diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/helpers/settings.ts b/packages/app/e2e/helpers/settings.ts
index e7648e0ea..2f91b5aab 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/helpers/settings.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/helpers/settings.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,18 @@
 import { expect, type Page } from "@playwright/test";
-import { TEST_HOST_LABEL } from "./daemon-registry";
+import { buildCreateAgentPreferences, buildSeededHost, TEST_HOST_LABEL } from "./daemon-registry";
 import { escapeRegex } from "./regex";
 import { getServerId } from "./server-id";
 
+const DISABLE_DEFAULT_SEED_ONCE_KEY = "@paseo:e2e-disable-default-seed-once";
+const SEED_NONCE_KEY = "@paseo:e2e-seed-nonce";
+const REGISTRY_KEY = "@paseo:daemon-registry";
+
+interface SavedSettingsHostInput {
+  serverId: string;
+  label: string;
+  endpoint: string;
+}
+
 const SECTION_LABELS = {
   general: "General",
   appearance: "Appearance",
@@ -84,6 +94,60 @@ export async function openCompactSettings(page: Page): Promise<void> {
   await expect(page.getByTestId("settings-sidebar")).toBeVisible();
 }
 
+export async function seedSavedSettingsHosts(
+  page: Page,
+  hosts: SavedSettingsHostInput[],
+): Promise<void> {
+  await page.goto("/");
+  const nowIso = new Date().toISOString();
+  const registry = hosts.map((host) =>
+    buildSeededHost({
+      serverId: host.serverId,
+      label: host.label,
+      endpoint: host.endpoint,
+      nowIso,
+    }),
+  );
+  const firstHost = registry[0];
+  if (!firstHost) {
+    throw new Error("Expected at least one settings host fixture.");
+  }
+  const preferences = buildCreateAgentPreferences(firstHost.serverId);
+
+  await page.evaluate(
+    ({ keys, storedRegistry, storedPreferences }) => {
+      const nonce = localStorage.getItem(keys.seedNonce);
+      if (!nonce) {
+        throw new Error("Expected e2e seed nonce before overriding settings host registry.");
+      }
+
+      localStorage.setItem(keys.registry, JSON.stringify(storedRegistry));
+      localStorage.setItem("@paseo:create-agent-preferences", JSON.stringify(storedPreferences));
+      localStorage.setItem(keys.disableDefaultSeedOnce, nonce);
+    },
+    {
+      keys: {
+        disableDefaultSeedOnce: DISABLE_DEFAULT_SEED_ONCE_KEY,
+        registry: REGISTRY_KEY,
+        seedNonce: SEED_NONCE_KEY,
+      },
+      storedRegistry: registry,
+      storedPreferences: preferences,
+    },
+  );
+}
+
+export async function selectSettingsHost(page: Page, serverId: string): Promise<void> {
+  await page.getByTestId("settings-host-picker").click();
+  await page.getByTestId(`settings-host-picker-item-${serverId}`).click();
+}
+
+export async function expectSettingsHostPickerLabel(page: Page, label: string): Promise<void> {
+  await expect(
+    page.getByTestId("settings-host-picker").getByText(label, { exact: true }),
+  ).toBeVisible();
+}
+
 export async function expectCompactSettingsList(page: Page): Promise<void> {
   await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/settings$/);
   await expect(page.getByTestId("settings-sidebar")).toBeVisible();
diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/settings-navigation.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/settings-navigation.spec.ts
index 7aaab7bae..e8b7ffac8 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/settings-navigation.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/settings-navigation.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { test, expect } from "./fixtures";
 import { gotoAppShell, openSettings } from "./helpers/app";
+import { getE2EDaemonPort } from "./helpers/daemon-port";
 import {
   openSettingsSection,
   expectSettingsHeader,
@@ -26,7 +27,12 @@ import {
   expectAboutContent,
   expectGeneralContent,
   expectAppearanceContent,
+  seedSavedSettingsHosts,
+  selectSettingsHost,
+  expectSettingsHostPickerLabel,
+  openSettingsHostSection,
 } from "./helpers/settings";
+import { getServerId } from "./helpers/server-id";
 
 test.describe("Settings sidebar navigation", () => {
   test("clicking a sidebar section updates the URL and renders the section", async ({ page }) => {
@@ -157,4 +163,28 @@ test.describe("Settings — compact master-detail", () => {
     await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/settings$/);
     await expectSettingsSidebarVisible(page);
   });
+
+  test("switching the host picker on the settings list scopes host rows without navigating", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    const primaryServerId = getServerId();
+    const secondaryServerId = "srv_e2e_settings_secondary";
+    const secondaryHostLabel = "Stable horse";
+    const endpoint = `127.0.0.1:${getE2EDaemonPort()}`;
+
+    await seedSavedSettingsHosts(page, [
+      { serverId: primaryServerId, label: "First horse", endpoint },
+      { serverId: secondaryServerId, label: secondaryHostLabel, endpoint },
+    ]);
+    await gotoAppShell(page);
+    await openCompactSettings(page);
+
+    await selectSettingsHost(page, secondaryServerId);
+
+    await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/settings$/);
+    await expectSettingsSidebarVisible(page);
+    await expectSettingsHostPickerLabel(page, secondaryHostLabel);
+
+    await openSettingsHostSection(page, secondaryServerId, "connections");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/app/src/screens/settings-screen.tsx b/packages/app/src/screens/settings-screen.tsx
index 82d82ae17..0dd19f9bf 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/screens/settings-screen.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/screens/settings-screen.tsx
@@ -1097,13 +1097,30 @@ export default function SettingsScreen({ view }: SettingsScreenProps) {
   const sortedHosts = useSortedHosts(hosts, localServerId);
   const hostServerIds = useMemo(() => hosts.map((host) => host.serverId), [hosts]);
   const anyOnlineServerId = useAnyOnlineHostServerId(hostServerIds);
+  const [selectedSettingsHostServerId, setSelectedSettingsHostServerId] = useState<string | null>(
+    view.kind === "host" ? view.serverId : null,
+  );
+  const knownSelectedSettingsHostServerId = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!selectedSettingsHostServerId) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    return hosts.some((host) => host.serverId === selectedSettingsHostServerId)
+      ? selectedSettingsHostServerId
+      : null;
+  }, [hosts, selectedSettingsHostServerId]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (view.kind === "host") {
+      setSelectedSettingsHostServerId(view.serverId);
+    }
+  }, [view]);
 
   // The host the four sections scope to: the host on the active view, otherwise
-  // the local daemon, otherwise the first available host.
+  // the picker choice, otherwise the local daemon, otherwise the first host.
   const activeHostServerId = useMemo(() => {
     if (view.kind === "host") return view.serverId;
-    return localServerId ?? sortedHosts[0]?.serverId ?? null;
-  }, [view, localServerId, sortedHosts]);
+    return knownSelectedSettingsHostServerId ?? localServerId ?? sortedHosts[0]?.serverId ?? null;
+  }, [view, knownSelectedSettingsHostServerId, localServerId, sortedHosts]);
 
   const handleSendBehaviorChange = useCallback(
     (behavior: SendBehavior) => {
@@ -1205,10 +1222,15 @@ export default function SettingsScreen({ view }: SettingsScreenProps) {
     [isCompactLayout, router],
   );
 
-  // Picker: swap the host but keep the section the user is already looking at.
+  // Picker: choose the host for host-section rows. If the user is already on a
+  // host detail route, keep that detail section and swap only the host segment.
   const handleSelectHost = useCallback(
     (serverId: string) => {
-      const section: HostSectionSlug = view.kind === "host" ? view.section : "connections";
+      setSelectedSettingsHostServerId(serverId);
+      if (view.kind !== "host") {
+        return;
+      }
+      const section: HostSectionSlug = view.section;
       const target = buildSettingsHostSectionRoute(serverId, section);
       if (isCompactLayout) {
         router.push(target);