diff --git a/apps/wordcraft/src/apple_events.rs b/apps/wordcraft/src/apple_events.rs
index 64f534392..0eae596a9 100644
--- a/apps/wordcraft/src/apple_events.rs
+++ b/apps/wordcraft/src/apple_events.rs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ pub fn poll(inbox: &Inbox, app: &mut WordApp, ctx: &egui::Context) {
         match e {
             Event::Open(paths) => {
                 for p in paths.iter().filter_map(|p| p.to_str()) {
-                    match app.run("file.open", serde_json::json!({"path": p})) {
+                    match app.open_file(p, None) {
                         // Leave Backstage, as opening from the Open dialog does.
                         Ok(_) => app.ui.backstage = false,
                         Err(e) => {
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/backstage.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/backstage.rs
index 771cd1376..8b3a5084a 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/backstage.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/backstage.rs
@@ -564,8 +564,8 @@ pub(crate) fn forget_save_as_error(ctx: &egui::Context) {
 
 /// Open a file from the Recent list. A file that can't be opened (deleted, moved, unreadable)
 /// leaves File open so the list can say why, rather than closing it on a greyed-out window.
-fn open_recent(app: &mut WordApp, path: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
-    app.run("file.open", json!({"path": path}))?;
+pub(crate) fn open_recent(app: &mut WordApp, path: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
+    app.open_file(path, None)?;
     app.ui.backstage = false;
     app.canvas.want_focus = true;
     Ok(())
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/documents.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/documents.rs
index 601dd3c8f..c843e19d2 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/documents.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/documents.rs
@@ -102,6 +102,22 @@ impl WordApp {
         seen
     }
 
+    /// Open the file at `path` for the window showing document `into` (`None`: the active
+    /// document's window). Every way of opening a file comes through here, so each follows the
+    /// same rule: an untouched blank document is replaced in its own window, else the file opens
+    /// in a window of its own (or its window comes forward if it is already open). A file a
+    /// dialog picked arrives while any window draws, so the document it was asked from is made
+    /// active again first.
+    pub fn open_file(&mut self, path: &str, into: Option<u64>) -> Result<Value, String> {
+        if let Some(id) = into
+            && id != self.session.document_id()
+            && self.session.is_open(id)
+        {
+            self.show_document(id)?;
+        }
+        self.run("file.open", json!({"path": path}))
+    }
+
     /// Show open document `id` in the window (View › Window › Switch Windows, quitting).
     pub(crate) fn show_document(&mut self, id: u64) -> Result<(), String> {
         self.session.activate(id).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/file_browser.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/file_browser.rs
index 502d6a3aa..5c5765506 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/file_browser.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/file_browser.rs
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ impl WordApp {
                 FileDialogRequest::Save { name: self.default_save_name(), dir: None },
                 AfterPick::SaveAs { after: crate::file_dialogs::AfterSave::Nothing, document: self.session.document_id() },
             ),
-            _ => (FileDialogRequest::Open { purpose: "document".into() }, AfterPick::OpenDocument),
+            _ => (FileDialogRequest::Open { purpose: "document".into() }, AfterPick::OpenDocument { document: self.session.document_id() }),
         };
         self.show_file_browser(req, after, false);
     }
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ mod tests {
         std::fs::create_dir(dir.join("drafts")).unwrap();
         std::fs::write(dir.join("drafts").join("old.docx"), b"x").unwrap();
         let req = FileDialogRequest::Save { name: "Document1.docx".into(), dir: None };
-        let mut b = FileBrowser::new(req, AfterPick::OpenDocument, dir.clone(), false);
+        let mut b = FileBrowser::new(req, AfterPick::OpenDocument { document: 0 }, dir.clone(), false);
         b.name = "drafts".into();
         assert_eq!(b.accept(), Step::Stay);
         assert_eq!(b.dir, dir.join("drafts"));
@@ -577,7 +577,8 @@ mod tests {
     fn an_empty_folder_says_there_are_no_items() {
         let dir = scratch("empty_state");
         let mut a = WordApp::new(Session::new(wordcraft_doc::Document::new()), Services::default());
-        let mut b = FileBrowser::new(FileDialogRequest::Open { purpose: "document".into() }, AfterPick::OpenDocument, dir.clone(), false);
+        let mut b =
+            FileBrowser::new(FileDialogRequest::Open { purpose: "document".into() }, AfterPick::OpenDocument { document: 0 }, dir.clone(), false);
         b.navigate(dir.clone());
         assert!(matches!(&b.listing, Ok(l) if l.entries.is_empty()), "the folder starts empty");
         a.file_browser.open = Some(Box::new(b));
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/file_dialogs.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/file_dialogs.rs
index 2ccb8530f..7f375e8c1 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/file_dialogs.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/file_dialogs.rs
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ pub fn open_filters(purpose: &str) -> &'static [(&'static str, &'static [&'stati
 
 /// What to do with the path picked in a dialog.
 pub(crate) enum AfterPick {
-    /// Open the picked document.
-    OpenDocument,
+    /// Open the picked document from the window showing `document` ([`WordApp::open_file`]).
+    OpenDocument { document: u64 },
     /// Insert the picked picture, or replace the pending Change Picture target.
     Picture,
     /// Save the document there, then carry on.
@@ -242,9 +242,9 @@ impl WordApp {
     /// Do what the dialog was for with the picked path (`None`: the user cancelled).
     pub(crate) fn finish_pick(&mut self, after: AfterPick, picked: Option<String>) -> Result<Value, String> {
         match after {
-            AfterPick::OpenDocument => {
+            AfterPick::OpenDocument { document } => {
                 let Some(path) = picked else { return Ok(json!({"cancelled": true})) };
-                let r = self.run("file.open", json!({"path": path}));
+                let r = self.open_file(&path, Some(document));
                 self.ui.backstage = false;
                 r
             }
@@ -450,7 +450,8 @@ impl WordApp {
             f("document");
             return;
         }
-        let _ = self.ask_file(FileDialogRequest::Open { purpose: "document".into() }, AfterPick::OpenDocument);
+        let _ =
+            self.ask_file(FileDialogRequest::Open { purpose: "document".into() }, AfterPick::OpenDocument { document: self.session.document_id() });
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn pick_picture(&mut self) {
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
index cb1af01b3..971674b4e 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
@@ -2479,7 +2479,7 @@ impl WordApp {
                 } else if wordcraft_fonts::is_font_file_name(&lp) {
                     self.run("font.add", json!({"path": path}))
                 } else {
-                    self.run("file.open", json!({"path": path}))
+                    self.open_file(&path, None)
                 };
             }
         }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/windows.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/windows.rs
index b83a5e207..0031b2085 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/windows.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/windows.rs
@@ -1251,4 +1251,66 @@ mod tests {
         a.run("ui.saveChanges", json!({"answer": "dontSave"})).unwrap();
         assert!(a.quit_requested, "one prompt for the document");
     }
+
+    /// Two windows, the second (focused) on an untouched blank document: an app whose host
+    /// answers file dialogs only when the test does, plus the dialog's answer channel.
+    fn blank_beside_a_document() -> (egui::Context, WordApp, Shown, u64) {
+        let shown: Shown = std::rc::Rc::default();
+        let log = shown.clone();
+        let services = Services {
+            file_dialog: Some(Box::new(move |_| {
+                let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+                log.borrow_mut().push(tx);
+                rx
+            })),
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        let ctx = backend();
+        let mut a = WordApp::new(Session::new(wordcraft_doc::Document::new()), services);
+        frames(&ctx, &mut a, 2);
+        a.run("file.open", json!({"path": docx_on_disk("first", "First").to_string_lossy()})).unwrap();
+        a.run("file.new", json!({})).unwrap();
+        frames(&ctx, &mut a, 2);
+        assert!(a.window_count() == 2 && a.session.is_untouched_blank());
+        let blank = a.windows.shown();
+        (ctx, a, shown, blank)
+    }
+
+    type Shown = std::rc::Rc<RefCell<Vec<std::sync::mpsc::Sender<crate::file_dialogs::FileDialogAnswer>>>>;
+
+    /// Each way of opening a file replaces an untouched blank document in its own window, even
+    /// when the file arrives while another window draws: File › Open, ⌘O and the File page's
+    /// Browse (an asynchronous dialog), the File page's and Start screen's recent list, and
+    /// Finder (between frames, in the focused window).
+    #[test]
+    fn every_open_replaces_an_untouched_blank_document_in_its_window() {
+        let second = docx_on_disk("second", "Second");
+        let path = second.to_string_lossy().to_string();
+        let opens: [(&str, fn(&mut WordApp, &egui::Context, &Shown, &str)); 3] = [
+            ("dialog", |a, ctx, shown, path| {
+                a.run("ui.backstage", json!({"value": true, "page": "open"})).unwrap();
+                a.run("ui.openFileDialog", json!({})).unwrap();
+                frames(ctx, a, 2);
+                let tx = shown.borrow_mut().pop().unwrap();
+                tx.send(Ok(vec![path.to_string()])).unwrap();
+                frames(ctx, a, 3);
+            }),
+            ("recent", |a, ctx, _, path| {
+                crate::backstage::open_recent(a, path).unwrap();
+                frames(ctx, a, 2);
+            }),
+            ("finder", |a, ctx, _, path| {
+                a.open_file(path, None).unwrap();
+                frames(ctx, a, 2);
+            }),
+        ];
+        for (how, open) in opens {
+            let (ctx, mut a, shown, blank) = blank_beside_a_document();
+            open(&mut a, &ctx, &shown, &path);
+            assert_eq!(a.window_count(), 2, "{how}: no third window");
+            assert!(a.enter_window(blank), "{how}: the blank document's window is still open");
+            assert_eq!(text(&a), "Second", "{how}: it shows the opened file");
+        }
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(second.parent().unwrap()).ok();
+    }
 }