diff --git a/apps/docs/components/layout/mobile-sidebar.tsx b/apps/docs/components/layout/mobile-sidebar.tsx
index e0a4f031..ea308aa9 100644
--- a/apps/docs/components/layout/mobile-sidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/docs/components/layout/mobile-sidebar.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 'use client';
 
-import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useState, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { PanelLeftClose, ChevronDown } from 'lucide-react';
-import { usePathname } from 'next/navigation';
+import { usePathname, useRouter } from 'next/navigation';
 import * as DropdownMenu from '@radix-ui/react-dropdown-menu';
 import { SidebarNav } from './sidebar-nav';
 import type { NavigationSection } from '@/lib/openapi/types';
@@ -19,8 +19,16 @@ export function MobileSidebar({ navigationByTab }: MobileSidebarProps) {
   const [hasOpened, setHasOpened] = useState(false);
   const [mounted, setMounted] = useState(false);
   const pathname = usePathname();
+  const router = useRouter();
   const activeTab = useActiveTab();
   const [selectedTab, setSelectedTab] = useState<TabId>(activeTab);
+  // Landing page of a section the user just picked, while its navigation is
+  // still in flight — highlighted right away so the item doesn't light up
+  // late, once the route commits.
+  const [pendingHref, setPendingHref] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  // Set when the panel itself triggers navigation (tab switch), so the
+  // route change doesn't close the panel like an outside navigation would.
+  const keepOpenRef = useRef(false);
 
   // Radix DropdownMenu generates random ids via useId, which differ between
   // SSR and the first client render and trigger a hydration warning. Render
@@ -53,16 +61,46 @@ export function MobileSidebar({ navigationByTab }: MobileSidebarProps) {
     return () => window.removeEventListener('toggle-mobile-menu', handler);
   }, [activeTab]);
 
-  // Close on route change
+  // Close on route change — except when the panel navigated on its own
   useEffect(() => {
+    setPendingHref(null);
+    if (keepOpenRef.current) {
+      keepOpenRef.current = false;
+      return;
+    }
     setIsOpen(false);
   }, [pathname]);
 
   // Lock body scroll when open (shared with the search modal)
   useBodyScrollLock(isOpen);
 
+  // Picking a section opens its landing page right away (same as clicking a
+  // header tab on desktop) while the panel stays on screen, so the sidebar
+  // can be used to keep browsing the section.
   const handleTabChange = (tabId: TabId) => {
     setSelectedTab(tabId);
+
+    const target = TABS.find((t) => t.id === tabId)?.defaultHref;
+    if (!target || target === pathname) return;
+
+    // Section changed — show its nav from the top, not the previous scroll offset.
+    const container = document.getElementById('mobile-sidebar-scroll-container');
+    if (container) container.scrollTop = 0;
+
+    setPendingHref(target);
+    keepOpenRef.current = true;
+    router.push(target);
+  };
+
+  // Picking a page keeps the panel up until the new page is actually there —
+  // the item shows its loader meanwhile, instead of the menu vanishing into a
+  // few seconds of nothing. The route change itself closes the panel.
+  const handleNavigate = (href: string) => {
+    if (href === pathname) {
+      setIsOpen(false);
+      return;
+    }
+    setPendingHref(href);
   };
 
   const selectedTabConfig = TABS.find((t) => t.id === selectedTab);
@@ -164,7 +202,11 @@ export function MobileSidebar({ navigationByTab }: MobileSidebarProps) {
               id="mobile-sidebar-scroll-container"
             >
               <div className="px-2.5 pb-4">
-                <SidebarNav navigation={navigation} onNavigate={() => setIsOpen(false)} />
+                <SidebarNav
+                  navigation={navigation}
+                  onNavigate={handleNavigate}
+                  activePath={pendingHref ?? undefined}
+                />
               </div>
             </div>
           )}
diff --git a/apps/docs/components/layout/sidebar-item.tsx b/apps/docs/components/layout/sidebar-item.tsx
index aa6bb4ac..5ecdf8f8 100644
--- a/apps/docs/components/layout/sidebar-item.tsx
+++ b/apps/docs/components/layout/sidebar-item.tsx
@@ -32,21 +32,26 @@ const METHOD_COLORS = {
 
 interface SidebarItemProps {
   item: NavigationItem;
-  onItemClick?: () => void;
+  onItemClick?: (href: string) => void;
+  /** Overrides the current pathname while a sidebar navigation is in flight */
+  activePath?: string;
 }
 
-export function SidebarItem({ item, onItemClick }: SidebarItemProps) {
-  const pathname = usePathname();
-  const isActive = pathname === item.href;
+export function SidebarItem({ item, onItemClick, activePath }: SidebarItemProps) {
+  const currentPathname = usePathname();
+  const isActive = (activePath ?? currentPathname) === item.href;
+  // Navigation to this item was started outside the sidebar — show it as
+  // active and loading, exactly as if it had been clicked here.
+  const isPending = activePath === item.href && currentPathname !== item.href;
   const itemRef = useRef<HTMLAnchorElement>(null);
-  const { isLoading, handleClick } = useNavigationLoading(item.href, 200);
+  const { isLoading, handleClick } = useNavigationLoading(item.href, 200, isPending);
 
   // Check if item has new badge (set by server in navigation.ts)
   const hasNewBadge = item.badge === 'new';
 
   const handleLinkClick = () => {
     handleClick();
-    onItemClick?.();
+    onItemClick?.(item.href);
   };
 
   if (item.external) {
diff --git a/apps/docs/components/layout/sidebar-nav.tsx b/apps/docs/components/layout/sidebar-nav.tsx
index 7ddc6edc..f87300c1 100644
--- a/apps/docs/components/layout/sidebar-nav.tsx
+++ b/apps/docs/components/layout/sidebar-nav.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,13 @@ import { useState, useEffect, useRef, useCallback } from 'react';
 
 interface SidebarNavProps {
   navigation: NavigationSection[];
-  onNavigate?: () => void;
+  onNavigate?: (href: string) => void;
+  /**
+   * Highlight this href instead of the current pathname. Used while a
+   * navigation started from the sidebar is still in flight, so the target
+   * item looks selected right away instead of lighting up after the commit.
+   */
+  activePath?: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -29,8 +35,9 @@ function isGroupActive(item: NavigationItem, pathname: string): boolean {
   return item.children?.some((child) => child.href === pathname) ?? false;
 }
 
-export function SidebarNav({ navigation, onNavigate }: SidebarNavProps) {
-  const pathname = usePathname();
+export function SidebarNav({ navigation, onNavigate, activePath }: SidebarNavProps) {
+  const currentPathname = usePathname();
+  const pathname = activePath ?? currentPathname;
   const isInternalNav = useRef(false);
 
   // Collect all groups (items with children) across all sections
@@ -41,9 +48,9 @@ export function SidebarNav({ navigation, onNavigate }: SidebarNavProps) {
     return allGroups.filter((g) => isGroupActive(g, pathname)).map(groupKey);
   });
 
-  const handleItemClick = () => {
+  const handleItemClick = (href: string) => {
     isInternalNav.current = true;
-    onNavigate?.();
+    onNavigate?.(href);
   };
 
   // On external navigation: expand group containing active item
@@ -142,10 +149,16 @@ export function SidebarNav({ navigation, onNavigate }: SidebarNavProps) {
                     pathname={pathname}
                     isOpen={openGroups.includes(groupKey(item))}
                     onItemClick={handleItemClick}
+                    activePath={activePath}
                   />
                 </li>
               ) : (
-                <SidebarItem key={iIdx} item={item} onItemClick={handleItemClick} />
+                <SidebarItem
+                  key={iIdx}
+                  item={item}
+                  onItemClick={handleItemClick}
+                  activePath={activePath}
+                />
               )
             )}
           </ul>
@@ -163,11 +176,13 @@ function SidebarGroup({
   pathname,
   isOpen,
   onItemClick,
+  activePath,
 }: {
   item: NavigationItem;
   pathname: string;
   isOpen: boolean;
-  onItemClick: () => void;
+  onItemClick: (href: string) => void;
+  activePath?: string;
 }) {
   const activeChild = item.children?.find((c) => c.href === pathname);
   const key = groupKey(item);
@@ -191,7 +206,12 @@ function SidebarGroup({
           <div className="ml-3 pl-4 border-l border-glass-divider mt-1 space-y-0.5">
             <ul className="list-none space-y-0.5">
               {item.children!.map((child, cIdx) => (
-                <SidebarItem key={cIdx} item={child} onItemClick={onItemClick} />
+                <SidebarItem
+                  key={cIdx}
+                  item={child}
+                  onItemClick={onItemClick}
+                  activePath={activePath}
+                />
               ))}
             </ul>
           </div>
@@ -205,7 +225,7 @@ function SidebarGroup({
       {!isOpen && activeChild && (
         <div className="ml-3 pl-4 border-l border-glass-divider mt-1 space-y-0.5">
           <ul className="list-none space-y-0.5">
-            <SidebarItem item={activeChild} onItemClick={onItemClick} />
+            <SidebarItem item={activeChild} onItemClick={onItemClick} activePath={activePath} />
           </ul>
         </div>
       )}
diff --git a/apps/docs/hooks/use-navigation-loading.ts b/apps/docs/hooks/use-navigation-loading.ts
index 4002a395..0d4baca0 100644
--- a/apps/docs/hooks/use-navigation-loading.ts
+++ b/apps/docs/hooks/use-navigation-loading.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,14 @@
 import { useEffect, useState, useRef, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { usePathname } from 'next/navigation';
 
-export function useNavigationLoading(href: string, delay: number = 200) {
+/**
+ * Loader state for a link that starts a navigation.
+ *
+ * `pending` starts the same delayed loader without a click — for navigations
+ * kicked off elsewhere (e.g. picking a section in the mobile menu jumps to its
+ * landing page, and that page's sidebar item should look like it was clicked).
+ */
+export function useNavigationLoading(href: string, delay: number = 200, pending: boolean = false) {
   const [showLoader, setShowLoader] = useState(false);
   const pathname = usePathname();
   const targetHrefRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
@@ -40,5 +47,9 @@ export function useNavigationLoading(href: string, delay: number = 200) {
     }, delay);
   }, [href, pathname, delay]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (pending) handleClick();
+  }, [pending, handleClick]);
+
   return { isLoading: showLoader, handleClick };
 }