diff --git a/website/src/repl/Repl.jsx b/website/src/repl/Repl.jsx
index 4ff92a80..db586363 100644
--- a/website/src/repl/Repl.jsx
+++ b/website/src/repl/Repl.jsx
@@ -17,7 +17,16 @@ import { prebake } from './prebake.mjs';
 import * as tunes from './tunes.mjs';
 import PlayCircleIcon from '@heroicons/react/20/solid/PlayCircleIcon';
 import { themes } from './themes.mjs';
-import { settingsMap, useSettings, setLatestCode, updateUserCode, setActivePattern } from '../settings.mjs';
+import {
+  settingsMap,
+  useSettings,
+  setLatestCode,
+  updateUserCode,
+  setActivePattern,
+  getActivePattern,
+  getUserPattern,
+  initUserCode,
+} from '../settings.mjs';
 import Loader from './Loader';
 import { settingPatterns } from '../settings.mjs';
 import { code2hash, hash2code } from './helpers.mjs';
@@ -131,7 +140,6 @@ export function Repl({ embedded = false }) {
     isLineWrappingEnabled,
     panelPosition,
     isZen,
-    activePattern,
   } = useSettings();
 
   const paintOptions = useMemo(() => ({ fontFamily }), [fontFamily]);
@@ -177,7 +185,7 @@ export function Repl({ embedded = false }) {
       let msg;
       if (decoded) {
         setCode(decoded);
-        setActivePattern('');
+        initUserCode(decoded);
         msg = `I have loaded the code from the URL.`;
       } else if (latestCode) {
         setCode(latestCode);
diff --git a/website/src/repl/panel/PatternsTab.jsx b/website/src/repl/panel/PatternsTab.jsx
index 175ed887..4466b599 100644
--- a/website/src/repl/panel/PatternsTab.jsx
+++ b/website/src/repl/panel/PatternsTab.jsx
@@ -1,27 +1,27 @@
+import { DocumentDuplicateIcon, PencilSquareIcon, TrashIcon } from '@heroicons/react/20/solid';
 import { useMemo } from 'react';
-import * as tunes from '../tunes.mjs';
 import {
-  useSettings,
   clearUserPatterns,
-  newUserPattern,
-  setActivePattern,
   deleteActivePattern,
   duplicateActivePattern,
+  exportPatterns,
   getUserPattern,
-  getUserPatterns,
+  importPatterns,
+  newUserPattern,
   renameActivePattern,
-  addUserPattern,
-  setUserPatterns,
+  setActivePattern,
+  useActivePattern,
+  useSettings,
 } from '../../settings.mjs';
-import { logger } from '@strudel.cycles/core';
-import { DocumentDuplicateIcon, PencilSquareIcon, TrashIcon } from '@heroicons/react/20/solid';
+import * as tunes from '../tunes.mjs';
 
 function classNames(...classes) {
   return classes.filter(Boolean).join(' ');
 }
 
 export function PatternsTab({ context }) {
-  const { userPatterns, activePattern } = useSettings();
+  const { userPatterns } = useSettings();
+  const activePattern = useActivePattern();
   const isExample = useMemo(() => activePattern && !!tunes[activePattern], [activePattern]);
   return (
     <div className="px-4 w-full dark:text-white text-stone-900 space-y-4 pb-4">
@@ -85,38 +85,11 @@ export function PatternsTab({ context }) {
               type="file"
               multiple
               accept="text/plain,application/json"
-              onChange={async (e) => {
-                const files = Array.from(e.target.files);
-                await Promise.all(
-                  files.map(async (file, i) => {
-                    const content = await file.text();
-                    if (file.type === 'application/json') {
-                      const userPatterns = getUserPatterns() || {};
-                      setUserPatterns({ ...userPatterns, ...JSON.parse(content) });
-                    } else if (file.type === 'text/plain') {
-                      const name = file.name.replace(/\.[^/.]+$/, '');
-                      addUserPattern(name, { code: content });
-                    }
-                  }),
-                );
-                logger(`import done!`);
-              }}
+              onChange={(e) => importPatterns(e.target.files)}
             />
             import
           </label>
-          <button
-            className="hover:opacity-50"
-            onClick={() => {
-              const blob = new Blob([JSON.stringify(userPatterns)], { type: 'application/json' });
-              const downloadLink = document.createElement('a');
-              downloadLink.href = window.URL.createObjectURL(blob);
-              const date = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0];
-              downloadLink.download = `strudel_patterns_${date}.json`;
-              document.body.appendChild(downloadLink);
-              downloadLink.click();
-              document.body.removeChild(downloadLink);
-            }}
-          >
+          <button className="hover:opacity-50" onClick={() => exportPatterns()}>
             export
           </button>
         </div>
diff --git a/website/src/settings.mjs b/website/src/settings.mjs
index 98d3fe50..570b6446 100644
--- a/website/src/settings.mjs
+++ b/website/src/settings.mjs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-import { persistentMap } from '@nanostores/persistent';
+import { persistentMap, persistentAtom } from '@nanostores/persistent';
 import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react';
 import { register } from '@strudel.cycles/core';
 import * as tunes from './repl/tunes.mjs';
+import { logger } from '@strudel.cycles/core';
 
 export const defaultSettings = {
   activeFooter: 'intro',
@@ -19,11 +20,28 @@ export const defaultSettings = {
   soundsFilter: 'all',
   panelPosition: 'bottom',
   userPatterns: '{}',
-  activePattern: '',
 };
 
 export const settingsMap = persistentMap('strudel-settings', defaultSettings);
 
+// active pattern is separate, because it shouldn't sync state across tabs
+// reason: https://github.com/tidalcycles/strudel/issues/857
+const $activePattern = persistentAtom('activePattern', '', { listen: false });
+export function setActivePattern(key) {
+  $activePattern.set(key);
+}
+export function getActivePattern() {
+  return $activePattern.get();
+}
+export function useActivePattern() {
+  return useStore($activePattern);
+}
+export function initUserCode(code) {
+  const userPatterns = getUserPatterns();
+  const match = Object.entries(userPatterns).find(([_, pat]) => pat.code === code);
+  setActivePattern(match?.[0] || '');
+}
+
 export function useSettings() {
   const state = useStore(settingsMap);
   return {
@@ -116,7 +134,7 @@ export function getUserPattern(key) {
 }
 
 export function renameActivePattern() {
-  let activePattern = getSetting('activePattern');
+  let activePattern = getActivePattern();
   let userPatterns = getUserPatterns();
   if (!userPatterns[activePattern]) {
     alert('Cannot rename examples');
@@ -139,7 +157,7 @@ export function renameActivePattern() {
 
 export function updateUserCode(code) {
   const userPatterns = getUserPatterns();
-  let activePattern = getSetting('activePattern');
+  let activePattern = getActivePattern();
   // check if code is that of an example tune
   const [example] = Object.entries(tunes).find(([_, tune]) => tune === code) || [];
   if (example && (!activePattern || activePattern === example)) {
@@ -160,7 +178,7 @@ export function updateUserCode(code) {
 }
 
 export function deleteActivePattern() {
-  let activePattern = getSetting('activePattern');
+  let activePattern = getActivePattern();
   if (!activePattern) {
     console.warn('cannot delete: no pattern selected');
     return;
@@ -178,7 +196,7 @@ export function deleteActivePattern() {
 }
 
 export function duplicateActivePattern() {
-  let activePattern = getSetting('activePattern');
+  let activePattern = getActivePattern();
   let latestCode = getSetting('latestCode');
   if (!activePattern) {
     console.warn('cannot duplicate: no pattern selected');
@@ -190,8 +208,31 @@ export function duplicateActivePattern() {
   setActivePattern(activePattern);
 }
 
-export function setActivePattern(key) {
-  settingsMap.setKey('activePattern', key);
+export async function importPatterns(fileList) {
+  const files = Array.from(fileList);
+  await Promise.all(
+    files.map(async (file, i) => {
+      const content = await file.text();
+      if (file.type === 'application/json') {
+        const userPatterns = getUserPatterns() || {};
+        setUserPatterns({ ...userPatterns, ...JSON.parse(content) });
+      } else if (file.type === 'text/plain') {
+        const name = file.name.replace(/\.[^/.]+$/, '');
+        addUserPattern(name, { code: content });
+      }
+    }),
+  );
+  logger(`import done!`);
 }
 
-export function importUserPatternJSON(jsonString) {}
+export async function exportPatterns() {
+  const userPatterns = getUserPatterns() || {};
+  const blob = new Blob([JSON.stringify(userPatterns)], { type: 'application/json' });
+  const downloadLink = document.createElement('a');
+  downloadLink.href = window.URL.createObjectURL(blob);
+  const date = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0];
+  downloadLink.download = `strudel_patterns_${date}.json`;
+  document.body.appendChild(downloadLink);
+  downloadLink.click();
+  document.body.removeChild(downloadLink);
+}