diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aa81d70..9933dc9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ Two things:
 
 ## Commands
 
-- **Beaver: Open panel** - the right sidedock (also the ribbon icon).
-- **Beaver: Open panel in a tab** - the wide layout with the conversation rail on the left.
+- **Beaver: Open panel in a tab** - the wide layout with the conversation rail on the left (also the ribbon icon).
+- **Beaver: Open panel** - the narrow column in the right sidedock; a tab and a column can be open at once, each command reuses its own.
 - **Beaver: Open chat in panel** - the active note has `conversation_id` in its frontmatter; the panel shows that conversation.
 - **Beaver: Send using selected agent** / **Send using different agent** - the note has `agent:` in its frontmatter.
 
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index b5aa50b..6805c8a 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ export default class BeaverPlugin extends Plugin {
     this.addSettingTab(new BeaverSettingsTab(this.app, this));
     this.registerView(VIEW_TYPE_PANEL, (leaf) => new PanelView(leaf, this));
     this.addRibbonIcon("bot", "Beaver", () => {
-      this.openPanel("side").catch(() => undefined);
+      this.openPanel("tab").catch(() => undefined);
     });
 
     this.addCommand({
@@ -279,10 +279,16 @@ export default class BeaverPlugin extends Plugin {
   }
 
   // Reveal a panel (creating one on first use) and, given an id, show it.
+  // A tab and a sidedock column can coexist; each placement reuses its own.
   async openPanel(placement: "side" | "tab", id?: string): Promise<void> {
     const { workspace } = this.app;
+    const inTabs = (candidate: WorkspaceLeaf) =>
+      candidate.getRoot() === workspace.rootSplit;
     let leaf: WorkspaceLeaf | null =
-      workspace.getLeavesOfType(VIEW_TYPE_PANEL)[0] ?? null;
+      workspace
+        .getLeavesOfType(VIEW_TYPE_PANEL)
+        .find((candidate) => inTabs(candidate) === (placement === "tab")) ??
+      null;
     if (!leaf) {
       leaf =
         placement === "tab"