diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d86eeb1..b9f4f2e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -15,9 +15,7 @@
   "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 3eb8b88..aab158b 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -14,15 +14,9 @@ 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
@@ -517,9 +511,6 @@ 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==}
 
@@ -589,9 +580,6 @@ 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==}
 
@@ -1194,10 +1182,6 @@ 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
@@ -1290,8 +1274,6 @@ 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 28063fb..65febb2 100644
--- a/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ 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 8071b47..8d355d9 100644
--- a/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
+++ b/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
     "core:event:default",
     "core:window:default",
     "clipboard-manager:allow-read-text",
-    "clipboard-manager:allow-write-text",
-    "opener:allow-open-url"
+    "clipboard-manager:allow-write-text"
   ]
 }
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index dfbf1aa..06dea5f 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ 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 117d97a..094d847 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/pty.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/pty.rs
@@ -13,10 +13,6 @@ 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.
@@ -66,40 +62,26 @@ impl PtyManager {
             })
             .context("openpty failed")?;
 
-        let is_powershell = distro.as_deref() == Some(POWERSHELL_DISTRO);
+        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 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)?;
+        let child = pair
+            .slave
+            .spawn_command(cmd)
+            .context("failed to spawn wsl.exe; is WSL installed?")?;
 
         // 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 f3c72c9..9c40c98 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -49,9 +49,6 @@ 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");
@@ -103,14 +100,11 @@ 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 7222800..022502b 100644
--- a/src/components/XtermPane.tsx
+++ b/src/components/XtermPane.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 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,
@@ -126,16 +124,6 @@ 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.