diff --git a/shelfmark/config/settings.py b/shelfmark/config/settings.py
index 211f1e679..b0598454e 100644
--- a/shelfmark/config/settings.py
+++ b/shelfmark/config/settings.py
@@ -1660,7 +1660,10 @@ def download_settings() -> list[SettingsField]:
         CheckboxField(
             key="AUTO_OPEN_DOWNLOADS_SIDEBAR",
             label="Show Downloads When Queued",
-            description="Go to Activity > Downloads when a new download is queued.",
+            description=(
+                "When you start a download, go to the Activity page that lists it (Queued "
+                "or Downloads). Downloads queued in the background never move the page."
+            ),
             default=False,
         ),
         MultiSelectField(
diff --git a/shelfmark/main.py b/shelfmark/main.py
index 91f76f0bf..5b11d50e5 100644
--- a/shelfmark/main.py
+++ b/shelfmark/main.py
@@ -1448,7 +1448,7 @@ def api_config() -> Response | tuple[Response, int]:
             "saved_auto_get_enabled": saved_auto_get_enabled(),
             # Whether the library browser has a library to show (admins only, like its API).
             "library_browser_available": _library_browser_available(),
-            "auto_open_downloads_sidebar": app_config.get("AUTO_OPEN_DOWNLOADS_SIDEBAR", True),
+            "auto_open_downloads_sidebar": app_config.get("AUTO_OPEN_DOWNLOADS_SIDEBAR", False),
             "hardcover_auto_remove_on_download": app_config.get(
                 "HARDCOVER_AUTO_REMOVE_ON_DOWNLOAD", True
             ),
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/App.tsx b/src/frontend/src/App.tsx
index 1876ee7b1..b7eca699a 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -681,9 +681,12 @@ function App() {
   const [mobileNavOpen, setMobileNavOpen] = useState(false);
   const [headerHeight, setHeaderHeight] = useState(0);
   const headerObserverRef = useRef<ResizeObserver | null>(null);
-  const showDownloadsPage = useCallback(() => {
-    void navigate('/activity/downloads');
-  }, [navigate]);
+  const showDownloadsPage = useCallback(
+    (page: 'queued' | 'downloads') => {
+      void navigate(`/activity/${page}`);
+    },
+    [navigate],
+  );
   const headerRef = useCallback((el: HTMLDivElement | null) => {
     if (headerObserverRef.current) {
       headerObserverRef.current.disconnect();
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/hooks/app/useStatusChangeNotifications.ts b/src/frontend/src/hooks/app/useStatusChangeNotifications.ts
index 1d58e4b5b..18520a0ca 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/hooks/app/useStatusChangeNotifications.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/hooks/app/useStatusChangeNotifications.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,46 @@
 import { useEffect, useEffectEvent, useRef } from 'react';
 
+import { takeQueuedHere } from '../../services/api';
 import type { AppConfig, StatusData } from '../../types';
 import { withBasePath } from '../../utils/basePath';
 
+// How soon after queuing a download here its arrival may open its list.
+const QUEUED_HERE_WINDOW_MS = 30_000;
+
+const ACTIVE_BUCKETS = ['queued', 'resolving', 'locating', 'downloading'] as const;
+const ALL_BUCKETS: readonly (keyof StatusData)[] = [
+  ...ACTIVE_BUCKETS,
+  'complete',
+  'error',
+  'cancelled',
+];
+
+/** Every download listed in `status`, whatever its state. */
+const listedIds = (status: StatusData): Set<string> =>
+  new Set(ALL_BUCKETS.flatMap((bucket) => Object.keys(status[bucket] ?? {})));
+
+/**
+ * Where a download that is new since `prev` is listed: Queued while it waits to start,
+ * Downloads once under way. Null when none is new. A download that was already listed
+ * (moving back to the queue to wait for a slot, say) isn't new.
+ */
+export const newDownloadPage = (
+  prev: StatusData,
+  next: StatusData,
+): 'queued' | 'downloads' | null => {
+  const known = listedIds(prev);
+  const isNew = (bucket: (typeof ACTIVE_BUCKETS)[number]) =>
+    Object.keys(next[bucket] ?? {}).some((id) => !known.has(id));
+  if (isNew('queued')) return 'queued';
+  return ACTIVE_BUCKETS.slice(1).some(isNew) ? 'downloads' : null;
+};
+
 interface UseStatusChangeNotificationsOptions {
   currentStatus: StatusData;
   config: AppConfig | null;
   showToast: (message: string, type: 'info' | 'success' | 'error') => void;
-  showDownloadsPage: () => void;
+  // Opens the list a download just queued here is on (Activity > Queued or Downloads).
+  showDownloadsPage: (page: 'queued' | 'downloads') => void;
   bookToReleaseMap: Record<string, string[]>;
   markBookCompleted: (bookId: string) => void;
 }
@@ -32,20 +65,25 @@ export const useStatusChangeNotifications = ({
         return autoDownloadContentTypes.includes(contentTypeKey);
       };
 
-      const prevQueued = prevStatus.queued || {};
+      // Only a download that's new, not one moving back to the queue (to wait for a slot).
+      const known = listedIds(prevStatus);
       const currQueued = nextStatus.queued || {};
-      let shouldShowDownloads = false;
       Object.keys(currQueued).forEach((bookId) => {
-        if (!prevQueued[bookId]) {
+        if (!known.has(bookId)) {
           const book = currQueued[bookId];
           showToast(`${book.title || 'Book'} added to queue`, 'info');
-          if (config?.auto_open_downloads_sidebar !== false) {
-            shouldShowDownloads = true;
-          }
         }
       });
-      if (shouldShowDownloads) {
-        showDownloadsPage();
+      // The page moves only for a download queued from it, with the setting on: never
+      // for ones queued in the background (Saved, retries, other users), which would
+      // pull the reader away from whatever they were looking at.
+      const page = newDownloadPage(prevStatus, nextStatus);
+      if (
+        page &&
+        config?.auto_open_downloads_sidebar === true &&
+        takeQueuedHere(QUEUED_HERE_WINDOW_MS)
+      ) {
+        showDownloadsPage(page);
       }
 
       const prevDownloading = prevStatus.downloading || {};
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/services/api.ts b/src/frontend/src/services/api.ts
index 9286dc635..40c89c121 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/services/api.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/services/api.ts
@@ -607,6 +607,17 @@ export const inspectRelease = async (
   });
 };
 
+// When this page last queued a download itself: only those may move it to their list
+// (the "Show Downloads When Queued" setting), never ones queued in the background.
+let lastQueuedHereAt = 0;
+
+/** Whether this page queued a download in the last `withinMs`; true once, then forgotten. */
+export const takeQueuedHere = (withinMs: number): boolean => {
+  const recent = Date.now() - lastQueuedHereAt <= withinMs;
+  lastQueuedHereAt = 0;
+  return recent;
+};
+
 export const downloadRelease = async (
   release: DownloadReleasePayload,
   onBehalfOfUserId?: number,
@@ -616,10 +627,17 @@ export const downloadRelease = async (
       ? { ...release, on_behalf_of_user_id: onBehalfOfUserId }
       : release;
 
-  await fetchJSON(`${API_BASE}/releases/download`, {
-    method: 'POST',
-    body: JSON.stringify(payload),
-  });
+  // Marked first: the status update announcing it can arrive before this reply does.
+  lastQueuedHereAt = Date.now();
+  try {
+    await fetchJSON(`${API_BASE}/releases/download`, {
+      method: 'POST',
+      body: JSON.stringify(payload),
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    lastQueuedHereAt = 0;
+    throw error;
+  }
 };
 
 export const getStatus = async (): Promise<StatusData> => {
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/tests/statusNavigation.test.ts b/src/frontend/src/tests/statusNavigation.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a7a70233b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontend/src/tests/statusNavigation.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import { newDownloadPage } from '../hooks/app/useStatusChangeNotifications';
+import type { Book, StatusData } from '../types';
+
+const book = (id: string): Book => ({ id, title: id, author: '' });
+const bucket = (...ids: string[]): Record<string, Book> =>
+  Object.fromEntries(ids.map((id) => [id, book(id)]));
+
+describe('newDownloadPage', () => {
+  it('points a new download waiting to start at Queued, one under way at Downloads', () => {
+    const prev: StatusData = { downloading: bucket('a') };
+    expect(newDownloadPage(prev, { downloading: bucket('a'), queued: bucket('b') })).toBe('queued');
+    expect(newDownloadPage(prev, { downloading: bucket('a', 'b') })).toBe('downloads');
+  });
+
+  it('ignores a download moving back to the queue to wait for a slot', () => {
+    const prev: StatusData = { resolving: bucket('a') };
+    expect(newDownloadPage(prev, { queued: bucket('a') })).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('ignores downloads finishing or failing', () => {
+    const prev: StatusData = { downloading: bucket('a', 'b') };
+    expect(newDownloadPage(prev, { complete: bucket('a'), error: bucket('b') })).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/types/index.ts b/src/frontend/src/types/index.ts
index db61292e3..02bc97948 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/types/index.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/types/index.ts
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ export interface AppConfig {
   saved_auto_get_enabled?: boolean; // Saved items can be marked to download on their own
   library_browser_available?: boolean; // A library check is on, so the library browser has books
   books_output_mode: BooksOutputMode;
-  auto_open_downloads_sidebar: boolean; // Go to Activity > Downloads when a download is queued
+  auto_open_downloads_sidebar: boolean; // Open a download's list when it's queued from here
   hardcover_auto_remove_on_download: boolean; // Auto-remove from active Hardcover list on download
   download_to_browser_content_types: string[]; // Auto-download completed files to browser for selected content types
   release_search_timeout: number; // Server-side budget for one release search, in seconds