diff --git a/src/commands/preview.ts b/src/commands/preview.ts
index 070ce88..3a14b49 100644
--- a/src/commands/preview.ts
+++ b/src/commands/preview.ts
@@ -11,9 +11,12 @@ import { oilPreviewProvider } from "../providers/providers";
 import { logger } from "../logger";
 import { isUpdatePreviewDisabled } from "./disableUpdatePreview";
 
-export async function preview(overrideEnabled: boolean = false) {
+export async function preview(
+  overrideEnabled: boolean = false,
+  editorOverride?: vscode.TextEditor
+) {
   logger.trace("Previewing file or directory...");
-  const activeEditor = vscode.window.activeTextEditor;
+  const activeEditor = editorOverride ?? vscode.window.activeTextEditor;
 
   if (!activeEditor) {
     vscode.window.showErrorMessage("No active editor found.");
@@ -58,8 +61,15 @@ export async function preview(overrideEnabled: boolean = false) {
     targetPath = path.join(uriPathToDiskPath(currentFolderPath), fileName);
   }
 
+  await previewTargetPath(targetPath, overrideEnabled);
+}
+
+export async function previewTargetPath(
+  targetPath: string,
+  overrideEnabled: boolean = false
+) {
   if (!fs.existsSync(targetPath)) {
-    vscode.window.showErrorMessage(`"${fileName}" does not exist.`);
+    vscode.window.showErrorMessage(`"${path.basename(targetPath)}" does not exist.`);
     return;
   }
 
@@ -177,6 +187,7 @@ async function previewDirectory(directoryPath: string) {
     const previewUri = vscode.Uri.parse(
       `${OIL_PREVIEW_SCHEME}://oil-preview/${previewName}`
     );
+    const previousPreviewUri = getPreviewState().previewUri;
 
     // Write content to the virtual file
     oilPreviewProvider.writeFile(previewUri, Buffer.from(directoryContent));
@@ -203,6 +214,20 @@ async function previewDirectory(directoryPath: string) {
     };
     setPreviewState(newPreviewState);
 
+    if (previousPreviewUri && previousPreviewUri.toString() !== previewUri.toString()) {
+      const previousPreviewTab = vscode.window.tabGroups.all
+        .flatMap((group) => group.tabs)
+        .find(
+          (tab) =>
+            tab.input instanceof vscode.TabInputText &&
+            tab.input.uri.toString() === previousPreviewUri.toString()
+        );
+      if (previousPreviewTab) {
+        await vscode.window.tabGroups.close(previousPreviewTab);
+      }
+      oilPreviewProvider.delete(previousPreviewUri);
+    }
+
     // Start listening for cursor movements if not already listening
     if (!getPreviewState().cursorListenerDisposable) {
       logger.trace("Starting cursor listener for preview updates...");
diff --git a/src/commands/select.ts b/src/commands/select.ts
index acbd917..31035f4 100644
--- a/src/commands/select.ts
+++ b/src/commands/select.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { updateDisableUpdatePreview } from "./disableUpdatePreview";
 import { logger } from "../logger";
 import { onDidSaveTextDocument } from "../handlers/onDidSaveTextDocument";
 import { getPreviewState } from "../state/previewState";
-import { preview } from "./preview";
+import { preview, previewTargetPath } from "./preview";
 
 const cursorInitChar = 5; // 5 characters for "/000 "
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ export async function select({
       const editor = await vscode.window.showTextDocument(newDoc, {
         viewColumn: viewColumn || activeEditor.viewColumn,
         preview: false,
-        preserveFocus: activeEditor.document.isDirty,
+        preserveFocus: false,
       });
 
       // Close the old document after the new one is shown (only if same column)
@@ -156,7 +156,11 @@ export async function select({
 
         // Use setTimeout to ensure the editor content is updated
         setTimeout(() => {
-          const editorForSelection = vscode.window.activeTextEditor;
+          // Use the editor returned by showTextDocument instead of the global
+          // activeTextEditor. Opening/updating the side preview can briefly make
+          // another editor active, which makes the preview-by-default flow racey
+          // in CI and leaves the cursor on "../".
+          const editorForSelection = editor;
           if (editorForSelection) {
             // Find the line with the directory name (with trailing slash)
             const docText = editorForSelection.document.getText();
@@ -191,9 +195,17 @@ export async function select({
               // Default to first line if not found
               editorForSelection.selection = new vscode.Selection(0, 0, 0, 0);
             }
-            updateDisableUpdatePreview(false);
             if (getPreviewState().previewEnabled) {
-              preview(true);
+              void previewTargetPath(currentFileDiskPath, true)
+                .catch((error) => {
+                  logger.error(
+                    "Failed to update preview after navigating up:",
+                    error
+                  );
+                })
+                .finally(() => updateDisableUpdatePreview(false));
+            } else {
+              updateDisableUpdatePreview(false);
             }
           }
         }, 50);
@@ -204,7 +216,12 @@ export async function select({
           updateDisableUpdatePreview(false);
           // Manually update preview if enabled
           if (getPreviewState().previewEnabled) {
-            preview(true);
+            void preview(true, editor).catch((error) => {
+              logger.error(
+                "Failed to update preview after entering directory:",
+                error
+              );
+            });
           }
         }, 50);
       }