diff --git a/ui/src/App.tsx b/ui/src/App.tsx
index 8f1b3ef9..f51679de 100644
--- a/ui/src/App.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/App.tsx
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import { NotFoundPage } from "./pages/NotFound";
 import { queryKeys } from "./lib/queryKeys";
 import { useCompany } from "./context/CompanyContext";
 import { useDialog } from "./context/DialogContext";
+import { loadLastInboxTab } from "./lib/inbox";
 
 function BootstrapPendingPage({ hasActiveInvite = false }: { hasActiveInvite?: boolean }) {
   return (
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ function boardRoutes() {
       <Route path="approvals/:approvalId" element={<ApprovalDetail />} />
       <Route path="costs" element={<Costs />} />
       <Route path="activity" element={<Activity />} />
-      <Route path="inbox" element={<Navigate to="/inbox/all" replace />} />
+      <Route path="inbox" element={<InboxRootRedirect />} />
       <Route path="inbox/new" element={<Inbox />} />
       <Route path="inbox/all" element={<Inbox />} />
       <Route path="design-guide" element={<DesignGuide />} />
@@ -147,6 +148,10 @@ function boardRoutes() {
   );
 }
 
+function InboxRootRedirect() {
+  return <Navigate to={`/inbox/${loadLastInboxTab()}`} replace />;
+}
+
 function CompanyRootRedirect() {
   const { companies, selectedCompany, loading } = useCompany();
   const { onboardingOpen } = useDialog();
diff --git a/ui/src/components/CommandPalette.tsx b/ui/src/components/CommandPalette.tsx
index 04b4b035..3defb0e6 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/CommandPalette.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/CommandPalette.tsx
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ export function CommandPalette() {
             <LayoutDashboard className="mr-2 h-4 w-4" />
             Dashboard
           </CommandItem>
-          <CommandItem onSelect={() => go("/inbox/all")}>
+          <CommandItem onSelect={() => go("/inbox")}>
             <Inbox className="mr-2 h-4 w-4" />
             Inbox
           </CommandItem>
diff --git a/ui/src/components/MobileBottomNav.tsx b/ui/src/components/MobileBottomNav.tsx
index 7ba83b89..daa17318 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/MobileBottomNav.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/MobileBottomNav.tsx
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export function MobileBottomNav({ visible }: MobileBottomNavProps) {
       { type: "link", to: "/agents/all", label: "Agents", icon: Users },
       {
         type: "link",
-        to: "/inbox/all",
+        to: "/inbox",
         label: "Inbox",
         icon: Inbox,
         badge: inboxBadge.inbox,
diff --git a/ui/src/components/Sidebar.tsx b/ui/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
index 684c878a..0cc46d87 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ export function Sidebar() {
           </button>
           <SidebarNavItem to="/dashboard" label="Dashboard" icon={LayoutDashboard} liveCount={liveRunCount} />
           <SidebarNavItem
-            to="/inbox/all"
+            to="/inbox"
             label="Inbox"
             icon={Inbox}
             badge={inboxBadge.inbox}
diff --git a/ui/src/hooks/useInboxBadge.ts b/ui/src/hooks/useInboxBadge.ts
index b004850e..f2e916bd 100644
--- a/ui/src/hooks/useInboxBadge.ts
+++ b/ui/src/hooks/useInboxBadge.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import {
   saveDismissedInboxItems,
 } from "../lib/inbox";
 
-const TOUCHED_ISSUE_STATUSES = "backlog,todo,in_progress,in_review,blocked,done";
+const INBOX_ISSUE_STATUSES = "backlog,todo,in_progress,in_review,blocked,done";
 
 export function useDismissedInboxItems() {
   const [dismissed, setDismissed] = useState<Set<string>>(loadDismissedInboxItems);
@@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ export function useInboxBadge(companyId: string | null | undefined) {
     enabled: !!companyId,
   });
 
-  const { data: touchedIssues = [] } = useQuery({
-    queryKey: queryKeys.issues.listTouchedByMe(companyId!),
+  const { data: unreadIssues = [] } = useQuery({
+    queryKey: queryKeys.issues.listUnreadTouchedByMe(companyId!),
     queryFn: () =>
       issuesApi.list(companyId!, {
-        touchedByUserId: "me",
-        status: TOUCHED_ISSUE_STATUSES,
+        unreadForUserId: "me",
+        status: INBOX_ISSUE_STATUSES,
       }),
     enabled: !!companyId,
   });
@@ -93,9 +93,9 @@ export function useInboxBadge(companyId: string | null | undefined) {
         joinRequests,
         dashboard,
         heartbeatRuns,
-        touchedIssues,
+        unreadIssues,
         dismissed,
       }),
-    [approvals, joinRequests, dashboard, heartbeatRuns, touchedIssues, dismissed],
+    [approvals, joinRequests, dashboard, heartbeatRuns, unreadIssues, dismissed],
   );
 }
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/inbox.test.ts b/ui/src/lib/inbox.test.ts
index 10183cf2..016ad9e3 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/inbox.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/inbox.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,31 @@
 // @vitest-environment node
 
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import type { Approval, DashboardSummary, HeartbeatRun, Issue, JoinRequest } from "@paperclipai/shared";
-import { computeInboxBadgeData, getUnreadTouchedIssues } from "./inbox";
+import {
+  computeInboxBadgeData,
+  getUnreadTouchedIssues,
+  loadLastInboxTab,
+  saveLastInboxTab,
+} from "./inbox";
+
+const storage = new Map<string, string>();
+
+Object.defineProperty(globalThis, "localStorage", {
+  value: {
+    getItem: (key: string) => storage.get(key) ?? null,
+    setItem: (key: string, value: string) => {
+      storage.set(key, value);
+    },
+    removeItem: (key: string) => {
+      storage.delete(key);
+    },
+    clear: () => {
+      storage.clear();
+    },
+  },
+  configurable: true,
+});
 
 function makeApproval(status: Approval["status"]): Approval {
   return {
@@ -142,6 +165,10 @@ const dashboard: DashboardSummary = {
 };
 
 describe("inbox helpers", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    storage.clear();
+  });
+
   it("counts the same inbox sources the badge uses", () => {
     const result = computeInboxBadgeData({
       approvals: [makeApproval("pending"), makeApproval("approved")],
@@ -152,7 +179,7 @@ describe("inbox helpers", () => {
         makeRun("run-latest", "timed_out", "2026-03-11T01:00:00.000Z"),
         makeRun("run-other-agent", "failed", "2026-03-11T02:00:00.000Z", "agent-2"),
       ],
-      touchedIssues: [makeIssue("1", true), makeIssue("2", false)],
+      unreadIssues: [makeIssue("1", true)],
       dismissed: new Set<string>(),
     });
 
@@ -172,7 +199,7 @@ describe("inbox helpers", () => {
       joinRequests: [],
       dashboard,
       heartbeatRuns: [makeRun("run-1", "failed", "2026-03-11T00:00:00.000Z")],
-      touchedIssues: [],
+      unreadIssues: [],
       dismissed: new Set<string>(["run:run-1", "alert:budget", "alert:agent-errors"]),
     });
 
@@ -192,4 +219,12 @@ describe("inbox helpers", () => {
     expect(getUnreadTouchedIssues(issues).map((issue) => issue.id)).toEqual(["1"]);
     expect(issues).toHaveLength(2);
   });
+
+  it("defaults the remembered inbox tab to new and persists all", () => {
+    localStorage.clear();
+    expect(loadLastInboxTab()).toBe("new");
+
+    saveLastInboxTab("all");
+    expect(loadLastInboxTab()).toBe("all");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/inbox.ts b/ui/src/lib/inbox.ts
index 3ae9f9a9..635991d4 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/inbox.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/inbox.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ export const RECENT_ISSUES_LIMIT = 100;
 export const FAILED_RUN_STATUSES = new Set(["failed", "timed_out"]);
 export const ACTIONABLE_APPROVAL_STATUSES = new Set(["pending", "revision_requested"]);
 export const DISMISSED_KEY = "paperclip:inbox:dismissed";
+export const INBOX_LAST_TAB_KEY = "paperclip:inbox:last-tab";
+export type InboxTab = "new" | "all";
 
 export interface InboxBadgeData {
   inbox: number;
@@ -30,7 +32,28 @@ export function loadDismissedInboxItems(): Set<string> {
 }
 
 export function saveDismissedInboxItems(ids: Set<string>) {
-  localStorage.setItem(DISMISSED_KEY, JSON.stringify([...ids]));
+  try {
+    localStorage.setItem(DISMISSED_KEY, JSON.stringify([...ids]));
+  } catch {
+    // Ignore localStorage failures.
+  }
+}
+
+export function loadLastInboxTab(): InboxTab {
+  try {
+    const raw = localStorage.getItem(INBOX_LAST_TAB_KEY);
+    return raw === "all" ? "all" : "new";
+  } catch {
+    return "new";
+  }
+}
+
+export function saveLastInboxTab(tab: InboxTab) {
+  try {
+    localStorage.setItem(INBOX_LAST_TAB_KEY, tab);
+  } catch {
+    // Ignore localStorage failures.
+  }
 }
 
 export function getLatestFailedRunsByAgent(runs: HeartbeatRun[]): HeartbeatRun[] {
@@ -80,14 +103,14 @@ export function computeInboxBadgeData({
   joinRequests,
   dashboard,
   heartbeatRuns,
-  touchedIssues,
+  unreadIssues,
   dismissed,
 }: {
   approvals: Approval[];
   joinRequests: JoinRequest[];
   dashboard: DashboardSummary | undefined;
   heartbeatRuns: HeartbeatRun[];
-  touchedIssues: Issue[];
+  unreadIssues: Issue[];
   dismissed: Set<string>;
 }): InboxBadgeData {
   const actionableApprovals = approvals.filter((approval) =>
@@ -96,7 +119,7 @@ export function computeInboxBadgeData({
   const failedRuns = getLatestFailedRunsByAgent(heartbeatRuns).filter(
     (run) => !dismissed.has(`run:${run.id}`),
   ).length;
-  const unreadTouchedIssues = getUnreadTouchedIssues(touchedIssues).length;
+  const unreadTouchedIssues = unreadIssues.length;
   const agentErrorCount = dashboard?.agents.error ?? 0;
   const monthBudgetCents = dashboard?.costs.monthBudgetCents ?? 0;
   const monthUtilizationPercent = dashboard?.costs.monthUtilizationPercent ?? 0;
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx b/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx
index 3858e88f..1a87b97a 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx
@@ -43,13 +43,14 @@ import type { HeartbeatRun, Issue, JoinRequest } from "@paperclipai/shared";
 import {
   ACTIONABLE_APPROVAL_STATUSES,
   getLatestFailedRunsByAgent,
+  type InboxTab,
   normalizeTimestamp,
   RECENT_ISSUES_LIMIT,
+  saveLastInboxTab,
   sortIssuesByMostRecentActivity,
 } from "../lib/inbox";
 import { useDismissedInboxItems } from "../hooks/useInboxBadge";
 
-type InboxTab = "new" | "all";
 type InboxCategoryFilter =
   | "everything"
   | "issues_i_touched"
@@ -265,6 +266,10 @@ export function Inbox() {
     setBreadcrumbs([{ label: "Inbox" }]);
   }, [setBreadcrumbs]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    saveLastInboxTab(tab);
+  }, [tab]);
+
   const {
     data: approvals,
     isLoading: isApprovalsLoading,
@@ -328,10 +333,6 @@ export function Inbox() {
     () => [...touchedIssuesRaw].sort(sortIssuesByMostRecentActivity).slice(0, RECENT_ISSUES_LIMIT),
     [touchedIssuesRaw],
   );
-  const unreadTouchedIssues = useMemo(
-    () => touchedIssues.filter((issue) => issue.isUnreadForMe),
-    [touchedIssues],
-  );
 
   const agentById = useMemo(() => {
     const map = new Map<string, string>();
@@ -466,7 +467,7 @@ export function Inbox() {
     !dismissed.has("alert:budget");
   const hasAlerts = showAggregateAgentError || showBudgetAlert;
   const hasJoinRequests = joinRequests.length > 0;
-  const hasTouchedIssues = unreadTouchedIssues.length > 0;
+  const hasTouchedIssues = touchedIssues.length > 0;
 
   const showJoinRequestsCategory =
     allCategoryFilter === "everything" || allCategoryFilter === "join_requests";
@@ -749,7 +750,7 @@ export function Inbox() {
               My Recent Issues
             </h3>
             <div className="divide-y divide-border border border-border">
-              {(tab === "new" ? unreadTouchedIssues : touchedIssues).map((issue) => {
+              {touchedIssues.map((issue) => {
                 const isUnread = issue.isUnreadForMe && !fadingOutIssues.has(issue.id);
                 const isFading = fadingOutIssues.has(issue.id);
                 return (