diff --git a/chrome.html b/chrome.html
index dad59d93..76af064f 100644
--- a/chrome.html
+++ b/chrome.html
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@
   @keyframes spin { to { transform: rotate(360deg); } }
   .tab .x { opacity: .5; cursor: pointer; padding: 0 2px; border-radius: 4px; }
   .tab .mute { font-size: 10px; opacity: .8; margin-right: 2px; }
+  .tab .ask { font-size: 10px; margin-right: 2px; }
   /* Tab group visual: a colored dot before the title, plus a matching top
      accent stripe on the tab itself so a whole group reads as one cluster
      even when tabs are next to each other. */
@@ -1578,7 +1579,7 @@
   function makeTab(id) {
     const el = document.createElement("div");
     el.className = "tab"; el.dataset.id = String(id); el.dataset.key = "tab:" + id; el.draggable = true;
-    el.innerHTML = `<span class="ico"></span><span class="t"></span><span class="mute" title="Muted" hidden>🔇</span><span class="x" data-close="${id}">✕</span>`;
+    el.innerHTML = `<span class="ico"></span><span class="t"></span><span class="ask" title="This page is waiting for you" hidden>💬</span><span class="mute" title="Muted" hidden>🔇</span><span class="x" data-close="${id}">✕</span>`;
     el.onclick = (e) => { if (e.target.dataset.close) T.closeTab(id); else T.switchTab(id); };
     // Right-click → native OS menu popped from main.js (a DOM menu forced the
     // chrome view taller and opened a gap under the toolbar).
@@ -1611,6 +1612,7 @@
     const label = el.querySelector(".t"); const txt = t.title || "New Tab";
     if (label.textContent !== txt) label.textContent = txt;
     el.querySelector(".mute").hidden = !t.muted;
+    el.querySelector(".ask").hidden = !t.asking;
     // Icon slot: spinner while loading, otherwise the favicon. The <img> is
     // only touched when the URL actually changes, so it never reloads.
     const ico = el.querySelector(".ico");
diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index 84416057..9632e433 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -88,8 +88,21 @@ function relocateProfile(appData) {
     if (!fs.existsSync(oldDir)) continue;
     try { fs.renameSync(oldDir, newDir); return newDir; }
     catch {
-      try { fs.cpSync(oldDir, newDir, { recursive: true }); return newDir; }
-      catch (e) { console.warn(`[profile] relocate ${candidate} failed:`, e?.message); }
+      // Copy beside the target and rename it into place only once complete.
+      // Copying straight into newDir left a partial profile behind on failure
+      // (a file locked by a running old instance, disk full) — and since
+      // newDir then existed, the migration never ran again.
+      const tmp = newDir + ".migrating";
+      try {
+        fs.rmSync(tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+        fs.cpSync(oldDir, tmp, { recursive: true });
+        fs.renameSync(tmp, newDir);
+        return newDir;
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.warn(`[profile] relocate ${candidate} failed, staying on it this run:`, e?.message);
+        try { fs.rmSync(tmp, { recursive: true, force: true }); } catch {}
+        return oldDir; // complete, just not moved yet — next launch retries
+      }
     }
   }
   return newDir;
@@ -382,7 +395,13 @@ function dnsRecordKinds(entry) {
 // because there is nothing else to serve.
 async function dnsAddressFor(entry) {
   if (!entry?.name) return null;
-  const v = entry.dns !== undefined ? entry.dns : await fetchDnsRecords(entry.name);
+  // entry.dns was attached once and never refreshed. Go through the cache so
+  // the TTL holds: a stale answer is served while it revalidates, and only a
+  // name with no answer at all waits for the fetch.
+  const c = dnsRecordsCache.get(entry.name);
+  let v;
+  if (c && c.at > 0) { v = c.value; if (Date.now() - c.at >= DNS_RECORDS_TTL) fetchDnsRecords(entry.name).catch(() => {}); }
+  else v = await fetchDnsRecords(entry.name);
   const a = v?.dns?.A;
   const ip = Array.isArray(a) ? a.find((x) => typeof x === "string" && /^\d{1,3}(\.\d{1,3}){3}$/.test(x)) : null;
   return ip || null;
@@ -1388,6 +1407,16 @@ protocol.registerSchemesAsPrivileged([
   { scheme: "bns", privileges: { standard: true, secure: true, supportFetchAPI: true, stream: true } },
 ]);
 
+// True only when we can say for sure, without waiting, that `host` has no
+// BCNR registration: the resolver is loaded, an index exists and the name is
+// in neither it nor the resolved-entries cache.
+function knownUnregistered(host) {
+  if (!resolver || !sharedIndex) return false;
+  const h = String(host || "").toLowerCase();
+  if (entries.has(h)) return false;
+  let key; try { key = resolver.normalizeName(h); } catch { return false; }
+  return sharedIndex.get(key) == null;
+}
 let resolver;
 async function getResolver() {
   if (!resolver) resolver = await import(`file://${RESOLVER.replace(/\\/g, "/")}`);
@@ -1426,9 +1455,13 @@ function torReady() {
   applyWebRTCPolicy();
   sendTor();
 }
+// The session proxy has two owners: Tor and an add-on (VPN). Tor wins while
+// it is on; the add-on's rules are remembered and come back when Tor goes
+// off, instead of the two silently wiping each other's settings.
+let addonProxyOpts = null;
 function torOff() {
   torState = "off"; torWsAgent = null;
-  session.defaultSession.setProxy({ proxyRules: "" });
+  session.defaultSession.setProxy(addonProxyOpts || { proxyRules: "" });
   applyWebRTCPolicy();
   sendTor();
 }
@@ -1591,6 +1624,9 @@ function maybeRefreshElectrum() {
   refreshElectrumPool(); // fire-and-forget
 }
 
+// host -> { entry, host, gen }. `gen` is the indexBuiltAt of the index the
+// entry came from; serveBns re-resolves when a newer index has landed, so an
+// edited ip/s3/tls record, a transfer or an expiry shows up without a restart.
 const entries = new Map();
 // Cached chain index. Building it (connect + fetch every beacon tx) is the slow
 // part, and it was happening on EVERY navigation. Build once, reuse for lookups,
@@ -1845,7 +1881,8 @@ async function resolveHost(host) {
       entry = idx.get(key) ?? null;
     }
   }
-  if (entry) entries.set(host.toLowerCase(), { entry, host: host.toLowerCase() });
+  if (entry) entries.set(host.toLowerCase(), { entry, host: host.toLowerCase(), gen: indexBuiltAt });
+  else entries.delete(host.toLowerCase()); // no longer registered — stop serving the old record
   // Signed DNS records ride alongside the on-chain answer — started here,
   // never awaited (see attachDnsRecords).
   if (entry) attachDnsRecords(entry);
@@ -1880,7 +1917,9 @@ async function serveBns(request) {
   // to each tab — it fires BEFORE the request reaches this protocol handler.)
 
   let rec = entries.get(host);
-  if (!rec) { try { await resolveHost(host); } catch {} rec = entries.get(host); }
+  // A lookup that throws (resolver unavailable) keeps the last good record;
+  // one that answers "not registered" has already evicted it.
+  if (!rec || rec.gen !== indexBuiltAt) { try { await resolveHost(host); rec = entries.get(host); } catch {} }
   if (!rec) return new Response("NXDOMAIN: " + host, { status: 404, headers: { "content-type": "text/plain" } });
   const r = rec.entry.records;
   // Subdomain inheritance: `checkers.game.x` collapses to `game.x` in the
@@ -2239,6 +2278,8 @@ function initAddons() {
       proxyAuth = null;
       if (rules == null || rules === "") {
         console.log(`[addons] [${addonId}] clearing session proxy`);
+        addonProxyOpts = null;
+        if (torState !== "off") return; // Tor owns the session proxy right now
         try { await ses.setProxy({ proxyRules: "" }); } catch (e) { console.warn("proxy clear failed:", e?.message); }
         return;
       }
@@ -2257,6 +2298,8 @@ function initAddons() {
       console.log(`[addons] [${addonId}] setting session proxy:`, publicRules, auth ? "(auth pending)" : "");
       // Chromium fires app#login with authInfo.isProxy when the proxy asks for creds.
       if (auth) proxyAuth = auth;
+      addonProxyOpts = opts;
+      if (torState !== "off") { console.log(`[addons] [${addonId}] Tor is on — proxy kept for when it goes off`); return; }
       try { await ses.setProxy(opts); } catch (e) { console.warn("proxy set failed:", e?.message); }
     },
     // vault-derive capability. Resolves once the vault is unlocked (the
@@ -3285,7 +3328,7 @@ function emitTabs() {
   const t = activeTab();
   const wc = t?.view.webContents;
   chrome?.webContents.send("tabs", {
-    tabs: tabs.map((x) => ({ id: x.id, title: x.title || "New Tab", active: x.id === activeId, loading: !!x.loading, favicon: x.favicon || null, muted: !!x.muted, group: x.group || null, url: x.url || "" })),
+    tabs: tabs.map((x) => ({ id: x.id, title: x.title || "New Tab", active: x.id === activeId, loading: !!x.loading, favicon: x.favicon || null, muted: !!x.muted, group: x.group || null, url: x.url || "", asking: tabHasPendingDialog(x.id) })),
     collapsedGroups: [...tabGroupCollapsed],
     url: t?.url || "",
     loading: !!t?.loading,
@@ -3557,6 +3600,17 @@ function createTab(initial, opts = {}) {
   });
   wc.on("did-navigate",         () => { refreshTabUrl(tab); emitTabs(); historyAdd(tab.url, tab.title); });
   wc.on("did-navigate-in-page", () => { refreshTabUrl(tab); emitTabs(); historyAdd(tab.url, tab.title); });
+  // Navigations Chromium makes on its own (Back/Forward, redirects, links to
+  // unregistered hosts) never pass through navigateTab, which is what sets
+  // prov — keep the site badge on the host actually loaded.
+  wc.on("did-navigate", () => {
+    let u; try { u = new URL(wc.getURL()); } catch { return; }
+    if (u.protocol !== "http:" && u.protocol !== "https:") return;
+    const host = u.hostname.toLowerCase();
+    if (tab.prov && tab.prov.host === host) return;
+    tab.prov = { host, kind: "web" };
+    if (tab.id === activeId) pushNav(tab.prov);
+  });
   wc.on("did-navigate", () => { if (tab.id === activeId) { notifyTabChange(); emitPwAvailability(); } });
   wc.on("did-navigate-in-page", () => { if (tab.id === activeId) notifyTabChange(); });
   // Ctrl+wheel / pinch: Chromium only reports the intent on Windows and
@@ -3643,6 +3697,11 @@ function createTab(initial, opts = {}) {
         let currentHost = "";
         try { currentHost = new URL(wc.getURL()).hostname; } catch {}
         if (currentHost === parsed.hostname) return;
+        // Cross-host too: when the warm index already says the target isn't a
+        // BCNR name, there is nothing for navigateTab to add — and replaying
+        // it via loadURL would turn a form POST into a bodyless GET (OAuth
+        // form_post, SAML, 3-D Secure, login forms posting to auth.<site>).
+        if (knownUnregistered(parsed.hostname)) return;
         // Preserve query + fragment. Dropping them broke every search engine
         // that submits via a classic form GET (Google's /search?q=foo lost
         // the ?q=, so the results page opened blank).
@@ -3933,9 +3992,11 @@ function createWindow() {
   quicklinks.webContents.loadFile("quicklinks.html");
   // Dedicated mini-view that renders the currently-active quick-link in its
   // own narrow column, Opera-style. Lives permanently in the window; shown /
-  // hidden via activeQuickLinkId. Separate browsing context from any tab,
-  // so a Facebook sidebar visit doesn't share cookies with a Facebook tab
-  // the user opened — matching how Opera's sidebar panels feel.
+  // hidden via activeQuickLinkId. It shares the default session with the
+  // tabs (and so their cookies) on purpose: Tor/proxy, the permission
+  // handlers, the request filter and the bns:// protocol are all installed
+  // on session.defaultSession, and a separate partition would silently go
+  // without every one of them.
   // Third-party sites only — no preload (home-preload's navigate/cards API
   // has no business here), and its popups become ordinary tabs instead of
   // bare Electron windows outside every tab protection.
@@ -5072,16 +5133,27 @@ function jsDialogReply(item, ok, value) {
   const out = kind === "confirm" ? (ok ? "1" : "0") : kind === "prompt" ? (ok ? String(value ?? "") : null) : "";
   try { item.e.returnValue = { handled: true, value: out }; } catch {}
 }
+// Does this tab have a page dialog waiting for the user to come back to it?
+function tabHasPendingDialog(tabId) {
+  return jsDialogQueue.some((q) => q.tabId === tabId) || (!!jsDialogCurrent && jsDialogCurrent.tabId === tabId && tabId !== activeId);
+}
 function pumpJsDialog() {
   if (jsDialogCurrent || !jsDialogQueue.length) return;
   if (!jsDialogPop || !winAlive()) { for (const it of jsDialogQueue.splice(0)) jsDialogReply(it, false, null); return; }
-  const next = jsDialogQueue.shift();
-  if (next.tabId != null && !tabById(next.tabId)) { jsDialogReply(next, false, null); return pumpJsDialog(); }
+  for (let i = jsDialogQueue.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+    const q = jsDialogQueue[i];
+    if (q.tabId != null && !tabById(q.tabId)) jsDialogReply(jsDialogQueue.splice(i, 1)[0], false, null);
+  }
+  // A dialog shows only over the tab that asked (or, for a panel's dialog,
+  // over whatever is current). A background tab's dialog waits — marked in
+  // the tab strip — until the user switches to it; it never pulls its tab to
+  // the front, which let any page in the background jump over what the user
+  // was doing with alert().
+  const i = jsDialogQueue.findIndex((q) => q.tabId == null || q.tabId === activeId);
+  emitTabs();
+  if (i < 0) return;
+  const next = jsDialogQueue.splice(i, 1)[0];
   jsDialogCurrent = next;
-  // The dialog belongs to the tab that asked: bring that tab forward so
-  // the sheet never appears over an unrelated page. (A panel's dialog has
-  // no tab and shows over whatever is current.)
-  if (next.tabId != null && next.tabId !== activeId) { try { setActive(next.tabId); } catch {} }
   overlayReady(jsDialogPop).then(() => {
     if (jsDialogCurrent !== next) return;
     try {
@@ -5102,11 +5174,22 @@ function pumpJsDialog() {
 // (and above any tab added since) when its tab returns. A panel's sheet has
 // no tab and stays.
 function syncJsDialogVisibility() {
-  if (!jsDialogPop || !jsDialogCurrent || !winAlive()) return;
+  if (!jsDialogPop || !winAlive()) return;
+  if (!jsDialogCurrent) { pumpJsDialog(); return; }
   const show = jsDialogCurrent.tabId == null || jsDialogCurrent.tabId === activeId;
+  if (!show) {
+    // Its tab went to the background: put it back in line (still answering
+    // nothing — the page stays blocked in its sendSync) so the tab now in
+    // front can show its own dialog, if any.
+    try { jsDialogPop.setVisible(false); } catch {}
+    jsDialogQueue.unshift(jsDialogCurrent);
+    jsDialogCurrent = null;
+    pumpJsDialog();
+    return;
+  }
   try {
-    jsDialogPop.setVisible(show);
-    if (show) { win.contentView.removeChildView(jsDialogPop); win.contentView.addChildView(jsDialogPop); jsDialogPop.webContents.focus(); }
+    jsDialogPop.setVisible(true);
+    win.contentView.removeChildView(jsDialogPop); win.contentView.addChildView(jsDialogPop); jsDialogPop.webContents.focus();
   } catch {}
 }
 function finishJsDialog(ok, value) {
@@ -5164,15 +5247,15 @@ ipcMain.on("js-dialog", (e, raw) => {
   if (!inMain || !jsDialogPop) {
     if (kind === "prompt") { e.returnValue = { handled: false }; return; }
     let parent; try { parent = BrowserWindow.fromWebContents(e.sender) || undefined; } catch {}
-    let r = 0;
-    try {
-      r = dialog.showMessageBoxSync(parent, {
-        type: kind === "confirm" ? "question" : "info", title: "Theseus Navigator",
-        message: `${who.label} says`, detail: message,
-        buttons: kind === "confirm" ? ["OK", "Cancel"] : ["OK"], defaultId: 0, cancelId: 1, noLink: true,
-      });
-    } catch { r = 1; }
-    e.returnValue = { handled: true, value: kind === "confirm" ? (r === 0 ? "1" : "0") : "" };
+    // Async box: the page stays blocked in its sendSync until returnValue is
+    // set, but the main process (every tab, bns://, downloads) keeps running —
+    // the sync variant froze the whole browser while the box was up.
+    const answer = (r) => { try { e.returnValue = { handled: true, value: kind === "confirm" ? (r === 0 ? "1" : "0") : "" }; } catch {} };
+    dialog.showMessageBox(parent, {
+      type: kind === "confirm" ? "question" : "info", title: "Theseus Navigator",
+      message: `${who.label} says`, detail: message,
+      buttons: kind === "confirm" ? ["OK", "Cancel"] : ["OK"], defaultId: 0, cancelId: 1, noLink: true,
+    }).then(({ response }) => answer(response), () => answer(1));
     return;
   }
   jsDialogQueue.push({ e, tabId: tab ? tab.id : null, req: { reqId: ++jsDialogSeq, kind, message, def, who } });
@@ -5675,8 +5758,11 @@ const ARIADNE_TASKS = ["BNS Resolver Daemon", "BNS Sia Bridge"];
 // closing brace), so the literal key path Theseus used to look for never
 // matched — the panel showed no version, no Update, no Uninstall. Matching
 // on the name also survives a future AppId fix.
+// HKLM only: the installer is PrivilegesRequired=admin, and HKCU is writable
+// by any process the user runs — a planted "Ariadne Resolver" entry there
+// would have its uninstall string run elevated by ariadneUninstall.
 const ARIADNE_REG_LOOKUP =
-  "$r=$null;foreach($root in 'HKLM:\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall','HKLM:\\SOFTWARE\\WOW6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall','HKCU:\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall'){" +
+  "$r=$null;foreach($root in 'HKLM:\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall','HKLM:\\SOFTWARE\\WOW6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall'){" +
   "if($r){break};foreach($k in (Get-ChildItem $root -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)){$p=Get-ItemProperty $k.PSPath -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue;" +
   "if($p.DisplayName -like 'Ariadne Resolver*' -and $p.QuietUninstallString){$r=$p;break}}};";
 // Same manifest the Theseus updater reads (UPDATE_MANIFEST_URL). The copy on
@@ -5884,9 +5970,17 @@ function ariadneUninstall() {
     ps.on("close", () => {
       const uninstallCmd = out.trim();
       if (!uninstallCmd) return reject(new Error("Ariadne uninstaller not registered"));
-      // uninstallCmd typically: "C:\Program Files (x86)\...\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT
-      // Spawn it elevated. Inno's silent uninstall respects /VERYSILENT so no UI.
-      const runCmd = `$p = Start-Process -FilePath 'cmd.exe' -ArgumentList '/c ${uninstallCmd.replace(/'/g, "''")} /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART' -Verb RunAs -Wait -PassThru; exit $p.ExitCode`;
+      // uninstallCmd typically: "C:\Program Files\Ariadne Resolver\unins000.exe" /SILENT
+      // Only the Inno uninstaller itself is run elevated — never the registry
+      // string through cmd /c (the UAC prompt would only name cmd.exe).
+      const m = /^\s*"([^"]+)"|^\s*(\S+)/.exec(uninstallCmd);
+      const exe = path.resolve((m && (m[1] || m[2])) || "");
+      const roots = [process.env.ProgramFiles, process.env["ProgramFiles(x86)"]].filter(Boolean).map((r) => path.resolve(r).toLowerCase() + path.sep);
+      if (!/^unins\d{3}\.exe$/i.test(path.basename(exe)) || !roots.some((r) => exe.toLowerCase().startsWith(r))) {
+        return reject(new Error("unexpected Ariadne uninstaller path: " + exe));
+      }
+      // Inno's silent uninstall respects /VERYSILENT so no UI.
+      const runCmd = `$p = Start-Process -FilePath '${exe.replace(/'/g, "''")}' -ArgumentList '/VERYSILENT','/SUPPRESSMSGBOXES','/NORESTART' -Verb RunAs -Wait -PassThru; exit $p.ExitCode`;
       const ps2 = spawn("powershell.exe", ["-NoProfile", "-Command", runCmd], { windowsHide: true });
       ps2.on("close", (code) => code === 0 ? resolve(true) : reject(new Error("uninstaller exited " + code)));
       ps2.on("error", reject);
@@ -6587,28 +6681,28 @@ function hermesEmitStatus() {
 // Populates senderName in the inbox so incoming DMs render as
 // "alice.bch · 12ab…9f" instead of a naked hex string. Cache is per-hermesState
 // (dropped on hermes-close) so a re-init starts clean.
+// pubkey → name, from the browser's own warm index. Built once per index
+// generation: this used to run a full buildIndex() (an electrum walk) per
+// unknown sender, and anyone can send to a published np key — a stream of
+// wraps from fresh keys was a stream of full chain walks.
+let hermesNpMap = null, hermesNpGen = -1;
 async function hermesReverseResolve(pkHex) {
   if (!hermesState) return null;
-  if (!hermesState._pkToName) hermesState._pkToName = new Map();
-  if (hermesState._pkToName.has(pkHex)) return hermesState._pkToName.get(pkHex);
   try {
-    const R = await getResolver();
-    const H = await loadHermesLib();
-    const idx = await R.buildIndex({ WebSocket });
-    for (const [name, entry] of idx) {
-      const raw = entry && entry.records && entry.records.np;
-      if (typeof raw !== "string" || !raw.trim()) continue;
-      try {
-        const hex = H.parseNpRecord(raw);
-        if (hex === pkHex) {
-          hermesState._pkToName.set(pkHex, name);
-          return name;
-        }
-      } catch { /* malformed np — skip */ }
+    if (!sharedIndex) await ensureIndex();
+    if (!sharedIndex) return null;
+    if (hermesNpGen !== indexBuiltAt || !hermesNpMap) {
+      const H = await loadHermesLib();
+      const m = new Map();
+      for (const [name, entry] of sharedIndex) {
+        const raw = entry && entry.records && entry.records.np;
+        if (typeof raw !== "string" || !raw.trim()) continue;
+        try { const hex = H.parseNpRecord(raw); if (hex && !m.has(hex)) m.set(hex, name); } catch { /* malformed np — skip */ }
+      }
+      hermesNpMap = m; hermesNpGen = indexBuiltAt;
     }
-  } catch { /* chain unreachable — leave unresolved this round */ }
-  hermesState._pkToName.set(pkHex, null); // negative-cache so we don't re-scan every message
-  return null;
+    return hermesNpMap.get(pkHex) ?? null;
+  } catch { return null; } // chain unreachable — leave unresolved this round
 }
 
 // One receive subscription per relay. If the socket dies we resurrect it on a
@@ -6636,7 +6730,12 @@ async function hermesConnectRelay(url) {
         // on (senderPkHex, text, createdAt) which is sufficient for MVP.
         const key = opened.senderPkHex + "\0" + opened.createdAt + "\0" + opened.text;
         if (hermesState._seen && hermesState._seen.has(key)) return;
-        hermesState._seen && hermesState._seen.add(key);
+        if (hermesState._seen) {
+          hermesState._seen.add(key);
+          // Bounded: drop the oldest half once it grows past the cap (a Set
+          // iterates in insertion order).
+          if (hermesState._seen.size > 4000) { let n = 2000; for (const k of hermesState._seen) { if (n-- <= 0) break; hermesState._seen.delete(k); } }
+        }
         // Reverse-resolve pk → name off the wrap decrypt path (fire-and-forget
         // wouldn't work — we need the name in the record we push). Await here;
         // the cache short-circuits after the first miss per pk.
@@ -7036,6 +7135,15 @@ ipcMain.handle("bcnr:getRecordVersion", async (_e, name) => {
 // Reload/hard-reload always target the active tab, regardless of which
 // view received the key (URL bar focused, overlay focused, etc.), so the
 // user's mental model matches every browser they've ever used.
+// Is this webContents part of the browser window (toolbar, a tab, a panel or
+// overlay)? Views may report no owner; another window reports itself.
+function inMainWindow(wc) {
+  if (!win || win.isDestroyed()) return false;
+  if (chrome && wc === chrome.webContents) return true;
+  if (tabs.some((t) => t.view?.webContents === wc)) return true;
+  let owner = null; try { owner = BrowserWindow.fromWebContents(wc); } catch {}
+  return !owner || owner === win;
+}
 app.on("web-contents-created", (_event, wc) => {
   wc.on("before-input-event", (e, input) => {
     if (input.type !== "keyDown") return;
@@ -7044,9 +7152,33 @@ app.on("web-contents-created", (_event, wc) => {
       openHermesWindow();
       return e.preventDefault();
     }
+    // App windows, link windows, Messages: the keys act on the page that got
+    // them. The browser-window shortcuts below used to reach the main
+    // window's active tab from here (F5 reloaded a tab the user wasn't
+    // looking at, F12 inspected it, Ctrl+F opened a hidden find bar).
+    if (!inMainWindow(wc)) {
+      const k = input.key, code = input.code;
+      const isR = k === "R" || k === "r", isI = k === "I" || k === "i";
+      try {
+        if (k === "F5" || (input.control && isR)) {
+          if ((input.control && input.shift && isR) || (input.control && k === "F5")) wc.reloadIgnoringCache(); else wc.reload();
+          return e.preventDefault();
+        }
+        if (k === "F12" || (input.control && input.shift && isI)) { wc.toggleDevTools(); return e.preventDefault(); }
+        if (input.control && !input.alt) {
+          if (k === "+" || k === "=" || code === "NumpadAdd")      { wc.setZoomLevel(Math.min(wc.getZoomLevel() + 0.5, 9)); return e.preventDefault(); }
+          if (k === "-" || k === "_" || code === "NumpadSubtract") { wc.setZoomLevel(Math.max(wc.getZoomLevel() - 0.5, -8)); return e.preventDefault(); }
+          if ((k === "0" || code === "Numpad0") && !input.shift)   { wc.setZoomLevel(0); return e.preventDefault(); }
+        }
+      } catch {}
+      return;
+    }
     // Ctrl+B -> toggle add-on sidebar (matches the VS Code convention).
-    // Silently no-ops if no add-on has registered a sidebar panel yet.
-    if (input.control && !input.shift && !input.alt && (input.key === "B" || input.key === "b")) {
+    // Silently no-ops if no add-on has registered a sidebar panel yet. Not
+    // taken from a web page in a tab: there it is "bold" in every editor
+    // (Docs, Notion, webmail), and the toolbar button still toggles the panel.
+    const inWebTab = tabs.some((t) => t.view?.webContents === wc && !t.settings && !t.addonId);
+    if (input.control && !input.shift && !input.alt && (input.key === "B" || input.key === "b") && !inWebTab) {
       toggleSidebar();
       return e.preventDefault();
     }