diff --git a/src/components/main-ui.tsx b/src/components/main-ui.tsx
index 004011d..ddd8e8b 100644
--- a/src/components/main-ui.tsx
+++ b/src/components/main-ui.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { OrganiseUI } from "./organise";
 import { HeaderLayout } from "./header-layout";
 import { PDFPreviewPane } from "./pdf-preview";
 import { useFileListContext } from "../provider/fileListProvider";
+import { KeyboardNavProvider } from "../provider/keyboardNavProvider";
 import { Button } from "./ui/button";
 
 interface MainUIProps {
@@ -50,33 +51,35 @@ export function MainUI(props: MainUIProps) {
 
   return (
     <HeaderLayout toolName={props.toolName} onBack={props.onBack}>
-      <box flexDirection="row">
-        <box flexGrow={3}>
-          <Dynamic component={toolComponents[props.selectedTool]} />
-        </box>
-        <Show when={props.selectedTool !== "organise" && props.selectedTool !== "decrypt"}>
-          <box flexGrow={2} width={isPreviewOpen() && fl.fileCount() > 0 ? "30%" : 6}>
-            <Show
-              when={isPreviewOpen() && fl.fileCount() > 0}
-              fallback={
-                <box alignItems="flex-start" paddingTop={2}>
-                  <Button
-                    disabled={!fl.selectedFile()}
-                    color="yellow"
-                    label="◀"
-                    onClick={() => setIsPreviewOpen(true)}
-                  />
-                </box>
-              }
-            >
-              <PDFPreviewPane
-                onOpen={() => setIsPreviewOpen(true)}
-                onClose={() => setIsPreviewOpen(false)}
-              />
-            </Show>
+      <KeyboardNavProvider>
+        <box flexDirection="row">
+          <box flexGrow={3}>
+            <Dynamic component={toolComponents[props.selectedTool]} />
           </box>
-        </Show>
-      </box>
+          <Show when={props.selectedTool !== "organise" && props.selectedTool !== "decrypt"}>
+            <box flexGrow={2} width={isPreviewOpen() && fl.fileCount() > 0 ? "30%" : 6}>
+              <Show
+                when={isPreviewOpen() && fl.fileCount() > 0}
+                fallback={
+                  <box alignItems="flex-start" paddingTop={2}>
+                    <Button
+                      disabled={!fl.selectedFile()}
+                      color="yellow"
+                      label="◀"
+                      onClick={() => setIsPreviewOpen(true)}
+                    />
+                  </box>
+                }
+              >
+                <PDFPreviewPane
+                  onOpen={() => setIsPreviewOpen(true)}
+                  onClose={() => setIsPreviewOpen(false)}
+                />
+              </Show>
+            </box>
+          </Show>
+        </box>
+      </KeyboardNavProvider>
     </HeaderLayout>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks/useKeyboardNav.ts b/src/hooks/useKeyboardNav.ts
index 9555354..0103ba5 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useKeyboardNav.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useKeyboardNav.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-import { createSignal, createMemo } from "solid-js";
+import { createSignal, createMemo, createContext, useContext } from "solid-js";
 import { useBindings } from "@opentui/keymap/solid";
 import type { FocusableElement } from "../model/models";
 
 export type { FocusableElement };
 
-export function useKeyboardNav() {
+export function createKeyboardNav() {
   const [focusIndex, setFocusIndex] = createSignal(0);
   const [elements, setElements] = createSignal<FocusableElement[]>([]);
   const [isInputMode, setIsInputMode] = createSignal(false);
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export function useKeyboardNav() {
   const getFocusedId = () => focusedElement()?.id ?? null;
 
   const clearElements = () => {
-    setElements([]);
+    setElements((prev) => prev.filter((e) => e.persistent));
     setFocusIndex(0);
   };
 
@@ -70,11 +70,10 @@ export function useKeyboardNav() {
     priority: 100,
     bindings: isInputMode()
       ? [
-          // Let escape bubble to the app-level double-esc handler in src/index.tsx
           {
             key: "escape",
             cmd: () => setIsInputMode(false),
-            preventDefault: false,
+            preventDefault: false, // Let escape bubble to the app-level double-esc handler in src/index.tsx
           },
           {
             key: "tab",
@@ -114,3 +113,9 @@ export function useKeyboardNav() {
     setIsInputMode,
   };
 }
+
+export const KeyboardNavContext = createContext<ReturnType<typeof createKeyboardNav>>();
+
+export function useKeyboardNav() {
+  return useContext(KeyboardNavContext) ?? createKeyboardNav();
+}
diff --git a/src/model/models.ts b/src/model/models.ts
index 97174d9..4918dd3 100644
--- a/src/model/models.ts
+++ b/src/model/models.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export interface FocusableElement {
   onEnter?: () => void;
   canFocus?: () => boolean;
   onMouseDown?: () => void;
+  persistent?: boolean; // keeps element registered across clearElements calls
 }
 
 export interface Status {
diff --git a/src/provider/keyboardNavProvider.tsx b/src/provider/keyboardNavProvider.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24f2453
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/provider/keyboardNavProvider.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import { type ParentComponent } from "solid-js";
+import { KeyboardNavContext, createKeyboardNav } from "../hooks/useKeyboardNav";
+
+// Provides a single keyboard-nav instance so descendant panels (the active tool
+// and the PDF preview) share one focus ring instead of competing rings.
+export const KeyboardNavProvider: ParentComponent = (props) => {
+  const nav = createKeyboardNav();
+  return <KeyboardNavContext.Provider value={nav}>{props.children}</KeyboardNavContext.Provider>;
+};