diff --git a/app/routes/place.js b/app/routes/place.js
index 774574f..451f58c 100644
--- a/app/routes/place.js
+++ b/app/routes/place.js
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ export default class PlaceRoute extends Route {
   deactivate() {
     // Clear the pin when leaving the route
     this.mapUi.clearSelection();
+    // Reset the "return to search" flag so it doesn't persist to subsequent navigations
+    this.mapUi.returnToSearch = false;
   }
 
   async loadOsmPlace(id, type = null) {
diff --git a/app/services/map-ui.js b/app/services/map-ui.js
index c125cbd..abfa140 100644
--- a/app/services/map-ui.js
+++ b/app/services/map-ui.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export default class MapUiService extends Service {
   @tracked isSearching = false;
   @tracked isCreating = false;
   @tracked creationCoordinates = null;
+  @tracked returnToSearch = false;
 
   selectPlace(place) {
     this.selectedPlace = place;
diff --git a/app/templates/place.gjs b/app/templates/place.gjs
index a4c869e..155a3f1 100644
--- a/app/templates/place.gjs
+++ b/app/templates/place.gjs
@@ -77,11 +77,11 @@ export default class PlaceTemplate extends Component {
   navigateBack(place) {
     // The sidebar calls this with null when "Back" is clicked.
     if (place === null) {
-      // If we have history, go back (preserves search state)
-      if (window.history.length > 1) {
+      // If we came from search results, go back in history
+      if (this.mapUi.returnToSearch) {
         window.history.back();
       } else {
-        // Fallback if opened directly
+        // Otherwise just close the sidebar (return to map index)
         this.router.transitionTo('index');
       }
     } else {
diff --git a/app/templates/search.gjs b/app/templates/search.gjs
index ed2f59b..5412155 100644
--- a/app/templates/search.gjs
+++ b/app/templates/search.gjs
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@ import { action } from '@ember/object';
 
 export default class SearchTemplate extends Component {
   @service router;
+  @service mapUi;
 
   @action
   selectPlace(place) {
     if (place) {
+      this.mapUi.returnToSearch = true;
       this.router.transitionTo('place', place);
     }
   }
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/navigation-test.js b/tests/acceptance/navigation-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbfa48e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/navigation-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+import { module, test } from 'qunit';
+import { visit, currentURL, click, settled } from '@ember/test-helpers';
+import { setupApplicationTest } from 'marco/tests/helpers';
+import Service from '@ember/service';
+import sinon from 'sinon';
+
+class MockOsmService extends Service {
+  async getNearbyPois() {
+    return [
+      {
+        osmId: '123',
+        lat: 1,
+        lon: 1,
+        osmTags: { name: 'Test Place', amenity: 'cafe' },
+        osmType: 'node',
+      },
+    ];
+  }
+  async getPoiById() {
+    return {
+      osmId: '123',
+      lat: 1,
+      lon: 1,
+      osmTags: { name: 'Test Place', amenity: 'cafe' },
+      osmType: 'node',
+    };
+  }
+}
+
+class MockStorageService extends Service {
+  savedPlaces = [];
+  findPlaceById() {
+    return null;
+  }
+  loadPlacesInBounds() {
+    return [];
+  }
+  get placesInView() {
+    return [];
+  }
+  rs = {
+    on: () => {},
+  };
+}
+
+module('Acceptance | navigation', function (hooks) {
+  setupApplicationTest(hooks);
+
+  hooks.beforeEach(function () {
+    this.owner.register('service:osm', MockOsmService);
+    this.owner.register('service:storage', MockStorageService);
+  });
+
+  test('navigating from search results to place and back uses history', async function (assert) {
+    const mapUi = this.owner.lookup('service:map-ui');
+    const backStub = sinon.stub(window.history, 'back');
+
+    try {
+      await visit('/search?lat=1&lon=1');
+      assert.strictEqual(currentURL(), '/search?lat=1&lon=1');
+
+      await click('.place-item');
+      assert.ok(currentURL().includes('/place/'), 'Navigated to place');
+      assert.true(mapUi.returnToSearch, 'Flag returnToSearch is set');
+
+      // Click the back button in the sidebar
+      await click('.back-btn');
+
+      assert.true(backStub.calledOnce, 'window.history.back() was called');
+    } finally {
+      backStub.restore();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('closing the sidebar resets the returnToSearch flag', async function (assert) {
+    const mapUi = this.owner.lookup('service:map-ui');
+
+    await visit('/search?lat=1&lon=1');
+    await click('.place-item'); // Sets returnToSearch = true
+
+    assert.true(mapUi.returnToSearch, 'Flag is set upon entering place');
+
+    // Click the Close (X) button
+    await click('.close-btn');
+    await settled();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(currentURL(), '/', 'Returned to index');
+    assert.false(mapUi.returnToSearch, 'Flag is reset after closing sidebar');
+  });
+
+  test('navigating directly to place and back closes sidebar', async function (assert) {
+    const backStub = sinon.stub(window.history, 'back');
+    try {
+      await visit('/place/osm:node:123');
+      assert.ok(currentURL().includes('/place/'), 'Visited place directly');
+
+      await click('.back-btn');
+      await settled();
+
+      assert.strictEqual(currentURL(), '/', 'Returned to index/map');
+      assert.true(backStub.notCalled, 'window.history.back() was NOT called');
+    } finally {
+      backStub.restore();
+    }
+  });
+});