diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b9f4f2e..d86eeb1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@tauri-apps/api": "^2.0.0",
     "@tauri-apps/plugin-clipboard-manager": "^2.0.0",
+    "@tauri-apps/plugin-opener": "^2.0.0",
     "@xterm/addon-fit": "^0.10.0",
+    "@xterm/addon-web-links": "^0.12.0",
     "@xterm/xterm": "^5.5.0",
     "react": "^18.3.0",
     "react-dom": "^18.3.0"
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index aab158b..3eb8b88 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -14,9 +14,15 @@ importers:
       '@tauri-apps/plugin-clipboard-manager':
         specifier: ^2.0.0
         version: 2.3.2
+      '@tauri-apps/plugin-opener':
+        specifier: ^2.0.0
+        version: 2.5.4
       '@xterm/addon-fit':
         specifier: ^0.10.0
         version: 0.10.0(@xterm/xterm@5.5.0)
+      '@xterm/addon-web-links':
+        specifier: ^0.12.0
+        version: 0.12.0
       '@xterm/xterm':
         specifier: ^5.5.0
         version: 5.5.0
@@ -511,6 +517,9 @@ packages:
   '@tauri-apps/plugin-clipboard-manager@2.3.2':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-CUlb5Hqi2oZbcZf4VUyUH53XWPPdtpw43EUpCza5HWZJwxEoDowFzNUDt1tRUXA8Uq+XPn17Ysfptip33sG4eQ==}
 
+  '@tauri-apps/plugin-opener@2.5.4':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-1HnPkb+AmgO29HBazm4uPLKB+r7zzcTBW1d0fyYp1uP+jwtpoiNDGKMMzz58SFp49nOIrxdE3aUJtT57lfO9CQ==}
+
   '@types/babel__core@7.20.5':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-qoQprZvz5wQFJwMDqeseRXWv3rqMvhgpbXFfVyWhbx9X47POIA6i/+dXefEmZKoAgOaTdaIgNSMqMIU61yRyzA==}
 
@@ -580,6 +589,9 @@ packages:
     peerDependencies:
       '@xterm/xterm': ^5.0.0
 
+  '@xterm/addon-web-links@0.12.0':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-4Smom3RPyVp7ZMYOYDoC/9eGJJJqYhnPLGGqJ6wOBfB8VxPViJNSKdgRYb8NpaM6YSelEKbA2SStD7lGyqaobw==}
+
   '@xterm/xterm@5.5.0':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-hqJHYaQb5OptNunnyAnkHyM8aCjZ1MEIDTQu1iIbbTD/xops91NB5yq1ZK/dC2JDbVWtF23zUtl9JE2NqwT87A==}
 
@@ -1182,6 +1194,10 @@ snapshots:
     dependencies:
       '@tauri-apps/api': 2.11.0
 
+  '@tauri-apps/plugin-opener@2.5.4':
+    dependencies:
+      '@tauri-apps/api': 2.11.0
+
   '@types/babel__core@7.20.5':
     dependencies:
       '@babel/parser': 7.29.3
@@ -1274,6 +1290,8 @@ snapshots:
     dependencies:
       '@xterm/xterm': 5.5.0
 
+  '@xterm/addon-web-links@0.12.0': {}
+
   '@xterm/xterm@5.5.0': {}
 
   assertion-error@2.0.1: {}
diff --git a/src-tauri/Cargo.toml b/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
index 65febb2..28063fb 100644
--- a/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ tauri-build = { version = "2", features = [] }
 [dependencies]
 tauri = { version = "2", features = [] }
 tauri-plugin-clipboard-manager = "2"
+tauri-plugin-opener = "2"
 
 serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1"
diff --git a/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json b/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
index 8d355d9..8071b47 100644
--- a/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
+++ b/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
     "core:event:default",
     "core:window:default",
     "clipboard-manager:allow-read-text",
-    "clipboard-manager:allow-write-text"
+    "clipboard-manager:allow-write-text",
+    "opener:allow-open-url"
   ]
 }
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index 06dea5f..dfbf1aa 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ pub fn run() {
 
     tauri::Builder::default()
         .plugin(tauri_plugin_clipboard_manager::init())
+        .plugin(tauri_plugin_opener::init())
         .manage(PtyManager::new())
         .invoke_handler(tauri::generate_handler![
             commands::list_distros,
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/pty.rs b/src-tauri/src/pty.rs
index 094d847..117d97a 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/pty.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/pty.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ use portable_pty::{CommandBuilder, MasterPty, PtySize, native_pty_system};
 use serde::Serialize;
 use tauri::{AppHandle, Emitter};
 
+/// Sentinel "distro" name used to spawn Windows PowerShell instead of WSL.
+/// Frontend appends this to the distro list it shows in the dropdown.
+pub const POWERSHELL_DISTRO: &str = "PowerShell";
+
 pub type PaneId = u64;
 
 /// What we keep alive for each spawned PTY.
@@ -62,26 +66,40 @@ impl PtyManager {
             })
             .context("openpty failed")?;
 
-        let mut cmd = CommandBuilder::new("wsl.exe");
-        if let Some(d) = distro.as_deref() {
-            cmd.arg("-d");
-            cmd.arg(d);
-        }
-        // Default new panes to the WSL user's home (~) rather than the
-        // Windows-side cwd we inherit from the launcher (typically
-        // C:\Users\<you>, which shows up as /mnt/c/Users/<you> inside WSL).
-        // wsl.exe resolves `~` against the distro's default shell.
-        let resolved_cwd = cwd.as_deref().unwrap_or("~");
-        cmd.arg("--cd");
-        cmd.arg(resolved_cwd);
-        // Force a login shell so .bashrc etc. run and PATH is populated.
-        // wsl.exe without an explicit command launches the default shell
-        // interactively, which is exactly what we want.
+        let is_powershell = distro.as_deref() == Some(POWERSHELL_DISTRO);
 
-        let child = pair
-            .slave
-            .spawn_command(cmd)
-            .context("failed to spawn wsl.exe; is WSL installed?")?;
+        let cmd = if is_powershell {
+            // cwd from the leaf is ignored — leaves may carry Linux-style
+            // paths (e.g. `~`, `/mnt/d/...`) from a previously-assigned WSL
+            // distro that PowerShell wouldn't understand. PowerShell starts
+            // in its own default cwd; user can `cd` if they want.
+            let mut c = CommandBuilder::new("powershell.exe");
+            c.arg("-NoLogo");
+            c
+        } else {
+            let mut c = CommandBuilder::new("wsl.exe");
+            if let Some(d) = distro.as_deref() {
+                c.arg("-d");
+                c.arg(d);
+            }
+            // Default new panes to the WSL user's home (~) rather than the
+            // Windows-side cwd we inherit from the launcher (typically
+            // C:\Users\<you>, which shows up as /mnt/c/Users/<you> inside WSL).
+            // wsl.exe resolves `~` against the distro's default shell.
+            let resolved_cwd = cwd.as_deref().unwrap_or("~");
+            c.arg("--cd");
+            c.arg(resolved_cwd);
+            // wsl.exe without an explicit command launches the default shell
+            // interactively, which is exactly what we want.
+            c
+        };
+
+        let spawn_err = if is_powershell {
+            "failed to spawn powershell.exe"
+        } else {
+            "failed to spawn wsl.exe; is WSL installed?"
+        };
+        let child = pair.slave.spawn_command(cmd).context(spawn_err)?;
 
         // We need to keep the master alive (drop = close the PTY), but we
         // also need the reader and writer split from it.
diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 9c40c98..f3c72c9 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ import "./lib/layout/Gutter.css";
 
 const LEGACY_STORAGE_KEY = "tiletopia.tree.v1";
 const SAVE_DEBOUNCE_MS = 500;
+/** Sentinel "distro" the backend recognises to spawn powershell.exe instead
+ *  of wsl.exe. Must match `POWERSHELL_DISTRO` in `src-tauri/src/pty.rs`. */
+const POWERSHELL_DISTRO = "PowerShell";
 
 function isInteractiveDistro(name: string): boolean {
   return !name.toLowerCase().startsWith("docker-desktop");
@@ -100,11 +103,14 @@ export default function App() {
       let resolvedDefault: string | undefined;
       try {
         resolvedDistros = await listDistros();
-        resolvedDefault =
-          resolvedDistros.find(isInteractiveDistro) ?? resolvedDistros[0];
       } catch (e) {
         console.warn("list_distros failed:", e);
       }
+      // Append PowerShell as a pseudo-distro so it appears in the titlebar
+      // default-picker and the per-pane dropdown.
+      resolvedDistros = [...resolvedDistros, POWERSHELL_DISTRO];
+      resolvedDefault =
+        resolvedDistros.find(isInteractiveDistro) ?? resolvedDistros[0];
 
       if (cancelled) return;
       if (loaded) {
diff --git a/src/components/XtermPane.tsx b/src/components/XtermPane.tsx
index 022502b..7222800 100644
--- a/src/components/XtermPane.tsx
+++ b/src/components/XtermPane.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 import { useRef, useEffect } from "react";
 import { Terminal } from "@xterm/xterm";
 import { FitAddon } from "@xterm/addon-fit";
+import { WebLinksAddon } from "@xterm/addon-web-links";
 import type { UnlistenFn } from "@tauri-apps/api/event";
 import {
   readText as clipboardReadText,
   writeText as clipboardWriteText,
 } from "@tauri-apps/plugin-clipboard-manager";
+import { openUrl } from "@tauri-apps/plugin-opener";
 import {
   spawnPane,
   writeToPane,
@@ -124,6 +126,16 @@ export default function XtermPane({
     const fit = new FitAddon();
     fitRef.current = fit;
     term.loadAddon(fit);
+    // Underlines http(s) URLs in the terminal output and routes clicks
+    // through Tauri's opener plugin so they open in the user's default
+    // browser (WebView2 won't navigate on a plain window.open).
+    term.loadAddon(
+      new WebLinksAddon((_event, uri) => {
+        void openUrl(uri).catch((err) =>
+          console.warn("openUrl failed:", err),
+        );
+      }),
+    );
     term.open(container);
 
     // Initial size — fit before asking the PTY for its dimensions.