diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/Markdown.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/Markdown.tsx
index 9a03b7799..ae623d8ee 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/Markdown.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/Markdown.tsx
@@ -53,9 +53,12 @@ import { useAppStore } from "../stores/app-store";
 import { useReferencedImageDataUrl } from "../lib/use-referenced-image-data-url";
 import { useOpenChatFileRef } from "../hooks/use-preview-target";
 import {
+  parseFileRefPosition,
   remarkChatFileLinks,
   resolvePreviewTarget,
   safeDecodeUri,
+  splitFileLocation,
+  stripLineRef,
   toWorkspaceRel,
 } from "../lib/chat-links";
 import {
@@ -477,7 +480,10 @@ function InlineCode({
       title={target.kind === "file" ? fileTitle : urlTitle}
       onClick={() =>
         target.kind === "file"
-          ? openFileRef(text ?? target.path, baseDir)
+          ? openFileRef(text ?? target.path, baseDir, undefined, {
+              line: target.line,
+              column: target.column,
+            })
           : openHttpUrl(target.url)
       }
     >
@@ -576,7 +582,12 @@ function Anchor({
     const rel = toWorkspaceRel(safeDecodeUri(href), root, baseDir);
     if (rel) {
       e.preventDefault();
-      openFileRef(rel, baseDir);
+      const decoded = safeDecodeUri(href);
+      const fromHash = splitFileLocation(decoded);
+      const fromColon = parseFileRefPosition(decoded);
+      const line = fromHash.line ?? fromColon?.line;
+      const column = fromHash.column ?? fromColon?.column;
+      openFileRef(stripLineRef(rel), baseDir, undefined, { line, column });
     }
   };
   return (
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/workpanel/FilesTab.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/workpanel/FilesTab.tsx
index 582f34bb4..fd4de7444 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/workpanel/FilesTab.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/workpanel/FilesTab.tsx
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ function HighlightedText({ path, content }: { path: string; content: string }) {
     <pre className="file-viewer-code">
       {tokens
         ? tokens.tokens.map((row, i) => (
-            <div className="file-viewer-line" key={i}>
+            <div className="file-viewer-line" id={`file-viewer-line-${i + 1}`} key={i}>
               {row.length === 0
                 ? "\n"
                 : row.map((token, j) => (
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ function HighlightedText({ path, content }: { path: string; content: string }) {
             </div>
           ))
         : visible.split("\n").map((line, i) => (
-            <div className="file-viewer-line" key={i}>
+            <div className="file-viewer-line" id={`file-viewer-line-${i + 1}`} key={i}>
               {line || "\n"}
             </div>
           ))}
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ export function FilesTab() {
   const [selected, setSelected] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [file, setFile] = useState<FsReadResult | null>(null);
   const [fileError, setFileError] = useState(false);
+  const pendingLineRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
 
   // Workspace switches reset all browsing state. Guarded so it only fires on
   // an actual root change: an unconditional [root] effect also runs on the
@@ -241,8 +242,29 @@ export function FilesTab() {
       for (const dir of ancestors) void loadDir(dir);
     }
     void openFile(path, fileRequest.mimeType);
+    // Chat `path:line` refs land here when the bundled file view is absent;
+    // remember the line so the viewer can scroll once the content loads (#681).
+    pendingLineRef.current = fileRequest.line ?? null;
   }, [fileRequest, root, loadDir, openFile]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const line = pendingLineRef.current;
+    if (!line || !file) return;
+    pendingLineRef.current = null;
+    const id = `file-viewer-line-${line}`;
+    // Lines render 1-based; fall back to query by ordinal if ids are absent.
+    requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      const node = document.getElementById(id);
+      if (node) {
+        node.scrollIntoView({ block: "center" });
+        return;
+      }
+      const lines = document.querySelectorAll(".file-viewer-line");
+      const target = lines[line - 1];
+      if (target) target.scrollIntoView({ block: "center" });
+    });
+  }, [file]);
+
   const renderDir = (rel: string, depth: number): React.ReactNode => {
     const state = dirs[rel];
     if (!state) {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/hooks/use-preview-target.ts b/apps/desktop/src/hooks/use-preview-target.ts
index 313487cd6..32ba23f06 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/hooks/use-preview-target.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/hooks/use-preview-target.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,13 @@ import { useCallback, useMemo } from "react";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { useAppStore } from "../stores/app-store";
 import { api } from "../lib/api";
-import { isHtmlFilePath, toWorkspaceRel, type ChatPreviewTarget } from "../lib/chat-links";
+import {
+  fileLocationWithPosition,
+  isHtmlFilePath,
+  parseFileRefPosition,
+  toWorkspaceRel,
+  type ChatPreviewTarget,
+} from "../lib/chat-links";
 import { openHttpUrl } from "../lib/open-http-url";
 import {
   FILE_MANAGER_PLUGIN_TAB,
@@ -27,7 +33,12 @@ export function useOpenPreviewTarget() {
   const openFileRef = useOpenChatFileRef();
   return useCallback(
     (target: ChatPreviewTarget) =>
-      target.kind === "file" ? openFileRef(target.path) : openHttpUrl(target.url),
+      target.kind === "file"
+        ? openFileRef(target.path, undefined, undefined, {
+            line: target.line,
+            column: target.column,
+          })
+        : openHttpUrl(target.url),
     [openFileRef],
   );
 }
@@ -37,6 +48,11 @@ function isDotRelative(path: string): boolean {
   return path.startsWith("./") || path.startsWith("../");
 }
 
+export type ChatFileRefPosition = {
+  line?: number;
+  column?: number;
+};
+
 /**
  * Open a file reference the conversation mentioned.
  *
@@ -54,6 +70,11 @@ function isDotRelative(path: string): boolean {
  * A workspace `.html` page in the primary folder stays with the side browser
  * (ADR 0163): it is a page to run, not a file to read. A reference that matches
  * nothing says so instead of opening an empty panel.
+ *
+ * Tokens such as `src/a.ts:42` carry a 1-based line (and optional column).
+ * Those are stripped before path resolution, then re-attached on the open
+ * request so the file view can jump to the cited line (#681). Plugin locations
+ * use `path#L{line}` (see `fileLocationWithPosition`).
  */
 export function useOpenChatFileRef() {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
@@ -71,9 +92,17 @@ export function useOpenChatFileRef() {
   );
 
   return useCallback(
-    (path: string, baseDir?: string, mimeType?: string) => {
-      const raw = String(path ?? "").trim();
+    (
+      path: string,
+      baseDir?: string,
+      mimeType?: string,
+      position?: ChatFileRefPosition,
+    ) => {
+      const parsed = parseFileRefPosition(path) ?? { path: path.trim() };
+      const raw = String(parsed.path ?? "").trim();
       if (!raw) return;
+      const line = position?.line ?? parsed.line;
+      const column = position?.column ?? parsed.column;
       // `./x` and `../x` are the one shape the caller resolves better than the
       // main process can: the base is the markdown file on screen, which only
       // the caller knows. Everything else is completed against the roots.
@@ -104,13 +133,17 @@ export function useOpenChatFileRef() {
             return;
           }
           if (fileViewAvailable) {
-            openTab(fileManagerPluginTab(target));
+            openTab(
+              fileManagerPluginTab(
+                fileLocationWithPosition(target, { line, column }),
+              ),
+            );
             return;
           }
-          openFile(target, mimeType);
+          openFile(target, mimeType, { line, column });
           return;
         }
-        openFile(match.absolutePath, mimeType);
+        openFile(match.absolutePath, mimeType, { line, column });
       })();
     },
     [
@@ -124,4 +157,4 @@ export function useOpenChatFileRef() {
       workspacePath,
     ],
   );
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/chat-links.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/chat-links.ts
index 4cee3cccf..ed815a9aa 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/chat-links.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/chat-links.ts
@@ -51,10 +51,67 @@ export function isHtmlFilePath(path: string): boolean {
   return /\.html?$/i.test(path);
 }
 
-function stripLineRef(path: string): string {
+export function stripLineRef(path: string): string {
   return path.replace(/:\d+(?::\d+)?$/, "");
 }
 
+export type FileRefPosition = {
+  path: string;
+  /** 1-based line from `path:line[:col]` refs; omitted when absent. */
+  line?: number;
+  /** 1-based column when the token carried `path:line:col`. */
+  column?: number;
+};
+
+const LINE_COL_SUFFIX_RE = /:(\d+)(?::(\d+))?$/;
+
+/**
+ * Split a chat `path:line[:col]` token into a file path plus optional
+ * 1-based position. `parseFileRef` keeps returning the path alone; this
+ * helper preserves the line the transcript named so openers can jump to it
+ * instead of landing at the top of the file (#681).
+ */
+export function parseFileRefPosition(text: string): FileRefPosition | null {
+  const path = parseFileRef(text);
+  if (!path) return null;
+  const raw = text.trim().replace(/^@/, "");
+  const match = LINE_COL_SUFFIX_RE.exec(raw);
+  if (!match) return { path };
+  const line = Number(match[1]);
+  if (!Number.isFinite(line) || line < 1) return { path };
+  const column = match[2] === undefined ? undefined : Number(match[2]);
+  if (column !== undefined && (!Number.isFinite(column) || column < 1)) {
+    return { path, line };
+  }
+  return column === undefined ? { path, line } : { path, line, column };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Encode a workspace path plus optional line for plugin-view location
+ * delivery (`piViewOpen` / `view:open`). Host and plugin agree on `#L{line}`
+ * so the path itself stays a normal relative path when no line is present.
+ */
+export function fileLocationWithPosition(
+  path: string,
+  position?: { line?: number; column?: number },
+): string {
+  if (!position?.line || position.line < 1) return path;
+  if (position.column && position.column >= 1) {
+    return `${path}#L${position.line}:C${position.column}`;
+  }
+  return `${path}#L${position.line}`;
+}
+
+/** Inverse of `fileLocationWithPosition` for openers that receive a location. */
+export function splitFileLocation(location: string): FileRefPosition {
+  const hash = /#L(\d+)(?::C(\d+))?$/.exec(location);
+  if (!hash) return { path: location };
+  const path = location.slice(0, hash.index);
+  const line = Number(hash[1]);
+  const column = hash[2] === undefined ? undefined : Number(hash[2]);
+  return column === undefined ? { path, line } : { path, line, column };
+}
+
 function leafName(path: string): string {
   const normalized = path.replaceAll("\\", "/").replace(/\/+$/, "");
   return normalized.slice(normalized.lastIndexOf("/") + 1) || path;
@@ -182,8 +239,45 @@ export function toWorkspaceRel(
 }
 
 export type ChatPreviewTarget =
-  | { kind: "file"; path: string }
-  | { kind: "url"; url: string };
+  | { kind: "url"; url: string }
+  | {
+      kind: "file";
+      path: string;
+      /** 1-based line from `path:line` tokens; omitted when absent. */
+      line?: number;
+      /** 1-based column when the token carried `path:line:col`. */
+      column?: number;
+    };
+
+function extractLineColumn(token: string): {
+  line?: number;
+  column?: number;
+} {
+  const cleaned = token
+    .trim()
+    .replace(/^@/, "")
+    .replace(/^"|"$/g, "");
+  const match = /:(\d+)(?::(\d+))?$/.exec(cleaned);
+  if (!match) return {};
+  const line = Number(match[1]);
+  if (!Number.isFinite(line) || line < 1) return {};
+  const column = match[2] === undefined ? undefined : Number(match[2]);
+  if (column !== undefined && (!Number.isFinite(column) || column < 1)) {
+    return { line };
+  }
+  return column === undefined ? { line } : { line, column };
+}
+
+function fileTarget(
+  path: string,
+  line?: number,
+  column?: number,
+): ChatPreviewTarget {
+  if (!line) return { kind: "file", path };
+  return column
+    ? { kind: "file", path, line, column }
+    : { kind: "file", path, line };
+}
 
 /** Resolve one raw chat token into a previewable target, or null. */
 export function resolvePreviewTarget(
@@ -193,17 +287,21 @@ export function resolvePreviewTarget(
 ): ChatPreviewTarget | null {
   const trimmed = text.trim();
   if (isHttpUrl(trimmed)) return { kind: "url", url: trimmed };
+  const { line, column } = extractLineColumn(trimmed);
   const at = unwrapAtFileRef(trimmed);
   if (at) {
     // Scratch/attachment @refs stay absolute so fs/open can contain them.
-    if (at.startsWith("/")) return { kind: "file", path: at };
-    const rel = toWorkspaceRel(at, root, baseDir);
-    return rel ? { kind: "file", path: rel } : null;
+    const rawPath = stripLineRef(at);
+    if (rawPath.startsWith("/")) return fileTarget(rawPath, line, column);
+    const rel = toWorkspaceRel(rawPath, root, baseDir);
+    if (!rel) return null;
+    return fileTarget(rel, line, column);
   }
   const file = parseFileRef(trimmed);
   if (!file) return null;
   const rel = toWorkspaceRel(file, root, baseDir);
-  return rel ? { kind: "file", path: rel } : null;
+  if (!rel) return null;
+  return fileTarget(rel, line, column);
 }
 
 /** Tool-call args → preview target (Read/Write/Edit paths, fetch URLs). */
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/work-panel-tabs.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/work-panel-tabs.ts
index d38e56d26..b8879289f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/work-panel-tabs.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/work-panel-tabs.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ export type WorkPanelTab = {
   location?: string;
   /** Stored attachment mimeType for extension-less `attachments/<sha256>` images. */
   mimeType?: string;
+  /** 1-based line from a chat `path:line` ref (#681); omitted when unknown. */
+  line?: number;
+  /** 1-based column when the chat token carried `path:line:col`. */
+  column?: number;
 };
 
 export type WorkPanelTabsState = {
@@ -19,9 +23,17 @@ export type WorkPanelTabsState = {
   activeTabId: string | null;
 };
 
+export type WorkPanelFileRequest = {
+  path: string;
+  seq: number;
+  mimeType?: string;
+  line?: number;
+  column?: number;
+};
+
 export type WorkPanelContext = WorkPanelTabsState & {
   open: boolean;
-  fileRequest: { path: string; seq: number; mimeType?: string } | null;
+  fileRequest: WorkPanelFileRequest | null;
 };
 
 let newWorkPanelTabSequence = 0;
@@ -239,13 +251,20 @@ export function normalizeWorkPanelFilePath(path: string): string {
   return absolute ? `/${normalized}` : normalized;
 }
 
-export function fileWorkPanelTab(path: string, mimeType?: string): WorkPanelTab {
+export function fileWorkPanelTab(
+  path: string,
+  mimeType?: string,
+  position?: { line?: number; column?: number },
+): WorkPanelTab {
   const resource = normalizeWorkPanelFilePath(path);
   return {
     id: `file:${resource}`,
     kind: "file",
     resource,
     ...(mimeType ? { mimeType } : {}),
+    ...(position?.line
+      ? { line: position.line, column: position.column }
+      : {}),
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/stores/app-state.ts b/apps/desktop/src/stores/app-state.ts
index 093175da1..7969e9bc3 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/stores/app-state.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/stores/app-state.ts
@@ -371,7 +371,11 @@ export type AppState = {
   /** Hide the visible panel while retaining its session-owned context. */
   resetWorkPanelContext: () => void;
   setWorkPanelWidth: (width: number) => void;
-  openFileInWorkPanel: (path: string, mimeType?: string) => void;
+  openFileInWorkPanel: (
+    path: string,
+    mimeType?: string,
+    position?: { line?: number; column?: number },
+  ) => void;
   openUrlInWorkPanel: (url: string) => void;
 };
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/stores/slices/work-panel-slice.ts b/apps/desktop/src/stores/slices/work-panel-slice.ts
index 2fc5ae354..65dcd5902 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/stores/slices/work-panel-slice.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/stores/slices/work-panel-slice.ts
@@ -356,8 +356,8 @@ export function createWorkPanelSlice({
     saveWorkPanelWidth(get().workPanelWidth);
   },
 
-  openFileInWorkPanel: (path, mimeType) => {
-    get().openWorkPanelTab(fileWorkPanelTab(path, mimeType));
+  openFileInWorkPanel: (path, mimeType, position) => {
+    get().openWorkPanelTab(fileWorkPanelTab(path, mimeType, position));
   },
   openUrlInWorkPanel: (url) => {
     const hasBrowser = get().pluginViews.some(
diff --git a/apps/desktop/test/chat-links.test.mjs b/apps/desktop/test/chat-links.test.mjs
index 7352036a1..f2e6b8a92 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/test/chat-links.test.mjs
+++ b/apps/desktop/test/chat-links.test.mjs
@@ -2,13 +2,16 @@ import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import test from "node:test";
 import {
   fileDirOf,
+  fileLocationWithPosition,
   getToolPreviewTarget,
   isHttpUrl,
   linkifyMdastTree,
   parseFileRef,
+  parseFileRefPosition,
   remarkChatFileLinks,
   resolvePreviewTarget,
   splitChatText,
+  splitFileLocation,
   toWorkspaceRel,
 } from "../src/lib/chat-links.ts";
 
@@ -25,6 +28,41 @@ test("parseFileRef accepts pathy tokens and strips line refs", () => {
   assert.equal(parseFileRef("../adr/0163.md"), "../adr/0163.md");
 });
 
+test("parseFileRefPosition keeps the line the transcript named (#681)", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(parseFileRefPosition("src/main.rs:42"), {
+    path: "src/main.rs",
+    line: 42,
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(parseFileRefPosition("src/main.rs:42:7"), {
+    path: "src/main.rs",
+    line: 42,
+    column: 7,
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(parseFileRefPosition("apps/desktop/src/App.tsx"), {
+    path: "apps/desktop/src/App.tsx",
+  });
+  assert.equal(parseFileRefPosition("hello world"), null);
+});
+
+test("fileLocationWithPosition encodes #L for plugin open locations (#681)", () => {
+  assert.equal(fileLocationWithPosition("src/a.ts"), "src/a.ts");
+  assert.equal(fileLocationWithPosition("src/a.ts", { line: 10 }), "src/a.ts#L10");
+  assert.equal(
+    fileLocationWithPosition("src/a.ts", { line: 10, column: 3 }),
+    "src/a.ts#L10:C3",
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(splitFileLocation("src/a.ts#L10"), {
+    path: "src/a.ts",
+    line: 10,
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(splitFileLocation("src/a.ts#L10:C3"), {
+    path: "src/a.ts",
+    line: 10,
+    column: 3,
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(splitFileLocation("src/a.ts"), { path: "src/a.ts" });
+});
+
 test("parseFileRef accepts bare names only with known extensions", () => {
   assert.equal(parseFileRef("README.md"), "README.md");
   assert.equal(parseFileRef("package.json"), "package.json");
@@ -91,6 +129,7 @@ test("resolvePreviewTarget classifies urls and workspace files", () => {
   assert.deepEqual(resolvePreviewTarget("src/a.ts:10", ROOT), {
     kind: "file",
     path: "src/a.ts",
+    line: 10,
   });
   assert.deepEqual(resolvePreviewTarget("./README.md", ROOT, "docs"), {
     kind: "file",