diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.js b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.js
index 5aa7ca5a21..c4601b5fd7 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.js
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/plugin.js
@@ -4659,13 +4659,16 @@ function activeBots(roster, activeProfile, gatewayState, now = Date.now()) {
 function BotRow({ bot, onDelete, onEdit, onGroup }) {
   const activeProfile = useValue(host.state.profile)
   const focusedProfile = useValue($focusedBotProfile)
+  const activeGroup = useValue($groupChatWorkspace)
   const meta = botRosterMeta(bot, useValue($botMeta))
   const groups = botGroups(meta)
   const last = bot.last_session
   // Highlight follows the chat on screen (focused session's owner), not the
   // gateway socket's home — a focused tab doesn't swap the socket, and on the
   // old keying the wrong bot stayed highlighted while you read another's chat.
-  const isActive = !bot.remoteSource && bot.name === focusedProfile
+  // A selected group chat suppresses every bot-row highlight: the group row
+  // owns the selection then (#88979).
+  const isActive = !activeGroup && !bot.remoteSource && bot.name === focusedProfile
   // Turn-busy is a SOCKET fact: only the gateway-home profile can be mid-turn.
   const isGatewayHome = !bot.remoteSource && bot.name === activeProfile
   const { shape, color, image } = botAppearance(bot.name, meta)
@@ -4722,6 +4725,7 @@ function BotRow({ bot, onDelete, onEdit, onGroup }) {
   const open = async () => {
     const generation = ++botOpenGeneration
     haptic('tap')
+    $groupChatWorkspace.set(null)
     $selectedBot.set(bot.name)
 
     if (bot.remoteSource) {
@@ -9137,6 +9141,10 @@ function closeGroupChatMainTab(group) {
 
   groupChatMainTabs.delete(group)
 
+  if ($groupChatWorkspace.get() === group) {
+    $groupChatWorkspace.set(null)
+  }
+
   if (typeof close === 'function') {
     try {
       close()
@@ -9164,6 +9172,7 @@ function GroupChatMainView({ group }) {
  *  view on desktops whose SDK predates the main-area door. */
 function openGroupChat(group) {
   $groupNeedsYou.set({ ...$groupNeedsYou.get(), [group]: false })
+  $groupChatWorkspace.set(group)
 
   if (typeof host.openWorkspace === 'function') {
     try {
@@ -9171,7 +9180,13 @@ function openGroupChat(group) {
         title: group,
         minWidth: '24rem',
         render: () => jsx(GroupChatMainView, { group }),
-        onClose: () => groupChatMainTabs.delete(group)
+        onClose: () => {
+          groupChatMainTabs.delete(group)
+
+          if ($groupChatWorkspace.get() === group) {
+            $groupChatWorkspace.set(null)
+          }
+        }
       })
 
       groupChatMainTabs.set(group, close)
@@ -9182,7 +9197,8 @@ function openGroupChat(group) {
     }
   }
 
-  $groupChatWorkspace.set(group)
+  // The selected-group atom was set before trying the main-window door, so
+  // older desktops naturally render the in-panel room as the fallback.
 }
 
 /** One group chat as ONE roster row — the Discord shape: stacked member
@@ -9190,7 +9206,7 @@ function openGroupChat(group) {
  *  (markdown flattened), relative time of the last activity, and the
  *  needs-you badge on the row itself. Sorts into the same recency ordering
  *  as bot rows; clicking opens the room in the main chat window. */
-function GroupRow({ group, members, needsYou, onOpen }) {
+function GroupRow({ active, group, members, needsYou, onOpen }) {
   const rooms = useValue($groupChats)
   const allMeta = useValue($botMeta)
   const room = rooms[group] || { log: [] }
@@ -9214,7 +9230,8 @@ function GroupRow({ group, members, needsYou, onOpen }) {
     },
     className: cn(
       'flex w-full min-w-0 max-w-full items-center gap-2.5 overflow-hidden rounded-md px-2 py-2 text-left transition-colors',
-      'hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover)'
+      'hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover)',
+      active && 'bg-(--ui-row-active-background)'
     ),
     children: [
       // Room picture when the user set one; else a composite avatar of up to
@@ -9639,6 +9656,7 @@ function BotsPane() {
                         ? jsx(
                             GroupRow,
                             {
+                              active: groupChatName === row.name,
                               group: row.name,
                               members: row.members,
                               needsYou: Boolean(groupNeedsYou[row.name]),
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/tests/group-chat.test.mjs b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/tests/group-chat.test.mjs
index 8f0e3f9741..f7e2411983 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/tests/group-chat.test.mjs
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/tests/group-chat.test.mjs
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ function load(turnScript) {
     .replace(/^import .* from 'react\/jsx-runtime'\r?\n/m, '')
     .replace('export default {', 'globalThis.plugin = {')
     .concat(
-      '\nglobalThis.__gc = { sendToGroupChat, runGroupChatRounds, harvestStrandedGroupReply, resolveGroupResponders, parseGroupChatMentions, rotateGroupSpeakers, isGroupPassText, formatGroupChatLine, buildGroupChatTurnPrompt, trimGroupChatLog, disbandGroupChat, updateGroupChat, $groupChats, $groupNeedsYou, $groupChatWorkspace, $botMeta, GROUP_CHAT_MAX_ROUNDS, GROUP_CHAT_MAX_MESSAGES };\n'
+      '\nglobalThis.__gc = { sendToGroupChat, runGroupChatRounds, harvestStrandedGroupReply, resolveGroupResponders, parseGroupChatMentions, rotateGroupSpeakers, isGroupPassText, formatGroupChatLine, buildGroupChatTurnPrompt, trimGroupChatLog, disbandGroupChat, updateGroupChat, openGroupChat, closeGroupChatMainTab, $groupChats, $groupNeedsYou, $groupChatWorkspace, $botMeta, GROUP_CHAT_MAX_ROUNDS, GROUP_CHAT_MAX_MESSAGES };\n'
     )
   vm.runInNewContext(source, context, { filename: 'plugin.js' })
   const storageWrites = new Map()
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ function load(turnScript) {
     storage: { get: () => null, set: (key, value) => storageWrites.set(key, value) },
     register: () => undefined
   })
-  return { ...context.__gc, calls, sessions, storageWrites }
+  return { ...context.__gc, calls, host: context.host, sessions, storageWrites }
 }
 
 const MEMBERS = [{ name: 'research', title: '' }, { name: 'builder', title: '' }, { name: 'ops', title: 'The Ops' }]
@@ -344,6 +344,39 @@ test('source contract: workspace + main-window door + prompt rules are wired', (
   assert.match(pluginSource, /\[Group chat: "\$\{groupName\}"\]/)
 })
 
+test('group selection follows main-window open and close', () => {
+  const gc = load(() => '(pass)')
+  let onClose
+
+  gc.host.openWorkspace = (_id, options) => {
+    onClose = options.onClose
+    return () => onClose()
+  }
+
+  gc.openGroupChat('Core')
+  assert.equal(gc.$groupChatWorkspace.get(), 'Core')
+
+  onClose()
+  assert.equal(gc.$groupChatWorkspace.get(), null)
+})
+
+test('closing an older selected group does not clear the newer selection', () => {
+  const gc = load(() => '(pass)')
+
+  gc.host.openWorkspace = () => () => undefined
+  gc.openGroupChat('Core')
+  gc.openGroupChat('Ops')
+  gc.closeGroupChatMainTab('Core')
+
+  assert.equal(gc.$groupChatWorkspace.get(), 'Ops')
+})
+
+test('source contract: active group styling suppresses bot styling', () => {
+  assert.match(pluginSource, /const isActive = !activeGroup && !bot\.remoteSource && bot\.name === focusedProfile/)
+  assert.match(pluginSource, /active && 'bg-\(--ui-row-active-background\)'/)
+  assert.match(pluginSource, /active: groupChatName === row\.name/)
+})
+
 test('disband: removes only this membership, room log, workspace, and needs-you state', async () => {
   const gc = load(() => '(pass)')
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/tests/profile-prewarm.test.mjs b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/tests/profile-prewarm.test.mjs
index 9cff637fb5..57ade31cd8 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/tests/profile-prewarm.test.mjs
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/tests/profile-prewarm.test.mjs
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ function renderBotRow(input = 'alpha') {
     $botMeta: atom({}),
     $botUnread: atom({}),
     $focusedBotProfile: atom('default'),
+    $groupChatWorkspace: atom(null),
     $lastRoster: atom([]),
     $selectedBot: atom('default'),
     botAppearance: () => ({ shape: 'round', color: '#000', image: null }),
@@ -170,6 +171,7 @@ test('behavior: remote default does not open this-device chat when the source di
     $botMeta: atom({ default: { chat: 'this-device-chat' } }),
     $botUnread: atom({}),
     $focusedBotProfile: atom('default'),
+    $groupChatWorkspace: atom(null),
     $lastRoster: atom([]),
     $selectedBot: atom('default'),
     botAppearance: () => ({ shape: 'round', color: '#000', image: null }),