diff --git a/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSidebarViewController.swift b/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSidebarViewController.swift
index 47817ffc..b7d8981f 100644
--- a/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSidebarViewController.swift
+++ b/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSidebarViewController.swift
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ import Combine
 @MainActor
 protocol MainSidebarViewControllerDelegate: AnyObject {
     func sidebarRequestPresentCompose(_ sidebarViewController: MainSidebarViewController)
-    func sidebar(_ sidebarViewController: MainSidebarViewController, didSelectItem item: MainSidebarViewController.Item)
-    func sidebar(_ sidebarViewController: MainSidebarViewController, showViewController viewController: UIViewController)
+    func sidebar(_ sidebarViewController: MainSidebarViewController, didSelectItem item: MainSidebarViewController.Item, previousItem: MainSidebarViewController.Item?)
+    func sidebar(_ sidebarViewController: MainSidebarViewController, showViewController viewController: UIViewController, previousItem: MainSidebarViewController.Item?)
     func sidebar(_ sidebarViewController: MainSidebarViewController, scrollToTopFor item: MainSidebarViewController.Item)
 }
 
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class MainSidebarViewController: UIViewController {
         return items
     }
     
-    private(set) var previouslySelectedItem: Item?
+    private var previouslySelectedItem: Item?
     var selectedItem: Item? {
         guard let indexPath = collectionView?.indexPathsForSelectedItems?.first else {
             return nil
@@ -261,19 +261,21 @@ class MainSidebarViewController: UIViewController {
     }
     
     private func returnToPreviousItem() {
-        let item = previouslySelectedItem ?? .tab(.timelines)
+        let oldItem = selectedItem
+        let newItem = previouslySelectedItem ?? .tab(.timelines)
         previouslySelectedItem = nil
-        select(item: item, animated: true)
-        sidebarDelegate?.sidebar(self, didSelectItem: item)
+        select(item: newItem, animated: true)
+        sidebarDelegate?.sidebar(self, didSelectItem: newItem, previousItem: oldItem)
     }
 
     private func showAddList() {
         let service = CreateListService(mastodonController: mastodonController, present: { self.present($0, animated: true
         ) }) { list in
+            let oldItem = self.selectedItem
             self.select(item: .list(list), animated: false)
             let list = ListTimelineViewController(for: list, mastodonController: self.mastodonController)
             list.presentEditOnAppear = true
-            self.sidebarDelegate?.sidebar(self, showViewController: list)
+            self.sidebarDelegate?.sidebar(self, showViewController: list, previousItem: oldItem)
         }
         service.run()
     }
@@ -471,7 +473,7 @@ extension MainSidebarViewController: UICollectionViewDelegate {
                 fatalError("unreachable")
             }
         } else {
-            sidebarDelegate?.sidebar(self, didSelectItem: item)
+            sidebarDelegate?.sidebar(self, didSelectItem: item, previousItem: previouslySelectedItem)
         }
     }
     
@@ -540,8 +542,9 @@ extension MainSidebarViewController: UICollectionViewDragDelegate {
 extension MainSidebarViewController: InstanceTimelineViewControllerDelegate {
     func didSaveInstance(url: URL) {
         dismiss(animated: true) {
+            let oldItem = self.selectedItem
             self.select(item: .savedInstance(url), animated: true)
-            self.sidebarDelegate?.sidebar(self, didSelectItem: .savedInstance(url))
+            self.sidebarDelegate?.sidebar(self, didSelectItem: .savedInstance(url), previousItem: oldItem)
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSplitViewController.swift b/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSplitViewController.swift
index f356cc93..3a73b63f 100644
--- a/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSplitViewController.swift
+++ b/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSplitViewController.swift
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class MainSplitViewController: UISplitViewController {
         // don't unnecesarily construct a content VC unless the we're in actually split mode
         // when we change from compact -> split for the first time, the VC will be transferred anyways
         if traitCollection.horizontalSizeClass != .compact {
-            select(item: .tab(.timelines))
+            doSelect(item: .tab(.timelines))
         }
         
         if UIDevice.current.userInterfaceIdiom != .mac {
@@ -149,7 +149,15 @@ class MainSplitViewController: UISplitViewController {
         self.setViewController(newNav, for: .secondary)
     }
     
-    func select(item: MainSidebarViewController.Item) {
+    private func select(newItem: MainSidebarViewController.Item, oldItem: MainSidebarViewController.Item?) {
+        if let oldItem,
+           newItem != oldItem {
+            navigationStacks[oldItem] = secondaryNavController.viewControllers
+        }
+        doSelect(item: newItem)
+    }
+    
+    private func doSelect(item: MainSidebarViewController.Item) {
         secondaryNavController.viewControllers = getOrCreateNavigationStack(item: item)
     }
     
@@ -180,43 +188,28 @@ class MainSplitViewController: UISplitViewController {
     }
     
     @objc func handleSidebarCommandTimelines() {
-        if let previous = sidebar.selectedItem {
-            navigationStacks[previous] = secondaryNavController.viewControllers
-        }
         sidebar.select(item: .tab(.timelines), animated: false)
-        select(item: .tab(.timelines))
+        select(newItem: .tab(.timelines), oldItem: sidebar.selectedItem)
     }
     
     @objc func handleSidebarCommandNotifications() {
-        if let previous = sidebar.selectedItem {
-            navigationStacks[previous] = secondaryNavController.viewControllers
-        }
         sidebar.select(item: .tab(.notifications), animated: false)
-        select(item: .tab(.notifications))
+        select(newItem: .tab(.notifications), oldItem: sidebar.selectedItem)
     }
     
     @objc func handleSidebarCommandExplore() {
-        if let previous = sidebar.selectedItem {
-            navigationStacks[previous] = secondaryNavController.viewControllers
-        }
         sidebar.select(item: .tab(.explore), animated: false)
-        select(item: .tab(.explore))
+        select(newItem: .tab(.explore), oldItem: sidebar.selectedItem)
     }
     
     @objc func handleSidebarCommandBookmarks() {
-        if let previous = sidebar.selectedItem {
-            navigationStacks[previous] = secondaryNavController.viewControllers
-        }
         sidebar.select(item: .bookmarks, animated: false)
-        select(item: .bookmarks)
+        select(newItem: .bookmarks, oldItem: sidebar.selectedItem)
     }
     
     @objc func handleSidebarCommandMyProfile() {
-        if let previous = sidebar.selectedItem {
-            navigationStacks[previous] = secondaryNavController.viewControllers
-        }
         sidebar.select(item: .tab(.myProfile), animated: false)
-        select(item: .tab(.myProfile))
+        select(newItem: .tab(.myProfile), oldItem: sidebar.selectedItem)
     }
     
     @objc private func sidebarTapped() {
@@ -459,12 +452,12 @@ extension MainSplitViewController: UISplitViewControllerDelegate {
             // These tabs map 1 <-> 1 with sidebar items
             let item = MainSidebarViewController.Item.tab(tabBarViewController.selectedTab)
             sidebar.select(item: item, animated: false)
-            select(item: item)
+            doSelect(item: item)
             
         case .explore:
             // If the explore tab is active, the sidebar item is determined above when transferring the explore VC's nav stack
             sidebar.select(item: exploreItem!, animated: false)
-            select(item: exploreItem!)
+            doSelect(item: exploreItem!)
             
         default:
             return
@@ -489,16 +482,13 @@ extension MainSplitViewController: MainSidebarViewControllerDelegate {
         compose(editing: nil)
     }
     
-    func sidebar(_ sidebarViewController: MainSidebarViewController, didSelectItem item: MainSidebarViewController.Item) {
-        if let previous = sidebar.previouslySelectedItem {
-            navigationStacks[previous] = secondaryNavController.viewControllers
-        }
-        select(item: item)
+    func sidebar(_ sidebarViewController: MainSidebarViewController, didSelectItem item: MainSidebarViewController.Item, previousItem: MainSidebarViewController.Item?) {
+        select(newItem: item, oldItem: previousItem)
     }
     
-    func sidebar(_ sidebarViewController: MainSidebarViewController, showViewController viewController: UIViewController) {
-        if let previous = sidebar.previouslySelectedItem {
-            navigationStacks[previous] = secondaryNavController.viewControllers
+    func sidebar(_ sidebarViewController: MainSidebarViewController, showViewController viewController: UIViewController, previousItem: MainSidebarViewController.Item?) {
+        if let previousItem {
+            navigationStacks[previousItem] = secondaryNavController.viewControllers
         }
         secondaryNavController.viewControllers = [viewController]
     }
@@ -582,8 +572,9 @@ extension MainSplitViewController: TuskerRootViewController {
                 return
             }
         }
+        let oldItem = sidebar.selectedItem
         sidebar.select(item: item, animated: false)
-        select(item: item)
+        select(newItem: item, oldItem: oldItem)
     }
     
     func getTabController(tab: MainTabBarViewController.Tab) -> UIViewController? {
@@ -625,7 +616,7 @@ extension MainSplitViewController: TuskerRootViewController {
         }
         
         if sidebar.selectedItem != .explore {
-            select(item: .explore)
+            select(newItem: .explore, oldItem: sidebar.selectedItem)
         }
         
         guard let searchViewController = secondaryNavController.viewControllers.first as? InlineTrendsViewController else {