diff --git a/ui/src/app/dialogs/chmod-dialog.ts b/ui/src/app/dialogs/chmod-dialog.ts
index 70f337b..2c1d0d1 100644
--- a/ui/src/app/dialogs/chmod-dialog.ts
+++ b/ui/src/app/dialogs/chmod-dialog.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Component, computed, inject, input, signal } from '@angular/core';
 import { DialogsService, type ChmodRequest } from '../dialogs.service';
-import { PanelsService } from '../panels.service';
+import { FocusService } from '../focus.service';
 
 const ROLES = ['Owner', 'Group', 'Others'] as const;
 const PERMS = ['r', 'w', 'x'] as const;
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ export class ChmodDialog {
   readonly perms = PERMS;
 
   private readonly dialogs = inject(DialogsService);
-  private readonly panels = inject(PanelsService);
+  private readonly focus = inject(FocusService);
 
   // mode is initialized lazily from the request on first read
   private readonly modeOverride = signal<number | null>(null);
@@ -120,6 +120,6 @@ export class ChmodDialog {
 
   private close(): void {
     this.dialogs.chmod.set(null);
-    this.panels.refocus();
+    this.focus.bump();
   }
 }
diff --git a/ui/src/app/dialogs/confirm-dialog.ts b/ui/src/app/dialogs/confirm-dialog.ts
index f95b19d..3fb260c 100644
--- a/ui/src/app/dialogs/confirm-dialog.ts
+++ b/ui/src/app/dialogs/confirm-dialog.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Component, ElementRef, afterNextRender, inject, input, viewChild } from '@angular/core';
 import { DialogsService, type ConfirmRequest } from '../dialogs.service';
-import { PanelsService } from '../panels.service';
+import { FocusService } from '../focus.service';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'app-confirm-dialog',
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export class ConfirmDialog {
 
   private readonly confirmBtn = viewChild.required<ElementRef<HTMLButtonElement>>('confirmBtn');
   private readonly dialogs = inject(DialogsService);
-  private readonly panels = inject(PanelsService);
+  private readonly focus = inject(FocusService);
 
   constructor() {
     afterNextRender(() => this.confirmBtn().nativeElement.focus());
@@ -59,6 +59,6 @@ export class ConfirmDialog {
 
   private close(): void {
     this.dialogs.confirm.set(null);
-    this.panels.refocus();
+    this.focus.bump();
   }
 }
diff --git a/ui/src/app/dialogs/overwrite-dialog.ts b/ui/src/app/dialogs/overwrite-dialog.ts
index c731d46..9da9e18 100644
--- a/ui/src/app/dialogs/overwrite-dialog.ts
+++ b/ui/src/app/dialogs/overwrite-dialog.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import {
 import { NgIcon } from '@ng-icons/core';
 import { DialogsService, type OverwriteChoice, type OverwriteRequest } from '../dialogs.service';
 import { formatDate, formatSize } from '../format';
-import { PanelsService } from '../panels.service';
+import { FocusService } from '../focus.service';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'app-overwrite-dialog',
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ export class OverwriteDialog {
   readonly formatDate = formatDate;
 
   private readonly dialogs = inject(DialogsService);
-  private readonly panels = inject(PanelsService);
+  private readonly focus = inject(FocusService);
   private readonly primaryBtn = viewChild.required<ElementRef<HTMLButtonElement>>('primaryBtn');
 
   constructor() {
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ export class OverwriteDialog {
   pick(choice: OverwriteChoice): void {
     const req = this.request();
     this.dialogs.overwrite.set(null);
-    this.panels.refocus();
+    this.focus.bump();
     req.resolve(choice);
   }
 }
diff --git a/ui/src/app/dialogs/prompt-dialog.ts b/ui/src/app/dialogs/prompt-dialog.ts
index 583e64f..89dd709 100644
--- a/ui/src/app/dialogs/prompt-dialog.ts
+++ b/ui/src/app/dialogs/prompt-dialog.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
   viewChild,
 } from '@angular/core';
 import { DialogsService, type PromptRequest } from '../dialogs.service';
-import { PanelsService } from '../panels.service';
+import { FocusService } from '../focus.service';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'app-prompt-dialog',
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export class PromptDialog {
 
   private readonly box = viewChild.required<ElementRef<HTMLInputElement>>('box');
   private readonly dialogs = inject(DialogsService);
-  private readonly panels = inject(PanelsService);
+  private readonly focus = inject(FocusService);
 
   constructor() {
     afterNextRender(() => {
@@ -79,6 +79,6 @@ export class PromptDialog {
 
   private close(): void {
     this.dialogs.prompt.set(null);
-    this.panels.refocus();
+    this.focus.bump();
   }
 }
diff --git a/ui/src/app/focus.service.ts b/ui/src/app/focus.service.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..77a9576
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/app/focus.service.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import { Injectable, signal } from '@angular/core';
+
+/**
+ * "Give keyboard focus back to the main surface" signal. Dependency-free so
+ * dialogs can bump it from ANY window kind — in the main window the file
+ * panels listen (via PanelsService.focusTick); elsewhere nobody does, which
+ * is exactly right.
+ */
+@Injectable({ providedIn: 'root' })
+export class FocusService {
+  readonly tick = signal(0);
+
+  bump(): void {
+    this.tick.update((n) => n + 1);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/ui/src/app/panels.service.ts b/ui/src/app/panels.service.ts
index db93c2c..698c2d6 100644
--- a/ui/src/app/panels.service.ts
+++ b/ui/src/app/panels.service.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import { Injectable, computed, signal, type WritableSignal } from '@angular/core';
+import { Injectable, computed, inject, signal, type WritableSignal } from '@angular/core';
 import type { ConnectionConfig, FileEntry, SavedConnection } from '@shared/types';
+import { FocusService } from './focus.service';
 import { RpcService } from './rpc.service';
 import { ToastService } from './toast.service';
 
@@ -201,8 +202,9 @@ export class PanelsService {
     const list = this.workspaces();
     return list.find((w) => w.id === this.activeWorkspaceId()) ?? list[0];
   });
+  private readonly focus = inject(FocusService);
   /** Bumped to tell the active panel to grab keyboard focus again (e.g. after a dialog closes). */
-  readonly focusTick = signal(0);
+  readonly focusTick = this.focus.tick;
 
   private nextWorkspaceId = 1;
 
@@ -265,7 +267,7 @@ export class PanelsService {
   }
 
   refocus(): void {
-    this.focusTick.update((n) => n + 1);
+    this.focus.bump();
   }
 
   // ---- workspace (tab) management ----