diff --git a/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx b/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx
index 3fc65f504..91f17cf18 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx
@@ -155,7 +155,6 @@ export function AppShell() {
     [location.pathname],
   );
   const {
-    cancel: cancelPendingSidebarNavigation,
     pendingChannelId: pendingSidebarChannelId,
     selectDeferred: handleSidebarChannelSelect,
   } = useDeferredSidebarNavigation({
@@ -858,10 +857,7 @@ export function AppShell() {
                             });
                           await goChannel(directMessage.id);
                         }}
-                        onSelectAgents={() => {
-                          cancelPendingSidebarNavigation();
-                          void goAgents();
-                        }}
+                        onSelectAgents={() => void goAgents()}
                         onSelectChannel={handleSidebarChannelSelect}
                         onOpenSearchResult={handleOpenSearchResult}
                         searchChannels={channels}
@@ -869,18 +865,9 @@ export function AppShell() {
                           searchFocusRequest,
                           scopeSearchFocusRequest,
                         ]}
-                        onSelectHome={() => {
-                          cancelPendingSidebarNavigation();
-                          void goHome();
-                        }}
-                        onSelectProjects={() => {
-                          cancelPendingSidebarNavigation();
-                          void goProjects();
-                        }}
-                        onSelectPulse={() => {
-                          cancelPendingSidebarNavigation();
-                          void goPulse();
-                        }}
+                        onSelectHome={() => void goHome()}
+                        onSelectProjects={() => void goProjects()}
+                        onSelectPulse={() => void goPulse()}
                         onSelectSettings={handleOpenSettings}
                         onSelectWorkflows={() => void goWorkflows()}
                         onSetPresenceStatus={(status) =>
@@ -904,7 +891,9 @@ export function AppShell() {
                             : undefined
                         }
                         selectedChannelId={sidebarSelectedChannelId}
-                        selectedView={selectedView}
+                        selectedView={
+                          pendingSidebarChannelId ? "channel" : selectedView
+                        }
                         unreadChannelIds={unreadChannelIds}
                         previewActivityChannelIds={unreadThreadChannelIds}
                         unreadChannelCounts={unreadChannelCounts}
diff --git a/desktop/src/app/navigation/useDeferredSidebarNavigation.ts b/desktop/src/app/navigation/useDeferredSidebarNavigation.ts
index 28110d210..b2800280d 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/navigation/useDeferredSidebarNavigation.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/app/navigation/useDeferredSidebarNavigation.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export function useDeferredSidebarNavigation({
   const pathnameRef = React.useRef(pathname);
   pathnameRef.current = pathname;
 
-  const cancel = React.useCallback(() => {
+  const cancelDeferred = React.useCallback(() => {
     generationRef.current += 1;
     if (frameRef.current !== null) {
       window.cancelAnimationFrame(frameRef.current);
@@ -32,10 +32,23 @@ export function useDeferredSidebarNavigation({
       window.clearTimeout(timerRef.current);
       timerRef.current = null;
     }
-    setPendingChannelId(null);
   }, []);
 
+  const cancel = React.useCallback(() => {
+    cancelDeferred();
+    setPendingChannelId(null);
+  }, [cancelDeferred]);
+
   React.useEffect(() => cancel, [cancel]);
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    const handleNavigationIntent = () => cancelDeferred();
+    window.addEventListener("buzz:navigation-intent", handleNavigationIntent);
+    return () =>
+      window.removeEventListener(
+        "buzz:navigation-intent",
+        handleNavigationIntent,
+      );
+  }, [cancelDeferred]);
   React.useEffect(() => {
     // A committed route change supersedes any deferred sidebar intent.
     void pathname;
@@ -84,5 +97,5 @@ export function useDeferredSidebarNavigation({
     [cancel, selectChannel],
   );
 
-  return { cancel, pendingChannelId, selectDeferred };
+  return { pendingChannelId, selectDeferred };
 }
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebarPinnedHeader.tsx b/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebarPinnedHeader.tsx
index 4a618fcf0..775c7387d 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebarPinnedHeader.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebarPinnedHeader.tsx
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ export function AppSidebarPrimaryMenu({
         <SidebarMenuItem>
           <SidebarMenuButton
             className="data-[active=true]:font-normal"
+            data-testid="open-home-view"
             isActive={selectedView === "home"}
             onClick={onSelectHome}
             tooltip="Inbox"
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/messaging.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/messaging.spec.ts
index bf32cb4dd..796c6d174 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/messaging.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/messaging.spec.ts
@@ -2835,8 +2835,16 @@ test("superseded sidebar feedback cannot override newer navigation", async ({
   await page.getByTestId("channel-general").click();
   await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("general");
 
-  await page.getByTestId("channel-random").click();
-  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Inbox" }).click();
+  await page.evaluate(() => {
+    document
+      .querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-testid="channel-random"]')
+      ?.click();
+    const inboxButton = document.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>(
+      '[data-testid="open-home-view"]',
+    );
+    if (!inboxButton) throw new Error("Expected Inbox button");
+    inboxButton.click();
+  });
 
   await expect(page.getByTestId("home-inbox")).toBeVisible();
   await page.waitForTimeout(100);
@@ -2847,6 +2855,58 @@ test("superseded sidebar feedback cannot override newer navigation", async ({
   );
 });
 
+test("back navigation supersedes pending sidebar navigation", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  await page.goto("/");
+  await page.getByTestId("channel-general").click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("general");
+
+  const historyLength = await page.evaluate(() => window.history.length);
+  await page.evaluate(() => {
+    document
+      .querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-testid="channel-random"]')
+      ?.click();
+    document
+      .querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('[data-testid="global-back"]')
+      ?.click();
+  });
+
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/$/);
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("home-inbox")).toBeVisible();
+  await page.waitForTimeout(100);
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("home-inbox")).toBeVisible();
+  expect(await page.evaluate(() => window.history.length)).toBe(historyLength);
+});
+
+test("forward navigation supersedes pending sidebar navigation", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  await page.goto("/");
+  await page.getByTestId("channel-general").click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("general");
+  await page.getByTestId("channel-random").click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("random");
+  await page.getByTestId("global-back").click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("general");
+
+  const historyLength = await page.evaluate(() => window.history.length);
+  await page.evaluate(() => {
+    document
+      .querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-testid="channel-watercooler"]')
+      ?.click();
+    document
+      .querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('[data-testid="global-forward"]')
+      ?.click();
+  });
+
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("random");
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/#\/channels\/[^?]+$/);
+  await page.waitForTimeout(100);
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("random");
+  expect(await page.evaluate(() => window.history.length)).toBe(historyLength);
+});
+
 test("thread open paints immediate feedback before deferred panel work", async ({
   page,
 }) => {