diff --git a/apps/zui/src/app/routes/app-wrapper/main-area.tsx b/apps/zui/src/app/routes/app-wrapper/main-area.tsx
index 6c34d6dc62..27474c51ba 100644
--- a/apps/zui/src/app/routes/app-wrapper/main-area.tsx
+++ b/apps/zui/src/app/routes/app-wrapper/main-area.tsx
@@ -47,7 +47,13 @@ export function MainArea({children}) {
   }
 
   return (
-    <BG onMouseDown={touched} onKeyDown={touched} style={style}>
+    <BG
+      onMouseDown={touched}
+      onKeyDown={touched}
+      style={style}
+      role="tabpanel"
+      id="main-area"
+    >
       <AppErrorBoundary>{children}</AppErrorBoundary>
     </BG>
   )
diff --git a/apps/zui/src/domain/session/handlers/pins.ts b/apps/zui/src/domain/session/handlers/pins.ts
index 68ab000d48..1e52928cc1 100644
--- a/apps/zui/src/domain/session/handlers/pins.ts
+++ b/apps/zui/src/domain/session/handlers/pins.ts
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ import {TimeRangeQueryPin} from "src/js/state/Editor/types"
 import Pools from "src/js/state/Pools"
 import Current from "src/js/state/Current"
 import PoolSettings from "src/js/state/PoolSettings"
-import Tabs from "src/js/state/Tabs"
 import {submitSearch} from "src/domain/session/handlers"
 import {createHandler} from "src/core/handlers"
 import ZuiApi from "src/js/api/zui-api"
 import Selection from "src/js/state/Selection"
-import {Snapshots} from "src/domain/handlers"
+import {Session} from "src/models/session"
+import {Active} from "src/models/active"
 
 export const createPinFromEditor = createHandler(
   "session.createPinFromEditor",
@@ -43,13 +43,10 @@ export const createFromPin = createHandler(
 
 export const setFromPin = createHandler(
   "session.setFromPin",
-  ({dispatch, select}, value: string) => {
-    if (select(Tabs.none)) {
-      Snapshots.createAndShow({pins: [{type: "from", value}], value: ""})
-    } else {
-      dispatch(Editor.setFrom(value))
-      submitSearch()
-    }
+  ({dispatch}, value: string) => {
+    Session.activateLastFocused()
+    dispatch(Editor.setFrom(value))
+    Active.session.navigate(Active.snapshot, Active.session.namedQuery)
   }
 )
 
diff --git a/apps/zui/src/js/components/TabBar/SearchTab.tsx b/apps/zui/src/js/components/TabBar/SearchTab.tsx
index ec3ad070f4..e91ca409ca 100644
--- a/apps/zui/src/js/components/TabBar/SearchTab.tsx
+++ b/apps/zui/src/js/components/TabBar/SearchTab.tsx
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ const SearchTab = React.forwardRef<HTMLAnchorElement, Props>(function SearchTab(
     <a
       {...rest}
       ref={ref}
+      role="tab"
+      aria-selected={active}
+      aria-controls="main-area"
       className={classNames("tab", {active, "is-new": isNew, preview})}
     >
       <div className="tab-content">
diff --git a/apps/zui/src/js/components/TabBar/TabBar.tsx b/apps/zui/src/js/components/TabBar/TabBar.tsx
index 51a5e16d6b..48355738f7 100644
--- a/apps/zui/src/js/components/TabBar/TabBar.tsx
+++ b/apps/zui/src/js/components/TabBar/TabBar.tsx
@@ -83,7 +83,12 @@ export default function TabBar() {
         </TrafficLightBG>
       )}
       {sidebarCollapsed && !global.env.isMac && <SidebarToggleButton />}
-      <Container ref={ref} onMouseLeave={ctl.onMouseLeave}>
+      <Container
+        ref={ref}
+        onMouseLeave={ctl.onMouseLeave}
+        role="tablist"
+        id="main-area-tabs"
+      >
         {ids.map((id: string) => {
           const tabModel = tab(id, lakes, pools, queryIdNameMap, lakeId)
           return (
diff --git a/apps/zui/src/models/session.ts b/apps/zui/src/models/session.ts
index 451de7f676..85ba6ce78c 100644
--- a/apps/zui/src/models/session.ts
+++ b/apps/zui/src/models/session.ts
@@ -37,20 +37,20 @@ export class Session extends DomainModel<Attrs> {
     return new Session({id})
   }
 
+  get hasUrl() {
+    return !!this.parentId && !!this.snapshotId
+  }
+
   get id() {
     return this.attrs.id
   }
 
   get parentId() {
-    if (!this.attrs.parentId)
-      throw new Error("Session has not yet navigated to a url")
-    else return this.attrs.parentId
+    return this.attrs.parentId
   }
 
   get snapshotId() {
-    if (!this.attrs.snapshotId)
-      throw new Error("Session has not yet navigated to a url")
-    else return this.attrs.snapshotId
+    return this.attrs.snapshotId
   }
 
   get pathname() {
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export class Session extends DomainModel<Attrs> {
   }
 
   get hasNamedQuery() {
-    return this.id !== this.parentId
+    return this.parentId && this.id !== this.parentId
   }
 
   get namedQuery() {
diff --git a/packages/zui-player/helpers/test-app.ts b/packages/zui-player/helpers/test-app.ts
index 79dea22085..bcc2f6c51b 100644
--- a/packages/zui-player/helpers/test-app.ts
+++ b/packages/zui-player/helpers/test-app.ts
@@ -129,6 +129,12 @@ export default class TestApp {
     return await this.mainWin.getByTestId('main-editor').textContent();
   }
 
+  async getTabCount() {
+    const tablist = this.page.locator('[role=tablist][id=main-area-tabs]');
+    const tabs = tablist.getByRole('tab');
+    return await tabs.count();
+  }
+
   async getViewerResults(includeHeaders = true): Promise<string[]> {
     const fields = await this.mainWin.locator('.zed-table__cell');
     await fields.waitFor();
diff --git a/packages/zui-player/tests/set-as-from-pin.spec.ts b/packages/zui-player/tests/set-as-from-pin.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..90e707972d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/zui-player/tests/set-as-from-pin.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { play } from 'zui-player';
+import { getPath } from 'zui-test-data';
+
+play('Set As From Pin', (app, test) => {
+  test('when no session tab exists', async () => {
+    // it creates a session tab
+    await app.dropFile(getPath('small-zeek.zng'));
+    await app.click('button', 'Load');
+    await app.attached(/Successfully/);
+    await app.rightClick('treeitem', 'small-zeek.zng');
+    const tabCount = await app.getTabCount();
+    await app.click('listitem', 'Use as From Pin');
+    await app.attached('button', 'from small-zeek.zng');
+    test.expect(await app.getTabCount()).toBe(tabCount + 1);
+  });
+
+  test('when a session tab does exist', async () => {
+    // it re-uses the existing session tab
+    await app.dropFile(getPath('small-zeek.zng'));
+    await app.click('button', 'Load');
+    await app.attached(/Successfully/);
+    await app.rightClick('treeitem', 'small-zeek.zng_1');
+    const tabCount = await app.getTabCount();
+    await app.click('listitem', 'Use as From Pin');
+    await app.attached('button', 'from small-zeek.zng_1');
+    test.expect(await app.getTabCount()).toBe(tabCount);
+  });
+});