diff --git a/packages/app/src/panels/agent-tracks.tsx b/packages/app/src/panels/agent-tracks.tsx
index b675aeb3c..ddc0be9b5 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/panels/agent-tracks.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/panels/agent-tracks.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import { memo, useCallback, type ReactElement } from "react";
 import { AgentTaskList } from "@/composer/task-list";
 import { ComposerTrackBar } from "@/composer/tracks";
+import { supportsDesktopPaneSplits, useIsCompactFormFactor } from "@/constants/layout";
 import { usePaneContext } from "@/panels/pane-context";
 import { useSessionStore } from "@/stores/session-store";
+import { useWorkspaceLayoutStore } from "@/stores/workspace-layout-store";
 import {
   type ArchiveFinishedStatus,
   useArchiveSubagent,
@@ -12,6 +14,7 @@ import {
 import { SubagentsTrack } from "@/subagents/track";
 import type { TodoEntry } from "@/types/stream";
 import { navigateToAgent } from "@/utils/navigate-to-agent";
+import { buildWorkspaceTabPersistenceKey } from "@/workspace-tabs/model";
 
 /**
  * The pane's trackers — its subagents and its task list — as a row of pills above the composer.
@@ -33,7 +36,10 @@ export const AgentTracks = memo(function AgentTracks({
   archiveFinishedStatus: ArchiveFinishedStatus;
   onArchiveFinished: () => void;
 }): ReactElement | null {
-  const { openTab } = usePaneContext();
+  const { workspaceId, tabId, openTab } = usePaneContext();
+  const isCompact = useIsCompactFormFactor();
+  const canSplit = supportsDesktopPaneSplits() && !isCompact;
+  const workspaceKey = buildWorkspaceTabPersistenceKey({ serverId, workspaceId });
   const canDetachSubagents = useSessionStore(
     (state) => state.sessions[serverId]?.serverInfo?.features?.agentDetach === true,
   );
@@ -41,15 +47,35 @@ export const AgentTracks = memo(function AgentTracks({
   const detachSubagent = useDetachSubagent({ serverId });
   const handleOpenSubagent = useCallback(
     (subagentId: string) => {
+      const session = useSessionStore.getState().sessions[serverId];
+      const agent = session?.agents.get(subagentId) ?? session?.agentDetails.get(subagentId);
+      if (agent?.workspaceId && agent.workspaceId !== workspaceId) {
+        navigateToAgent({ serverId, agentId: subagentId });
+        return;
+      }
+      if (canSplit && workspaceKey) {
+        useWorkspaceLayoutStore.getState().openTabInExplorerPaneFocused(workspaceKey, {
+          target: { kind: "agent", agentId: subagentId },
+          parentTabId: tabId,
+        });
+        return;
+      }
       navigateToAgent({ serverId, agentId: subagentId });
     },
-    [serverId],
+    [canSplit, serverId, tabId, workspaceId, workspaceKey],
   );
   const handleOpenProviderSubagent = useCallback(
     (parentAgentId: string, subagentId: string) => {
+      if (canSplit && workspaceKey) {
+        useWorkspaceLayoutStore.getState().openTabInExplorerPaneFocused(workspaceKey, {
+          target: { kind: "provider_subagent", parentAgentId, subagentId },
+          parentTabId: tabId,
+        });
+        return;
+      }
       openTab({ kind: "provider_subagent", parentAgentId, subagentId });
     },
-    [openTab],
+    [canSplit, openTab, tabId, workspaceKey],
   );
 
   if (!hasAgentTracks({ subagentRows, tasks, archiveFinishedStatus })) {
diff --git a/packages/app/src/stores/workspace-subagents-integration.test.ts b/packages/app/src/stores/workspace-subagents-integration.test.ts
index 4dbaac712..580a8c6be 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/stores/workspace-subagents-integration.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/stores/workspace-subagents-integration.test.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
 } from "@/workspace-tabs/agent-visibility";
 import { buildWorkspaceTabPersistenceKey } from "@/workspace-tabs/model";
 import { selectSubagentsForParent } from "@/subagents/select";
+import { findPaneById, findPaneContainingTab } from "./workspace-layout-actions";
 import { useWorkspaceLayoutStore } from "./workspace-layout-store";
 import { useSessionStore, type Agent } from "./session-store";
 
@@ -251,4 +252,63 @@ describe("workspace subagents integration", () => {
       ).map((row) => row.id),
     ).toEqual([child.id]);
   });
+
+  it("opens a subagent in the explorer pane when focused", () => {
+    const workspaceKey = buildWorkspaceTabPersistenceKey({
+      serverId: SERVER_ID,
+      workspaceId: WORKSPACE_ID,
+    });
+    expect(workspaceKey).toBeTruthy();
+
+    const parent = makeAgent({
+      id: "parent-agent",
+      title: "Parent agent",
+    });
+    const child = makeAgent({
+      id: "child-agent",
+      parentAgentId: parent.id,
+      title: "Child agent",
+    });
+
+    initializeAgents([parent, child]);
+    reconcileWorkspaceTabs(workspaceKey!, deriveVisibilityFromSession());
+
+    const store = useWorkspaceLayoutStore.getState();
+    const tabId = store.openTabInExplorerPaneFocused(workspaceKey!, {
+      target: { kind: "agent", agentId: child.id },
+      parentTabId: `agent_${parent.id}`,
+    });
+
+    const state = useWorkspaceLayoutStore.getState();
+    const layout = state.layoutByWorkspace[workspaceKey!];
+    const explorerPaneId = state.explorerPaneIdByWorkspace[workspaceKey!];
+
+    expect(explorerPaneId).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(findPaneContainingTab(layout.root, tabId!)?.id).toBe(explorerPaneId);
+    expect(findPaneById(layout.root, explorerPaneId!)?.hidden).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(layout.focusedPaneId).toBe(explorerPaneId);
+  });
+
+  it("opens a provider subagent in the explorer pane when focused", () => {
+    const workspaceKey = buildWorkspaceTabPersistenceKey({
+      serverId: SERVER_ID,
+      workspaceId: WORKSPACE_ID,
+    });
+    expect(workspaceKey).toBeTruthy();
+
+    const store = useWorkspaceLayoutStore.getState();
+    const tabId = store.openTabInExplorerPaneFocused(workspaceKey!, {
+      target: { kind: "provider_subagent", parentAgentId: "parent-agent", subagentId: "task-1" },
+      parentTabId: "agent_parent-agent",
+    });
+
+    const state = useWorkspaceLayoutStore.getState();
+    const layout = state.layoutByWorkspace[workspaceKey!];
+    const explorerPaneId = state.explorerPaneIdByWorkspace[workspaceKey!];
+
+    expect(explorerPaneId).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(findPaneContainingTab(layout.root, tabId!)?.id).toBe(explorerPaneId);
+    expect(findPaneById(layout.root, explorerPaneId!)?.hidden).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(layout.focusedPaneId).toBe(explorerPaneId);
+  });
 });