diff --git a/src/GlobalStates/GlobalStore.ts b/src/GlobalStates/GlobalStore.ts
index 7ffda107..7f7f98a2 100644
--- a/src/GlobalStates/GlobalStore.ts
+++ b/src/GlobalStates/GlobalStore.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ type StoreState = {
   initStore:string;
   variable: string;
   variables: string[];
+  openVariables: boolean;
   plotOn: boolean;
   isFlat: boolean;
   status: string | null;
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ type StoreState = {
   setInitStore: (initStore:string ) => void;
   setVariable: (variable: string) => void;
   setVariables: (variables: string[]) => void;
+  setOpenVariables: (openVariables: boolean) => void;
   setPlotOn: (plotOn: boolean) => void;
   setIsFlat: (isFlat: boolean) => void;
   setProgress: (progress: number) => void;
@@ -98,6 +100,7 @@ export const useGlobalStore = create<StoreState>((set, get) => ({
   initStore: ESDC,
   variable: 'Default',
   variables: [],
+  openVariables: false,
   plotOn: false,
   isFlat:false,
   progress: 0,
@@ -150,6 +153,7 @@ export const useGlobalStore = create<StoreState>((set, get) => ({
   setInitStore: (initStore) => set({ initStore }),
   setVariable: (variable) => set({ variable }),
   setVariables: (variables) => set({ variables }),
+  setOpenVariables: (openVariables) => set({ openVariables }),
   setPlotOn: (plotOn) => set({ plotOn }),
   setIsFlat: (isFlat) => set({ isFlat }),
   setProgress: (progress) => set({ progress }),
diff --git a/src/components/LandingHome.tsx b/src/components/LandingHome.tsx
index 5b8df3fc..4caa89f2 100644
--- a/src/components/LandingHome.tsx
+++ b/src/components/LandingHome.tsx
@@ -3,25 +3,20 @@ import * as THREE from 'three'
 THREE.Cache.enabled = true;
 import { GetZarrMetadata, GetVariableNames, GetTitleDescription } from '@/components/zarr/GetMetadata';
 import { GetStore } from '@/components/zarr/ZarrLoaderLRU';
-import { useEffect, useMemo } from 'react';
+import { useEffect } from 'react';
 import { PlotArea, Plot, LandingShapes } from '@/components/plots';
 import { MainPanel } from '@/components/ui';
 import { Loading, Navbar, Error as ErrorComponent } from '@/components/ui';
 import { useGlobalStore } from '@/GlobalStates/GlobalStore';
 import { useZarrStore } from '@/GlobalStates/ZarrStore';
 import { useShallow } from 'zustand/shallow';
+import { loadNetCDF, NETCDF_EXT_REGEX } from '@/utils/loadNetCDF';
 
 async function sendPing() {
   const url = "https://www.bgc-jena.mpg.de/~jpoehls/browzarr/visitor_logger.php";
-
   try {
-    const response = await fetch(url, {
-      method: "GET",
-    });
-
-    if (!response.ok) {
-      throw new Error(`HTTP error! Status: ${response.status}`);
-    }
+    const response = await fetch(url, { method: "GET" });
+    if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP error! Status: ${response.status}`);
   } catch (error) {
     console.error("Request failed:", error);
   }
@@ -30,9 +25,9 @@ async function sendPing() {
 export function LandingHome() {
   const {
     initStore, timeSeries, variable, plotOn,
-    setZMeta, setVariables, setPlotOn, setTitleDescription, 
+    setZMeta, setVariables, setPlotOn, setTitleDescription,
   } = useGlobalStore(useShallow(state => ({
-    initStore: state.initStore, 
+    initStore: state.initStore,
     timeSeries: state.timeSeries,
     variable: state.variable,
     plotOn: state.plotOn,
@@ -50,16 +45,31 @@ export function LandingHome() {
     setXSlice: state.setXSlice,
     setUseNC: state.setUseNC
   })))
-    function resetSlices(){
-      setZSlice([0,null])
-      setYSlice([0,null])
-      setXSlice([0,null])
-    }
-  useEffect(() => { // Update store if URL changes
+
+  function resetSlices() {
+    setZSlice([0, null])
+    setYSlice([0, null])
+    setXSlice([0, null])
+  }
+
+  useEffect(() => {
     resetSlices();
-    if (initStore.startsWith('local')){ // Don't fetch store if local 
-      return
+    if (initStore.startsWith('local:')) {
+      const path = initStore.replace('local:', '');
+      if (!NETCDF_EXT_REGEX.test(path)) return; // TODO:  handled zarr
+      const filename = path.split('/').pop() ?? 'file.nc';
+      fetch(`/file?path=${encodeURIComponent(path)}`)
+        .then(res => {
+          if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
+          return res.blob();
+        })
+        .then(blob => {
+          return loadNetCDF(blob, filename);
+        })
+        .catch(e => useGlobalStore.getState().setStatus(`Failed to load: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)}`));
+      return;
     }
+    if (initStore.startsWith('local')) return; // local_ set by LocalNetCDF/LocalZarr after load
     setUseNC(false)
     const newStore = GetStore(initStore)
     setCurrentStore(newStore)
diff --git a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/Dataset.tsx b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/Dataset.tsx
index af685562..a4705c23 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/Dataset.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/Dataset.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const DescriptionContent = ({
   setOpenVariables,
   onCloseDialog,
 }: {
-  setOpenVariables: React.Dispatch<SetStateAction<boolean>>;
+  setOpenVariables: (open: boolean) => void;
   onCloseDialog: () => void;
 }) => {
   const {titleDescription} = useGlobalStore(useShallow(state => ({
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ const DatasetOption = ({
 };
 
 
-const Dataset = ({setOpenVariables} : {setOpenVariables: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<boolean>>}) => {
+const Dataset = () => {
   const [showStoreInput, setShowStoreInput] = useState(false);
   const [showLocalInput, setShowLocalInput] = useState(false);
   const [popoverSide, setPopoverSide] = useState<"left" | "top">("left");
@@ -101,9 +101,10 @@ const Dataset = ({setOpenVariables} : {setOpenVariables: React.Dispatch<React.Se
     useNC:state.fetchNC
   })))
   
-  const { initStore, setInitStore } = useGlobalStore(
+  const { initStore, setInitStore, setOpenVariables } = useGlobalStore(
     useShallow((state) => ({
       setInitStore: state.setInitStore,
+      setOpenVariables: state.setOpenVariables,
       initStore: state.initStore,
     }))
   );
diff --git a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/LocalNetCDF.tsx b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/LocalNetCDF.tsx
index beeb8bcf..ebc36e11 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/LocalNetCDF.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/LocalNetCDF.tsx
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 import React, {ChangeEvent, useState} from 'react'
 import { Input } from '../input'
 import { useGlobalStore } from '@/GlobalStates/GlobalStore';
-import { useZarrStore } from '@/GlobalStates/ZarrStore';
-import { NetCDF4 } from '@earthyscience/netcdf4-wasm';
+import { loadNetCDF, NETCDF_EXT_REGEX } from '@/utils/loadNetCDF';
+
 import {
   Alert,
   AlertDescription,
@@ -13,50 +13,29 @@ import { isMobile } from '../MobileUIHider';
 
 interface LocalNCType {
   setShowLocal: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<boolean>>;
-  setOpenVariables: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<boolean>>;
+  setOpenVariables: (open: boolean) => void;
 }
 
-const NETCDF_EXT_REGEX = /\.(nc|netcdf|nc3|nc4)$/i;
-
 const LocalNetCDF = ({ setOpenVariables}:LocalNCType) => {
     const {setStatus } = useGlobalStore.getState()
-    const {ncModule} = useZarrStore.getState()
+    // const {ncModule} = useZarrStore.getState()
     const [ncError, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
     const handleFileSelect = async (event: ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
-        setError(null);
-        const files = event.target.files;
-        if (!files || files.length === 0) {
-        setStatus(null)
-        return;
-        }
-        const file = files[0]
-        // Manual validation (iOS-safe)
-        if (!NETCDF_EXT_REGEX.test(file.name)) {
-          setError('Please select a valid NetCDF (.nc, .netcdf, .nc3, .nc4) file.');
-          return;
-        }
-
-        if (ncModule) ncModule.close();
-        setStatus("Loading...")
-        const data = await NetCDF4.fromBlobLazy(file)
-        const [variables, attrs, metadata] = await Promise.all([
-          data.getVariables(),
-          data.getGlobalAttributes(),
-          data.getFullMetadata()
-        ])
-        useGlobalStore.setState({variables: Object.keys(variables), zMeta: metadata, initStore:`local_${file.name}`})
-        useZarrStore.setState({ useNC: true, ncModule: data})
-        const titleDescription = {
-          title: attrs.title?? file.name,
-          description: attrs.history?? ''
-        }
-        useGlobalStore.setState({titleDescription})
-        
-        setOpenVariables(true)
-        // setShowLocal(false)
-        setStatus(null)
-    };
+    setError(null);
+    const files = event.target.files;
+    if (!files || files.length === 0) { setStatus(null); return; }
+    const file = files[0];
+    if (!NETCDF_EXT_REGEX.test(file.name)) {
+      setError('Please select a valid NetCDF (.nc, .netcdf, .nc3, .nc4) file.');
+      return;
+    }
+    try {
+      await loadNetCDF(file, file.name);
+    } catch (e) {
+      setError(`Failed to load file: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)}`);
+    }
+  };
 
   return (
     <div className='w-[100%]'>
diff --git a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/LocalZarr.tsx b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/LocalZarr.tsx
index 3edf6d28..cff3fd09 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/LocalZarr.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/LocalZarr.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import ZarrParser from '@/components/zarr/ZarrParser';
 
 interface LocalZarrType {
   setShowLocal: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<boolean>>;
-  setOpenVariables: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<boolean>>;
+  setOpenVariables: (open: boolean) => void;
   setInitStore: (store: string) => void;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/MainPanel.tsx b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/MainPanel.tsx
index 304f06d0..dd70d962 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/MainPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/MainPanel.tsx
@@ -1,17 +1,15 @@
 "use client";
-
-import React, {useState} from 'react'
+import React from 'react'
 import '../css/MainPanel.css'
 import {PlotType, Variables, Colormaps, AdjustPlot, Dataset, PlayButton, AnalysisOptions} from '../index'
 import { Card } from "@/components/ui/card"
 
-
 const MainPanel = () => {
-  const [openVariables, setOpenVariables] = useState<boolean>(false)
+
   return (
     <Card className="panel-container">
-      <Dataset  setOpenVariables={setOpenVariables} />
-      <Variables openVariables={openVariables} setOpenVariables={setOpenVariables} />
+      <Dataset  />
+      <Variables />
       <PlotType />
       <Colormaps />
       <AdjustPlot  />
diff --git a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/MetaDataInfo.tsx b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/MetaDataInfo.tsx
index 4e258956..53abdfef 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/MetaDataInfo.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/MetaDataInfo.tsx
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ function HandleCustomSteps(e: string, chunkSize: number){
   }
 
 
-const MetaDataInfo = ({ meta, metadata, setShowMeta, setOpenVariables, popoverSide }: { meta: any, metadata: Record<string, any>, setShowMeta: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<boolean>>, setOpenVariables: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<boolean>>, popoverSide: string  }) => {
+const MetaDataInfo = ({ meta, metadata, setShowMeta, setOpenVariables, popoverSide }: { meta: any, metadata: Record<string, any>, setShowMeta: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<boolean>>, setOpenVariables: (open: boolean) => void, popoverSide: string  }) => {
   const {is4D, idx4D, variable, initStore, setIs4D, setIdx4D, setVariable, setTextureArrayDepths} = useGlobalStore(useShallow(state => ({
     is4D: state.is4D, idx4D: state.idx4D, variable: state.variable,
     initStore: state.initStore,
diff --git a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/Variables.tsx b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/Variables.tsx
index 373ef705..81a15f4c 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/MainPanel/Variables.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/MainPanel/Variables.tsx
@@ -29,26 +29,20 @@ import {
 } from "@/components/ui/accordion";
 
 
-const Variables = ({
-  openVariables,
-  setOpenVariables,
-}: {
-  openVariables: boolean;
-  setOpenVariables: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<boolean>>;
-}) => {
+const Variables = () => {
   const [popoverSide, setPopoverSide] = useState<"left" | "top">("left");
   const [openMetaPopover, setOpenMetaPopover] = useState(false);
 
   const [showMeta, setShowMeta] = useState(false);
-  const { variables, zMeta, metadata, setMetadata, initStore } = useGlobalStore(
+  const { variables, zMeta, metadata, initStore, openVariables, setMetadata, setOpenVariables } = useGlobalStore(
     useShallow((state) => ({
       variables: state.variables,
       zMeta: state.zMeta,
       metadata: state.metadata,
-      dimNames:state.dimNames,
+      initStore: state.initStore,
+      openVariables: state.openVariables,
       setMetadata: state.setMetadata,
-      setDimNames:state.setDimNames,
-      initStore: state.initStore
+      setOpenVariables: state.setOpenVariables
     }))
   );
 
diff --git a/src/utils/loadNetCDF.ts b/src/utils/loadNetCDF.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a0d249bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/loadNetCDF.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// utils/loadNetCDF.ts
+import { NetCDF4 } from '@earthyscience/netcdf4-wasm';
+import { useGlobalStore } from '@/GlobalStates/GlobalStore';
+import { useZarrStore } from '@/GlobalStates/ZarrStore';
+
+const NETCDF_EXT_REGEX = /\.(nc|netcdf|nc3|nc4)$/i;
+
+export async function loadNetCDF(file: Blob, filename: string) {
+  const { setStatus, setOpenVariables } = useGlobalStore.getState();
+  const { ncModule } = useZarrStore.getState();
+  if (ncModule) ncModule.close();
+  setStatus("Loading...");
+  try {
+    const data = await NetCDF4.fromBlobLazy(file);
+    const [variables, attrs, metadata] = await Promise.all([
+      data.getVariables(),
+      data.getGlobalAttributes(),
+      data.getFullMetadata(),
+    ]);
+    useGlobalStore.setState({
+      variables: Object.keys(variables),
+      zMeta: metadata,
+      initStore: `local_${filename}`,
+      titleDescription: {
+        title: attrs.title ?? filename,
+        description: attrs.history ?? '',
+      },
+    });
+    useZarrStore.setState({ useNC: true, ncModule: data });
+    // setOpenVariables(true);
+  } finally {
+    setStatus(null);
+  }
+}
+
+export { NETCDF_EXT_REGEX };
\ No newline at end of file