diff --git a/cli/internal/tui/chat.go b/cli/internal/tui/chat.go
index 2c163d6..9fb70b5 100644
--- a/cli/internal/tui/chat.go
+++ b/cli/internal/tui/chat.go
@@ -2202,7 +2202,7 @@ func (m ChatModel) header(width int) string {
 	} else {
 		host = cmp.Or(m.Host, host)
 		lead = host + ":"
-		workspace = underHome(workspace, m.hostHome)
+		workspace = scpRelative(underHome(workspace, m.hostHome))
 	}
 	model := m.Model
 	if m.Effort != "" {
diff --git a/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker.go b/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker.go
index 39a2888..186c7a4 100644
--- a/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker.go
+++ b/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker.go
@@ -951,7 +951,7 @@ func (m FolderPicker) parentQuery() string {
 		if rest == "~" {
 			return m.input.Value()
 		}
-		return host + ":" + path.Dir(rest) + "/"
+		return host + ":" + scpRelative(path.Dir(rest)) + "/"
 	}
 	up := m.homed(parentPlace(dir))
 	if strings.HasSuffix(up, "/") {
diff --git a/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker_test.go b/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker_test.go
index c4df333..6a70539 100644
--- a/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker_test.go
+++ b/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker_test.go
@@ -209,10 +209,11 @@ func TestPickerBrowsesAHostFoldingUnderItsHome(t *testing.T) {
 	m = settle(t, m, cmd)
 	m, cmd = m.Update(tea.KeyPressMsg{Code: tea.KeyTab})
 	m = settle(t, m, cmd)
-	if got := m.input.Value(); got != "chernobog:~/proj/" {
+	// under the host's home, scp-style: relative to it
+	if got := m.input.Value(); got != "chernobog:proj/" {
 		t.Fatalf("tab went to %q", got)
 	}
-	if frame := pickerFrame(m); !strings.Contains(frame, "in chernobog:~/proj") || !strings.Contains(frame, "albedo") {
+	if frame := pickerFrame(m); !strings.Contains(frame, "in chernobog:proj") || !strings.Contains(frame, "albedo") {
 		t.Fatalf("the host's folder did not list:\n%s", frame)
 	}
 	// shift+tab goes back up through the canonical path, still folded
@@ -231,8 +232,8 @@ func TestPickerBrowsesAHostFoldingUnderItsHome(t *testing.T) {
 	// back among the recent folders, the remote one reads like the preview's rule
 	m.setQuery("")
 	m.cursor = slices.IndexFunc(m.rows, func(r folderRow) bool { return r.hostKey != "" })
-	if row := m.row(m.rows[m.cursor], false, false, false, 60, time.Now()); !strings.Contains(ansi.Strip(row), "chernobog:~ › p") {
-		t.Fatalf("a recent remote folder's where should lead with host:~: %q", ansi.Strip(row))
+	if row := m.row(m.rows[m.cursor], false, false, false, 60, time.Now()); !strings.Contains(ansi.Strip(row), "chernobog:proj") {
+		t.Fatalf("a recent remote folder's where should read host:path under its home: %q", ansi.Strip(row))
 	}
 	if len(src.warmed) != 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("the host was warmed %d times, want once: %v", len(src.warmed), src.warmed)
diff --git a/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker_view.go b/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker_view.go
index 96c584f..ab90bb7 100644
--- a/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker_view.go
+++ b/cli/internal/tui/folder_picker_view.go
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ func (m FolderPicker) where(row folderRow) string {
 		return strings.Join(crumbParts(m.homed(path.Dir(p))), " › ")
 	}
 	// the host leads the first crumb, as in the preview's rule
-	crumbs := crumbParts(underHome(path.Dir(p), m.homes[m.canonical(host)]))
+	crumbs := crumbParts(scpRelative(underHome(path.Dir(p), m.homes[m.canonical(host)])))
 	crumbs[0] = cmp.Or(row.host, m.labelOf(host)) + ":" + crumbs[0]
 	return strings.Join(crumbs, " › ")
 }
diff --git a/cli/internal/tui/header_test.go b/cli/internal/tui/header_test.go
index f03ed85..0492780 100644
--- a/cli/internal/tui/header_test.go
+++ b/cli/internal/tui/header_test.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func TestRemoteHeaderFoldsUnderTheHostsHomeAndSaysWhileConnecting(t *testing.T)
 		t.Fatalf("connecting should animate (animating %v):\n%s", m.animating(), view)
 	}
 	m.Status.KernelLink, m.hostHome = "attached", "/home/mayer"
-	if header := ansi.Strip(m.header(120)); !strings.Contains(header, "✦ albedo on chernobog:~/proj/albedo") {
+	if header := ansi.Strip(m.header(120)); !strings.Contains(header, "✦ albedo on chernobog:proj/albedo") {
 		t.Fatalf("the path should fold under the host's own home: %q", header)
 	}
 	if got := m.statusLine(); strings.Contains(got, "connecting") {
diff --git a/cli/internal/tui/location.go b/cli/internal/tui/location.go
index 11f8635..c868452 100644
--- a/cli/internal/tui/location.go
+++ b/cli/internal/tui/location.go
@@ -19,15 +19,16 @@ func sessionHost(s daemon.Session) string {
 	return host
 }
 
-// placeText is a workspace as one line of text: a path under its home
-// starts with ~, and a remote one leads with its host (label, else as
-// stored). home is the path ~ names where the workspace is; empty, a local
-// path folds under your own home and a remote one stays whole.
+// placeText is a workspace as one line of text: a local path under your
+// home starts with ~, and a remote one leads with its host (label, else as
+// stored), relative to that host's home as scp reads it. home is the path ~
+// names where the workspace is; empty, a local path folds under your own
+// home and a remote one stays whole.
 func placeText(workspace, label, home string) string {
 	host, p := daemon.SplitLocation(workspace)
 	switch {
 	case host != "":
-		return cmp.Or(label, host) + ":" + underHome(p, home)
+		return cmp.Or(label, host) + ":" + scpRelative(underHome(p, home))
 	case home == "":
 		return homePath(workspace)
 	}
diff --git a/cli/internal/tui/theme.go b/cli/internal/tui/theme.go
index 00c0a27..2bfd0ff 100644
--- a/cli/internal/tui/theme.go
+++ b/cli/internal/tui/theme.go
@@ -336,6 +336,15 @@ func underHome(p, home string) string {
 	return "~" + rest
 }
 
+// scpRelative is a remote path after its host's colon as scp reads it:
+// one under ~ relative to the home, which itself stays ~.
+func scpRelative(p string) string {
+	if rest, ok := strings.CutPrefix(p, "~/"); ok {
+		return rest
+	}
+	return p
+}
+
 // languageHues are our own colors for common languages, by linguist name.
 // Each starts from linguist's hue, softened to a pastel and nudged so
 // languages that often share a repository stay apart.
diff --git a/cli/test/e2e/tui_folders_test.go b/cli/test/e2e/tui_folders_test.go
index 95cb47c..860b52f 100644
--- a/cli/test/e2e/tui_folders_test.go
+++ b/cli/test/e2e/tui_folders_test.go
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ func TestTUIStartsASessionOnAHostPickedLikeAFolder(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("gohost: did not list the host's home:\n%s", view)
 	}
 	d.Type("proj/" + filepath.Base(picked)[:6])
-	if view := d.View(); !strings.Contains(view, "in gohost:~/proj") || !strings.Contains(view, filepath.Base(picked)) {
+	if view := d.View(); !strings.Contains(view, "in gohost:proj") || !strings.Contains(view, filepath.Base(picked)) {
 		t.Fatalf("the host's folder did not list:\n%s", view)
 	}
 	started, ok := d.Key(tea.KeyEnter).(tui.FolderNewSessionMsg)
diff --git a/robot-docs/workspaces.md b/robot-docs/workspaces.md
index 6ed6e54..60dc872 100644
--- a/robot-docs/workspaces.md
+++ b/robot-docs/workspaces.md
@@ -115,9 +115,10 @@ memory and work items, and reads cover the whole group.
 a worktree or jj workspace of the same repository is not linked by itself
 yet; that and suggesting links from shared history are later work.
 
-the tui shows a remote workspace as `label:path`, the path folded under
-that host's own home once a listing or probe reported it: the chat header
-reads `✦ albedo on chernobog:~/proj/albedo`, folds only the path, keeps the
+the tui shows a remote workspace as `label:path`, the path relative to that
+host's own home once a listing or probe reported it, as scp reads it (the
+home itself is `label:~`, a path outside it stays absolute): the chat header
+reads `✦ albedo on chernobog:proj/albedo`, folds only the path, keeps the
 host in every layout that shows a place, and colors the host with a stable
 hue derived from its label, lifted to the theme's contrast. the host goes
 faint while the session's kernel boots or reattaches (the status line says
@@ -287,7 +288,7 @@ folder (`cli/internal/tui/folder_picker.go`, `parseQuery`):
   `chernobog:~/proj/` browse under it, `chernobog:/srv/` from its root.
   everything after the last slash filters, as locally. the listing comes
   from `/fs/list` with the location; its canonical `path` and `home` fold
-  rows to `chernobog:~/proj/albedo`.
+  rows to `chernobog:proj/albedo`.
 - hosts complete from `GET /hosts` (recent first, then ssh config), with the
   hosts of the sessions already listed as a fallback. a bare word still
   filters the recent folders exactly as before and only adds the hosts whose