diff --git a/Sources/Workspace.swift b/Sources/Workspace.swift
index bb0345d4..ab06df65 100644
--- a/Sources/Workspace.swift
+++ b/Sources/Workspace.swift
@@ -960,6 +960,7 @@ final class Workspace: Identifiable, ObservableObject {
             isPinned: false
         )
         surfaceIdToPanelId[newTab.id] = newPanel.id
+        let previousFocusedPanelId = focusedPanelId
 
 	        // Capture the source terminal's hosted view before bonsplit mutates focusedPaneId,
 	        // so we can hand it to focusPanel as the "move focus FROM" view.
@@ -989,7 +990,17 @@ final class Workspace: Identifiable, ObservableObject {
 	                previousHostedView?.clearSuppressReparentFocus()
 	            }
 	        } else {
-	            scheduleFocusReconcile()
+                // Bonsplit focuses the newly-created pane by default; restore the caller's
+                // pre-split focus context when this split is explicitly non-focus-intent.
+                if let previousFocusedPanelId, panels[previousFocusedPanelId] != nil {
+                    previousHostedView?.suppressReparentFocus()
+                    focusPanel(previousFocusedPanelId, previousHostedView: previousHostedView)
+                    DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 0.05) {
+                        previousHostedView?.clearSuppressReparentFocus()
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    scheduleFocusReconcile()
+                }
 	        }
 
 	        return newPanel
@@ -1089,6 +1100,7 @@ final class Workspace: Identifiable, ObservableObject {
             isPinned: false
         )
         surfaceIdToPanelId[newTab.id] = browserPanel.id
+        let previousFocusedPanelId = focusedPanelId
 
 	        // Create the split with the browser tab already present.
 	        // Mark this split as programmatic so didSplitPane doesn't auto-create a terminal.
@@ -1110,7 +1122,17 @@ final class Workspace: Identifiable, ObservableObject {
 	                previousHostedView?.clearSuppressReparentFocus()
 	            }
 	        } else {
-	            scheduleFocusReconcile()
+                // Bonsplit focuses the newly-created pane by default; restore the caller's
+                // pre-split focus context when this split is explicitly non-focus-intent.
+                if let previousFocusedPanelId, panels[previousFocusedPanelId] != nil {
+                    previousHostedView?.suppressReparentFocus()
+                    focusPanel(previousFocusedPanelId, previousHostedView: previousHostedView)
+                    DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 0.05) {
+                        previousHostedView?.clearSuppressReparentFocus()
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    scheduleFocusReconcile()
+                }
 	        }
 
         installBrowserPanelSubscription(browserPanel)
diff --git a/cmuxTests/CmuxWebViewKeyEquivalentTests.swift b/cmuxTests/CmuxWebViewKeyEquivalentTests.swift
index e3b604f5..b24947bf 100644
--- a/cmuxTests/CmuxWebViewKeyEquivalentTests.swift
+++ b/cmuxTests/CmuxWebViewKeyEquivalentTests.swift
@@ -1800,6 +1800,66 @@ final class TabManagerReopenClosedBrowserFocusTests: XCTestCase {
 
 @MainActor
 final class WorkspacePanelGitBranchTests: XCTestCase {
+    private func drainMainQueue() {
+        let expectation = expectation(description: "drain main queue")
+        DispatchQueue.main.async {
+            expectation.fulfill()
+        }
+        wait(for: [expectation], timeout: 1.0)
+    }
+
+    func testBrowserSplitWithFocusFalsePreservesOriginalFocusedPanel() {
+        let workspace = Workspace()
+        guard let originalFocusedPanelId = workspace.focusedPanelId else {
+            XCTFail("Expected initial focused panel")
+            return
+        }
+
+        guard let browserSplitPanel = workspace.newBrowserSplit(
+            from: originalFocusedPanelId,
+            orientation: .horizontal,
+            focus: false
+        ) else {
+            XCTFail("Expected browser split panel to be created")
+            return
+        }
+
+        drainMainQueue()
+
+        XCTAssertNotEqual(browserSplitPanel.id, originalFocusedPanelId)
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            workspace.focusedPanelId,
+            originalFocusedPanelId,
+            "Expected non-focus browser split to preserve pre-split focus"
+        )
+    }
+
+    func testTerminalSplitWithFocusFalsePreservesOriginalFocusedPanel() {
+        let workspace = Workspace()
+        guard let originalFocusedPanelId = workspace.focusedPanelId else {
+            XCTFail("Expected initial focused panel")
+            return
+        }
+
+        guard let terminalSplitPanel = workspace.newTerminalSplit(
+            from: originalFocusedPanelId,
+            orientation: .horizontal,
+            focus: false
+        ) else {
+            XCTFail("Expected terminal split panel to be created")
+            return
+        }
+
+        drainMainQueue()
+
+        XCTAssertNotEqual(terminalSplitPanel.id, originalFocusedPanelId)
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            workspace.focusedPanelId,
+            originalFocusedPanelId,
+            "Expected non-focus terminal split to preserve pre-split focus"
+        )
+    }
+
     func testClosingFocusedSplitRestoresBranchForRemainingFocusedPanel() {
         let workspace = Workspace()
         guard let firstPanelId = workspace.focusedPanelId else {