diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/RightPanelTabs.keyboard.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/RightPanelTabs.keyboard.test.tsx
index e7a952ba43c5..dc1de792e91c 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/RightPanelTabs.keyboard.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/RightPanelTabs.keyboard.test.tsx
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ describe("right panel new-tab shortcut", () => {
     expect((await press("t", { metaKey: true, isComposing: true })).defaultPrevented).toBe(false);
     const dialog = document.createElement("div");
     dialog.dataset.slot = "dialog-popup";
+    dialog.dataset.open = "";
     container.append(dialog);
     expect((await press("t", { metaKey: true })).defaultPrevented).toBe(false);
     expect(document.querySelector('[role="menu"]')).toBeNull();
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/RightPanelTabs.launcherShortcuts.test.ts b/apps/web/src/components/RightPanelTabs.launcherShortcuts.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c4e77c931c36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/RightPanelTabs.launcherShortcuts.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vite-plus/test";
+
+import { launcherShortcutBlockedByOverlay } from "./RightPanelTabs";
+
+const POPUP_SLOTS = [
+  "dialog-popup",
+  "alert-dialog-popup",
+  "command-dialog-popup",
+  "menu-popup",
+  "select-popup",
+  "popover-popup",
+  "combobox-popup",
+  "autocomplete-popup",
+] as const;
+
+/** Mount a popup slot in the document in a closed, open, or closing state. */
+function mountPopup(slot: string, state: "closed" | "open" | "ending"): HTMLElement {
+  const popup = document.createElement("div");
+  popup.dataset.slot = slot;
+  if (state === "closed") popup.dataset.closed = "";
+  if (state === "open") popup.dataset.open = "";
+  if (state === "ending") popup.dataset.endingStyle = "";
+  document.body.append(popup);
+  return popup;
+}
+
+describe("launcher shortcut overlays", () => {
+  it("ignores a closed popup that stays mounted", () => {
+    for (const slot of POPUP_SLOTS) {
+      document.body.replaceChildren();
+      mountPopup(slot, "closed");
+      expect(launcherShortcutBlockedByOverlay(), slot).toBe(false);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("blocks while a popup is open or animating closed", () => {
+    for (const slot of POPUP_SLOTS) {
+      for (const state of ["open", "ending"] as const) {
+        document.body.replaceChildren();
+        mountPopup(slot, state);
+        expect(launcherShortcutBlockedByOverlay(), `${slot} ${state}`).toBe(true);
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("keeps blocking when a closed mounted menu sits beside an open one", () => {
+    document.body.replaceChildren();
+    mountPopup("menu-popup", "closed");
+    mountPopup("menu-popup", "open");
+    expect(launcherShortcutBlockedByOverlay()).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/RightPanelTabs.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/RightPanelTabs.tsx
index 2c7e3e3da68c..f5b30a479c97 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/RightPanelTabs.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/RightPanelTabs.tsx
@@ -165,18 +165,34 @@ const SURFACE_DISABLED_REASONS = {
   device: "Devices are only available from a thread.",
 } as const;
 
-/** Overlays that must win over the launcher's letter shortcuts. */
+/**
+ * Overlays that must win over the launcher's letter shortcuts.
+ * Each popup matches only while open or animating closed. A closed popup
+ * can stay mounted (`keepMounted`); matching it by slot alone made the
+ * chat header actions menu swallow every launcher letter.
+ */
 const LAUNCHER_SHORTCUT_BLOCKING_LAYERS = [
-  '[data-slot="dialog-popup"]',
-  '[data-slot="alert-dialog-popup"]',
-  '[data-slot="command-dialog-popup"]',
-  '[data-slot="menu-popup"]',
-  '[data-slot="select-popup"]',
-  '[data-slot="popover-popup"]',
-  '[data-slot="combobox-popup"]',
-  '[data-slot="autocomplete-popup"]',
+  '[data-slot="dialog-popup"]:is([data-open],[data-ending-style])',
+  '[data-slot="alert-dialog-popup"]:is([data-open],[data-ending-style])',
+  '[data-slot="command-dialog-popup"]:is([data-open],[data-ending-style])',
+  '[data-slot="menu-popup"]:is([data-open],[data-ending-style])',
+  '[data-slot="select-popup"]:is([data-open],[data-ending-style])',
+  '[data-slot="popover-popup"]:is([data-open],[data-ending-style])',
+  '[data-slot="combobox-popup"]:is([data-open],[data-ending-style])',
+  '[data-slot="autocomplete-popup"]:is([data-open],[data-ending-style])',
 ].join(",");
 
+/**
+ * Whether a launcher letter should be ignored because an overlay is open
+ * or still animating closed.
+ *
+ * Closed popups that stay mounted do not count. The chat header actions
+ * menu used to, and every launcher letter was dead on every thread.
+ */
+export function launcherShortcutBlockedByOverlay(root: ParentNode = document): boolean {
+  return root.querySelector(LAUNCHER_SHORTCUT_BLOCKING_LAYERS) !== null;
+}
+
 /** One-line unavailability hints for the empty-state rows. */
 const SURFACE_UNAVAILABLE_HINTS = {
   browser: "Only available in the desktop app.",
@@ -414,7 +430,7 @@ function RightPanelEmptyState(props: {
     const handler = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
       const action = surfaceShortcutActionForKey(shortcutActionsRef.current, event);
       if (!action) return;
-      if (document.querySelector(LAUNCHER_SHORTCUT_BLOCKING_LAYERS)) return;
+      if (launcherShortcutBlockedByOverlay()) return;
       // The composed path starts at the real target, which may sit inside a shadow root.
       const target = event.composedPath()[0] ?? event.target;
       if (target instanceof Element && surfaceShortcutTargetsTypingContext(target)) return;
@@ -818,7 +834,7 @@ export function RightPanelTabs(props: RightPanelTabsProps) {
       }) !== "rightPanel.new"
     )
       return;
-    if (!addSurfaceMenuOpen && document.querySelector(LAUNCHER_SHORTCUT_BLOCKING_LAYERS)) return;
+    if (!addSurfaceMenuOpen && launcherShortcutBlockedByOverlay()) return;
     event.preventDefault();
     event.stopPropagation();
     if (!event.repeat) {