diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/switch-panel-buttons.gjs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/switch-panel-buttons.gjs
index 3d1ef6d9153..58b8a666785 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/switch-panel-buttons.gjs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/switch-panel-buttons.gjs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export default class SwitchPanelButtons extends Component {
     this.isSwitching = true;
     this.sidebarState.currentPanel.lastKnownURL = this.router.currentURL;
 
-    const destination = panel?.switchButtonDefaultUrl || panel?.lastKnownURL;
+    const destination = panel?.switchButtonDefaultUrl;
     if (!destination) {
       return;
     }
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/custom-sections.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/custom-sections.js
index b53657a23ac..c0c1df268e2 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/custom-sections.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/custom-sections.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class MainSidebarPanel {
   }
 
   get switchButtonDefaultUrl() {
-    return "/";
+    return this?.lastKnownURL || "/";
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/chat/spec/system/separate_sidebar_mode_spec.rb b/plugins/chat/spec/system/separate_sidebar_mode_spec.rb
index 09444505a45..cb414a61644 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/spec/system/separate_sidebar_mode_spec.rb
+++ b/plugins/chat/spec/system/separate_sidebar_mode_spec.rb
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ RSpec.describe "Separate sidebar mode", type: :system do
         expect(channel_browse_page.component).to be_present
 
         sidebar_component.switch_to_main
-        expect(page).to have_current_path("/discuss/")
+        expect(page).to have_current_path("/discuss/about")
       end
     end
   end