diff --git a/src/bundled/channels/ChannelSidebarItem.test.tsx b/src/bundled/channels/ChannelSidebarItem.test.tsx
index 5da68a162..0e45d3d5e 100644
--- a/src/bundled/channels/ChannelSidebarItem.test.tsx
+++ b/src/bundled/channels/ChannelSidebarItem.test.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import type { RelaySession } from "../../features/relay/session";
 import type { UnreadSnapshot } from "../../features/relay/unread";
 import type { PresenceStatus } from "../../features/presence/presence";
 import { ChannelSidebarItem } from "./ChannelSidebarItem";
-import { ContextMenuRoot } from "../../shared/design-system/ui/Menu";
 
 afterEach(cleanup);
 
@@ -245,25 +244,23 @@ it.each(["ContextMenu", "F10"])(
       channelType: "stream" as const,
     };
     render(
-      <ContextMenuRoot>
-        <ChannelSidebarItem
-          channel={channel}
-          session={owner().session}
-          working={false}
-          selected={undefined}
-          collapsed={false}
-          onToggle={onToggle}
-          draft={false}
-          draftSelected={false}
-          sessions={[{ id: "child", name: "Plan", channelType: "session" }]}
-          onSelect={onSelect}
-          onNewSession={vi.fn()}
-          onOpenThread={vi.fn()}
-          menuEnabled
-          sectionKey="group:work"
-          onOpenMenu={onOpenMenu}
-        />
-      </ContextMenuRoot>,
+      <ChannelSidebarItem
+        channel={channel}
+        session={owner().session}
+        working={false}
+        selected={undefined}
+        collapsed={false}
+        onToggle={onToggle}
+        draft={false}
+        draftSelected={false}
+        sessions={[{ id: "child", name: "Plan", channelType: "session" }]}
+        onSelect={onSelect}
+        onNewSession={vi.fn()}
+        onOpenThread={vi.fn()}
+        menuEnabled
+        sectionKey="group:work"
+        onOpenMenu={onOpenMenu}
+      />,
     );
     const parent = screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Alpha" });
     fireEvent.keyDown(parent, { key, shiftKey: key === "F10" });
diff --git a/src/bundled/channels/ChannelSidebarItem.tsx b/src/bundled/channels/ChannelSidebarItem.tsx
index 6145dd2f4..872708b0d 100644
--- a/src/bundled/channels/ChannelSidebarItem.tsx
+++ b/src/bundled/channels/ChannelSidebarItem.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 import { UserStatusDisplay } from "../../features/user-status/StatusDisplay";
-import { memo } from "react";
+import { memo, useLayoutEffect, useRef, type ReactNode } from "react";
 import { Avatar } from "../../shared/design-system/ui/Avatar";
-import { ContextMenuTrigger } from "../../shared/design-system/ui/Menu";
+import {
+  ContextMenuRoot,
+  ContextMenuTrigger,
+  MenuPopup,
+} from "../../shared/design-system/ui/Menu";
 import type { ChannelSummary, Profile } from "../../features/relay/contracts";
 import type { RelaySession } from "../../features/relay/session";
 import { ChatCircleIcon } from "../../shared/design-system/icons/index";
@@ -34,6 +38,11 @@ export const ChannelSidebarItem = memo(function ChannelSidebarItem({
   menuEnabled,
   sectionKey,
   onOpenMenu,
+  menuOpen = false,
+  menuAnchor,
+  menuContent,
+  onCloseMenu,
+  menuFinalFocus,
 }: {
   channel: ChannelSummary;
   profile?: Profile | undefined;
@@ -56,15 +65,26 @@ export const ChannelSidebarItem = memo(function ChannelSidebarItem({
     sectionKey: string,
     anchor?: HTMLElement,
   ) => void;
+  menuOpen?: boolean;
+  menuAnchor?: HTMLElement | undefined;
+  /** Only the open row receives content, so closed rows keep equal props. */
+  menuContent?: ReactNode;
+  onCloseMenu?: () => void;
+  menuFinalFocus?: (channelId: string) => HTMLElement | false;
 }) {
   const peer =
     channel.channelType === "dm" && channel.participants?.length === 1
       ? channel.participants[0]
       : undefined;
   const presence = usePresenceStatus(peer ? session.presence : undefined, peer);
+  // Keep the closing row's items through the popup's exit transition.
+  const lastMenuContent = useRef<ReactNode>(undefined);
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    if (menuContent !== undefined) lastMenuContent.current = menuContent;
+  }, [menuContent]);
   const Icon =
     channel.channelType === "dm" ? ChatCircleIcon : channelIcon(channel);
-  return (
+  const row = (
     <ChannelSidebarRow
       channel={channel}
       icon={
@@ -176,4 +196,27 @@ export const ChannelSidebarItem = memo(function ChannelSidebarItem({
       {...(onHideDm ? { onHideDm } : {})}
     />
   );
+  if (!menuEnabled) return row;
+  return (
+    <ContextMenuRoot
+      open={menuOpen}
+      onOpenChange={(open) => {
+        if (open) {
+          if (sectionKey) onOpenMenu?.(channel, sectionKey);
+        } else if (menuOpen) onCloseMenu?.();
+      }}
+      onOpenChangeComplete={(open) => {
+        if (!open) lastMenuContent.current = undefined;
+      }}
+    >
+      {row}
+      <MenuPopup
+        aria-label={`Actions for ${channel.name}`}
+        anchor={menuOpen ? menuAnchor : undefined}
+        finalFocus={() => menuFinalFocus?.(channel.id) ?? false}
+      >
+        {menuContent ?? lastMenuContent.current}
+      </MenuPopup>
+    </ContextMenuRoot>
+  );
 });
diff --git a/src/features/channel-navigation/ChannelSidebar.test.tsx b/src/features/channel-navigation/ChannelSidebar.test.tsx
index 0b8d65c63..477f7cc8a 100644
--- a/src/features/channel-navigation/ChannelSidebar.test.tsx
+++ b/src/features/channel-navigation/ChannelSidebar.test.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ import type { Navigation } from "../navigation/controller";
 import { ChannelSidebar } from "./ChannelSidebar";
 import { ChannelNavigationProvider } from "./ChannelNavigationState";
 
-const { rowRender } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ rowRender: vi.fn() }));
+const { rowRender, menuRender } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  rowRender: vi.fn(),
+  menuRender: vi.fn(),
+}));
 // Observe the real row below ChannelSidebarItem's production memo boundary.
 // React hooks, the parent, the item and the row implementation remain real.
 vi.mock("../../bundled/channels/ChannelSidebarRow", async (original) => {
@@ -25,6 +28,22 @@ vi.mock("../../bundled/channels/ChannelSidebarRow", async (original) => {
     },
   };
 });
+// Observe the real row menu provider and popup the same way.
+vi.mock("../../shared/design-system/ui/Menu", async (original) => {
+  const actual =
+    await original<typeof import("../../shared/design-system/ui/Menu")>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    ContextMenuRoot: (props: Parameters<typeof actual.ContextMenuRoot>[0]) => {
+      menuRender("root", props);
+      return <actual.ContextMenuRoot {...props} />;
+    },
+    MenuPopup: (props: Parameters<typeof actual.MenuPopup>[0]) => {
+      menuRender("popup", props);
+      return <actual.MenuPopup {...props} />;
+    },
+  };
+});
 beforeEach(() => {
   // jsdom has no layout; browser journeys own geometry. Only supply the API.
   vi.stubGlobal(
@@ -111,10 +130,20 @@ it("does not rebuild unchanged rows on channel switches and refreshes session ac
   const mounted = render(h.view("alpha"));
   await screen.findByRole("button", { name: "gamma" });
   rowRender.mockClear();
+  menuRender.mockClear();
   mounted.rerender(h.view("beta"));
   expect(rowRender.mock.calls.map(([props]) => props.channel.id)).not.toContain(
     "gamma",
   );
+  // Unchanged rows keep their menu provider and popup behind the memo too.
+  expect(
+    menuRender.mock.calls.filter(([, props]) =>
+      String(props["aria-label"] ?? "").includes("gamma"),
+    ),
+  ).toEqual([]);
+  expect(
+    menuRender.mock.calls.filter(([kind]) => kind === "root"),
+  ).toHaveLength(rowRender.mock.calls.length);
   expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "beta" })).toHaveAttribute(
     "aria-current",
     "page",
diff --git a/src/features/channel-navigation/ChannelSidebar.tsx b/src/features/channel-navigation/ChannelSidebar.tsx
index 5a9ddad9f..a4006262b 100644
--- a/src/features/channel-navigation/ChannelSidebar.tsx
+++ b/src/features/channel-navigation/ChannelSidebar.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import type { OpenTarget } from "../navigation/targets";
 import { Panel } from "../../shared/design-system/ui/Panel";
 import { Button } from "../../shared/design-system/ui/Button";
 import {
-  ContextMenuRoot,
   MenuItem,
   MenuIcon,
   MenuPopup,
@@ -525,6 +524,17 @@ function ReadySidebar({
     setReadWrite(undefined);
     closeMenu();
   }, [closeMenu]);
+  const rowMenuFinalFocus = useCallback(
+    (channelId: string) =>
+      startingSession.current
+        ? (document
+            .getElementById("new-session-prompt")
+            ?.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[role="textbox"]') ?? false)
+        : (sidebar.list.current?.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>(
+            `[data-channel-id="${CSS.escape(channelId)}"]`,
+          ) ?? false),
+    [sidebar.list],
+  );
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
     if (!rowFocus) return;
     sidebar.list.current
@@ -849,7 +859,7 @@ function ReadySidebar({
                         menuEnabled &&
                         rowMenu?.channelId === channel.id &&
                         rowMenu.sectionKey === section.key;
-                      const channelItem = (
+                      return (
                         <ChannelSidebarItem
                           profile={
                             channel.channelType === "dm" &&
@@ -876,42 +886,25 @@ function ReadySidebar({
                           menuEnabled={menuEnabled}
                           sectionKey={section.key}
                           onOpenMenu={openRowMenu}
+                          menuOpen={menuOpen}
+                          menuAnchor={menuOpen ? rowMenu.anchor : undefined}
+                          menuContent={
+                            menuOpen ? (
+                              <>
+                                {actions}
+                                {readWrite?.pending && (
+                                  <p role="status">Saving…</p>
+                                )}
+                                {readWrite?.error && (
+                                  <p role="alert">{readWrite.error}</p>
+                                )}
+                              </>
+                            ) : undefined
+                          }
+                          onCloseMenu={closeRowMenu}
+                          menuFinalFocus={rowMenuFinalFocus}
                         />
                       );
-                      if (!menuEnabled) return channelItem;
-                      return (
-                        <ContextMenuRoot
-                          key={channel.id}
-                          open={menuOpen}
-                          onOpenChange={(open) => {
-                            if (open) openRowMenu(channel, section.key);
-                            else if (menuOpen) closeRowMenu();
-                          }}
-                        >
-                          {channelItem}
-                          <MenuPopup
-                            aria-label={`Actions for ${channel.name}`}
-                            anchor={menuOpen ? rowMenu.anchor : undefined}
-                            finalFocus={() =>
-                              startingSession.current
-                                ? (document
-                                    .getElementById("new-session-prompt")
-                                    ?.querySelector<HTMLElement>(
-                                      '[role="textbox"]',
-                                    ) ?? false)
-                                : (sidebar.list.current?.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>(
-                                    `[data-channel-id="${CSS.escape(channel.id)}"]`,
-                                  ) ?? false)
-                            }
-                          >
-                            {actions}
-                            {readWrite?.pending && <p role="status">Saving…</p>}
-                            {readWrite?.error && (
-                              <p role="alert">{readWrite.error}</p>
-                            )}
-                          </MenuPopup>
-                        </ContextMenuRoot>
-                      );
                     })}
                   </details>
                 );