diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/space/components/sidebar/space-select.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/space/components/sidebar/space-select.tsx
index dab784103..47c499757 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/features/space/components/sidebar/space-select.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/space/components/sidebar/space-select.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import React, { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { useDebouncedValue } from "@mantine/hooks";
 import { Group, Select, SelectProps, Text } from "@mantine/core";
 import { useGetSpacesQuery } from "@/features/space/queries/space-query.ts";
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ interface SpaceSelectProps {
   width?: number;
   opened?: boolean;
   clearable?: boolean;
+  withinPortal?: boolean;
 }
 
 const renderSelectOption: SelectProps["renderOption"] = ({ option }) => (
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ export function SpaceSelect({
   width,
   opened,
   clearable,
+  withinPortal = true,
 }: SpaceSelectProps) {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
   const [searchValue, setSearchValue] = useState("");
@@ -50,9 +52,13 @@ export function SpaceSelect({
     limit: 50,
   });
   const [data, setData] = useState([]);
+  const fetchedSpaces = useRef(new Map<string, ISpace>());
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (spaces) {
+      spaces.items.forEach((space: ISpace) =>
+        fetchedSpaces.current.set(space.slug, space),
+      );
       const spaceData = spaces?.items
         .filter((space: ISpace) => space.slug !== value)
         .map((space: ISpace) => {
@@ -83,14 +89,19 @@ export function SpaceSelect({
       onSearchChange={setSearchValue}
       clearable={clearable}
       variant="filled"
-      onChange={(slug) =>
-        onChange(spaces.items?.find((item) => item.slug === slug))
-      }
+      onChange={(slug) => {
+        // options accumulate across fetches; resolve against everything
+        // fetched, not just the latest query result
+        const space = slug && fetchedSpaces.current.get(slug);
+        if (space) {
+          onChange(space);
+        }
+      }}
       onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
       nothingFoundMessage={t("No space found")}
       limit={50}
       checkIconPosition="right"
-      comboboxProps={{ width, withinPortal: true, position: "bottom", keepMounted: false, dropdownPadding: 0 }}
+      comboboxProps={{ width, withinPortal, position: "bottom", keepMounted: false, dropdownPadding: 0 }}
       dropdownOpened={opened}
     />
   );
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/space/components/sidebar/switch-space.test.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/space/components/sidebar/switch-space.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0cf31fcb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/space/components/sidebar/switch-space.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+import { beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { MantineProvider } from "@mantine/core";
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { MemoryRouter, useLocation } from "react-router-dom";
+import { SwitchSpace } from "./switch-space.tsx";
+
+vi.mock("@/main.tsx", async () => {
+  const { QueryClient } = await import("@tanstack/react-query");
+  return { queryClient: new QueryClient() };
+});
+
+const SPACES = [
+  { id: "1", name: "General", slug: "general", logo: null },
+  { id: "2", name: "Engineering", slug: "engineering", logo: null },
+  { id: "3", name: "Marketing", slug: "marketing", logo: null },
+];
+
+vi.mock("@/features/space/services/space-service.ts", () => ({
+  getSpaces: vi.fn(async () => ({ items: SPACES, meta: {} })),
+  getSpaceById: vi.fn(),
+  getSpaceMembers: vi.fn(),
+  addSpaceMember: vi.fn(),
+  changeMemberRole: vi.fn(),
+  removeSpaceMember: vi.fn(),
+  createSpace: vi.fn(),
+  updateSpace: vi.fn(),
+  deleteSpace: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+beforeAll(() => {
+  window.matchMedia = ((query: string) => ({
+    matches: false,
+    media: query,
+    onchange: null,
+    addListener: () => {},
+    removeListener: () => {},
+    addEventListener: () => {},
+    removeEventListener: () => {},
+    dispatchEvent: () => false,
+  })) as unknown as typeof window.matchMedia;
+  window.ResizeObserver = class {
+    observe() {}
+    unobserve() {}
+    disconnect() {}
+  } as unknown as typeof window.ResizeObserver;
+  Element.prototype.scrollIntoView = () => {};
+});
+
+function LocationProbe() {
+  const location = useLocation();
+  return <div data-testid="location">{location.pathname}</div>;
+}
+
+function renderSwitcher() {
+  const client = new QueryClient({
+    defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false } },
+  });
+  return render(
+    <MantineProvider>
+      <QueryClientProvider client={client}>
+        <MemoryRouter initialEntries={["/s/general"]}>
+          <SwitchSpace spaceName="General" spaceSlug="general" />
+          <LocationProbe />
+        </MemoryRouter>
+      </QueryClientProvider>
+    </MantineProvider>,
+  );
+}
+
+function getOption(name: string) {
+  const options = screen.getAllByRole("option", { hidden: true });
+  const match = options.find((option) => option.textContent?.includes(name));
+  if (!match) {
+    throw new Error(`option ${name} not found`);
+  }
+  return match;
+}
+
+async function openSwitcher() {
+  fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /general/i }));
+  const dialog = await screen.findByRole("dialog", { hidden: true });
+  await screen.findAllByRole("option", { hidden: true });
+  return dialog;
+}
+
+describe("SwitchSpace", () => {
+  it("renders the space options inside the popover so option clicks are not outside clicks", async () => {
+    renderSwitcher();
+    const dialog = await openSwitcher();
+    const listbox = screen.getByRole("listbox", { hidden: true });
+    expect(dialog.contains(listbox)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the popover open when an option is pressed with the mouse", async () => {
+    renderSwitcher();
+    const dialog = await openSwitcher();
+    fireEvent.mouseDown(getOption("Marketing"));
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 400));
+    expect(document.body.contains(dialog)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("navigates to the space picked from search results", async () => {
+    renderSwitcher();
+    await openSwitcher();
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByPlaceholderText("Search for spaces"), {
+      target: { value: "mark" },
+    });
+    await waitFor(() => getOption("Marketing"));
+    const option = getOption("Marketing");
+    fireEvent.mouseDown(option);
+    fireEvent.mouseUp(option);
+    fireEvent.click(option);
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(screen.getByTestId("location").textContent).toBe("/s/marketing"),
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/space/components/sidebar/switch-space.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/space/components/sidebar/switch-space.tsx
index 7531a5926..fd14a6edc 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/features/space/components/sidebar/switch-space.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/space/components/sidebar/switch-space.tsx
@@ -64,12 +64,15 @@ export function SwitchSpace({
         </Button>
       </Popover.Target>
       <Popover.Dropdown>
+        {/* keep the options dropdown inside the popover; a portaled dropdown
+            registers as an outside click and closes the popover mid-selection */}
         <SpaceSelect
           label={spaceName}
           value={spaceSlug}
           onChange={(space) => handleSelect(space.slug)}
           width={300}
           opened={true}
+          withinPortal={false}
         />
       </Popover.Dropdown>
     </Popover>