diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/visible-overlay.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/visible-overlay.test.ts
index b6cf072d2d9..4fa99e0be23 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/visible-overlay.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/visible-overlay.test.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,16 @@ describe('hasVisibleOverlay', () => {
     expect(hasVisibleOverlay()).toBe(false)
   })
 
+  it('ignores the persistent workspace list while preserving its nested popups', () => {
+    mount('<div role="listbox" data-worktree-sidebar></div>')
+
+    expect(hasVisibleOverlay()).toBe(false)
+
+    mount('<div role="listbox" data-worktree-sidebar><div role="menu"></div></div>')
+
+    expect(hasVisibleOverlay()).toBe(true)
+  })
+
   it('ignores a display:none overlay', () => {
     mount('<div role="dialog" style="display: none"></div>')
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/visible-overlay.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/visible-overlay.ts
index 19a8315cccf..44dc14a514a 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/visible-overlay.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/visible-overlay.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-const OVERLAY_SELECTOR = '[role="dialog"], [role="alertdialog"], [role="listbox"], [role="menu"]'
+// The always-mounted worktree sidebar is page chrome, not an Escape-owning popup.
+const OVERLAY_SELECTOR =
+  '[role="dialog"], [role="alertdialog"], [role="listbox"]:not([data-worktree-sidebar]), [role="menu"]'
 
 type VisibleOverlayOptions = {
   /** Overlays inside a match are treated as page content, not as a layer above it. */