diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/NativeChatNamingFailure.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/NativeChatNamingFailure.test.tsx
index ffdd413048a..cff0db2c76b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/NativeChatNamingFailure.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/NativeChatNamingFailure.test.tsx
@@ -50,7 +50,11 @@ function ChatTab(): React.JSX.Element {
       title="Repair the login flow"
       icon={<span />}
       programName="Claude"
-      alert={naming ? <NativeChatNamingErrorBlock naming={naming} /> : undefined}
+      alert={
+        naming
+          ? (dismiss) => <NativeChatNamingErrorBlock naming={naming} onDismiss={dismiss} />
+          : undefined
+      }
     >
       <button>chat tab</button>
     </TabHoverCard>
@@ -95,15 +99,6 @@ describe('chat tab naming failure', () => {
       expect(screen.getAllByRole('button', { name: 'view error' }).length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
       const settingsButtons = screen.queryAllByRole('button', { name: 'Settings' })
       expect(settingsButtons.length > 0).toBe(!web)
-      if (!web) {
-        fireEvent.click(settingsButtons[0])
-        expect(settings.openSettingsPage).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
-        expect(settings.openSettingsTarget).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith({
-          pane: 'chat',
-          repoId: null,
-          sectionId: 'chat-names'
-        })
-      }
       const regenerate = screen.queryAllByRole('button', { name: 'Regenerate name' })
       expect(regenerate.length > 0).toBe(supported)
       if (supported) {
@@ -122,6 +117,25 @@ describe('chat tab naming failure', () => {
         await act(async () => acceptance.resolve(true))
         expect(screen.queryAllByRole('button', { name: 'Regenerating…' })).toHaveLength(0)
       }
+      if (!web) {
+        settings.openSettingsPage.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+          expect(screen.queryByText("Couldn't name this chat")).toBeNull()
+        })
+        fireEvent.click(settingsButtons[0])
+        expect(screen.queryByText("Couldn't name this chat")).toBeNull()
+        expect(settings.openSettingsPage).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+        expect(settings.openSettingsTarget).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith({
+          pane: 'chat',
+          repoId: null,
+          sectionId: 'chat-names'
+        })
+        fireEvent.pointerLeave(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'chat tab' }))
+        fireEvent.pointerMove(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'chat tab' }), {
+          pointerType: 'mouse'
+        })
+        act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTime(TAB_TOOLTIP_DELAY_MS))
+        expect(screen.getAllByText("Couldn't name this chat").length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+      }
     }
   )
 })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/NativeChatNamingFailure.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/NativeChatNamingFailure.tsx
index a998b910e30..858cf965e1e 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/NativeChatNamingFailure.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/NativeChatNamingFailure.tsx
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ function regenerateLabel(naming: NativeChatNamingFailureControls): string {
 }
 
 export function NativeChatNamingErrorBlock({
-  naming
+  naming,
+  onDismiss
 }: {
   naming: NativeChatNamingFailureControls
+  onDismiss?: () => void
 }): React.JSX.Element {
   return (
     <div className="space-y-1 border-t border-border pt-2" data-tab-hover-card-naming-error>
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ export function NativeChatNamingErrorBlock({
             variant="ghost"
             size="chip"
             onClick={() => {
+              onDismiss?.()
               const store = useAppStore.getState()
               store.openSettingsPage()
               store.openSettingsTarget({ pane: 'chat', repoId: null, sectionId: 'chat-names' })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/SortableTab.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/SortableTab.tsx
index df8bca0ec35..e038ce6d7c2 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/SortableTab.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/SortableTab.tsx
@@ -223,12 +223,8 @@ export default function SortableTab({
           dragListeners?.onPointerDown as ((event: React.PointerEvent<Element>) => void) | undefined
         )
       }}
-      onMouseDown={(e) => {
-        // Why: block middle-click auto-scroll; don't close here — removing the element pre-mouseup triggers a Linux X11 paste.
-        if (e.button === 1) {
-          e.preventDefault()
-        }
-      }}
+      // Why: block middle-click auto-scroll; don't close here — removing the element pre-mouseup triggers a Linux X11 paste.
+      onMouseDown={preventMiddleButtonDefault}
       onMouseUp={preventMiddleButtonDefault}
       onAuxClick={(e) => {
         if (isEditing) {
@@ -390,7 +386,11 @@ export default function SortableTab({
                 progress={programProgress}
               />
             }
-            alert={naming ? <NativeChatNamingErrorBlock naming={naming} /> : undefined}
+            alert={
+              naming
+                ? (dismiss) => <NativeChatNamingErrorBlock naming={naming} onDismiss={dismiss} />
+                : undefined
+            }
           >
             {tabRoot}
           </TabHoverCard>
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/TabHoverCard.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/TabHoverCard.tsx
index 0068112123d..18c10a5466b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/TabHoverCard.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/TabHoverCard.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import type { ReactNode, SyntheticEvent } from 'react'
+import { useState, type ReactNode, type SyntheticEvent } from 'react'
+import { flushSync } from 'react-dom'
 import { Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipTrigger } from '@/components/ui/tooltip'
 
 export function TabHoverCard({
@@ -15,11 +16,14 @@ export function TabHoverCard({
   programName: string
   description?: string
   /** Controls below the program row; the card then stays open under the pointer. */
-  alert?: ReactNode
+  alert?: ReactNode | ((dismiss: () => void) => ReactNode)
 }): React.JSX.Element {
+  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false)
+  // Remove the portal before navigation can start rendering a slower destination.
+  const dismiss = () => flushSync(() => setOpen(false))
   const interactive = alert !== undefined && alert !== null
   return (
-    <Tooltip disableHoverableContent={!interactive}>
+    <Tooltip open={open} onOpenChange={setOpen} disableHoverableContent={!interactive}>
       <TooltipTrigger
         asChild
         onFocus={(event) => {
@@ -61,7 +65,7 @@ export function TabHoverCard({
             </span>
             <span className="min-w-0 break-all">{programName}</span>
           </div>
-          {alert}
+          {typeof alert === 'function' ? alert(dismiss) : alert}
         </div>
       </TooltipContent>
     </Tooltip>