diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/layouts/PortalLayout.tsx b/apps/portal/src/app/layouts/PortalLayout.tsx
index fbd06ddec..1f2610064 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/layouts/PortalLayout.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/layouts/PortalLayout.tsx
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ const NAV_SECTIONS: { label?: string; items: PortalNavItem[] }[] = [
     label: "nav.groupVessels",
     items: [
       { to: '/vessel-registration', label: 'Vessel Registration', i18nKey: 'nav.vesselRegistration', icon: IconShip },
-      { to: '/vessel-registration/transfer', label: 'Ownership Transfer', i18nKey: 'nav.ownershipTransfer', icon: IconArrowsExchange },
+      { to: '/vessel-ownership-transfer', label: 'Ownership Transfer', i18nKey: 'nav.ownershipTransfer', icon: IconArrowsExchange },
     ],
   },
   {
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ const PAGE_META: Record<string, { i18nKey: string }> = {
   '/dashboard':    { i18nKey: 'nav.dashboard' },
   '/vessel-registration-dashboard': { i18nKey: 'nav.vesselRegistrationDashboard' },
   '/vessel-registration': { i18nKey: 'nav.vesselRegistration' },
-  '/vessel-registration/transfer': { i18nKey: 'nav.ownershipTransfer' },
+  '/vessel-ownership-transfer': { i18nKey: 'nav.ownershipTransfer' },
   '/licensing/applications': { i18nKey: 'nav.myApplications' },
   '/waiver': { i18nKey: 'nav.waiver' },
   '/seafarer-registration': { i18nKey: 'nav.seafarerRegistration' },
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/router.tsx b/apps/portal/src/app/router.tsx
index 34094b2b9..ea161b1cc 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/router.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/router.tsx
@@ -177,7 +177,14 @@ export const router = createBrowserRouter([
         path: "/vessel-registration-dashboard",
         element: <Navigate to="/vessel-registration" replace />,
       },
-      { path: "/vessel-registration/transfer", element: <VesselTransferPage /> },
+      { path: "/vessel-ownership-transfer", element: <VesselTransferPage /> },
+      // The nav item used to nest this under /vessel-registration, which made
+      // the sidebar's prefix-match (nav-utils.ts isItemActive) light up both
+      // items at once. Kept as a redirect for old bookmarks/links.
+      {
+        path: "/vessel-registration/transfer",
+        element: <Navigate to="/vessel-ownership-transfer" replace />,
+      },
       // Legacy per-licence-type URLs. Each once had its own hand-written page
       // that posted to a `/logistics-licenses/*` endpoint the API never had,
       // and dropped every uploaded document on the floor. They are kept as
@@ -291,7 +298,7 @@ export const router = createBrowserRouter([
   },
   {
     path: "/vessel-owner/registration/transfer",
-    element: <Navigate to="/vessel-registration/transfer" replace />,
+    element: <Navigate to="/vessel-ownership-transfer" replace />,
   },
 
   { path: "*", element: <Navigate to="/" replace /> },