diff --git a/webui-src/app/main.js b/webui-src/app/main.js
index 0fcf600..22bed62 100644
--- a/webui-src/app/main.js
+++ b/webui-src/app/main.js
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ const navbar = () => {
                       ? 'Connected to RetroShare Core'
                       : 'Connection Lost',
                   }),
-                  m('span.webui-version', { style: { fontSize: '0.7em' } }, 'v148'),
+                  m('span.webui-version', { style: { fontSize: '0.7em' } }, 'v149'),
                   m('i.fas.fa-sync-alt.refresh-icon', {
                     style: { cursor: 'pointer', fontSize: '0.8em' },
                     onclick: () => window.location.reload(true),
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ const MobileStatus = () => {
               m('small', statusbar.formatBytes(state.totalOut)),
             ]),
           ]),
-          m('.mobile-status-sheet__version', 'WebUI v148'),
+          m('.mobile-status-sheet__version', 'WebUI v149'),
         ])),
       ];
     },
diff --git a/webui-src/app/people/people.js b/webui-src/app/people/people.js
index a6098f1..78af98e 100644
--- a/webui-src/app/people/people.js
+++ b/webui-src/app/people/people.js
@@ -41,7 +41,19 @@ const PeopleLayout = () => {
         m.redraw();
       });
       loadGxsIdentities();
-      loadOwnGxsIds().then(() => preloadAllChatHistory());
+      loadOwnGxsIds().then(() => {
+        preloadAllChatHistory();
+        //  "Start private chat" from a chat room routes here with the chat tab
+        //  preselected, but nothing ever opened the tunnel: the pane sat on its
+        //  Connecting spinner for good. That intent is explicit, so it is
+        //  honoured -- once the own identities needed to open a tunnel are in.
+        if (State.pendingChatOpen && State.pendingChatOpen === State.selectedId) {
+          State.pendingChatOpen = null;
+          initializeDistantChat();
+        } else {
+          State.pendingChatOpen = null;
+        }
+      });
       stopWatchingOwnIds = peopleUtil.watchOwnIds((ids) => {
         State.ownGxsIds = ids || [];
         if (!peopleUtil.isUsableIdentityId(State.selectedId)) {
@@ -184,6 +196,7 @@ PeopleLayout.setSelectedId = (id, activeTab = 'details', showCompose = false) =>
   State.activeFilter = filter;
   State.selectedId = id;
   State.activeTab = activeTab;
+  State.pendingChatOpen = activeTab === 'chat' ? id : null;
   State.mobilePane = 'detail';
   if (showCompose) {
     State.showMailCompose = true;
diff --git a/webui-src/app/people/people_sidebar.js b/webui-src/app/people/people_sidebar.js
index 24060da..85d4303 100644
--- a/webui-src/app/people/people_sidebar.js
+++ b/webui-src/app/people/people_sidebar.js
@@ -281,9 +281,14 @@ const PeopleSidebar = () => {
                           State.chatPid = null;
                           State.chatMessages = [];
                           stopStatusPolling();
-                          if (State.activeTab === 'chat') {
-                            initializeDistantChat();
-                          }
+                          //  Selecting somebody is not asking to talk to them.
+                          //  The chat tab is sticky, so inheriting it here meant
+                          //  that once a conversation had been opened, every
+                          //  later click in the list silently requested a GXS
+                          //  tunnel toward the contact -- an action the peer
+                          //  sees. Show the profile; the tunnel waits for the
+                          //  Chat Conversation tab.
+                          State.activeTab = 'details';
                         }
                         m.redraw();
                       },
diff --git a/webui-src/app/people/people_state.js b/webui-src/app/people/people_state.js
index 95bb6a0..418960b 100644
--- a/webui-src/app/people/people_state.js
+++ b/webui-src/app/people/people_state.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ const State = {
   historySearchQuery: '',
   fullHistoryMessages: [],
   isHistoryLoading: false,
+  pendingChatOpen: null, // gxsId a chat was explicitly asked for from another page
 };
 
 function getDistantChatSession(gxsId) {