diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/helpers/new-workspace.ts b/packages/app/e2e/helpers/new-workspace.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9d9a401a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/helpers/new-workspace.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,231 @@
+import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
+import { expect, type Page } from "@playwright/test";
+import type { DaemonClient as ServerDaemonClient } from "@server/client/daemon-client";
+import { decodeWorkspaceIdFromPathSegment } from "@/utils/host-routes";
+import { expectWorkspaceHeader, workspaceLabelFromPath } from "./workspace-ui";
+import { createNodeWebSocketFactory, type NodeWebSocketFactory } from "./node-ws-factory";
+
+type NewWorkspaceDaemonClient = Pick<
+  ServerDaemonClient,
+  | "archivePaseoWorktree"
+  | "archiveWorkspace"
+  | "close"
+  | "connect"
+  | "createPaseoWorktree"
+  | "openProject"
+>;
+
+type NewWorkspaceDaemonClientConfig = {
+  url: string;
+  clientId: string;
+  clientType: "cli";
+  webSocketFactory?: NodeWebSocketFactory;
+};
+
+type OpenProjectPayload = Awaited<ReturnType<NewWorkspaceDaemonClient["openProject"]>>;
+
+export type OpenedProject = {
+  workspaceId: string;
+  projectKey: string;
+  projectDisplayName: string;
+  workspaceName: string;
+};
+
+function getDaemonPort(): string {
+  const daemonPort = process.env.E2E_DAEMON_PORT;
+  if (!daemonPort) {
+    throw new Error("E2E_DAEMON_PORT is not set.");
+  }
+  if (daemonPort === "6767") {
+    throw new Error("E2E_DAEMON_PORT must not point at the developer daemon.");
+  }
+  return daemonPort;
+}
+
+function getDaemonWsUrl(): string {
+  return `ws://127.0.0.1:${getDaemonPort()}/ws`;
+}
+
+async function loadDaemonClientConstructor(): Promise<
+  new (
+    config: NewWorkspaceDaemonClientConfig,
+  ) => NewWorkspaceDaemonClient
+> {
+  const repoRoot = path.resolve(__dirname, "../../../../");
+  const moduleUrl = pathToFileURL(
+    path.join(repoRoot, "packages/server/dist/server/server/exports.js"),
+  ).href;
+  const mod = (await import(moduleUrl)) as {
+    DaemonClient: new (config: NewWorkspaceDaemonClientConfig) => NewWorkspaceDaemonClient;
+  };
+  return mod.DaemonClient;
+}
+
+function requireWorkspace(payload: OpenProjectPayload) {
+  if (payload.error) {
+    throw new Error(payload.error);
+  }
+  if (!payload.workspace) {
+    throw new Error("openProject returned no workspace.");
+  }
+  return payload.workspace;
+}
+
+function parseWorkspaceIdFromPageUrl(page: Page, serverId: string): string | null {
+  const pathname = new URL(page.url()).pathname;
+  const match = pathname.match(
+    new RegExp(`^/h/${serverId.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, "\\$&")}/workspace/([^/?#]+)`),
+  );
+  if (!match?.[1]) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return decodeWorkspaceIdFromPathSegment(match[1]);
+}
+
+function parseWorkspaceIdFromSidebarRowTestId(
+  testId: string,
+  input: { serverId: string; previousWorkspaceId: string },
+): string | null {
+  const prefix = `sidebar-workspace-row-${input.serverId}:`;
+  if (!testId.startsWith(prefix)) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const workspaceId = testId.slice(prefix.length).trim();
+  if (!workspaceId || workspaceId === input.previousWorkspaceId) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return workspaceId;
+}
+
+export async function connectNewWorkspaceDaemonClient(): Promise<NewWorkspaceDaemonClient> {
+  const DaemonClient = await loadDaemonClientConstructor();
+  const webSocketFactory = createNodeWebSocketFactory();
+  const client = new DaemonClient({
+    url: getDaemonWsUrl(),
+    clientId: `app-e2e-new-workspace-${randomUUID()}`,
+    clientType: "cli",
+    webSocketFactory,
+  });
+  await client.connect();
+  return client;
+}
+
+export async function openProjectViaDaemon(
+  client: NewWorkspaceDaemonClient,
+  repoPath: string,
+): Promise<OpenedProject> {
+  const workspace = requireWorkspace(await client.openProject(repoPath));
+  return {
+    workspaceId: workspace.id,
+    projectKey: workspace.projectId,
+    projectDisplayName: workspace.projectDisplayName,
+    workspaceName: workspace.name,
+  };
+}
+
+export async function archiveWorkspaceFromDaemon(
+  client: NewWorkspaceDaemonClient,
+  workspaceId: string,
+): Promise<void> {
+  const payload = await client.archivePaseoWorktree({ worktreePath: workspaceId });
+  if (payload.error) {
+    throw new Error(payload.error.message);
+  }
+  if (!payload.success) {
+    throw new Error(`Failed to archive workspace: ${workspaceId}`);
+  }
+}
+
+export async function archiveLocalWorkspaceFromDaemon(
+  client: NewWorkspaceDaemonClient,
+  workspaceId: string,
+): Promise<void> {
+  const payload = await client.archiveWorkspace(workspaceId);
+  if (payload.error) {
+    throw new Error(payload.error);
+  }
+  if (!payload.archivedAt) {
+    throw new Error(`Failed to archive workspace: ${workspaceId}`);
+  }
+}
+
+export async function createWorktreeViaDaemon(
+  client: NewWorkspaceDaemonClient,
+  input: { cwd: string; slug: string },
+): Promise<OpenedProject> {
+  const payload = await client.createPaseoWorktree({
+    cwd: input.cwd,
+    worktreeSlug: input.slug,
+  });
+  const workspace = requireWorkspace(payload);
+  return {
+    workspaceId: workspace.id,
+    projectKey: workspace.projectId,
+    projectDisplayName: workspace.projectDisplayName,
+    workspaceName: workspace.name,
+  };
+}
+
+export async function clickNewWorkspaceButton(
+  page: Page,
+  input: { projectKey: string; projectDisplayName: string },
+): Promise<void> {
+  const projectRow = page.getByTestId(`sidebar-project-row-${input.projectKey}`).first();
+  await expect(projectRow).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
+  await projectRow.hover();
+
+  const button = page.getByTestId(`sidebar-project-new-worktree-${input.projectKey}`).first();
+  await expect(button).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
+  await button.click();
+}
+
+export async function assertNewWorkspaceSidebarAndHeader(
+  page: Page,
+  input: { serverId: string; previousWorkspaceId: string; projectDisplayName: string },
+): Promise<{ workspaceId: string }> {
+  let workspaceId: string | null = null;
+  const sidebarWorkspaceRows = page.locator(
+    `[data-testid^="sidebar-workspace-row-${input.serverId}:"]`,
+  );
+  const deadline = Date.now() + 30_000;
+  while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+    const sidebarRowTestIds = await sidebarWorkspaceRows.evaluateAll((elements) =>
+      elements.map((element) => element.getAttribute("data-testid") ?? ""),
+    );
+    workspaceId =
+      sidebarRowTestIds
+        .map((testId) => parseWorkspaceIdFromSidebarRowTestId(testId, input))
+        .find((id) => id !== null) ?? null;
+    if (workspaceId) {
+      break;
+    }
+    await page.waitForTimeout(250);
+  }
+
+  if (!workspaceId || workspaceId === input.previousWorkspaceId) {
+    const sidebarWorkspaceRowIds = await sidebarWorkspaceRows.evaluateAll((elements) =>
+      elements.map((element) => element.getAttribute("data-testid") ?? "<missing-testid>"),
+    );
+    throw new Error(
+      [
+        "Expected a newly created workspace to load.",
+        `Current URL: ${page.url()}`,
+        `Sidebar rows: ${sidebarWorkspaceRowIds.join(", ") || "<none>"}`,
+      ].join("\n"),
+    );
+  }
+
+  const createdWorkspaceRow = page.getByTestId(
+    `sidebar-workspace-row-${input.serverId}:${workspaceId}`,
+  );
+  await expect(createdWorkspaceRow.first()).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
+
+  await expectWorkspaceHeader(page, {
+    title: workspaceLabelFromPath(workspaceId),
+    subtitle: input.projectDisplayName,
+  });
+
+  return { workspaceId };
+}
diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/new-workspace.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/new-workspace.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e4aa23ff4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/new-workspace.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+import { buildHostWorkspaceRoute } from "@/utils/host-routes";
+import { expect, test } from "./fixtures";
+import {
+  archiveWorkspaceFromDaemon,
+  archiveLocalWorkspaceFromDaemon,
+  assertNewWorkspaceSidebarAndHeader,
+  clickNewWorkspaceButton,
+  connectNewWorkspaceDaemonClient,
+  createWorktreeViaDaemon,
+  openProjectViaDaemon,
+} from "./helpers/new-workspace";
+import { createTempGitRepo } from "./helpers/workspace";
+import {
+  expectWorkspaceHeader,
+  switchWorkspaceViaSidebar,
+  workspaceLabelFromPath,
+} from "./helpers/workspace-ui";
+
+test.describe("New workspace flow", () => {
+  let client: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof connectNewWorkspaceDaemonClient>>;
+  const localWorkspaceIds = new Set<string>();
+  const createdWorktreeIds = new Set<string>();
+
+  test.describe.configure({ timeout: 120_000 });
+
+  test.beforeEach(async () => {
+    client = await connectNewWorkspaceDaemonClient();
+  });
+
+  test.afterEach(async () => {
+    if (client) {
+      for (const workspaceId of createdWorktreeIds) {
+        await archiveWorkspaceFromDaemon(client, workspaceId).catch(() => undefined);
+      }
+      for (const workspaceId of localWorkspaceIds) {
+        await archiveLocalWorkspaceFromDaemon(client, workspaceId).catch(() => undefined);
+      }
+    }
+    createdWorktreeIds.clear();
+    localWorkspaceIds.clear();
+    await client?.close().catch(() => undefined);
+  });
+
+  test("sidebar workspace navigation updates URL and header", async ({ page }) => {
+    const serverId = process.env.E2E_SERVER_ID;
+    if (!serverId) {
+      throw new Error("E2E_SERVER_ID is not set.");
+    }
+
+    const firstRepo = await createTempGitRepo("workspace-nav-a-");
+    const secondRepo = await createTempGitRepo("workspace-nav-b-");
+
+    try {
+      const firstWorkspace = await openProjectViaDaemon(client, firstRepo.path);
+      const secondWorkspace = await openProjectViaDaemon(client, secondRepo.path);
+      localWorkspaceIds.add(firstWorkspace.workspaceId);
+      localWorkspaceIds.add(secondWorkspace.workspaceId);
+
+      await page.goto(buildHostWorkspaceRoute(serverId, firstWorkspace.workspaceId));
+      await expect(page).toHaveURL(buildHostWorkspaceRoute(serverId, firstWorkspace.workspaceId));
+      await expectWorkspaceHeader(page, {
+        title: firstWorkspace.workspaceName,
+        subtitle: workspaceLabelFromPath(firstRepo.path),
+      });
+
+      await switchWorkspaceViaSidebar({
+        page,
+        serverId,
+        targetWorkspacePath: secondWorkspace.workspaceId,
+      });
+      await expectWorkspaceHeader(page, {
+        title: secondWorkspace.workspaceName,
+        subtitle: workspaceLabelFromPath(secondRepo.path),
+      });
+
+      await switchWorkspaceViaSidebar({
+        page,
+        serverId,
+        targetWorkspacePath: firstWorkspace.workspaceId,
+      });
+      await expectWorkspaceHeader(page, {
+        title: firstWorkspace.workspaceName,
+        subtitle: workspaceLabelFromPath(firstRepo.path),
+      });
+    } finally {
+      await secondRepo.cleanup();
+      await firstRepo.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("clicking new workspace redirects, renders header, shows sidebar row, and keeps one draft tab", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    const serverId = process.env.E2E_SERVER_ID;
+    if (!serverId) {
+      throw new Error("E2E_SERVER_ID is not set.");
+    }
+
+    const tempRepo = await createTempGitRepo("new-workspace-");
+
+    try {
+      const openedProject = await openProjectViaDaemon(client, tempRepo.path);
+      localWorkspaceIds.add(openedProject.workspaceId);
+
+      await page.goto(buildHostWorkspaceRoute(serverId, openedProject.workspaceId));
+      await expect(page).toHaveURL(buildHostWorkspaceRoute(serverId, openedProject.workspaceId));
+      await expectWorkspaceHeader(page, {
+        title: openedProject.workspaceName,
+        subtitle: workspaceLabelFromPath(tempRepo.path),
+      });
+
+      await clickNewWorkspaceButton(page, {
+        projectKey: openedProject.projectKey,
+        projectDisplayName: openedProject.projectDisplayName,
+      });
+
+      const createdWorkspace = await assertNewWorkspaceSidebarAndHeader(page, {
+        serverId,
+        previousWorkspaceId: openedProject.workspaceId,
+        projectDisplayName: openedProject.projectDisplayName,
+      });
+      createdWorktreeIds.add(createdWorkspace.workspaceId);
+
+      expect(createdWorkspace.workspaceId).not.toBe(openedProject.workspaceId);
+      await expect(page).toHaveURL(
+        buildHostWorkspaceRoute(serverId, createdWorkspace.workspaceId),
+        {
+          timeout: 30_000,
+        },
+      );
+
+      const createdWorkspaceRow = page.getByTestId(
+        `sidebar-workspace-row-${serverId}:${createdWorkspace.workspaceId}`,
+      );
+      await expect(createdWorkspaceRow).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
+
+      await expectWorkspaceHeader(page, {
+        title: workspaceLabelFromPath(createdWorkspace.workspaceId),
+        subtitle: openedProject.projectDisplayName,
+      });
+
+      const draftTabs = page.locator('[data-testid^="workspace-tab-"]').filter({
+        has: page.getByText("New Agent", { exact: true }),
+      });
+      await expect(draftTabs).toHaveCount(1, { timeout: 30_000 });
+
+      const composer = page.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Message agent..." });
+      await expect(composer).toBeEditable({ timeout: 30_000 });
+    } finally {
+      await tempRepo.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/app/src/app/_layout.tsx b/packages/app/src/app/_layout.tsx
index dd68ff244..4422ba3c6 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/app/_layout.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/app/_layout.tsx
@@ -91,6 +91,22 @@ export type HostRuntimeBootstrapState = {
   retry: () => void;
 };
 
+function getRouteParamValue(value: string | string[] | undefined): string | undefined {
+  if (typeof value === "string") {
+    const trimmed = value.trim();
+    return trimmed.length > 0 ? trimmed : undefined;
+  }
+  if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+    const firstValue = value[0];
+    if (typeof firstValue !== "string") {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+    const trimmed = firstValue.trim();
+    return trimmed.length > 0 ? trimmed : undefined;
+  }
+  return undefined;
+}
+
 const HostRuntimeBootstrapContext = createContext<HostRuntimeBootstrapState>({
   phase: "starting-daemon",
   error: null,
@@ -788,7 +804,14 @@ function RootStack() {
         <Stack.Screen name="settings" />
         <Stack.Screen name="pair-scan" />
       </Stack.Protected>
-      <Stack.Screen name="h/[serverId]/workspace/[workspaceId]" />
+      <Stack.Screen
+        name="h/[serverId]/workspace/[workspaceId]"
+        getId={({ params }) => {
+          const serverId = getRouteParamValue(params?.serverId);
+          const workspaceId = getRouteParamValue(params?.workspaceId);
+          return serverId && workspaceId ? `${serverId}:${workspaceId}` : undefined;
+        }}
+      />
       <Stack.Screen name="h/[serverId]/agent/[agentId]" options={{ gestureEnabled: false }} />
       <Stack.Screen name="h/[serverId]/index" />
       <Stack.Screen name="h/[serverId]/sessions" />