diff --git a/__tests__/components/backlog/backlog-split-pane.test.tsx b/__tests__/components/backlog/backlog-split-pane.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f57e53f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/components/backlog/backlog-split-pane.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { useSelectionStore } from '@/stores/selection-store'
+import { BacklogSplitPane } from '@/components/backlog/backlog-split-pane'
+
+const PANES = [
+  <div key="a">PBI pane</div>,
+  <div key="b">Stories pane</div>,
+  <div key="c">Tasks pane</div>,
+]
+
+function renderPane() {
+  return render(
+    <BacklogSplitPane
+      panes={PANES}
+      defaultSplit={[33, 33, 34]}
+      cookieKey="test-backlog"
+      tabLabels={["PBI's", 'Stories', 'Taken']}
+    />
+  )
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  useSelectionStore.setState({ selectedPbiId: null, selectedStoryId: null })
+  // Force mobile viewport
+  Object.defineProperty(window, 'innerWidth', { writable: true, configurable: true, value: 600 })
+  window.dispatchEvent(new Event('resize'))
+})
+
+describe('BacklogSplitPane auto-switch', () => {
+  it('starts on tab 0 with no selection', () => {
+    renderPane()
+    expect(screen.getByText('PBI pane')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.queryByText('Stories pane')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('auto-switches to tab 1 when PBI is selected', () => {
+    const { rerender } = renderPane()
+    useSelectionStore.setState({ selectedPbiId: 'pbi-1', selectedStoryId: null })
+    rerender(
+      <BacklogSplitPane
+        panes={PANES}
+        defaultSplit={[33, 33, 34]}
+        cookieKey="test-backlog"
+        tabLabels={["PBI's", 'Stories', 'Taken']}
+      />
+    )
+    expect(screen.getByText('Stories pane')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.queryByText('PBI pane')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('auto-switches to tab 2 when story is selected', () => {
+    const { rerender } = renderPane()
+    useSelectionStore.setState({ selectedPbiId: 'pbi-1', selectedStoryId: 'story-1' })
+    rerender(
+      <BacklogSplitPane
+        panes={PANES}
+        defaultSplit={[33, 33, 34]}
+        cookieKey="test-backlog"
+        tabLabels={["PBI's", 'Stories', 'Taken']}
+      />
+    )
+    expect(screen.getByText('Tasks pane')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.queryByText('PBI pane')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('switches to tab 1 on cascade-reset (story cleared when new PBI selected)', () => {
+    // Start with story selected (tab 2)
+    useSelectionStore.setState({ selectedPbiId: 'pbi-1', selectedStoryId: 'story-1' })
+    const { rerender } = renderPane()
+
+    // Cascade-reset: new PBI → story clears
+    useSelectionStore.setState({ selectedPbiId: 'pbi-2', selectedStoryId: null })
+    rerender(
+      <BacklogSplitPane
+        panes={PANES}
+        defaultSplit={[33, 33, 34]}
+        cookieKey="test-backlog"
+        tabLabels={["PBI's", 'Stories', 'Taken']}
+      />
+    )
+    expect(screen.getByText('Stories pane')).toBeTruthy()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/__tests__/components/split-pane.test.tsx b/__tests__/components/split-pane.test.tsx
index 208304a..cd166c0 100644
--- a/__tests__/components/split-pane.test.tsx
+++ b/__tests__/components/split-pane.test.tsx
@@ -135,6 +135,80 @@ describe('SplitPane', () => {
     expect(screen.getByText('Content B')).toBeTruthy()
   })
 
+  it('back button not visible on tab 0 in mobile', () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(window, 'innerWidth', { writable: true, configurable: true, value: 600 })
+    window.dispatchEvent(new Event('resize'))
+
+    render(
+      <SplitPane
+        panes={[<div key="a">A</div>, <div key="b">B</div>, <div key="c">C</div>]}
+        defaultSplit={[33, 33, 34]}
+        cookieKey="test-back-hidden"
+        tabLabels={['T1', 'T2', 'T3']}
+      />
+    )
+
+    // On tab 0, no back button
+    expect(screen.queryByLabelText('Terug')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('back button visible on tab > 0 and navigates back', () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(window, 'innerWidth', { writable: true, configurable: true, value: 600 })
+    window.dispatchEvent(new Event('resize'))
+
+    render(
+      <SplitPane
+        panes={[<div key="a">A</div>, <div key="b">B</div>, <div key="c">C</div>]}
+        defaultSplit={[33, 33, 34]}
+        cookieKey="test-back-nav"
+        tabLabels={['T1', 'T2', 'T3']}
+      />
+    )
+
+    // Switch to tab 2
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('T3'))
+    expect(screen.getByText('C')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.getByLabelText('Terug')).toBeTruthy()
+
+    // Click back → tab 1
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText('Terug'))
+    expect(screen.getByText('B')).toBeTruthy()
+
+    // Click back again → tab 0, no back button
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText('Terug'))
+    expect(screen.getByText('A')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.queryByLabelText('Terug')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('controlled activeTab prop switches the active pane', () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(window, 'innerWidth', { writable: true, configurable: true, value: 600 })
+    window.dispatchEvent(new Event('resize'))
+
+    const { rerender } = render(
+      <SplitPane
+        panes={[<div key="a">A</div>, <div key="b">B</div>, <div key="c">C</div>]}
+        defaultSplit={[33, 33, 34]}
+        cookieKey="test-controlled"
+        tabLabels={['T1', 'T2', 'T3']}
+        activeTab={0}
+        onActiveTabChange={vi.fn()}
+      />
+    )
+    expect(screen.getByText('A')).toBeTruthy()
+
+    rerender(
+      <SplitPane
+        panes={[<div key="a">A</div>, <div key="b">B</div>, <div key="c">C</div>]}
+        defaultSplit={[33, 33, 34]}
+        cookieKey="test-controlled"
+        tabLabels={['T1', 'T2', 'T3']}
+        activeTab={2}
+        onActiveTabChange={vi.fn()}
+      />
+    )
+    expect(screen.getByText('C')).toBeTruthy()
+  })
+
   it('does not render dividers on mobile', () => {
     Object.defineProperty(window, 'innerWidth', { writable: true, configurable: true, value: 600 })
     window.dispatchEvent(new Event('resize'))
diff --git a/app/(app)/products/[id]/page.tsx b/app/(app)/products/[id]/page.tsx
index 33484ca..647d8c6 100644
--- a/app/(app)/products/[id]/page.tsx
+++ b/app/(app)/products/[id]/page.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { getSession } from '@/lib/auth'
 import { getAccessibleProduct } from '@/lib/product-access'
 import { prisma } from '@/lib/prisma'
 import { pbiStatusToApi } from '@/lib/task-status'
-import { SplitPane } from '@/components/split-pane/split-pane'
+import { BacklogSplitPane } from '@/components/backlog/backlog-split-pane'
 import { PbiList } from '@/components/backlog/pbi-list'
 import { StoryPanel } from '@/components/backlog/story-panel'
 import type { Story } from '@/components/backlog/story-panel'
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ export default async function ProductBacklogPage({ params, searchParams }: Props
             tasksByStory,
           }}
         >
-          <SplitPane
+          <BacklogSplitPane
             cookieKey={`backlog-${id}`}
             defaultSplit={[20, 45, 35]}
             tabLabels={['PBI\'s', 'Stories', 'Taken']}
diff --git a/components/backlog/backlog-split-pane.tsx b/components/backlog/backlog-split-pane.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..882f13b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/backlog/backlog-split-pane.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+'use client'
+
+import { useState } from 'react'
+import { useSelectionStore } from '@/stores/selection-store'
+import { SplitPane, type SplitPaneProps } from '@/components/split-pane/split-pane'
+
+type Props = Omit<SplitPaneProps, 'activeTab' | 'onActiveTabChange'>
+
+export function BacklogSplitPane(props: Props) {
+  const { selectedPbiId, selectedStoryId } = useSelectionStore()
+  const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = useState(0)
+
+  // React-recommended "derived state from props" pattern: update state during render
+  // instead of useEffect to avoid cascading renders.
+  const [prevPbiId, setPrevPbiId] = useState(selectedPbiId)
+  const [prevStoryId, setPrevStoryId] = useState(selectedStoryId)
+
+  if (selectedStoryId !== prevStoryId) {
+    setPrevStoryId(selectedStoryId)
+    if (selectedStoryId) setActiveTab(2)
+  }
+  if (selectedPbiId !== prevPbiId) {
+    setPrevPbiId(selectedPbiId)
+    if (selectedPbiId && !selectedStoryId) setActiveTab(1)
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <SplitPane
+      {...props}
+      activeTab={activeTab}
+      onActiveTabChange={setActiveTab}
+    />
+  )
+}
diff --git a/components/split-pane/split-pane.tsx b/components/split-pane/split-pane.tsx
index 1df7940..13dac6f 100644
--- a/components/split-pane/split-pane.tsx
+++ b/components/split-pane/split-pane.tsx
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ export interface SplitPaneProps {
   tabLabels?: string[]       // mobile tab labels, defaults to "Pane N"
   minSize?: number           // minimum px per pane, default 200
   mobileBreakpoint?: number  // default 1024
+  activeTab?: number         // controlled: parent manages which tab is active
+  onActiveTabChange?: (index: number) => void
 }
 
 export function SplitPane({
@@ -48,7 +50,10 @@ export function SplitPane({
   tabLabels,
   minSize = 200,
   mobileBreakpoint = 1024,
+  activeTab: activeTabProp,
+  onActiveTabChange,
 }: SplitPaneProps) {
+  const isControlled = activeTabProp !== undefined
   const n = panes.length
   const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
   const splitsRef = useRef<number[]>(defaultSplit)
@@ -58,7 +63,13 @@ export function SplitPane({
   })
   const [dragging, setDragging] = useState<number | null>(null) // divider index (0..n-2)
   const [isMobile, setIsMobile] = useState(false)
-  const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = useState(0)
+  const [internalTab, setInternalTab] = useState(0)
+  const activeTab = isControlled ? activeTabProp : internalTab
+
+  const handleTabChange = (i: number) => {
+    if (!isControlled) setInternalTab(i)
+    onActiveTabChange?.(i)
+  }
 
   useEffect(() => { splitsRef.current = splits }, [splits])
 
@@ -113,11 +124,20 @@ export function SplitPane({
   if (isMobile) {
     return (
       <div className="flex flex-col h-full">
-        <div className="flex border-b border-border shrink-0">
+        <div className="flex items-center border-b border-border shrink-0">
+          {activeTab > 0 && (
+            <button
+              onClick={() => handleTabChange(activeTab - 1)}
+              className="px-3 py-2 text-sm text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground transition-colors shrink-0"
+              aria-label="Terug"
+            >
+              ←
+            </button>
+          )}
           {panes.map((_, i) => (
             <button
               key={i}
-              onClick={() => setActiveTab(i)}
+              onClick={() => handleTabChange(i)}
               className={cn(
                 'flex-1 py-2 text-sm font-medium transition-colors',
                 activeTab === i