diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/workspace-cleanup/WorkspaceCleanupDialog.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/workspace-cleanup/WorkspaceCleanupDialog.tsx
index f96a5befb25..9d8cf8242f7 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/workspace-cleanup/WorkspaceCleanupDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/workspace-cleanup/WorkspaceCleanupDialog.tsx
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ import {
   type WorkspaceCleanupScanError,
   type WorkspaceCleanupTier
 } from '../../../../shared/workspace-cleanup'
+import {
+  resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView,
+  type WorkspaceCleanupView,
+  type WorkspaceCleanupViewCounts
+} from './workspace-cleanup-view-selection'
 
 const TIER_LABELS: Record<WorkspaceCleanupTier, string> = {
   ready: 'Suggested cleanup',
@@ -45,8 +50,6 @@ const TIER_LABELS: Record<WorkspaceCleanupTier, string> = {
   protected: 'Not suggested for cleanup'
 }
 
-type CleanupView = WorkspaceCleanupTier | 'hidden'
-
 const BLOCKER_LABELS: Record<WorkspaceCleanupBlocker, string> = {
   'main-worktree': 'Main workspace',
   'folder-repo': 'Folder project',
@@ -185,7 +188,7 @@ export default function WorkspaceCleanupDialog(): React.JSX.Element {
 
   const open = activeModal === 'workspace-cleanup'
   const [selectedIds, setSelectedIds] = useState<Set<string>>(() => new Set())
-  const [activeView, setActiveView] = useState<CleanupView>('ready')
+  const [activeView, setActiveView] = useState<WorkspaceCleanupView>('ready')
   const [confirming, setConfirming] = useState(false)
   const [removing, setRemoving] = useState(false)
   const [rowFailures, setRowFailures] = useState<Record<string, string>>({})
@@ -278,6 +281,22 @@ export default function WorkspaceCleanupDialog(): React.JSX.Element {
   const hiddenByKeepCount = filteredCandidates.filter((candidate) =>
     candidate.blockers.includes('dismissed')
   ).length
+  const cleanupViewCounts = useMemo<WorkspaceCleanupViewCounts>(
+    () => ({
+      ready: groups.ready.length,
+      review: groups.review.length,
+      protected: groups.protected.length,
+      hidden: hiddenCandidates.length
+    }),
+    [groups.protected.length, groups.ready.length, groups.review.length, hiddenCandidates.length]
+  )
+  const resolvedActiveView = resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView({
+    requestedView: activeView,
+    counts: cleanupViewCounts,
+    open,
+    loading,
+    hasScan: scan != null
+  })
   const repoNameById = useMemo(
     () => new Map(repos.map((repo) => [repo.id, repo.displayName || repo.path])),
     [repos]
@@ -295,7 +314,7 @@ export default function WorkspaceCleanupDialog(): React.JSX.Element {
   const inactiveCount = filteredCandidates.length
   const hasAnyCandidates = candidates.length > 0
   const initialLoading = loading && !scan
-  const activeRows = activeView === 'hidden' ? hiddenCandidates : groups[activeView]
+  const activeRows = resolvedActiveView === 'hidden' ? hiddenCandidates : groups[resolvedActiveView]
   const activeQueueableRows = useMemo(
     () => activeRows.filter(canQueueWorkspaceCleanupCandidate),
     [activeRows]
@@ -313,33 +332,6 @@ export default function WorkspaceCleanupDialog(): React.JSX.Element {
       ? 'mixed'
       : 'unchecked'
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (!open || loading || !scan) {
-      return
-    }
-    if (activeRows.length > 0) {
-      return
-    }
-    if (readyCount > 0) {
-      setActiveView('ready')
-    } else if (groups.review.length > 0) {
-      setActiveView('review')
-    } else if (groups.protected.length > 0) {
-      setActiveView('protected')
-    } else if (hiddenCandidates.length > 0) {
-      setActiveView('hidden')
-    }
-  }, [
-    activeRows.length,
-    groups.protected.length,
-    groups.review.length,
-    hiddenCandidates.length,
-    loading,
-    open,
-    readyCount,
-    scan
-  ])
-
   const handleOpenChange = useCallback(
     (nextOpen: boolean) => {
       if (!nextOpen && !removing) {
@@ -567,19 +559,14 @@ export default function WorkspaceCleanupDialog(): React.JSX.Element {
 
             <div className="grid min-h-0 flex-1 grid-cols-1 overflow-hidden md:grid-cols-[185px_minmax(0,1fr)]">
               <CleanupViewNav
-                activeView={activeView}
-                counts={{
-                  ready: groups.ready.length,
-                  review: groups.review.length,
-                  protected: groups.protected.length,
-                  hidden: hiddenByKeepCount
-                }}
+                activeView={resolvedActiveView}
+                counts={cleanupViewCounts}
                 onViewChange={setActiveView}
               />
               <div className="flex min-h-0 min-w-0 flex-col border-t border-border md:border-l md:border-t-0">
                 <div className="flex min-h-10 items-center justify-between gap-3 border-b border-border px-3 py-2">
                   <div className="flex min-w-0 items-center gap-2">
-                    {activeView !== 'hidden' && activeQueueableRows.length > 0 ? (
+                    {resolvedActiveView !== 'hidden' && activeQueueableRows.length > 0 ? (
                       <button
                         type="button"
                         role="checkbox"
@@ -588,8 +575,8 @@ export default function WorkspaceCleanupDialog(): React.JSX.Element {
                         }
                         aria-label={
                           allActiveQueueableSelected
-                            ? `Unselect all in ${TIER_LABELS[activeView]}`
-                            : `Select all in ${TIER_LABELS[activeView]}`
+                            ? `Unselect all in ${TIER_LABELS[resolvedActiveView]}`
+                            : `Select all in ${TIER_LABELS[resolvedActiveView]}`
                         }
                         onClick={toggleActiveSelection}
                         className="flex size-4 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded border border-border bg-background text-primary hover:bg-accent"
@@ -602,12 +589,12 @@ export default function WorkspaceCleanupDialog(): React.JSX.Element {
                       </button>
                     ) : null}
                     <div className="min-w-0 truncate text-[11px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-[0.05em] text-muted-foreground">
-                      {activeView === 'hidden'
+                      {resolvedActiveView === 'hidden'
                         ? 'Ignored cleanup suggestions'
-                        : TIER_LABELS[activeView]}
+                        : TIER_LABELS[resolvedActiveView]}
                     </div>
                   </div>
-                  {activeView === 'hidden' && hiddenByKeepCount > 0 ? (
+                  {resolvedActiveView === 'hidden' && hiddenByKeepCount > 0 ? (
                     <Button
                       variant="link"
                       size="xs"
@@ -723,11 +710,11 @@ function CleanupViewNav({
   counts,
   onViewChange
 }: {
-  activeView: CleanupView
-  counts: Record<CleanupView, number>
-  onViewChange: (view: CleanupView) => void
+  activeView: WorkspaceCleanupView
+  counts: WorkspaceCleanupViewCounts
+  onViewChange: (view: WorkspaceCleanupView) => void
 }): React.JSX.Element {
-  const items: { view: CleanupView; label: string }[] = [
+  const items: { view: WorkspaceCleanupView; label: string }[] = [
     { view: 'ready', label: 'Suggested' },
     { view: 'review', label: 'Needs review' },
     { view: 'protected', label: 'Not suggested' },
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/workspace-cleanup/workspace-cleanup-view-selection.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/workspace-cleanup/workspace-cleanup-view-selection.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4f498eae16e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/workspace-cleanup/workspace-cleanup-view-selection.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import {
+  resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView,
+  type WorkspaceCleanupViewCounts
+} from './workspace-cleanup-view-selection'
+
+const emptyCounts: WorkspaceCleanupViewCounts = {
+  ready: 0,
+  review: 0,
+  protected: 0,
+  hidden: 0
+}
+
+describe('resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView', () => {
+  it('keeps the requested view while it still has rows', () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView({
+        requestedView: 'review',
+        counts: { ...emptyCounts, ready: 2, review: 1 },
+        open: true,
+        loading: false,
+        hasScan: true
+      })
+    ).toBe('review')
+  })
+
+  it('falls back to the first populated cleanup view when the requested view is empty', () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView({
+        requestedView: 'protected',
+        counts: { ...emptyCounts, review: 3, hidden: 1 },
+        open: true,
+        loading: false,
+        hasScan: true
+      })
+    ).toBe('review')
+  })
+
+  it('uses hidden suggestions when no visible cleanup views have rows', () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView({
+        requestedView: 'ready',
+        counts: { ...emptyCounts, hidden: 2 },
+        open: true,
+        loading: false,
+        hasScan: true
+      })
+    ).toBe('hidden')
+  })
+
+  it('leaves the requested view alone before an open completed scan', () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView({
+        requestedView: 'protected',
+        counts: { ...emptyCounts, ready: 4 },
+        open: false,
+        loading: false,
+        hasScan: true
+      })
+    ).toBe('protected')
+
+    expect(
+      resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView({
+        requestedView: 'protected',
+        counts: { ...emptyCounts, ready: 4 },
+        open: true,
+        loading: true,
+        hasScan: true
+      })
+    ).toBe('protected')
+
+    expect(
+      resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView({
+        requestedView: 'protected',
+        counts: { ...emptyCounts, ready: 4 },
+        open: true,
+        loading: false,
+        hasScan: false
+      })
+    ).toBe('protected')
+  })
+
+  it('keeps an empty requested view when every view is empty', () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView({
+        requestedView: 'hidden',
+        counts: emptyCounts,
+        open: true,
+        loading: false,
+        hasScan: true
+      })
+    ).toBe('hidden')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/workspace-cleanup/workspace-cleanup-view-selection.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/workspace-cleanup/workspace-cleanup-view-selection.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cd8e2ea094e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/workspace-cleanup/workspace-cleanup-view-selection.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+export type WorkspaceCleanupView = 'ready' | 'review' | 'protected' | 'hidden'
+
+export type WorkspaceCleanupViewCounts = Record<WorkspaceCleanupView, number>
+
+export function resolveWorkspaceCleanupActiveView({
+  requestedView,
+  counts,
+  open,
+  loading,
+  hasScan
+}: {
+  requestedView: WorkspaceCleanupView
+  counts: WorkspaceCleanupViewCounts
+  open: boolean
+  loading: boolean
+  hasScan: boolean
+}): WorkspaceCleanupView {
+  if (!open || loading || !hasScan || counts[requestedView] > 0) {
+    return requestedView
+  }
+  if (counts.ready > 0) {
+    return 'ready'
+  }
+  if (counts.review > 0) {
+    return 'review'
+  }
+  if (counts.protected > 0) {
+    return 'protected'
+  }
+  if (counts.hidden > 0) {
+    return 'hidden'
+  }
+  return requestedView
+}