diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/browser-pane.electron.tsx b/packages/app/src/components/browser-pane.electron.tsx
index 90dc1db5d..a6cf4f3ee 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/browser-pane.electron.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/browser-pane.electron.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
   createElement,
 } from "react";
 import { Pressable, Text, TextInput, View } from "react-native";
-import { ArrowLeft, ArrowRight, MousePointer2, RefreshCw } from "lucide-react-native";
+import { ArrowLeft, ArrowRight, MousePointer2, RotateCw } from "lucide-react-native";
 import { StyleSheet, useUnistyles } from "react-native-unistyles";
 import {
   buildWorkspaceAttachmentScopeKey,
@@ -336,13 +336,27 @@ export function BrowserPane({
   const updateBrowserRef = useRef(updateBrowser);
   updateBrowserRef.current = updateBrowser;
 
-  const focusUrlBar = useCallback(() => {
-    urlInputRef.current?.focus();
+  const selectUrlBar = useCallback(() => {
     window.setTimeout(() => {
       getTextInputNativeElement(urlInputRef.current)?.select();
     }, 0);
   }, []);
 
+  const markActivePane = useCallback(() => {
+    if (!isElectronRuntime()) return;
+    void getDesktopHost()?.browser?.setActivePane?.(browserIdRef.current);
+  }, []);
+
+  const handleUrlBarFocus = useCallback(() => {
+    markActivePane();
+    selectUrlBar();
+  }, [markActivePane, selectUrlBar]);
+
+  const focusUrlBar = useCallback(() => {
+    urlInputRef.current?.focus();
+    selectUrlBar();
+  }, [selectUrlBar]);
+
   const syncNavigationState = useCallback((input?: { syncUrl?: boolean }) => {
     const webview = webviewRef.current;
     if (!webview || !domReadyRef.current) {
@@ -466,6 +480,7 @@ export function BrowserPane({
     };
     const handleWebviewFocus = () => {
       onFocusPane?.();
+      markActivePane();
     };
 
     webview.addEventListener("did-start-loading", handleStartLoading);
@@ -937,7 +952,7 @@ export function BrowserPane({
             onPress={handleRefresh}
             style={baseIconButtonStyle}
           >
-            <RefreshCw size={16} color={theme.colors.foregroundMuted} />
+            <RotateCw size={16} color={theme.colors.foregroundMuted} />
           </Pressable>
         </View>
         <View style={styles.urlBarWrap}>
@@ -946,6 +961,7 @@ export function BrowserPane({
             autoCapitalize="none"
             autoCorrect={false}
             onChangeText={setDraftUrl}
+            onFocus={handleUrlBarFocus}
             onSubmitEditing={handleNavigateDraftUrl}
             placeholder="Enter URL"
             placeholderTextColor={theme.colors.foregroundMuted}
diff --git a/packages/app/src/desktop/host.ts b/packages/app/src/desktop/host.ts
index c3b9fceaa..4ec360a23 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/desktop/host.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/desktop/host.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ export interface DesktopBrowserShortcutEvent {
   action: "focus-url";
 }
 
+export interface DesktopBrowserBridge {
+  setActivePane?: (browserId: string | null) => Promise<void>;
+}
+
 export interface DesktopInvokeBridge {
   invoke?: (command: string, args?: Record<string, unknown>) => Promise<unknown>;
 }
@@ -88,6 +92,7 @@ export interface DesktopHostBridge {
   notification?: DesktopNotificationBridge;
   opener?: DesktopOpenerBridge;
   menu?: DesktopMenuBridge;
+  browser?: DesktopBrowserBridge;
 }
 
 declare global {
diff --git a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-keyboard-shortcuts.ts b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-keyboard-shortcuts.ts
index 857006152..7518050b9 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-keyboard-shortcuts.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-keyboard-shortcuts.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import { getShortcutOs } from "@/utils/shortcut-platform";
 import { useOpenProjectPicker } from "@/hooks/use-open-project-picker";
 import { useKeyboardShortcutOverrides } from "@/hooks/use-keyboard-shortcut-overrides";
 import { isNative } from "@/constants/platform";
+import { getDesktopHost, isElectronRuntime } from "@/desktop/host";
 import { isImeComposingKeyboardEvent } from "@/utils/keyboard-ime";
 import { getRelativeSidebarShortcutTarget } from "@/utils/sidebar-shortcuts";
 import { useActiveServerId } from "@/hooks/use-active-server-id";
@@ -418,6 +419,26 @@ export function useKeyboardShortcuts({
     window.addEventListener("keyup", handleKeyUp, true);
     window.addEventListener("blur", handleBlurOrHide);
     document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", handleBlurOrHide);
+
+    const forwardedKeySubscription = isElectronRuntime()
+      ? getDesktopHost()?.events?.on?.("browser-forwarded-key", (payload) => {
+          if (!payload || typeof payload !== "object") return;
+          const p = payload as Record<string, unknown>;
+          if (typeof p.key !== "string") return;
+          window.dispatchEvent(
+            new KeyboardEvent("keydown", {
+              key: p.key,
+              code: typeof p.code === "string" ? p.code : "",
+              metaKey: p.meta === true,
+              ctrlKey: p.control === true,
+              shiftKey: p.shift === true,
+              altKey: p.alt === true,
+              bubbles: true,
+            }),
+          );
+        })
+      : null;
+
     return () => {
       if (chordStateRef.current.timeoutId !== null) {
         clearTimeout(chordStateRef.current.timeoutId);
@@ -431,6 +452,11 @@ export function useKeyboardShortcuts({
       window.removeEventListener("keyup", handleKeyUp, true);
       window.removeEventListener("blur", handleBlurOrHide);
       document.removeEventListener("visibilitychange", handleBlurOrHide);
+      if (typeof forwardedKeySubscription === "function") {
+        forwardedKeySubscription();
+      } else {
+        void forwardedKeySubscription?.then((dispose) => dispose());
+      }
     };
   }, [
     bindings,
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/features/browser-webviews.ts b/packages/desktop/src/features/browser-webviews.ts
index 3cce3480b..9e1d5bff5 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/features/browser-webviews.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/features/browser-webviews.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
-import type { WebContents } from "electron";
+import { webContents as allWebContents, type WebContents } from "electron";
 
 const browserIdsByWebContentsId = new Map<number, string>();
+let activeBrowserPaneId: string | null = null;
 
 export function registerPaseoBrowserWebContents(contents: WebContents, browserId: string): void {
   browserIdsByWebContentsId.set(contents.id, browserId);
   contents.once("destroyed", () => {
     browserIdsByWebContentsId.delete(contents.id);
+    if (activeBrowserPaneId === browserId) {
+      activeBrowserPaneId = null;
+    }
   });
 }
 
@@ -15,3 +19,21 @@ export function getPaseoBrowserIdForWebContents(contents: WebContents | null): s
   }
   return browserIdsByWebContentsId.get(contents.id) ?? null;
 }
+
+export function setActivePaseoBrowserPaneId(browserId: string | null): void {
+  activeBrowserPaneId = browserId;
+}
+
+export function getActivePaseoBrowserWebContents(): WebContents | null {
+  if (!activeBrowserPaneId) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  for (const [contentsId, browserId] of browserIdsByWebContentsId) {
+    if (browserId !== activeBrowserPaneId) continue;
+    const contents = allWebContents.fromId(contentsId);
+    if (contents && !contents.isDestroyed()) {
+      return contents;
+    }
+  }
+  return null;
+}
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/features/menu.ts b/packages/desktop/src/features/menu.ts
index e036c3d71..cd66fe722 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/features/menu.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/features/menu.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import { app, Menu, BrowserWindow, ipcMain, webContents } from "electron";
-import { getPaseoBrowserIdForWebContents } from "./browser-webviews.js";
+import {
+  getActivePaseoBrowserWebContents,
+  getPaseoBrowserIdForWebContents,
+} from "./browser-webviews.js";
 
 interface ShowContextMenuInput {
   kind?: "terminal";
@@ -20,8 +23,12 @@ function getFocusedPaseoBrowserWebContents(): Electron.WebContents | null {
   return getPaseoBrowserIdForWebContents(focusedContents) ? focusedContents : null;
 }
 
+function getReloadTargetBrowserWebContents(): Electron.WebContents | null {
+  return getFocusedPaseoBrowserWebContents() ?? getActivePaseoBrowserWebContents();
+}
+
 function reloadFocusedContentsOrWindow(win: BrowserWindow, options?: { ignoreCache?: boolean }) {
-  const browserContents = getFocusedPaseoBrowserWebContents();
+  const browserContents = getReloadTargetBrowserWebContents();
   if (browserContents) {
     if (options?.ignoreCache) {
       browserContents.reloadIgnoringCache();
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/main.ts b/packages/desktop/src/main.ts
index 731e73408..5ddef207a 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/main.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/main.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import { setupApplicationMenu } from "./features/menu.js";
 import {
   getPaseoBrowserIdForWebContents,
   registerPaseoBrowserWebContents,
+  setActivePaseoBrowserPaneId,
 } from "./features/browser-webviews.js";
 import { parseOpenProjectPathFromArgv } from "./open-project-routing.js";
 import { getDesktopSettingsStore } from "./settings/desktop-settings-electron.js";
@@ -76,6 +77,33 @@ function preventUnsafeBrowserWebviewNavigation(
 }
 const OPEN_PROJECT_EVENT = "paseo:event:open-project";
 const BROWSER_SHORTCUT_EVENT = "paseo:event:browser-shortcut";
+const BROWSER_FORWARDED_KEY_EVENT = "paseo:event:browser-forwarded-key";
+
+const FORWARDED_PASEO_SHORTCUT_KEYS = new Set([
+  "b",
+  "e",
+  "w",
+  "t",
+  "k",
+  "/",
+  "\\",
+  ",",
+  ".",
+  "1",
+  "2",
+  "3",
+  "4",
+  "5",
+  "6",
+  "7",
+  "8",
+  "9",
+  "enter",
+  "arrowleft",
+  "arrowright",
+  "arrowup",
+  "arrowdown",
+]);
 const DESKTOP_SMOKE_ENV = "PASEO_DESKTOP_SMOKE";
 const DESKTOP_SMOKE_STOP_REQUEST = "paseo-smoke-stop";
 app.setName("Paseo");
@@ -105,6 +133,16 @@ function isBrowserLocationInput(input: Electron.Input): boolean {
   return (input.meta || input.control) && input.key.toLowerCase() === "l";
 }
 
+function isForwardablePaseoShortcutInput(input: Electron.Input): boolean {
+  if (input.type !== "keyDown") {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (!input.meta && !input.control) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return FORWARDED_PASEO_SHORTCUT_KEYS.has(input.key.toLowerCase());
+}
+
 // In dev mode, detect git worktrees and isolate each instance so multiple
 // Electron windows can run side-by-side (separate userData = separate lock).
 let devWorktreeName: string | null = null;
@@ -177,6 +215,10 @@ ipcMain.handle("paseo:get-pending-open-project", () => {
   return result;
 });
 
+ipcMain.handle("paseo:browser:set-active-pane", (_event, browserId: unknown) => {
+  setActivePaseoBrowserPaneId(typeof browserId === "string" ? browserId : null);
+});
+
 protocol.registerSchemesAsPrivileged([
   { scheme: APP_SCHEME, privileges: { standard: true, secure: true, supportFetchAPI: true } },
 ]);
@@ -317,6 +359,18 @@ async function createMainWindow(): Promise<void> {
           action: "focus-url",
           ...(focusedBrowserId ? { browserId: focusedBrowserId } : {}),
         });
+        return;
+      }
+      if (isForwardablePaseoShortcutInput(input)) {
+        event.preventDefault();
+        mainWindow.webContents.send(BROWSER_FORWARDED_KEY_EVENT, {
+          key: input.key,
+          code: input.code,
+          meta: input.meta,
+          control: input.control,
+          shift: input.shift,
+          alt: input.alt,
+        });
       }
     });
     contents.setWindowOpenHandler(({ url }) => {
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/preload.ts b/packages/desktop/src/preload.ts
index 8b7b02b5f..3159e7641 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/preload.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/preload.ts
@@ -57,4 +57,8 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("paseoDesktop", {
     showContextMenu: (input?: Record<string, unknown>) =>
       ipcRenderer.invoke("paseo:menu:showContextMenu", input),
   },
+  browser: {
+    setActivePane: (browserId: string | null) =>
+      ipcRenderer.invoke("paseo:browser:set-active-pane", browserId),
+  },
 });