diff --git a/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/in-page-channel.test.ts b/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/in-page-channel.test.ts
index 9c0706bb..3d6dd7f4 100644
--- a/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/in-page-channel.test.ts
+++ b/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/in-page-channel.test.ts
@@ -675,6 +675,39 @@ function createWindowPair(origin = 'https://app.test'): { hostWin: FakeWindow, p
 const fastHello = { helloIntervalMs: 5, heartbeat: false as const }
 
 describe('in-page channel handshake', () => {
+  it.each([0, 1, 2])('connects through a popup opener with %i nested panel frames', async (depth) => {
+    const { hostWin, panelWin } = createWindowPair()
+    let popupWin = panelWin
+    for (let i = 0; i < depth; i++) {
+      const parent = createFakeWindow(hostWin.location.origin)
+      popupWin.parent = parent
+      popupWin = parent
+    }
+    popupWin.parent = popupWin
+    popupWin.opener = hostWin
+    const pageScript = createPageScriptChannel<TestProtocol>({
+      name: 'devframes:test',
+      window: asWindow(hostWin),
+      heartbeat: false,
+      functions: defaultPageScriptFunctions,
+    })
+    const panel = connectPanelChannel<TestProtocol>({
+      name: 'devframes:test',
+      window: asWindow(panelWin),
+      ...fastHello,
+      functions: defaultPanelFunctions,
+    })
+    try {
+      await panel.whenConnected(200)
+      expect(panel.pageScript?.instanceId).toBe(pageScript.instanceId)
+      await expect(panel.call('echo', 'popup')).resolves.toBe('popup')
+    }
+    finally {
+      panel.close()
+      pageScript.close()
+    }
+  })
+
   it('connects a panel to the page script and survives page-script restarts', async () => {
     const { hostWin, panelWin } = createWindowPair()
     const pageScript = createPageScriptChannel<TestProtocol>({
diff --git a/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/panel.ts b/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/panel.ts
index 63ce2ed6..559b63b3 100644
--- a/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/panel.ts
+++ b/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/panel.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ const DEFAULT_EVENT_BUFFER_LIMIT = 64
  * Connect the panel endpoint of an in-page channel.
  *
  * The panel initiates: it posts a versioned hello to every window a
- * same-tab page script can live in (its ancestor chain and its `opener`),
+ * page script can live in (its ancestor chain and those windows' openers),
  * retrying with backoff until one answers with a dedicated port, so boot
  * order never matters, and a reload of either side is just a re-handshake
  * (`WindowProxy` references survive navigations). While `connecting`,
diff --git a/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/protocol.ts b/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/protocol.ts
index 2bf6cde0..c5aa03ec 100644
--- a/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/protocol.ts
+++ b/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/protocol.ts
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ export function resolveAllowedOrigins(allowedOrigins: string[] | undefined, win:
 }
 
 /**
- * Default handshake targets of a panel: its ancestor chain plus its
- * `opener`, every same-tab window a page script can live in. `WindowProxy`
+ * Default handshake targets of a panel: its ancestor chain plus the
+ * `opener` of each window, including a popup containing the panel iframe. `WindowProxy`
  * references stay valid across navigations, so hellos posted to these reach
  * a page script even after the host page reloads.
  */
@@ -111,13 +111,15 @@ export function defaultHandshakeTargets(win: Window): Window[] {
   catch {
     // Walking stopped by the browser; keep what we have.
   }
-  try {
-    const opener = win.opener as Window | null
-    if (opener && opener !== win)
-      targets.push(opener)
-  }
-  catch {
-    // Inaccessible opener; ignore.
+  for (const current of [win, ...targets]) {
+    try {
+      const opener = current.opener as Window | null
+      if (opener && opener !== win && !targets.includes(opener))
+        targets.push(opener)
+    }
+    catch {
+      // Inaccessible opener; continue with the other ancestors.
+    }
   }
   return targets
 }
diff --git a/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/types.ts b/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/types.ts
index 1da339e0..39f51b89 100644
--- a/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/types.ts
+++ b/packages/devframe/src/in-page-channel/types.ts
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ export interface ConnectPanelChannelOptions<Protocol extends InPageChannelProtoc
   window?: Window | false
   /**
    * Windows the hello is posted to. Defaults to the panel's ancestor chain
-   * plus its `opener`, the places a same-tab page script can live. When
+   * plus those windows' openers, the places a page script can live. When
    * empty and no `transport` is given, the endpoint stays `connecting` and
    * warns once.
    */