diff --git a/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel/channel_settings_modal_spec.ts b/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel/channel_settings_modal_spec.ts
index 1c8340c4a8..8f3d3cbb20 100644
--- a/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel/channel_settings_modal_spec.ts
+++ b/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel/channel_settings_modal_spec.ts
@@ -95,8 +95,10 @@ describe('Channel Settings Modal', () => {
         // # Edit channel name
         cy.get('#input_channel-settings-name').clear().type('Updated Channel Name');
 
-        // * Verify URL is updated automatically
-        cy.get('.url-input-label').should('contain', 'updated-channel-name');
+        // * Verify URL remains unchanged (does not auto-update when editing existing channels)
+        cy.get('@originalUrl').then((originalUrl) => {
+            cy.get('.url-input-label').should('contain', originalUrl);
+        });
 
         // # Click Save
         cy.get('[data-testid="SaveChangesPanel__save-btn"]').click();
@@ -135,6 +137,99 @@ describe('Channel Settings Modal', () => {
         cy.get('#channelHeaderTitle').should('contain', originalTestChannel.display_name);
     });
 
+    it('MM-T31: Channel name changes do not auto-update URL, URL only changes when explicitly modified', () => {
+        // # Create a new channel for this test
+        cy.apiCreateChannel(testTeam.id, 'url-behavior-test', 'URL Behavior Test').then(({channel}) => {
+            cy.visit(`/${testTeam.name}/channels/${channel.name}`);
+
+            // # Open channel settings modal
+            cy.get('#channelHeaderDropdownButton').click();
+            cy.findByText('Channel Settings').click();
+
+            // # Store original values
+            cy.get('#input_channel-settings-name').invoke('val').as('originalName');
+            cy.get('.url-input-label').invoke('val').as('originalUrl');
+
+            // # Verify changing channel name does NOT auto-update URL
+
+            // # Change the channel name
+            cy.get('#input_channel-settings-name').clear().type('New Channel Name');
+
+            // * Verify URL remains unchanged after name change
+            cy.get('@originalUrl').then((originalUrl) => {
+                cy.get('.url-input-label').should('contain', originalUrl);
+            });
+
+            // # Save the name change
+            cy.get('[data-testid="SaveChangesPanel__save-btn"]').click();
+
+            // * Verify changes are saved
+            cy.get('.SaveChangesPanel').should('contain', 'Settings saved');
+
+            // * Verify URL is still the original URL after saving
+            cy.get('@originalUrl').then((originalUrl) => {
+                cy.get('.url-input-label').should('contain', originalUrl);
+            });
+
+            // # Verify URL only changes when explicitly modified
+
+            // # Click the URL edit button to enable URL editing
+            cy.get('.url-input-button').click();
+
+            // # Modify the URL explicitly
+            cy.get('.url-input-container input').clear().type('explicitly-changed-url');
+
+            // # Confirm the URL change
+            cy.get('.url-input-container button.url-input-button').click();
+
+            // * Verify URL has been updated to the new value
+            cy.get('.url-input-label').should('contain', 'explicitly-changed-url');
+
+            // # Save the URL change
+            cy.get('[data-testid="SaveChangesPanel__save-btn"]').click();
+
+            // * Verify changes are saved
+            cy.get('.SaveChangesPanel').should('contain', 'Settings saved');
+
+            // # Close the modal
+            cy.get('.GenericModal .modal-header button[aria-label="Close"]').click();
+
+            // * Verify the URL has actually changed by checking the browser URL
+            cy.url().should('include', 'explicitly-changed-url');
+
+            // # Verify subsequent name changes still don't affect the explicitly set URL
+
+            // # Open channel settings modal again
+            cy.get('#channelHeaderDropdownButton').click();
+            cy.findByText('Channel Settings').click();
+
+            // # Store the current URL (which should be the explicitly changed one)
+            cy.get('.url-input-label').invoke('val').as('currentUrl');
+
+            // # Change the channel name again
+            cy.get('#input_channel-settings-name').clear().type('Another Name Change');
+
+            // * Verify URL remains the explicitly set URL, not auto-generated from new name
+            cy.get('@currentUrl').then((currentUrl) => {
+                cy.get('.url-input-label').should('contain', currentUrl);
+            });
+
+            // * Verify URL does NOT contain auto-generated value from new name
+            cy.get('.url-input-label').should('not.contain', 'another-name-change');
+
+            // # Save the second name change
+            cy.get('[data-testid="SaveChangesPanel__save-btn"]').click();
+
+            // * Verify changes are saved
+            cy.get('.SaveChangesPanel').should('contain', 'Settings saved');
+
+            // * Final verification: URL should still be the explicitly set one
+            cy.get('@currentUrl').then((currentUrl) => {
+                cy.get('.url-input-label').should('contain', currentUrl);
+            });
+        });
+    });
+
     it('MM-T4: Shows error for invalid channel name', () => {
         // # Open channel settings modal
         cy.get('#channelHeaderDropdownButton').click();
diff --git a/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel/channel_settings_spec.ts b/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel/channel_settings_spec.ts
index 961595e7fd..a5aba88c60 100644
--- a/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel/channel_settings_spec.ts
+++ b/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel/channel_settings_spec.ts
@@ -34,15 +34,22 @@ describe('Channel Settings', () => {
 
     it('MM-T882 Channel URL validation works properly', () => {
         cy.apiCreateChannel(testTeam.id, 'channel-test', 'Channel').then(({channel}) => {
-            // # Go to test channel
+        // # Go to test channel
             cy.visit(`/${testTeam.name}/channels/${channel.name}`);
 
             // # Go to channel dropdown > Channel Settings Modal
             cy.get('#channelHeaderDropdownButton').click();
             cy.findByText('Channel Settings').click();
 
-            // # Try to enter existing URL and save
+            // # Change channel name (this should NOT affect the URL anymore)
             cy.get('#input_channel-settings-name').clear().type('town-square');
+
+            // # Now explicitly change the URL to trigger the validation error
+            cy.get('.url-input-button').click();
+            cy.get('.url-input-container input').clear().type('town-square');
+            cy.get('.url-input-container button.url-input-button').click();
+
+            // # Try to save
             cy.get('[data-testid="SaveChangesPanel__save-btn"]').click();
 
             // # Error is displayed and URL is unchanged
@@ -52,7 +59,9 @@ describe('Channel Settings', () => {
             cy.url().should('include', `/${testTeam.name}/channels/${channel.name}`);
 
             // # Enter a new URL and save
-            cy.get('#input_channel-settings-name').clear().type('another-town-square');
+            cy.get('.url-input-container input').clear().type('another-town-square');
+            cy.get('.url-input-button').click();
+            cy.get('.url-input-container button.url-input-button').click();
             cy.get('[data-testid="SaveChangesPanel__save-btn"]').click();
 
             // * URL is updated and no errors are displayed
diff --git a/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel_settings/channel_name_validations_spec.ts b/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel_settings/channel_name_validations_spec.ts
index dcb6b858b7..7d753872fc 100644
--- a/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel_settings/channel_name_validations_spec.ts
+++ b/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/channel_settings/channel_name_validations_spec.ts
@@ -112,6 +112,11 @@ describe('Channel routing', () => {
         //   i.e. a total of 54 characters separated by 2 spaces
         cy.get('#input_channel-settings-name').clear().type(`${firstWord}${Cypress._.repeat(' ', 2)}${secondWord}`);
 
+        // # Since channel name no longer auto-updates URL, manually set the URL to test the space handling
+        cy.get('.url-input-button').click();
+        cy.get('.url-input-container input').clear().type(`${firstWord}${Cypress._.repeat(' ', 2)}${secondWord}`);
+        cy.get('.url-input-container button.url-input-button').click();
+
         // # Save changes
         cy.get('[data-testid="SaveChangesPanel__save-btn"]').click();
 
diff --git a/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_name_form_field/channel_name_form_field.tsx b/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_name_form_field/channel_name_form_field.tsx
index 88aeff8c89..010af646d6 100644
--- a/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_name_form_field/channel_name_form_field.tsx
+++ b/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_name_form_field/channel_name_form_field.tsx
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export type Props = {
     team?: Team;
     urlError?: string;
     readOnly?: boolean;
+    isEditingExistingChannel?: boolean;
 }
 
 import './channel_name_form_field.scss';
@@ -101,8 +102,8 @@ const ChannelNameFormField = (props: Props): JSX.Element => {
         displayName.current = updatedDisplayName;
         props.onDisplayNameChange(updatedDisplayName);
 
-        if (!urlModified.current) {
-            // if URL isn't explicitly modified, it's derived from the display name
+        if (!urlModified.current && !props.isEditingExistingChannel) {
+            // Only auto-generate URL for new channels, not when editing existing ones
             const cleanURL = cleanUpUrlable(updatedDisplayName);
             setURL(cleanURL);
             setURLError('');
diff --git a/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_settings_modal/channel_settings_info_tab.test.tsx b/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_settings_modal/channel_settings_info_tab.test.tsx
index c0850e65ad..01248bd3bc 100644
--- a/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_settings_modal/channel_settings_info_tab.test.tsx
+++ b/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_settings_modal/channel_settings_info_tab.test.tsx
@@ -204,10 +204,11 @@ describe('ChannelSettingsInfoTab', () => {
         });
 
         // Verify patchChannel was called with the updated values (without type change).
+        // Note: URL should remain unchanged when editing existing channels
         expect(patchChannel).toHaveBeenCalledWith('channel1', {
             ...mockChannel,
             display_name: 'Updated Channel Name',
-            name: 'updated-channel-name',
+            name: 'test-channel', // URL should remain unchanged when editing existing channels
             purpose: 'Updated purpose',
             header: 'Updated header',
         });
@@ -249,7 +250,7 @@ describe('ChannelSettingsInfoTab', () => {
         expect(patchChannel).toHaveBeenCalledWith('channel1', {
             ...mockChannel,
             display_name: 'Channel Name With Whitespace', // Whitespace should be trimmed
-            name: 'channel-name-with-whitespace', // URL is generated from display name and should be trimmed
+            name: 'test-channel', // URL should remain unchanged when editing existing channels
             purpose: 'Purpose with whitespace', // Whitespace should be trimmed
             header: 'Header with whitespace', // Whitespace should be trimmed
         });
diff --git a/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_settings_modal/channel_settings_info_tab.tsx b/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_settings_modal/channel_settings_info_tab.tsx
index e894f7e2ef..4635b3c49c 100644
--- a/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_settings_modal/channel_settings_info_tab.tsx
+++ b/webapp/channels/src/components/channel_settings_modal/channel_settings_info_tab.tsx
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@ function ChannelSettingsInfoTab({
                 urlError={internalUrlError}
                 currentUrl={channelUrl}
                 readOnly={!canManageChannelProperties}
+                isEditingExistingChannel={true}
             />
 
             {/* Channel Type Section*/}