diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChannelManager.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChannelManager.kt
index 5cc1375c..43bc2085 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChannelManager.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChannelManager.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.bitchat.android.ui
 
+import com.bitchat.android.geohash.ChannelID
 import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 import java.security.MessageDigest
@@ -16,7 +17,8 @@ class ChannelManager(
     private val state: ChatState,
     private val messageManager: MessageManager,
     private val dataManager: DataManager,
-    private val coroutineScope: CoroutineScope
+    private val coroutineScope: CoroutineScope,
+    private val onSwitchToMeshLocation: () -> Unit = {}
 ) {
     
     // Channel encryption and security
@@ -109,6 +111,8 @@ class ChannelManager(
     fun switchToChannel(channel: String?) {
         state.setCurrentChannel(channel)
         state.setSelectedPrivateChatPeer(null)
+        state.setSelectedLocationChannel(ChannelID.Mesh)
+        onSwitchToMeshLocation()
         
         // Clear unread count
         channel?.let { ch ->
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChatViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChatViewModel.kt
index bf9e2f7c..f40549b6 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChatViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/ChatViewModel.kt
@@ -140,7 +140,17 @@ class ChatViewModel(
     private val conversationListPreferences =
         com.bitchat.android.services.ConversationListPreferences.getInstance(getApplication())
     private val messageManager = MessageManager(state)
-    private val channelManager = ChannelManager(state, messageManager, dataManager, viewModelScope)
+    private val channelManager = ChannelManager(
+        state,
+        messageManager,
+        dataManager,
+        viewModelScope,
+        onSwitchToMeshLocation = {
+            com.bitchat.android.geohash.LocationChannelManager
+                .getInstance(getApplication())
+                .select(com.bitchat.android.geohash.ChannelID.Mesh)
+        }
+    )
 
     // Create Noise session delegate for clean dependency injection
     private val noiseSessionDelegate = object : NoiseSessionDelegate {
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/CommandProcessorTest.kt b/app/src/test/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/CommandProcessorTest.kt
index 36c68429..2ed944fe 100644
--- a/app/src/test/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/CommandProcessorTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/java/com/bitchat/android/ui/CommandProcessorTest.kt
@@ -163,6 +163,23 @@ class CommandProcessorTest() {
     assertEquals(0, chatState.getMessagesValue().size)
   }
 
+  @Test
+  fun `join command leaves active geohash selection for mesh channel routing`() {
+    chatState.setSelectedLocationChannel(
+      ChannelID.Location(GeohashChannel(GeohashChannelLevel.REGION, "9q"))
+    )
+
+    commandProcessor.processCommand(
+      command = "/join backchannel",
+      meshService = meshService,
+      myPeerID = "peer-id",
+      onSendMessage = { _, _, _ -> },
+      viewModel = null
+    )
+
+    assertEquals("#backchannel", chatState.getCurrentChannelValue())
+    assertEquals(ChannelID.Mesh, chatState.selectedLocationChannel.value)
+
   @Test
   fun `clearSuggestions hides the command suggestion popup`() {
     // Typing "/" opens the command popup.
@@ -187,5 +204,6 @@ class CommandProcessorTest() {
     commandProcessor.clearSuggestions()
     assertFalse(chatState.getShowMentionSuggestionsValue())
     assertTrue(chatState.getMentionSuggestionsValue().isEmpty())
+
   }
 }
diff --git a/gradle/verification-metadata.xml b/gradle/verification-metadata.xml
index a62cbff6..08eb23c4 100644
--- a/gradle/verification-metadata.xml
+++ b/gradle/verification-metadata.xml
@@ -2147,6 +2147,9 @@
          <artifact name="aapt2-9.3.1-15703166-osx.jar">
             <sha256 value="1e35bc2ce18c3aae840be2a29659ce50d6043e907a44d98ee1cf375d044fa29c" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>
          </artifact>
+         <artifact name="aapt2-9.3.1-15703166-windows.jar">
+            <sha256 value="b1006ecec7e5936257e95e97f3eba7ef439d3e44178967cc048f86c9119fb231" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>
+         </artifact>
          <artifact name="aapt2-9.3.1-15703166.pom">
             <sha256 value="edb82dcbe738ca78b31612cb307bf99e5f02f25c8125048f933e792fd7778beb" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>
          </artifact>
@@ -4903,6 +4906,9 @@
          </artifact>
       </component>
       <component group="org.junit" name="junit-bom" version="5.9.2">
+         <artifact name="junit-bom-5.9.2.module">
+            <sha256 value="ab137ba5a8e32c9b066bf9126a1c76dd5614b724ba5c0b02549772b5e9f4cf1f" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>
+         </artifact>
          <artifact name="junit-bom-5.9.2.pom">
             <sha256 value="2ed07d65845131f5336a86476c9a4056b59d0b58b9815ab3679bb0f36f35f705" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>
          </artifact>