diff --git a/src/app/components/WorkspacePanel.tsx b/src/app/components/WorkspacePanel.tsx
index afc782e..464a6d5 100644
--- a/src/app/components/WorkspacePanel.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/WorkspacePanel.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,15 @@ import {
   WORKSPACE_CHANGED_EVENT,
   type WorkspaceChangedDetail,
 } from "@/lib/workspaceEvents";
+import {
+  check as checkSelection,
+  emptySelection,
+  isChecked as isSelectionChecked,
+  isIndeterminate as isSelectionIndeterminate,
+  uncheck as uncheckSelection,
+  toParams as selectionToParams,
+  type WorkspaceSelection,
+} from "@/lib/workspaceSelection";
 
 async function listDir(
   threadId: string,
@@ -188,6 +197,17 @@ export function WorkspacePanel() {
     []
   );
 
+  const [selection, setSelection] = useState<WorkspaceSelection>(
+    emptySelection()
+  );
+  const toggleSelection = useCallback((path: string) => {
+    setSelection((prev) =>
+      isSelectionChecked(prev, path)
+        ? uncheckSelection(prev, path)
+        : checkSelection(prev, path)
+    );
+  }, []);
+
   const loadDir = useCallback(
     async (path: string) => {
       if (!threadId) {
@@ -243,6 +263,7 @@ export function WorkspacePanel() {
     setAllFiles(null);
     setExpanded(new Set());
     setSelected(null);
+    setSelection(emptySelection());
     setRootLoading(true);
     void loadDir("")
       .catch(() => {})
@@ -331,6 +352,26 @@ export function WorkspacePanel() {
     return map;
   }, [allFiles]);
 
+  const selectionCount = selection.checked.size;
+  // Native <a href> download so large archives stream straight to disk. The
+  // URL-length guard keeps a huge selection from hitting server/header limits
+  // — the fix is to select fewer, higher-level folders instead.
+  const selectionDownload = useMemo<{
+    href: string | null;
+    tooLarge: boolean;
+  }>(() => {
+    if (!threadId || selectionCount === 0)
+      return { href: null, tooLarge: false };
+    const { include, exclude } = selectionToParams(selection);
+    const params = new URLSearchParams({ threadId });
+    for (const p of include) params.append("include", p);
+    for (const p of exclude) params.append("exclude", p);
+    const href = `/api/workspace/download?${params}`;
+    return href.length <= 7000
+      ? { href, tooLarge: false }
+      : { href: null, tooLarge: true };
+  }, [threadId, selection, selectionCount]);
+
   const refreshing = view === "type" ? typeLoading : rootLoading;
 
   const renderEntries = (path: string, depth: number): React.ReactNode => {
@@ -346,40 +387,57 @@ export function WorkspacePanel() {
     return entries.map((entry) => {
       const isOpen = expanded.has(entry.path);
       const isLoadingDir = loading.has(entry.path);
+      const entryChecked = isSelectionChecked(selection, entry.path);
+      const entryIndeterminate =
+        entry.type === "dir" && isSelectionIndeterminate(selection, entry.path);
       return (
         <div key={entry.path}>
-          <button
-            type="button"
-            onClick={() =>
-              entry.type === "dir"
-                ? toggleDir(entry.path)
-                : setSelected({ path: entry.path, size: entry.size })
-            }
-            className="flex w-full items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md py-1 pr-2 text-left text-sm text-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-muted"
+          <div
+            className="flex w-full items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md py-1 pr-2 text-sm text-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-muted"
             style={{ paddingLeft: `${depth * 14 + 4}px` }}
-            title={entry.name}
           >
-            {entry.type === "dir" ? (
-              <>
-                <span className="flex size-4 shrink-0 items-center justify-center text-muted-foreground">
-                  {isLoadingDir ? (
-                    <Loader2 className="size-3 animate-spin" />
-                  ) : isOpen ? (
-                    <ChevronDown className="size-3.5" />
-                  ) : (
-                    <ChevronRight className="size-3.5" />
-                  )}
-                </span>
-                <Folder className="size-4 shrink-0 text-[var(--brand)]" />
-              </>
-            ) : (
-              <>
-                <span className="size-4 shrink-0" />
-                <FileText className="size-4 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground" />
-              </>
-            )}
-            <span className="truncate">{entry.name}</span>
-          </button>
+            <input
+              type="checkbox"
+              className="size-3.5 shrink-0 accent-[var(--brand)]"
+              checked={entryChecked}
+              ref={(el) => {
+                if (el) el.indeterminate = entryIndeterminate;
+              }}
+              onChange={() => toggleSelection(entry.path)}
+              aria-label={`Select ${entry.name}`}
+            />
+            <button
+              type="button"
+              onClick={() =>
+                entry.type === "dir"
+                  ? toggleDir(entry.path)
+                  : setSelected({ path: entry.path, size: entry.size })
+              }
+              className="flex min-w-0 flex-1 items-center gap-1.5 text-left"
+              title={entry.name}
+            >
+              {entry.type === "dir" ? (
+                <>
+                  <span className="flex size-4 shrink-0 items-center justify-center text-muted-foreground">
+                    {isLoadingDir ? (
+                      <Loader2 className="size-3 animate-spin" />
+                    ) : isOpen ? (
+                      <ChevronDown className="size-3.5" />
+                    ) : (
+                      <ChevronRight className="size-3.5" />
+                    )}
+                  </span>
+                  <Folder className="size-4 shrink-0 text-[var(--brand)]" />
+                </>
+              ) : (
+                <>
+                  <span className="size-4 shrink-0" />
+                  <FileText className="size-4 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground" />
+                </>
+              )}
+              <span className="truncate">{entry.name}</span>
+            </button>
+          </div>
           {entry.type === "dir" &&
             isOpen &&
             renderEntries(entry.path, depth + 1)}
@@ -469,6 +527,30 @@ export function WorkspacePanel() {
           ))}
         </div>
         <div className="flex items-center gap-0.5">
+          <a
+            href={selectionDownload.href ?? "#"}
+            download
+            aria-disabled={!selectionDownload.href}
+            onClick={
+              selectionDownload.href ? undefined : (e) => e.preventDefault()
+            }
+            className={cn(
+              "inline-flex items-center gap-1 rounded-md px-1.5 py-1 text-xs transition-colors",
+              selectionDownload.href
+                ? "text-muted-foreground hover:bg-muted hover:text-foreground"
+                : "cursor-not-allowed text-muted-foreground/50"
+            )}
+            title={
+              selectionDownload.tooLarge
+                ? "Selection is too large to download — select fewer, higher-level folders"
+                : selectionCount === 0
+                  ? "Select files or folders to download"
+                  : "Download the selected items as a zip"
+            }
+          >
+            <Download className="size-3.5" />
+            Selected{selectionCount > 0 ? ` (${selectionCount})` : ""}
+          </a>
           <a
             href={
               threadId