diff --git a/packages/ui/src/features/canvas/components/ChannelsList.test.tsx b/packages/ui/src/features/canvas/components/ChannelsList.test.tsx
index dfb85c1f23..66582e1dad 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/features/canvas/components/ChannelsList.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/features/canvas/components/ChannelsList.test.tsx
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ import {
   showChannelList,
   showChannelPane,
 } from "@posthog/ui/features/canvas/stores/channelPaneStore";
+import { useCurrentChannelStore } from "@posthog/ui/features/canvas/stores/currentChannelStore";
 import { useSidebarStore } from "@posthog/ui/features/sidebar/sidebarStore";
 import { ChannelsList } from "./ChannelsList";
 
@@ -81,6 +82,16 @@ describe("ChannelsList", () => {
     useSidebarStore.setState({ collapsedSections: new Set() });
   });
 
+  it("opens a space in the sidebar without navigating the main window", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderList();
+
+    await user.click(screen.getByText("engineering"));
+
+    expect(useCurrentChannelStore.getState().currentChannelId).toBe(ENG.id);
+    expect(mocks.navigate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("pins #me above the channels, with its ⌘1 shortcut", () => {
     renderList();
     const me = screen.getByText("me");
@@ -182,10 +193,8 @@ describe("ChannelsList", () => {
       await user.type(screen.getByLabelText("Search spaces"), "eng");
       await user.keyboard("{Enter}");
 
-      expect(mocks.navigate).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
-        to: "/website/$channelId",
-        params: { channelId: ENG.id },
-      });
+      expect(useCurrentChannelStore.getState().currentChannelId).toBe(ENG.id);
+      expect(mocks.navigate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
     it("moves the highlight with the arrow keys", async () => {
@@ -197,10 +206,8 @@ describe("ChannelsList", () => {
       await user.type(screen.getByLabelText("Search spaces"), "e");
       await user.keyboard("{ArrowDown}{Enter}");
 
-      expect(mocks.navigate).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
-        to: "/website/$channelId",
-        params: { channelId: ENG.id },
-      });
+      expect(useCurrentChannelStore.getState().currentChannelId).toBe(ENG.id);
+      expect(mocks.navigate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
     // Base UI's clear button is a tabIndex=-1 decoration by default, which left
@@ -247,10 +254,8 @@ describe("ChannelsList", () => {
       await user.click(screen.getByLabelText("Search spaces"));
       await user.keyboard("{ArrowDown}{Enter}");
 
-      expect(mocks.navigate).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
-        to: "/website/$channelId",
-        params: { channelId: ENG.id },
-      });
+      expect(useCurrentChannelStore.getState().currentChannelId).toBe(ENG.id);
+      expect(mocks.navigate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
     // Base UI resets the highlight when the pointer leaves a row, and
@@ -266,10 +271,8 @@ describe("ChannelsList", () => {
       await user.unhover(row);
       await user.keyboard("{Enter}");
 
-      expect(mocks.navigate).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
-        to: "/website/$channelId",
-        params: { channelId: ENG.id },
-      });
+      expect(useCurrentChannelStore.getState().currentChannelId).toBe(ENG.id);
+      expect(mocks.navigate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
     // A kept-mounted collapsed row would still be an option, so ↓ would walk
@@ -323,10 +326,8 @@ describe("ChannelsList", () => {
       // it would have been the row after it.
       await user.keyboard("{ArrowDown}{Enter}");
 
-      expect(mocks.navigate).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
-        to: "/website/$channelId",
-        params: { channelId: ENG.id },
-      });
+      expect(useCurrentChannelStore.getState().currentChannelId).toBe(ENG.id);
+      expect(mocks.navigate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
     it("selects a stale query so the next keystroke replaces it", async () => {
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/features/canvas/components/ChannelsList.tsx b/packages/ui/src/features/canvas/components/ChannelsList.tsx
index 1b648d1959..9be83a64a6 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/features/canvas/components/ChannelsList.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/features/canvas/components/ChannelsList.tsx
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ function ChannelMenu({
   );
 }
 
-// One channel in the list: a "# name" row that navigates to the channel home.
+// One channel in the list: a "# name" row that opens its sidebar.
 // No expansion — the channel's surfaces live in the in-channel top nav.
 function ChannelSection({
   channel,
@@ -434,8 +434,8 @@ function ChannelSection({
 
   return (
     <Box className="group/chan relative" {...hoverProps}>
-      {/* A single, non-expandable row: the "# name" navigates straight to the
-          channel home. Right-clicking opens the same actions as the "..." menu. */}
+      {/* A single, non-expandable row: the "# name" opens the channel sidebar.
+          Right-clicking opens the same actions as the "..." menu. */}
       <ContextMenu>
         <ContextMenuTrigger
           render={
@@ -635,6 +635,7 @@ function useOpenPersonalChannel(): {
   openPersonalChannel: () => Promise<void>;
   isCreating: boolean;
 } {
+  const spacesLayout = useChannelsLayout();
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const setCurrentChannel = useCurrentChannelStore((s) => s.setCurrentChannel);
   const { channels } = useChannels();
@@ -656,18 +657,20 @@ function useOpenPersonalChannel(): {
     if (!channelId) return;
     showChannelPane();
     setCurrentChannel(channelId);
-    void navigate({ to: "/website/$channelId", params: { channelId } });
+    if (!spacesLayout) {
+      void navigate({ to: "/website/$channelId", params: { channelId } });
+    }
   };
 
   return { ensureFolderId, openPersonalChannel, isCreating };
 }
 
 /**
- * Navigating into a channel, shared by the tree rows and the search results.
- * Slides before navigating: the route effect would get there too, but not until
- * the navigation resolves.
+ * Opening a channel, shared by the tree rows and the search results. In the
+ * Spaces layout this scopes the sidebar without moving the main window.
  */
 function useOpenChannel(): (channel: Channel) => void {
+  const spacesLayout = useChannelsLayout();
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const setCurrentChannel = useCurrentChannelStore((s) => s.setCurrentChannel);
 
@@ -679,10 +682,12 @@ function useOpenChannel(): (channel: Channel) => void {
     });
     showChannelPane();
     setCurrentChannel(channel.id);
-    void navigate({
-      to: "/website/$channelId",
-      params: { channelId: channel.id },
-    });
+    if (!spacesLayout) {
+      void navigate({
+        to: "/website/$channelId",
+        params: { channelId: channel.id },
+      });
+    }
   };
 }