diff --git a/web/app/components/workflow/skill/file-tree/index.tsx b/web/app/components/workflow/skill/file-tree/index.tsx
index 1700e01a76..654ae4e766 100644
--- a/web/app/components/workflow/skill/file-tree/index.tsx
+++ b/web/app/components/workflow/skill/file-tree/index.tsx
@@ -99,17 +99,18 @@ const FileTree: React.FC<FileTreeProps> = ({ className, searchTerm = '' }) => {
   }, [storeApi])
 
   const handleSelect = useCallback((nodes: NodeApi<TreeNodeData>[]) => {
-    if (activeTabId) {
-      storeApi.getState().setSelectedTreeNodeId(activeTabId)
-      return
-    }
     const selectedId = nodes[0]?.id ?? null
     storeApi.getState().setSelectedTreeNodeId(selectedId)
-    storeApi.getState().setCreateTargetNodeId(selectedId)
-  }, [activeTabId, storeApi])
+  }, [storeApi])
+
+  // Clicking blank area clears selection for root-level creation
+  const handleBlankAreaClick = useCallback(() => {
+    storeApi.getState().setSelectedTreeNodeId(null)
+  }, [storeApi])
 
   const handleBlankAreaContextMenu = useCallback((e: React.MouseEvent) => {
     e.preventDefault()
+    storeApi.getState().setSelectedTreeNodeId(null)
     storeApi.getState().setContextMenu({
       top: e.clientY,
       left: e.clientX,
@@ -169,6 +170,7 @@ const FileTree: React.FC<FileTreeProps> = ({ className, searchTerm = '' }) => {
             // Root dropzone highlight - dashed border without layout shift
             isRootDropzone && 'relative rounded-lg bg-state-accent-hover after:pointer-events-none after:absolute after:inset-0 after:rounded-lg after:border-[1.5px] after:border-dashed after:border-state-accent-solid after:content-[\'\']',
           )}
+          onClick={handleBlankAreaClick}
           onContextMenu={handleBlankAreaContextMenu}
           onDragEnter={handleRootDragEnter}
           onDragOver={handleRootDragOver}
@@ -186,7 +188,7 @@ const FileTree: React.FC<FileTreeProps> = ({ className, searchTerm = '' }) => {
             indent={20}
             overscanCount={5}
             openByDefault={false}
-            selection={activeTabId ?? selectedTreeNodeId ?? undefined}
+            selection={selectedTreeNodeId ?? undefined}
             initialOpenState={initialOpensObject}
             onToggle={handleToggle}
             onSelect={handleSelect}
diff --git a/web/app/components/workflow/skill/hooks/use-tree-node-handlers.ts b/web/app/components/workflow/skill/hooks/use-tree-node-handlers.ts
index 5ceed83f8b..437cd4cc3c 100644
--- a/web/app/components/workflow/skill/hooks/use-tree-node-handlers.ts
+++ b/web/app/components/workflow/skill/hooks/use-tree-node-handlers.ts
@@ -49,13 +49,12 @@ export function useTreeNodeHandlers({
 
   const handleClick = useCallback((e: React.MouseEvent) => {
     e.stopPropagation()
-    storeApi.getState().setCreateTargetNodeId(node.data.id)
-    node.select()
+    node.select() // This triggers Tree's onSelect → setSelectedTreeNodeId
     if (isFolder)
       throttledToggle()
     else
       handleFileClick()
-  }, [handleFileClick, isFolder, node, storeApi, throttledToggle])
+  }, [handleFileClick, isFolder, node, throttledToggle])
 
   const handleDoubleClick = useCallback((e: React.MouseEvent) => {
     e.stopPropagation()
@@ -74,7 +73,8 @@ export function useTreeNodeHandlers({
     e.preventDefault()
     e.stopPropagation()
 
-    storeApi.getState().setCreateTargetNodeId(node.data.id)
+    // Select the node for highlight + creation target
+    storeApi.getState().setSelectedTreeNodeId(node.data.id)
     storeApi.getState().setContextMenu({
       top: e.clientY,
       left: e.clientX,
diff --git a/web/app/components/workflow/skill/sidebar-search-add.tsx b/web/app/components/workflow/skill/sidebar-search-add.tsx
index 6607a4198c..637601fbe0 100644
--- a/web/app/components/workflow/skill/sidebar-search-add.tsx
+++ b/web/app/components/workflow/skill/sidebar-search-add.tsx
@@ -65,15 +65,14 @@ const SidebarSearchAdd: FC<SidebarSearchAddProps> = ({ onSearchChange }) => {
   }, [debouncedSearchValue, onSearchChange])
 
   const { data: treeData } = useSkillAssetTreeData()
-  const activeTabId = useStore(s => s.activeTabId)
-  const createTargetNodeId = useStore(s => s.createTargetNodeId)
+  const selectedTreeNodeId = useStore(s => s.selectedTreeNodeId)
   const treeChildren = treeData?.children
 
   const targetFolderId = useMemo(() => {
     if (!treeChildren)
       return 'root'
-    return getTargetFolderIdFromSelection(createTargetNodeId ?? activeTabId, treeChildren)
-  }, [activeTabId, createTargetNodeId, treeChildren])
+    return getTargetFolderIdFromSelection(selectedTreeNodeId, treeChildren)
+  }, [selectedTreeNodeId, treeChildren])
   const menuOffset = useMemo(() => ({ mainAxis: 4 }), [])
 
   const {
diff --git a/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/file-tree-slice.ts b/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/file-tree-slice.ts
index 15e53cfc15..c2aac992ac 100644
--- a/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/file-tree-slice.ts
+++ b/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/file-tree-slice.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ export const createFileTreeSlice: StateCreator<
 > = (set, get) => ({
   expandedFolderIds: new Set<string>(),
   selectedTreeNodeId: null,
-  createTargetNodeId: null,
   pendingCreateNode: null,
 
   setExpandedFolderIds: (ids: Set<string>) => {
@@ -62,10 +61,6 @@ export const createFileTreeSlice: StateCreator<
     set({ selectedTreeNodeId: nodeId })
   },
 
-  setCreateTargetNodeId: (nodeId) => {
-    set({ createTargetNodeId: nodeId })
-  },
-
   startCreateNode: (nodeType, parentId) => {
     set({
       pendingCreateNode: {
diff --git a/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/index.ts b/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/index.ts
index 4d08d524bb..909f71dc64 100644
--- a/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/index.ts
+++ b/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/index.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ export const createSkillEditorSlice: StateCreator<SkillEditorSliceShape> = (...a
       previewTabId: null,
       expandedFolderIds: new Set<string>(),
       selectedTreeNodeId: null,
-      createTargetNodeId: null,
       pendingCreateNode: null,
       dirtyContents: new Map<string, string>(),
       fileMetadata: new Map<string, Record<string, unknown>>(),
diff --git a/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/types.ts b/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/types.ts
index d1445ca150..31e239b024 100644
--- a/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/types.ts
+++ b/web/app/components/workflow/store/workflow/skill-editor/types.ts
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ export type FileTreeSliceShape = {
   getOpensObject: () => OpensObject
   selectedTreeNodeId: string | null
   setSelectedTreeNodeId: (nodeId: string | null) => void
-  createTargetNodeId: string | null
-  setCreateTargetNodeId: (nodeId: string | null) => void
   pendingCreateNode: PendingCreateNode | null
   startCreateNode: (nodeType: PendingCreateNode['nodeType'], parentId: PendingCreateNode['parentId']) => void
   clearCreateNode: () => void