diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/commits_files_controller.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/commits_files_controller.go
index 85e377996..e42aa6e21 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/commits_files_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/commits_files_controller.go
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ func (self *CommitFilesController) GetOnClickFocusedMainView() func(mainViewName
 		}
 
 		// Entered from the focused main view, so escaping returns there.
-		return self.c.Helpers().CommitFiles.EnterCommitFile(node, snapshot, types.OnFocusOpts{ClickedWindowName: "main", ClickedViewLineIdx: line, ClickedViewRealLineIdx: line})
+		return self.c.Helpers().CommitFiles.EnterCommitFile(node, snapshot, types.OnFocusOpts{ClickedWindowName: "main", ClickedViewLineIdx: line, ClickedViewRealLineIdx: line, SelectLineInDefaultMode: true})
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/files_controller.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/files_controller.go
index 122eabfc1..d3dc4a304 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/files_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/files_controller.go
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ func (self *FilesController) GetOnClickFocusedMainView() func(mainViewName strin
 			}
 		}
 
-		return self.EnterFile(snapshot, types.OnFocusOpts{ClickedWindowName: mainViewName, ClickedViewLineIdx: line, ClickedViewRealLineIdx: line})
+		return self.EnterFile(snapshot, types.OnFocusOpts{ClickedWindowName: mainViewName, ClickedViewLineIdx: line, ClickedViewRealLineIdx: line, SelectLineInDefaultMode: true})
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/patch_building_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/patch_building_helper.go
index 69a48f188..55b6dbe1b 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/patch_building_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/patch_building_helper.go
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func (self *PatchBuildingHelper) RefreshPatchBuildingPanel(opts types.OnFocusOpt
 
 	oldState := context.GetState()
 
-	state := patch_exploring.NewState(diff, selectedLineIdx, selectedRealLineIdx, context.GetView(), oldState, self.c.UserConfig().Gui.UseHunkModeInStagingView)
+	state := patch_exploring.NewState(diff, selectedLineIdx, selectedRealLineIdx, context.GetView(), oldState, self.c.UserConfig().Gui.UseHunkModeInStagingView, opts.SelectLineInDefaultMode)
 	context.SetState(state)
 	if state == nil {
 		self.Escape()
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/staging_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/staging_helper.go
index 2c5aeddce..16b21e777 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/staging_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/staging_helper.go
@@ -74,11 +74,11 @@ func (self *StagingHelper) RefreshStagingPanel(focusOpts types.OnFocusOpts) {
 
 	hunkMode := self.c.UserConfig().Gui.UseHunkModeInStagingView
 	mainContext.SetState(
-		patch_exploring.NewState(mainDiff, mainSelectedLineIdx, mainSelectedRealLineIdx, mainContext.GetView(), mainContext.GetState(), hunkMode),
+		patch_exploring.NewState(mainDiff, mainSelectedLineIdx, mainSelectedRealLineIdx, mainContext.GetView(), mainContext.GetState(), hunkMode, focusOpts.SelectLineInDefaultMode),
 	)
 
 	secondaryContext.SetState(
-		patch_exploring.NewState(secondaryDiff, secondarySelectedLineIdx, secondarySelectedRealLineIdx, secondaryContext.GetView(), secondaryContext.GetState(), hunkMode),
+		patch_exploring.NewState(secondaryDiff, secondarySelectedLineIdx, secondarySelectedRealLineIdx, secondaryContext.GetView(), secondaryContext.GetState(), hunkMode, focusOpts.SelectLineInDefaultMode),
 	)
 
 	mainState := mainContext.GetState()
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/switch_to_diff_files_controller.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/switch_to_diff_files_controller.go
index 6624aac12..3528f2613 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/switch_to_diff_files_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/switch_to_diff_files_controller.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func (self *SwitchToDiffFilesController) GetOnClickFocusedMainView() func(mainVi
 		context.GetViewTrait().FocusPoint(
 			context.ModelIndexToViewIndex(idx), false)
 		node = context.GetSelected()
-		return self.c.Helpers().CommitFiles.EnterCommitFile(node, snapshot, types.OnFocusOpts{ClickedWindowName: "main", ClickedViewLineIdx: line, ClickedViewRealLineIdx: line})
+		return self.c.Helpers().CommitFiles.EnterCommitFile(node, snapshot, types.OnFocusOpts{ClickedWindowName: "main", ClickedViewLineIdx: line, ClickedViewRealLineIdx: line, SelectLineInDefaultMode: true})
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/gui/patch_exploring/state.go b/pkg/gui/patch_exploring/state.go
index 0f2d1a4e7..3d1be981c 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/patch_exploring/state.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/patch_exploring/state.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ const (
 	HUNK
 )
 
-func NewState(diff string, selectedLineIdx int, selectedRealLineIdx int, view *gocui.View, oldState *State, useHunkModeByDefault bool) *State {
+func NewState(diff string, selectedLineIdx int, selectedRealLineIdx int, view *gocui.View, oldState *State, useHunkModeByDefault bool, selectLineInDefaultMode bool) *State {
 	if oldState != nil && diff == oldState.diff && selectedLineIdx == -1 {
 		// if we're here then we can return the old state. If selectedLineIdx was not -1
 		// then that would mean we were trying to click and potentially drag a range, which
@@ -84,14 +84,28 @@ func NewState(diff string, selectedLineIdx int, selectedRealLineIdx int, view *g
 		userEnabledHunkMode = oldState.userEnabledHunkMode
 	}
 
-	// if we have clicked from the outside to focus the main view we'll pass in a non-negative line index so that we can instantly select that line
+	// A non-negative line index means we were given a specific line to select:
+	// either by clicking or pressing enter on a line in a focused main view, or
+	// by clicking directly on the patch explorer view to focus it.
 	if selectedLineIdx >= 0 {
 		// Clamp to the number of wrapped view lines; index might be out of
 		// bounds if a custom diff renderer is being used which produces more lines
 		selectedLineIdx = min(selectedLineIdx, len(patchLineIndices)-1)
 
-		selectMode = RANGE
-		rangeStartLineIdx = selectedLineIdx
+		if selectLineInDefaultMode {
+			// Diving in from a focused main view: keep the default select mode
+			// computed above. In hunk mode the selection covers the block of
+			// changes around the line, so snap to a change line if the given one
+			// is a context line (just as toggling hunk mode does).
+			if selectMode == HUNK {
+				selectedLineIdx = viewLineIndices[patch.GetNextChangeIdx(patchLineIndices[selectedLineIdx])]
+			}
+		} else {
+			// Clicking directly on the view starts a range selection that can be
+			// extended by dragging.
+			selectMode = RANGE
+			rangeStartLineIdx = selectedLineIdx
+		}
 	} else if oldState != nil {
 		// if we previously had a selectMode of RANGE, we want that to now be line again (or hunk, if that's the default)
 		if oldState.selectMode != RANGE {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/types/context.go b/pkg/gui/types/context.go
index 40883fc04..0e2d551c2 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/types/context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/types/context.go
@@ -261,6 +261,14 @@ type OnFocusOpts struct {
 	// If not -1, takes precedence over ClickedViewLineIdx.
 	ClickedViewRealLineIdx int
 
+	// When entering a patch explorer (staging or patch building) by clicking or
+	// pressing enter on a line in a focused main view, we select that line using
+	// the default select mode (hunk or line, per the UseHunkModeInStagingView
+	// config), the same as when entering through the side panel. Clicking
+	// directly on the patch explorer view instead starts a range selection that
+	// can be extended by dragging.
+	SelectLineInDefaultMode bool
+
 	ScrollSelectionIntoView bool
 }