diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/files/FileBrowserPanel.browser.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/files/FileBrowserPanel.browser.test.tsx
index 1c0e1bc914bed..7da02e86eac1d 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/files/FileBrowserPanel.browser.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/files/FileBrowserPanel.browser.test.tsx
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ import { page, userEvent } from "vite-plus/test/browser";
 
 import { COMPOSER_MENTION_DRAG_TYPE } from "~/components/chat/composerMentionDrag";
 import { dismissContextMenu } from "~/contextMenuFallback";
+import { isMacPlatform } from "~/lib/utils";
 import { render } from "../../../test/render";
 import FileBrowserPanel from "./FileBrowserPanel";
+import { dispatchPreviewAction } from "../preview/previewActionBus";
 
 const entries: readonly ProjectEntry[] = [
   { path: "src", kind: "directory" },
@@ -115,4 +117,31 @@ describe("FileBrowserPanel", () => {
     row.click();
     await vi.waitFor(() => expect(onOpenFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
   });
+
+  it("mod+f from a tree row, or the panel find command, focuses the file search", async () => {
+    await using _screen = await render(
+      <FileBrowserPanel
+        environmentId={EnvironmentId.make("env-files")}
+        cwd="/repo"
+        projectName="repo"
+        selectedPath={null}
+        selectedPathRevealId={0}
+        onOpenFile={() => {}}
+        workspaceMutationId={null}
+        answersPanelFind
+      />,
+    );
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(findTreeRow("README.md")).not.toBeNull());
+    findTreeRow("README.md")!.focus();
+
+    const modifier = isMacPlatform(navigator.platform) ? "Meta" : "Control";
+    await userEvent.keyboard(`{${modifier}>}f{/${modifier}}`);
+
+    const search = page.getByRole("searchbox", { name: "Search repo files" });
+    await expect.element(search).toHaveFocus();
+
+    (search.element() as HTMLElement).blur();
+    dispatchPreviewAction("find");
+    await expect.element(search).toHaveFocus();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/files/FileBrowserPanel.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/files/FileBrowserPanel.tsx
index 6b9c912be0a06..292535e7bb1d0 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/files/FileBrowserPanel.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/files/FileBrowserPanel.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { serializeComposerFileLink } from "@t3tools/shared/composerTrigger";
 import * as AsyncResult from "effect/reactivity/AsyncResult";
 import * as Cause from "effect/Cause";
 import { ChevronsDownUpIcon, ChevronsUpDownIcon } from "lucide-react";
-import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { type Ref, useEffect, useEffectEvent, useRef, useState } from "react";
 
 import { Button } from "~/components/ui/button";
 import { InputGroup, InputGroupInput } from "~/components/ui/input-group";
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ import { buildFileTreePathUpdates } from "./fileTreePathReconciliation";
 import { loadFileAncestors } from "./loadFileAncestors";
 import { useDirectoryEntries } from "./useDirectoryEntries";
 import { useProjectPathSearch } from "~/state/queries";
+import { isMacPlatform } from "~/lib/utils";
+import { type PreviewAction, subscribePreviewAction } from "../preview/previewActionBus";
 
 interface FileBrowserPanelProps {
   environmentId: EnvironmentId;
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ interface FileBrowserPanelProps {
   hostFolder?: boolean;
   onRefreshSelectedFile?: () => void;
   workspaceMutationId: string | null;
+  answersPanelFind?: boolean;
 }
 
 function treePath(entry: ProjectEntry): string {
@@ -73,16 +76,21 @@ function RefreshFilesButton(props: { isPending: boolean; onRefresh: () => void }
   );
 }
 
-function FileSearchField(props: {
+function FileSearchField({
+  ref,
+  ...props
+}: {
   ariaLabel: string;
   name: string;
   onClose: () => void;
   onValueChange: (value: string) => void;
+  ref: Ref<HTMLInputElement>;
   value: string;
 }) {
   return (
     <InputGroup variant="ghost" className="h-7 min-w-0 flex-1">
       <InputGroupInput
+        ref={ref}
         type="search"
         name={props.name}
         size="sm"
@@ -142,6 +150,7 @@ export default function FileBrowserPanel({
   onRefreshSelectedFile,
   workspaceMutationId,
   hostFolder = false,
+  answersPanelFind = false,
 }: FileBrowserPanelProps) {
   const panelPath = (relativePath: string) =>
     hostFolder ? joinHostPath(cwd, relativePath) : relativePath;
@@ -320,6 +329,20 @@ export default function FileBrowserPanel({
     setQuery("");
     search.close();
   };
+  const searchInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
+  const focusSearch = () => {
+    searchInputRef.current?.focus();
+    searchInputRef.current?.select();
+  };
+  const onPanelAction = useEffectEvent((action: PreviewAction) => {
+    // Hidden panel tabs stay mounted; only the visible Files tab answers.
+    if (action === "find" && searchInputRef.current?.getClientRects().length) focusSearch();
+  });
+  // oxlint-disable-next-line t3code/no-unreasoned-state-sync -- subscribes to the panel find command, which fires while focus is anywhere in the right panel
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!answersPanelFind) return;
+    return subscribePreviewAction(onPanelAction);
+  }, [answersPanelFind]);
   const expandedPathsRef = useRef(new Set<string>());
   // oxlint-disable-next-line t3code/no-unreasoned-state-sync -- subscribes to the Pierre tree model to load directories as they are expanded
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -482,6 +505,13 @@ export default function FileBrowserPanel({
       // Capture dragstart before the tree selects the row so selection sees the drag flag.
       onDragStartCapture={(event) => dragMention.handleDragStart(event.nativeEvent)}
       onDragEnd={() => dragMention.handleDragEnd((path) => model.getItem(path)?.deselect())}
+      onKeyDown={(event) => {
+        const isModPressed = isMacPlatform(navigator.platform) ? event.metaKey : event.ctrlKey;
+        if (!isModPressed || event.altKey || event.shiftKey || event.key.toLowerCase() !== "f")
+          return;
+        event.preventDefault();
+        focusSearch();
+      }}
     >
       <div
         className="flex h-10 min-h-10 shrink-0 items-center gap-1 border-b border-border/60 bg-background px-2 in-data-[preview-panel-mode=inline]:mb-1 in-data-[preview-panel-mode=inline]:h-9 in-data-[preview-panel-mode=inline]:min-h-9 in-data-[preview-panel-mode=inline]:border-b-transparent"
@@ -489,6 +519,7 @@ export default function FileBrowserPanel({
       >
         <RefreshFilesButton isPending={isPending} onRefresh={handleRefresh} />
         <FileSearchField
+          ref={searchInputRef}
           name="project-files-search"
           ariaLabel={`Search ${projectName} files`}
           value={search.value}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/files/FilePreviewPanel.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/files/FilePreviewPanel.tsx
index 4904211de72df..43bf1dc864996 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/files/FilePreviewPanel.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/files/FilePreviewPanel.tsx
@@ -1638,6 +1638,7 @@ export default function FilePreviewPanel({
                 }
                 selectedPathRevealId={revealRequestId}
                 onOpenFile={onOpenFile}
+                answersPanelFind={!previewPath}
                 workspaceMutationId={workspaceMutationId}
                 {...(previewPath && !isMedia && !isPdf
                   ? {