diff --git a/app/src-tauri/src/commands/file_viewer_commands.rs b/app/src-tauri/src/commands/file_viewer_commands.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..388c4ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src-tauri/src/commands/file_viewer_commands.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,320 @@
+//! IPC for the terminal file viewer. Every command here is gated on the calling
+//! window's label and reads its target from the registry — no path, no label, no
+//! project id crosses IPC from a viewer window. See spec §6.
+
+use base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD as BASE64;
+use base64::Engine as _;
+use serde::Serialize;
+use tauri::{AppHandle, Emitter, Manager, State};
+
+use crate::commands::file_commands::{
+    fetch_container_file, require_running, validate_container_write_path, MAX_READ_BYTES,
+};
+use crate::file_viewer::is_viewer_label;
+use crate::file_viewer::poll::{poll_file, ViewerPoll};
+use crate::file_viewer::registry::{Location, ViewerRegistry, ViewerTarget, ViewerTargetState};
+use crate::file_viewer::resolve::{candidate_paths, probe_candidates};
+use crate::file_viewer::window::open_viewer_window;
+use crate::file_viewer::write::{sha256_hex, write_file, MAX_WRITE_BYTES};
+use crate::models::Project;
+use crate::AppState;
+
+pub const GOTO_EVENT: &str = "file-viewer-goto";
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize)]
+pub struct ViewerState {
+    pub project_id: String,
+    pub project_name: String,
+    pub raw_path: String,
+    pub state: ViewerTargetState,
+    pub initial: Location,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize)]
+pub struct ViewerFile {
+    pub contents_base64: String,
+    pub truncated: bool,
+    pub size: u64,
+    pub hash: String,
+    pub editable: bool,
+    pub readonly_reason: Option<String>,
+}
+
+fn require_main(window_label: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
+    if window_label == "main" {
+        Ok(())
+    } else {
+        Err("Only the main window can open files.".into())
+    }
+}
+
+fn require_viewer(window_label: &str) -> Result<String, String> {
+    if is_viewer_label(window_label) {
+        Ok(window_label.to_string())
+    } else {
+        Err("This command belongs to a file window.".into())
+    }
+}
+
+fn viewer_state_of(_label: &str, target: ViewerTarget) -> ViewerState {
+    ViewerState {
+        project_id: target.project_id,
+        project_name: target.project_name,
+        raw_path: target.raw_path,
+        state: target.state,
+        initial: target.initial,
+    }
+}
+
+fn window_title(raw_path: &str, project_name: &str) -> String {
+    let base = raw_path.trim_end_matches('/').rsplit('/').next().unwrap_or(raw_path);
+    format!("{} — {}", base, project_name)
+}
+
+/// Refuses a save payload before decoding it: base64 of at most
+/// [`MAX_WRITE_BYTES`] is at most `4 * ceil(MAX_WRITE_BYTES / 3)` characters.
+/// `write_file` enforces the cap on the decoded bytes too; this stops a
+/// compromised viewer from making the app allocate and decode an arbitrarily
+/// large string first.
+fn check_encoded_len(encoded_len: usize) -> Result<(), String> {
+    if encoded_len > MAX_WRITE_BYTES.div_ceil(3) * 4 {
+        return Err("Files over 1 MiB are read-only in the viewer.".into());
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// The caller's registry entry, or a sentence.
+fn own_target(
+    window: &tauri::Window,
+    registry: &ViewerRegistry,
+) -> Result<(String, ViewerTarget), String> {
+    let label = require_viewer(window.label())?;
+    let target = registry
+        .get(&label)
+        .ok_or_else(|| "This file window is no longer registered.".to_string())?;
+    Ok((label, target))
+}
+
+fn resolved_path(target: &ViewerTarget) -> Result<String, String> {
+    match &target.state {
+        ViewerTargetState::Resolved { container_path } => Ok(container_path.clone()),
+        _ => Err("Choose a file first.".into()),
+    }
+}
+
+/// The one place a viewer command looks up its project (P14).
+fn project_of(state: &AppState, project_id: &str) -> Result<Project, String> {
+    state
+        .projects_store
+        .get(project_id)
+        .ok_or_else(|| "This project no longer exists.".to_string())
+}
+
+async fn running_container_of(project: &Project) -> Result<String, String> {
+    let container_id = project.container_id.clone().ok_or_else(|| {
+        "Start the project before opening files — they live in its container.".to_string()
+    })?;
+    require_running(&container_id, "opening files").await?;
+    Ok(container_id)
+}
+
+/// The container of the project a viewer window belongs to, if it is running.
+async fn running_container_for(state: &AppState, target: &ViewerTarget) -> Result<String, String> {
+    running_container_of(&project_of(state, &target.project_id)?).await
+}
+
+// Nine parameters are fixed by the IPC contract (P10); four injected by Tauri.
+#[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
+#[tauri::command]
+pub async fn open_file_viewer(
+    project_id: String,
+    path: String,
+    line: Option<u32>,
+    col: Option<u32>,
+    end_line: Option<u32>,
+    window: tauri::Window,
+    app: AppHandle,
+    registry: State<'_, ViewerRegistry>,
+    state: State<'_, AppState>,
+) -> Result<(), String> {
+    require_main(window.label())?;
+    let project = project_of(&state, &project_id)?;
+    let container_id = running_container_of(&project).await?;
+
+    let mounts: Vec<String> = project.paths.iter().map(|p| p.mount_name.clone()).collect();
+    let candidates = candidate_paths(&path, &mounts)?;
+    let matches = probe_candidates(&container_id, &candidates).await?;
+    let initial = Location { line, col, end_line };
+
+    let target_state = match matches.len() {
+        0 => ViewerTargetState::NotFound { tried: candidates },
+        1 => {
+            let container_path = matches[0].clone();
+            if let Some(label) = registry.find_open(&project_id, &container_path) {
+                if let Some(existing) = app.get_webview_window(&label) {
+                    let _ = existing.unminimize();
+                    let _ = existing.set_focus();
+                    let _ = app.emit_to(label.as_str(), GOTO_EVENT, initial);
+                    return Ok(());
+                }
+                // Registered but windowless: a stale entry. Drop it and open afresh.
+                registry.remove(&label);
+            }
+            ViewerTargetState::Resolved { container_path }
+        }
+        _ => ViewerTargetState::Choose { candidates: matches },
+    };
+
+    let title = window_title(&path, &project.name);
+    let label = registry.reserve(ViewerTarget {
+        project_id,
+        project_name: project.name.clone(),
+        raw_path: path,
+        state: target_state,
+        initial,
+    })?;
+    if let Err(e) = open_viewer_window(&app, &label, &title) {
+        registry.remove(&label);
+        return Err(e);
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[tauri::command]
+pub async fn viewer_get_state(
+    window: tauri::Window,
+    registry: State<'_, ViewerRegistry>,
+) -> Result<ViewerState, String> {
+    let (label, target) = own_target(&window, &registry)?;
+    Ok(viewer_state_of(&label, target))
+}
+
+#[tauri::command]
+pub async fn viewer_choose_file(
+    index: usize,
+    window: tauri::Window,
+    registry: State<'_, ViewerRegistry>,
+) -> Result<ViewerState, String> {
+    let (label, target) = own_target(&window, &registry)?;
+    let chosen = match &target.state {
+        ViewerTargetState::Choose { candidates } => candidates
+            .get(index)
+            .cloned()
+            .ok_or_else(|| "That choice is no longer available.".to_string())?,
+        _ => return Err("This window is not choosing a file.".into()),
+    };
+    let updated =
+        registry.set_state(&label, ViewerTargetState::Resolved { container_path: chosen })?;
+    Ok(viewer_state_of(&label, updated))
+}
+
+#[tauri::command]
+pub async fn viewer_read_file(
+    max_bytes: u64,
+    window: tauri::Window,
+    registry: State<'_, ViewerRegistry>,
+    state: State<'_, AppState>,
+) -> Result<ViewerFile, String> {
+    let (_label, target) = own_target(&window, &registry)?;
+    let path = resolved_path(&target)?;
+    let container_id = running_container_for(&state, &target).await?;
+    let cap = max_bytes.clamp(1, MAX_READ_BYTES);
+    let fetched = fetch_container_file(&container_id, &path, cap).await?;
+    let (editable, readonly_reason) = match validate_container_write_path("File", &path) {
+        Ok(()) => (true, None),
+        Err(reason) => (false, Some(reason)),
+    };
+    Ok(ViewerFile {
+        hash: sha256_hex(&fetched.bytes),
+        contents_base64: BASE64.encode(&fetched.bytes),
+        truncated: fetched.truncated,
+        size: fetched.size,
+        editable,
+        readonly_reason,
+    })
+}
+
+#[tauri::command]
+pub async fn viewer_poll_file(
+    window: tauri::Window,
+    registry: State<'_, ViewerRegistry>,
+    state: State<'_, AppState>,
+) -> Result<ViewerPoll, String> {
+    let (_label, target) = own_target(&window, &registry)?;
+    let path = resolved_path(&target)?;
+    let container_id = running_container_for(&state, &target).await?;
+    poll_file(&container_id, &path).await
+}
+
+/// Errors from `write_file` pass through unchanged: the frontend matches the
+/// `"conflict: "` and `"gone: "` prefixes, and anything else (a read-only file,
+/// a full disk) is already a sentence it shows as is.
+#[tauri::command]
+pub async fn viewer_write_file(
+    contents_base64: String,
+    base_hash: String,
+    window: tauri::Window,
+    registry: State<'_, ViewerRegistry>,
+    state: State<'_, AppState>,
+) -> Result<String, String> {
+    let (_label, target) = own_target(&window, &registry)?;
+    let path = resolved_path(&target)?;
+    validate_container_write_path("File", &path)?;
+    check_encoded_len(contents_base64.len())?;
+    let bytes = BASE64
+        .decode(contents_base64.as_bytes())
+        .map_err(|_| "The editor sent malformed content.".to_string())?;
+    let container_id = running_container_for(&state, &target).await?;
+    write_file(&container_id, &state.exec_manager, &path, &bytes, &base_hash).await
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn open_is_main_only_and_viewer_commands_are_viewer_only() {
+        assert!(require_main("main").is_ok());
+        assert!(require_main("file-viewer-1").is_err());
+        assert!(require_main("browser-view-x").is_err());
+        assert_eq!(require_viewer("file-viewer-7").unwrap(), "file-viewer-7");
+        assert!(require_viewer("main").is_err());
+        assert!(require_viewer("file-viewer-").is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn the_title_is_basename_then_project() {
+        assert_eq!(window_title("app/src/lib/urlRelay.ts", "Triple-C"), "urlRelay.ts — Triple-C");
+        assert_eq!(window_title("/workspace/x/README.md", "x"), "README.md — x");
+        assert_eq!(window_title("Makefile", "p"), "Makefile — p");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn viewer_state_serialises_the_ipc_shape() {
+        let target = ViewerTarget {
+            project_id: "pid".into(),
+            project_name: "P".into(),
+            raw_path: "src/a.rs".into(),
+            state: ViewerTargetState::Resolved { container_path: "/workspace/p/src/a.rs".into() },
+            initial: Location { line: Some(3), col: Some(2), end_line: None },
+        };
+        let json = serde_json::to_value(viewer_state_of("file-viewer-1", target)).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(json["project_id"], "pid");
+        assert_eq!(json["state"]["kind"], "resolved");
+        assert_eq!(json["state"]["container_path"], "/workspace/p/src/a.rs");
+        assert_eq!(json["initial"]["line"], 3);
+        assert!(json["initial"]["end_line"].is_null());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn the_encoded_length_is_capped_before_decoding() {
+        let at_cap = BASE64.encode(vec![0u8; MAX_WRITE_BYTES]);
+        assert!(check_encoded_len(at_cap.len()).is_ok());
+        // MAX + 1 and MAX + 2 bytes pad to the same length as MAX; `write_file`'s
+        // decoded check refuses those. The first size this bound itself refuses:
+        let over_cap = BASE64.encode(vec![0u8; MAX_WRITE_BYTES + 3]);
+        assert!(check_encoded_len(over_cap.len()).is_err());
+        assert!(check_encoded_len(at_cap.len() + 1).is_err());
+        assert!(check_encoded_len(0).is_ok());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/src-tauri/src/commands/mod.rs b/app/src-tauri/src/commands/mod.rs
index 6ba4199..f58af28 100644
--- a/app/src-tauri/src/commands/mod.rs
+++ b/app/src-tauri/src/commands/mod.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ pub mod auth_token_commands;
 pub mod aws_commands;
 pub mod docker_commands;
 pub mod file_commands;
+pub mod file_viewer_commands;
 pub mod gateway_commands;
 pub mod help_commands;
 pub mod inspect_commands;
diff --git a/app/src-tauri/src/file_viewer/window.rs b/app/src-tauri/src/file_viewer/window.rs
index 9482e55..26786a8 100644
--- a/app/src-tauri/src/file_viewer/window.rs
+++ b/app/src-tauri/src/file_viewer/window.rs
@@ -1 +1,27 @@
-//! Filled in by Task N.
+//! The viewer window itself. Mirrors `browser_view/popout.rs`, with two differences:
+//! the URL is the app's own second entry (`WebviewUrl::App`), so the capability in
+//! `capabilities/file-viewer.json` applies; and the registry entry is removed on
+//! `Destroyed`, which fires for both the X button (after JS calls `destroy()`) and a
+//! Rust-side `destroy()`.
+
+use tauri::{AppHandle, Manager, WebviewUrl, WebviewWindowBuilder, WindowEvent};
+
+use super::registry::ViewerRegistry;
+
+pub fn open_viewer_window(app: &AppHandle, label: &str, title: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
+    let window = WebviewWindowBuilder::new(app, label, WebviewUrl::App("viewer.html".into()))
+        .title(title)
+        .inner_size(900.0, 700.0)
+        .min_inner_size(480.0, 320.0)
+        .build()
+        .map_err(|e| format!("Could not open the file window: {}", e))?;
+
+    let app_for_event = app.clone();
+    let label_owned = label.to_string();
+    window.on_window_event(move |event| {
+        if let WindowEvent::Destroyed = event {
+            app_for_event.state::<ViewerRegistry>().remove(&label_owned);
+        }
+    });
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index 143b50b..9867e0e 100644
--- a/app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ pub fn run() {
             lifecycle,
             pending_settings_import: Arc::new(tokio::sync::Mutex::new(None)),
         })
+        .manage(file_viewer::registry::ViewerRegistry::default())
         .setup(move |app| {
             match tauri::image::Image::from_bytes(include_bytes!("../icons/icon.png")) {
                 Ok(icon) => {
@@ -546,6 +547,13 @@ pub fn run() {
             commands::file_commands::read_container_file,
             commands::file_commands::rename_container_path,
             commands::file_commands::create_container_directory,
+            // Terminal file viewer
+            commands::file_viewer_commands::open_file_viewer,
+            commands::file_viewer_commands::viewer_get_state,
+            commands::file_viewer_commands::viewer_choose_file,
+            commands::file_viewer_commands::viewer_read_file,
+            commands::file_viewer_commands::viewer_poll_file,
+            commands::file_viewer_commands::viewer_write_file,
             // AWS
             commands::aws_commands::aws_sso_refresh,
             // Updates