diff --git a/electron/main.js b/electron/main.js
index ef9e71a6..19c91f4e 100644
--- a/electron/main.js
+++ b/electron/main.js
@@ -2252,6 +2252,14 @@ function routeReloadShortcut(event, input) {
 // guest never reach the host renderer, so we catch them here and forward the intent + the guest's
 // webContents id so the renderer can target that exact browser. Attached to guests ONLY: on the host
 // the renderer's own keydown handles canvas-vs-browser, and intercepting there would eat canvas zoom.
+// The renderer registers the user's new-agent combo so it still fires while a guest webview holds focus (host keydown never sees those).
+let newAgentCombo = { primary: true, shift: false, key: 'l' };
+ipcMain.on('set-new-agent-shortcut', (_e, combo) => {
+  if (combo && typeof combo.key === 'string' && combo.key) {
+    newAgentCombo = { primary: !!combo.primary, shift: !!combo.shift, key: combo.key.toLowerCase() };
+  }
+});
+
 function routeBrowserShortcut(event, input, webContentsId) {
   if (input.type !== 'keyDown' || input.alt) return;
   const mod = input.meta || input.control;
@@ -2263,6 +2271,7 @@ function routeBrowserShortcut(event, input, webContentsId) {
   else if (mod && !input.shift && key === 'f') action = 'find';
   else if (mod && input.shift && key === 't') action = 'reopen-closed';
   else if (input.control && !input.meta && key === 'tab') action = input.shift ? 'tab-prev' : 'tab-next';
+  else if (mod === newAgentCombo.primary && input.shift === newAgentCombo.shift && key === newAgentCombo.key) action = 'new-agent';
   if (!action) return;
   event.preventDefault();
   try {
diff --git a/electron/preload.js b/electron/preload.js
index 3492415d..b7b751cd 100644
--- a/electron/preload.js
+++ b/electron/preload.js
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('openswarm', {
   setWindowButtonsVisible: (visible) => ipcRenderer.invoke('set-window-buttons-visible', visible),
   // Native window bg tracks the theme so a live resize never paints the boot-dark color behind a light UI.
   setWindowBackground: (color) => ipcRenderer.invoke('set-window-background', color),
+  setNewAgentShortcut: (combo) => ipcRenderer.send('set-new-agent-shortcut', combo),
 
   // Phase 2 provenance: { sha, shortSha, builtAt, channel } for the About panel.
   getBuildInfo: () => ipcRenderer.invoke('get-build-info'),
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/Layout/AppShell.tsx b/frontend/src/app/components/Layout/AppShell.tsx
index 847a60b8..cba5ee1d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/Layout/AppShell.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/Layout/AppShell.tsx
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ const AppShell: React.FC = () => {
     return w.openswarm.onBrowserShortcut((payload: { action: string; webContentsId: number }) => {
       // Reopen-last-closed is global (no target browser), so handle it before the per-browser id guard.
       if (payload.action === 'reopen-closed') { dispatch(reopenLastClosed()); return; }
+      if (payload.action === 'new-agent') { window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('openswarm:new-agent')); return; }
       const id = findBrowserByWebContentsId(payload.webContentsId) ?? getLastInteractedBrowser();
       if (!id) return;
       switch (payload.action) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useDashboardShortcuts.ts b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useDashboardShortcuts.ts
index 83b40876..9e469652 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useDashboardShortcuts.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useDashboardShortcuts.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ export function useDashboardShortcuts({
     const needsShift = parts.includes('shift');
     const needsAlt = parts.includes('alt');
 
+    // Main matches this combo inside focused webviews (host keydown never fires there) and echoes it back as openswarm:new-agent.
+    (window as unknown as { openswarm?: { setNewAgentShortcut?: (c: { primary: boolean; shift: boolean; key: string }) => void } }).openswarm?.setNewAgentShortcut?.({ primary: needsPrimary, shift: needsShift, key });
+
     const handleShortcut = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
       if (!isActive) return;  // Don't fire shortcuts when dashboard is hidden
       if (e.key.toLowerCase() !== key) return;
@@ -46,9 +49,14 @@ export function useDashboardShortcuts({
       e.preventDefault();
       setToolbarOpen(true);
     };
+    const handleForwarded = (): void => { if (isActive) setToolbarOpen(true); };
     window.addEventListener('keydown', handleShortcut);
-    return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', handleShortcut);
-  }, [newAgentShortcut]);
+    window.addEventListener('openswarm:new-agent', handleForwarded);
+    return () => {
+      window.removeEventListener('keydown', handleShortcut);
+      window.removeEventListener('openswarm:new-agent', handleForwarded);
+    };
+  }, [newAgentShortcut, isActive, setToolbarOpen]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const handleEnter = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
@@ -64,7 +72,7 @@ export function useDashboardShortcuts({
     };
     window.addEventListener('keydown', handleEnter);
     return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', handleEnter);
-  }, [selection.selectedIds, dispatch]);
+  }, [selection.selectedIds, dispatch, isActive]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const handleDelete = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
@@ -79,7 +87,7 @@ export function useDashboardShortcuts({
     };
     window.addEventListener('keydown', handleDelete);
     return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', handleDelete);
-  }, [selection, dispatch]);
+  }, [selection, dispatch, isActive]);
 
   // Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+T reopens the most recently closed card (browser, agent, note, app, workflow, or browser tab), like a browser's reopen-closed-tab. The guest-focused case routes through main -> AppShell.
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -123,5 +131,5 @@ export function useDashboardShortcuts({
     };
     window.addEventListener('keydown', handleSearch);
     return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', handleSearch);
-  }, []);
+  }, [isActive, setSearchPaletteOpen]);
 }