diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/assets/web/generated/app.js b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/assets/web/generated/app.js
index c3be2c22..784163bc 100644
--- a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/assets/web/generated/app.js
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/assets/web/generated/app.js
@@ -1689,7 +1689,24 @@ function estimateNoiseFloorDb(bins) {
 
 // src/plugin-loader.ts
 var pluginGroups = {
-  "digital-modes": ["/ft8.js", "/ft4.js", "/ft2.js", "/wspr.js", "/cw.js", "/background-decode.js", "/sat.js", "/wefax.js"],
+  // AIS, VDES and the two APRS decoders have panels on this tab, so they load
+  // with it. They used to come only with the map group, which left their
+  // sub-tabs empty — decodes queueing in the runtime — until something opened
+  // the Map tab. Their map calls are optional, so map-core stays lazy.
+  "digital-modes": [
+    "/ft8.js",
+    "/ft4.js",
+    "/ft2.js",
+    "/wspr.js",
+    "/cw.js",
+    "/background-decode.js",
+    "/sat.js",
+    "/wefax.js",
+    "/ais.js",
+    "/vdes.js",
+    "/aprs.js",
+    "/hf-aprs.js"
+  ],
   "map-data": ["/map-core.js", "/ais.js", "/vdes.js", "/aprs.js", "/hf-aprs.js"],
   map: ["/map-core.js", "/ais.js", "/vdes.js", "/aprs.js", "/hf-aprs.js", "/sat.js", "/sat-scheduler.js"],
   statistics: ["/map-core.js"],
diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/package.json b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/package.json
index d69fc920..ec41ae2f 100644
--- a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/package.json
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/package.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     "typecheck": "tsc --project tsconfig.json && tsc --project tsconfig.worker.json",
     "lint": "eslint \"src/**/*.ts\" \"tests/**/*.mjs\" build.mjs --no-error-on-unmatched-pattern",
     "test": "node --test tests/*.test.mjs",
-    "test:browser": "node tests/browser-smoke.mjs && node tests/spectrum-layout.mjs",
+    "test:browser": "node tests/browser-smoke.mjs && node tests/spectrum-layout.mjs && node tests/decode-flow.mjs",
     "verify-generated": "npm run generate-types && npm run build && git diff --exit-code -- ../assets/web/generated src/api/generated.ts"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/src/plugin-loader.ts b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/src/plugin-loader.ts
index 78894eb6..94406db5 100644
--- a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/src/plugin-loader.ts
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/src/plugin-loader.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,14 @@
 type PluginGroup = "digital-modes" | "map-data" | "map" | "statistics" | "bookmarks" | "recorder" | "settings";
 
 const pluginGroups: Readonly<Record<PluginGroup, readonly string[]>> = {
-  "digital-modes": ["/ft8.js", "/ft4.js", "/ft2.js", "/wspr.js", "/cw.js", "/background-decode.js", "/sat.js", "/wefax.js"],
+  // AIS, VDES and the two APRS decoders have panels on this tab, so they load
+  // with it. They used to come only with the map group, which left their
+  // sub-tabs empty — decodes queueing in the runtime — until something opened
+  // the Map tab. Their map calls are optional, so map-core stays lazy.
+  "digital-modes": [
+    "/ft8.js", "/ft4.js", "/ft2.js", "/wspr.js", "/cw.js", "/background-decode.js",
+    "/sat.js", "/wefax.js", "/ais.js", "/vdes.js", "/aprs.js", "/hf-aprs.js",
+  ],
   "map-data": ["/map-core.js", "/ais.js", "/vdes.js", "/aprs.js", "/hf-aprs.js"],
   map: ["/map-core.js", "/ais.js", "/vdes.js", "/aprs.js", "/hf-aprs.js", "/sat.js", "/sat-scheduler.js"],
   statistics: ["/map-core.js"],
diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/tests/decode-flow.mjs b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/tests/decode-flow.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae47e94d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/tests/decode-flow.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Stan Grams <sjg@haxx.space>
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+
+// What happens to a decode after it arrives: the panel on its tab, the mini
+// view over the waterfall, the marker on the map, and the link between them.
+// Nothing exercised this before — the fixture served an empty decode stream —
+// which is how the map links came to be broken for every decoder at once.
+
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { chromium } from "playwright-core";
+import { startBrowser, startWebFixture } from "./web-fixture.mjs";
+
+/* global document, getComputedStyle, window, location */
+
+const VESSEL = {
+  type: "ais", mmsi: 244660000, lat: 52.37, lon: 4.89, vessel_name: "NEDERLAND",
+  callsign: "PBTX", sog_knots: 8.2, cog_deg: 91, channel: "A", message_type: 1, rig_id: "rig-a",
+};
+const BEACON = {
+  type: "aprs", src_call: "SP2SJG-9", dest_call: "APRS", path: "WIDE1-1", info: "Test beacon",
+  packet_type: "position", crc_ok: true, lat: 54.35, lon: 18.65,
+  symbol_table: "/", symbol_code: ">", rig_id: "rig-a",
+};
+
+// AIS is what the mini view for vessels is gated on; the rig has to be on it.
+const fixture = await startWebFixture({ spectrum: true, decodes: [VESSEL, BEACON], mode: "AIS" });
+const { browser, page, runtimeErrors } = await startBrowser(chromium);
+
+try {
+  await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1500, height: 950 });
+  await page.goto(`${fixture.origin}/digital-modes`, { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
+  await page.locator("#tab-digital-modes").waitFor({ state: "visible" });
+  await page.waitForTimeout(2000);
+
+  // The decoders with panels on this tab have to load with it. They used to
+  // come only with the map group, so these panels stayed empty — decodes
+  // queued in the plugin runtime — until something opened the Map tab.
+  const panels = await page.evaluate(() => ({
+    ais: document.getElementById("ais-messages")?.children.length ?? 0,
+    aprs: document.getElementById("aprs-packets")?.children.length ?? 0,
+    aisStatus: document.getElementById("ais-status")?.textContent ?? "",
+    aprsStatus: document.getElementById("aprs-status")?.textContent ?? "",
+    mapLoaded: !!window.trx.modules.map,
+  }));
+  assert.equal(panels.mapLoaded, false, "the map module was loaded, so this proves nothing");
+  assert.ok(panels.ais > 0, `the AIS panel is empty (status: ${panels.aisStatus})`);
+  assert.ok(panels.aprs > 0, `the APRS panel is empty (status: ${panels.aprsStatus})`);
+
+  // The mini view rides over the waterfall on the radio page.
+  await page.locator('.tab[data-tab="main"]').click();
+  await page.waitForTimeout(1500);
+  const miniView = await page.evaluate(() => {
+    const bar = document.getElementById("ais-bar-overlay");
+    return {
+      shown: getComputedStyle(bar).display !== "none",
+      pins: bar.querySelectorAll(".aprs-bar-pin").length,
+      names: bar.textContent.includes("NEDERLAND"),
+    };
+  });
+  assert.equal(miniView.shown, true, "the AIS mini view did not appear");
+  assert.ok(miniView.pins > 0, "the mini view has no pin to follow");
+  assert.equal(miniView.names, true, "the mini view does not name the vessel");
+
+  // Following the pin: the map opens, on the vessel. This is the path that was
+  // broken for every decoder — the module that owned the navigation had not
+  // been loaded, so the pin did nothing at all.
+  await page.locator("#ais-bar-overlay .aprs-bar-pin").first().click();
+  await page.locator("#aprs-map .leaflet-pane").first().waitFor({ state: "attached" });
+  await page.waitForTimeout(800);
+  const followed = await page.evaluate(() => {
+    const centre = window.trx.modules.map?.aprsMap?.getCenter?.();
+    return {
+      path: location.pathname,
+      lat: centre ? Number(centre.lat.toFixed(2)) : null,
+      lon: centre ? Number(centre.lng.toFixed(2)) : null,
+    };
+  });
+  assert.equal(followed.path, "/map", `the pin left the page on ${followed.path}`);
+  assert.equal(followed.lat, VESSEL.lat, `the map centred on ${followed.lat}, not the vessel`);
+  assert.equal(followed.lon, VESSEL.lon, `the map centred on ${followed.lon}, not the vessel`);
+
+  // Both decoders put their own marker on it.
+  await page.waitForTimeout(1200);
+  const markers = await page.evaluate(() => {
+    const map = window.trx.modules.map;
+    const size = (collection) => (collection instanceof Map
+      ? collection.size
+      : Object.keys(collection ?? {}).length);
+    return { ais: size(map?.aisMarkers), stations: size(map?.stationMarkers) };
+  });
+  assert.ok(markers.ais > 0, "the vessel never reached the map");
+  assert.ok(markers.stations > 0, "the APRS station never reached the map");
+
+  assert.deepEqual(runtimeErrors, []);
+} finally {
+  await browser.close();
+  await fixture.close();
+}
diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/tests/web-fixture.mjs b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/tests/web-fixture.mjs
index 5568d0f8..6fbbea91 100644
--- a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/tests/web-fixture.mjs
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/tests/web-fixture.mjs
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ export async function startWebFixture({
   spectrum = false,
   tx = false,
   meterDb = -70,
+  decodes = [],
+  mode = "FM",
   bookmarks = [],
   bandplan = {},
   bandplanEnabled = false,
@@ -112,7 +114,7 @@ export async function startWebFixture({
         signal_meter: spectrum,
       },
     },
-    status: { freq: { hz: 100_000_000 }, mode: "FM", tx_en: false, vfo: null, tx: null, rx: { sig: meterDb }, lock: null },
+    status: { freq: { hz: 100_000_000 }, mode, tx_en: false, vfo: null, tx: null, rx: { sig: meterDb }, lock: null },
     // Reported only by SDR backends, and what makes the client show the
     // squelch control at all.
     filter: spectrum
@@ -161,6 +163,7 @@ export async function startWebFixture({
     ["/status", status],
     ["/bookmarks", bookmarks],
     ["/bandplan.json", bandplan],
+    ["/decode/history", {}],
     ["/api/recorder/status", []],
     ["/api/recorder/files", []],
   ]);
@@ -228,6 +231,31 @@ export async function startWebFixture({
       request.on("close", () => clearInterval(timer));
       return;
     }
+    // Decodes arrive on this stream in the server's own shape: a routing
+    // "type" naming the decoder, snake_case fields inside. The mini views, the
+    // map markers and the history all hang off it, and serving nothing left
+    // every one of them untested.
+    if (url.pathname === "/decode") {
+      response.writeHead(200, {
+        "cache-control": "no-cache",
+        connection: "keep-alive",
+        "content-type": "text/event-stream",
+      });
+      response.write(": decode stream\n\n");
+      // Repeats: a live decoder keeps producing, and the views that collapse
+      // by station or vessel need more than one frame to behave like they do
+      // in front of a radio.
+      let sent = 0;
+      const timer = setInterval(() => {
+        if (!decodes.length) return;
+        const decode = decodes[sent++ % decodes.length];
+        // Stamped as they leave: the client prunes anything older than the
+        // retention window, so a fixed epoch would be dropped on arrival.
+        response.write(`data: ${JSON.stringify({ ts_ms: Date.now(), ...decode })}\n\n`);
+      }, 400);
+      request.on("close", () => clearInterval(timer));
+      return;
+    }
     if (["/events", "/decode", "/spectrum", "/meter"].includes(url.pathname)) {
       response.writeHead(200, {
         "cache-control": "no-cache",