willowite · Oct 12, 2026 · Oct 12, 2026
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ between releases do not reach them. Remote-PC runtime bundles are versioned sepa
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Added
+- **New tab can choose its folder.** The dialog shows the same editable Directory field, Browse
+  button and recent folders as New workspace. The field starts at the workspace's folder (a
+  worktree's checkout, else the pane in front), and a link's `cwd` fills it. The folder applies to
+  the new tab only; the panes already open keep theirs. A folder a tab was made in is remembered
+  like a workspace's. ([#890](https://github.com/devswha/herdr-web-ui/pull/890) by @willowite)
 - **Two tabs side by side** on a desktop, from different workspaces or PCs: drag a tab down out
   of its strip, or a sidebar row over the pane area, and drop it on the left or right half. A guide
   shows the two halves as soon as the drag starts and keeps its side steady at the centre; Escape

diff --git a/scripts/ui-regression.ts b/scripts/ui-regression.ts
@@ -1429,18 +1429,24 @@ try {
   worktreeWorkspaces.splice(worktreeWorkspaces.indexOf(worktree.workspace_id), 1);
   console.log("PASS a worktree row sits under its repository's row, and its menu deletes the checkout, asking twice for a dirty one");
 
-  // A second tab from the tab strip's +: the dialog is New tab, with the workspace's folder shown
-  // and not asked for; the new pane opens, the workspace stays one row, and a strip over the pane
-  // lists both tabs from then on. The header's More menu has New tab too, and opens the same dialog.
+  // A second tab from the tab strip's +: the dialog is New tab, with the same folder field,
+  // Browse and recent folders as New workspace, the field starting at the workspace's folder. A
+  // folder typed there is the new tab's alone: the first tab's pane keeps its own. The new pane
+  // opens, the workspace stays one row, and a strip over the pane lists both tabs from then on.
+  // The header's More menu has New tab too, and opens the same dialog.
   // The new pane's terminal takes the focus once it paints, which would close a menu opened before.
   await until(() => painted.has(created.pane_id), "created pane paint");
   await page.locator(`.pane-select[title^="${created.pane_id} —"]`).click();
   await until(async () => (await page.locator(`.pane-select[title^="${created.pane_id} —"]`).getAttribute("aria-current")) === "true", "the created workspace is selected again");
   await page.locator(".tab-strip-add").click();
   const tabDialog = page.getByRole("dialog", { name: /^New tab · herdr-web-ui-test-browser-created/ });
   await tabDialog.waitFor();
-  assert.equal(await tabDialog.locator(".new-session-folder").textContent(), root, "the folder is the workspace's, shown");
-  assert.equal(await tabDialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Browse", exact: true }).count(), 0, "the folder is not asked for");
+  const tabFolderField = tabDialog.locator("#new-session-cwd");
+  assert.equal(await tabFolderField.inputValue(), root, "the folder field starts at the workspace's folder");
+  assert.equal(await tabDialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Browse", exact: true }).count(), 1, "the new tab can choose its own folder");
+  const tabFolder = join(root, "tab-folder");
+  mkdirSync(tabFolder);
+  await tabFolderField.fill(tabFolder);
   const tabNameField = tabDialog.getByLabel(/^Name/);
   await tabNameField.fill("second");
   // The command palette takes the keyboard above a dialog. Escape closes only the palette,
@@ -1456,6 +1462,9 @@ try {
   await tabDialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Start", exact: true }).click();
   const createdTab = await (await tabResponse).json() as WorkspaceCreated;
   assert.equal(createdTab.workspace_id, created.workspace_id, "the tab joins the workspace");
+  const paneFolder = async (paneId: string): Promise<string | null | undefined> => (await sessionSnapshot()).panes.find((pane) => pane.pane_id === paneId)?.cwd;
+  await until(async () => await paneFolder(createdTab.pane_id) === tabFolder, "the new tab's pane opens in the chosen folder");
+  assert.equal(await paneFolder(created.pane_id), root, "the first tab's pane keeps its folder");
   await tabDialog.waitFor({ state: "hidden" });
   await until(async () => (await page.locator(`.pane-select[title^="${createdTab.pane_id} —"]`).getAttribute("aria-current")) === "true", "the new tab's pane is selected, and the row shows it");
   assert.equal(await page.locator(`.pane-select[title^="${created.pane_id} —"]`).count(), 0, "the workspace stays one row");
@@ -1478,6 +1487,19 @@ try {
   await runMoreItem(page, "New tab");
   await tabDialog.waitFor();
   assert.equal(await tabDialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Start", exact: true }).isDisabled(), false, "a reopened dialog is not left pending");
+  assert.equal(await tabDialog.locator("#new-session-cwd").inputValue(), root, "the pane in front, not the last tab's folder, seeds the field");
+  // a folder a tab was made in is remembered like a workspace's (temporary folders, which this
+  // run's are, are left out of the chips); the chips are the same ones New workspace has
+  const remembered = await page.evaluate(() => JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem("herdr-web-ui:recent-directories:local") ?? "[]") as string[]);
+  assert.ok(remembered.some((path) => path.replaceAll("\\", "/") === tabFolder.replaceAll("\\", "/")), "the tab's folder is among the recent folders");
+  await page.evaluate(() => localStorage.setItem("herdr-web-ui:recent-directories:local", JSON.stringify(["/herdr-web-ui-recent-probe/project"])));
+  await page.keyboard.press("Escape");
+  await tabDialog.waitFor({ state: "hidden" });
+  await runMoreItem(page, "New tab");
+  await tabDialog.waitFor();
+  await tabDialog.getByRole("group", { name: "Recent folders", exact: true }).getByRole("button", { name: /project$/ }).click();
+  assert.equal(await tabDialog.locator("#new-session-cwd").inputValue(), "/herdr-web-ui-recent-probe/project", "a recent folder fills the new tab's field");
+  console.log("PASS New tab starts in the workspace's folder, opens in the folder typed, keeps the first pane's, and offers recent folders");
   await page.keyboard.press("Escape");
   await tabDialog.waitFor({ state: "hidden" });
   // the PC's + is New workspace again, not a tab in the workspace the last dialog was for

diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
@@ -1247,7 +1247,7 @@ export function App() {
   }, [machines, selectTarget]);
 
   // a link to the New workspace dialog opens it once the PCs are in; one for a tab, once the
-  // linked workspace's pane is selected (its folder is the workspace's, as the tab strip's + does)
+  // linked workspace's pane is selected (its folder field starts as the tab strip's + does, unless the link names one)
   const [createTick, setCreateTick] = useState(0);
   useEffect(() => {
     const linked = pendingCreate.current;

diff --git a/src/components/NewSessionDialog.css b/src/components/NewSessionDialog.css
@@ -103,33 +103,6 @@
   white-space: nowrap;
 }
 
-/* New tab: the folder is the workspace's, shown as a fact in a dashed box, not asked for */
-.new-session-folder {
-  display: flex;
-  align-items: center;
-  gap: var(--space-2);
-  min-height: var(--control-h);
-  padding: 0 var(--space-3);
-  border: var(--hairline) dashed var(--border);
-  border-radius: var(--radius-md);
-  color: var(--text-dim);
-  font-size: var(--fs-sm);
-}
-
-.new-session-folder svg {
-  flex: 0 0 auto;
-  width: 16px;
-  height: 16px;
-}
-
-.new-session-folder span {
-  min-width: 0;
-  overflow: hidden;
-  color: var(--text);
-  text-overflow: ellipsis;
-  white-space: nowrap;
-}
-
 @media (pointer: coarse) {
   .new-session-modal .input,
   .new-session-modal .select,

diff --git a/src/components/NewSessionDialog.tsx b/src/components/NewSessionDialog.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { nativeModalOver, useFocusTrap } from "../lib/useFocusTrap.ts";
 import { useSheetSwipe } from "../lib/sheets.ts";
 import { passingFolder, recentDirectories } from "../lib/recent-directories.ts";
 
-/** The dialog as New tab: the workspace the tab joins, whose folder it uses, and the number herdr will give it. */
+/** The dialog as New tab: the workspace the tab joins, the folder its field starts with, and the number herdr will give it. */
 export interface NewTabTarget {
   workspaceId: string;
   workspaceLabel: string;
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export function NewSessionDialog({ open, defaultCwd, tab = null, onClose, onCrea
   const { createTab, createWorkspace, fetchAgentKinds } = useMachineApi();
   const [agents, setAgents] = useState<AgentKind[]>([]);
   const [agentKind, setAgentKind] = useState(rememberedAgent);
-  const [cwd, setCwd] = useState(defaultCwd ?? "");
+  const [cwd, setCwd] = useState((tab ? tab.cwd : defaultCwd) ?? "");
   const [name, setName] = useState("");
   const [pending, setPending] = useState(false);
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
@@ -74,15 +74,16 @@ export function NewSessionDialog({ open, defaultCwd, tab = null, onClose, onCrea
   const firstFieldRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>(null);
   const surface = useFocusTrap<HTMLFormElement>(open, { initialFocus: firstFieldRef });
   useSheetSwipe(surface, pending ? null : onClose);
-  const defaultCwdRef = useRef(defaultCwd);
-  defaultCwdRef.current = defaultCwd;
+  // a tab starts in its own folder (a worktree's checkout, else the pane in front), not the selected pane's
+  const startCwdRef = useRef((tab ? tab.cwd : defaultCwd) ?? "");
+  startCwdRef.current = (tab ? tab.cwd : defaultCwd) ?? "";
   const prefillRef = useRef(prefill);
   prefillRef.current = prefill;
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!open) return;
     const filled = prefillRef.current;
-    setCwd(filled?.cwd ?? defaultCwdRef.current ?? "");
+    setCwd(filled?.cwd ?? startCwdRef.current);
     setName(filled?.name ?? "");
     setError(null);
     setPending(false);
@@ -140,17 +141,17 @@ export function NewSessionDialog({ open, defaultCwd, tab = null, onClose, onCrea
     try {
       rememberAgent(agentKind);
       const agent = agentKind ? { kind: agentKind } : null;
-      // a tab keeps the workspace's folder, which the dialog shows and does not ask for
+      // the folder applies to the new tab only: the workspace's other panes keep theirs
       const result = tab
-        ? await createTab({ workspace_id: tab.workspaceId, cwd: tab.cwd, label: name.trim() || null, agent })
+        ? await createTab({ workspace_id: tab.workspaceId, cwd: directory.trim() || null, label: name.trim() || null, agent })
         : await createWorkspace({ cwd: directory.trim() || null, label: name.trim() || null, agent });
       if (agentKind && !result.agent_started && result.error?.message) {
         setPending(false);
         setError(result.error.message);
         setCreatedPaneId(result.pane_id);
         return;
       }
-      if (!tab && (!agentKind || result.agent_started)) {
+      if (!agentKind || result.agent_started) {
         setRecentFolders(recentDirectories.remember(machineId, [directory.trim()], true));
       }
       // the dialog closes on this: left pending, its next opening would start a frame with the
@@ -182,30 +183,19 @@ export function NewSessionDialog({ open, defaultCwd, tab = null, onClose, onCrea
             <span className="field-label" id="new-session-agent">{t("Agent")}</span>
             <AgentPicker ref={firstFieldRef} agents={agents} value={agentKind} disabled={fieldsDisabled} labelledBy="new-session-agent" onChange={setAgentKind} />
           </div>
-          {tab ? (
-            <div className="field">
-              <span className="field-label">{t("Directory")}</span>
-              <div className="new-session-folder">
+          <div className="field">
+            <label className="field-label" htmlFor="new-session-cwd">{t("Directory")}</label>
+            <div className="new-session-cwd">
+              <input id="new-session-cwd" className="input" value={cwd} disabled={fieldsDisabled} autoComplete="off" onChange={(event) => setCwd(event.target.value)} />
+              <button type="button" className="btn" aria-expanded={browsing} disabled={fieldsDisabled} onClick={() => setBrowsing((open) => !open)}>
                 <FolderOpen aria-hidden="true" />
-                <span>{tab.cwd ?? tab.workspaceLabel}</span>
-              </div>
-              <span className="field-hint">{t("Uses the workspace's folder")}</span>
-            </div>
-          ) : (
-            <div className="field">
-              <label className="field-label" htmlFor="new-session-cwd">{t("Directory")}</label>
-              <div className="new-session-cwd">
-                <input id="new-session-cwd" className="input" value={cwd} disabled={fieldsDisabled} autoComplete="off" onChange={(event) => setCwd(event.target.value)} />
-                <button type="button" className="btn" aria-expanded={browsing} disabled={fieldsDisabled} onClick={() => setBrowsing((open) => !open)}>
-                  <FolderOpen aria-hidden="true" />
-                  {t("Browse")}
-                </button>
-              </div>
-              {browsing && <DirectoryBrowser start={cwd} onPick={(picked) => { setCwd(picked); setBrowsing(false); }} />}
-              <span className="field-hint">{t("absolute path or ~/…")}</span>
+                {t("Browse")}
+              </button>
             </div>
-          )}
-          {!tab && shownFolders.length > 0 && <div className="field new-session-recents">
+            {browsing && <DirectoryBrowser start={cwd} onPick={(picked) => { setCwd(picked); setBrowsing(false); }} />}
+            <span className="field-hint">{t("absolute path or ~/…")}</span>
+          </div>
+          {shownFolders.length > 0 && <div className="field new-session-recents">
             <span className="field-label" id="new-session-recents">{t("Recent folders")}</span>
             <RecentFolderChips folders={shownFolders} disabled={fieldsDisabled} labelledBy="new-session-recents" basename={directoryBasename}
               onPick={(path) => { setCwd(path); setBrowsing(false); }} />

diff --git a/src/lib/i18n.ja.ts b/src/lib/i18n.ja.ts
@@ -943,7 +943,6 @@ export const JA: Record<string, string> = {
   "New tab in {workspace}": "{workspace} に新しいタブ",
   "Tab {n}": "タブ {n}",
   "Tab name (optional)": "タブ名 (任意)",
-  "Uses the workspace's folder": "ワークスペースのフォルダーをそのまま使います",
   "Rename tab": "タブの名前を変更",
   "Close tab": "タブを閉じる",
   "Tab name": "タブ名",

diff --git a/src/lib/i18n.ko.ts b/src/lib/i18n.ko.ts
@@ -941,7 +941,6 @@ export const KO: Record<string, string> = {
   "New tab in {workspace}": "{workspace}에 새 탭",
   "Tab {n}": "탭 {n}",
   "Tab name (optional)": "탭 이름 (선택)",
-  "Uses the workspace's folder": "워크스페이스의 폴더를 그대로 씁니다",
   "Rename tab": "탭 이름 바꾸기",
   "Close tab": "탭 닫기",
   "Tab name": "탭 이름",

diff --git a/src/lib/i18n.tr.ts b/src/lib/i18n.tr.ts
@@ -896,7 +896,6 @@ export const TR: Record<string, string> = {
   "New tab in {workspace}": "{workspace} içinde yeni sekme",
   "Tab {n}": "Sekme {n}",
   "Tab name (optional)": "Sekme adı (isteğe bağlı)",
-  "Uses the workspace's folder": "Çalışma alanının klasörünü kullanır",
   "Rename tab": "Sekmeyi yeniden adlandır",
   "Close tab": "Sekmeyi kapat",
   "Tab name": "Sekme adı",

diff --git a/src/lib/i18n.zh.ts b/src/lib/i18n.zh.ts
@@ -945,7 +945,6 @@ export const ZH: Record<string, string> = {
   "New tab in {workspace}": "在 {workspace} 中新建标签页",
   "Tab {n}": "标签页 {n}",
   "Tab name (optional)": "标签页名称（可选）",
-  "Uses the workspace's folder": "直接使用工作区的文件夹",
   "Rename tab": "重命名标签页",
   "Close tab": "关闭标签页",
   "Tab name": "标签页名称",