diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/App.vue b/apps/desktop/src/App.vue
index 6227061579..9242dd6d7d 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/App.vue
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/App.vue
@@ -545,6 +545,11 @@ function activateSettingsPage() {
   driverStoreActive.value = false;
 }
 
+function activateQuerySurface() {
+  driverStoreActive.value = false;
+  settingsStore.settingsPageActive = false;
+}
+
 function closeSettingsPage() {
   settingsPageTabOpen.value = false;
   settingsStore.settingsPageActive = false;
@@ -750,8 +755,7 @@ watch(
       pendingTabHistoryNavigationId = null;
     }
     if (id) newQueryContextSource.value = "tab";
-    if (id && driverStoreActive.value) driverStoreActive.value = false;
-    if (id && settingsStore.settingsPageActive) settingsStore.settingsPageActive = false;
+    if (id) activateQuerySurface();
     selectedSql.value = "";
     activeOutputView.value = "result";
     if (id) queryStore.reloadEvictedTab(id);
@@ -2318,8 +2322,7 @@ function activateQueryTab(tabId: string): boolean {
   if (!queryStore.tabs.some((tab) => tab.id === tabId)) return false;
   dispatchBeforeTabSwitch(tabId);
   queryStore.activeTabId = tabId;
-  driverStoreActive.value = false;
-  settingsStore.settingsPageActive = false;
+  activateQuerySurface();
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -2706,6 +2709,7 @@ onMounted(async () => {
   window.addEventListener("blur", handleTabSwitcherWindowBlur);
   document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", handleTabSwitcherVisibilityChange);
   window.addEventListener("dbx-open-driver-store", openDriverStoreFromEvent);
+  window.addEventListener("dbx:activate-query-surface", activateQuerySurface);
   window.addEventListener("dbx-mcp-status-changed", handleMcpStatusChanged);
   if (isDesktop) {
     document.addEventListener("contextmenu", handleContextMenu);
@@ -2779,6 +2783,7 @@ onUnmounted(() => {
   document.removeEventListener("visibilitychange", handleTabSwitcherVisibilityChange);
   tabSwitcherKeyboard.reset();
   window.removeEventListener("dbx-open-driver-store", openDriverStoreFromEvent);
+  window.removeEventListener("dbx:activate-query-surface", activateQuerySurface);
   window.removeEventListener("dbx-mcp-status-changed", handleMcpStatusChanged);
   document.removeEventListener("contextmenu", handleContextMenu);
   window.clearTimeout(sqlLibraryFlyAnimationTimer);
@@ -2854,10 +2859,7 @@ onUnmounted(() => {
                 @activate-driver-store="openDriverStorePage"
                 @activate-settings-page="activateSettingsPage"
                 @locate-tab="locateTabInSidebar"
-                @activate-tab="
-                  driverStoreActive = false;
-                  settingsStore.settingsPageActive = false;
-                "
+                @activate-tab="activateQuerySurface"
                 @close-driver-store="closeDriverStorePage"
                 @close-settings-page="closeSettingsPage"
                 @save-tab="handleSaveTab"
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/stores/__tests__/queryStore.switchTab.spec.ts b/apps/desktop/src/stores/__tests__/queryStore.switchTab.spec.ts
index fb8ca1c98c..08390a49e5 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/stores/__tests__/queryStore.switchTab.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/stores/__tests__/queryStore.switchTab.spec.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ describe("queryStore switchTab", () => {
       setItem: vi.fn(),
       removeItem: vi.fn(),
     });
+    vi.stubGlobal("window", { dispatchEvent: vi.fn() });
     setActivePinia(createPinia());
   });
 
@@ -36,6 +37,16 @@ describe("queryStore switchTab", () => {
     expect(queryStore.activeTabId).toBe(tabId);
   });
 
+  it("notifies the app when switching to an existing tab", async () => {
+    const queryStore = useQueryStore();
+    const tabId = queryStore.createTab("pg-1", "app", "users", "data", "public");
+    const dispatchEvent = window.dispatchEvent as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+
+    queryStore.switchTab(tabId);
+
+    expect(dispatchEvent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ type: "dbx:activate-query-surface" }));
+  });
+
   it("deactivates settings page when switching to a different tab", async () => {
     const { useQueryStore } = await import("@/stores/queryStore");
     const { useSettingsStore } = await import("@/stores/settingsStore");
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/stores/queryStore.ts b/apps/desktop/src/stores/queryStore.ts
index 43bf10e577..3ddb972b19 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/stores/queryStore.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/stores/queryStore.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ import type { SqlExecutionTargetContext } from "@/lib/database/sqlExecutionTarge
 import type { DriverProfileWorkspaceScope } from "@/lib/database/driverProfileExtensions";
 import type { MultiDbExecutionTarget, MultiDbResultRunExecution } from "@/types/sqlExecution";
 
+const QUERY_SURFACE_ACTIVATION_EVENT = "dbx:activate-query-surface";
+
 const ORACLE_LIKE_METADATA_TYPES = new Set<string>(["oracle", "dameng", "oceanbase-oracle"]);
 const ORACLE_DEFERRED_LOB_TYPES = new Set<string>(["CLOB", "NCLOB", "BLOB", "BFILE", "XMLTYPE", "SYS.XMLTYPE"]);
 
@@ -1960,6 +1962,7 @@ export const useQueryStore = defineStore("query", () => {
   function switchTab(tabId: string) {
     activeTabId.value = tabId;
     settingsStore.settingsPageActive = false;
+    if (typeof window !== "undefined") window.dispatchEvent(new Event(QUERY_SURFACE_ACTIVATION_EVENT));
   }
 
   function openUserAdmin(connectionId: string) {