diff --git a/ui/src/context/FileViewerContext.test.ts b/ui/src/context/FileViewerContext.test.ts
index 5388497bcc5..6a6ff198674 100644
--- a/ui/src/context/FileViewerContext.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/context/FileViewerContext.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 // @vitest-environment node
 
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import {
   FILE_VIEWER_NAVIGATE_OPTIONS,
   readBrowseStateFromSearch,
   readFileViewerStateFromSearch,
+  shouldNavigateFileViewerSearch,
   writeBrowseStateToSearch,
   writeFolderViewerStateToSearch,
   writeFileViewerStateToSearch,
@@ -17,6 +18,35 @@ describe("FILE_VIEWER_NAVIGATE_OPTIONS", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("shouldNavigateFileViewerSearch", () => {
+  const originalWindow = globalThis.window;
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    Object.defineProperty(globalThis, "window", {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: originalWindow,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("uses the browser URL search when router state is stale", () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(globalThis, "window", {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: { location: { search: "?browse=1" } },
+    });
+
+    expect(shouldNavigateFileViewerSearch("", "")).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps no-op navigation suppressed when the browser URL already matches", () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(globalThis, "window", {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: { location: { search: "" } },
+    });
+
+    expect(shouldNavigateFileViewerSearch("", "?browse=1")).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("readFileViewerStateFromSearch", () => {
   it("returns null when no file param is present", () => {
     expect(readFileViewerStateFromSearch("")).toBeNull();
diff --git a/ui/src/context/FileViewerContext.tsx b/ui/src/context/FileViewerContext.tsx
index 77ce2dac343..062b9959b71 100644
--- a/ui/src/context/FileViewerContext.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/context/FileViewerContext.tsx
@@ -53,6 +53,15 @@ export const FILE_VIEWER_NAVIGATE_OPTIONS = {
   preventScrollReset: true,
 } satisfies NavigateOptions;
 
+export function getCurrentFileViewerSearch(fallbackSearch: string): string {
+  if (typeof window === "undefined") return fallbackSearch;
+  return window.location.search;
+}
+
+export function shouldNavigateFileViewerSearch(nextSearch: string, fallbackSearch: string): boolean {
+  return nextSearch !== getCurrentFileViewerSearch(fallbackSearch);
+}
+
 export function readFileViewerStateFromSearch(search: string): FileViewerUrlState | null {
   const params = new URLSearchParams(search);
   const path = params.get("file");
@@ -198,7 +207,7 @@ function EnabledFileViewerProvider({ issueId, children }: Omit<FileViewerProvide
 
   const navigateSearch = useCallback(
     (nextSearch: string, opts?: Partial<NavigateOptions>) => {
-      if (nextSearch === location.search) return;
+      if (!shouldNavigateFileViewerSearch(nextSearch, location.search)) return;
       navigate(
         { pathname: location.pathname, hash: location.hash, search: nextSearch },
         { ...FILE_VIEWER_NAVIGATE_OPTIONS, ...opts, state: location.state },
@@ -285,9 +294,7 @@ function EnabledFileViewerProvider({ issueId, children }: Omit<FileViewerProvide
   }, [location.search, navigateSearch]);
 
   const close = useCallback(() => {
-    const currentSearch = typeof window === "undefined"
-      ? location.search
-      : (window.location.search || location.search);
+    const currentSearch = getCurrentFileViewerSearch(location.search);
     const params = new URLSearchParams(writeFileViewerStateToSearch(currentSearch, null).replace(/^\?/, ""));
     params.delete("browse");
     params.delete("q");