diff --git a/surfaces/gui/e2e/artifacts.spec.ts b/surfaces/gui/e2e/artifacts.spec.ts
index 0bcddcfe..ebd18224 100644
--- a/surfaces/gui/e2e/artifacts.spec.ts
+++ b/surfaces/gui/e2e/artifacts.spec.ts
@@ -36,3 +36,18 @@ test("HTML artifact offers Open in browser as the unsandboxed escape hatch", asy
   await openReport(page);
   await expect(page.getByTestId("artifact-open-browser")).toBeVisible();
 });
+
+test("a transcript chip opens the viewer on the FIRST click even with the rail hidden", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  // Owner-hit 2026-08-15: the chip fires one event; the rail's select-listener was only
+  // registered while the rail was visible, so click #1 unhid an empty rail and the
+  // selection was lost — the viewer appeared only on a later click.
+  await page.goto("/");
+  await page.getByPlaceholder(/Ask the coworker/).fill("show the report");
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Send" }).click();
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Hide side panel" }).click();
+
+  await page.getByTestId("artifact-chip").click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("artifact-frame")).toBeVisible();
+});
diff --git a/surfaces/gui/e2e/fixtures.ts b/surfaces/gui/e2e/fixtures.ts
index 0675eaa7..2350b2aa 100644
--- a/surfaces/gui/e2e/fixtures.ts
+++ b/surfaces/gui/e2e/fixtures.ts
@@ -610,6 +610,14 @@ export async function mockApi(page: import("@playwright/test").Page) {
           });
           return; // suspended on the approval
         }
+        // A deliverable turn ending in an artifact chip (§34) — for the chip-open flow.
+        if (/show the report/i.test(msg.text)) {
+          send("assistant_message", {
+            text: "Done — [Security review](artifact:reports/security-review.html)",
+          });
+          send("turn_done");
+          return;
+        }
         // The pre-fix payload shape (owner-hit 2026-08-14): no installable/version/summary
         // — an older sidecar, or any surface that forgets the field. Must render NOT
         // installable, never a guessed Install offer.
diff --git a/surfaces/gui/src/components/RightRail.tsx b/surfaces/gui/src/components/RightRail.tsx
index ab6302bf..651ee917 100644
--- a/surfaces/gui/src/components/RightRail.tsx
+++ b/surfaces/gui/src/components/RightRail.tsx
@@ -118,8 +118,11 @@ export function RightRail({
   // §34 (UX-016): [Title](artifact:path) chips in the transcript open the viewer directly.
   // Resolve against the loaded list first; on a miss, refresh once (the file may be
   // seconds old), then fall back to a minimal record — readArtifact validates the path.
+  // Registered even while the rail is HIDDEN (owner-hit 2026-08-15): the chip fires ONE
+  // event, and App's unhide listener and this one race it — gating this on `active`
+  // dropped the selection, so the first click only opened an empty rail.
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!active) return;
+    if (!sessionId) return;
     const minimal = (path: string): ArtifactInfo => ({
       path,
       name: path.split("/").pop() || path,
@@ -146,7 +149,7 @@ export function RightRail({
     };
     window.addEventListener(OPEN_ARTIFACT_EVENT, onOpen);
     return () => window.removeEventListener(OPEN_ARTIFACT_EVENT, onOpen);
-  }, [active, sessionId, artifacts]);
+  }, [sessionId, artifacts]);
 
   if (!active) return null;