diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/menus.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/menus.rs
index d8c40e7b..316cd4eb 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/menus.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/menus.rs
@@ -390,6 +390,15 @@ pub fn invoke_menu(app: &mut SoundApp, id: &str, path: &str) {
     if wants_dialog(id) && app.dialogs.open_for_command(&app.engine, id) {
         return;
     }
+    // These ids only exist to open a dialog from the menu. Programmatic `app.run` refuses them.
+    if id == "ui.new_tracks_dialog" {
+        let _ = app.dialogs.open_for_command(&app.engine, "track.new");
+        return;
+    }
+    if id == "ui.bounce_dialog" {
+        let _ = app.dialogs.open_for_command(&app.engine, "file.bounce_mix");
+        return;
+    }
     let params = params_for(path, id);
     let _ = app.run(id, params);
 }
@@ -524,12 +533,10 @@ pub fn run_ui_command(app: &mut SoundApp, id: &str, p: &Value) -> Option<Result<
             json!({"mix_views": app.ui.mix_views})
         }
         "ui.new_tracks_dialog" => {
-            let _ = app.dialogs.open_for_command(&app.engine, "track.new");
-            json!({})
+            return Some(Err("ui.new_tracks_dialog opens a dialog from the menu only; call track.new with parameters".into()));
         }
         "ui.bounce_dialog" => {
-            let _ = app.dialogs.open_for_command(&app.engine, "file.bounce_mix");
-            json!({})
+            return Some(Err("ui.bounce_dialog opens a dialog from the menu only; call file.bounce_mix with a path".into()));
         }
         "ui.theme" => {
             let Some(mode) = p.get("mode").and_then(Value::as_str) else {
@@ -571,3 +578,24 @@ pub fn parity() -> Value {
     let extra = ui_aliases();
     catalog::parity_with(&extra)
 }
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::{Services, SoundApp};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn programmatic_dialog_commands_stay_closed_and_the_menu_opens_them() {
+        let mut app = SoundApp::new(soundcraft_engine::Engine::default(), None, Services::default());
+        let err = app.run("ui.new_tracks_dialog", json!({})).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(err.contains("track.new"), "{err}");
+        let err = app.run("ui.bounce_dialog", json!({})).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(err.contains("file.bounce_mix"), "{err}");
+        assert!(app.dialogs.open_name().is_none());
+
+        invoke_menu(&mut app, "ui.new_tracks_dialog", "Track > New...");
+        assert_eq!(app.dialogs.open_name(), Some("new_tracks"));
+        app.dialogs.open = None;
+        invoke_menu(&mut app, "ui.bounce_dialog", "File > Bounce Mix...");
+        assert_eq!(app.dialogs.open_name(), Some("bounce"));
+    }
+}