diff --git a/lib/layout/controllers/app_layout_controller.dart b/lib/layout/controllers/app_layout_controller.dart
index 669a357..4ce291f 100644
--- a/lib/layout/controllers/app_layout_controller.dart
+++ b/lib/layout/controllers/app_layout_controller.dart
@@ -158,6 +158,15 @@ class AppLayoutController(
     _platController.focus(AppTabs.releaseNotes);
   }
 
+  /// The tab on screen in the editor area, or null with none open. What
+  /// "the active editor" means to File ▸ Close Editor and Revert File.
+  LeafSnapshot? activeCenterLeaf() {
+    final group = _platController.snapshot('center_pane');
+    if (group is! TabGroupSnapshot) return null;
+    final active = group.activeTab;
+    return active?.focusedLeaf ?? active?.firstLeaf;
+  }
+
   /// Whether the settings tab is open *and* the one on screen — the activity
   /// bar's settings button lights up on exactly that.
   bool isSettingsTabSelected() {
diff --git a/lib/shell/menus/file/actions/closed.dart b/lib/shell/menus/file/actions/closed.dart
index be032b9..c6cc251 100644
--- a/lib/shell/menus/file/actions/closed.dart
+++ b/lib/shell/menus/file/actions/closed.dart
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
 import 'package:multiview_desktop/multiview_desktop.dart';
 import 'package:pinbench_ui/strings.dart';
 
-import '../../../../features/editor/providers/editor_provider.dart';
 import '../../../../features/workspace/providers/workspace_files_provider.dart';
+import '../../../../layout/controllers/app_layout_controller.dart';
 import '../../shared_menu_actions.dart';
 
 PlatformMenuItemGroup closeActions({
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ PlatformMenuItemGroup closeActions({
       onSelected: !hasEditorTab
           ? null
           : () async {
-              final activeTab = ref.read(activeTabProvider);
-              if (activeTab.isEmpty || activeTab == 'Welcome') return;
-              await ref.read(workspaceFilesProvider.notifier).revertFile(activeTab);
+              final path = activeEditorFile(ref.read(appLayoutControllerProvider));
+              if (path == null) return;
+              await ref.read(workspaceFilesProvider.notifier).revertFile(path);
             },
     ),
     PlatformMenuItem(
diff --git a/lib/shell/menus/shared_menu_actions.dart b/lib/shell/menus/shared_menu_actions.dart
index 6c649bc..768c429 100644
--- a/lib/shell/menus/shared_menu_actions.dart
+++ b/lib/shell/menus/shared_menu_actions.dart
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
 import 'package:pinbench_ui/widgets/text_input_dialog.dart';
 import 'package:pinbench_ui/strings.dart';
 
-import '../../features/editor/providers/editor_provider.dart';
 import '../../features/workspace/providers/workspace_files_provider.dart';
 import '../../features/workspace/providers/editor_state_provider.dart';
+import '../../core/chrome/chrome_commands.dart';
 import '../../core/updates/update_providers.dart';
 import '../../layout/controllers/app_layout_controller.dart';
 import '../../layout/updates/update_dialog.dart';
@@ -61,16 +61,31 @@ Future<void> loadPrecompiledHexFile(WorkspaceFiles files) async {
 /// Closes the active editor tab (and its canvas tab, if it's a `.cdl`).
 /// Backs "Close Editor" on both menus. No-op when nothing (or the welcome
 /// tab) is active.
+///
+/// Asks the layout which tab that is. It used to read `activeTabProvider`,
+/// which switching tabs never updates — so it was usually empty, and ⌘W did
+/// nothing.
 void closeActiveEditorTab(WidgetRef ref) {
-  final activeTab = ref.read(activeTabProvider);
-  if (activeTab.isEmpty || activeTab == 'Welcome') return;
-  ref.read(appLayoutControllerProvider).closeTab(activeTab);
-  ref.read(editorStateControllerProvider).closeFile(activeTab);
-  if (activeTab.endsWith('.cdl')) {
-    ref.read(appLayoutControllerProvider).closeTab('canvas_$activeTab');
+  final layout = ref.read(appLayoutControllerProvider);
+  final leaf = layout.activeCenterLeaf();
+  if (leaf == null) return;
+  // A file tab carries its path; its editor state goes with it, and so does a
+  // `.cdl` file's canvas. Anything else — a canvas, the welcome screen,
+  // settings — is just a tab to close, as ⌘W closes any editor in VS Code.
+  if (activeEditorFile(layout) case final path?) {
+    ref.read(editorStateControllerProvider).closeFile(path);
+    if (path.endsWith('.cdl')) layout.closeTab(AppTabs.canvas(path));
   }
+  layout.closeTab(leaf.id);
 }
 
+/// The file open in the active editor tab, or null when that tab is not a
+/// file (a canvas, the welcome screen, settings) or there is none.
+String? activeEditorFile(AppLayoutController layout) => switch (layout.activeCenterLeaf()?.data) {
+  final String path when path != 'canvas_view' => path,
+  _ => null,
+};
+
 /// Opens the update dialog, which starts a check as it appears. Backs "Check
 /// for Updates…" on both menus.
 ///
diff --git a/test/shell/close_editor_test.dart b/test/shell/close_editor_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ac0f6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/shell/close_editor_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+
+import 'package:pinbench/core/chrome/chrome_commands.dart';
+import 'package:pinbench/features/workspace/providers/editor_state_provider.dart';
+import 'package:pinbench/layout/controllers/app_layout_controller.dart';
+import 'package:pinbench/shell/menus/shared_menu_actions.dart';
+
+/// File ▸ Close Editor (⌘W) closes the tab on screen. It used to read
+/// `activeTabProvider`, which switching tabs never updates, so it was usually
+/// empty and the shortcut did nothing.
+void main() {
+  late WidgetRef ref;
+  late ProviderContainer container;
+
+  Future<AppLayoutController> pump(WidgetTester tester) async {
+    container = ProviderContainer();
+    addTearDown(container.dispose);
+    await tester.pumpWidget(
+      UncontrolledProviderScope(
+        container: container,
+        child: Consumer(
+          builder: (context, r, _) {
+            ref = r;
+            return const SizedBox();
+          },
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+    return container.read(appLayoutControllerProvider);
+  }
+
+  testWidgets('closes the active file, and its editor state with it', (tester) async {
+    final layout = await pump(tester);
+    container.read(editorStateControllerProvider).openFile('/ws/a.ino', 'void setup() {}');
+    layout.openEditorTab('/ws/a.ino');
+
+    closeActiveEditorTab(ref);
+
+    expect(layout.platController.snapshot('/ws/a.ino'), isNull);
+    expect(container.read(editorStateControllerProvider).openFileControllers, isEmpty);
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('closes the tab that is on screen, not another', (tester) async {
+    final layout = await pump(tester);
+    final editors = container.read(editorStateControllerProvider)
+      ..openFile('/ws/a.ino', '')
+      ..openFile('/ws/b.ino', '');
+    layout
+      ..openEditorTab('/ws/a.ino')
+      ..openEditorTab('/ws/b.ino')
+      ..focusTab('/ws/a.ino');
+
+    closeActiveEditorTab(ref);
+
+    expect(layout.platController.snapshot('/ws/a.ino'), isNull);
+    expect(layout.platController.snapshot('/ws/b.ino'), isNotNull);
+    expect(editors.openFileControllers.keys, ['/ws/b.ino']);
+  });
+
+  testWidgets("a circuit's canvas goes with its file", (tester) async {
+    final layout = await pump(tester);
+    container.read(editorStateControllerProvider).openFile('/ws/c.cdl', '');
+    layout
+      ..openCanvasTab('/ws/c.cdl')
+      ..openEditorTab('/ws/c.cdl');
+
+    closeActiveEditorTab(ref);
+
+    expect(layout.platController.snapshot('/ws/c.cdl'), isNull);
+    expect(layout.platController.snapshot(AppTabs.canvas('/ws/c.cdl')), isNull);
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('closes a tab that is not a file, as VS Code does', (tester) async {
+    final layout = await pump(tester);
+    layout.openSettingsTab();
+
+    closeActiveEditorTab(ref);
+
+    expect(layout.platController.snapshot(AppTabs.settings), isNull);
+    expect(layout.platController.snapshot(AppTabs.welcome), isNotNull);
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('does nothing with no tab open', (tester) async {
+    final layout = await pump(tester);
+    layout.closeTab(AppTabs.welcome);
+    expect(layout.activeCenterLeaf(), isNull);
+
+    closeActiveEditorTab(ref);
+  });
+}