diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/components/TaskInput.tsx b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/components/TaskInput.tsx
index eb00b588c..eed4f7a8c 100644
--- a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/components/TaskInput.tsx
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/components/TaskInput.tsx
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { FOCUSABLE_SELECTOR } from "@utils/overlay";
 import { LayoutGroup, motion } from "framer-motion";
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId } from "../hooks/useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId";
 import { usePreviewConfig } from "../hooks/usePreviewConfig";
 import { useTaskCreation } from "../hooks/useTaskCreation";
 import { CloudGithubMissingNotice } from "./CloudGithubMissingNotice";
@@ -401,14 +402,7 @@ export function TaskInput({
     setLastUsedCloudRepository,
   ]);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (view.folderId) {
-      const folder = folders.find((f) => f.id === view.folderId);
-      if (folder) {
-        setSelectedDirectory(folder.path);
-      }
-    }
-  }, [view.folderId, folders]);
+  useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId(view.folderId, folders, setSelectedDirectory);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     setCloudBranchSearchQuery("");
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/hooks/useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId.test.ts b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/hooks/useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..37a5a62ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/hooks/useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import type { RegisteredFolder } from "@main/services/folders/schemas";
+import { renderHook } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId } from "./useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId";
+
+const folder = (id: string, path: string): RegisteredFolder => ({
+  id,
+  path,
+  name: id,
+  remoteUrl: null,
+  lastAccessed: "2026-05-21T00:00:00Z",
+  createdAt: "2026-05-21T00:00:00Z",
+});
+
+describe("useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId", () => {
+  it("syncs the directory to the folder matching folderId on first render", () => {
+    const setSelectedDirectory = vi.fn();
+    renderHook(() =>
+      useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId(
+        "a",
+        [folder("a", "/repos/a")],
+        setSelectedDirectory,
+      ),
+    );
+    expect(setSelectedDirectory).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith("/repos/a");
+  });
+
+  it("waits for folders to load before syncing", () => {
+    const setSelectedDirectory = vi.fn();
+    const { rerender } = renderHook(
+      ({ folders }: { folders: RegisteredFolder[] }) =>
+        useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId("a", folders, setSelectedDirectory),
+      { initialProps: { folders: [] as RegisteredFolder[] } },
+    );
+    expect(setSelectedDirectory).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    rerender({ folders: [folder("a", "/repos/a")] });
+    expect(setSelectedDirectory).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith("/repos/a");
+  });
+
+  it("does not re-sync when folders changes but folderId stays the same", () => {
+    const setSelectedDirectory = vi.fn();
+    const { rerender } = renderHook(
+      ({ folders }: { folders: RegisteredFolder[] }) =>
+        useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId("a", folders, setSelectedDirectory),
+      { initialProps: { folders: [folder("a", "/repos/a")] } },
+    );
+    expect(setSelectedDirectory).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith("/repos/a");
+
+    // Simulate adding a folder (e.g. after the user picks one via "Open
+    // folder..."). The folders list changes but the user's pick must not be
+    // clobbered by re-syncing from the original folderId.
+    rerender({
+      folders: [folder("a", "/repos/a"), folder("b", "/repos/picked")],
+    });
+    expect(setSelectedDirectory).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("re-syncs when folderId changes", () => {
+    const setSelectedDirectory = vi.fn();
+    const folders = [folder("a", "/repos/a"), folder("b", "/repos/b")];
+    const { rerender } = renderHook(
+      ({ folderId }: { folderId: string }) =>
+        useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId(
+          folderId,
+          folders,
+          setSelectedDirectory,
+        ),
+      { initialProps: { folderId: "a" } },
+    );
+    expect(setSelectedDirectory).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith("/repos/a");
+
+    rerender({ folderId: "b" });
+    expect(setSelectedDirectory).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith("/repos/b");
+    expect(setSelectedDirectory).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it("does nothing when folderId is undefined", () => {
+    const setSelectedDirectory = vi.fn();
+    renderHook(() =>
+      useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId(
+        undefined,
+        [folder("a", "/repos/a")],
+        setSelectedDirectory,
+      ),
+    );
+    expect(setSelectedDirectory).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/hooks/useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId.ts b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/hooks/useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dab03d91c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/code/src/renderer/features/task-detail/hooks/useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import type { RegisteredFolder } from "@main/services/folders/schemas";
+import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
+
+/**
+ * Syncs `selectedDirectory` to the path of `folders[view.folderId]` once per
+ * folderId. The dependency on `folders` is required so the sync still fires
+ * when the folder list hasn't loaded yet on initial mount, but we must not
+ * re-sync on later `folders` refetches (e.g. after `addFolder`) — that would
+ * clobber a folder the user just picked via the file dialog.
+ */
+export function useInitialDirectoryFromFolderId(
+  folderId: string | undefined,
+  folders: RegisteredFolder[],
+  setSelectedDirectory: (path: string) => void,
+) {
+  const lastInitializedRef = useRef<string | undefined>(undefined);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!folderId) {
+      lastInitializedRef.current = undefined;
+      return;
+    }
+    if (lastInitializedRef.current === folderId) return;
+    const folder = folders.find((f) => f.id === folderId);
+    if (folder) {
+      setSelectedDirectory(folder.path);
+      lastInitializedRef.current = folderId;
+    }
+  }, [folderId, folders, setSelectedDirectory]);
+}