diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2589f0f8..d6857cde 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ heading, and (b) bumping `pubspec.yaml` `version:` in the same commit.
 
 ### Added
 
+- **Vim `ctrl+w` window commands.** Under the vim preset, `ctrl+w` followed by
+  h/l (focus left/right panel), j (toggle dock), w / ctrl+w (cycle panels),
+  shift+w (cycle back), o (focus mode), or q/c (close editor). A new global
+  multi-chord matcher in the shell resolves these from any focus; bare `ctrl+w`
+  still closes the editor after the ambiguity timeout. (T-404)
 - **Workspace tab cycling with ctrl+pagedown / ctrl+pageup.** New
   `workspace.tab.next` / `workspace.tab.previous` commands cycle the workspace
   tab strip with wraparound, bound across every preset. (T-405)
diff --git a/assets/keymaps/vim.yaml b/assets/keymaps/vim.yaml
index a6adc410..9975bc2a 100644
--- a/assets/keymaps/vim.yaml
+++ b/assets/keymaps/vim.yaml
@@ -100,6 +100,34 @@ bindings:
     keys: [o, enter]
     when: "vim.normal && !editor.focused"
 
+  # ---- ctrl+w window-command family (T-404) ----------------------------
+  # Multi-chord sequences resolved by the GLOBAL matcher (root_shell), so they
+  # work from any focus. Bare ctrl+w still closes the editor after the ambiguity
+  # timeout (the editor.close binding below / contributions layer). The 3-column
+  # clide layout approximates vim's window grid: h/l focus left/right panels,
+  # j toggles the dock, o is "only" (focus mode), q/c close the editor.
+  - intent: command:panel.focus.left
+    keys: ctrl+w h
+    when: "vim.normal || vim.visual"
+  - intent: command:panel.focus.right
+    keys: ctrl+w l
+    when: "vim.normal || vim.visual"
+  - intent: command:dock.toggle
+    keys: ctrl+w j
+    when: "vim.normal || vim.visual"
+  - intent: focus.nextPanel
+    keys: [ctrl+w w, ctrl+w ctrl+w]
+    when: "vim.normal || vim.visual"
+  - intent: focus.previousPanel
+    keys: ctrl+w shift+w # ctrl+w W
+    when: "vim.normal || vim.visual"
+  - intent: command:panel.focusMode
+    keys: ctrl+w o
+    when: "vim.normal || vim.visual"
+  - intent: command:editor.close
+    keys: [ctrl+w q, ctrl+w c]
+    when: "vim.normal || vim.visual"
+
   # ---- Mode transitions ------------------------------------------------
   - intent: command:vim.mode.visual
     keys: v
diff --git a/lib/src/shell/root_shell.dart b/lib/src/shell/root_shell.dart
index da2eb635..7a40a986 100644
--- a/lib/src/shell/root_shell.dart
+++ b/lib/src/shell/root_shell.dart
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 /// of app.dart (T-394).
 library;
 
+import 'dart:async';
+
 import 'package:clide/builtin/menubar/menubar.dart';
 import 'package:clide/builtin/welcome/src/welcome_view.dart';
 import 'package:clide/kernel/kernel.dart';
@@ -31,17 +33,33 @@ class RootShellState extends State<RootShell> {
   // (T-341, T-409).
   final ModifierTapTracker _modTap = ModifierTapTracker();
 
+  // Global multi-chord matcher for window/tab commands (ctrl+w h, gt …) (T-404).
+  // The passive KeyboardListener can't run sequences or consume the second
+  // chord (a focused editor/pane swallows it), so this lives at the
+  // HardwareKeyboard level where returning true consumes the event before focus
+  // dispatch. It only engages for chords that START a multi-chord binding in the
+  // active keymap, so single-chord presets (default/vscode/jetbrains) are
+  // untouched.
+  late final SequenceMatcher _globalSeq;
+  Timer? _seqTimeout;
+
   @override
   void initState() {
     super.initState();
     _keyFocus = FocusNode()..requestFocus();
     widget.services.textZoom.addListener(_onZoom);
+    _globalSeq = SequenceMatcher(
+      keymap: () => widget.services.keymap.keymap ?? Keymap(const []),
+      context: () => widget.services.keymap.scope,
+      captureCounts: false,
+    );
     HardwareKeyboard.instance.addHandler(_onRawKey);
   }
 
   @override
   void dispose() {
     HardwareKeyboard.instance.removeHandler(_onRawKey);
+    _seqTimeout?.cancel();
     widget.services.textZoom.removeListener(_onZoom);
     _menuBar.dispose();
     _keyFocus.dispose();
@@ -171,6 +189,9 @@ class RootShellState extends State<RootShell> {
   /// (the `;` of `Shift+;`) still dirties the press (T-341, T-409). Fires on
   /// the second clean *release*; never consumes anything.
   bool _onRawKey(KeyEvent event) {
+    // Global window/tab sequences (ctrl+w h, gt …) get first claim — handled
+    // here so a focused editor/pane can't swallow the second chord (T-404).
+    if (_handleGlobalSequence(event)) return true;
     if (event is KeyDownEvent) {
       var mod = KeyChord.modifierForLogicalKey(event.logicalKey);
       // A modifier pressed while a non-modifier is already held (rolled
@@ -190,6 +211,62 @@ class RootShellState extends State<RootShell> {
 
   bool _nonModifierHeld() => HardwareKeyboard.instance.logicalKeysPressed.any((k) => KeyChord.modifierForLogicalKey(k) == null);
 
+  /// Feed one key into the global multi-chord matcher (T-404). Returns true to
+  /// CONSUME the event (suppressing focus dispatch) while a sequence is being
+  /// built or completes; false leaves the normal single-chord [_onKey] path
+  /// untouched. Only KeyDown events drive it — a held key must not re-fire a
+  /// window command.
+  bool _handleGlobalSequence(KeyEvent event) {
+    if (event is! KeyDownEvent) return false;
+    final chord = KeyChord.fromKeyEvent(event, HardwareKeyboard.instance);
+    if (chord == null) return false;
+    final km = widget.services.keymap.keymap;
+    if (km == null) return false;
+    final scope = widget.services.keymap.scope;
+    // Not mid-sequence: only START on a MODIFIED chord that's a sequence prefix
+    // (ctrl+w …). Bare-key sequences (gg, dd) are editor/pane-local — the
+    // focused widget owns them, so a global grab would steal the first chord
+    // before the editor ever saw it. Once pending, the bare second chord (the
+    // `h` of `ctrl+w h`) is consumed normally. Single-chord presets are
+    // untouched (no prefix → no engage).
+    if (!_globalSeq.hasPending) {
+      final modified = chord.modifiers.any((m) => m != KeyModifier.shift);
+      if (!modified || !km.match([chord], scope).isPrefix) return false;
+    }
+    final r = _globalSeq.feed(chord);
+    switch (r.outcome) {
+      case SeqOutcome.pending:
+        _armSeqTimeout();
+        return true;
+      case SeqOutcome.fired:
+        _cancelSeqTimeout();
+        _dispatchIntent(r.intent!);
+        return true;
+      case SeqOutcome.unmatched:
+        // The sequence broke — drop the buffer and let this lone key through to
+        // normal handling (the abandoned prefix, e.g. a bare ctrl+w, simply
+        // does nothing rather than firing late).
+        _cancelSeqTimeout();
+        return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /// After a pending prefix, fire its buffered exact match (bare ctrl+w →
+  /// editor.close) if no completing chord arrives in time — the d-vs-dd timeout
+  /// (D-82), applied globally.
+  void _armSeqTimeout() {
+    _seqTimeout?.cancel();
+    _seqTimeout = Timer(const Duration(milliseconds: 400), () {
+      final r = _globalSeq.flush();
+      if (r.outcome == SeqOutcome.fired) _dispatchIntent(r.intent!);
+    });
+  }
+
+  void _cancelSeqTimeout() {
+    _seqTimeout?.cancel();
+    _seqTimeout = null;
+  }
+
   void _dispatchIntent(Intent intent) {
     // Try the focused context first so feature widgets (palette, editor, …)
     // get a chance to handle their own intents; fall back to the app root's
diff --git a/test/app_test.dart b/test/app_test.dart
index 439cbe21..c1931986 100644
--- a/test/app_test.dart
+++ b/test/app_test.dart
@@ -236,6 +236,58 @@ void main() {
     expect(tester.takeException(), isNull);
   });
 
+  testWidgets('ctrl+w o fires a window command via the global matcher, not editor.close (T-404)', (tester) async {
+    await tester.runAsync(() => f.services.keymap.setPreset('vim'));
+    f.services.keymap.setScopeFlag('vim.normal', true);
+    addTearDown(() => f.services.keymap.clearScopeFlag('vim.normal'));
+    await pumpApp(tester);
+    expect(f.services.arrangement.isInFocusMode, isFalse);
+
+    // ctrl+w (chord) then a BARE o → panel.focusMode. The second chord is
+    // consumed at the hardware level, so a focused pane can't swallow it.
+    await tester.sendKeyDownEvent(LogicalKeyboardKey.controlLeft);
+    await tester.sendKeyEvent(LogicalKeyboardKey.keyW);
+    await tester.sendKeyUpEvent(LogicalKeyboardKey.controlLeft);
+    await tester.sendKeyEvent(LogicalKeyboardKey.keyO);
+    await tester.pump();
+
+    expect(f.services.arrangement.isInFocusMode, isTrue);
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('bare ctrl+w closes the editor after the ambiguity timeout (T-404)', (tester) async {
+    await tester.runAsync(() => f.services.keymap.setPreset('vim'));
+    f.services.keymap.setScopeFlag('vim.normal', true);
+    addTearDown(() => f.services.keymap.clearScopeFlag('vim.normal'));
+    await pumpApp(tester);
+    f.services.arrangement.openEditor();
+    expect(f.services.arrangement.editorOpen, isTrue);
+
+    // ctrl+w with no completing chord: pends, then the timeout flushes the
+    // exact bare-ctrl+w binding (editor.close from the contributions layer).
+    await tester.sendKeyDownEvent(LogicalKeyboardKey.controlLeft);
+    await tester.sendKeyEvent(LogicalKeyboardKey.keyW);
+    await tester.sendKeyUpEvent(LogicalKeyboardKey.controlLeft);
+    await tester.pump(const Duration(milliseconds: 450));
+
+    expect(f.services.arrangement.editorOpen, isFalse);
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('a bare-key sequence prefix (g) is not grabbed by the global matcher (T-404)', (tester) async {
+    await tester.runAsync(() => f.services.keymap.setPreset('vim'));
+    f.services.keymap.setScopeFlag('vim.normal', true);
+    addTearDown(() => f.services.keymap.clearScopeFlag('vim.normal'));
+    await pumpApp(tester);
+    f.services.arrangement.openEditor();
+
+    // `g` is a prefix (gg) but bare → editor/pane-local. The global matcher must
+    // NOT consume it or fire a window command; the editor stays open.
+    await tester.sendKeyEvent(LogicalKeyboardKey.keyG);
+    await tester.sendKeyEvent(LogicalKeyboardKey.keyG);
+    await tester.pump();
+    expect(f.services.arrangement.isInFocusMode, isFalse);
+    expect(f.services.arrangement.editorOpen, isTrue);
+  });
+
   testWidgets('window control buttons render and tap as no-ops in tests', (tester) async {
     await pumpApp(tester);
     // _RightHatContent renders ClideTappable window buttons on non-macOS;
diff --git a/test/builtin/editor/vim_preset_test.dart b/test/builtin/editor/vim_preset_test.dart
index acb35686..02449cb0 100644
--- a/test/builtin/editor/vim_preset_test.dart
+++ b/test/builtin/editor/vim_preset_test.dart
@@ -126,4 +126,57 @@ void main() {
       expect(_cmd(resolve('j', visual)), 'editor.vim.down');
     });
   });
+
+  group('ctrl+w window family (T-404)', () {
+    SequenceMatcher matcher([Keymap? k]) => SequenceMatcher(keymap: () => k ?? km, context: () => normal, captureCounts: false);
+
+    Intent? seq(SequenceMatcher m, List<String> chords) {
+      SeqResult? r;
+      for (final c in chords) {
+        r = m.feed(KeyChord.parse(c));
+      }
+      return r?.intent;
+    }
+
+    test('ctrl+w h/l/j/o resolve to the panel commands', () {
+      expect(_cmd(seq(matcher(), ['ctrl+w', 'h'])), 'panel.focus.left');
+      expect(_cmd(seq(matcher(), ['ctrl+w', 'l'])), 'panel.focus.right');
+      expect(_cmd(seq(matcher(), ['ctrl+w', 'j'])), 'dock.toggle');
+      expect(_cmd(seq(matcher(), ['ctrl+w', 'o'])), 'panel.focusMode');
+    });
+
+    test('ctrl+w w and ctrl+w ctrl+w cycle panels; shift+w cycles back', () {
+      expect(seq(matcher(), ['ctrl+w', 'w']), isA<FocusNextPanelIntent>());
+      expect(seq(matcher(), ['ctrl+w', 'ctrl+w']), isA<FocusNextPanelIntent>());
+      expect(seq(matcher(), ['ctrl+w', 'shift+w']), isA<FocusPreviousPanelIntent>());
+    });
+
+    test('ctrl+w q and ctrl+w c close the editor', () {
+      expect(_cmd(seq(matcher(), ['ctrl+w', 'q'])), 'editor.close');
+      expect(_cmd(seq(matcher(), ['ctrl+w', 'c'])), 'editor.close');
+    });
+
+    test('bare ctrl+w is a live prefix; the timeout flush fires editor.close', () {
+      // editor.close's bare ctrl+w binding comes from the default-layout
+      // contributions layer, which sits under the preset in the real app.
+      final layered = Keymap([
+        KeymapLayer.fromYaml(File('assets/keymaps/vim.yaml').readAsStringSync()),
+        KeymapLayer(
+          name: 'contrib',
+          bindings: [KeymapBinding.chord(KeyChord.parse('ctrl+w'), intent: const InvokeCommandIntent('editor.close'))],
+        ),
+      ]);
+      final m = matcher(layered);
+      expect(m.feed(KeyChord.parse('ctrl+w')).outcome, SeqOutcome.pending);
+      expect(_cmd(m.flush().intent), 'editor.close'); // bare ctrl+w → close, after the wait
+    });
+
+    test('ctrl+w sequences need vim.normal/visual — inert under no vim scope', () {
+      final m = SequenceMatcher(keymap: () => km, context: () => const {}, captureCounts: false);
+      // With no vim scope, ctrl+w isn't a sequence prefix here, so the first
+      // chord doesn't pend on the family.
+      expect(m.feed(KeyChord.parse('ctrl+w')).outcome, isNot(SeqOutcome.fired));
+      expect(seq(matcher(km), ['ctrl+w', 'h']), isNotNull); // but it does under vim.normal
+    });
+  });
 }