diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/activity/activity-thread-actions.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/activity/activity-thread-actions.test.ts
index 91375ec974b..07f50bce92d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/activity/activity-thread-actions.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/activity/activity-thread-actions.test.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,9 @@ describe('activity thread host routing', () => {
     // Bare setActiveWorktree skips setActiveView('terminal'), initial-terminal seeding and
     // sleeping-session resume — the workspace dispatcher is the only path that runs them.
     expect(mocks.activateAndRevealWorkspace).toHaveBeenCalledWith(thread.worktree.id, {
-      executionHostId: REMOTE_HOST
+      executionHostId: REMOTE_HOST,
+      revealInSidebar: false,
+      clearSidebarFilters: false
     })
     expect(setActiveWorktree).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(mocks.activateTabAndFocusPane).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
@@ -121,7 +123,9 @@ describe('activity thread host routing', () => {
 
     expect(setSelectedPaneKey).toHaveBeenCalledWith(thread.paneKey)
     expect(mocks.activateAndRevealWorkspace).toHaveBeenCalledWith(thread.worktree.id, {
-      executionHostId: REMOTE_HOST
+      executionHostId: REMOTE_HOST,
+      revealInSidebar: false,
+      clearSidebarFilters: false
     })
     expect(mocks.activateTabAndFocusPane).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       thread.tab.id,
@@ -136,7 +140,9 @@ describe('activity thread host routing', () => {
     makeActions().selectThread(thread)
 
     expect(mocks.activateAndRevealWorkspace).toHaveBeenCalledWith(thread.worktree.id, {
-      executionHostId: REMOTE_HOST
+      executionHostId: REMOTE_HOST,
+      revealInSidebar: false,
+      clearSidebarFilters: false
     })
     expect(mocks.activateTabAndFocusPane).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/activity/activity-thread-actions.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/activity/activity-thread-actions.ts
index f9f77587a1e..a940129f19c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/activity/activity-thread-actions.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/activity/activity-thread-actions.ts
@@ -83,7 +83,13 @@ export function createActivityThreadActions({
     // state of an SSH session that was never revived — has no resident tab until
     // resumeSleepingAgentSessionsForWorktree/ensureWorktreeHasInitialTerminal run inside here.
     // Probing tab residency first is what made a remote row click a silent no-op (#16731).
-    if (activateAndRevealWorkspace(thread.worktree.id, { executionHostId }) === false) {
+    if (
+      activateAndRevealWorkspace(thread.worktree.id, {
+        executionHostId,
+        revealInSidebar: false,
+        clearSidebarFilters: false
+      }) === false
+    ) {
       return
     }
     if (
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/worktree-activation-emptied-workspace-reseed.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/worktree-activation-emptied-workspace-reseed.test.ts
index 85fa0c0428c..2b85ad88003 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/worktree-activation-emptied-workspace-reseed.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/worktree-activation-emptied-workspace-reseed.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { useAppStore } from '@/store'
-import { activateAndRevealFolderWorkspace, activateAndRevealWorktree } from './worktree-activation'
+import {
+  activateAndRevealFolderWorkspace,
+  activateAndRevealWorkspace,
+  activateAndRevealWorktree
+} from './worktree-activation'
 import { ensureWorktreeHasInitialTerminal } from './worktree-initial-terminal-seeding'
 import { folderWorkspaceKey } from '../../../shared/workspace-scope'
 import { toSshExecutionHostId } from '../../../shared/execution-host'
@@ -202,6 +206,25 @@ function seedEmptiedFolderWorkspaceOnTwoHosts(): void {
 }
 
 describe('activating a folder workspace whose last terminal was closed', () => {
+  it.each(['local', SSH_HOST_ID] as const)(
+    'opens a notification on %s without revealing the folder',
+    (executionHostId) => {
+      seedEmptiedFolderWorkspaceOnTwoHosts()
+      useAppStore.setState({ sidebarBody: 'agents' })
+
+      const result = activateAndRevealWorkspace(FOLDER_KEY, {
+        executionHostId,
+        revealInSidebar: false,
+        clearSidebarFilters: false
+      })
+
+      expect(result).not.toBe(false)
+      expect(useAppStore.getState().activeWorktreeId).toBe(FOLDER_KEY)
+      expect(useAppStore.getState().sidebarBody).toBe('agents')
+      expect(useAppStore.getState().revealWorktreeInSidebar).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    }
+  )
+
   it('re-seeds a terminal when the workspace is opened', () => {
     seedEmptiedFolderWorkspaceOnTwoHosts()
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/worktree-activation.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/worktree-activation.ts
index fbb464fda49..22bc909e6b7 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/worktree-activation.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/worktree-activation.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ export function activateAndRevealFolderWorkspace(
   folderWorkspaceId: string,
   opts?: {
     sidebarRevealBehavior?: PendingSidebarWorktreeReveal['behavior']
+    revealInSidebar?: boolean
     startup?: WorktreeStartupPayload
     runtimeEnvironmentId?: string | null
     executionHostId?: ExecutionHostId
@@ -163,10 +164,11 @@ export function activateAndRevealFolderWorkspace(
         opts?.providesInitialSurface
       )
 
-  if (opts?.sidebarRevealBehavior) {
-    state.revealWorktreeInSidebar(workspaceKey, { behavior: opts.sidebarRevealBehavior })
-  } else {
-    state.revealWorktreeInSidebar(workspaceKey)
+  if (opts?.revealInSidebar !== false) {
+    state.revealWorktreeInSidebar(
+      workspaceKey,
+      opts?.sidebarRevealBehavior ? { behavior: opts.sidebarRevealBehavior } : undefined
+    )
   }
 
   return { primaryTabId }
@@ -346,8 +348,8 @@ export function activateAndRevealWorkspace(
   opts?: {
     executionHostId?: ExecutionHostId
     providesInitialSurface?: boolean
-    /** Worktree-only: folder workspaces are never filter-hidden, so these are dropped there. */
     revealInSidebar?: boolean
+    /** Worktree-only: folder workspaces are never filter-hidden. */
     clearSidebarFilters?: boolean
   }
 ): ActivateAndRevealResult | false {
@@ -355,8 +357,7 @@ export function activateAndRevealWorkspace(
   if (workspaceScope?.type !== 'folder') {
     return activateAndRevealWorktree(workspaceId, opts)
   }
-  const { revealInSidebar: _reveal, clearSidebarFilters: _clear, ...folderOpts } = opts ?? {}
-  return activateAndRevealFolderWorkspace(workspaceScope.folderWorkspaceId, folderOpts)
+  return activateAndRevealFolderWorkspace(workspaceScope.folderWorkspaceId, opts)
 }
 
 // Why: break the import cycle — nav-history slice (under @/store) can't import activation directly, so register the activator here.