diff --git a/pkg/gui/context.go b/pkg/gui/context.go
index e4719ab13..61de2d8dc 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/context.go
@@ -78,12 +78,15 @@ func (gui *Gui) pushToContextStack(c types.Context) []types.Context {
 		gui.State.ContextManager.ContextStack = []types.Context{c}
 	} else if c.GetKind() == types.MAIN_CONTEXT {
 		// if we're switching to a main context, remove all other main contexts in the stack
+		contextsToKeep := []types.Context{}
 		for _, stackContext := range gui.State.ContextManager.ContextStack {
 			if stackContext.GetKind() == types.MAIN_CONTEXT {
 				contextsToDeactivate = append(contextsToDeactivate, stackContext)
+			} else {
+				contextsToKeep = append(contextsToKeep, stackContext)
 			}
 		}
-		gui.State.ContextManager.ContextStack = []types.Context{c}
+		gui.State.ContextManager.ContextStack = append(contextsToKeep, c)
 	} else {
 		topContext := gui.currentContextWithoutLock()
 
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/patch_building_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/patch_building_helper.go
index 25ac63a08..646a8f167 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/patch_building_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/patch_building_helper.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func (self *PatchBuildingHelper) ValidateNormalWorkingTreeState() (bool, error)
 
 // takes us from the patch building panel back to the commit files panel
 func (self *PatchBuildingHelper) Escape() error {
-	return self.c.PushContext(self.contexts.CommitFiles)
+	return self.c.PopContext()
 }
 
 // kills the custom patch and returns us back to the commit files panel if needed
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/merge_conflicts_controller.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/merge_conflicts_controller.go
index 90da5283c..b35f846c2 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/merge_conflicts_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/merge_conflicts_controller.go
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ func (self *MergeConflictsController) context() *context.MergeConflictsContext {
 }
 
 func (self *MergeConflictsController) Escape() error {
-	return self.c.PushContext(self.contexts.Files)
+	return self.c.PopContext()
 }
 
 func (self *MergeConflictsController) HandleEditFile() error {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/staging_controller.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/staging_controller.go
index 0a8ca5521..0cddfb841 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/staging_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/staging_controller.go
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func (self *StagingController) EditFile() error {
 }
 
 func (self *StagingController) Escape() error {
-	return self.c.PushContext(self.contexts.Files)
+	return self.c.PopContext()
 }
 
 func (self *StagingController) TogglePanel() error {