diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dock_ui.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dock_ui.rs
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dock_ui.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dock_ui.rs
@@ -86,6 +86,13 @@ fn panel_param(value: &Value) -> Result<PanelKind, String> {
     }
 }
 
+fn check_raw_action(action: &Action<PanelKind>) -> Result<(), String> {
+    if matches!(action, Action::Open { .. } | Action::OpenAt { .. }) {
+        return Err("use the panel open commands to preserve viewer and ScriptUI lifecycle callbacks".into());
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// The docking commands: `window.dockAction {action}`, craft-ui's `window.panel.*` commands,
 /// `ui.dock` and `ui.dock.reset`. `None` for any other id.
 pub(crate) fn route(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context, id: &str, params: &Value) -> Option<Result<Value, String>> {
@@ -93,9 +100,7 @@ pub(crate) fn route(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context, id: &str, par
         "window.dockAction" => Some((|| {
             let value = params.get("action").cloned().ok_or("missing docking action")?;
             let action: Action<PanelKind> = serde_json::from_value(value).map_err(|error| format!("invalid docking action: {error}"))?;
-            if matches!(&action, Action::Open { .. } | Action::OpenAt { .. }) {
-                return Err("use the panel open commands to preserve viewer and ScriptUI lifecycle callbacks".into());
-            }
+            check_raw_action(&action)?;
             app.apply_dock(action)?;
             Ok(Value::Null)
         })()),
@@ -153,6 +158,9 @@ impl EffectcraftApp {
     /// Run a craft-ui docking command on the current workspace, all or nothing. Named
     /// workspaces and Reset are EffectCraft's own (`window.workspace`, `window.resetWorkspace`).
     pub(crate) fn run_dock_command(&mut self, ctx: &egui::Context, command: DockCommand<PanelKind>) -> Result<(), String> {
+        if let DockCommand::Layout { action } | DockCommand::UiDock(UiDock::Action { action }) = &command {
+            check_raw_action(action)?;
+        }
         if command.is_app_owned() {
             if matches!(command, DockCommand::ResetWorkspace {}) {
                 let name = self.ui.workspace.clone();
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/shared_docking_ui.rs b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/shared_docking_ui.rs
--- a/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/shared_docking_ui.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/shared_docking_ui.rs
@@ -278,6 +278,31 @@ fn ui_dock_and_window_panel_commands_parse_craft_ui_commands() {
     assert_eq!(app.ui.dock, Workspace::new(dock::workspace("Default")));
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn raw_open_actions_are_rejected_through_every_docking_route() {
+    let mut app = EffectcraftApp::new(Session::default());
+    let before = app.ui.dock.clone();
+    for panel in [PanelKind::ScriptPanel(77), PanelKind::Viewer(42)] {
+        for action in [
+            Action::Open { panel, anchor: Some(PanelKind::Project) },
+            Action::OpenAt { panel, anchor: PanelKind::Project, placement: Placement::Tab { before: None } },
+        ] {
+            for id in ["ui.dock", "window.panel.layout", "window.dockAction"] {
+                let error = invoke(&mut app, id, json!({"action": action})).unwrap_err();
+                assert!(error.contains("panel open commands"), "{id}: {error}");
+                assert_eq!(app.ui.dock, before, "{id} must leave the layout unchanged");
+                assert!(app.session.script_ui.window(77).is_none());
+                assert!(!app.ui.viewers.contains_key(&42));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    // The normal operation still opens a panel and the raw form still activates one.
+    invoke(&mut app, "ui.dock", json!({"operation": "open", "panel": "Align"})).unwrap();
+    assert!(app.ui.dock.is_open(PanelKind::Align));
+    invoke(&mut app, "window.panel.layout", json!({"action": {"Activate": {"panel": "Project"}}})).unwrap();
+    assert!(app.ui.dock.is_visible(PanelKind::Project));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn catalog_close_keeps_dynamic_panel_identity_and_releases_viewers() {
     let mut app = EffectcraftApp::new(Session::default());
diff --git a/docs/control-protocol.md b/docs/control-protocol.md
--- a/docs/control-protocol.md
+++ b/docs/control-protocol.md
@@ -210,7 +210,9 @@ takes a name, or as `{"Viewer":42}` and `{"ScriptPanel":77}` for viewers and Scr
   `move {target, zone?, before?}`, `setStackOpen {open}`, `resizeStack {height}`,
   `resizeSplit {path, size}`; `rect` is `[x, y, width, height]`). It returns
   `{"docking": workspace}`. `ui.dock.reset` returns the current workspace to its saved or
-  built-in layout and returns the same.
+  built-in layout and returns the same. Raw `Open` and `OpenAt` actions are refused in both
+  `ui.dock {action}` and `window.panel.layout {action}`, as in `window.dockAction`; use the
+  panel open commands instead.
 - `window.dockPanel {panel, anchor?, zone?, before?}` docks as `window.panel.dock`: `zone` is
   `center`, `tab`, `left`, `right`, `top`, `bottom`, `above` or `below`; without an anchor a
   side zone docks along that edge of the whole workspace. `window.floatPanel {panel, rect?}`