diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/app/control.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/app/control.rs
index 6d095d4842..f2a35b16c2 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/app/control.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/app/control.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ impl VectorcraftApp {
                         }
                     }
                 }
-                control::Outcome::AfterToolEdit { from, to } => self.pointer_replies.push((from, to, reply)),
+                control::Outcome::AfterToolEdit { from, to, document, tool } => {
+                    self.pointer_replies.push(control::PendingPointerReply { from, to, document, tool, reply });
+                }
             }
         }
         if handled == control::MAX_CONTROL_REQUESTS_PER_FRAME {
@@ -120,11 +122,12 @@ impl VectorcraftApp {
 
     /// Sends the waiting `ui.pointer` replies whose events have been made.
     fn send_pointer_replies(&mut self) {
-        for (from, to, reply) in std::mem::take(&mut self.pointer_replies) {
+        for pending in std::mem::take(&mut self.pointer_replies) {
+            let control::PendingPointerReply { from, to, document, tool, reply } = pending;
             if self.session.input_applied(from, to) {
-                let _ = reply.send(control::pointer_reply(self));
+                let _ = reply.send(control::pointer_reply_for(self, document, &tool));
             } else {
-                self.pointer_replies.push((from, to, reply));
+                self.pointer_replies.push(control::PendingPointerReply { from, to, document, tool, reply });
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs
index d5a0e2ef61..2e632616c4 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs
@@ -95,6 +95,14 @@ fn reserve_synthetic(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, additional: usize) -> Result<(),
 
 pub type ControlResponse = Value;
 
+pub(crate) struct PendingPointerReply {
+    pub from: u64,
+    pub to: u64,
+    pub document: Option<u64>,
+    pub tool: String,
+    pub reply: Sender<ControlResponse>,
+}
+
 pub struct ControlRequest {
     pub method: String,
     pub params: Value,
@@ -151,14 +159,28 @@ pub enum Outcome {
     AfterToolEdit {
         from: u64,
         to: u64,
+        document: Option<u64>,
+        tool: String,
     },
 }
 
 /// The reply to `ui.pointer`: the selection, the key object and the active tool.
 pub(crate) fn pointer_reply(app: &mut VectorcraftApp) -> Value {
-    match app.run("document.inspect", json!({})) {
-        Ok(d) => json!({"ok": true, "result": {"selection": d["selection"], "key": d["key"], "tool": app.session.tool_id()}}),
-        Err(e) => json!({"ok": false, "error": e.to_string()}),
+    pointer_reply_for(app, app.session.active().map(|d| d.uid), app.session.tool_id())
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn pointer_reply_for(app: &VectorcraftApp, document: Option<u64>, tool: &str) -> Value {
+    let state = document.and_then(|uid| app.session.documents().iter().find(|d| d.uid == uid));
+    match state {
+        Some(state) => json!({
+            "ok": true,
+            "result": {
+                "selection": state.selection.objects.iter().map(|id| id.0).collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+                "key": state.selection.key.map(|id| id.0),
+                "tool": tool,
+            }
+        }),
+        None => json!({"ok": false, "error": "the gesture's document is no longer open"}),
     }
 }
 
@@ -558,7 +580,7 @@ fn pointer_events(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context, req: &ControlRe
     // a hover is answered at once.
     let to = app.session.input_count();
     if !app.session.input_applied(from, to) {
-        return Outcome::AfterToolEdit { from, to };
+        return Outcome::AfterToolEdit { from, to, document: app.session.active().map(|d| d.uid), tool: app.session.tool_id().to_string() };
     }
     Outcome::Done(pointer_reply(app))
 }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/control/tests.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/control/tests.rs
index d0decf73a6..fc2ef0100b 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/control/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/control/tests.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,31 @@ fn input_request(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, method: &str, params: Value) -> Value
     r
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn deferred_pointer_reply_uses_the_gesture_document_after_file_new() {
+    let mut app = VectorcraftApp::new(Session::new(), Services::default());
+    app.run("file.new", json!({"width": 200, "height": 200})).unwrap();
+    let id = app.run("shape.rectangle", json!({"x": 10, "y": 10, "width": 40, "height": 40})).unwrap()["id"].as_u64().unwrap();
+    app.run("select.set", json!({"ids": [id]})).unwrap();
+    let (reply, received) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+    let at = app.session.input_count();
+    app.pointer_replies.push(super::PendingPointerReply {
+        from: at,
+        to: at,
+        document: app.session.active().map(|d| d.uid),
+        tool: app.session.tool_id().to_string(),
+        reply,
+    });
+
+    app.run("file.new", json!({"width": 200, "height": 200})).unwrap();
+    app.answer_pointer_replies(&egui::Context::default());
+
+    let result = received.try_recv().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(result["ok"], true, "{result}");
+    assert_eq!(result["result"]["selection"], json!([id]));
+    assert_eq!(result["result"]["key"], Value::Null);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn ui_set_turns_the_image_trace_preview_off_and_on() {
     let mut app = VectorcraftApp::new(Session::new(), Services::default());
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
index cf01a3e3d5..f76ec238c0 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ use tests::{
 mod tests;
 
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
-use std::sync::mpsc::{Receiver, Sender};
+use std::sync::mpsc::Receiver;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 
 use serde_json::{Value, json};
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ pub struct VectorcraftApp {
     pending_screenshots: Vec<PendingScreenshot>,
     /// `ui.pointer` replies waiting for their events and the edit the tool computes on another
     /// thread ([`control::Outcome::AfterToolEdit`]), with the numbers of those events.
-    pointer_replies: Vec<(u64, u64, Sender<ControlResponse>)>,
+    pointer_replies: Vec<control::PendingPointerReply>,
     /// Admitted captures whose settled frame has not come yet (issued one at a time).
     queued_screenshots: Vec<QueuedScreenshot>,
     screenshot_token: u64,
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/state.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/state.rs
index e7460b7e8d..1d53724c98 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/state.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/state.rs
@@ -66,8 +66,9 @@ pub const ROTATE_VIEW_ANGLES: [(&str, f64); 12] = [
     ("-90°", -90.0),
 ];
 
-use super::{ControlResponse, Sender};
+use super::ControlResponse;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+use std::sync::mpsc::Sender;
 
 /// Zoom stop stepping reads this (set each UI frame and before commands) so canvas wheel zoom
 /// matches the status bar when Display Print Size at 100% Zoom is on.