLoading ? "Loading project" : "Unavailable project"}
     />
   );