diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index d91aabb..3f863e5 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
       "name": "Run Extension",
       "type": "extensionHost",
       "request": "launch",
-      "args": ["--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}"],
+      "args": ["${workspaceFolder}", "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}"],
       "outFiles": ["${workspaceFolder}/out/**/*.cjs"],
       "preLaunchTask": "npm: build"
     }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9302ef2..e94f3a4 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -36,6 +36,18 @@
       "commandPalette": [
         { "command": "cowriting.applyAgentEdit", "when": "false" }
       ],
+      "editor/context": [
+        {
+          "command": "cowriting.editSelection",
+          "when": "editorHasSelection && resourceScheme == file",
+          "group": "1_cowriting@1"
+        },
+        {
+          "command": "cowriting.createThread",
+          "when": "editorHasSelection && resourceScheme == file",
+          "group": "1_cowriting@2"
+        }
+      ],
       "comments/commentThread/context": [
         { "command": "cowriting.reply", "group": "inline", "when": "commentController == cowriting.threads" }
       ],
diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index b3b5ede..f99eaf1 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,28 @@ export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): CowritingApi | undef
 
   // --- F2: region-anchored threads (Feature #4) ---
   const root = vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders?.[0]?.uri.fsPath;
-  if (!root) return undefined; // no workspace → nothing to anchor against
+  if (!root) {
+    // No folder open → nothing to anchor against, but every contributed
+    // command must still exist: leave them unregistered and the palette
+    // errors with "command not found" (#8). Register warning stubs instead;
+    // opening a folder reloads the window, re-running activate with a root.
+    const stub = () =>
+      void vscode.window.showWarningMessage(
+        "Cowriting: open a folder first — coauthoring anchors threads and attribution to workspace files.",
+      );
+    for (const command of [
+      "cowriting.createThread",
+      "cowriting.reply",
+      "cowriting.resolveThread",
+      "cowriting.reopenThread",
+      "cowriting.editSelection",
+      "cowriting.toggleAttribution",
+      "cowriting.applyAgentEdit",
+    ]) {
+      context.subscriptions.push(vscode.commands.registerCommand(command, stub));
+    }
+    return undefined;
+  }
   const store = new CoauthorStore(root);
   const threadController = new ThreadController(store, root);
   context.subscriptions.push(threadController);
diff --git a/test/e2e/runTest.ts b/test/e2e/runTest.ts
index 3b80141..543c383 100644
--- a/test/e2e/runTest.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/runTest.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
       launchArgs: [workspace, "--disable-extensions"],
       extensionTestsEnv: { E2E_WORKSPACE: workspace },
     });
+
+    // Second pass — NO workspace folder (regression for #8): commands must
+    // exist as warning stubs instead of erroring "command not found".
+    await runTests({
+      extensionDevelopmentPath,
+      extensionTestsPath: path.resolve(__dirname, "./suite-no-workspace/index"),
+      launchArgs: ["--disable-extensions"],
+    });
   } finally {
     fs.rmSync(workspace, { recursive: true, force: true });
   }
diff --git a/test/e2e/suite-no-workspace/index.ts b/test/e2e/suite-no-workspace/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f0507c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/suite-no-workspace/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import * as path from "path";
+import Mocha from "mocha";
+import { glob } from "glob";
+
+export async function run(): Promise<void> {
+  const mocha = new Mocha({ ui: "tdd", color: true, timeout: 60000 });
+  const testsRoot = path.resolve(__dirname);
+  const files = await glob("**/*.test.js", { cwd: testsRoot });
+  for (const f of files) mocha.addFile(path.resolve(testsRoot, f));
+  await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+    mocha.run((failures) => (failures > 0 ? reject(new Error(`${failures} E2E test(s) failed`)) : resolve()));
+  });
+}
diff --git a/test/e2e/suite-no-workspace/noWorkspace.test.ts b/test/e2e/suite-no-workspace/noWorkspace.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96b9d07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/suite-no-workspace/noWorkspace.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import * as assert from "assert";
+import * as vscode from "vscode";
+
+// Regression for #8: with NO workspace folder open, activate() used to return
+// before registering the F2/F3 commands, so the palette errored with
+// "command 'cowriting.editSelection' not found". The fix registers warning
+// stubs instead. This suite runs in a second EDH pass launched WITHOUT a
+// folder (see runTest.ts).
+
+suite("no-workspace activation (#8)", () => {
+  test("EDH really has no workspace folder", () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders, undefined);
+  });
+
+  test("all contributed coauthoring commands are registered as warning stubs", async () => {
+    const ext = vscode.extensions.getExtension("benstull.vscode-cowriting-plugin")!;
+    const api = await ext.activate();
+    assert.strictEqual(api, undefined, "no-root activation returns no API");
+    const all = await vscode.commands.getCommands(true);
+    for (const command of [
+      "cowriting.createThread",
+      "cowriting.reply",
+      "cowriting.resolveThread",
+      "cowriting.reopenThread",
+      "cowriting.editSelection",
+      "cowriting.toggleAttribution",
+      "cowriting.applyAgentEdit",
+    ]) {
+      assert.ok(all.includes(command), `${command} is registered`);
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("invoking a stub does not throw (shows a warning instead)", async () => {
+    await vscode.commands.executeCommand("cowriting.editSelection");
+    await vscode.commands.executeCommand("cowriting.createThread");
+  });
+});