diff --git a/src/components/notifications/NotificationBell.test.tsx b/src/components/notifications/NotificationBell.test.tsx
index e5db931ef..f198b57a2 100644
--- a/src/components/notifications/NotificationBell.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/notifications/NotificationBell.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { test, expect, afterEach, beforeEach, vi } from "vitest";
-import { act, cleanup, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { act, cleanup, fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { NotificationBell } from "./NotificationBell";
 import { useNotificationStore } from "@/stores/notificationStore";
 import { useUIStore } from "@/stores/uiStore";
@@ -67,3 +67,71 @@ test("an id no longer in the inbox still leaves the popover open", () => {
   expect(screen.getByText("notifications.bell.clearHistory")).toBeTruthy();
   expect(useUIStore.getState().notificationFocusId).toBeNull();
 });
+
+// The mobile shell swaps the foreground tab's bell while the SFTP tab's bell
+// stays mounted behind `invisible`.
+function TwoBells({ hostsTab }: { hostsTab: boolean }) {
+  return (
+    <>
+      {hostsTab && <div data-testid="hosts"><NotificationBell /></div>}
+      <div data-testid="sftp"><NotificationBell /></div>
+    </>
+  );
+}
+
+function stubHiddenSftpBell(hidden: () => boolean) {
+  const real = window.getComputedStyle;
+  window.getComputedStyle = ((el: Element) =>
+    el instanceof HTMLButtonElement && el.closest("[data-testid='sftp']") && hidden()
+      ? ({ visibility: "hidden" } as CSSStyleDeclaration)
+      : real(el)) as typeof window.getComputedStyle;
+  return () => {
+    window.getComputedStyle = real;
+  };
+}
+
+const popovers = () => screen.queryAllByText("notifications.bell.clearHistory").length;
+
+test("only the visible bell paints while both are mounted", () => {
+  const restore = stubHiddenSftpBell(() => true);
+  try {
+    render(<TwoBells hostsTab />);
+    act(() => useUIStore.getState().openNotificationCenter(null));
+    expect(popovers()).toBe(1);
+  } finally {
+    restore();
+  }
+});
+
+test("the popover follows the bell a tab switch makes visible", () => {
+  let sftpHidden = true;
+  const restore = stubHiddenSftpBell(() => sftpHidden);
+  try {
+    const { rerender } = render(<TwoBells hostsTab />);
+    act(() => useUIStore.getState().openNotificationCenter(null));
+    expect(popovers()).toBe(1);
+
+    sftpHidden = false;
+    rerender(<TwoBells hostsTab={false} />);
+
+    expect(popovers()).toBe(1);
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getAllByRole("button")[0]);
+    expect(useUIStore.getState().notificationCenterOpen).toBe(false);
+  } finally {
+    restore();
+  }
+});
+
+test("a link raised with no visible bell paints once one mounts", () => {
+  const restore = stubHiddenSftpBell(() => true);
+  try {
+    const { rerender } = render(<TwoBells hostsTab={false} />);
+    act(() => useUIStore.getState().openNotificationCenter(null));
+    expect(popovers()).toBe(0);
+
+    rerender(<TwoBells hostsTab />);
+    expect(popovers()).toBe(1);
+  } finally {
+    restore();
+  }
+});
diff --git a/src/components/notifications/NotificationBell.tsx b/src/components/notifications/NotificationBell.tsx
index ef8d86475..62a2d6bb0 100644
--- a/src/components/notifications/NotificationBell.tsx
+++ b/src/components/notifications/NotificationBell.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState, useSyncExternalStore } from "react";
 import { createPortal } from "react-dom";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import i18n from "@/i18n";
@@ -21,6 +21,26 @@ const SEVERITY_COLORS: Record<string, string> = {
   error: "var(--t-status-error)",
 };
 
+// Which bell is on screen changes when bells mount and unmount: the mobile
+// shell swaps the foreground tab's bell while the SFTP tab's stays mounted
+// behind `invisible`. Bells re-measure on this signal so the popover follows
+// the bell the user can actually see instead of staying with the one that was
+// visible when it opened.
+let mountVersion = 0;
+const mountListeners = new Set<() => void>();
+
+function bumpMounts() {
+  mountVersion += 1;
+  for (const listener of mountListeners) listener();
+}
+
+function subscribeMounts(listener: () => void) {
+  mountListeners.add(listener);
+  return () => {
+    mountListeners.delete(listener);
+  };
+}
+
 function relativeTime(ms: number): string {
   const diff = Date.now() - ms;
   if (diff < 60_000) return i18n.t("notifications.bell.relativeTime.justNow");
@@ -165,6 +185,12 @@ export function NotificationBell() {
   const buttonRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>(null);
   const dropdownRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 
+  const mounts = useSyncExternalStore(subscribeMounts, () => mountVersion);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    bumpMounts();
+    return bumpMounts;
+  }, []);
+
   // Placement is measured on every open, not on click: a deep link opens the
   // popover with no pointer event to measure from.
   //
@@ -182,7 +208,7 @@ export function NotificationBell() {
     }
     const rect = button.getBoundingClientRect();
     setPos({ top: rect.bottom + 4, right: window.innerWidth - rect.right });
-  }, [open]);
+  }, [open, mounts]);
 
   // A stale id is normal — inbox entries are re-derived, not stored — so a miss
   // leaves the popover open on the full list rather than reporting anything.