diff --git a/HellionChat/Services/TellRouterService.cs b/HellionChat/Services/TellRouterService.cs
index ce081d0..4133c86 100644
--- a/HellionChat/Services/TellRouterService.cs
+++ b/HellionChat/Services/TellRouterService.cs
@@ -75,36 +75,38 @@ internal sealed class TellRouterService : IDisposable
             if (tab == null)
                 return; // nothing to reveal (auto-tell-tabs off -> no tab created)
 
-            switch (mode)
-            {
-                case TellAutoOpenMode.Sidebar:
-                case TellAutoOpenMode.TopTab:
-                    // Switching to the tab on every tell is user-gated
-                    // (TellAutoOpenSwitchAlways, default on); when off the tab still
-                    // appears with its unread badge but the active tab is left alone.
-                    // The mode also picks the layout, so Sidebar vs TopTab are actually
-                    // distinct outcomes, not the same ActivateTab.
-                    if (Plugin.Config.TellAutoOpenSwitchAlways)
-                    {
-                        var wantLayout =
-                            mode == TellAutoOpenMode.TopTab
-                                ? MainWindowLayoutMode.TopTabs
-                                : MainWindowLayoutMode.Sidebar;
-                        if (Plugin.Config.MainWindowLayoutMode != wantLayout)
-                        {
-                            Plugin.Config.MainWindowLayoutMode = wantLayout;
-                            Plugin.Instance.SaveConfig();
-                        }
+            // Switching to the tab on every tell is user-gated
+            // (TellAutoOpenSwitchAlways, default on); when off the tab still
+            // appears with its unread badge but the active tab is left alone. A
+            // tab that is already popped out needs no reveal at all -- it is on
+            // screen, and pulling the main window onto it costs the user the tab
+            // they were reading.
+            var reveal = TabLifecycleHelpers.PlanTellReveal(
+                mode,
+                Plugin.Config.TellAutoOpenSwitchAlways,
+                Plugin.Instance.ChannelPopoutPool.IsOpen(tab.Identifier)
+            );
 
-                        Plugin.Instance.MainWindow?.ActivateTab(tab);
+            switch (reveal)
+            {
+                case TabLifecycleHelpers.TellReveal.MainWindow:
+                    // The mode also picks the layout, so Sidebar vs TopTab are
+                    // actually distinct outcomes, not the same ActivateTab.
+                    var wantLayout =
+                        mode == TellAutoOpenMode.TopTab
+                            ? MainWindowLayoutMode.TopTabs
+                            : MainWindowLayoutMode.Sidebar;
+                    if (Plugin.Config.MainWindowLayoutMode != wantLayout)
+                    {
+                        Plugin.Config.MainWindowLayoutMode = wantLayout;
+                        Plugin.Instance.SaveConfig();
                     }
 
+                    Plugin.Instance.MainWindow?.ActivateTab(tab);
                     break;
-                case TellAutoOpenMode.Popout:
-                    // IsOpen-guard: don't double-pop a tab the AutoTellTabsOpenAsPopout
-                    // path already opened (the two switches stay decoupled).
-                    if (!Plugin.Instance.ChannelPopoutPool.IsOpen(tab.Identifier))
-                        Plugin.Instance.ChannelPopoutPool.TryOpen(tab);
+
+                case TabLifecycleHelpers.TellReveal.Popout:
+                    Plugin.Instance.ChannelPopoutPool.TryOpen(tab);
                     break;
             }
         });
diff --git a/HellionChat/Ui/Windows/MainWindow.cs b/HellionChat/Ui/Windows/MainWindow.cs
index b162b93..737d73c 100644
--- a/HellionChat/Ui/Windows/MainWindow.cs
+++ b/HellionChat/Ui/Windows/MainWindow.cs
@@ -162,6 +162,14 @@ internal sealed class MainWindow : Window, IFocusableChatWindow
     // header pick strips tell-state and resets unread the way a real click does.
     internal void ActivateTab(Tab tab)
     {
+        // A popped-out tab is not a surface this window owns. Taking it as
+        // active does not show it -- PickMainActiveTab re-anchors on the next
+        // frame, and it anchors to the first non-popped tab, which is not the
+        // one the user was reading. Callers that mean "bring it forward" have
+        // to reach for the pool instead.
+        if (_pool.IsOpen(tab.Identifier))
+            return;
+
         if (ReferenceEquals(_activeTab, tab))
             return;
 
diff --git a/HellionChat/Util/TabLifecycleHelpers.cs b/HellionChat/Util/TabLifecycleHelpers.cs
index b8fb729..fb0a4f3 100644
--- a/HellionChat/Util/TabLifecycleHelpers.cs
+++ b/HellionChat/Util/TabLifecycleHelpers.cs
@@ -180,6 +180,39 @@ internal static class TabLifecycleHelpers
         return null;
     }
 
+    // What an incoming tell should do about the tab it belongs to.
+    internal enum TellReveal
+    {
+        None,
+        MainWindow,
+        Popout,
+    }
+
+    // POP-1f: the alreadyPopped case is the whole reason this is a function.
+    //
+    // Revealing a popped-out tab in the main window looks like it does nothing,
+    // and then does something worse: PickMainActiveTab re-anchors on the next
+    // frame, and it anchors to the FIRST non-popped tab, not to the one the user
+    // was reading. So a tell from a partner whose tab is popped out threw the
+    // main window back to the first tab every single time.
+    //
+    // The tab is already on screen in its own window. There is nothing to
+    // reveal.
+    //
+    // Pure + Dalamud-free.
+    // TEST-MIRROR: ../../../Hellion Build test/_Helpers/PlanTellRevealTests.cs
+    internal static TellReveal PlanTellReveal(
+        TellAutoOpenMode mode,
+        bool switchAlways,
+        bool alreadyPopped
+    ) =>
+        mode switch
+        {
+            TellAutoOpenMode.Off => TellReveal.None,
+            TellAutoOpenMode.Popout => alreadyPopped ? TellReveal.None : TellReveal.Popout,
+            _ => switchAlways && !alreadyPopped ? TellReveal.MainWindow : TellReveal.None,
+        };
+
     // POP-1e: popout-aware sibling of WrapTabIndex for the ChatTabForward/Backward
     // keybind. Steps from current by delta's sign (±1), wrapping, and returns the
     // first index whose tab is NOT popped out within tabs.Count steps; returns current