Vault Switcher doesn't switch to vault if vault window is already open

Bug graveyard
1

Steps to reproduce

Open a vault (A)
Open another vault (B)
While viewing B, switch to Vault A with the switcher

Did you follow the troubleshooting guide? [Y/N]

Yes

Expected result

Make A the active vault / window

Actual result

Stays on B, doesn’t switch

Environment

SYSTEM INFO:
Obsidian version: 1.13.2
Installer version: 1.12.6
Operating system: Windows 11 Pro 10.0.26200
Login status: logged in
Language: en
Catalyst license: insider
Insider build toggle: on
Live preview: on
Base theme: adapt to system
Community theme: Oxygen 0.2.10
Snippets enabled: 1
Restricted mode: off
Plugins installed: 27
Plugins enabled: 23
1: Search Engine Optimization v0.5.0
2: Vault CMS v0.7.0
3: Astro Composer v0.12.9
4: Bases CMS v0.5.9
5: Home Base v0.2.11
6: Git v2.38.5
7: Zen Mode v1.6.8
8: Tag Wrangler v0.6.4
9: Explorer Focus v0.2.2
10: UI Tweaker v0.4.9
11: BRAT v2.0.8
12: Omnisearch v1.29.3
13: Data Files Editor v1.4.1
14: Folder notes v1.8.26
15: Tag Mirror v0.0.5
16: File Name History v0.2.9
17: Image Manager v0.3.8
18: Callout Manager v1.1.1
19: Vault Nickname v1.1.12
20: Link As v0.0.3
21: Property Over File Name v0.8.0
22: Extended Embeds v0.1.0
23: Oxygen Theme Settings v0.3.13
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Custom theme and snippets: for cosmetic issues, please first try updating your theme and disabling your snippets. If still not fixed, please try to make the issue happen in the Sandbox Vault or disable community theme and snippets.
Community plugins: for bugs, please first try updating all your plugins to latest. If still not fixed, please try to make the issue happen in the Sandbox Vault or disable community plugins.

Additional information

Initially reported via Discord on 5/30/2026: Discord

2

Can you explicitly mention if you tested this in the sandbox vaults and with two fresh vaults?

3

Hey, yeah so it turns out it’s related to the plugin “Vault Nickname” and specifically the most recent insider versions colliding. Older versions of Obsidian do not have this problem with Vault Nickname. I’ll do a PR.

Edit: fix details below.

What the bug was

When you had two vaults open in separate windows and used the plugin’s vault switcher to jump to a vault that was already open in another window, nothing happened. It stayed put.

The plugin switched vaults by firing a deep link: window.open("obsidian://open?vault=<id>"). That deep link is fine for launching a vault that isn’t running, but when the target vault already has an open window, Obsidian doesn’t use it to bring that existing window to the front, so the click was a silent no-op.

How it was fixed

Switched to the same internal mechanism Obsidian’s own built-in switcher uses: the vault-open IPC channel.

ipcRenderer.sendSync("vault-open", vault.path, false)

That call opens the vault or focuses its existing window, and returns true on success (an error string otherwise, which is now logged). Re-selecting the vault you’re already in is also short-circuited to a no-op.