diff --git a/docs/navigation-audit.md b/docs/navigation-audit.md
index c79df7db..f51050e3 100644
--- a/docs/navigation-audit.md
+++ b/docs/navigation-audit.md
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ was in this list; the Projects feature was removed end to end on 2026-07-30, so
 and navigate-site 22 below still name it — they are the record of work that happened, not of code that exists.)
 **Section routes** (a param that names a view rather than an entity): `/settings/:page/:section`,
 `/soulseek/:section`, `/headscale/:section`, `/wallet/:section`, `/system-monitor/:scope`.
-**Query-param screens:** `/music?path=`.
-**Genuinely flat, still:** `/` `/files` `/plans` `/terminal` `/desktop` `/code-editor` `/qr-transfer`.
-`/files` and `/code-editor` are M4 and M5 — the last two that ought not to be.
+**Query-param screens:** `/music?path=`, `/files?path=`.
+**Genuinely flat, still:** `/` `/plans` `/terminal` `/desktop` `/code-editor` `/qr-transfer`.
+`/code-editor` is M5 — the last one that ought not to be.
 The five settings pages are route **pairs** now, not flat screens — `/settings/{profile,ai,system,integrations,user-management}`
 plus a `:section` each (M6). There has never been a `/settings/apps`; that entry was wrong when this list
 was written.
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ are good building blocks. The **Workspace/Panel framework** contains **zero** ro
 | ~~M1~~ | ~~`Screens/Dashboard/CapabilityPage.tsx:431`~~ | task / skill / process | `/tasks/:dirName`, `/skills/:dirName`, `/processes/:dirName` | **Done.** One component backed three screens, so one change covered all of them. The auto-select-`items[0]` effect is gone — the bare route is now the list with an empty detail pane. `editing`/`isNew` moved to `?edit=1` / `?new=1` because a `<Link>` row cannot imperatively reset them. |
 | ~~M2~~ | ~~`Screens/Dashboard/TaskLogs/index.tsx:104`~~ | a task-log run | `/task-logs/:id` | **Done.** As predicted — the detail fetch already keyed off the id, so only its source changed. `showDetail` is gone; the mobile swap and both back arrows derive from the param. |
 | ~~M3~~ | ~~`Screens/Dashboard/Activity/ActivityScreen.tsx:63,73`~~ | background task / detached job | `/activity/:id` | **Done.** One param for both row kinds; the screen looks the id up in the polled registry and derives `task=`/`path=` from the row. The SSE effect now depends on that derived *string*, so the 3s poll no longer risks re-opening the stream. An id that has left the registry says so instead of hanging on "waiting for output". |
-| M4 | `FileBrowser/.../useFileBrowserApp.ts:269`, `FileItem.tsx:516`, `Breadcrumb.tsx:16`, search-hit `:249` | a folder | `/files?path=<dir>` | **files** already open via `?view=`; **folders** are pure `currentPath` state — no URL, no back/forward. Folder rows + crumbs → `<Link>` on a `?path=` param. |
+| ~~M4~~ | ~~`FileBrowser/.../useFileBrowserApp.ts:269`~~, `FileItem.tsx:516`, ~~`Breadcrumb.tsx:16`~~ | a folder | `/files?path=<dir>` | **Partly done — the rest is an owner decision, not a defect.** `currentPath` is `?path=` on `/files`, so back/forward and linking a folder work, and the crumbs are `<Link>`s. Two things the audit line did not know: `?view=` is *ephemeral* (wiped on mount by `useFileViewerPanels`), so `path` is the screen's first durable param, and four `setSearchParams({…})` calls replaced the whole query string — opening any file would have silently reset the folder. They go through a `setViewerParams` helper now that keeps `path`. Opt-in via the parsed `WorkspaceIdentity` (`screens/files`), because a dashboard can hold two browsers and one shared param would move both. **Folder *items* stay buttons:** ⌘/Ctrl/Shift-click is already bound to multi-select in `FileItem.tsx` and open is double-click, so anchor semantics collide with an existing gesture. |
 | M5 | `CodeEditor/FileTree.tsx:59`, `EditorTabs.tsx:33` | open source file / active tab | `/code-editor?file=<path>` (+ `open=` for tabs) | tree file rows → `<Link>`; active file in a param. |
 | ~~M6~~ | `Settings/SettingsPanel.tsx` | a settings sub-section | `/settings/:page/:section` | **Done.** `<NavLink>` + `useParams`, five `*_SELECTED` globals gone, one `SettingsRoute` guard per page. The "one change covers all settings pages" claim was *almost* right: Integrations builds its own sidebar and did not go through `createSettingsPanelComponents`, and it also held the Enterprise/Personal tab in a second global — derived from the section key now, which is what fixes deep-linking a Personal section. |
 | M7 | `workspaces/components/Combobox.tsx:53` | caller-supplied route | (existing) | shared widget: `href`-bearing options do `navigate(option.href)`; render them as `<Link>`. Every caller inherits the opaque click. |
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ publishers means changing the chat panel, which is another agent's, so it is wri
 - [x] **M1** Capabilities → `/tasks|skills|processes/:dirName`, rows → `<Link>`; `CapabilityPage` takes an explicit `basePath` (not reused from `endpoint`, which only happens to match). Selection is `useParams`, the mobile pane swap and back arrow are derived from it, delete navigates to the bare route, and the two per-item modes are `?edit=1` / `?new=1`. No `<Navigate>` guard: an unknown `dirName` gets the empty detail pane. **Needs runtime test.**
 - [x] **M2** TaskLogs → `/task-logs/:id`; rows are `<Link>`s, `showDetail` deleted. **Needs runtime test.**
 - [x] **M3** Activity → `/activity/:id`; the `{label, query}` selection object is gone — the id is the URL and the stream query is derived from the registry row. `/activity` also had no `usePageTitle` rule (it read "Officer"); added. **Needs runtime test.**
-- [ ] **M4** FileBrowser folders → `/files?path=`; folder rows + breadcrumbs → `<Link>` (`useFileBrowserApp.ts:269`, `FileItem.tsx`, `Breadcrumb.tsx`).
+- [x] **M4** FileBrowser folders → `/files?path=`; breadcrumbs are `<Link>`s. Folder *rows* deliberately still buttons — ⌘-click is multi-select, open is double-click; converting them needs an owner call on the gesture.
 - [ ] **M5** CodeEditor active file → `/code-editor?file=` (`FileTree.tsx:59`, `EditorTabs.tsx:33`).
 - [ ] **M7** Combobox: render `href` options as `<Link>` (`Combobox.tsx:53`).
 
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/FileBrowserApp.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/FileBrowserApp.tsx
index e5de9918..580f091a 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/FileBrowserApp.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/FileBrowserApp.tsx
@@ -11,16 +11,23 @@ import { useFileBrowserApp } from './useFileBrowserApp';
 type FileBrowserAppProps = {
   basePath?: string;
   rootOverride?: string;
+  /** Put the current folder in `?path=`. Opt-in — only the /files screen is guaranteed one browser. */
+  urlPath?: boolean;
 };
 
-export const FileBrowserApp = ({ basePath = '/', rootOverride }: FileBrowserAppProps) => {
-  const fileBrowserManager = useFileBrowserApp(basePath, rootOverride);
+export const FileBrowserApp = ({ basePath = '/', rootOverride, urlPath }: FileBrowserAppProps) => {
+  const fileBrowserManager = useFileBrowserApp(basePath, rootOverride, urlPath);
   const { handleNavigate } = fileBrowserManager;
 
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-col h-full overflow-hidden">
       <Toolbar fileBrowserManager={fileBrowserManager} />
-      <Breadcrumb path={fileBrowserManager.currentPath} onNavigate={handleNavigate} basePath={basePath} />
+      <Breadcrumb
+        path={fileBrowserManager.currentPath}
+        onNavigate={handleNavigate}
+        basePath={basePath}
+        searchForPath={fileBrowserManager.searchForPath}
+      />
       <UploadProgress fileBrowserManager={fileBrowserManager} />
       <FileViewContainer fileBrowserManager={fileBrowserManager} />
       <TaskRunnerDialog fileBrowserManager={fileBrowserManager} />
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/FileBrowserPanelWrapper.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/FileBrowserPanelWrapper.tsx
index bc95236c..56a3da55 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/FileBrowserPanelWrapper.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/FileBrowserPanelWrapper.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,14 @@ import { FileBrowserApp } from './FileBrowserApp';
 const cwdToPath = (cwd: string) => (cwd === '~' ? '/' : cwd.slice(1));
 
 export const FileBrowserPanelWrapper = () => {
-  const { cwd } = useWorkspace();
+  const { cwd, workspace } = useWorkspace();
   const basePath = cwdToPath(cwd);
-  return <FileBrowserApp basePath={basePath} rootOverride={basePath !== '/' ? 'home' : undefined} />;
+
+  // Only the /files screen puts its folder in the URL. A dashboard can hold two file browsers, and one
+  // shared `?path=` would move both — so the address bar belongs to the workspace that is guaranteed to
+  // host exactly one. The test is the framework's parsed identity, not the base path: an unscoped panel
+  // (cwd `~`) sits on dashboards too, so `basePath === '/'` would catch the wrong browsers.
+  const urlPath = workspace?.kind === 'screen' && workspace.id === 'files';
+
+  return <FileBrowserApp basePath={basePath} rootOverride={basePath !== '/' ? 'home' : undefined} urlPath={urlPath} />;
 };
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/components/Breadcrumb.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/components/Breadcrumb.tsx
index 1cb0724d..39779c3a 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/components/Breadcrumb.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/components/Breadcrumb.tsx
@@ -1,25 +1,43 @@
+import { Link } from 'react-router';
 import { ChevronRight, Home } from 'lucide-react';
 
 type BreadcrumbProps = {
   path: string;
   onNavigate: (path: string) => void;
   basePath?: string;
+  /**
+   * Query string for a folder, when this browser owns the address bar. Given, the crumbs are real links
+   * and cmd-click opens the folder in a new tab; absent (a dashboard panel, the widget) they stay buttons,
+   * because that browser's location is not in the URL and there would be nothing for the new tab to read.
+   */
+  searchForPath?: ((path: string) => string) | null;
 };
 
-export const Breadcrumb = ({ path, onNavigate, basePath = '/' }: BreadcrumbProps) => {
+export const Breadcrumb = ({ path, onNavigate, basePath = '/', searchForPath }: BreadcrumbProps) => {
   const relativePath = basePath !== '/' && path.startsWith(basePath) ? path.slice(basePath.length) : path;
   const segments = relativePath.split('/').filter(Boolean);
 
+  const Crumb = ({ to, children, className }: { to: string; children: React.ReactNode; className: string }) =>
+    searchForPath ? (
+      <Link to={{ search: searchForPath(to) }} className={className}>
+        {children}
+      </Link>
+    ) : (
+      <button onClick={() => onNavigate(to)} className={className}>
+        {children}
+      </button>
+    );
+
   return (
     <div className="shrink-0 border-b border-duck-dark/10 px-4 py-2">
       <nav className="flex items-center gap-1 text-sm flex-wrap">
-        <button
-          onClick={() => onNavigate(basePath)}
+        <Crumb
+          to={basePath}
           className="flex items-center gap-1 text-duck-forest hover:text-duck-teal transition-colors cursor-pointer font-medium"
         >
           <Home className="h-4 w-4" />
           <span>{basePath === '/' ? 'home' : basePath.split('/').pop()}</span>
-        </button>
+        </Crumb>
 
         {segments.map((segment, i) => {
           const relative = '/' + segments.slice(0, i + 1).join('/');
@@ -32,12 +50,12 @@ export const Breadcrumb = ({ path, onNavigate, basePath = '/' }: BreadcrumbProps
               {isLast ? (
                 <span className="text-duck-dark font-semibold">{segment}</span>
               ) : (
-                <button
-                  onClick={() => onNavigate(segmentPath)}
+                <Crumb
+                  to={segmentPath}
                   className="text-duck-forest hover:text-duck-teal transition-colors cursor-pointer font-medium"
                 >
                   {segment}
-                </button>
+                </Crumb>
               )}
             </span>
           );
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/useFileBrowserApp.ts b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/useFileBrowserApp.ts
index 717cdb75..b977c21d 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/useFileBrowserApp.ts
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/FileBrowser/FileBrowserApp/useFileBrowserApp.ts
@@ -8,21 +8,55 @@ import { useUserState } from 'state/useUserState';
 import { useAuth } from 'hooks/useAuth';
 import { useFilesRefresh } from '../../../channels';
 
-export const useFileBrowserApp = (basePath: string, rootOverride?: string) => {
+/**
+ * Where the browser is looking, when it is the one browser that owns the address bar. `urlPath` is opt-in
+ * because the same app mounts as a dashboard panel, and a dashboard can hold two of them — one shared
+ * param would move both. The /files screen holds exactly one, so there it is the source of truth.
+ */
+export const FILES_PATH_PARAM = 'path';
+
+/** The base folder is the bare address, so it drops the param rather than spelling itself out. */
+const withPath = (prev: URLSearchParams, path: string, basePath: string) => {
+  const next = new URLSearchParams(prev);
+  if (path === basePath) next.delete(FILES_PATH_PARAM);
+  else next.set(FILES_PATH_PARAM, path);
+  return next;
+};
+
+export const useFileBrowserApp = (basePath: string, rootOverride?: string, urlPath = false) => {
   const { user } = useAuth();
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const [searchParams, setSearchParams] = useSearchParams();
   const homeRoot = 'home';
   const [, setGlobalPath] = useUserState<string>('files/currentPath', '/');
-  const [currentPath, setLocalPath] = useState(basePath);
+  const [localPath, setLocalPath] = useState(basePath);
   const scoped = basePath !== '/';
-  // Navigation is session-local — the browser always opens at home, never restoring the
-  // last path. The main (unscoped) browser still mirrors its folder into files/currentPath
-  // so the Create Dashboard flow can default a new dashboard's cwd to it.
+  // Navigation is session-local for a panel — it always opens at its base and never restores the last
+  // path. On /files it is the URL instead, so back/forward work and a folder can be linked to; a fresh
+  // visit still opens at home, because a URL with no `path` means the base. Either way the main
+  // (unscoped) browser mirrors its folder into files/currentPath so the Create Dashboard flow can
+  // default a new dashboard's cwd to it.
+  const currentPath = urlPath ? (searchParams.get(FILES_PATH_PARAM) ?? basePath) : localPath;
   const setCurrentPath = (path: string) => {
-    setLocalPath(path);
+    if (urlPath) setSearchParams((prev) => withPath(prev, path, basePath));
+    else setLocalPath(path);
     if (!scoped) setGlobalPath(path);
   };
+
+  /** Query string for a folder — the current params with `path` set, so an open viewer survives a crumb. */
+  const searchForPath = (path: string) => withPath(searchParams, path, basePath).toString();
+
+  /**
+   * The ephemeral viewer params replace each other wholesale: opening a file closes whatever overlay was
+   * open. `path` is not one of them — it is where you are, not what is on top of it — so it survives.
+   */
+  const setViewerParams = (params: Record<string, string>) =>
+    setSearchParams((prev) => {
+      const next = new URLSearchParams(params);
+      const keep = prev.get(FILES_PATH_PARAM);
+      if (keep) next.set(FILES_PATH_PARAM, keep);
+      return next;
+    });
   const [entries, setEntries] = useState<DirEntry[]>([]);
   const [rootDir, setRootDir] = useState('');
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
@@ -246,7 +280,7 @@ export const useFileBrowserApp = (basePath: string, rootOverride?: string) => {
     } else {
       const parentPath = entry.path.substring(0, entry.path.lastIndexOf('/')) || '/';
       setCurrentPath(parentPath);
-      setSearchParams({ view: entry.path });
+      setViewerParams({ view: entry.path });
     }
     setSearchQuery('');
   };
@@ -266,7 +300,7 @@ export const useFileBrowserApp = (basePath: string, rootOverride?: string) => {
       setCurrentPath(next);
     } else {
       const filePath = currentPath === '/' ? `/${entry.name}` : `${currentPath}/${entry.name}`;
-      setSearchParams({ view: filePath });
+      setViewerParams({ view: filePath });
     }
   };
 
@@ -430,7 +464,7 @@ export const useFileBrowserApp = (basePath: string, rootOverride?: string) => {
       const { audioPath } = await files.tts(filePath, { saveNextTo: true });
       toast.dismiss(toastId);
       refresh();
-      setSearchParams({ view: filePath, ephemeral: audioPath });
+      setViewerParams({ view: filePath, ephemeral: audioPath });
     } catch {
       toast.error('Failed to generate speech audio', { id: toastId });
     }
@@ -438,7 +472,7 @@ export const useFileBrowserApp = (basePath: string, rootOverride?: string) => {
 
   const handlePlay = (entry: DirEntry) => {
     const filePath = entryPath(entry.name);
-    setSearchParams({ play: filePath });
+    setViewerParams({ play: filePath });
   };
 
   const handleExtract = async (entry: DirEntry) => {
@@ -621,6 +655,8 @@ export const useFileBrowserApp = (basePath: string, rootOverride?: string) => {
     homeRoot,
     currentPath,
     setCurrentPath,
+    // Null when this browser does not own the address bar — the breadcrumb then stays buttons.
+    searchForPath: urlPath ? searchForPath : null,
     // Directory listing
     visibleEntries,
     loading,