diff --git a/Packages/macOS/CmuxWorkspaces/Sources/CmuxWorkspaces/Model/WorkspacesModel+CloseSelection.swift b/Packages/macOS/CmuxWorkspaces/Sources/CmuxWorkspaces/Model/WorkspacesModel+CloseSelection.swift
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6a81491e8667
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Packages/macOS/CmuxWorkspaces/Sources/CmuxWorkspaces/Model/WorkspacesModel+CloseSelection.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+public import Foundation
+
+// Selection hand-off for the workspace close path.
+extension WorkspacesModel {
+    /// The workspace that takes selection after the workspace previously at
+    /// `closedIndex` was removed from `tabs`.
+    ///
+    /// Keeps the user's focused *row position* stable where possible: if a
+    /// workspace still occupies the closed workspace's slot, that one is
+    /// focused (it moved up into the slot); otherwise the closed workspace was
+    /// last, so focus falls back to the new last workspace.
+    ///
+    /// The slot's occupant is resolved to a workspace the sidebar actually
+    /// renders: `tabs` stores every workspace, but a non-anchor member of a
+    /// *collapsed* group has no row of its own, and selecting one would fire
+    /// `expandWorkspaceGroupForSelectionIfNeeded` and unfold a group the user
+    /// deliberately collapsed. Such a member resolves to its group's anchor —
+    /// the row the sidebar draws for it — matching how
+    /// `toggleWorkspaceGroupCollapsed` moves focus to the anchor when a
+    /// collapse would hide the selected member.
+    ///
+    /// Callers must have already removed the closed workspace from `tabs`.
+    /// Returns nil when no workspace remains.
+    public func selectionTargetAfterClose(closedIndex: Int) -> UUID? {
+        guard !tabs.isEmpty else { return nil }
+        let newIndex = min(closedIndex, max(0, tabs.count - 1))
+        let candidate = tabs[newIndex]
+        guard let groupId = candidate.groupId,
+              let group = workspaceGroups.first(where: { $0.id == groupId }),
+              group.isCollapsed else {
+            return candidate.id
+        }
+        return group.anchorWorkspaceId
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Packages/macOS/CmuxWorkspaces/Tests/CmuxWorkspacesTests/WorkspaceCloseSelectionTests.swift b/Packages/macOS/CmuxWorkspaces/Tests/CmuxWorkspacesTests/WorkspaceCloseSelectionTests.swift
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fb43a8eed853
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Packages/macOS/CmuxWorkspaces/Tests/CmuxWorkspacesTests/WorkspaceCloseSelectionTests.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+import Foundation
+import Testing
+@testable import CmuxWorkspaces
+
+/// Close-path selection hand-off. The sidebar renders group anchors and
+/// ungrouped workspaces as rows; a non-anchor member of a *collapsed* group has
+/// no row of its own. Selecting such a member fires the selection auto-expand
+/// (`expandWorkspaceGroupForSelectionIfNeeded`) and unfolds a group the user
+/// deliberately collapsed, so the close path must never land there.
+@MainActor
+struct WorkspaceCloseSelectionTests {
+    private func makeWorld() -> (
+        model: WorkspacesModel<CoordinatorStubTab>,
+        host: StubGroupHost,
+        groups: WorkspaceGroupCoordinator<CoordinatorStubTab>
+    ) {
+        let model = WorkspacesModel<CoordinatorStubTab>()
+        let host = StubGroupHost(model: model)
+        let groups = WorkspaceGroupCoordinator(model: model)
+        groups.attach(host: host)
+        return (model, host, groups)
+    }
+
+    /// Builds `[anchor, m1, m2, outside]`: one group run followed by a single
+    /// ungrouped workspace, which is the ordering invariant's normal shape
+    /// (groups above ungrouped-unpinned).
+    ///
+    /// The coordinator holds its host weakly, so callers must keep the returned
+    /// `host` alive for the duration of the test.
+    private func makeGroupAboveLoneWorkspace() throws -> (
+        model: WorkspacesModel<CoordinatorStubTab>,
+        host: StubGroupHost,
+        groups: WorkspaceGroupCoordinator<CoordinatorStubTab>,
+        groupId: UUID,
+        anchorId: UUID,
+        m2: CoordinatorStubTab,
+        outside: CoordinatorStubTab
+    ) {
+        let (model, host, groups) = makeWorld()
+        let m1 = CoordinatorStubTab()
+        let m2 = CoordinatorStubTab()
+        let outside = CoordinatorStubTab()
+        model.tabs = [m1, m2, outside]
+        let groupId = try #require(
+            groups.createWorkspaceGroup(name: "G", childWorkspaceIds: [m1.id, m2.id])
+        )
+        let anchorId = try #require(
+            model.workspaceGroups.first(where: { $0.id == groupId })?.anchorWorkspaceId
+        )
+        #expect(model.tabs.map(\.id) == [anchorId, m1.id, m2.id, outside.id])
+        return (model, host, groups, groupId, anchorId, m2, outside)
+    }
+
+    /// Closing the LAST workspace walks selection *backwards*, straight into the
+    /// tail of the preceding group's member run. When that group is collapsed
+    /// the tail member is invisible, so selection must land on the group's
+    /// anchor (its visible header row) instead.
+    @Test
+    func closingLastWorkspaceSelectsAnchorNotHiddenMemberOfCollapsedGroup() throws {
+        let world = try makeGroupAboveLoneWorkspace()
+        world.groups.setWorkspaceGroupCollapsed(groupId: world.groupId, isCollapsed: true)
+
+        let index = try #require(world.model.tabs.firstIndex(where: { $0.id == world.outside.id }))
+        world.model.selectedTabId = world.outside.id
+        world.model.tabs.remove(at: index)
+
+        let target = try #require(world.model.selectionTargetAfterClose(closedIndex: index))
+        #expect(target == world.anchorId)
+        #expect(target != world.m2.id)
+    }
+
+    /// End-to-end consequence of the rule above: after the close path applies
+    /// its selection and the selection side-effect chain runs, the group the
+    /// user collapsed is still collapsed.
+    @Test
+    func closingLastWorkspaceKeepsPrecedingGroupCollapsed() throws {
+        let world = try makeGroupAboveLoneWorkspace()
+        world.groups.setWorkspaceGroupCollapsed(groupId: world.groupId, isCollapsed: true)
+
+        let index = try #require(world.model.tabs.firstIndex(where: { $0.id == world.outside.id }))
+        world.model.selectedTabId = world.outside.id
+        world.model.tabs.remove(at: index)
+
+        world.model.selectedTabId = world.model.selectionTargetAfterClose(closedIndex: index)
+        // The model has no host attached here, so drive the selection
+        // side-effect the window's `selectedTabId` didSet would have run.
+        world.model.expandWorkspaceGroupForSelectionIfNeeded()
+
+        #expect(world.model.workspaceGroups.first(where: { $0.id == world.groupId })?.isCollapsed == true)
+    }
+
+    /// Guard against over-correcting: an EXPANDED group's members do have their
+    /// own sidebar rows, so selection keeps landing on the adjacent member and
+    /// is not redirected to the anchor.
+    @Test
+    func closingLastWorkspaceSelectsAdjacentMemberOfExpandedGroup() throws {
+        let world = try makeGroupAboveLoneWorkspace()
+
+        let index = try #require(world.model.tabs.firstIndex(where: { $0.id == world.outside.id }))
+        world.model.selectedTabId = world.outside.id
+        world.model.tabs.remove(at: index)
+
+        let target = try #require(world.model.selectionTargetAfterClose(closedIndex: index))
+        #expect(target == world.m2.id)
+    }
+
+    /// Closing a non-last workspace still walks *forwards* into the workspace
+    /// that moved up into the vacated slot.
+    @Test
+    func closingNonLastWorkspaceSelectsTheWorkspaceThatMovedUp() throws {
+        let (model, host, _) = makeWorld()
+        _ = host
+        let a = CoordinatorStubTab()
+        let b = CoordinatorStubTab()
+        let c = CoordinatorStubTab()
+        model.tabs = [a, b, c]
+
+        let index = try #require(model.tabs.firstIndex(where: { $0.id == b.id }))
+        model.selectedTabId = b.id
+        model.tabs.remove(at: index)
+
+        let target = try #require(model.selectionTargetAfterClose(closedIndex: index))
+        #expect(target == c.id)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Sources/TabManager.swift b/Sources/TabManager.swift
index b538fc20f460..9f7916d3aa67 100644
--- a/Sources/TabManager.swift
+++ b/Sources/TabManager.swift
@@ -2462,12 +2462,11 @@ class TabManager: ObservableObject {
             // fixup.
             let promotedAnchorIds = workspaces.promoteAnchorOrRemoveGroupsAnchoredBy(closedWorkspaceId: workspace.id)
 
-            if selectedTabId == workspace.id {
-                // Keep the "focused index" stable when possible:
-                // - If we closed workspace i and there is still a workspace at index i, focus it (the one that moved up).
-                // - Otherwise (we closed the last workspace), focus the new last workspace (i-1).
-                let newIndex = min(index, max(0, tabs.count - 1))
-                selectedTabId = tabs[newIndex].id
+            if selectedTabId == workspace.id,
+               let nextSelectedId = workspaces.selectionTargetAfterClose(closedIndex: index) {
+                // Keep the "focused row position" stable when possible; see
+                // WorkspacesModel.selectionTargetAfterClose for the rule.
+                selectedTabId = nextSelectedId
             }
 
             // A promoted anchor's resolved display title switches from its own