diff --git a/client/src/components/Grid/GridHistory.vue b/client/src/components/Grid/GridHistory.vue
index fe61e4ab0103..a54e2437d3be 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Grid/GridHistory.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/Grid/GridHistory.vue
@@ -11,13 +11,14 @@ import { useUserStore } from "@/stores/userStore";
 import Heading from "@/components/Common/Heading.vue";
 import LoginRequired from "@/components/Common/LoginRequired.vue";
 import GridList from "@/components/Grid/GridList.vue";
+import HistoryArchive from "@/components/History/Archiving/HistoryArchive.vue";
 
 const userStore = useUserStore();
 
 library.add(faPlus);
 
 interface Props {
-    activeList?: "my" | "shared" | "published";
+    activeList?: "archived" | "my" | "shared" | "published";
     username?: string;
 }
 
@@ -64,9 +65,17 @@ const props = withDefaults(defineProps<Props>(), {
             <BNavItem id="histories-published-tab" :active="activeList === 'published'" to="/histories/list_published">
                 Public Histories
             </BNavItem>
+            <BNavItem id="histories-published-tab" :active="activeList === 'archived'" to="/histories/archived">
+                Archived Histories
+            </BNavItem>
         </BNav>
         <GridList v-if="activeList === 'my'" :grid-config="historiesGridConfig" embedded />
         <GridList v-else-if="activeList === 'shared'" :grid-config="historiesSharedGridConfig" embedded />
-        <GridList v-else :grid-config="historiesPublishedGridConfig" :username-search="props.username" embedded />
+        <GridList
+            v-else-if="activeList === 'published'"
+            :grid-config="historiesPublishedGridConfig"
+            :username-search="props.username"
+            embedded />
+        <HistoryArchive v-else />
     </div>
 </template>
diff --git a/client/src/components/History/Archiving/HistoryArchive.vue b/client/src/components/History/Archiving/HistoryArchive.vue
index 927fb77e91f9..69bda0d3c45c 100644
--- a/client/src/components/History/Archiving/HistoryArchive.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/History/Archiving/HistoryArchive.vue
@@ -135,12 +135,11 @@ async function onImportCopy(history: ArchivedHistorySummary) {
 </script>
 <template>
     <section id="archived-histories" class="d-flex flex-column">
-        <h1>Archived Histories</h1>
         <div>
             <DelayedInput
                 :query="searchText"
                 class="m-1 mb-3"
-                placeholder="Search by name"
+                placeholder="search by name"
                 @change="updateSearchQuery" />
             <BAlert v-if="isLoading" variant="info" show>
                 <LoadingSpan v-if="isLoading" message="Loading archived histories" />
diff --git a/client/src/components/History/CurrentHistory/HistoryNavigation.vue b/client/src/components/History/CurrentHistory/HistoryNavigation.vue
index 79e730bd4faa..1caa443ec266 100644
--- a/client/src/components/History/CurrentHistory/HistoryNavigation.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/History/CurrentHistory/HistoryNavigation.vue
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
     BDropdownDivider,
     BDropdownItem,
     BDropdownText,
+    BFormCheckbox,
     BModal,
     BSpinner,
 } from "bootstrap-vue";
@@ -63,12 +64,13 @@ interface Props {
     historiesLoading?: boolean;
 }
 
-withDefaults(defineProps<Props>(), {
+const props = withDefaults(defineProps<Props>(), {
     title: "Histories",
     historiesLoading: false,
 });
 
 const showSwitchModal = ref(false);
+const purgeHistory = ref(false);
 
 const userStore = useUserStore();
 const historyStore = useHistoryStore();
@@ -76,6 +78,14 @@ const historyStore = useHistoryStore();
 const { isAnonymous } = storeToRefs(userStore);
 const { totalHistoryCount } = storeToRefs(historyStore);
 
+function onDelete() {
+    if (purgeHistory.value) {
+        historyStore.deleteHistory(props.history.id, true);
+    } else {
+        historyStore.deleteHistory(props.history.id, false);
+    }
+}
+
 function userTitle(title: string) {
     if (isAnonymous.value) {
         return localize("Log in to") + " " + localize(title);
@@ -264,16 +274,14 @@ function userTitle(title: string) {
             id="delete-history-modal"
             title="Delete History?"
             title-tag="h2"
-            @ok="historyStore.deleteHistory(history.id, false)">
-            <p v-localize>Really delete the current history?</p>
-        </BModal>
-
-        <BModal
-            id="purge-history-modal"
-            title="Permanently Delete History?"
-            title-tag="h2"
-            @ok="historyStore.deleteHistory(history.id, true)">
-            <p v-localize>Really delete the current history permanently? This cannot be undone.</p>
+            @ok="onDelete"
+            @show="purgeHistory = false">
+            <p v-localize>
+                Do you also want to permanently delete the history <i class="ml-1">{{ history.name }}</i>
+            </p>
+            <BFormCheckbox id="purge-history" v-model="purgeHistory">
+                <span v-localize>Yes, permanently delete this history.</span>
+            </BFormCheckbox>
         </BModal>
     </div>
 </template>
diff --git a/client/src/entry/analysis/menu.js b/client/src/entry/analysis/menu.js
index b870446bbd3f..495b0ae231a2 100644
--- a/client/src/entry/analysis/menu.js
+++ b/client/src/entry/analysis/menu.js
@@ -243,10 +243,6 @@ export function fetchMenu(options = {}) {
                 url: "/interactivetool_entry_points/list",
             });
         }
-        userTab.menu.push({
-            title: _l("Archived Histories"),
-            url: "/histories/archived",
-        });
         if (Galaxy.config.enable_notification_system) {
             userTab.menu.push({
                 title: _l("Notifications"),
diff --git a/client/src/entry/analysis/router.js b/client/src/entry/analysis/router.js
index 87202bbd41c4..5bf39d07f2fa 100644
--- a/client/src/entry/analysis/router.js
+++ b/client/src/entry/analysis/router.js
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ import { patchRouterPush } from "./router-push";
 
 import AboutGalaxy from "@/components/AboutGalaxy.vue";
 import GridVisualization from "@/components/Grid/GridVisualization.vue";
-import HistoryArchive from "@/components/History/Archiving/HistoryArchive.vue";
 import HistoryArchiveWizard from "@/components/History/Archiving/HistoryArchiveWizard.vue";
 import HistoryDatasetPermissions from "@/components/History/HistoryDatasetPermissions.vue";
 import NotificationsList from "@/components/Notifications/NotificationsList.vue";
@@ -288,7 +287,10 @@ export function getRouter(Galaxy) {
                     },
                     {
                         path: "histories/archived",
-                        component: HistoryArchive,
+                        component: GridHistory,
+                        props: {
+                            activeList: "archived",
+                        },
                     },
                     {
                         path: "histories/list",
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/webapps/base/webapp.py b/lib/galaxy/webapps/base/webapp.py
index 8c51b9f14db8..f9952c882a21 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/webapps/base/webapp.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/webapps/base/webapp.py
@@ -665,11 +665,11 @@ def _ensure_valid_session(self, session_cookie: str, create: bool = True) -> Non
             galaxy_session = self.__create_new_session(prev_galaxy_session, user_for_new_session)
             galaxy_session_requires_flush = True
             self.galaxy_session = galaxy_session
-            if self.webapp.name == "galaxy":
-                self.get_or_create_default_history()
             self.__update_session_cookie(name=session_cookie)
         else:
             self.galaxy_session = galaxy_session
+            if self.webapp.name == "galaxy":
+                self.get_or_create_default_history()
         # Do we need to flush the session?
         if galaxy_session_requires_flush:
             self.sa_session.add(galaxy_session)
@@ -814,10 +814,10 @@ def _associate_user_history(self, user, prev_galaxy_session=None):
             and not users_last_session.current_history.deleted
         ):
             history = users_last_session.current_history
-        elif not history:
-            history = self.get_history(create=True, most_recent=True)
         if history not in self.galaxy_session.histories:
             self.galaxy_session.add_history(history)
+        if not history:
+            history = self.new_history()
         if history.user is None:
             history.user = user
         self.galaxy_session.current_history = history
@@ -927,29 +927,30 @@ def get_or_create_default_history(self):
         Gets or creates a default history and associates it with the current
         session.
         """
-
-        # There must be a user to fetch a default history.
-        if not self.galaxy_session.user:
-            return self.new_history()
-
-        # Look for default history that (a) has default name + is not deleted and
-        # (b) has no datasets. If suitable history found, use it; otherwise, create
-        # new history.
-        stmt = select(self.app.model.History).filter_by(
-            user=self.galaxy_session.user, name=self.app.model.History.default_name, deleted=False
-        )
-        unnamed_histories = self.sa_session.scalars(stmt)
-        default_history = None
-        for history in unnamed_histories:
-            if history.empty:
-                # Found suitable default history.
-                default_history = history
-                break
-
-        # Set or create history.
-        if default_history:
-            history = default_history
-            self.set_history(history)
+        history = self.galaxy_session.current_history
+        if history and not history.deleted:
+            return history
+
+        user = self.galaxy_session.user
+        if user:
+            # Look for default history that (a) has default name + is not deleted and
+            # (b) has no datasets. If suitable history found, use it; otherwise, create
+            # new history.
+            stmt = select(self.app.model.History).filter_by(
+                user=user, name=self.app.model.History.default_name, deleted=False
+            )
+            unnamed_histories = self.sa_session.scalars(stmt)
+            default_history = None
+            for history in unnamed_histories:
+                if history.empty:
+                    # Found suitable default history.
+                    default_history = history
+                    break
+
+            # Set or create history.
+            if default_history:
+                history = default_history
+                self.set_history(history)
         else:
             history = self.new_history()
 
diff --git a/lib/galaxy_test/api/test_authenticate.py b/lib/galaxy_test/api/test_authenticate.py
index 41f437d49134..7cd375516a32 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy_test/api/test_authenticate.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy_test/api/test_authenticate.py
@@ -53,3 +53,25 @@ def test_tool_runner_session_cookie_handling(self):
         current_history_json_response.raise_for_status()
         current_history = current_history_json_response.json()
         assert current_history["contents_active"]["active"] == 1
+
+    def test_anon_history_creation(self):
+        # First request:
+        # We don't create any histories, just return a session cookie
+        response = get(self.url)
+        cookie = {"galaxysession": response.cookies["galaxysession"]}
+        # Check that we don't have any histories (API doesn't auto-create new histories)
+        histories_response = get(
+            urljoin(
+                self.url,
+                "api/histories",
+            )
+        )
+        assert not histories_response.json()
+        # Second request, we know client follows conventions by including cookies,
+        # default history is created.
+        get(self.url, cookies=cookie)
+        second_histories_response = get(
+            urljoin(self.url, "history/current_history_json"),
+            cookies=cookie,
+        )
+        assert second_histories_response.json()