docs(analysis): map IDE coding-agent harness techniques onto Hermes

Study of the five harness subsystems that make in-editor coding agents
outperform the raw model (same models underneath), with a grounded map of
each onto the Hermes codebase: indexed semantic retrieval, retrieval-as-
accuracy-driver, decoupled apply model, ambient context, per-task routing.

Findings reference real files (tools/fuzzy_match.py, agent/auxiliary_client.py,
agent/prompt_builder.py, hermes_state.py). Identifies semantic codebase
retrieval as the one structural gap; apply-reliability and model-routing as
existing strengths.

Dockerfile

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ ENV PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=/opt/hermes/.playwright
 # hermes process, the dashboard, and per-profile gateways.
 RUN apt-get update && \
     apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
-    ca-certificates curl iputils-ping python3 python-is-python3 ripgrep ffmpeg gcc python3-dev python3-venv libffi-dev procps git openssh-client docker-cli xz-utils && \
+    ca-certificates curl iputils-ping python3 python-is-python3 ripgrep ffmpeg gcc python3-dev python3-venv libffi-dev libolm-dev procps git openssh-client docker-cli xz-utils && \
     rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # ---------- s6-overlay install ----------
@@ -185,13 +185,16 @@ RUN cd web && npm run build && \
 # hermes_cli/main.py succeeds (see #18800). /opt/hermes/web is build-time
 # only (HERMES_WEB_DIST points at hermes_cli/web_dist) and is intentionally
 # not chowned here.
+# /opt/hermes/gateway is runtime-writable: Python may create __pycache__ and
+# gateway state artifacts beneath the package after services drop privileges,
+# especially when the hermes UID is remapped at boot (#27221).
 # The .venv MUST remain hermes-writable so lazy_deps.py can install
 # remaining optional platform packages and future pin bumps at first use.
 # Without this, `uv pip install` fails with EACCES and adapters silently
 # fail to load.  See tools/lazy_deps.py.
 USER root
 RUN chmod -R a+rX /opt/hermes && \
-    chown -R hermes:hermes /opt/hermes/.venv /opt/hermes/ui-tui /opt/hermes/node_modules
+    chown -R hermes:hermes /opt/hermes/.venv /opt/hermes/ui-tui /opt/hermes/gateway /opt/hermes/node_modules
 # Start as root so the s6-overlay stage2 hook can usermod/groupmod and chown
 # the data volume. Each supervised service then drops to the hermes user via
 # `s6-setuidgid hermes` in its run script. If HERMES_UID is unset, services

apps/desktop/electron/main.cjs

@@ -471,12 +471,14 @@ let bootstrapAbortController = null
 // of re-adopting the install we're repairing. Cleared once a bootstrap runs.
 let forceBootstrapRepair = false
 let connectionConfigCache = null
+let connectionConfigCacheMtime = null
 const hermesLog = []
 const previewWatchers = new Map()
 let previewShortcutActive = false
 let desktopLogBuffer = ''
 let desktopLogFlushTimer = null
 let desktopLogFlushPromise = Promise.resolve()
+let nativeThemeListenerInstalled = false
 let bootProgressState = {
   error: null,
   fakeMode: BOOT_FAKE_MODE,
@@ -1101,9 +1103,17 @@ function readDesktopUpdateConfig() {
   }
 }
 
+// Atomic file write: temp + rename (atomic on all platforms). Prevents
+// partial writes on crash/power loss that corrupt JSON config files.
+function writeFileAtomic(targetPath, data, encoding) {
+  const tmp = targetPath + '.tmp'
+  fs.writeFileSync(tmp, data, encoding)
+  fs.renameSync(tmp, targetPath)
+}
+
 function writeDesktopUpdateConfig(config) {
   fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(DESKTOP_UPDATE_CONFIG_PATH), { recursive: true })
-  fs.writeFileSync(DESKTOP_UPDATE_CONFIG_PATH, JSON.stringify(config, null, 2))
+  writeFileAtomic(DESKTOP_UPDATE_CONFIG_PATH, JSON.stringify(config, null, 2))
 }
 
 // Match the backend's source resolution but bias toward a real git checkout.
@@ -1628,7 +1638,7 @@ function writeBootstrapMarker(payload) {
     completedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
     desktopVersion: app.getVersion()
   }
-  fs.writeFileSync(BOOTSTRAP_COMPLETE_MARKER, JSON.stringify(merged, null, 2) + '\n', 'utf8')
+  writeFileAtomic(BOOTSTRAP_COMPLETE_MARKER, JSON.stringify(merged, null, 2) + '\n', 'utf8')
   return merged
 }
 
@@ -2094,6 +2104,7 @@ function fetchJson(url, token, options = {}) {
       },
       res => {
         const chunks = []
+        res.on('error', reject)
         res.on('data', chunk => chunks.push(chunk))
         res.on('end', () => {
           const text = Buffer.concat(chunks).toString('utf8')
@@ -2433,6 +2444,7 @@ async function resourceBufferFromUrl(rawUrl) {
         return
       }
       const chunks = []
+      res.on('error', reject)
       res.on('data', chunk => chunks.push(chunk))
       res.on('end', () => {
         resolve({
@@ -3135,7 +3147,17 @@ function decryptDesktopSecret(secret) {
 }
 
 function readDesktopConnectionConfig() {
-  if (connectionConfigCache) {
+  // Check if file changed on disk since last read (e.g. modified by another
+  // process or an external tool).  Our own writes update the cache inline
+  // via writeDesktopConnectionConfig, but external changes would be missed.
+  let mtime = null
+  try {
+    mtime = fs.statSync(DESKTOP_CONNECTION_CONFIG_PATH).mtimeMs
+  } catch {
+    mtime = null
+  }
+
+  if (connectionConfigCache && connectionConfigCacheMtime === mtime) {
     return connectionConfigCache
   }
 
@@ -3156,14 +3178,16 @@ function readDesktopConnectionConfig() {
   }
 
   connectionConfigCache = config
+  connectionConfigCacheMtime = mtime
 
   return config
 }
 
 function writeDesktopConnectionConfig(config) {
   fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(DESKTOP_CONNECTION_CONFIG_PATH), { recursive: true })
-  fs.writeFileSync(DESKTOP_CONNECTION_CONFIG_PATH, JSON.stringify(config, null, 2))
+  writeFileAtomic(DESKTOP_CONNECTION_CONFIG_PATH, JSON.stringify(config, null, 2))
   connectionConfigCache = config
+  connectionConfigCacheMtime = fs.statSync(DESKTOP_CONNECTION_CONFIG_PATH).mtimeMs
 }
 
 function sanitizeDesktopConnectionConfig(config = readDesktopConnectionConfig()) {
@@ -3491,9 +3515,12 @@ function createWindow() {
   }
 
   if (!IS_MAC) {
-    nativeTheme.on('updated', () => {
-      mainWindow?.setTitleBarOverlay?.(getTitleBarOverlayOptions())
-    })
+    if (!nativeThemeListenerInstalled) {
+      nativeThemeListenerInstalled = true
+      nativeTheme.on('updated', () => {
+        mainWindow?.setTitleBarOverlay?.(getTitleBarOverlayOptions())
+      })
+    }
   }
 
   mainWindow.on('will-enter-full-screen', () => sendWindowStateChanged(true))

apps/desktop/src/app/artifacts/index.tsx

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
 import { ZoomableImage } from '@/components/chat/zoomable-image'
 import { PageLoader } from '@/components/page-loader'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
-import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import { CopyButton } from '@/components/ui/copy-button'
 import {
   Pagination,
@@ -25,7 +24,9 @@ import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 import type { SessionInfo, SessionMessage } from '@/types/hermes'
 
+import { useRefreshHotkey } from '../hooks/use-refresh-hotkey'
 import { useRouteEnumParam } from '../hooks/use-route-enum-param'
+import { PAGE_INSET_NEG_X, PAGE_INSET_X } from '../layout-constants'
 import { PageSearchShell } from '../page-search-shell'
 import { sessionRoute } from '../routes'
 import type { SetStatusbarItemGroup } from '../shell/statusbar-controls'
@@ -372,14 +373,11 @@ export function ArtifactsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, .
 
   const [kindFilter, setKindFilter] = useRouteEnumParam('tab', ARTIFACT_FILTERS, 'all')
 
-  const [refreshing, setRefreshing] = useState(false)
   const [failedImageIds, setFailedImageIds] = useState<Set<string>>(() => new Set())
   const [imagePage, setImagePage] = useState(1)
   const [filePage, setFilePage] = useState(1)
 
   const refreshArtifacts = useCallback(async () => {
-    setRefreshing(true)
-
     try {
       const sessions = (await listSessions(30, 1)).sessions
       const results = await Promise.allSettled(sessions.map(session => getSessionMessages(session.id)))
@@ -398,11 +396,11 @@ export function ArtifactsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, .
     } catch (err) {
       notifyError(err, 'Artifacts failed to load')
       setArtifacts([])
-    } finally {
-      setRefreshing(false)
     }
   }, [])
 
+  useRefreshHotkey(refreshArtifacts)
+
   useEffect(() => {
     void refreshArtifacts()
   }, [refreshArtifacts])
@@ -502,7 +500,11 @@ export function ArtifactsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, .
   return (
     <PageSearchShell
       {...props}
-      filters={
+      onSearchChange={setQuery}
+      searchHidden={counts.all === 0}
+      searchPlaceholder="Search artifacts..."
+      searchValue={query}
+      tabs={
         <>
           <TextTab active={kindFilter === 'all'} onClick={() => setKindFilter('all')}>
             All <TextTabMeta>({counts.all})</TextTabMeta>
@@ -518,23 +520,6 @@ export function ArtifactsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, .
           </TextTab>
         </>
       }
-      onSearchChange={setQuery}
-      searchPlaceholder="Search artifacts..."
-      searchTrailingAction={
-        <Button
-          aria-label={refreshing ? 'Refreshing artifacts' : 'Refresh artifacts'}
-          className="text-(--ui-text-tertiary) hover:bg-transparent hover:text-foreground"
-          disabled={refreshing}
-          onClick={() => void refreshArtifacts()}
-          size="icon-xs"
-          title={refreshing ? 'Refreshing artifacts' : 'Refresh artifacts'}
-          type="button"
-          variant="ghost"
-        >
-          <Codicon name="refresh" size="0.875rem" spinning={refreshing} />
-        </Button>
-      }
-      searchValue={query}
     >
       {!artifacts ? (
         <PageLoader label="Indexing recent session artifacts" />
@@ -549,10 +534,16 @@ export function ArtifactsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, .
         </div>
       ) : (
         <div className="h-full overflow-y-auto">
-          <div className="flex flex-col gap-3 px-2 pb-2">
+          <div className={cn('flex flex-col gap-3 pb-2', PAGE_INSET_X)}>
             {visibleImageArtifacts.length > 0 && (
               <section className="flex flex-col">
-                <div className="sticky top-0 z-10 -mx-2 flex h-7 items-center gap-3 overflow-x-auto bg-background px-3">
+                <div
+                  className={cn(
+                    'sticky top-0 z-10 flex h-7 items-center gap-3 overflow-x-auto bg-background',
+                    PAGE_INSET_NEG_X,
+                    PAGE_INSET_X
+                  )}
+                >
                   <ArtifactsPagination
                     className="ml-auto justify-end px-0"
                     itemLabel="images"
@@ -578,7 +569,13 @@ export function ArtifactsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, .
 
             {visibleFileArtifacts.length > 0 && (
               <section className="flex flex-col">
-                <div className="sticky top-0 z-10 -mx-2 flex h-7 items-center gap-3 overflow-x-auto bg-background px-3">
+                <div
+                  className={cn(
+                    'sticky top-0 z-10 flex h-7 items-center gap-3 overflow-x-auto bg-background',
+                    PAGE_INSET_NEG_X,
+                    PAGE_INSET_X
+                  )}
+                >
                   <ArtifactsPagination
                     className="ml-auto justify-end px-0"
                     itemLabel={itemsLabel(kindFilter)}
@@ -588,7 +585,7 @@ export function ArtifactsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, .
                     total={visibleFileArtifacts.length}
                   />
                 </div>
-                <div className="overflow-x-auto rounded-lg border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-chat-bubble-background) shadow-sm">
+                <div className="overflow-x-auto rounded-lg border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-chat-bubble-background)">
                   <ArtifactTable artifacts={pagedFileArtifacts} ctx={cellCtx} filter={kindFilter} />
                 </div>
               </section>
@@ -660,11 +657,7 @@ interface ArtifactImageCardProps {
 
 function ArtifactImageCard({ artifact, failedImage, onImageError, onOpenChat }: ArtifactImageCardProps) {
   return (
-    <article
-      className={cn(
-        'group/artifact overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-chat-bubble-background) shadow-sm'
-      )}
-    >
+    <article className="group/artifact overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-chat-bubble-background)">
       <div
         className={cn(
           'relative flex h-40 w-full items-center justify-center overflow-hidden border-b border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-bg-quinary) p-1.5',
@@ -674,7 +667,7 @@ function ArtifactImageCard({ artifact, failedImage, onImageError, onOpenChat }:
         {!failedImage && (
           <ZoomableImage
             alt={artifact.label}
-            className="max-h-40 max-w-full cursor-zoom-in rounded-md object-contain shadow-sm"
+            className="max-h-40 max-w-full cursor-zoom-in rounded-md object-contain"
             containerClassName="max-h-full"
             decoding="async"
             loading="lazy"
@@ -702,7 +695,7 @@ function ArtifactImageCard({ artifact, failedImage, onImageError, onOpenChat }:
         </div>
 
         <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-1.5">
-          <Button onClick={() => onOpenChat(artifact.sessionId)} size="xs" type="button" variant="outline">
+          <Button onClick={() => onOpenChat(artifact.sessionId)} size="xs" type="button" variant="textStrong">
             <FolderOpen className="size-3" />
             Chat
           </Button>
@@ -741,10 +734,7 @@ function ArtifactCellAction({
 
   return (
     <button
-      className={cn(
-        'flex h-full w-full min-w-0 items-center gap-2 px-2.5 py-1.5 text-left text-[length:var(--conversation-caption-font-size)] leading-(--conversation-caption-line-height) font-normal text-(--ui-text-secondary) no-underline underline-offset-4 decoration-current/20 transition-colors hover:text-foreground hover:underline',
-        'cursor-pointer'
-      )}
+      className="flex h-full w-full min-w-0 items-center gap-2 px-2.5 py-1.5 text-left text-[length:var(--conversation-caption-font-size)] leading-(--conversation-caption-line-height) font-normal text-(--ui-text-secondary) no-underline underline-offset-4 decoration-current/20 transition-colors hover:text-foreground hover:underline"
       onClick={onClick}
       title={title}
       type="button"
@@ -863,7 +853,7 @@ function ArtifactTable({
           ))}
         </tr>
       </thead>
-      <tbody className="divide-y divide-(--ui-stroke-quaternary)">
+      <tbody>
         {artifacts.map(artifact => (
           <tr className="group/artifact" key={artifact.id}>
             {ARTIFACT_COLUMNS.map(col => {

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/context-menu.tsx

@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ function PromptSnippetsDialog({
           {snippets.map(snippet => (
             <li key={snippet.label}>
               <button
-                className="group/snippet flex w-full cursor-pointer items-start gap-2.5 rounded-md border border-transparent px-2.5 py-2 text-left transition-colors hover:border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) focus-visible:border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) focus-visible:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) focus-visible:outline-none"
+                className="group/snippet flex w-full items-start gap-2.5 rounded-md border border-transparent px-2.5 py-2 text-left transition-colors hover:border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) focus-visible:border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) focus-visible:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) focus-visible:outline-none"
                 onClick={() => {
                   onInsertText(snippet.text)
                   onOpenChange(false)

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/index.tsx

@@ -73,9 +73,39 @@ import { VoiceActivity, VoicePlaybackActivity } from './voice-activity'
 
 const COMPOSER_STACK_BREAKPOINT_PX = 320
 
+// A single editor line is ~28px (--composer-input-min-height 1.625rem + 0.5rem
+// vertical padding). Anything taller means the text wrapped to a second line,
+// which is when the composer should expand to the stacked layout.
+const COMPOSER_SINGLE_LINE_MAX_PX = 36
+
 const COMPOSER_FADE_BACKGROUND =
   'linear-gradient(to bottom, transparent, color-mix(in srgb, var(--dt-background) 10%, transparent))'
 
+// Resting composer placeholders. New sessions get open-ended starters; an
+// existing chat gets phrasings that read as a continuation of the thread.
+// One is picked at random per session (stable until the session changes).
+const NEW_SESSION_PLACEHOLDERS = [
+  'What are we building?',
+  'Give Hermes a task',
+  "What's on your mind?",
+  'Describe what you need',
+  'What should we tackle?',
+  'Ask anything',
+  'Start with a goal'
+]
+
+const FOLLOW_UP_PLACEHOLDERS = [
+  'Send a follow-up',
+  'Add more context',
+  'Refine the request',
+  "What's next?",
+  'Keep it going',
+  'Push it further',
+  'Adjust or continue'
+]
+
+const pickPlaceholder = (pool: readonly string[]) => pool[Math.floor(Math.random() * pool.length)]
+
 interface QueueEditState {
   attachments: ComposerAttachment[]
   draft: string
@@ -142,6 +172,7 @@ export function ChatBar({
   const [queueEdit, setQueueEdit] = useState<QueueEditState | null>(null)
   const [focusRequestId, setFocusRequestId] = useState(0)
   const dragDepthRef = useRef(0)
+  const composingRef = useRef(false)  // true during IME composition (CJK input)
   const lastSpokenIdRef = useRef<string | null>(null)
 
   const narrow = useMediaQuery('(max-width: 30rem)')
@@ -157,6 +188,35 @@ export function ChatBar({
   const showHelpHint = draft === '?'
 
   const gatewayState = useStore($gatewayState)
+
+  // Resting placeholder: a starter for brand-new sessions, a continuation for
+  // existing ones. Picked once and only re-rolled when we genuinely move to a
+  // *different* conversation. Critically, the first id assignment of a freshly
+  // started session (null → id, on the first send) is treated as the same
+  // conversation so the placeholder doesn't visibly flip mid-stream.
+  const [restingPlaceholder, setRestingPlaceholder] = useState(() =>
+    pickPlaceholder(sessionId ? FOLLOW_UP_PLACEHOLDERS : NEW_SESSION_PLACEHOLDERS)
+  )
+
+  const prevSessionIdRef = useRef(sessionId)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const prev = prevSessionIdRef.current
+    prevSessionIdRef.current = sessionId
+
+    if (prev === sessionId) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    // null → id: the new session we're already in just got persisted. Keep the
+    // starter we showed instead of swapping to a follow-up under the user.
+    if (prev == null && sessionId) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    setRestingPlaceholder(pickPlaceholder(sessionId ? FOLLOW_UP_PLACEHOLDERS : NEW_SESSION_PLACEHOLDERS))
+  }, [sessionId])
+
   // When the bar is disabled it's because the gateway isn't open. Distinguish a
   // cold start ("Starting Hermes...") from a dropped connection we're trying to
   // restore (e.g. after the Mac slept) so the stuck state reads as recoverable.
@@ -164,7 +224,7 @@ export function ChatBar({
     ? gatewayState === 'closed' || gatewayState === 'error'
       ? 'Reconnecting to Hermes…'
       : 'Starting Hermes...'
-    : 'Send follow-up'
+    : restingPlaceholder
 
   const focusInput = useCallback(() => {
     focusComposerInput(editorRef.current)
@@ -255,14 +315,13 @@ export function ChatBar({
     }
   }, [urlOpen])
 
-  // Track expansion via cheap heuristics (newline or length threshold) instead
-  // of reading editor.scrollHeight on every keystroke. scrollHeight forces a
-  // synchronous layout flush — measured at 2.27 layouts per character typed
-  // (see scripts/leak-typing.mjs). With ~30 chars before a typical wrap on
-  // composer-default-width, this heuristic flips at roughly the right time
-  // and the user only notices if they type far past the wrap boundary
-  // without a newline; in that case the ResizeObserver below catches it via
-  // a height delta and we still expand.
+  // Expansion (input on its own full-width row, controls below) is driven by
+  // the editor's *actual* rendered height via the ResizeObserver in
+  // syncComposerMetrics — it only fires when the text genuinely wraps to a
+  // second line, so the layout flips exactly at the wrap point rather than at
+  // a guessed character count. We only handle the two cases the observer
+  // can't: an explicit newline (expand before layout settles) and an emptied
+  // draft (collapse back). We never read scrollHeight per keystroke.
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!draft) {
       setExpanded(false)
@@ -274,7 +333,7 @@ export function ChatBar({
       return
     }
 
-    if (draft.includes('\n') || draft.length > 60) {
+    if (draft.includes('\n')) {
       setExpanded(true)
     }
   }, [draft, expanded])
@@ -310,6 +369,18 @@ export function ChatBar({
       }
     }
 
+    // Expand once the input has actually wrapped past a single line. The
+    // observer only fires on real size changes, so this reads scrollHeight at
+    // most once per wrap (not per keystroke). One line ≈ 28px (1.625rem
+    // min-height + padding); a second line clears ~36px. We only ever expand
+    // here — collapse is handled by the emptied-draft effect to avoid
+    // oscillating across the wrap boundary as the input switches widths.
+    const editor = editorRef.current
+
+    if (editor && editor.scrollHeight > COMPOSER_SINGLE_LINE_MAX_PX) {
+      setExpanded(true)
+    }
+
     if (height > 0) {
       const bucket = Math.round(height / 8) * 8
 
@@ -329,7 +400,7 @@ export function ChatBar({
     }
   }, [])
 
-  useResizeObserver(syncComposerMetrics, composerRef, composerSurfaceRef)
+  useResizeObserver(syncComposerMetrics, composerRef, composerSurfaceRef, editorRef)
 
   useEffect(() => {
     return () => {
@@ -407,13 +478,19 @@ export function ChatBar({
       return
     }
 
-    const pastedText = event.clipboardData.getData('text')
+    // Trim surrounding whitespace so a copy that dragged along leading/trailing
+    // blank lines (common when selecting from terminals, code blocks, web pages)
+    // doesn't dump multiline padding into the composer. Internal newlines are
+    // preserved — only the edges are cleaned up.
+    const pastedText = event.clipboardData.getData('text').trim()
 
     if (!pastedText) {
+      event.preventDefault()
+
       return
     }
 
-    if (DATA_IMAGE_URL_RE.test(pastedText.trim())) {
+    if (DATA_IMAGE_URL_RE.test(pastedText)) {
       event.preventDefault()
 
       return
@@ -476,6 +553,13 @@ export function ChatBar({
   }, [trigger])
 
   const handleEditorInput = (event: FormEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
+    // During IME composition the DOM contains uncommitted preedit text
+    // mixed with real content.  Skip state writes — compositionend will
+    // deliver the finalized text via a clean input event.
+    if (composingRef.current) {
+      return
+    }
+
     const editor = event.currentTarget
 
     if (editor.childNodes.length === 1 && editor.firstChild?.nodeName === 'BR') {
@@ -576,13 +660,17 @@ export function ChatBar({
 
   const handleEditorKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
     // IME composition: Enter confirms composed text, not a message submission.
-    // Without this guard, pressing Enter to finalise a Korean/Japanese/Chinese
-    // IME preedit fires submitDraft() and splits the message mid-word.
-    if (event.nativeEvent.isComposing) {
+    // We check both composingRef (set by compositionstart/compositionend, robust
+    // across browsers) and nativeEvent.isComposing (Chromium fallback).  Without
+    // this guard, pressing Enter to finalise a Korean/Japanese/Chinese IME
+    // preedit fires submitDraft() and splits the message mid-word.
+    if (composingRef.current || event.nativeEvent.isComposing) {
       return
     }
 
-    if ((event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey) && !event.altKey && !event.shiftKey && event.key.toLowerCase() === 'k') {
+    // Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+K drains the next queued message. Plain Cmd/Ctrl+K is
+    // reserved for the global command palette.
+    if ((event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey) && !event.altKey && event.shiftKey && event.key.toLowerCase() === 'k') {
       event.preventDefault()
 
       if (!busy) {
@@ -971,7 +1059,8 @@ export function ChatBar({
       const submitted = draft
       triggerHaptic('submit')
       clearDraft()
-      void onSubmit(submitted)
+      clearComposerAttachments()
+      void onSubmit(submitted, { attachments })
     }
 
     focusInput()
@@ -1100,7 +1189,7 @@ export function ChatBar({
         autoCapitalize="off"
         autoCorrect="off"
         className={cn(
-          'min-h-(--composer-input-min-height) max-h-(--composer-input-max-height) overflow-y-auto bg-transparent pb-1 pr-1 pt-1 leading-normal text-foreground outline-none disabled:cursor-not-allowed',
+          'min-h-(--composer-input-min-height) max-h-(--composer-input-max-height) overflow-y-auto whitespace-pre-wrap break-words [overflow-wrap:anywhere] bg-transparent pb-1 pr-1 pt-1 leading-normal text-foreground outline-none disabled:cursor-not-allowed',
           'empty:before:content-[attr(data-placeholder)] empty:before:text-muted-foreground/60',
           '**:data-ref-text:cursor-default',
           stacked && 'pl-3',
@@ -1110,6 +1199,12 @@ export function ChatBar({
         data-placeholder={placeholder}
         data-slot={RICH_INPUT_SLOT}
         onBlur={() => window.setTimeout(closeTrigger, 80)}
+        onCompositionEnd={() => {
+          composingRef.current = false
+        }}
+        onCompositionStart={() => {
+          composingRef.current = true
+        }}
         onDragOver={handleInputDragOver}
         onDrop={handleInputDrop}
         onFocus={() => markActiveComposer('main')}
@@ -1158,6 +1253,9 @@ export function ChatBar({
           onDrop={handleDrop}
           onSubmit={e => {
             e.preventDefault()
+            if (composingRef.current) {
+              return
+            }
             submitDraft()
           }}
           ref={composerRef}
@@ -1260,7 +1358,7 @@ export function ChatBar({
                     'grid w-full',
                     stacked
                       ? 'grid-cols-[auto_1fr] gap-(--composer-row-gap) [grid-template-areas:"input_input"_"menu_controls"]'
-                      : 'grid-cols-[auto_1fr_auto] items-end gap-(--composer-control-gap) [grid-template-areas:"menu_input_controls"]'
+                      : 'grid-cols-[auto_1fr_auto] items-center gap-(--composer-control-gap) [grid-template-areas:"menu_input_controls"]'
                   )}
                 >
                   <div className="flex items-center [grid-area:menu]">{contextMenu}</div>

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/index.tsx

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { useLocation } from 'react-router-dom'
 import { Thread } from '@/components/assistant-ui/thread'
 import { Backdrop } from '@/components/Backdrop'
 import { NotificationStack } from '@/components/notifications'
+import { PromptOverlays } from '@/components/prompt-overlays'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import { getGlobalModelOptions, type HermesGateway } from '@/hermes'
@@ -97,9 +98,12 @@ function ChatHeader({
 }: ChatHeaderProps) {
   const sessions = useStore($sessions)
   const pinnedSessionIds = useStore($pinnedSessionIds)
+
   const activeStoredSession =
     sessions.find(session => session.id === selectedSessionId || session._lineage_root_id === selectedSessionId) || null
+
   const title = activeStoredSession ? sessionTitle(activeStoredSession) : 'New session'
+
   // Pins live on the durable lineage-root id, but selectedSessionId is the live
   // (tip) id — resolve through the loaded row so the menu reflects the pin
   // state after auto-compression rotates the id.
@@ -109,6 +113,13 @@ function ChatHeader({
       ? pinnedSessionIds.includes(selectedSessionId)
       : false
 
+  // A brand-new session has no session to pin/delete/rename, so the header is
+  // just a dead "New session" label + chevron. Drop it (and its border)
+  // entirely until there's a real session to act on.
+  if (!selectedSessionId && !activeSessionId && !isRoutedSessionView) {
+    return null
+  }
+
   return (
     <header className={cn(titlebarHeaderBaseClass, isRoutedSessionView && titlebarHeaderShadowClass)}>
       <div className="min-w-0 flex-1">
@@ -122,7 +133,7 @@ function ChatHeader({
           title={title}
         >
           <Button
-            className="pointer-events-auto h-6 min-w-0 gap-1 rounded-md border border-transparent bg-transparent px-2 py-0 text-(--ui-text-secondary) hover:border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground data-[state=open]:border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) data-[state=open]:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) [-webkit-app-region:no-drag]"
+            className="pointer-events-auto h-6 min-w-0 gap-1 border border-transparent bg-transparent px-2 py-0 text-(--ui-text-secondary) hover:border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground data-[state=open]:border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) data-[state=open]:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) [-webkit-app-region:no-drag]"
             type="button"
             variant="ghost"
           >
@@ -315,6 +326,7 @@ export function ChatView({
       />
 
       <NotificationStack />
+      <PromptOverlays />
 
       <div
         className="relative min-h-0 max-w-full flex-1 overflow-hidden bg-(--ui-chat-surface-background) contain-[layout_paint]"

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/right-rail/preview-console.tsx

@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ function ConsoleRow({ copyText, log, onSend, onToggleSelect, selected }: Console
     >
       <button
         className={cn(
-          'mt-0.5 cursor-pointer text-left uppercase opacity-70 transition-colors hover:opacity-100',
+          'mt-0.5 text-left uppercase opacity-70 transition-colors hover:opacity-100',
           consoleLevelClass[log.level] ?? consoleLevelClass[0]
         )}
         onClick={onToggleSelect}

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/right-rail/preview-file.tsx

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import ShikiHighlighter from 'react-shiki'
 import { Streamdown } from 'streamdown'
 
 import { HERMES_PATHS_MIME } from '@/app/chat/hooks/use-composer-actions'
+import { PageLoader } from '@/components/page-loader'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import type { PreviewTarget } from '@/store/preview'
 
@@ -481,7 +482,7 @@ export function LocalFilePreview({ reloadKey, target }: { reloadKey: number; tar
   }, [blockedByTarget, filePath, forcePreview, isImage, isText, reloadKey, target.language])
 
   if (state.loading) {
-    return <div className="grid h-full place-items-center text-xs text-muted-foreground">Loading preview…</div>
+    return <PageLoader label="Loading preview" />
   }
 
   if (state.error) {

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/right-rail/preview-pane.tsx

@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ function PreviewLoadError({
       body={
         <>
           <a
-            className="pointer-events-auto block cursor-pointer font-mono text-muted-foreground/90 underline decoration-current/20 underline-offset-4 transition-colors hover:text-foreground"
+            className="pointer-events-auto block font-mono text-muted-foreground/90 underline decoration-current/20 underline-offset-4 transition-colors hover:text-foreground"
             href={error.url}
             onClick={event => {
               event.preventDefault()
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ export function PreviewPane({
           <div className="pointer-events-none flex min-h-(--titlebar-height) items-center gap-1.5 border-b border-border/60 bg-background px-2 py-1">
             <div className="min-w-0 flex-1">
               <a
-                className="pointer-events-auto inline max-w-full cursor-pointer truncate text-left text-xs font-medium text-foreground underline-offset-4 decoration-current/20 transition-colors hover:text-primary hover:underline"
+                className="pointer-events-auto inline max-w-full truncate text-left text-xs font-medium text-foreground underline-offset-4 decoration-current/20 transition-colors hover:text-primary hover:underline"
                 href={currentUrl}
                 rel="noreferrer"
                 target="_blank"

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/index.tsx

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import { DisclosureCaret } from '@/components/ui/disclosure-caret'
 import { KbdGroup } from '@/components/ui/kbd'
+import { SearchField } from '@/components/ui/search-field'
 import {
   Sidebar,
   SidebarContent,
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ import { Skeleton } from '@/components/ui/skeleton'
 import { searchSessions, type SessionInfo, type SessionSearchResult } from '@/hermes'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import {
+  $panesFlipped,
   $pinnedSessionIds,
   $sidebarAgentsGrouped,
   $sidebarOpen,
@@ -214,6 +216,7 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
   onNewSessionInWorkspace
 }: ChatSidebarProps) {
   const sidebarOpen = useStore($sidebarOpen)
+  const panesFlipped = useStore($panesFlipped)
   const agentsGrouped = useStore($sidebarAgentsGrouped)
   const pinnedSessionIds = useStore($pinnedSessionIds)
   const pinsOpen = useStore($sidebarPinsOpen)
@@ -227,8 +230,28 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
   const [workspaceOrderIds, setWorkspaceOrderIds] = useState<string[]>([])
   const [searchQuery, setSearchQuery] = useState('')
   const [serverMatches, setServerMatches] = useState<SessionSearchResult[]>([])
+  const [newSessionKbdFlash, setNewSessionKbdFlash] = useState(false)
   const trimmedQuery = searchQuery.trim()
 
+  // Flash the ⌘N hint full-opacity (no transition) for the press, so hitting
+  // the shortcut visibly pings its affordance in the sidebar.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let timeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined
+
+    const onShortcut = () => {
+      setNewSessionKbdFlash(true)
+      clearTimeout(timeout)
+      timeout = setTimeout(() => setNewSessionKbdFlash(false), 140)
+    }
+
+    window.addEventListener('hermes:new-session-shortcut', onShortcut)
+
+    return () => {
+      window.removeEventListener('hermes:new-session-shortcut', onShortcut)
+      clearTimeout(timeout)
+    }
+  }, [])
+
   const activeSidebarSessionId = currentView === 'chat' ? selectedSessionId : null
 
   const dndSensors = useSensors(
@@ -406,7 +429,8 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
   return (
     <Sidebar
       className={cn(
-        'relative h-full min-w-0 overflow-hidden border-r border-t-0 border-b-0 border-l-0 text-foreground transition-none',
+        'relative h-full min-w-0 overflow-hidden border-t-0 border-b-0 text-foreground transition-none',
+        panesFlipped ? 'border-l border-r-0' : 'border-r border-l-0',
         sidebarOpen
           ? 'border-(--sidebar-edge-border) bg-(--ui-sidebar-surface-background) opacity-100'
           : 'pointer-events-none border-transparent bg-transparent opacity-0'
@@ -430,7 +454,7 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
                     <SidebarMenuButton
                       aria-disabled={!isInteractive}
                       className={cn(
-                        'flex h-7 w-full cursor-pointer justify-start gap-2 rounded-md border border-transparent px-2 text-left text-[0.8125rem] font-medium text-(--ui-text-secondary) transition-colors duration-100 ease-out hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground hover:transition-none',
+                        'flex h-7 w-full justify-start gap-2 rounded-md border border-transparent px-2 text-left text-[0.8125rem] font-medium text-(--ui-text-secondary) transition-colors duration-100 ease-out hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground hover:transition-none',
                         active &&
                           'border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-control-active-background) text-foreground shadow-none hover:border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary)!',
                         !isInteractive &&
@@ -445,7 +469,10 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
                         <>
                           <span className="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate max-[46.25rem]:hidden">{item.label}</span>
                           {item.id === 'new-session' && (
-                            <KbdGroup className="ml-auto max-[46.25rem]:hidden" keys={[...NEW_SESSION_KBD]} />
+                            <KbdGroup
+                              className={cn('ml-auto max-[46.25rem]:hidden', newSessionKbdFlash && 'opacity-100!')}
+                              keys={[...NEW_SESSION_KBD]}
+                            />
                           )}
                         </>
                       )}
@@ -458,28 +485,13 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
         </SidebarGroup>
 
         {sidebarOpen && showSessionSections && (
-          <div className="shrink-0 pb-1 pt-1">
-            <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md border border-transparent bg-transparent px-2 transition-colors focus-within:border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary)">
-              <Codicon className="shrink-0 text-(--ui-text-tertiary)" name="search" size="0.75rem" />
-              <input
-                aria-label="Search sessions"
-                className="h-6 min-w-0 flex-1 bg-transparent text-[0.8125rem] text-foreground placeholder:text-(--ui-text-tertiary) focus:outline-none"
-                onChange={event => setSearchQuery(event.target.value)}
-                placeholder="Search sessions…"
-                type="text"
-                value={searchQuery}
-              />
-              {searchQuery && (
-                <button
-                  aria-label="Clear search"
-                  className="grid size-4 shrink-0 cursor-pointer place-items-center rounded-sm text-(--ui-text-tertiary) hover:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) hover:text-foreground"
-                  onClick={() => setSearchQuery('')}
-                  type="button"
-                >
-                  <Codicon name="close" size="0.75rem" />
-                </button>
-              )}
-            </div>
+          <div className="shrink-0 px-2 pb-1 pt-1">
+            <SearchField
+              aria-label="Search sessions"
+              onChange={setSearchQuery}
+              placeholder="Search sessions…"
+              value={searchQuery}
+            />
           </div>
         )}
 
@@ -554,7 +566,7 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
                 <Button
                   aria-label={agentsGrouped ? 'Show sessions as a single list' : 'Group sessions by workspace'}
                   className={cn(
-                    'cursor-pointer text-(--ui-text-tertiary) opacity-70 hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground hover:opacity-100 focus-visible:opacity-100',
+                    'text-(--ui-text-tertiary) opacity-70 hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground hover:opacity-100 focus-visible:opacity-100',
                     agentsGrouped && 'bg-(--ui-control-active-background) text-foreground opacity-100'
                   )}
                   onClick={event => {
@@ -604,7 +616,7 @@ function SidebarSectionHeader({ label, open, onToggle, action, meta }: SidebarSe
   return (
     <div className="group/section flex shrink-0 items-center justify-between pb-1 pt-1.5">
       <button
-        className="group/section-label flex w-fit cursor-pointer items-center gap-1 bg-transparent text-left leading-none"
+        className="group/section-label flex w-fit items-center gap-1 bg-transparent text-left leading-none"
         onClick={onToggle}
         type="button"
       >
@@ -645,7 +657,7 @@ function SidebarPinnedEmptyState() {
       <span className="grid w-3.5 shrink-0 place-items-center text-(--ui-text-quaternary)">
         <Codicon name="pin" size="0.75rem" />
       </span>
-      <span>Shift-click a chat to pin · drag to reorder</span>
+      <span>Shift-click a chat to pin</span>
     </div>
   )
 }
@@ -848,7 +860,7 @@ function SidebarWorkspaceGroup({
     <div className={cn('grid gap-px', dragging && 'z-10 opacity-60', className)} ref={ref} style={style} {...rest}>
       <div className="group/workspace flex min-h-6 items-center gap-1 px-2 pt-1 text-[0.6875rem] font-medium text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">
         <button
-          className="flex min-w-0 cursor-pointer items-center gap-1 bg-transparent text-left hover:text-(--ui-text-secondary)"
+          className="flex min-w-0 items-center gap-1 bg-transparent text-left hover:text-(--ui-text-secondary)"
           onClick={() => setOpen(value => !value)}
           title={group.path ?? undefined}
           type="button"
@@ -863,7 +875,7 @@ function SidebarWorkspaceGroup({
         {onNewSession && (
           <button
             aria-label={`New session in ${group.label}`}
-            className="grid size-4 shrink-0 cursor-pointer place-items-center rounded-sm bg-transparent text-(--ui-text-quaternary) opacity-0 transition-opacity hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground group-hover/workspace:opacity-100"
+            className="grid size-4 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-sm bg-transparent text-(--ui-text-quaternary) opacity-0 transition-opacity hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground group-hover/workspace:opacity-100"
             onClick={() => onNewSession(group.path)}
             title={`New session in ${group.label}`}
             type="button"
@@ -895,7 +907,7 @@ function SidebarWorkspaceGroup({
           {hiddenCount > 0 && (
             <button
               aria-label={`Show ${nextCount} more in ${group.label}`}
-              className="ml-auto grid size-5 cursor-pointer place-items-center rounded-sm bg-transparent text-(--ui-text-tertiary) transition-colors hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground"
+              className="ml-auto grid size-5 place-items-center rounded-sm bg-transparent text-(--ui-text-tertiary) transition-colors hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground"
               onClick={() => setVisibleCount(count => count + WORKSPACE_PAGE)}
               title={`Show ${nextCount} more in ${group.label}`}
               type="button"
@@ -949,7 +961,7 @@ function SidebarLoadMoreRow({ loading, onClick, step }: SidebarLoadMoreRowProps)
 
   return (
     <button
-      className="flex min-h-5 cursor-pointer items-center gap-1 self-start bg-transparent pl-2 text-left text-[0.6875rem] text-(--ui-text-tertiary) transition-colors duration-100 ease-out hover:text-foreground hover:transition-none disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-60 disabled:hover:text-(--ui-text-tertiary)"
+      className="flex min-h-5 items-center gap-1 self-start bg-transparent pl-2 text-left text-[0.6875rem] text-(--ui-text-tertiary) transition-colors duration-100 ease-out hover:text-foreground hover:transition-none disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-60 disabled:hover:text-(--ui-text-tertiary)"
       disabled={loading}
       onClick={onClick}
       type="button"

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/session-row.tsx

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react'
 import type * as React from 'react'
 
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
@@ -6,6 +7,7 @@ import type { SessionInfo } from '@/hermes'
 import { sessionTitle } from '@/lib/chat-runtime'
 import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
+import { $attentionSessionIds } from '@/store/session'
 
 import { SessionActionsMenu, SessionContextMenu } from './session-actions-menu'
 
@@ -61,6 +63,10 @@ export function SidebarSessionRow({
   const title = sessionTitle(session)
   const age = formatAge(session.last_active || session.started_at)
   const handleLabel = `Reorder ${title}`
+  // Subscribe per-row (the leaf) instead of drilling a set through the list —
+  // the atom is tiny and rarely non-empty. True when a clarify prompt in this
+  // session is waiting on the user.
+  const needsInput = useStore($attentionSessionIds).includes(session.id)
 
   return (
     <SessionContextMenu
@@ -84,9 +90,9 @@ export function SidebarSessionRow({
         style={style}
         {...rest}
       >
-        {isWorking && <span aria-hidden="true" className="arc-border" />}
+        {isWorking && !needsInput && <span aria-hidden="true" className="arc-border" />}
         <button
-          className="z-0 flex min-w-0 cursor-pointer items-center gap-1.5 bg-transparent py-0.5 pl-2 pr-1 text-left group-hover:pr-12"
+          className="z-0 flex min-w-0 items-center gap-1.5 bg-transparent py-0.5 pl-2 pr-1 text-left group-hover:pr-12"
           onClick={event => {
             if (event.shiftKey) {
               event.preventDefault()
@@ -114,16 +120,25 @@ export function SidebarSessionRow({
             <span
               {...dragHandleProps}
               aria-label={handleLabel}
-              className="relative -my-0.5 grid w-4 shrink-0 cursor-grab touch-none place-items-center self-stretch overflow-hidden active:cursor-grabbing"
+              className={cn(
+                // Scope the dot↔grabber swap to a local group so the grabber
+                // only reveals when hovering/focusing the handle itself, not
+                // anywhere on the row.
+                'group/handle relative -my-0.5 grid w-4 shrink-0 cursor-grab touch-none place-items-center self-stretch overflow-hidden active:cursor-grabbing',
+                // The quest-glow box-shadow extends past the dot; let it bleed
+                // out instead of being clipped by this handle's overflow-hidden.
+                needsInput && 'overflow-visible'
+              )}
               onClick={event => event.stopPropagation()}
             >
               <SidebarRowDot
-                className="transition-opacity group-hover:opacity-0 group-focus-within:opacity-0"
+                className="transition-opacity group-hover/handle:opacity-0 group-focus-within/handle:opacity-0"
                 isWorking={isWorking}
+                needsInput={needsInput}
               />
               <Codicon
                 className={cn(
-                  'absolute text-(--ui-text-quaternary) opacity-0 transition-opacity group-hover:opacity-80 group-focus-within:opacity-80 hover:text-(--ui-text-secondary)',
+                  'absolute text-(--ui-text-quaternary) opacity-0 transition-opacity group-hover/handle:opacity-80 group-focus-within/handle:opacity-80 hover:text-(--ui-text-secondary)',
                   dragging && 'text-(--ui-text-secondary) opacity-100'
                 )}
                 name="grabber"
@@ -131,8 +146,8 @@ export function SidebarSessionRow({
               />
             </span>
           ) : (
-            <span className="grid w-3.5 shrink-0 place-items-center overflow-hidden">
-              <SidebarRowDot isWorking={isWorking} />
+            <span className={cn('grid w-3.5 shrink-0 place-items-center', needsInput ? 'overflow-visible' : 'overflow-hidden')}>
+              <SidebarRowDot isWorking={isWorking} needsInput={needsInput} />
             </span>
           )}
           <span className="truncate text-[0.8125rem] font-normal text-(--ui-text-secondary) group-hover:text-foreground group-data-[working=true]:text-foreground/90">
@@ -155,7 +170,7 @@ export function SidebarSessionRow({
           >
             <Button
               aria-label={`Actions for ${title}`}
-              className="size-5 rounded-md bg-transparent text-transparent transition-colors duration-100 hover:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) hover:text-foreground focus-visible:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) focus-visible:text-foreground focus-visible:ring-0 data-[state=open]:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) data-[state=open]:text-foreground group-hover:text-(--ui-text-tertiary) [&_svg]:size-3.5!"
+              className="size-5 rounded-[4px] bg-transparent text-transparent transition-colors duration-100 hover:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) hover:text-foreground focus-visible:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) focus-visible:text-foreground focus-visible:ring-0 data-[state=open]:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) data-[state=open]:text-foreground group-hover:text-(--ui-text-tertiary) [&_svg]:size-3.5!"
               size="icon"
               title="Session actions"
               variant="ghost"
@@ -169,7 +184,30 @@ export function SidebarSessionRow({
   )
 }
 
-function SidebarRowDot({ isWorking, className }: { isWorking: boolean; className?: string }) {
+function SidebarRowDot({
+  isWorking,
+  needsInput = false,
+  className
+}: {
+  isWorking: boolean
+  needsInput?: boolean
+  className?: string
+}) {
+  // "Needs input" wins over "working": a clarify-blocked session is technically
+  // still running, but the actionable state is that it's waiting on the user.
+  // Amber + steady (no ping) reads as "your turn", distinct from the accent
+  // pulse of an active turn.
+  if (needsInput) {
+    return (
+      <span
+        aria-label="Needs your input"
+        className={cn('quest-glow relative size-1.5 rounded-full bg-amber-500', className)}
+        role="status"
+        title="Waiting for your answer"
+      />
+    )
+  }
+
   return (
     <span
       aria-label={isWorking ? 'Session running' : undefined}

apps/desktop/src/app/command-palette/index.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,460 @@
+import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react'
+import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query'
+import { Dialog as DialogPrimitive } from 'radix-ui'
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
+import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
+
+import {
+  Command,
+  CommandEmpty,
+  CommandGroup,
+  CommandInput,
+  CommandItem,
+  CommandList
+} from '@/components/ui/command'
+import { getHermesConfigRecord, listSessions } from '@/hermes'
+import { sessionTitle } from '@/lib/chat-runtime'
+import {
+  Activity,
+  Archive,
+  BarChart3,
+  Check,
+  ChevronLeft,
+  ChevronRight,
+  Clock,
+  Cpu,
+  Globe,
+  type IconComponent,
+  Info,
+  KeyRound,
+  MessageCircle,
+  Monitor,
+  Moon,
+  Package,
+  Palette,
+  Plus,
+  Settings,
+  Sun,
+  Users,
+  Wrench
+} from '@/lib/icons'
+import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
+import { $commandPaletteOpen, closeCommandPalette, setCommandPaletteOpen } from '@/store/command-palette'
+import { type ThemeMode, useTheme } from '@/themes/context'
+
+import {
+  AGENTS_ROUTE,
+  ARTIFACTS_ROUTE,
+  COMMAND_CENTER_ROUTE,
+  CRON_ROUTE,
+  MESSAGING_ROUTE,
+  NEW_CHAT_ROUTE,
+  PROFILES_ROUTE,
+  sessionRoute,
+  SETTINGS_ROUTE,
+  SKILLS_ROUTE
+} from '../routes'
+import { FIELD_LABELS, SECTIONS } from '../settings/constants'
+import { prettyName } from '../settings/helpers'
+
+interface PaletteItem {
+  active?: boolean
+  icon: IconComponent
+  id: string
+  /** Keep the palette open after running (live-preview pickers like theme/mode). */
+  keepOpen?: boolean
+  keywords?: string[]
+  label: string
+  /** Action to run when selected. Mutually exclusive with `to`. */
+  run?: () => void
+  /** Open a nested palette page (VS Code-style "choose X → options"). */
+  to?: string
+}
+
+interface PaletteGroup {
+  heading: string
+  items: PaletteItem[]
+}
+
+/** A nested page reachable from a root item via `to`. */
+interface PalettePage {
+  groups: PaletteGroup[]
+  placeholder: string
+  title: string
+}
+
+interface SessionEntry {
+  id: string
+  preview?: string
+  title: string
+}
+
+type SessionRow = Awaited<ReturnType<typeof listSessions>>['sessions'][number]
+
+const toSessionEntry = (session: SessionRow): SessionEntry => ({
+  id: session.id,
+  preview: session.preview ?? undefined,
+  title: sessionTitle(session)
+})
+
+const NON_CONFIG_SETTINGS: ReadonlyArray<{ icon: IconComponent; keywords?: string[]; label: string; tab: string }> = [
+  { icon: Globe, keywords: ['connection', 'messaging'], label: 'Gateway', tab: 'gateway' },
+  { icon: KeyRound, keywords: ['api', 'secrets', 'tokens', 'credentials'], label: 'API Keys', tab: 'keys' },
+  { icon: Wrench, keywords: ['servers', 'tools'], label: 'MCP', tab: 'mcp' },
+  { icon: Archive, keywords: ['history', 'archived'], label: 'Archived Chats', tab: 'sessions' },
+  { icon: Info, keywords: ['version', 'about'], label: 'About', tab: 'about' }
+]
+
+const THEME_MODES: ReadonlyArray<{ icon: IconComponent; label: string; mode: ThemeMode }> = [
+  { icon: Sun, label: 'Light', mode: 'light' },
+  { icon: Moon, label: 'Dark', mode: 'dark' },
+  { icon: Monitor, label: 'System', mode: 'system' }
+]
+
+function fieldLabel(key: string): string {
+  return FIELD_LABELS[key] ?? prettyName(key.split('.').pop() ?? key)
+}
+
+export function CommandPalette() {
+  const open = useStore($commandPaletteOpen)
+  const navigate = useNavigate()
+  const { availableThemes, mode, resolvedMode, setMode, setTheme, themeName } = useTheme()
+  const [search, setSearch] = useState('')
+  const [page, setPage] = useState<string | null>(null)
+
+  // Server-backed sources for the type-to-search groups, fetched lazily while
+  // the palette is open. react-query handles caching/dedup/staleness.
+  const configQuery = useQuery({ queryKey: ['command-palette', 'config'], queryFn: getHermesConfigRecord, enabled: open })
+
+  const sessionsQuery = useQuery({
+    queryKey: ['command-palette', 'sessions'],
+    queryFn: () => listSessions(200, 1, 'exclude'),
+    enabled: open
+  })
+
+  const archivedQuery = useQuery({
+    queryKey: ['command-palette', 'archived'],
+    queryFn: () => listSessions(200, 0, 'only'),
+    enabled: open
+  })
+
+  const mcpServers = useMemo(() => {
+    const raw = configQuery.data?.mcp_servers
+
+    return raw && typeof raw === 'object' && !Array.isArray(raw) ? Object.keys(raw as Record<string, unknown>).sort() : []
+  }, [configQuery.data])
+
+  const sessions = useMemo(() => (sessionsQuery.data?.sessions ?? []).map(toSessionEntry), [sessionsQuery.data])
+  const archivedSessions = useMemo(() => (archivedQuery.data?.sessions ?? []).map(toSessionEntry), [archivedQuery.data])
+
+  // Reset the query/sub-page on close so it reopens clean.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!open) {
+      setSearch('')
+      setPage(null)
+    }
+  }, [open])
+
+  const go = useCallback((path: string) => () => navigate(path), [navigate])
+
+  const baseGroups = useMemo<PaletteGroup[]>(() => {
+    const settingsTab = (tab: string) => `${SETTINGS_ROUTE}?tab=${tab}`
+
+    return [
+      {
+        heading: 'Go to',
+        items: [
+          { icon: Plus, id: 'nav-new', keywords: ['chat', 'create'], label: 'New session', run: go(NEW_CHAT_ROUTE) },
+          { icon: Settings, id: 'nav-settings', label: 'Settings', run: go(SETTINGS_ROUTE) },
+          {
+            icon: Wrench,
+            id: 'nav-skills',
+            keywords: ['tools', 'toolsets', 'providers'],
+            label: 'Skills & Tools',
+            run: go(SKILLS_ROUTE)
+          },
+          { icon: MessageCircle, id: 'nav-messaging', label: 'Messaging', run: go(MESSAGING_ROUTE) },
+          { icon: Package, id: 'nav-artifacts', label: 'Artifacts', run: go(ARTIFACTS_ROUTE) },
+          { icon: Clock, id: 'nav-cron', keywords: ['schedule', 'jobs'], label: 'Cron', run: go(CRON_ROUTE) },
+          { icon: Users, id: 'nav-profiles', label: 'Profiles', run: go(PROFILES_ROUTE) },
+          { icon: Cpu, id: 'nav-agents', label: 'Agents', run: go(AGENTS_ROUTE) }
+        ]
+      },
+      {
+        heading: 'Command Center',
+        items: [
+          {
+            icon: Archive,
+            id: 'cc-sessions',
+            keywords: ['command center', 'sessions', 'pin'],
+            label: 'Sessions',
+            run: go(`${COMMAND_CENTER_ROUTE}?section=sessions`)
+          },
+          {
+            icon: Activity,
+            id: 'cc-system',
+            keywords: ['command center', 'system', 'status', 'logs'],
+            label: 'System',
+            run: go(`${COMMAND_CENTER_ROUTE}?section=system`)
+          },
+          {
+            icon: BarChart3,
+            id: 'cc-usage',
+            keywords: ['command center', 'usage', 'tokens', 'cost'],
+            label: 'Usage',
+            run: go(`${COMMAND_CENTER_ROUTE}?section=usage`)
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      {
+        heading: 'Settings',
+        items: [
+          ...SECTIONS.map(section => ({
+            icon: section.icon,
+            id: `set-config-${section.id}`,
+            keywords: ['settings', section.label],
+            label: section.label,
+            run: go(settingsTab(`config:${section.id}`))
+          })),
+          ...NON_CONFIG_SETTINGS.map(entry => ({
+            icon: entry.icon,
+            id: `set-${entry.tab}`,
+            keywords: ['settings', ...(entry.keywords ?? [])],
+            label: entry.label,
+            run: go(settingsTab(entry.tab))
+          }))
+        ]
+      },
+      {
+        heading: 'Appearance',
+        items: [
+          {
+            icon: Palette,
+            id: 'appearance-theme',
+            keywords: ['theme', 'appearance', 'color', 'palette', 'skin', 'dark', 'light', 'look'],
+            label: 'Change theme…',
+            to: 'theme'
+          },
+          {
+            icon: Sun,
+            id: 'appearance-mode',
+            keywords: ['appearance', 'color mode', 'brightness', 'dark', 'light', 'system'],
+            label: 'Change color mode…',
+            to: 'color-mode'
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    ]
+  }, [go])
+
+  // The long, granular lists (settings fields, API keys, MCP servers, archived
+  // chats) only surface once the user types — otherwise they'd bury the
+  // navigation entries on an empty palette.
+  const searchGroups = useMemo<PaletteGroup[]>(() => {
+    if (!search.trim()) {
+      return []
+    }
+
+    const result: PaletteGroup[] = []
+
+    if (sessions.length > 0) {
+      result.push({
+        heading: 'Sessions',
+        items: sessions.map(session => ({
+          icon: MessageCircle,
+          id: `session-${session.id}`,
+          keywords: ['chat', 'session', ...(session.preview ? [session.preview] : [])],
+          label: session.title,
+          run: go(sessionRoute(session.id))
+        }))
+      })
+    }
+
+    const fieldItems = SECTIONS.flatMap(section =>
+      section.keys.map(key => ({
+        icon: section.icon,
+        id: `field-${key}`,
+        keywords: ['settings', key, section.label],
+        label: `${section.label}: ${fieldLabel(key)}`,
+        run: go(`${SETTINGS_ROUTE}?tab=config:${section.id}&field=${encodeURIComponent(key)}`)
+      }))
+    )
+
+    result.push({ heading: 'Settings fields', items: fieldItems })
+
+    if (mcpServers.length > 0) {
+      result.push({
+        heading: 'MCP servers',
+        items: mcpServers.map(name => ({
+          icon: Wrench,
+          id: `mcp-${name}`,
+          keywords: ['mcp', 'server', 'tool'],
+          label: name,
+          run: go(`${SETTINGS_ROUTE}?tab=mcp&server=${encodeURIComponent(name)}`)
+        }))
+      })
+    }
+
+    if (archivedSessions.length > 0) {
+      result.push({
+        heading: 'Archived chats',
+        items: archivedSessions.map(session => ({
+          icon: Archive,
+          id: `archived-${session.id}`,
+          keywords: ['archived', 'chat', 'session', ...(session.preview ? [session.preview] : [])],
+          label: session.title,
+          run: go(`${SETTINGS_ROUTE}?tab=sessions&session=${encodeURIComponent(session.id)}`)
+        }))
+      })
+    }
+
+    return result
+  }, [archivedSessions, go, mcpServers, search, sessions])
+
+  const groups = useMemo(() => [...baseGroups, ...searchGroups], [baseGroups, searchGroups])
+
+  // Nested palette pages (VS Code-style submenus). Reusable: add an entry here
+  // and point a root item at it via `to`.
+  const subPages = useMemo<Record<string, PalettePage>>(
+    () => ({
+      theme: {
+        title: 'Theme',
+        placeholder: 'Choose a theme…',
+        // Skins aren't inherently light/dark — the same skin renders in either
+        // mode. Group by appearance so picking an entry sets skin + mode at
+        // once, and keep the palette open so each pick previews live.
+        groups: (['light', 'dark'] as const).map(groupMode => ({
+          heading: groupMode === 'light' ? 'Light' : 'Dark',
+          items: availableThemes.map(theme => ({
+            active: themeName === theme.name && resolvedMode === groupMode,
+            icon: groupMode === 'light' ? Sun : Moon,
+            id: `theme-${theme.name}-${groupMode}`,
+            keepOpen: true,
+            keywords: ['theme', 'appearance', 'palette', groupMode, theme.label, theme.description ?? ''],
+            label: theme.label,
+            run: () => {
+              setTheme(theme.name)
+              setMode(groupMode)
+            }
+          }))
+        }))
+      },
+      'color-mode': {
+        title: 'Color mode',
+        placeholder: 'Choose color mode…',
+        groups: [
+          {
+            heading: 'Color mode',
+            items: THEME_MODES.map(entry => ({
+              active: mode === entry.mode,
+              icon: entry.icon,
+              id: `mode-${entry.mode}`,
+              keepOpen: true,
+              keywords: ['appearance', 'brightness', entry.label],
+              label: entry.label,
+              run: () => setMode(entry.mode)
+            }))
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    }),
+    [availableThemes, mode, resolvedMode, setMode, setTheme, themeName]
+  )
+
+  const activePage = page ? subPages[page] : null
+  const visibleGroups = activePage ? activePage.groups : groups
+  const placeholder = activePage ? activePage.placeholder : 'Search commands and settings...'
+
+  const handleSelect = (item: PaletteItem) => {
+    if (item.to) {
+      setPage(item.to)
+      setSearch('')
+
+      return
+    }
+
+    item.run?.()
+
+    if (!item.keepOpen) {
+      closeCommandPalette()
+    }
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <DialogPrimitive.Root onOpenChange={setCommandPaletteOpen} open={open}>
+      <DialogPrimitive.Portal>
+        <DialogPrimitive.Overlay className="fixed inset-0 z-[200] bg-black/15 backdrop-blur-[1px] data-[state=closed]:animate-out data-[state=closed]:fade-out-0 data-[state=open]:animate-in data-[state=open]:fade-in-0" />
+        <DialogPrimitive.Content
+          aria-describedby={undefined}
+          className="fixed left-1/2 top-[14vh] z-[210] w-[min(40rem,calc(100vw-2rem))] -translate-x-1/2 overflow-hidden rounded-xl border border-(--ui-stroke-secondary) bg-(--ui-chat-bubble-background) shadow-lg duration-150 data-[state=closed]:animate-out data-[state=closed]:fade-out-0 data-[state=closed]:zoom-out-95 data-[state=open]:animate-in data-[state=open]:fade-in-0 data-[state=open]:slide-in-from-top-2 data-[state=open]:zoom-in-95"
+        >
+          <DialogPrimitive.Title className="sr-only">Command palette</DialogPrimitive.Title>
+          <Command className="bg-transparent" loop>
+            {activePage && (
+              <button
+                className="flex w-full items-center gap-1.5 border-b border-border px-3 py-1.5 text-left text-xs text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:text-foreground"
+                onClick={() => setPage(null)}
+                type="button"
+              >
+                <ChevronLeft className="size-3.5" />
+                <span>Back</span>
+                <span className="text-muted-foreground/50">/</span>
+                <span className="font-medium text-foreground">{activePage.title}</span>
+              </button>
+            )}
+            <CommandInput
+              onKeyDown={event => {
+                if (!activePage) {
+                  return
+                }
+
+                // In a submenu: Esc and empty-input Backspace step back out
+                // instead of closing the whole palette.
+                if (event.key === 'Escape' || (event.key === 'Backspace' && search === '')) {
+                  event.preventDefault()
+                  event.stopPropagation()
+                  setPage(null)
+                }
+              }}
+              onValueChange={setSearch}
+              placeholder={placeholder}
+              value={search}
+            />
+            <CommandList className="max-h-[min(24rem,60vh)]">
+              <CommandEmpty>No results found.</CommandEmpty>
+              {visibleGroups.map(group => (
+                <CommandGroup
+                  className="**:[[cmdk-group-heading]]:uppercase **:[[cmdk-group-heading]]:tracking-wider **:[[cmdk-group-heading]]:text-[0.6875rem] **:[[cmdk-group-heading]]:text-muted-foreground/70"
+                  heading={group.heading}
+                  key={group.heading}
+                >
+                  {group.items.map(item => {
+                    const Icon = item.icon
+
+                    return (
+                      <CommandItem
+                        className="gap-2.5"
+                        key={item.id}
+                        keywords={item.keywords}
+                        onSelect={() => handleSelect(item)}
+                        value={`${item.label} ${item.keywords?.join(' ') ?? ''} ${item.id}`}
+                      >
+                        <Icon className="size-4 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground" />
+                        <span className="truncate">{item.label}</span>
+                        {item.to ? (
+                          <ChevronRight className="ml-auto size-4 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground/70" />
+                        ) : (
+                          <Check className={cn('ml-auto size-4 text-foreground', !item.active && 'invisible')} />
+                        )}
+                      </CommandItem>
+                    )
+                  })}
+                </CommandGroup>
+              ))}
+            </CommandList>
+          </Command>
+        </DialogPrimitive.Content>
+      </DialogPrimitive.Portal>
+    </DialogPrimitive.Root>
+  )
+}

apps/desktop/src/app/cron/index.tsx

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-import type * as React from 'react'
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
 
 import { PageLoader } from '@/components/page-loader'
+import { Badge, type BadgeProps } from '@/components/ui/badge'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import {
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   DialogTitle
 } from '@/components/ui/dialog'
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
+import { SearchField } from '@/components/ui/search-field'
 import { Select, SelectContent, SelectItem, SelectTrigger, SelectValue } from '@/components/ui/select'
 import { Textarea } from '@/components/ui/textarea'
 import {
@@ -25,12 +26,12 @@ import {
   triggerCronJob,
   updateCronJob
 } from '@/hermes'
-import { AlertTriangle, Clock, Pause, Pencil, Play, Trash2, Zap } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { AlertTriangle, Clock } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 
-import { PageSearchShell } from '../page-search-shell'
-import type { SetStatusbarItemGroup } from '../shell/statusbar-controls'
+import { useRefreshHotkey } from '../hooks/use-refresh-hotkey'
+import { OverlayView } from '../overlays/overlay-view'
 
 const DEFAULT_DELIVER = 'local'
 
@@ -86,23 +87,16 @@ const SCHEDULE_OPTIONS: ReadonlyArray<ScheduleOption> = [
   }
 ]
 
-const STATE_TONE: Record<string, 'good' | 'muted' | 'warn' | 'bad'> = {
-  enabled: 'good',
-  scheduled: 'good',
-  running: 'good',
+const STATE_VARIANT: Record<string, BadgeProps['variant']> = {
+  enabled: 'default',
+  scheduled: 'default',
+  running: 'default',
   paused: 'warn',
   disabled: 'muted',
-  error: 'bad',
+  error: 'destructive',
   completed: 'muted'
 }
 
-const PILL_TONE: Record<'good' | 'muted' | 'warn' | 'bad', string> = {
-  good: 'bg-primary/10 text-primary',
-  muted: 'bg-muted text-muted-foreground',
-  warn: 'bg-amber-500/10 text-amber-600 dark:text-amber-300',
-  bad: 'bg-destructive/10 text-destructive'
-}
-
 const asText = (value: unknown): string => (typeof value === 'string' ? value : '')
 
 const truncate = (value: string, max = 80): string => (value.length > max ? `${value.slice(0, max)}…` : value)
@@ -305,14 +299,13 @@ function matchesQuery(job: CronJob, q: string): boolean {
   )
 }
 
-interface CronViewProps extends React.ComponentProps<'section'> {
-  setStatusbarItemGroup?: SetStatusbarItemGroup
+interface CronViewProps {
+  onClose: () => void
 }
 
-export function CronView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, ...props }: CronViewProps) {
+export function CronView({ onClose }: CronViewProps) {
   const [jobs, setJobs] = useState<CronJob[] | null>(null)
   const [query, setQuery] = useState('')
-  const [refreshing, setRefreshing] = useState(false)
   const [busyJobId, setBusyJobId] = useState<null | string>(null)
 
   const [editor, setEditor] = useState<EditorState>({ mode: 'closed' })
@@ -320,18 +313,16 @@ export function CronView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, ...pro
   const [deleting, setDeleting] = useState(false)
 
   const refresh = useCallback(async () => {
-    setRefreshing(true)
-
     try {
       const result = await getCronJobs()
       setJobs(result)
     } catch (err) {
       notifyError(err, 'Failed to load cron jobs')
-    } finally {
-      setRefreshing(false)
     }
   }, [])
 
+  useRefreshHotkey(refresh)
+
   useEffect(() => {
     void refresh()
   }, [refresh])
@@ -426,29 +417,21 @@ export function CronView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, ...pro
   }
 
   return (
-    <PageSearchShell
-      {...props}
-      onSearchChange={setQuery}
-      searchPlaceholder="Search cron jobs..."
-      searchTrailingAction={
-        <Button
-          aria-label={refreshing ? 'Refreshing cron jobs' : 'Refresh cron jobs'}
-          className="text-(--ui-text-tertiary) hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover) hover:text-foreground"
-          disabled={refreshing}
-          onClick={() => void refresh()}
-          size="icon-xs"
-          title={refreshing ? 'Refreshing cron jobs' : 'Refresh cron jobs'}
-          type="button"
-          variant="ghost"
-        >
-          <Codicon name="refresh" size="0.875rem" spinning={refreshing} />
-        </Button>
-      }
-      searchValue={query}
-    >
-      {!jobs ? (
-        <PageLoader label="Loading cron jobs..." />
-      ) : visibleJobs.length === 0 ? (
+    <OverlayView closeLabel="Close cron" onClose={onClose}>
+      <div className="flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col pt-[calc(var(--titlebar-height)+0.5rem)]">
+        {totalCount > 0 && (
+          <div className="mx-auto flex w-full max-w-4xl items-center gap-2 px-4 pb-2">
+            <SearchField
+              containerClassName="max-w-[60vw]"
+              onChange={setQuery}
+              placeholder="Search cron jobs…"
+              value={query}
+            />
+          </div>
+        )}
+        {!jobs ? (
+          <PageLoader label="Loading cron jobs..." />
+        ) : visibleJobs.length === 0 ? (
         // Empty state owns the primary "create" CTA — we used to also have
         // one in the filters bar but it was redundant. Only show the button
         // when there are zero jobs total; the search-empty case ("No
@@ -463,36 +446,37 @@ export function CronView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, ...pro
           onAction={totalCount === 0 ? () => setEditor({ mode: 'create' }) : undefined}
           title={totalCount === 0 ? 'No scheduled jobs yet' : 'No matches'}
         />
-      ) : (
-        <div className="h-full overflow-y-auto px-4 py-3">
-          {/* Inline header replaces the old top-bar "New cron" button. We
-              still need a single, always-visible affordance to add a job
-              when the list is non-empty (rows themselves only expose
-              edit/pause/trigger/delete). */}
-          <div className="mb-2 flex items-center justify-between">
-            <span className="text-[0.7rem] uppercase tracking-wide text-muted-foreground">
-              {enabledCount}/{totalCount} active
-            </span>
-            <Button onClick={() => setEditor({ mode: 'create' })} size="sm">
-              <Codicon name="add" />
-              New cron
-            </Button>
+        ) : (
+          <div className="mx-auto w-full max-w-4xl min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-y-auto px-4 py-3">
+            {/* Inline header replaces the old top-bar "New cron" button. We
+                still need a single, always-visible affordance to add a job
+                when the list is non-empty (rows themselves only expose
+                edit/pause/trigger/delete). */}
+            <div className="mb-2 flex items-center justify-between">
+              <span className="text-[0.7rem] uppercase tracking-wide text-muted-foreground">
+                {enabledCount}/{totalCount} active
+              </span>
+              <Button onClick={() => setEditor({ mode: 'create' })} size="sm">
+                <Codicon name="add" />
+                New cron
+              </Button>
+            </div>
+            <div>
+              {visibleJobs.map(job => (
+                <CronJobRow
+                  busy={busyJobId === job.id}
+                  job={job}
+                  key={job.id}
+                  onDelete={() => setPendingDelete(job)}
+                  onEdit={() => setEditor({ mode: 'edit', job })}
+                  onPauseResume={() => void handlePauseResume(job)}
+                  onTrigger={() => void handleTrigger(job)}
+                />
+              ))}
+            </div>
           </div>
-          <div className="divide-y divide-border/40 rounded-lg border border-border/40 bg-background/70">
-            {visibleJobs.map(job => (
-              <CronJobRow
-                busy={busyJobId === job.id}
-                job={job}
-                key={job.id}
-                onDelete={() => setPendingDelete(job)}
-                onEdit={() => setEditor({ mode: 'edit', job })}
-                onPauseResume={() => void handlePauseResume(job)}
-                onTrigger={() => void handleTrigger(job)}
-              />
-            ))}
-          </div>
-        </div>
-      )}
+        )}
+      </div>
       <CronEditorDialog editor={editor} onClose={() => setEditor({ mode: 'closed' })} onSave={handleEditorSave} />
 
       <Dialog onOpenChange={open => !open && !deleting && setPendingDelete(null)} open={pendingDelete !== null}>
@@ -519,7 +503,7 @@ export function CronView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, ...pro
           </DialogFooter>
         </DialogContent>
       </Dialog>
-    </PageSearchShell>
+    </OverlayView>
   )
 }
 
@@ -547,14 +531,20 @@ function CronJobRow({
   return (
     <div className="grid gap-3 px-3 py-2.5 sm:grid-cols-[minmax(0,1fr)_auto] sm:items-start">
       <button
-        className="min-w-0 cursor-pointer rounded-md text-left transition-colors focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring/40"
+        className="min-w-0 rounded-md text-left transition-colors focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring/40"
         onClick={onEdit}
         type="button"
       >
         <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2">
           <span className="truncate text-sm font-medium">{jobTitle(job)}</span>
-          <StatePill tone={STATE_TONE[state] ?? 'muted'}>{state}</StatePill>
-          {deliver && deliver !== DEFAULT_DELIVER && <StatePill tone="muted">{deliver}</StatePill>}
+          <Badge className="capitalize" variant={STATE_VARIANT[state] ?? 'muted'}>
+            {state}
+          </Badge>
+          {deliver && deliver !== DEFAULT_DELIVER && (
+            <Badge className="capitalize" variant="muted">
+              {deliver}
+            </Badge>
+          )}
         </div>
         {hasName && prompt && <p className="mt-1 truncate text-xs text-muted-foreground">{truncate(prompt, 120)}</p>}
         <div className="mt-1 flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-4 gap-y-1 text-[0.68rem] text-muted-foreground">
@@ -580,13 +570,13 @@ function CronJobRow({
           onClick={onPauseResume}
           title={isPaused ? 'Resume' : 'Pause'}
         >
-          {isPaused ? <Play className="size-3.5" /> : <Pause className="size-3.5" />}
+          <Codicon name={isPaused ? 'play' : 'debug-pause'} size="0.875rem" />
         </IconAction>
         <IconAction aria-label="Trigger now" disabled={busy} onClick={onTrigger} title="Trigger now">
-          <Zap className="size-3.5" />
+          <Codicon name="zap" size="0.875rem" />
         </IconAction>
         <IconAction aria-label="Edit cron" onClick={onEdit} title="Edit">
-          <Pencil className="size-3.5" />
+          <Codicon name="edit" size="0.875rem" />
         </IconAction>
         <IconAction
           aria-label="Delete cron"
@@ -594,7 +584,7 @@ function CronJobRow({
           onClick={onDelete}
           title="Delete"
         >
-          <Trash2 className="size-3.5" />
+          <Codicon name="trash" size="0.875rem" />
         </IconAction>
       </div>
     </div>
@@ -604,8 +594,8 @@ function CronJobRow({
 function IconAction({ children, className, ...props }: Omit<React.ComponentProps<typeof Button>, 'size' | 'variant'>) {
   return (
     <Button
-      className={cn('size-7 text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground', className)}
-      size="icon"
+      className={cn('text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground', className)}
+      size="icon-sm"
       variant="ghost"
       {...props}
     >
@@ -614,16 +604,6 @@ function IconAction({ children, className, ...props }: Omit<React.ComponentProps
   )
 }
 
-function StatePill({ children, tone }: { children: string; tone: keyof typeof PILL_TONE }) {
-  return (
-    <span
-      className={cn('inline-flex items-center rounded-full px-1.5 py-0.5 text-[0.64rem] capitalize', PILL_TONE[tone])}
-    >
-      {children}
-    </span>
-  )
-}
-
 function EmptyState({
   actionLabel,
   description,
@@ -768,7 +748,7 @@ function CronEditorDialog({
           <div className="grid items-start gap-4 sm:grid-cols-2">
             <Field htmlFor="cron-frequency" label="Frequency">
               <Select onValueChange={handleSchedulePresetChange} value={schedulePreset}>
-                <SelectTrigger className="h-9 rounded-md" id="cron-frequency">
+                <SelectTrigger id="cron-frequency">
                   <SelectValue />
                 </SelectTrigger>
                 <SelectContent>
@@ -783,7 +763,7 @@ function CronEditorDialog({
 
             <Field htmlFor="cron-deliver" label="Deliver to">
               <Select onValueChange={setDeliver} value={deliver}>
-                <SelectTrigger className="h-9 rounded-md" id="cron-deliver">
+                <SelectTrigger id="cron-deliver">
                   <SelectValue />
                 </SelectTrigger>
                 <SelectContent>

apps/desktop/src/app/desktop-controller.tsx

@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ import { useSkinCommand } from '@/themes/use-skin-command'
 import { formatRefValue } from '../components/assistant-ui/directive-text'
 import { getSessionMessages, listSessions } from '../hermes'
 import { preserveLocalAssistantErrors, toChatMessages } from '../lib/chat-messages'
+import { toggleCommandPalette } from '../store/command-palette'
 import {
+  $panesFlipped,
   $pinnedSessionIds,
   $sessionsLimit,
   bumpSessionsLimit,
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@ import {
   PREVIEW_RAIL_PANE_WIDTH
 } from './chat/right-rail'
 import { ChatSidebar } from './chat/sidebar'
+import { CommandPalette } from './command-palette'
 import { useGatewayBoot } from './gateway/hooks/use-gateway-boot'
 import { useGatewayRequest } from './gateway/hooks/use-gateway-request'
 import { ModelPickerOverlay } from './model-picker-overlay'
@@ -112,6 +115,7 @@ export function DesktopController() {
   const previewTarget = useStore($previewTarget)
   const selectedStoredSessionId = useStore($selectedStoredSessionId)
   const terminalTakeover = useStore($terminalTakeover)
+  const panesFlipped = useStore($panesFlipped)
 
   const routedSessionId = routeSessionId(location.pathname)
   const routeToken = `${location.pathname}:${location.search}:${location.hash}`
@@ -125,9 +129,11 @@ export function DesktopController() {
     closeOverlayToPreviousRoute,
     commandCenterInitialSection,
     commandCenterOpen,
+    cronOpen,
     currentView,
     openAgents,
     openCommandCenterSection,
+    profilesOpen,
     settingsOpen,
     toggleCommandCenter
   } = useOverlayRouting()
@@ -195,6 +201,31 @@ export function DesktopController() {
     }
   }, [])
 
+  // Global chrome shortcuts (plain Cmd/Ctrl, no alt/shift): Cmd+K → command
+  // palette (the composer's "drain next queued" moved to Cmd+Shift+K), Cmd+. →
+  // command center (sessions / system / usage).
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const onKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
+      if (!(event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey) || event.altKey || event.shiftKey) {
+        return
+      }
+
+      const key = event.key.toLowerCase()
+
+      if (key === 'k') {
+        event.preventDefault()
+        toggleCommandPalette()
+      } else if (key === '.') {
+        event.preventDefault()
+        toggleCommandCenter()
+      }
+    }
+
+    window.addEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown)
+
+    return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown)
+  }, [toggleCommandCenter])
+
   const refreshSessions = useCallback(async () => {
     const requestId = refreshSessionsRequestRef.current + 1
     refreshSessionsRequestRef.current = requestId
@@ -414,6 +445,8 @@ export function DesktopController() {
 
       event.preventDefault()
       startFreshSessionDraft()
+      // Briefly light up the sidebar's ⌘N hint so the shortcut is discoverable.
+      window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('hermes:new-session-shortcut'))
     }
 
     window.addEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown)
@@ -564,6 +597,7 @@ export function DesktopController() {
       <UpdatesOverlay />
       <GatewayConnectingOverlay />
       <BootFailureOverlay />
+      <CommandPalette />
 
       {settingsOpen && (
         <Suspense fallback={null}>
@@ -592,7 +626,6 @@ export function DesktopController() {
             initialSection={commandCenterInitialSection}
             onClose={closeOverlayToPreviousRoute}
             onDeleteSession={removeSession}
-            onNavigateRoute={path => navigate(path)}
             onOpenSession={sessionId => navigate(sessionRoute(sessionId))}
           />
         </Suspense>
@@ -603,6 +636,18 @@ export function DesktopController() {
           <AgentsView onClose={closeOverlayToPreviousRoute} />
         </Suspense>
       )}
+
+      {cronOpen && (
+        <Suspense fallback={null}>
+          <CronView onClose={closeOverlayToPreviousRoute} />
+        </Suspense>
+      )}
+
+      {profilesOpen && (
+        <Suspense fallback={null}>
+          <ProfilesView onClose={closeOverlayToPreviousRoute} />
+        </Suspense>
+      )}
     </>
   )
 
@@ -641,12 +686,52 @@ export function DesktopController() {
     </div>
   )
 
+  // Flipped layout mirrors the default: sessions sidebar → right, file
+  // browser + preview rail → left. Same panes, swapped sides.
+  const sidebarSide = panesFlipped ? 'right' : 'left'
+  const railSide = panesFlipped ? 'left' : 'right'
+
+  const previewPane = (
+    <Pane
+      disabled={!chatOpen || (!previewTarget && !filePreviewTarget)}
+      id="preview"
+      key="preview"
+      maxWidth={PREVIEW_RAIL_MAX_WIDTH}
+      minWidth={PREVIEW_RAIL_MIN_WIDTH}
+      resizable
+      side={railSide}
+      width={PREVIEW_RAIL_PANE_WIDTH}
+    >
+      {chatOpen ? (
+        <ChatPreviewRail onRestartServer={restartPreviewServer} setTitlebarToolGroup={setTitlebarToolGroup} />
+      ) : null}
+    </Pane>
+  )
+
+  const fileBrowserPane = (
+    <Pane
+      defaultOpen={false}
+      disabled={!chatOpen}
+      id="file-browser"
+      key="file-browser"
+      maxWidth={FILE_BROWSER_MAX_WIDTH}
+      minWidth={FILE_BROWSER_MIN_WIDTH}
+      resizable
+      side={railSide}
+      width={FILE_BROWSER_DEFAULT_WIDTH}
+    >
+      <RightSidebarPane
+        onActivateFile={composer.attachContextFilePath}
+        onActivateFolder={composer.attachContextFolderPath}
+        onChangeCwd={changeSessionCwd}
+      />
+    </Pane>
+  )
+
   return (
     <AppShell
-      commandCenterOpen={commandCenterOpen}
       leftStatusbarItems={leftStatusbarItems}
       leftTitlebarTools={titlebarToolGroups.flat.left}
-      onOpenSearch={() => openCommandCenterSection('sessions')}
       onOpenSettings={openSettings}
       overlays={overlays}
       statusbarItems={statusbarItems}
@@ -658,7 +743,7 @@ export function DesktopController() {
         maxWidth={SIDEBAR_MAX_WIDTH}
         minWidth={SIDEBAR_DEFAULT_WIDTH}
         resizable
-        side="left"
+        side={sidebarSide}
         width={`${SIDEBAR_DEFAULT_WIDTH}px`}
       >
         {sidebar}
@@ -691,25 +776,8 @@ export function DesktopController() {
             }
             path="artifacts"
           />
-          <Route
-            element={
-              <Suspense fallback={null}>
-                <CronView setStatusbarItemGroup={setStatusbarItemGroup} />
-              </Suspense>
-            }
-            path="cron"
-          />
-          <Route
-            element={
-              <Suspense fallback={null}>
-                <ProfilesView
-                  setStatusbarItemGroup={setStatusbarItemGroup}
-                  setTitlebarToolGroup={setTitlebarToolGroup}
-                />
-              </Suspense>
-            }
-            path="profiles"
-          />
+          <Route element={null} path="cron" />
+          <Route element={null} path="profiles" />
           <Route element={null} path="settings" />
           <Route element={null} path="command-center" />
           <Route element={null} path="agents" />
@@ -718,35 +786,13 @@ export function DesktopController() {
           <Route element={<Navigate replace to={NEW_CHAT_ROUTE} />} path="*" />
         </Routes>
       </PaneMain>
-      <Pane
-        disabled={!chatOpen || (!previewTarget && !filePreviewTarget)}
-        id="preview"
-        maxWidth={PREVIEW_RAIL_MAX_WIDTH}
-        minWidth={PREVIEW_RAIL_MIN_WIDTH}
-        resizable
-        side="right"
-        width={PREVIEW_RAIL_PANE_WIDTH}
-      >
-        {chatOpen ? (
-          <ChatPreviewRail onRestartServer={restartPreviewServer} setTitlebarToolGroup={setTitlebarToolGroup} />
-        ) : null}
-      </Pane>
-      <Pane
-        defaultOpen={false}
-        disabled={!chatOpen}
-        id="file-browser"
-        maxWidth={FILE_BROWSER_MAX_WIDTH}
-        minWidth={FILE_BROWSER_MIN_WIDTH}
-        resizable
-        side="right"
-        width={FILE_BROWSER_DEFAULT_WIDTH}
-      >
-        <RightSidebarPane
-          onActivateFile={composer.attachContextFilePath}
-          onActivateFolder={composer.attachContextFolderPath}
-          onChangeCwd={changeSessionCwd}
-        />
-      </Pane>
+      {/*
+        Order within a side maps to column order. Default (rail on the right):
+        main | preview | file-browser. Flipped (rail on the left): mirror it to
+        file-browser | preview | main so preview stays adjacent to the chat.
+      */}
+      {panesFlipped ? fileBrowserPane : previewPane}
+      {panesFlipped ? previewPane : fileBrowserPane}
     </AppShell>
   )
 }

apps/desktop/src/app/hooks/use-refresh-hotkey.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
+
+/**
+ * Binds the bare `r` key to a refresh action while the calling view is mounted.
+ * Ignored when a modifier is held, the event repeats, or focus is in an
+ * editable field (so typing "r" in a search/input never triggers it).
+ */
+export function useRefreshHotkey(onRefresh: () => void, enabled = true) {
+  const ref = useRef(onRefresh)
+  ref.current = onRefresh
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!enabled) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    const onKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
+      if (event.key !== 'r' && event.key !== 'R') {
+        return
+      }
+
+      if (event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey || event.altKey || event.shiftKey || event.repeat) {
+        return
+      }
+
+      const target = event.target as HTMLElement | null
+
+      if (
+        target?.isContentEditable ||
+        target instanceof HTMLInputElement ||
+        target instanceof HTMLTextAreaElement ||
+        target instanceof HTMLSelectElement
+      ) {
+        return
+      }
+
+      event.preventDefault()
+      ref.current()
+    }
+
+    window.addEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown)
+
+    return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown)
+  }, [enabled])
+}

apps/desktop/src/app/layout-constants.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// Responsive horizontal gutter for primary content bodies (settings right side,
+// skills, artifacts, command center / sessions). Ratio-based so it scales with
+// the window, but clamped so it never collapses on narrow widths or runs away
+// on ultrawide displays. Headers/tabs intentionally keep their own tighter
+// padding.
+//
+// NOTE: these must stay literal strings — Tailwind's scanner only picks up
+// complete class names, so do not build them via template interpolation.
+export const PAGE_INSET_X = 'px-[clamp(1.25rem,4vw,4rem)]'
+
+// Matching negative inline-margin to bleed an element (e.g. a sticky header bar)
+// out to the gutter edges before re-applying PAGE_INSET_X.
+export const PAGE_INSET_NEG_X = '-mx-[clamp(1.25rem,4vw,4rem)]'

apps/desktop/src/app/messaging/index.tsx

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
 
 import { PageLoader } from '@/components/page-loader'
 import { StatusDot, type StatusTone } from '@/components/status-dot'
+import { Badge, type BadgeProps } from '@/components/ui/badge'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { DisclosureCaret } from '@/components/ui/disclosure-caret'
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import { AlertTriangle, ExternalLink, Save, Trash2 } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 
+import { useRefreshHotkey } from '../hooks/use-refresh-hotkey'
 import { useRouteEnumParam } from '../hooks/use-route-enum-param'
 import { PageSearchShell } from '../page-search-shell'
 import type { SetStatusbarItemGroup } from '../shell/statusbar-controls'
@@ -41,11 +43,11 @@ const STATE_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
   startup_failed: 'Startup failed'
 }
 
-const PILL_TONE: Record<StatusTone, string> = {
-  good: 'bg-primary/10 text-primary',
-  muted: 'bg-muted text-muted-foreground',
-  warn: 'bg-amber-500/10 text-amber-600 dark:text-amber-300',
-  bad: 'bg-destructive/10 text-destructive'
+const TONE_VARIANT: Record<StatusTone, BadgeProps['variant']> = {
+  good: 'default',
+  muted: 'muted',
+  warn: 'warn',
+  bad: 'destructive'
 }
 
 const HINT_BY_STATE: Record<string, string> = {
@@ -213,6 +215,8 @@ export function MessagingView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, .
     }
   }, [])
 
+  useRefreshHotkey(() => void refreshPlatforms())
+
   useEffect(() => {
     void refreshPlatforms()
   }, [refreshPlatforms])
@@ -343,15 +347,15 @@ export function MessagingView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, .
     <PageSearchShell
       {...props}
       onSearchChange={setQuery}
+      searchHidden={(platforms?.length ?? 0) === 0}
       searchPlaceholder="Search messaging..."
-      searchTrailingAction={null}
       searchValue={query}
     >
       {!platforms ? (
         <PageLoader label="Loading messaging platforms..." />
       ) : (
         <div className="grid h-full min-h-0 grid-cols-1 lg:grid-cols-[14rem_minmax(0,1fr)]">
-          <aside className="min-h-0 overflow-y-auto border-b border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) p-2 lg:border-b-0 lg:border-r">
+          <aside className="min-h-0 overflow-y-auto p-2">
             <ul className="space-y-1">
               {visiblePlatforms.map(platform => (
                 <li key={platform.id}>
@@ -406,8 +410,8 @@ function PlatformRow({
       className={cn(
         'flex w-full items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1.5 text-left transition-colors',
         active
-          ? 'bg-(--ui-bg-tertiary) text-foreground'
-          : 'text-(--ui-text-secondary) hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover) hover:text-foreground'
+          ? 'bg-(--ui-row-active-background) text-foreground'
+          : 'text-(--ui-text-secondary) hover:bg-(--ui-row-hover-background) hover:text-foreground'
       )}
       onClick={onSelect}
       type="button"
@@ -482,7 +486,7 @@ function PlatformDetail({
               {introCopy(platform)}
             </p>
             <div className="mt-3">
-              <Button asChild size="sm" variant="outline">
+              <Button asChild size="sm" variant="textStrong">
                 <a href={platform.docs_url} rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">
                   Open setup guide
                   <ExternalLink className="size-3.5" />
@@ -560,19 +564,15 @@ function PlatformDetail({
         </div>
       </div>
 
-      <footer className="border-t border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-chat-surface-background) px-5 py-2.5">
+      <footer className="bg-(--ui-chat-surface-background) px-5 py-2.5">
         <div className="mx-auto flex max-w-2xl flex-wrap items-center gap-2">
-          <label className="flex shrink-0 items-center gap-2 rounded-md border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-bg-quinary) px-2.5 py-1.5 text-[length:var(--conversation-text-font-size)]">
-            <Switch
-              aria-label={platform.enabled ? `Disable ${platform.name}` : `Enable ${platform.name}`}
-              checked={platform.enabled}
-              disabled={saving === `enabled:${platform.id}`}
-              onCheckedChange={onToggle}
-            />
-            <span className="text-xs font-medium text-muted-foreground">
-              {platform.enabled ? 'Enabled' : 'Disabled'}
-            </span>
-          </label>
+          <Switch
+            aria-label={platform.enabled ? `Disable ${platform.name}` : `Enable ${platform.name}`}
+            checked={platform.enabled}
+            disabled={saving === `enabled:${platform.id}`}
+            onCheckedChange={onToggle}
+            size="xs"
+          />
 
           <div className="ml-auto flex items-center gap-2">
             {hasEdits && <span className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">Unsaved changes</span>}
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ function MessagingField({
       </div>
       <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
         <Input
-          className="h-9 rounded-lg font-mono text-sm"
+          className="font-mono"
           id={`messaging-field-${field.key}`}
           onChange={event => onEdit(field.key, event.target.value)}
           placeholder={field.is_set ? field.redacted_value || 'Replace current value' : copy.placeholder}
@@ -698,27 +698,13 @@ function PlatformHint({ platform }: { platform: MessagingPlatformInfo }) {
 
 function StatePill({ children, tone }: { children: string; tone: StatusTone }) {
   return (
-    <span
-      className={cn(
-        'inline-flex shrink-0 items-center gap-1.5 rounded-full px-2 py-0.5 text-[0.66rem] font-medium',
-        PILL_TONE[tone]
-      )}
-    >
+    <Badge variant={TONE_VARIANT[tone]}>
       <StatusDot tone={tone} />
       {children}
-    </span>
+    </Badge>
   )
 }
 
 function SetupPill({ active, children }: { active: boolean; children: string }) {
-  return (
-    <span
-      className={cn(
-        'inline-flex items-center rounded-full px-2 py-0.5 text-[0.66rem] font-medium',
-        PILL_TONE[active ? 'good' : 'muted']
-      )}
-    >
-      {children}
-    </span>
-  )
+  return <Badge variant={active ? 'default' : 'muted'}>{children}</Badge>
 }

apps/desktop/src/app/overlays/overlay-search-input.tsx

@@ -1,77 +0,0 @@
-import type { ReactNode, RefObject } from 'react'
-
-import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
-import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
-import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
-import { Loader2, Search } from '@/lib/icons'
-import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
-
-interface OverlaySearchInputProps {
-  placeholder: string
-  value: string
-  onChange: (value: string) => void
-  containerClassName?: string
-  inputClassName?: string
-  loading?: boolean
-  onClear?: () => void
-  inputRef?: RefObject<HTMLInputElement | null>
-  trailingAction?: ReactNode
-}
-
-export function OverlaySearchInput({
-  placeholder,
-  value,
-  onChange,
-  containerClassName,
-  inputClassName,
-  loading = false,
-  onClear,
-  inputRef,
-  trailingAction
-}: OverlaySearchInputProps) {
-  const clear = onClear ?? (() => onChange(''))
-  const hasTrailing = Boolean(trailingAction)
-
-  return (
-    <div className={cn('relative', containerClassName)}>
-      <Search className="pointer-events-none absolute left-3 top-1/2 z-1 size-3.5 -translate-y-1/2 text-muted-foreground/80" />
-      <Input
-        className={cn(
-          'relative z-0 h-8 rounded-lg py-2 pl-8 text-[length:var(--conversation-text-font-size)]',
-          hasTrailing || loading || value ? 'pr-16' : 'pr-8',
-          inputClassName
-        )}
-        onChange={event => onChange(event.target.value)}
-        placeholder={placeholder}
-        ref={inputRef}
-        value={value}
-      />
-      <div className="absolute right-1.5 top-1/2 z-1 flex -translate-y-1/2 items-center gap-0.5">
-        {trailingAction}
-        {loading ? (
-          <Loader2 className="pointer-events-none size-3.5 animate-spin text-muted-foreground/70" />
-        ) : value ? (
-          <Button
-            aria-label="Clear search"
-            className="text-muted-foreground/85 hover:bg-accent/60 hover:text-foreground"
-            onClick={clear}
-            size="icon-xs"
-            variant="ghost"
-          >
-            <Codicon name="close" size="0.875rem" />
-          </Button>
-        ) : null}
-      </div>
-    </div>
-  )
-}
-
-export function PageSearchInput(props: OverlaySearchInputProps) {
-  return (
-    <OverlaySearchInput
-      {...props}
-      containerClassName={cn('mx-auto w-[min(36rem,calc(100%-2rem))] min-w-0', props.containerClassName)}
-      inputClassName={cn('h-8 rounded-lg py-2 pl-8', props.inputClassName)}
-    />
-  )
-}

apps/desktop/src/app/overlays/overlay-split-layout.tsx

@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import type { ReactNode } from 'react'
 import type { IconComponent } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
+import { PAGE_INSET_X } from '../layout-constants'
+
 interface OverlaySplitLayoutProps {
   children: ReactNode
   className?: string
@@ -43,7 +45,9 @@ export function OverlaySidebar({ children, className }: OverlaySidebarProps) {
   return (
     <aside
       className={cn(
-        'flex min-h-0 flex-col gap-0.5 overflow-y-auto bg-(--ui-sidebar-surface-background) px-2.5 py-3',
+        // pt clears the floating titlebar/header; the bg itself fills from the
+        // card's top edge so there's no surface-colored gap above the sidebar.
+        'flex min-h-0 flex-col gap-0.5 overflow-y-auto bg-(--ui-sidebar-surface-background) px-2.5 pb-3 pt-[calc(var(--titlebar-height)+1rem)]',
         className
       )}
     >
@@ -54,7 +58,15 @@ export function OverlaySidebar({ children, className }: OverlaySidebarProps) {
 
 export function OverlayMain({ children, className }: OverlayMainProps) {
   return (
-    <main className={cn('flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col overflow-hidden bg-transparent p-3', className)}>{children}</main>
+    <main
+      className={cn(
+        'flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col overflow-hidden bg-transparent pb-3 pt-[calc(var(--titlebar-height)+1rem)]',
+        PAGE_INSET_X,
+        className
+      )}
+    >
+      {children}
+    </main>
   )
 }
 

apps/desktop/src/app/overlays/overlay-view.tsx

@@ -64,23 +64,26 @@ export function OverlayView({
       >
         <div className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 top-0 z-10 h-[calc(var(--titlebar-height)+0.1875rem)] [-webkit-app-region:drag]">
           {headerContent && (
-            <div className="pointer-events-auto absolute left-1/2 top-[calc(1rem+var(--titlebar-height)/2)] -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 [-webkit-app-region:no-drag]">
+            <div className="pointer-events-auto absolute left-1/2 top-[calc(0.5rem+var(--titlebar-height)/2)] -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 [-webkit-app-region:no-drag]">
               {headerContent}
             </div>
           )}
 
           <Button
             aria-label={closeLabel}
-            className="pointer-events-auto absolute right-3 top-[calc(0.1875rem+var(--titlebar-height)/2)] h-7 w-7 -translate-y-1/2 rounded-md text-(--ui-text-tertiary) hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover) hover:text-foreground [-webkit-app-region:no-drag]"
+            className="pointer-events-auto absolute right-3 top-[calc(0.1875rem+var(--titlebar-height)/2)] -translate-y-1/2 text-(--ui-text-tertiary) hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover) hover:text-foreground [-webkit-app-region:no-drag]"
             onClick={closeOverlay}
-            size="icon"
+            size="icon-titlebar"
             variant="ghost"
           >
             <Codicon name="close" size="1rem" />
           </Button>
         </div>
 
-        <div className={cn('min-h-0 flex flex-1 flex-col pt-(--titlebar-height)', contentClassName)}>{children}</div>
+        {/* No top padding here: the split-layout columns own their own
+            titlebar clearance so their backgrounds run flush to the card top
+            (otherwise the card surface shows as a gap above the sidebar). */}
+        <div className={cn('min-h-0 flex flex-1 flex-col', contentClassName)}>{children}</div>
       </div>
     </div>
   )

apps/desktop/src/app/page-search-shell.tsx

@@ -1,26 +1,30 @@
 import type { ReactNode } from 'react'
 
+import { SearchField } from '@/components/ui/search-field'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
-import { PageSearchInput } from './overlays/overlay-search-input'
-
 interface PageSearchShellProps extends React.ComponentProps<'section'> {
   children: ReactNode
+  /** Primary tabs shown on the top row, beside the search. */
+  tabs?: ReactNode
+  /** Secondary filters shown full-width on their own row below (expands). */
   filters?: ReactNode
   onSearchChange: (value: string) => void
   searchPlaceholder: string
-  searchTrailingAction?: ReactNode
   searchValue: string
+  /** Hide the search field when there's nothing to search (empty dataset). */
+  searchHidden?: boolean
 }
 
 export function PageSearchShell({
   children,
   className,
+  tabs,
   filters,
   onSearchChange,
   searchPlaceholder,
-  searchTrailingAction,
   searchValue,
+  searchHidden = false,
   ...props
 }: PageSearchShellProps) {
   return (
@@ -29,29 +33,42 @@ export function PageSearchShell({
       className={cn('flex h-full min-w-0 flex-col overflow-hidden bg-(--ui-chat-surface-background)', className)}
     >
       {/*
-        This header sits in the titlebar row, so it overlaps the OS window-drag
-        region painted by the shell. Without `-webkit-app-region: no-drag` on
-        the search row, mousedown on the input gets intercepted as a window-
-        drag start and the input never receives focus (visible as "I can't
-        click the search box" on the messaging/cron/etc pages).
+        Header lives in the page body, below the window chrome (the shell floats
+        traffic lights over the top titlebar-height strip, which the `pt` clears
+        and leaves draggable). Top row: primary tabs + search. Second row:
+        secondary filters, full-width so they expand. Interactive bits opt out
+        of the drag region.
       */}
-      <div className="relative z-10 grid gap-2 border-b border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) px-3 py-2.5 [-webkit-app-region:no-drag]">
-        {/* Reserve the top-right titlebar tools + native window-controls
-            footprint so the full-width search input never slides under them. */}
-        <div
-          style={{
-            paddingRight:
-              'max(0px, calc(var(--titlebar-tools-right, 0px) + var(--titlebar-tools-width, 0px) - 0.75rem))'
-          }}
-        >
-          <PageSearchInput
-            onChange={onSearchChange}
-            placeholder={searchPlaceholder}
-            trailingAction={searchTrailingAction}
-            value={searchValue}
-          />
-        </div>
-        {filters ? <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1.5">{filters}</div> : null}
+      {/*
+        IMPORTANT: do NOT put `-webkit-app-region: drag` on this header. It spans
+        full width over the band where the floating titlebar icon clusters live,
+        and an overlapping OS drag region eats their clicks at the compositor
+        level (pointer-events / no-drag carve-outs across separate stacking
+        contexts don't reliably fix it on macOS). The shell already supplies a
+        draggable titlebar strip that is `calc()`'d around the icon clusters
+        (see app-shell.tsx), so window dragging still works here.
+      */}
+      <div className="shrink-0">
+        {(tabs || !searchHidden) && (
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-3 px-3 pb-2 pt-[calc(var(--titlebar-height)+0.5rem)]">
+            {tabs ? (
+              <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-1 flex-wrap items-center gap-x-2 gap-y-1">{tabs}</div>
+            ) : null}
+            {!searchHidden && (
+              <div className={cn('flex shrink-0 items-center', !tabs && 'flex-1')}>
+                <SearchField
+                  containerClassName="max-w-[45vw]"
+                  onChange={onSearchChange}
+                  placeholder={searchPlaceholder}
+                  value={searchValue}
+                />
+              </div>
+            )}
+          </div>
+        )}
+        {filters ? (
+          <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-2 gap-y-1 px-3 pb-2">{filters}</div>
+        ) : null}
       </div>
       <div className="min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-hidden bg-(--ui-chat-surface-background)">{children}</div>
     </section>

apps/desktop/src/app/profiles/index.tsx

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-import type * as React from 'react'
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 
 import { PageLoader } from '@/components/page-loader'
+import { Badge } from '@/components/ui/badge'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import {
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ import { AlertTriangle, Pencil, Save, Terminal, Trash2, Users } from '@/lib/icon
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 
-import type { SetStatusbarItemGroup } from '../shell/statusbar-controls'
-import { titlebarHeaderBaseClass } from '../shell/titlebar'
-import type { SetTitlebarToolGroup } from '../shell/titlebar-controls'
+import { useRefreshHotkey } from '../hooks/use-refresh-hotkey'
+import { OverlayMain, OverlaySidebar, OverlaySplitLayout } from '../overlays/overlay-split-layout'
+import { OverlayView } from '../overlays/overlay-view'
 
 const PROFILE_NAME_RE = /^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9_-]{0,63}$/
 
@@ -40,26 +40,18 @@ function isValidProfileName(name: string): boolean {
   return PROFILE_NAME_RE.test(name.trim())
 }
 
-interface ProfilesViewProps extends React.ComponentProps<'section'> {
-  setStatusbarItemGroup?: SetStatusbarItemGroup
-  setTitlebarToolGroup?: SetTitlebarToolGroup
+interface ProfilesViewProps {
+  onClose: () => void
 }
 
-export function ProfilesView({
-  setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup,
-  setTitlebarToolGroup,
-  ...props
-}: ProfilesViewProps) {
+export function ProfilesView({ onClose }: ProfilesViewProps) {
   const [profiles, setProfiles] = useState<null | ProfileInfo[]>(null)
-  const [refreshing, setRefreshing] = useState(false)
   const [selectedName, setSelectedName] = useState<null | string>(null)
   const [createOpen, setCreateOpen] = useState(false)
   const [pendingDelete, setPendingDelete] = useState<null | ProfileInfo>(null)
   const [deleting, setDeleting] = useState(false)
 
   const refresh = useCallback(async () => {
-    setRefreshing(true)
-
     try {
       const { profiles: list } = await getProfiles()
       setProfiles(list)
@@ -72,33 +64,15 @@ export function ProfilesView({
       })
     } catch (err) {
       notifyError(err, 'Failed to load profiles')
-    } finally {
-      setRefreshing(false)
     }
   }, [])
 
+  useRefreshHotkey(refresh)
+
   useEffect(() => {
     void refresh()
   }, [refresh])
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (!setTitlebarToolGroup) {
-      return
-    }
-
-    setTitlebarToolGroup('profiles', [
-      {
-        disabled: refreshing,
-        icon: <Codicon name="refresh" spinning={refreshing} />,
-        id: 'refresh-profiles',
-        label: refreshing ? 'Refreshing profiles' : 'Refresh profiles',
-        onSelect: () => void refresh()
-      }
-    ])
-
-    return () => setTitlebarToolGroup('profiles', [])
-  }, [refresh, refreshing, setTitlebarToolGroup])
-
   const selected = useMemo(() => {
     if (!profiles) {
       return null
@@ -164,62 +138,58 @@ export function ProfilesView({
   }, [pendingDelete, refresh])
 
   return (
-    <section {...props} className="flex h-full min-w-0 flex-col overflow-hidden rounded-b-[0.9375rem] bg-background">
-      <header className={titlebarHeaderBaseClass}>
-        <h2 className="pointer-events-auto text-base font-semibold leading-none tracking-tight">Profiles</h2>
-        <span className="pointer-events-auto text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-          {profiles ? `${profiles.length} ${profiles.length === 1 ? 'profile' : 'profiles'}` : ''}
-        </span>
-      </header>
+    <OverlayView closeLabel="Close profiles" onClose={onClose}>
+      {!profiles ? (
+        <PageLoader label="Loading profiles..." />
+      ) : (
+        <OverlaySplitLayout>
+          <OverlaySidebar>
+            <div className="mb-1 flex items-center justify-between gap-2 pl-1.5 pr-0.5">
+              <span className="text-[0.7rem] font-semibold uppercase tracking-wider text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">
+                Profiles
+              </span>
+              <Button
+                aria-label="New profile"
+                className="text-(--ui-text-tertiary) hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground"
+                onClick={() => setCreateOpen(true)}
+                size="icon-xs"
+                variant="ghost"
+              >
+                <Codicon name="add" size="0.875rem" />
+              </Button>
+            </div>
+            {profiles.map(profile => (
+              <ProfileRow
+                active={selected?.name === profile.name}
+                key={profile.name}
+                onSelect={() => setSelectedName(profile.name)}
+                profile={profile}
+              />
+            ))}
+            {profiles.length === 0 && (
+              <p className="px-1.5 py-3 text-xs text-muted-foreground">No profiles yet.</p>
+            )}
+          </OverlaySidebar>
 
-      <div className="min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-hidden rounded-b-[1.0625rem] border border-border/50 bg-background/85">
-        {!profiles ? (
-          <PageLoader label="Loading profiles..." />
-        ) : (
-          <div className="grid h-full min-h-0 grid-cols-1 lg:grid-cols-[16rem_minmax(0,1fr)]">
-            <aside className="flex min-h-0 flex-col overflow-hidden border-b border-border/50 lg:border-b-0 lg:border-r">
-              <div className="border-b border-border/40 p-2">
-                <Button className="w-full" onClick={() => setCreateOpen(true)} size="sm">
-                  <Codicon name="add" />
-                  New profile
-                </Button>
-              </div>
-              <ul className="min-h-0 flex-1 space-y-1 overflow-y-auto p-2">
-                {profiles.map(profile => (
-                  <li key={profile.name}>
-                    <ProfileRow
-                      active={selected?.name === profile.name}
-                      onSelect={() => setSelectedName(profile.name)}
-                      profile={profile}
-                    />
-                  </li>
-                ))}
-                {profiles.length === 0 && (
-                  <li className="px-2 py-4 text-center text-xs text-muted-foreground">No profiles yet.</li>
-                )}
-              </ul>
-            </aside>
-
-            <main className="min-h-0 overflow-hidden">
-              {selected ? (
-                <ProfileDetail
-                  key={selected.name}
-                  onDelete={() => setPendingDelete(selected)}
-                  onRename={newName => handleRename(selected.name, newName)}
-                  profile={selected}
-                />
-              ) : (
-                <div className="grid h-full place-items-center px-6 py-12 text-center text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-                  <div>
-                    <Users className="mx-auto size-6 text-muted-foreground/60" />
-                    <p className="mt-3">Select a profile to view its details.</p>
-                  </div>
+          <OverlayMain className="px-0">
+            {selected ? (
+              <ProfileDetail
+                key={selected.name}
+                onDelete={() => setPendingDelete(selected)}
+                onRename={newName => handleRename(selected.name, newName)}
+                profile={selected}
+              />
+            ) : (
+              <div className="grid h-full place-items-center px-6 py-12 text-center text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+                <div>
+                  <Users className="mx-auto size-6 text-muted-foreground/60" />
+                  <p className="mt-3">Select a profile to view its details.</p>
                 </div>
-              )}
-            </main>
-          </div>
-        )}
-      </div>
+              </div>
+            )}
+          </OverlayMain>
+        </OverlaySplitLayout>
+      )}
 
       <CreateProfileDialog
         onClose={() => setCreateOpen(false)}
@@ -250,7 +220,7 @@ export function ProfilesView({
           </DialogFooter>
         </DialogContent>
       </Dialog>
-    </section>
+    </OverlayView>
   )
 }
 
@@ -258,8 +228,10 @@ function ProfileRow({ active, onSelect, profile }: { active: boolean; onSelect:
   return (
     <button
       className={cn(
-        'flex w-full flex-col items-start gap-1 rounded-lg px-2.5 py-2 text-left transition-colors',
-        active ? 'bg-accent text-foreground' : 'text-foreground/85 hover:bg-accent/60'
+        'flex w-full flex-col items-start gap-0.5 rounded-md px-2 py-1.5 text-left transition-colors',
+        active
+          ? 'bg-(--ui-row-active-background) text-foreground'
+          : 'text-(--ui-text-secondary) hover:bg-(--ui-row-hover-background) hover:text-foreground'
       )}
       onClick={onSelect}
       type="button"
@@ -311,38 +283,30 @@ function ProfileDetail({
               <div className="min-w-0">
                 <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2">
                   <h3 className="text-xl font-semibold tracking-tight">{profile.name}</h3>
-                  {profile.is_default && (
-                    <span className="rounded-full bg-primary/10 px-2 py-0.5 text-[0.65rem] font-medium text-primary">
-                      Default
-                    </span>
-                  )}
-                  {profile.has_env && (
-                    <span className="rounded-full bg-muted px-2 py-0.5 text-[0.65rem] font-medium text-muted-foreground">
-                      .env
-                    </span>
-                  )}
+                  {profile.is_default && <Badge>Default</Badge>}
+                  {profile.has_env && <Badge variant="muted">.env</Badge>}
                 </div>
                 <p className="mt-1 font-mono text-[0.7rem] text-muted-foreground" title={profile.path}>
                   {profile.path}
                 </p>
               </div>
-              <div className="flex shrink-0 items-center gap-1">
+              <div className="flex shrink-0 items-center gap-3">
                 {!profile.is_default && (
-                  <Button onClick={() => setRenameOpen(true)} size="sm" variant="outline">
+                  <Button onClick={() => setRenameOpen(true)} size="sm" variant="text">
                     <Pencil />
                     Rename
                   </Button>
                 )}
-                <Button disabled={copying} onClick={() => void handleCopySetup()} size="sm" variant="outline">
+                <Button disabled={copying} onClick={() => void handleCopySetup()} size="sm" variant="text">
                   <Terminal />
                   {copying ? 'Copying...' : 'Copy setup'}
                 </Button>
                 {!profile.is_default && (
                   <Button
-                    className="text-muted-foreground hover:bg-destructive/10 hover:text-destructive"
+                    className="hover:text-destructive hover:no-underline"
                     onClick={onDelete}
                     size="sm"
-                    variant="ghost"
+                    variant="text"
                   >
                     <Trash2 />
                     Delete
@@ -351,7 +315,7 @@ function ProfileDetail({
               </div>
             </div>
 
-            <dl className="grid gap-2 rounded-lg border border-border/40 bg-background/70 px-3 py-3 text-xs sm:grid-cols-2">
+            <dl className="grid gap-2 text-xs sm:grid-cols-2">
               <DetailRow label="Model">
                 {profile.model ? (
                   <>
@@ -387,7 +351,7 @@ function DetailRow({ children, label }: { children: React.ReactNode; label: stri
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-wrap items-baseline gap-2">
       <dt className="text-[0.65rem] font-semibold uppercase tracking-[0.12em] text-muted-foreground">{label}</dt>
-      <dd className="text-sm text-foreground">{children}</dd>
+      <dd className="text-xs text-foreground">{children}</dd>
     </div>
   )
 }
@@ -458,9 +422,7 @@ function SoulEditor({ profileName }: { profileName: string }) {
       </div>
 
       {loading ? (
-        <div className="grid h-44 place-items-center rounded-md border border-border/40 bg-background/60 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-          Loading SOUL.md...
-        </div>
+        <PageLoader className="min-h-44" label="Loading SOUL.md" />
       ) : (
         <Textarea
           className="min-h-72 font-mono text-xs leading-5"

apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/files/tree.tsx

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useCallback, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { type NodeApi, type NodeRendererProps, Tree, type TreeApi } from 'react-arborist'
 
+import { PageLoader } from '@/components/page-loader'
 import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import { useResizeObserver } from '@/hooks/use-resize-observer'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
@@ -121,11 +122,7 @@ export function ProjectTree({
 }
 
 function TreeSizingState() {
-  return (
-    <div className="flex h-full min-h-24 items-center justify-center px-3 text-[0.68rem] text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">
-      Loading files...
-    </div>
-  )
+  return <PageLoader aria-label="Loading files" className="min-h-24 px-3" />
 }
 
 function ProjectTreeRow({

apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/index.tsx

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import { Loader } from '@/components/ui/loader'
 import { normalizeOrLocalPreviewTarget } from '@/lib/local-preview'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
+import { $panesFlipped } from '@/store/layout'
 import { notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 import { setCurrentSessionPreviewTarget } from '@/store/preview'
 import { $currentBranch, $currentCwd } from '@/store/session'
@@ -31,13 +32,14 @@ interface RightSidebarTab {
 }
 
 const RIGHT_SIDEBAR_TABS: readonly RightSidebarTab[] = [
-  { id: 'files', label: 'File system', icon: 'files' },
+  { id: 'files', label: 'File system', icon: 'list-tree' },
   { id: 'terminal', label: 'Terminal', icon: 'terminal' }
 ]
 
 export function RightSidebarPane({ onActivateFile, onActivateFolder, onChangeCwd }: RightSidebarPaneProps) {
   const activeTab = useStore($rightSidebarTab)
   const terminalTakeover = useStore($terminalTakeover)
+  const panesFlipped = useStore($panesFlipped)
   const currentBranch = useStore($currentBranch).trim()
   const currentCwd = useStore($currentCwd).trim()
   const hasCwd = currentCwd.length > 0
@@ -96,7 +98,12 @@ export function RightSidebarPane({ onActivateFile, onActivateFolder, onChangeCwd
   return (
     <aside
       aria-label="Right sidebar"
-      className="before:pointer-events-none relative flex h-full w-full min-w-0 flex-col overflow-hidden border-l border-(--ui-stroke-secondary) bg-(--ui-sidebar-surface-background) pt-(--titlebar-height) text-(--ui-text-tertiary) shadow-[inset_0.0625rem_0_0_color-mix(in_srgb,white_18%,transparent)]"
+      className={cn(
+        'before:pointer-events-none relative flex h-full w-full min-w-0 flex-col overflow-hidden border-(--ui-stroke-secondary) bg-(--ui-sidebar-surface-background) pt-(--titlebar-height) text-(--ui-text-tertiary)',
+        panesFlipped
+          ? 'border-r shadow-[inset_-0.0625rem_0_0_color-mix(in_srgb,white_18%,transparent)]'
+          : 'border-l shadow-[inset_0.0625rem_0_0_color-mix(in_srgb,white_18%,transparent)]'
+      )}
     >
       <RightSidebarChrome activeTab={effectiveTab} branch={currentBranch} tabs={tabs} />
 
@@ -141,23 +148,24 @@ function RightSidebarChrome({
       <div className="flex items-center gap-2 px-2.5 py-1">
         <nav aria-label="Right sidebar panels" className="flex min-w-0 items-center gap-1">
           {tabs.map(tab => (
-            <button
+            <Button
               aria-label={tab.label}
               aria-pressed={tab.id === activeTab}
               className={cn(
-                'grid size-6 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-lg text-(--ui-text-tertiary) transition-colors hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-sidebar-ring active:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) active:text-foreground',
-                'data-[active=true]:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) data-[active=true]:text-foreground'
+                'text-(--ui-text-tertiary) hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground',
+                tab.id === activeTab && 'bg-(--ui-control-active-background) text-foreground'
               )}
-              data-active={tab.id === activeTab}
               key={tab.id}
               onClick={() => setRightSidebarTab(tab.id)}
+              size="icon-xs"
               title={tab.label}
-              type="button"
+              variant="ghost"
             >
               <Codicon name={tab.icon} size="0.875rem" />
-            </button>
+            </Button>
           ))}
         </nav>
+
         {branch && (
           <span className="ml-auto flex min-w-0 items-center gap-1 text-[0.6875rem] text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">
             <Codicon className="shrink-0" name="git-branch" size="0.75rem" />
@@ -178,8 +186,11 @@ interface FilesystemTabProps extends FileTreeBodyProps {
   onRefresh: () => void
 }
 
+// Sidebar-specific color/hover treatment only — size, radius, cursor and the
+// base focus ring come from <Button size="icon-xs">. This constant exists
+// purely to share the sidebar palette + the hover-reveal behavior below.
 const HEADER_ACTION_CLASS =
-  'size-6 shrink-0 rounded-md text-sidebar-foreground/70 transition-colors hover:bg-sidebar-accent! hover:text-sidebar-accent-foreground! focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-sidebar-ring'
+  'text-sidebar-foreground/70 hover:bg-sidebar-accent! hover:text-sidebar-accent-foreground! focus-visible:ring-sidebar-ring'
 
 const HEADER_ACTION_REVEAL_CLASS = `${HEADER_ACTION_CLASS} pointer-events-none opacity-0 transition-opacity focus-visible:opacity-100 group-focus-within/project-header:pointer-events-auto group-focus-within/project-header:opacity-100 group-hover/project-header:pointer-events-auto group-hover/project-header:opacity-100`
 
@@ -213,11 +224,22 @@ function FilesystemTab({
         >
           <SidebarPanelLabel>{cwdName}</SidebarPanelLabel>
         </button>
+        <Button
+          aria-label="Refresh tree"
+          className={HEADER_ACTION_CLASS}
+          disabled={!hasCwd || loading}
+          onClick={onRefresh}
+          size="icon-xs"
+          title="Refresh tree"
+          variant="ghost"
+        >
+          <Codicon name="refresh" size="0.8125rem" spinning={loading} />
+        </Button>
         <Button
           aria-label="Open folder"
           className={HEADER_ACTION_CLASS}
           onClick={() => void onChangeFolder()}
-          size="icon"
+          size="icon-xs"
           title={hasCwd ? 'Open a different folder' : 'Open a folder'}
           variant="ghost"
         >
@@ -228,23 +250,12 @@ function FilesystemTab({
           className={HEADER_ACTION_REVEAL_CLASS}
           disabled={!hasCwd || !canCollapse}
           onClick={onCollapseAll}
-          size="icon"
+          size="icon-xs"
           title="Collapse all folders"
           variant="ghost"
         >
           <Codicon name="collapse-all" size="0.8125rem" />
         </Button>
-        <Button
-          aria-label="Refresh tree"
-          className={HEADER_ACTION_REVEAL_CLASS}
-          disabled={!hasCwd || loading}
-          onClick={onRefresh}
-          size="icon"
-          title="Refresh tree"
-          variant="ghost"
-        >
-          <Codicon name="refresh" size="0.8125rem" spinning={loading} />
-        </Button>
       </RightSidebarSectionHeader>
       <FileTreeBody
         collapseNonce={collapseNonce}
@@ -264,7 +275,7 @@ function FilesystemTab({
 }
 
 export function RightSidebarSectionHeader({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
-  return <div className="flex h-7 shrink-0 items-center px-2">{children}</div>
+  return <div className="flex h-7 shrink-0 items-center px-2.5">{children}</div>
 }
 
 interface FileTreeBodyProps {

apps/desktop/src/app/routes.ts

@@ -52,6 +52,21 @@ export const APP_ROUTES = [
 const APP_VIEW_BY_PATH = new Map<string, AppView>(APP_ROUTES.map(route => [route.path, route.view]))
 const RESERVED_PATHS: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set(APP_ROUTES.map(route => route.path))
 
+// Views that render as a full-screen modal card (OverlayView) over the shell.
+// While one is open the app's titlebar control clusters must hide so they don't
+// bleed over the overlay (they sit at a higher z-index than the overlay card).
+export const OVERLAY_VIEWS: ReadonlySet<AppView> = new Set([
+  'agents',
+  'command-center',
+  'cron',
+  'profiles',
+  'settings'
+])
+
+export function isOverlayView(view: AppView): boolean {
+  return OVERLAY_VIEWS.has(view)
+}
+
 export function isNewChatRoute(pathname: string): boolean {
   return pathname === NEW_CHAT_ROUTE
 }

apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream.ts

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { isProviderSetupErrorMessage } from '@/lib/provider-setup-errors'
 import { setClarifyRequest } from '@/store/clarify'
 import { notify } from '@/store/notifications'
 import { requestDesktopOnboarding } from '@/store/onboarding'
+import { clearAllPrompts, setApprovalRequest, setSecretRequest, setSudoRequest } from '@/store/prompts'
 import {
   setCurrentBranch,
   setCurrentCwd,
@@ -312,6 +313,7 @@ export function useMessageStream({
     // commit and the synthetic harness shows longtask counts drop from ~5/5s
     // to ~1/5s on big sessions (see scripts/profile-typing-lag.md).
     const sinceLast = performance.now() - lastFlushAtRef.current
+
     const runFlush = () => {
       flushHandleRef.current = null
       lastFlushAtRef.current = performance.now()
@@ -530,7 +532,8 @@ export function useMessageStream({
           streamId: null,
           pendingBranchGroup: null,
           awaitingResponse: false,
-          busy: false
+          busy: false,
+          needsInput: false
         }
       })
 
@@ -587,7 +590,8 @@ export function useMessageStream({
           pendingBranchGroup: null,
           sawAssistantPayload: true,
           awaitingResponse: false,
-          busy: false
+          busy: false,
+          needsInput: false
         }
       })
     },
@@ -751,6 +755,13 @@ export function useMessageStream({
           return
         }
 
+        // Turn ended — drop any blocking prompt that's still open (e.g. the
+        // agent was interrupted, or the approval already resolved). Prevents a
+        // stale overlay from outliving the turn that raised it.
+        if (isActiveEvent) {
+          clearAllPrompts()
+        }
+
         flushQueuedDeltas(sessionId)
 
         if (isActiveEvent) {
@@ -778,6 +789,11 @@ export function useMessageStream({
         if (sessionId) {
           flushQueuedDeltas(sessionId)
           upsertToolCall(sessionId, toTodoPayload(payload) ?? payload, 'complete', event.type)
+          // A pending clarify blocks the turn, so the first tool.complete after
+          // one is the clarify resolving — drop the "needs input" flag here so
+          // the sidebar indicator clears as soon as it's answered, not only at
+          // message.complete.
+          updateSessionState(sessionId, state => (state.needsInput ? { ...state, needsInput: false } : state))
         }
 
         if (typeof payload?.inline_diff === 'string' && payload.inline_diff.trim()) {
@@ -798,13 +814,16 @@ export function useMessageStream({
           )
         }
       } else if (event.type === 'clarify.request') {
-        if (!isActiveEvent) {
-          return
-        }
-
         // Surface the clarify tool's overlay. The Python side is blocked on
         // `clarify.respond`, so without this handler the agent would hang
         // forever (see tools/clarify_tool.py + tui_gateway/server.py:_block).
+        //
+        // Store the request for whichever session raised it — even a background
+        // one. clarify.request is a one-shot event; if we dropped it for an
+        // unfocused session, that session would block on `clarify.respond`
+        // indefinitely and re-focusing it could never recover (the event is
+        // gone). Parking it per-session lets the user answer once they switch
+        // over; the inline ClarifyTool reads the active session's entry.
         const requestId = typeof payload?.request_id === 'string' ? payload.request_id : ''
         const question = typeof payload?.question === 'string' ? payload.question : ''
 
@@ -815,11 +834,70 @@ export function useMessageStream({
             choices: Array.isArray(payload?.choices) ? payload!.choices!.filter(c => typeof c === 'string') : null,
             sessionId: sessionId ?? null
           })
+
+          // The transcript only renders the active session, so a background
+          // clarify is otherwise invisible (the row just keeps spinning like
+          // it's working). Flag the session so the sidebar shows a persistent
+          // "needs input" indicator on its row — works for the active session
+          // too, and survives alt-tab / window blur (unlike a toast).
+          if (sessionId) {
+            updateSessionState(sessionId, state => ({ ...state, needsInput: true }))
+          }
+        }
+      } else if (event.type === 'approval.request') {
+        if (!isActiveEvent) {
+          return
+        }
+
+        // Dangerous-command / execute_code approval. The Python side is
+        // blocked in _await_gateway_decision() until approval.respond lands;
+        // without this the agent stalls until its 5-min timeout and the tool
+        // is BLOCKED. Approval is session-keyed (no request_id) — the overlay
+        // sends back {choice, session_id}.
+        setApprovalRequest({
+          command: typeof payload?.command === 'string' ? payload.command : '',
+          description: typeof payload?.description === 'string' ? payload.description : 'dangerous command',
+          sessionId: sessionId ?? null
+        })
+      } else if (event.type === 'sudo.request') {
+        if (!isActiveEvent) {
+          return
+        }
+
+        // Sudo password capture (tools/terminal_tool.py). Blocked on
+        // sudo.respond {request_id, password}.
+        const requestId = typeof payload?.request_id === 'string' ? payload.request_id : ''
+
+        if (requestId) {
+          setSudoRequest({ requestId })
+        }
+      } else if (event.type === 'secret.request') {
+        if (!isActiveEvent) {
+          return
+        }
+
+        // Skill credential capture (tools/skills_tool.py). Blocked on
+        // secret.respond {request_id, value}.
+        const requestId = typeof payload?.request_id === 'string' ? payload.request_id : ''
+
+        if (requestId) {
+          setSecretRequest({
+            requestId,
+            envVar: typeof payload?.env_var === 'string' ? payload.env_var : '',
+            prompt: typeof payload?.prompt === 'string' ? payload.prompt : ''
+          })
         }
       } else if (event.type === 'error') {
         const errorMessage = payload?.message || 'Hermes reported an error'
         const looksLikeProviderSetup = isProviderSetupErrorMessage(errorMessage)
 
+        // A turn that errors out has also ended — drop any open blocking
+        // prompt so an approval/sudo/secret overlay can't linger past the
+        // failed turn (same intent as the message.complete clear).
+        if (isActiveEvent) {
+          clearAllPrompts()
+        }
+
         if (looksLikeProviderSetup) {
           requestDesktopOnboarding(errorMessage)
         } else if (isActiveEvent) {

apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-state-cache.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { type MutableRefObject, useCallback, useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
 import type { ChatMessage } from '@/lib/chat-messages'
 import { preserveLocalAssistantErrors } from '@/lib/chat-messages'
 import { createClientSessionState } from '@/lib/chat-runtime'
-import { $busy, $messages, noteSessionActivity, setSessionWorking } from '@/store/session'
+import { $busy, $messages, noteSessionActivity, setSessionAttention, setSessionWorking } from '@/store/session'
 
 import type { ClientSessionState } from '../../types'
 
@@ -152,7 +152,13 @@ export function useSessionStateCache({
         setSessionWorking(previous.storedSessionId, false)
       }
 
+      if (previous.storedSessionId !== next.storedSessionId || !next.needsInput) {
+        setSessionAttention(previous.storedSessionId, false)
+      }
+
       setSessionWorking(next.storedSessionId, next.busy)
+      setSessionAttention(next.storedSessionId, next.needsInput)
+
       // Every state update is effectively a "still alive" heartbeat for
       // streaming events. The session-store watchdog uses this to keep the
       // working flag alive during long-running turns and to clear it once
@@ -160,6 +166,7 @@ export function useSessionStateCache({
       if (next.busy) {
         noteSessionActivity(next.storedSessionId)
       }
+
       syncSessionStateToView(sessionId, next)
 
       return next

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/about-settings.tsx

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react'
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
 
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
-import { CheckCircle2, ExternalLink, Loader2, RefreshCw, Sparkles } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { Loader2, RefreshCw, Sparkles } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import {
   $desktopVersion,
@@ -111,29 +111,22 @@ export function AboutSettings() {
             statusTone === 'idle' && 'border-border/70 bg-muted/20 text-foreground'
           )}
         >
-          <div className="flex items-start gap-2">
-            {statusTone === 'available' ? (
-              <Sparkles className="mt-0.5 size-4 shrink-0 text-primary" />
-            ) : statusTone === 'error' ? null : (
-              <CheckCircle2 className="mt-0.5 size-4 shrink-0 text-emerald-600 dark:text-emerald-400" />
-            )}
-            <div className="min-w-0">
-              <p className="font-medium">{statusLine}</p>
-              <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                Last checked {relativeTime(status?.fetchedAt)}
-                {justChecked && !checking ? ' · just now' : ''}
-              </p>
-            </div>
+          <div className="min-w-0">
+            <p className="font-medium">{statusLine}</p>
+            <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+              Last checked {relativeTime(status?.fetchedAt)}
+              {justChecked && !checking ? ' · just now' : ''}
+            </p>
           </div>
 
-          <div className="mt-3 flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2">
+          <div className="mt-3 flex flex-wrap items-center gap-4">
             <Button
               disabled={checking || applying || !supported}
               onClick={() => void handleCheck()}
               size="sm"
-              variant="outline"
+              variant="textStrong"
             >
-              {checking ? <Loader2 className="size-3 animate-spin" /> : <RefreshCw className="size-3" />}
+              {checking && <Loader2 className="size-3 animate-spin" />}
               {checking ? 'Checking…' : 'Check now'}
             </Button>
 
@@ -143,12 +136,7 @@ export function AboutSettings() {
               </Button>
             )}
 
-            <Button
-              asChild
-              className="ml-auto text-xs text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground"
-              size="sm"
-              variant="ghost"
-            >
+            <Button asChild className="ml-auto" size="sm" variant="text">
               <a
                 href={RELEASE_NOTES_URL}
                 onClick={event => {
@@ -158,7 +146,6 @@ export function AboutSettings() {
                 rel="noreferrer"
                 target="_blank"
               >
-                <ExternalLink className="size-3" />
                 Release notes
               </a>
             </Button>

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/appearance-settings.tsx

@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
 import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react'
+import type { ReactNode } from 'react'
 
+import { SegmentedControl } from '@/components/ui/segmented-control'
 import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
-import { Check, Palette } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { Check } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { $toolViewMode, setToolViewMode } from '@/store/tool-view'
 import { useTheme } from '@/themes/context'
 import { BUILTIN_THEMES } from '@/themes/presets'
 
 import { MODE_OPTIONS } from './constants'
-import { prettyName } from './helpers'
-import { Pill, SectionHeading, SettingsContent } from './primitives'
+import { SettingsContent } from './primitives'
 
 function ThemePreview({ name }: { name: string }) {
   const t = BUILTIN_THEMES[name]
@@ -51,146 +52,80 @@ function ThemePreview({ name }: { name: string }) {
   )
 }
 
+function SectionHead({ title, description, control }: { title: string; description: string; control?: ReactNode }) {
+  return (
+    <div className="flex flex-col gap-2 sm:flex-row sm:items-center sm:justify-between sm:gap-4">
+      <div className="min-w-0">
+        <div className="text-[length:var(--conversation-text-font-size)] font-medium">{title}</div>
+        <div className="mt-1 text-[length:var(--conversation-caption-font-size)] leading-(--conversation-caption-line-height) text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">
+          {description}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+      {control && <div className="shrink-0">{control}</div>}
+    </div>
+  )
+}
+
 export function AppearanceSettings() {
   const { themeName, mode, availableThemes, setTheme, setMode } = useTheme()
   const toolViewMode = useStore($toolViewMode)
-  const activeTheme = availableThemes.find(t => t.name === themeName)
 
   return (
     <SettingsContent>
-      <div className="space-y-5">
-        <div>
-          <SectionHeading icon={Palette} title="Appearance" />
-          <p className="max-w-2xl text-[length:var(--conversation-caption-font-size)] leading-(--conversation-caption-line-height) text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">
-            These are desktop-only display preferences. Mode controls brightness; theme controls the accent palette and
-            chat surface styling.
-          </p>
-        </div>
+      <div className="grid gap-8">
+        <p className="max-w-2xl text-[length:var(--conversation-caption-font-size)] leading-(--conversation-caption-line-height) text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">
+          These are desktop-only display preferences. Mode controls brightness; theme controls the accent palette and
+          chat surface styling.
+        </p>
 
-        <section className="rounded-xl border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-chat-bubble-background) p-3 shadow-sm">
-          <div className="mb-3 flex items-center justify-between gap-3">
-            <div>
-              <div className="text-sm font-medium">Color Mode</div>
-              <div className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                Pick a fixed mode or let Hermes follow your system setting.
-              </div>
-            </div>
-            <Pill>{prettyName(mode)}</Pill>
-          </div>
-          <div className="grid gap-2 sm:grid-cols-3">
-            {MODE_OPTIONS.map(({ id, label, description, icon: Icon }) => {
-              const active = mode === id
-
-              return (
-                <button
-                  className={cn(
-                    'group rounded-lg border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-bg-quinary) p-2.5 text-left transition hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover)',
-                    active && 'border-(--ui-stroke-secondary) bg-(--ui-bg-tertiary)'
-                  )}
-                  key={id}
-                  onClick={() => {
-                    triggerHaptic('crisp')
-                    setMode(id)
-                  }}
-                  type="button"
-                >
-                  <div className="flex items-start justify-between gap-3">
-                    <span className="flex size-9 items-center justify-center rounded-lg bg-muted text-foreground transition group-hover:bg-background">
-                      <Icon className="size-4" />
-                    </span>
-                    {active && (
-                      <span className="grid size-5 place-items-center rounded-full bg-primary text-primary-foreground">
-                        <Check className="size-3.5" />
-                      </span>
-                    )}
-                  </div>
-                  <div className="mt-2 text-[length:var(--conversation-text-font-size)] font-medium">{label}</div>
-                  <div className="mt-1 text-[length:var(--conversation-caption-font-size)] leading-(--conversation-caption-line-height) text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">
-                    {description}
-                  </div>
-                </button>
-              )
-            })}
-          </div>
+        <section>
+          <SectionHead
+            control={
+              <SegmentedControl
+                onChange={id => {
+                  triggerHaptic('crisp')
+                  setMode(id)
+                }}
+                options={MODE_OPTIONS}
+                value={mode}
+              />
+            }
+            description="Pick a fixed mode or let Hermes follow your system setting."
+            title="Color Mode"
+          />
         </section>
 
-        <section className="rounded-xl border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-chat-bubble-background) p-3 shadow-sm">
-          <div className="mb-3 flex items-center justify-between gap-3">
-            <div>
-              <div className="text-sm font-medium">Tool Call Display</div>
-              <div className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                Product hides raw tool payloads; Technical shows full input/output.
-              </div>
-            </div>
-            <Pill>{toolViewMode === 'technical' ? 'Technical' : 'Product'}</Pill>
-          </div>
-          <div className="grid gap-2 sm:grid-cols-2">
-            {(
-              [
-                {
-                  id: 'product',
-                  label: 'Product',
-                  description: 'Human-friendly tool activity with concise summaries.'
-                },
-                {
-                  id: 'technical',
-                  label: 'Technical',
-                  description: 'Include raw tool args/results and low-level details.'
+        <section>
+          <SectionHead
+            control={
+              <SegmentedControl
+                onChange={id => {
+                  triggerHaptic('selection')
+                  setToolViewMode(id)
+                }}
+                options={
+                  [
+                    { id: 'product', label: 'Product' },
+                    { id: 'technical', label: 'Technical' }
+                  ] as const
                 }
-              ] as const
-            ).map(option => {
-              const active = toolViewMode === option.id
-
-              return (
-                <button
-                  className={cn(
-                    'group rounded-lg border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-bg-quinary) p-2.5 text-left transition hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover)',
-                    active && 'border-(--ui-stroke-secondary) bg-(--ui-bg-tertiary)'
-                  )}
-                  key={option.id}
-                  onClick={() => {
-                    triggerHaptic('selection')
-                    setToolViewMode(option.id)
-                  }}
-                  type="button"
-                >
-                  <div className="flex items-start justify-between gap-3">
-                    <div className="text-[length:var(--conversation-text-font-size)] font-medium">{option.label}</div>
-                    {active && (
-                      <span className="grid size-5 place-items-center rounded-full bg-primary text-primary-foreground">
-                        <Check className="size-3.5" />
-                      </span>
-                    )}
-                  </div>
-                  <div className="mt-1 text-[length:var(--conversation-caption-font-size)] leading-(--conversation-caption-line-height) text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">
-                    {option.description}
-                  </div>
-                </button>
-              )
-            })}
-          </div>
+                value={toolViewMode}
+              />
+            }
+            description="Product hides raw tool payloads; Technical shows full input/output."
+            title="Tool Call Display"
+          />
         </section>
 
-        <section className="rounded-xl border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-chat-bubble-background) p-3 shadow-sm">
-          <div className="mb-3 flex items-center justify-between gap-3">
-            <div>
-              <div className="text-sm font-medium">Theme</div>
-              <div className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                Desktop palettes only. The selected mode is applied on top.
-              </div>
-            </div>
-            {activeTheme && <Pill>{activeTheme.label}</Pill>}
-          </div>
-          <div className="grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2 xl:grid-cols-3">
+        <section className="grid gap-3">
+          <SectionHead description="Desktop palettes only. The selected mode is applied on top." title="Theme" />
+          <div className="grid gap-x-4 gap-y-5 sm:grid-cols-2 xl:grid-cols-3">
             {availableThemes.map(theme => {
               const active = themeName === theme.name
 
               return (
                 <button
-                  className={cn(
-                    'rounded-lg border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-bg-quinary) p-2 text-left transition hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover)',
-                    active && 'border-(--ui-stroke-secondary) bg-(--ui-bg-tertiary)'
-                  )}
+                  className="group text-left"
                   key={theme.name}
                   onClick={() => {
                     triggerHaptic('crisp')
@@ -198,8 +133,17 @@ export function AppearanceSettings() {
                   }}
                   type="button"
                 >
-                  <ThemePreview name={theme.name} />
-                  <div className="mt-3 flex items-start justify-between gap-3 px-1">
+                  <div
+                    className={cn(
+                      'rounded-xl transition',
+                      active
+                        ? 'ring-2 ring-primary ring-offset-2 ring-offset-background'
+                        : 'opacity-90 group-hover:opacity-100'
+                    )}
+                  >
+                    <ThemePreview name={theme.name} />
+                  </div>
+                  <div className="mt-2.5 flex items-start justify-between gap-2 px-0.5">
                     <div className="min-w-0">
                       <div className="truncate text-[length:var(--conversation-text-font-size)] font-medium">
                         {theme.label}
@@ -208,11 +152,7 @@ export function AppearanceSettings() {
                         {theme.description}
                       </div>
                     </div>
-                    {active && (
-                      <span className="mt-0.5 grid size-5 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-full bg-primary text-primary-foreground">
-                        <Check className="size-3.5" />
-                      </span>
-                    )}
+                    {active && <Check className="mt-0.5 size-4 shrink-0 text-primary" />}
                   </div>
                 </button>
               )

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/config-settings.tsx

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { ChangeEvent, ReactNode } from 'react'
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
+import { useSearchParams } from 'react-router-dom'
 
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
 import { Select, SelectContent, SelectItem, SelectTrigger, SelectValue } from '@/components/ui/select'
@@ -17,10 +18,9 @@ import { notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 import type { ConfigFieldSchema, HermesConfigRecord } from '@/types/hermes'
 
 import { CONTROL_TEXT, EMPTY_SELECT_VALUE, FIELD_DESCRIPTIONS, FIELD_LABELS, SECTIONS } from './constants'
-import { enumOptionsFor, getNested, includesQuery, prettyName, setNested } from './helpers'
+import { enumOptionsFor, getNested, prettyName, setNested } from './helpers'
 import { ModelSettings } from './model-settings'
 import { EmptyState, ListRow, LoadingState, SettingsContent } from './primitives'
-import type { SearchProps } from './types'
 
 function ConfigField({
   schemaKey,
@@ -53,8 +53,7 @@ function ConfigField({
 
   if (schema.type === 'boolean') {
     return row(
-      <div className="flex items-center justify-end gap-3">
-        <span className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{value ? 'On' : 'Off'}</span>
+      <div className="flex items-center justify-end">
         <Switch checked={Boolean(value)} onCheckedChange={onChange} />
       </div>
     )
@@ -89,7 +88,7 @@ function ConfigField({
   if (schema.type === 'number') {
     return row(
       <Input
-        className={cn('h-8', CONTROL_TEXT)}
+        className={CONTROL_TEXT}
         onChange={e => {
           const raw = e.target.value
           const n = raw === '' ? 0 : Number(raw)
@@ -108,7 +107,7 @@ function ConfigField({
   if (schema.type === 'list') {
     return row(
       <Input
-        className={cn('h-8', CONTROL_TEXT)}
+        className={CONTROL_TEXT}
         onChange={e =>
           onChange(
             e.target.value
@@ -154,7 +153,7 @@ function ConfigField({
       />
     ) : (
       <Input
-        className={cn('h-8', CONTROL_TEXT)}
+        className={CONTROL_TEXT}
         onChange={e => onChange(e.target.value)}
         placeholder="Not set"
         value={String(value ?? '')}
@@ -165,12 +164,11 @@ function ConfigField({
 }
 
 export function ConfigSettings({
-  query,
   activeSectionId,
   onConfigSaved,
   onMainModelChanged,
   importInputRef
-}: SearchProps & {
+}: {
   activeSectionId: string
   onConfigSaved?: () => void
   onMainModelChanged?: (provider: string, model: string) => void
@@ -265,37 +263,41 @@ export function ConfigSettings({
     )
   }, [schema])
 
-  const matched = useMemo(() => {
-    const q = query.trim().toLowerCase()
+  const fields = sectionFields.get(activeSectionId) ?? []
 
-    if (!schema || !q) {
-      return []
+  // Deep-link target from the command palette (?field=<key>): scroll the row
+  // into view and flash it, then drop the param so it doesn't re-fire.
+  const [searchParams, setSearchParams] = useSearchParams()
+  const targetField = searchParams.get('field')
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!targetField || !config || !schema) {
+      return
     }
 
-    const seen = new Set<string>()
+    const element = document.getElementById(`setting-field-${targetField}`)
 
-    return SECTIONS.flatMap(s =>
-      s.keys.flatMap(k => {
-        if (seen.has(k) || !schema[k]) {
-          return []
-        }
+    if (!element) {
+      return
+    }
 
-        seen.add(k)
-        const label = prettyName(k.split('.').pop() ?? k)
-        const item = schema[k]
+    element.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'center' })
+    element.classList.add('setting-field-highlight')
 
-        const hit =
-          k.toLowerCase().includes(q) ||
-          label.toLowerCase().includes(q) ||
-          includesQuery(item.category, q) ||
-          includesQuery(item.description, q)
+    const timeout = window.setTimeout(() => element.classList.remove('setting-field-highlight'), 1600)
 
-        return hit ? [[k, item] as [string, ConfigFieldSchema]] : []
-      })
+    setSearchParams(
+      previous => {
+        const next = new URLSearchParams(previous)
+        next.delete('field')
+
+        return next
+      },
+      { replace: true }
     )
-  }, [schema, query])
 
-  const fields = query.trim() ? matched : (sectionFields.get(activeSectionId) ?? [])
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(timeout)
+  }, [config, schema, setSearchParams, targetField])
 
   function handleImport(e: ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) {
     const file = e.target.files?.[0]
@@ -325,34 +327,30 @@ export function ConfigSettings({
 
   return (
     <SettingsContent>
-      {activeSectionId === 'model' && !query.trim() && (
+      {activeSectionId === 'model' && (
         <div className="mb-6">
           <ModelSettings onMainModelChanged={onMainModelChanged} />
         </div>
       )}
-      {query.trim() && (
-        <div className="mb-4 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-          {fields.length} result{fields.length === 1 ? '' : 's'}
-        </div>
-      )}
       {fields.length === 0 ? (
-        <EmptyState description="Try a different search term or choose another section." title="No matching settings" />
+        <EmptyState description="This section has no adjustable settings." title="Nothing to configure" />
       ) : (
-        <div className="divide-y divide-border/40">
+        <div className="grid gap-1">
           {fields.map(([key, field]) => (
-            <ConfigField
-              enumOptions={
-                key === 'tts.elevenlabs.voice_id'
-                  ? enumOptionsFor(key, getNested(config, key), config, elevenLabsVoiceOptions ?? undefined)
-                  : enumOptionsFor(key, getNested(config, key), config)
-              }
-              key={key}
-              onChange={value => updateConfig(setNested(config, key, value))}
-              optionLabels={key === 'tts.elevenlabs.voice_id' ? elevenLabsVoiceLabels : undefined}
-              schema={field}
-              schemaKey={key}
-              value={getNested(config, key)}
-            />
+            <div className="scroll-mt-6 rounded-lg" id={`setting-field-${key}`} key={key}>
+              <ConfigField
+                enumOptions={
+                  key === 'tts.elevenlabs.voice_id'
+                    ? enumOptionsFor(key, getNested(config, key), config, elevenLabsVoiceOptions ?? undefined)
+                    : enumOptionsFor(key, getNested(config, key), config)
+                }
+                onChange={value => updateConfig(setNested(config, key, value))}
+                optionLabels={key === 'tts.elevenlabs.voice_id' ? elevenLabsVoiceLabels : undefined}
+                schema={field}
+                schemaKey={key}
+                value={getNested(config, key)}
+              />
+            </div>
           ))}
         </div>
       )}

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/constants.ts

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ interface ProviderPrefix {
 }
 
 export const EMPTY_SELECT_VALUE = '__hermes_empty__'
-export const CONTROL_TEXT = 'text-[0.8125rem]'
+export const CONTROL_TEXT = 'text-xs'
 
 export const PROVIDER_GROUPS: ProviderPrefix[] = [
   { prefix: 'NOUS_', name: 'Nous Portal', priority: 0 },
@@ -289,21 +289,11 @@ export const SECTIONS: DesktopConfigSection[] = [
 export interface ModeOption {
   id: ThemeMode
   label: string
-  description: string
   icon: IconComponent
 }
 
 export const MODE_OPTIONS: ModeOption[] = [
-  { id: 'light', label: 'Light', description: 'Bright desktop surfaces', icon: Sun },
-  { id: 'dark', label: 'Dark', description: 'Low-glare workspace', icon: Moon },
-  { id: 'system', label: 'System', description: 'Follow OS appearance', icon: Monitor }
+  { id: 'light', label: 'Light', icon: Sun },
+  { id: 'dark', label: 'Dark', icon: Moon },
+  { id: 'system', label: 'System', icon: Monitor }
 ]
-
-export const SEARCH_PLACEHOLDER: Record<'about' | 'config' | 'gateway' | 'keys' | 'mcp' | 'sessions', string> = {
-  about: 'About Hermes Desktop',
-  config: 'Search settings...',
-  gateway: 'Gateway connection...',
-  keys: 'Search API keys...',
-  mcp: 'Search MCP servers...',
-  sessions: 'Search archived sessions...'
-}

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/gateway-settings.tsx

@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ export function GatewaySettings() {
         />
       </div>
 
-      <div className="mt-5 divide-y divide-border/40">
+      <div className="mt-5 grid gap-1">
         <ListRow
           action={
             <Input
@@ -272,28 +272,30 @@ export function GatewaySettings() {
 
       {lastTest ? <div className="mt-4 text-xs text-primary">{lastTest}</div> : null}
 
-      <div className="mt-6 flex flex-wrap justify-end gap-3">
+      <div className="mt-6 flex flex-wrap items-center justify-end gap-4">
         <Button
+          className="mr-auto"
           disabled={state.envOverride || testing || !canUseRemote}
           onClick={() => void testRemote()}
-          variant="outline"
+          size="sm"
+          variant="text"
         >
           {testing ? <Loader2 className="size-4 animate-spin" /> : null}
           Test remote
         </Button>
-        <Button disabled={state.envOverride || saving} onClick={() => void save(false)} variant="outline">
+        <Button disabled={state.envOverride || saving} onClick={() => void save(false)} size="sm" variant="textStrong">
           Save for next restart
         </Button>
-        <Button disabled={state.envOverride || saving} onClick={() => void save(true)}>
+        <Button disabled={state.envOverride || saving} onClick={() => void save(true)} size="sm">
           {saving ? <Loader2 className="size-4 animate-spin" /> : null}
           Save and reconnect
         </Button>
       </div>
 
-      <div className="mt-6 divide-y divide-border/40">
+      <div className="mt-6 grid gap-1">
         <ListRow
           action={
-            <Button onClick={() => void window.hermesDesktop?.revealLogs()} variant="outline">
+            <Button onClick={() => void window.hermesDesktop?.revealLogs()} size="sm" variant="textStrong">
               <FileText className="size-4" />
               Open logs
             </Button>

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/index.tsx

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { IconDownload, IconRefresh, IconUpload } from '@tabler/icons-react'
-import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
+import { useRef } from 'react'
 
 import { getHermesConfigDefaults, getHermesConfigRecord, saveHermesConfig } from '@/hermes'
 import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
@@ -8,19 +8,18 @@ import { notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 
 import { useRouteEnumParam } from '../hooks/use-route-enum-param'
 import { OverlayIconButton } from '../overlays/overlay-chrome'
-import { OverlaySearchInput } from '../overlays/overlay-search-input'
 import { OverlayMain, OverlayNavItem, OverlaySidebar, OverlaySplitLayout } from '../overlays/overlay-split-layout'
 import { OverlayView } from '../overlays/overlay-view'
 
 import { AboutSettings } from './about-settings'
 import { AppearanceSettings } from './appearance-settings'
 import { ConfigSettings } from './config-settings'
-import { SEARCH_PLACEHOLDER, SECTIONS } from './constants'
+import { SECTIONS } from './constants'
 import { GatewaySettings } from './gateway-settings'
 import { KeysSettings } from './keys-settings'
 import { McpSettings } from './mcp-settings'
 import { SessionsSettings } from './sessions-settings'
-import type { SettingsPageProps, SettingsQueryKey, SettingsView as SettingsViewId } from './types'
+import type { SettingsPageProps, SettingsView as SettingsViewId } from './types'
 
 const SETTINGS_VIEWS: readonly SettingsViewId[] = [
   ...SECTIONS.map(s => `config:${s.id}` as SettingsViewId),
@@ -34,22 +33,8 @@ const SETTINGS_VIEWS: readonly SettingsViewId[] = [
 export function SettingsView({ gateway, onClose, onConfigSaved, onMainModelChanged }: SettingsPageProps) {
   const [activeView, setActiveView] = useRouteEnumParam('tab', SETTINGS_VIEWS, 'config:model' as SettingsViewId)
 
-  const [queries, setQueries] = useState<Record<SettingsQueryKey, string>>({
-    about: '',
-    config: '',
-    gateway: '',
-    keys: '',
-    mcp: '',
-    sessions: ''
-  })
-
-  const searchInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null)
   const importInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement | null>(null)
 
-  const queryKey: SettingsQueryKey = activeView.startsWith('config:') ? 'config' : (activeView as SettingsQueryKey)
-  const query = queries[queryKey]
-  const setQuery = (next: string) => setQueries(c => ({ ...c, [queryKey]: next }))
-
   const exportConfig = async () => {
     try {
       const cfg = await getHermesConfigRecord()
@@ -80,35 +65,8 @@ export function SettingsView({ gateway, onClose, onConfigSaved, onMainModelChang
     }
   }
 
-  // OverlayView handles Esc; this just adds Cmd/Ctrl+P → focus search.
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const onKeyDown = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
-      if ((e.metaKey || e.ctrlKey) && e.key.toLowerCase() === 'p') {
-        e.preventDefault()
-        searchInputRef.current?.focus()
-        searchInputRef.current?.select()
-      }
-    }
-
-    window.addEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown)
-
-    return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown)
-  }, [])
-
   return (
-    <OverlayView
-      closeLabel="Close settings"
-      headerContent={
-        <OverlaySearchInput
-          containerClassName="w-[min(36rem,calc(100vw-32rem))] min-w-80"
-          inputRef={searchInputRef}
-          onChange={setQuery}
-          placeholder={SEARCH_PLACEHOLDER[queryKey]}
-          value={query}
-        />
-      }
-      onClose={onClose}
-    >
+    <OverlayView closeLabel="Close settings" onClose={onClose}>
       <OverlaySplitLayout>
         <OverlaySidebar>
           {SECTIONS.map(s => {
@@ -116,7 +74,7 @@ export function SettingsView({ gateway, onClose, onConfigSaved, onMainModelChang
 
             return (
               <OverlayNavItem
-                active={activeView === view && !queries.config.trim()}
+                active={activeView === view}
                 icon={s.icon}
                 key={s.id}
                 label={s.label}
@@ -182,7 +140,7 @@ export function SettingsView({ gateway, onClose, onConfigSaved, onMainModelChang
           </div>
         </OverlaySidebar>
 
-        <OverlayMain className="p-0">
+        <OverlayMain className="px-0 pb-0 pt-[calc(var(--titlebar-height)+1rem)]">
           {activeView === 'config:appearance' ? (
             <AppearanceSettings />
           ) : activeView === 'about' ? (
@@ -195,14 +153,13 @@ export function SettingsView({ gateway, onClose, onConfigSaved, onMainModelChang
               importInputRef={importInputRef}
               onConfigSaved={onConfigSaved}
               onMainModelChanged={onMainModelChanged}
-              query={queries.config}
             />
           ) : activeView === 'keys' ? (
-            <KeysSettings query={queries.keys} />
+            <KeysSettings />
           ) : activeView === 'mcp' ? (
-            <McpSettings gateway={gateway} onConfigSaved={onConfigSaved} query={queries.mcp} />
+            <McpSettings gateway={gateway} onConfigSaved={onConfigSaved} />
           ) : (
-            <SessionsSettings query={queries.sessions} />
+            <SessionsSettings />
           )}
         </OverlayMain>
       </OverlaySplitLayout>

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/keys-settings.tsx

@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
 
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
-import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
 import { deleteEnvVar, getEnvVars, revealEnvVar, setEnvVar } from '@/hermes'
 import { Check, Eye, EyeOff, Save, Settings2, Trash2, Zap } from '@/lib/icons'
@@ -10,17 +9,10 @@ import { notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 import type { EnvVarInfo } from '@/types/hermes'
 
 import { CONTROL_TEXT } from './constants'
-import {
-  asText,
-  includesQuery,
-  prettyName,
-  providerGroup,
-  providerPriority,
-  redactedValue,
-  withoutKey
-} from './helpers'
+import { asText, prettyName, providerGroup, providerPriority, redactedValue, withoutKey } from './helpers'
 import { LoadingState, Pill, SectionHeading, SettingsContent } from './primitives'
-import type { EnvPatch, EnvRowProps, ProviderGroup, SearchProps } from './types'
+import type { EnvPatch, EnvRowProps, ProviderGroup } from './types'
+import { useDeepLinkHighlight } from './use-deep-link-highlight'
 
 interface EnvActionsProps {
   varKey: string
@@ -62,7 +54,7 @@ function EnvActions({
           {isRevealed ? <EyeOff /> : <Eye />}
         </Button>
       )}
-      <Button onClick={onEdit} size="xs" variant="outline">
+      <Button onClick={onEdit} size="xs" variant="textStrong">
         {info.is_set ? 'Replace' : 'Set'}
       </Button>
       {info.is_set && (
@@ -167,8 +159,7 @@ function EnvVarRow({
             <Save />
             {saving === varKey ? 'Saving' : 'Save'}
           </Button>
-          <Button onClick={() => setEdits(c => withoutKey(c, varKey))} size="sm" variant="outline">
-            <Codicon name="close" />
+          <Button onClick={() => setEdits(c => withoutKey(c, varKey))} size="sm" variant="text">
             Cancel
           </Button>
         </div>
@@ -179,16 +170,24 @@ function EnvVarRow({
 
 function EnvProviderGroup({
   group,
-  rowProps
+  rowProps,
+  forceExpand = false
 }: {
   group: ProviderGroup
   rowProps: Omit<EnvRowProps, 'varKey' | 'info'>
+  forceExpand?: boolean
 }) {
   const setCount = group.entries.filter(([, info]) => info.is_set).length
   // Default-expand providers that already have at least one key set; the
   // user is much more likely to be coming back to edit those than to start
   // configuring a fresh provider from scratch.
-  const [expanded, setExpanded] = useState(setCount > 0)
+  const [expanded, setExpanded] = useState(setCount > 0 || forceExpand)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (forceExpand) {
+      setExpanded(true)
+    }
+  }, [forceExpand])
 
   return (
     <div className="overflow-hidden rounded-xl bg-background/60">
@@ -209,7 +208,9 @@ function EnvProviderGroup({
       {expanded && (
         <div className="grid gap-2 bg-muted/20 p-3">
           {group.entries.map(([key, info]) => (
-            <EnvVarRow compact={!info.is_set} info={info} key={key} varKey={key} {...rowProps} />
+            <div className="scroll-mt-6 rounded-md" id={`env-var-${key}`} key={key}>
+              <EnvVarRow compact={!info.is_set} info={info} varKey={key} {...rowProps} />
+            </div>
           ))}
         </div>
       )}
@@ -217,12 +218,20 @@ function EnvProviderGroup({
   )
 }
 
-export function KeysSettings({ query }: SearchProps) {
+export function KeysSettings() {
   const [vars, setVars] = useState<Record<string, EnvVarInfo> | null>(null)
   const [edits, setEdits] = useState<Record<string, string>>({})
   const [revealed, setRevealed] = useState<Record<string, string>>({})
   const [saving, setSaving] = useState<string | null>(null)
 
+  // Deep-link from the command palette (?key=<ENV_VAR>): force-expand the
+  // matching provider group, scroll the row in, and flash it.
+  const highlightKey = useDeepLinkHighlight({
+    elementId: key => `env-var-${key}`,
+    param: 'key',
+    ready: key => Boolean(vars?.[key])
+  })
+
   // We used to hide ~80% of rows behind a global "Show advanced" toggle, but
   // everything in this view is configuration-level — "advanced" was a poor
   // distinction. The full list is rendered now and provider groups
@@ -253,32 +262,12 @@ export function KeysSettings({ query }: SearchProps) {
     return () => void (cancelled = true)
   }, [])
 
-  const filterEnv = useCallback((info: EnvVarInfo, key: string, q: string, cat: string, extra?: string) => {
-    if (asText(info.category) !== cat) {
-      return false
-    }
-
-    if (!q) {
-      return true
-    }
-
-    return (
-      key.toLowerCase().includes(q) ||
-      includesQuery(info.description, q) ||
-      Boolean(extra && extra.toLowerCase().includes(q))
-    )
-  }, [])
-
   const providerGroups = useMemo<ProviderGroup[]>(() => {
     if (!vars) {
       return []
     }
 
-    const q = query.trim().toLowerCase()
-
-    const entries = Object.entries(vars).filter(([key, info]) =>
-      filterEnv(info, key, q, 'provider', providerGroup(key))
-    )
+    const entries = Object.entries(vars).filter(([, info]) => asText(info.category) === 'provider')
 
     const groups = new Map<string, [string, EnvVarInfo][]>()
 
@@ -293,15 +282,13 @@ export function KeysSettings({ query }: SearchProps) {
       entries: entries.sort(([a], [b]) => a.localeCompare(b)),
       hasAnySet: entries.some(([, info]) => info.is_set)
     })).sort((a, b) => a.priority - b.priority || a.name.localeCompare(b.name))
-  }, [filterEnv, query, vars])
+  }, [vars])
 
   const otherGroups = useMemo(() => {
     if (!vars) {
       return []
     }
 
-    const q = query.trim().toLowerCase()
-
     const labels: Record<string, string> = {
       tool: 'Tools',
       messaging: 'Messaging',
@@ -310,12 +297,12 @@ export function KeysSettings({ query }: SearchProps) {
 
     return ['tool', 'messaging', 'setting'].flatMap(cat => {
       const entries = Object.entries(vars)
-        .filter(([key, info]) => filterEnv(info, key, q, cat))
+        .filter(([, info]) => asText(info.category) === cat)
         .sort(([a], [b]) => a.localeCompare(b))
 
       return entries.length === 0 ? [] : [{ category: cat, label: labels[cat] ?? prettyName(cat), entries }]
     })
-  }, [filterEnv, query, vars])
+  }, [vars])
 
   function patchVar(key: string, patch: EnvPatch) {
     setVars(c => (c ? { ...c, [key]: { ...c[key], ...patch } } : c))
@@ -407,7 +394,12 @@ export function KeysSettings({ query }: SearchProps) {
         />
         <div className="grid gap-2">
           {providerGroups.map(group => (
-            <EnvProviderGroup group={group} key={group.name} rowProps={rowProps} />
+            <EnvProviderGroup
+              forceExpand={Boolean(highlightKey) && group.entries.some(([key]) => key === highlightKey)}
+              group={group}
+              key={group.name}
+              rowProps={rowProps}
+            />
           ))}
         </div>
       </div>
@@ -421,7 +413,9 @@ export function KeysSettings({ query }: SearchProps) {
           />
           <div className="grid gap-2">
             {group.entries.map(([key, info]) => (
-              <EnvVarRow info={info} key={key} varKey={key} {...rowProps} />
+              <div className="scroll-mt-6 rounded-md" id={`env-var-${key}`} key={key}>
+                <EnvVarRow info={info} varKey={key} {...rowProps} />
+              </div>
             ))}
           </div>
         </div>

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/mcp-settings.tsx

@@ -1,20 +1,20 @@
 import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react'
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
 
-import { OverlayActionButton, OverlayCard } from '@/app/overlays/overlay-chrome'
+import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
 import { Textarea } from '@/components/ui/textarea'
 import { getHermesConfigRecord, type HermesGateway, saveHermesConfig } from '@/hermes'
-import { Package, Wrench } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { Wrench } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 import { $activeSessionId } from '@/store/session'
 import type { HermesConfigRecord } from '@/types/hermes'
 
-import { includesQuery } from './helpers'
-import { EmptyState, LoadingState, Pill, SectionHeading, SettingsContent } from './primitives'
-import type { SearchProps } from './types'
+import { EmptyState, LoadingState, Pill, SettingsContent } from './primitives'
+import { useDeepLinkHighlight } from './use-deep-link-highlight'
 
-interface McpSettingsProps extends SearchProps {
+interface McpSettingsProps {
   gateway?: HermesGateway | null
   onConfigSaved?: () => void
 }
@@ -42,15 +42,7 @@ const transportLabel = (server: Record<string, unknown>) =>
         ? 'stdio'
         : 'custom'
 
-function serverMatches(name: string, server: Record<string, unknown>, query: string) {
-  if (!query) {
-    return true
-  }
-
-  return includesQuery(name, query) || includesQuery(JSON.stringify(server), query)
-}
-
-export function McpSettings({ gateway, onConfigSaved, query }: McpSettingsProps) {
+export function McpSettings({ gateway, onConfigSaved }: McpSettingsProps) {
   const activeSessionId = useStore($activeSessionId)
   const [config, setConfig] = useState<HermesConfigRecord | null>(null)
   const [selected, setSelected] = useState<string | null>(null)
@@ -80,10 +72,13 @@ export function McpSettings({ gateway, onConfigSaved, query }: McpSettingsProps)
   const servers = useMemo(() => getServers(config), [config])
   const names = useMemo(() => Object.keys(servers).sort(), [servers])
 
-  const filtered = useMemo(
-    () => names.filter(serverName => serverMatches(serverName, servers[serverName], query.trim().toLowerCase())),
-    [names, query, servers]
-  )
+  useDeepLinkHighlight({
+    block: 'nearest',
+    elementId: serverName => `mcp-server-${serverName}`,
+    onResolve: setSelected,
+    param: 'server',
+    ready: serverName => Boolean(config) && serverName in servers
+  })
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const server = selected ? servers[selected] : null
@@ -188,31 +183,32 @@ export function McpSettings({ gateway, onConfigSaved, query }: McpSettingsProps)
 
   return (
     <SettingsContent>
-      <div className="mb-4 flex items-center justify-between gap-3">
-        <SectionHeading icon={Package} meta={`${names.length} configured`} title="MCP servers" />
-        <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
-          <OverlayActionButton onClick={() => setSelected(null)}>New server</OverlayActionButton>
-          <OverlayActionButton disabled={reloading} onClick={() => void reloadMcp()}>
-            {reloading ? 'Reloading...' : 'Reload MCP'}
-          </OverlayActionButton>
-        </div>
+      <div className="mb-4 flex items-center justify-end gap-4">
+        <Button onClick={() => setSelected(null)} size="xs" variant="text">
+          New server
+        </Button>
+        <Button disabled={reloading} onClick={() => void reloadMcp()} size="xs" variant="text">
+          {reloading ? 'Reloading...' : 'Reload MCP'}
+        </Button>
       </div>
 
-      <div className="grid min-h-0 gap-4 lg:grid-cols-[17rem_minmax(0,1fr)]">
-        <OverlayCard className="min-h-64 overflow-hidden p-2">
-          {filtered.length === 0 ? (
+      <div className="grid min-h-0 gap-6 lg:grid-cols-[16rem_minmax(0,1fr)]">
+        <div className="min-h-64">
+          {names.length === 0 ? (
             <EmptyState description="Add a stdio or HTTP server to expose MCP tools." title="No MCP servers" />
           ) : (
-            <div className="grid gap-1">
-              {filtered.map(serverName => {
+            <div className="grid gap-0.5">
+              {names.map(serverName => {
                 const server = servers[serverName]
                 const active = selected === serverName
 
                 return (
                   <button
-                    className={`rounded-md px-2 py-2 text-left transition-colors hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover) ${
-                      active ? 'bg-accent/45 text-foreground' : 'text-muted-foreground'
-                    }`}
+                    className={cn(
+                      'scroll-mt-2 rounded-md px-2 py-2 text-left transition-colors hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover)',
+                      active ? 'bg-(--ui-bg-tertiary) text-foreground' : 'text-muted-foreground'
+                    )}
+                    id={`mcp-server-${serverName}`}
                     key={serverName}
                     onClick={() => setSelected(serverName)}
                     type="button"
@@ -227,9 +223,9 @@ export function McpSettings({ gateway, onConfigSaved, query }: McpSettingsProps)
               })}
             </div>
           )}
-        </OverlayCard>
+        </div>
 
-        <OverlayCard className="grid gap-3 p-4">
+        <div className="grid content-start gap-3">
           <div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-sm font-medium">
             <Wrench className="size-4 text-muted-foreground" />
             {selected ? 'Edit server' : 'New server'}
@@ -249,17 +245,23 @@ export function McpSettings({ gateway, onConfigSaved, query }: McpSettingsProps)
           </label>
           <div className="flex items-center justify-between">
             {selected ? (
-              <OverlayActionButton disabled={saving} onClick={() => void removeServer(selected)} tone="danger">
+              <Button
+                className="text-destructive hover:text-destructive"
+                disabled={saving}
+                onClick={() => void removeServer(selected)}
+                size="xs"
+                variant="text"
+              >
                 Remove
-              </OverlayActionButton>
+              </Button>
             ) : (
               <span />
             )}
-            <OverlayActionButton disabled={saving} onClick={() => void saveServer()}>
+            <Button disabled={saving} onClick={() => void saveServer()} size="sm">
               {saving ? 'Saving...' : 'Save server'}
-            </OverlayActionButton>
+            </Button>
           </div>
-        </OverlayCard>
+        </div>
       </div>
     </SettingsContent>
   )

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/model-settings.tsx

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import {
 } from '@/components/ui/select'
 import { getAuxiliaryModels, getGlobalModelInfo, getGlobalModelOptions, setModelAssignment } from '@/hermes'
 import type { AuxiliaryModelsResponse, ModelOptionProvider } from '@/hermes'
-import { Cpu, Loader2, Sparkles } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { Cpu, Loader2 } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
 import { CONTROL_TEXT } from './constants'
@@ -204,11 +204,6 @@ export function ModelSettings({ onMainModelChanged }: ModelSettingsProps) {
   return (
     <div className="grid gap-6">
       <section>
-        <SectionHeading
-          icon={Sparkles}
-          meta={mainModel ? `${mainModel.provider} / ${mainModel.model}` : undefined}
-          title="Main model"
-        />
         <p className="mb-3 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
           Applies to new sessions. Use the model picker in the composer to hot-swap the active chat.
         </p>
@@ -238,7 +233,7 @@ export function ModelSettings({ onMainModelChanged }: ModelSettingsProps) {
             </SelectContent>
           </Select>
           <Button disabled={!selectedProvider || !selectedModel || applying} onClick={() => void applyMainModel()} size="sm">
-            {applying ? <Loader2 className="size-3.5 animate-spin" /> : <Sparkles className="size-3.5" />}
+            {applying && <Loader2 className="size-3.5 animate-spin" />}
             {applying ? 'Applying...' : 'Apply'}
           </Button>
         </div>
@@ -252,7 +247,7 @@ export function ModelSettings({ onMainModelChanged }: ModelSettingsProps) {
             disabled={!mainModel || applying}
             onClick={() => void resetAuxiliaryModels()}
             size="sm"
-            variant="outline"
+            variant="textStrong"
           >
             Reset all to main
           </Button>
@@ -260,7 +255,7 @@ export function ModelSettings({ onMainModelChanged }: ModelSettingsProps) {
         <p className="mb-2 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
           Helper tasks run on the main model by default. Assign a dedicated model to any task to override.
         </p>
-        <div className="divide-y divide-border/40">
+        <div className="grid gap-1">
           {AUX_TASKS.map(meta => {
             const current = auxiliary?.tasks.find(entry => entry.task === meta.key)
             const isAuto = !current || !current.provider || current.provider === 'auto'
@@ -275,7 +270,7 @@ export function ModelSettings({ onMainModelChanged }: ModelSettingsProps) {
                         disabled={!mainModel || applying}
                         onClick={() => void setAuxiliaryToMain(meta.key)}
                         size="sm"
-                        variant="ghost"
+                        variant="text"
                       >
                         Set to main
                       </Button>
@@ -283,7 +278,7 @@ export function ModelSettings({ onMainModelChanged }: ModelSettingsProps) {
                         disabled={!providers.length || applying}
                         onClick={() => beginAuxiliaryEdit(meta.key)}
                         size="sm"
-                        variant="outline"
+                        variant="textStrong"
                       >
                         Change
                       </Button>
@@ -292,7 +287,7 @@ export function ModelSettings({ onMainModelChanged }: ModelSettingsProps) {
                 }
                 below={
                   isEditing && (
-                    <div className="mt-2 flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2 border-t border-border/40 pt-2">
+                    <div className="mt-2 flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2 pt-1">
                       <Select
                         onValueChange={value => setAuxDraft(prev => ({ ...prev, provider: value, model: '' }))}
                         value={auxDraft.provider}

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/primitives.tsx

@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
 import type { ReactNode } from 'react'
 
 import { PageLoader } from '@/components/page-loader'
+import { Badge } from '@/components/ui/badge'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import type { IconComponent } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
+import { PAGE_INSET_X } from '../layout-constants'
+
 export function SettingsContent({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   return (
     <section className="min-h-0 overflow-hidden">
-      <div className="h-full min-h-0 overflow-y-auto px-5 py-4 pb-20">
+      <div className={cn('h-full min-h-0 overflow-y-auto pb-20', PAGE_INSET_X)}>
         <div className="mx-auto w-full max-w-4xl">{children}</div>
       </div>
     </section>
@@ -16,16 +19,7 @@ export function SettingsContent({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
 }
 
 export function Pill({ tone = 'muted', children }: { tone?: 'muted' | 'primary'; children: ReactNode }) {
-  return (
-    <span
-      className={cn(
-        'inline-flex items-center gap-1 rounded-full px-2 py-0.5 text-[0.6875rem]',
-        tone === 'primary' ? 'bg-primary/10 text-primary' : 'bg-muted text-muted-foreground'
-      )}
-    >
-      {children}
-    </span>
-  )
+  return <Badge variant={tone === 'primary' ? 'default' : 'muted'}>{children}</Badge>
 }
 
 export function SectionHeading({ icon: Icon, title, meta }: { icon: IconComponent; title: string; meta?: string }) {

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/sessions-settings.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react'
 
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { deleteSession, listSessions, setSessionArchived } from '@/hermes'
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { setSessions } from '@/store/session'
 import type { SessionInfo } from '@/types/hermes'
 
 import { EmptyState, ListRow, LoadingState, SectionHeading, SettingsContent } from './primitives'
-import type { SearchProps } from './types'
+import { useDeepLinkHighlight } from './use-deep-link-highlight'
 
 const ARCHIVED_FETCH_LIMIT = 200
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ function workspaceLabel(cwd: null | string | undefined): string {
   )
 }
 
-export function SessionsSettings({ query }: SearchProps) {
+export function SessionsSettings() {
   const [sessions, setLocalSessions] = useState<SessionInfo[]>([])
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true)
   const [busyId, setBusyId] = useState<string | null>(null)
@@ -87,17 +87,11 @@ export function SessionsSettings({ query }: SearchProps) {
     }
   }, [])
 
-  const filtered = useMemo(() => {
-    const needle = query.trim().toLowerCase()
-
-    if (!needle) {
-      return sessions
-    }
-
-    return sessions.filter(session =>
-      [sessionTitle(session), session.preview ?? '', session.cwd ?? ''].join(' ').toLowerCase().includes(needle)
-    )
-  }, [query, sessions])
+  useDeepLinkHighlight({
+    elementId: id => `archived-session-${id}`,
+    param: 'session',
+    ready: id => !loading && sessions.some(session => session.id === id)
+  })
 
   if (loading) {
     return <LoadingState label="Loading archived sessions…" />
@@ -117,50 +111,48 @@ export function SessionsSettings({ query }: SearchProps) {
         archive it.
       </p>
 
-      {filtered.length === 0 ? (
-        <EmptyState
-          description={query.trim() ? 'No archived chats match your search.' : 'Archive a chat to hide it here.'}
-          title="Nothing archived"
-        />
+      {sessions.length === 0 ? (
+        <EmptyState description="Archive a chat to hide it here." title="Nothing archived" />
       ) : (
-        <div className="divide-y divide-border/30">
-          {filtered.map(session => {
+        <div className="grid gap-1">
+          {sessions.map(session => {
             const label = workspaceLabel(session.cwd)
             const busy = busyId === session.id
 
             return (
-              <ListRow
-                action={
-                  <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
-                    <Button
-                      disabled={busy}
-                      onClick={() => void unarchive(session)}
-                      size="sm"
-                      type="button"
-                      variant="outline"
-                    >
-                      {busy ? <Loader2 className="size-3.5 animate-spin" /> : <ArchiveOff className="size-3.5" />}
-                      <span>Unarchive</span>
-                    </Button>
-                    <Button
-                      aria-label="Delete permanently"
-                      className="text-muted-foreground hover:text-destructive"
-                      disabled={busy}
-                      onClick={() => void remove(session)}
-                      size="icon"
-                      title="Delete permanently"
-                      type="button"
-                      variant="ghost"
-                    >
-                      <Trash2 className="size-3.5" />
-                    </Button>
-                  </div>
-                }
-                description={session.preview || undefined}
-                hint={label ? `${label} · ${session.message_count} messages` : `${session.message_count} messages`}
-                key={session.id}
-                title={sessionTitle(session)}
-              />
+              <div className="scroll-mt-6 rounded-lg" id={`archived-session-${session.id}`} key={session.id}>
+                <ListRow
+                  action={
+                    <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
+                      <Button
+                        disabled={busy}
+                        onClick={() => void unarchive(session)}
+                        size="sm"
+                        type="button"
+                        variant="textStrong"
+                      >
+                        {busy ? <Loader2 className="size-3.5 animate-spin" /> : <ArchiveOff className="size-3.5" />}
+                        <span>Unarchive</span>
+                      </Button>
+                      <Button
+                        aria-label="Delete permanently"
+                        className="text-muted-foreground hover:text-destructive"
+                        disabled={busy}
+                        onClick={() => void remove(session)}
+                        size="icon"
+                        title="Delete permanently"
+                        type="button"
+                        variant="ghost"
+                      >
+                        <Trash2 className="size-3.5" />
+                      </Button>
+                    </div>
+                  }
+                  description={session.preview || undefined}
+                  hint={label ? `${label} · ${session.message_count} messages` : `${session.message_count} messages`}
+                  title={sessionTitle(session)}
+                />
+              </div>
             )
           })}
         </div>
@@ -192,7 +184,10 @@ function DefaultProjectDirSetting() {
     let alive = true
 
     void settings.getDefaultProjectDir().then(result => {
-      if (!alive) return
+      if (!alive) {
+        return
+      }
+
       setDir(result.dir)
       setFallback(result.defaultLabel)
     })
@@ -205,7 +200,9 @@ function DefaultProjectDirSetting() {
   const choose = useCallback(async () => {
     const settings = window.hermesDesktop?.settings
 
-    if (!settings) return
+    if (!settings) {
+      return
+    }
 
     setBusy(true)
 
@@ -229,7 +226,9 @@ function DefaultProjectDirSetting() {
   const clear = useCallback(async () => {
     const settings = window.hermesDesktop?.settings
 
-    if (!settings) return
+    if (!settings) {
+      return
+    }
 
     setBusy(true)
 
@@ -251,13 +250,19 @@ function DefaultProjectDirSetting() {
       </p>
       <ListRow
         action={
-          <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
-            <Button disabled={busy} onClick={() => void choose()} size="sm" type="button" variant="outline">
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
+            <Button
+              disabled={busy}
+              onClick={() => void choose()}
+              size="sm"
+              type="button"
+              variant="textStrong"
+            >
               <FolderOpen className="size-3.5" />
               <span>{dir ? 'Change' : 'Choose'}</span>
             </Button>
             {dir && (
-              <Button disabled={busy} onClick={() => void clear()} size="sm" type="button" variant="ghost">
+              <Button disabled={busy} onClick={() => void clear()} size="sm" type="button" variant="text">
                 Clear
               </Button>
             )}

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/toolset-config-panel.tsx

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
 
+import { PageLoader } from '@/components/page-loader'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
 import { deleteEnvVar, getToolsetConfig, revealEnvVar, selectToolsetProvider, setEnvVar } from '@/hermes'
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ function EnvVarField({ envVar, isSet, onSaved, onCleared }: EnvVarFieldProps) {
               {revealed !== null ? <EyeOff /> : <Eye />}
             </Button>
           )}
-          <Button onClick={() => setEditing(e => !e)} size="xs" variant="outline">
+          <Button onClick={() => setEditing(e => !e)} size="xs" variant="textStrong">
             {isSet ? 'Replace' : 'Set'}
           </Button>
           {isSet && (
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@ function EnvVarField({ envVar, isSet, onSaved, onCleared }: EnvVarFieldProps) {
             {busy ? <Loader2 className="size-3.5 animate-spin" /> : <Save />}
             Save
           </Button>
-          <Button onClick={() => setEditing(false)} size="sm" variant="outline">
+          <Button onClick={() => setEditing(false)} size="sm" variant="text">
             Cancel
           </Button>
         </div>
@@ -210,6 +211,7 @@ export function ToolsetConfigPanel({ toolset, onConfiguredChange }: ToolsetConfi
       (cfg?.active_provider ? providers.find(p => p.name === cfg.active_provider) : undefined) ??
       providers.find(p => providerConfigured(p, envState)) ??
       providers[0]
+
     setActiveProvider(selected.name)
   }, [activeProvider, providers, envState, cfg])
 
@@ -250,12 +252,7 @@ export function ToolsetConfigPanel({ toolset, onConfiguredChange }: ToolsetConfi
   }, [cfg, loading, providers.length])
 
   if (loading) {
-    return (
-      <div className="flex items-center gap-2 px-1 py-3 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-        <Loader2 className="size-3.5 animate-spin" />
-        Loading configuration...
-      </div>
-    )
+    return <PageLoader className="min-h-32" label="Loading configuration" />
   }
 
   if (emptyMessage) {

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/types.ts

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import type { IconComponent } from '@/lib/icons'
 import type { EnvVarInfo } from '@/types/hermes'
 
 export type SettingsView = 'about' | 'gateway' | 'keys' | 'mcp' | 'sessions' | `config:${string}`
-export type SettingsQueryKey = 'about' | 'config' | 'gateway' | 'keys' | 'mcp' | 'sessions'
 export type EnvPatch = Partial<Pick<EnvVarInfo, 'is_set' | 'redacted_value'>>
 
 export interface SettingsPageProps {
@@ -15,10 +14,6 @@ export interface SettingsPageProps {
   onMainModelChanged?: (provider: string, model: string) => void
 }
 
-export interface SearchProps {
-  query: string
-}
-
 export interface ProviderGroup {
   name: string
   priority: number

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/use-deep-link-highlight.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import { useEffect } from 'react'
+import { useSearchParams } from 'react-router-dom'
+
+interface DeepLinkHighlightOptions {
+  param: string
+  ready: (target: string) => boolean
+  elementId: (target: string) => string
+  onResolve?: (target: string) => void
+  block?: ScrollLogicalPosition
+}
+
+// Deep-link from the command palette (?<param>=<id>): once the target row is
+// renderable, scroll it into view and flash it, then drop the param so it
+// doesn't re-fire. Returns the pending target (null once consumed) so callers
+// can force the row open before it mounts.
+export function useDeepLinkHighlight({
+  param,
+  ready,
+  elementId,
+  onResolve,
+  block = 'center'
+}: DeepLinkHighlightOptions): null | string {
+  const [searchParams, setSearchParams] = useSearchParams()
+  const target = searchParams.get(param)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!target || !ready(target)) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    onResolve?.(target)
+
+    // Defer a frame so async state (expansion, selection) mounts the row first.
+    const scrollTimeout = window.setTimeout(() => {
+      const element = document.getElementById(elementId(target))
+
+      if (!element) {
+        return
+      }
+
+      element.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block })
+      element.classList.add('setting-field-highlight')
+      window.setTimeout(() => element.classList.remove('setting-field-highlight'), 1600)
+    }, 80)
+
+    setSearchParams(
+      previous => {
+        const next = new URLSearchParams(previous)
+        next.delete(param)
+
+        return next
+      },
+      { replace: true }
+    )
+
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(scrollTimeout)
+  }, [block, elementId, onResolve, param, ready, setSearchParams, target])
+
+  return target
+}

apps/desktop/src/app/shell/app-shell.tsx

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { PaneShell } from '@/components/pane-shell'
 import { SidebarProvider } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
 import {
   $fileBrowserOpen,
+  $panesFlipped,
   $sidebarOpen,
   FILE_BROWSER_DEFAULT_WIDTH,
   FILE_BROWSER_PANE_ID,
@@ -20,11 +21,9 @@ import { TitlebarControls, type TitlebarTool } from './titlebar-controls'
 
 interface AppShellProps {
   children: ReactNode
-  commandCenterOpen?: boolean
   leftStatusbarItems?: readonly StatusbarItem[]
   leftTitlebarTools?: readonly TitlebarTool[]
   onOpenSettings: () => void
-  onOpenSearch: () => void
   overlays?: ReactNode
   statusbarItems?: readonly StatusbarItem[]
   titlebarTools?: readonly TitlebarTool[]
@@ -47,17 +46,16 @@ const viewportIsFullscreen = () =>
 
 export function AppShell({
   children,
-  commandCenterOpen = false,
   leftStatusbarItems,
   leftTitlebarTools,
   onOpenSettings,
-  onOpenSearch,
   overlays,
   statusbarItems,
   titlebarTools
 }: AppShellProps) {
   const sidebarOpen = useStore($sidebarOpen)
   const fileBrowserOpen = useStore($fileBrowserOpen)
+  const panesFlipped = useStore($panesFlipped)
   const fileBrowserWidthOverride = useStore($paneWidthOverride(FILE_BROWSER_PANE_ID))
   const connection = useStore($connection)
   const viewportFullscreen = useSyncExternalStore(subscribeWindowSize, viewportIsFullscreen, () => false)
@@ -69,7 +67,12 @@ export function AppShell({
   const nativeOverlayWidth = connection?.nativeOverlayWidth ?? 0
   const titlebarToolsRight = nativeOverlayWidth > 0 ? `${nativeOverlayWidth}px` : '0.75rem'
 
-  const titlebarContentInset = sidebarOpen
+  // The inset clears the top-left titlebar buttons when nothing covers the
+  // window's left edge. Default layout: the sessions sidebar sits there.
+  // Flipped layout: the file browser does instead.
+  const leftEdgePaneOpen = panesFlipped ? fileBrowserOpen : sidebarOpen
+
+  const titlebarContentInset = leftEdgePaneOpen
     ? 0
     : titlebarControls.left + TITLEBAR_HEIGHT + Math.round(TITLEBAR_HEIGHT / 2)
 
@@ -130,13 +133,7 @@ export function AppShell({
         } as CSSProperties
       }
     >
-      <TitlebarControls
-        commandCenterOpen={commandCenterOpen}
-        leftTools={leftTitlebarTools}
-        onOpenSearch={onOpenSearch}
-        onOpenSettings={onOpenSettings}
-        tools={titlebarTools}
-      />
+      <TitlebarControls leftTools={leftTitlebarTools} onOpenSettings={onOpenSettings} tools={titlebarTools} />
 
       <main className="relative z-3 flex min-h-0 w-full flex-1 flex-col overflow-hidden transition-none">
         <PaneShell className="min-h-0 flex-1">

apps/desktop/src/app/shell/gateway-menu-panel.tsx

@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export function GatewayMenuPanel({
         <div className="flex items-center">
           <Button
             aria-label="Open system panel"
-            className="size-7 text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground"
+            className="text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground"
             onClick={onOpenSystem}
             size="icon-sm"
             title="Open system panel"

apps/desktop/src/app/shell/hooks/use-overlay-routing.ts

@@ -2,10 +2,9 @@ import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from 'react'
 import { useLocation, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
 
 import { type CommandCenterSection } from '@/app/command-center'
-import { AGENTS_ROUTE, appViewForPath, COMMAND_CENTER_ROUTE, NEW_CHAT_ROUTE } from '@/app/routes'
+import { AGENTS_ROUTE, appViewForPath, COMMAND_CENTER_ROUTE, isOverlayView, NEW_CHAT_ROUTE } from '@/app/routes'
 
 const SECTIONS = ['sessions', 'system', 'usage'] as const
-const OVERLAY_VIEWS = new Set(['settings', 'command-center', 'agents'])
 
 export function useOverlayRouting() {
   const location = useLocation()
@@ -15,8 +14,10 @@ export function useOverlayRouting() {
   const settingsOpen = currentView === 'settings'
   const commandCenterOpen = currentView === 'command-center'
   const agentsOpen = currentView === 'agents'
+  const cronOpen = currentView === 'cron'
+  const profilesOpen = currentView === 'profiles'
   const chatOpen = currentView === 'chat'
-  const overlayOpen = OVERLAY_VIEWS.has(currentView)
+  const overlayOpen = isOverlayView(currentView)
 
   // Overlay routes (settings/command-center/agents) stash the underlying path
   // so closing them returns there instead of bouncing to /.
@@ -59,9 +60,11 @@ export function useOverlayRouting() {
     closeOverlayToPreviousRoute,
     commandCenterInitialSection,
     commandCenterOpen,
+    cronOpen,
     currentView,
     openAgents,
     openCommandCenterSection,
+    profilesOpen,
     settingsOpen,
     toggleCommandCenter
   }

apps/desktop/src/app/shell/model-edit-submenu.tsx

@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import {
   DropdownMenuSubContent
 } from '@/components/ui/dropdown-menu'
 import { Switch } from '@/components/ui/switch'
-import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 import {
   $activeSessionId,
@@ -184,24 +183,25 @@ export function ModelEditSubmenu({
           <DropdownMenuLabel className={dropdownMenuSectionLabel}>Options</DropdownMenuLabel>
           {reasoning ? (
             <DropdownMenuItem
-              className={cn(dropdownMenuRow, 'cursor-pointer')}
+              className={dropdownMenuRow}
               onSelect={event => event.preventDefault()}
             >
               Thinking
               <Switch
                 checked={thinkingOn}
-                className="ml-auto cursor-pointer"
+                className="ml-auto"
                 onCheckedChange={checked => void patchReasoning(checked ? effort || 'medium' : 'none', currentReasoningEffort)}
+                size="xs"
               />
             </DropdownMenuItem>
           ) : null}
           {hasFast ? (
             <DropdownMenuItem
-              className={cn(dropdownMenuRow, 'cursor-pointer')}
+              className={dropdownMenuRow}
               onSelect={event => event.preventDefault()}
             >
               Fast
-              <Switch checked={fastOn} className="ml-auto cursor-pointer" onCheckedChange={toggleFast} />
+              <Switch checked={fastOn} className="ml-auto" onCheckedChange={toggleFast} size="xs" />
             </DropdownMenuItem>
           ) : null}
           {reasoning ? (
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ export function ModelEditSubmenu({
               >
                 {EFFORT_OPTIONS.map(option => (
                   <DropdownMenuRadioItem
-                    className={cn(dropdownMenuRow, 'cursor-pointer')}
+                    className={dropdownMenuRow}
                     key={option.value}
                     onSelect={event => event.preventDefault()}
                     value={option.value}

apps/desktop/src/app/shell/model-menu-panel.tsx

@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ export function ModelMenuPanel({ gateway, onSelectModel, requestGateway }: Model
                 return (
                   <DropdownMenuSub key={`${group.provider.slug}:${family.id}`}>
                     <DropdownMenuSubTrigger
-                      className={cn(dropdownMenuRow, 'cursor-pointer')}
+                      className={dropdownMenuRow}
                       hideChevron
                       onClick={activate}
                       onKeyDown={event => {
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ export function ModelMenuPanel({ gateway, onSelectModel, requestGateway }: Model
       <DropdownMenuSeparator className="mx-0" />
 
       <DropdownMenuItem
-        className={cn(dropdownMenuRow, 'cursor-pointer text-(--ui-text-tertiary)')}
+        className={cn(dropdownMenuRow, 'text-(--ui-text-tertiary)')}
         onSelect={() => setModelVisibilityOpen(true)}
       >
         Edit Models…

apps/desktop/src/app/shell/statusbar-controls.tsx

@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
 import { DropdownMenu, DropdownMenuContent, DropdownMenuItem, DropdownMenuTrigger } from '@/components/ui/dropdown-menu'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
+// Shared chrome styling for interactive statusbar items (button / link / menu
+// trigger). The 'text' variant intentionally omits hover/transition/disabled.
+const STATUSBAR_ACTION_CLASS =
+  'inline-flex h-full items-center gap-1 rounded-none px-1.5 text-[0.6875rem] text-(--ui-text-tertiary) transition-colors hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover) hover:text-foreground disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-45'
+
 export interface StatusbarMenuItem {
   id: string
   icon?: ReactNode
@@ -93,10 +98,7 @@ function StatusbarItemView({ item, navigate }: { item: StatusbarItem; navigate:
       <DropdownMenu>
         <DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
           <button
-            className={cn(
-              'inline-flex h-full cursor-pointer items-center gap-1 rounded-none px-1.5 text-[0.6875rem] text-(--ui-text-tertiary) transition-colors hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover) hover:text-foreground disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-45',
-              item.className
-            )}
+            className={cn(STATUSBAR_ACTION_CLASS, item.className)}
             disabled={item.disabled}
             title={title}
             type="button"
@@ -167,10 +169,7 @@ function StatusbarItemView({ item, navigate }: { item: StatusbarItem; navigate:
   if (item.href || item.variant === 'link') {
     return (
       <a
-        className={cn(
-          'inline-flex h-full cursor-pointer items-center gap-1 rounded-none px-1.5 text-[0.6875rem] text-(--ui-text-tertiary) transition-colors hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover) hover:text-foreground disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-45',
-          item.className
-        )}
+        className={cn(STATUSBAR_ACTION_CLASS, item.className)}
         href={item.href}
         rel="noreferrer"
         target="_blank"
@@ -183,10 +182,7 @@ function StatusbarItemView({ item, navigate }: { item: StatusbarItem; navigate:
 
   return (
     <button
-      className={cn(
-        'inline-flex h-full cursor-pointer items-center gap-1 rounded-none px-1.5 text-[0.6875rem] text-(--ui-text-tertiary) transition-colors hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover) hover:text-foreground disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-45',
-        item.className
-      )}
+      className={cn(STATUSBAR_ACTION_CLASS, item.className)}
       disabled={item.disabled}
       onClick={() => {
         if (item.to) {

apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar-controls.tsx

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react'
 import type { ComponentProps, ReactNode } from 'react'
-import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
+import { useLocation, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
 
+import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import {
   DropdownMenu,
@@ -12,12 +13,18 @@ import {
   DropdownMenuTrigger
 } from '@/components/ui/dropdown-menu'
 import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
-import { Volume2, VolumeX } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { $hapticsMuted, toggleHapticsMuted } from '@/store/haptics'
-import { $fileBrowserOpen, $sidebarOpen, toggleFileBrowserOpen, toggleSidebarOpen } from '@/store/layout'
+import {
+  $fileBrowserOpen,
+  $panesFlipped,
+  $sidebarOpen,
+  toggleFileBrowserOpen,
+  togglePanesFlipped,
+  toggleSidebarOpen
+} from '@/store/layout'
 
-import { PROFILES_ROUTE } from '../routes'
+import { appViewForPath, isOverlayView, PROFILES_ROUTE } from '../routes'
 
 import { titlebarButtonClass } from './titlebar'
 
@@ -41,22 +48,16 @@ export type SetTitlebarToolGroup = (id: string, tools: readonly TitlebarTool[],
 interface TitlebarControlsProps extends ComponentProps<'div'> {
   leftTools?: readonly TitlebarTool[]
   tools?: readonly TitlebarTool[]
-  commandCenterOpen?: boolean
   onOpenSettings: () => void
-  onOpenSearch: () => void
 }
 
-export function TitlebarControls({
-  leftTools = [],
-  tools = [],
-  commandCenterOpen = false,
-  onOpenSettings,
-  onOpenSearch
-}: TitlebarControlsProps) {
+export function TitlebarControls({ leftTools = [], tools = [], onOpenSettings }: TitlebarControlsProps) {
   const navigate = useNavigate()
+  const location = useLocation()
   const hapticsMuted = useStore($hapticsMuted)
   const fileBrowserOpen = useStore($fileBrowserOpen)
   const sidebarOpen = useStore($sidebarOpen)
+  const panesFlipped = useStore($panesFlipped)
 
   const toggleHaptics = () => {
     if (!hapticsMuted) {
@@ -70,38 +71,45 @@ export function TitlebarControls({
     }
   }
 
+  // Each titlebar button controls the pane physically on its side, so a flip
+  // swaps which pane each one toggles. Default: sessions left, file browser
+  // right. Flipped: file browser left, sessions right. Sidebar toggles never
+  // carry an active highlight — they're plain show/hide affordances.
+  const fileBrowserEdge = { open: fileBrowserOpen, toggle: toggleFileBrowserOpen }
+  const sessionsEdge = { open: sidebarOpen, toggle: toggleSidebarOpen }
+  const leftEdge = panesFlipped ? fileBrowserEdge : sessionsEdge
+  const rightEdge = panesFlipped ? sessionsEdge : fileBrowserEdge
+
   const leftToolbarTools: TitlebarTool[] = [
     {
       icon: <Codicon name="layout-sidebar-left" />,
       id: 'sidebar',
-      label: sidebarOpen ? 'Hide sidebar' : 'Show sidebar',
+      label: `${leftEdge.open ? 'Hide' : 'Show'} left sidebar`,
       onSelect: () => {
         triggerHaptic('tap')
-        toggleSidebarOpen()
+        leftEdge.toggle()
       }
     },
     {
-      active: commandCenterOpen,
-      icon: <Codicon name="search" />,
-      id: 'search',
-      label: 'Search',
+      icon: <Codicon name="arrow-swap" />,
+      id: 'flip-panes',
+      label: 'Swap sidebar sides',
       onSelect: () => {
-        triggerHaptic('open')
-        onOpenSearch()
+        triggerHaptic('tap')
+        togglePanesFlipped()
       },
-      title: 'Search sessions, views, and actions'
+      title: 'Swap the sessions and file browser sides'
     },
     ...leftTools
   ]
 
   const rightSidebarTool: TitlebarTool = {
-    active: fileBrowserOpen,
     icon: <Codicon name="layout-sidebar-right" />,
     id: 'right-sidebar',
-    label: fileBrowserOpen ? 'Hide right sidebar' : 'Show right sidebar',
+    label: `${rightEdge.open ? 'Hide' : 'Show'} right sidebar`,
     onSelect: () => {
       triggerHaptic('tap')
-      toggleFileBrowserOpen()
+      rightEdge.toggle()
     }
   }
 
@@ -109,7 +117,7 @@ export function TitlebarControls({
   const systemTools: TitlebarTool[] = [
     {
       active: hapticsMuted,
-      icon: hapticsMuted ? <VolumeX /> : <Volume2 />,
+      icon: <Codicon name={hapticsMuted ? 'mute' : 'unmute'} />,
       id: 'haptics',
       label: hapticsMuted ? 'Unmute haptics' : 'Mute haptics',
       onSelect: toggleHaptics
@@ -125,6 +133,14 @@ export function TitlebarControls({
     }
   ]
 
+  // While a full-screen overlay (settings, command center, …) is open it should
+  // visually own the window. These control clusters are `fixed` at a higher
+  // z-index than the overlay card, so they'd otherwise bleed over it — hide them
+  // and let the overlay's own chrome (close button, drag region) take over.
+  if (isOverlayView(appViewForPath(location.pathname))) {
+    return null
+  }
+
   const visibleSystemTools = systemTools.filter(tool => !tool.hidden)
   const settingsTool = visibleSystemTools.find(tool => tool.id === 'settings')
   const visibleSystemToolsBeforeSettings = visibleSystemTools.filter(tool => tool.id !== 'settings')
@@ -181,15 +197,20 @@ function ProfilesMenuButton({ navigate }: { navigate: ReturnType<typeof useNavig
   return (
     <DropdownMenu>
       <DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
-        <button
+        <Button
           aria-label="Profiles"
-          className={cn(titlebarButtonClass, 'grid place-items-center bg-transparent select-none [&_svg]:size-4')}
+          className={cn(titlebarButtonClass, 'bg-transparent select-none')}
           onPointerDown={event => event.stopPropagation()}
+          size="icon-titlebar"
           title="Profiles"
           type="button"
+          variant="ghost"
         >
-          <Codicon name="account" />
-        </button>
+          {/* Optical bump: the `account` glyph has more internal padding than
+              `search`/`settings-gear`, so at the shared 0.875rem it reads small.
+              Nudge just this glyph to visually match its neighbours. */}
+          <Codicon name="account" size="1rem" />
+        </Button>
       </DropdownMenuTrigger>
       <DropdownMenuContent align="end" className="w-64" sideOffset={8}>
         <DropdownMenuLabel>
@@ -214,31 +235,30 @@ function ProfilesMenuButton({ navigate }: { navigate: ReturnType<typeof useNavig
 }
 
 function TitlebarToolButton({ navigate, tool }: { navigate: ReturnType<typeof useNavigate>; tool: TitlebarTool }) {
-  const className = cn(
-    titlebarButtonClass,
-    'grid place-items-center bg-transparent select-none [&_svg]:size-4',
-    tool.active && 'bg-(--ui-control-active-background)! text-foreground!',
-    tool.className
-  )
+  // Titlebar actions never show an active background — state reads from the
+  // icon itself (e.g. the mute/unmute glyph). aria-pressed still carries it
+  // for a11y.
+  const className = cn(titlebarButtonClass, 'bg-transparent select-none', tool.className)
 
   if (tool.href) {
     return (
-      <a
-        aria-label={tool.label}
-        className={className}
-        href={tool.href}
-        onPointerDown={event => event.stopPropagation()}
-        rel="noreferrer"
-        target="_blank"
-        title={tool.title ?? tool.label}
-      >
-        {tool.icon}
-      </a>
+      <Button asChild className={className} size="icon-titlebar" variant="ghost">
+        <a
+          aria-label={tool.label}
+          href={tool.href}
+          onPointerDown={event => event.stopPropagation()}
+          rel="noreferrer"
+          target="_blank"
+          title={tool.title ?? tool.label}
+        >
+          {tool.icon}
+        </a>
+      </Button>
     )
   }
 
   return (
-    <button
+    <Button
       aria-label={tool.label}
       aria-pressed={tool.active ?? undefined}
       className={className}
@@ -251,10 +271,12 @@ function TitlebarToolButton({ navigate, tool }: { navigate: ReturnType<typeof us
         tool.onSelect?.()
       }}
       onPointerDown={event => event.stopPropagation()}
+      size="icon-titlebar"
       title={tool.title ?? tool.label}
       type="button"
+      variant="ghost"
     >
       {tool.icon}
-    </button>
+    </Button>
   )
 }

apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.ts

@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@ export const TITLEBAR_FALLBACK_WINDOW_BUTTON_X = 24
 // (traffic lights are hidden). Matches the right-cluster's 0.75rem padding.
 export const TITLEBAR_EDGE_INSET = 14
 
-export const titlebarButtonClass =
-  'h-[var(--titlebar-control-height)] w-[var(--titlebar-control-size)] cursor-pointer rounded-md text-muted-foreground/85 transition-colors hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground'
+// Titlebar palette only. All sizing/radius/cursor/centering come from the
+// shared <Button size="icon-titlebar"> (used polymorphically via asChild) —
+// Button is the single source of button styling.
+export const titlebarButtonClass = 'text-muted-foreground/85 hover:bg-(--ui-control-hover-background) hover:text-foreground'
 
 export const titlebarHeaderBaseClass =
   'pointer-events-none relative z-3 flex h-(--titlebar-height) shrink-0 items-center justify-start gap-3 border-b border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-chat-surface-background) px-[max(0.75rem,var(--titlebar-content-inset,0rem))]'

apps/desktop/src/app/skills/index.tsx

@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ import type * as React from 'react'
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
 
 import { PageLoader } from '@/components/page-loader'
-import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
-import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
+import { Badge } from '@/components/ui/badge'
 import { Switch } from '@/components/ui/switch'
 import { TextTab, TextTabMeta } from '@/components/ui/text-tab'
 import { getSkills, getToolsets, toggleSkill, toggleToolset } from '@/hermes'
@@ -11,7 +10,9 @@ import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 import type { SkillInfo, ToolsetInfo } from '@/types/hermes'
 
+import { useRefreshHotkey } from '../hooks/use-refresh-hotkey'
 import { useRouteEnumParam } from '../hooks/use-route-enum-param'
+import { PAGE_INSET_X } from '../layout-constants'
 import { PageSearchShell } from '../page-search-shell'
 import { asText, includesQuery, prettyName, toolNames } from '../settings/helpers'
 import { ToolsetConfigPanel } from '../settings/toolset-config-panel'
@@ -72,25 +73,22 @@ export function SkillsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, ...p
   const [skills, setSkills] = useState<SkillInfo[] | null>(null)
   const [toolsets, setToolsets] = useState<ToolsetInfo[] | null>(null)
   const [activeCategory, setActiveCategory] = useState<string | null>(null)
-  const [refreshing, setRefreshing] = useState(false)
   const [savingSkill, setSavingSkill] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [savingToolset, setSavingToolset] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [expandedToolset, setExpandedToolset] = useState<string | null>(null)
 
   const refreshCapabilities = useCallback(async () => {
-    setRefreshing(true)
-
     try {
       const [nextSkills, nextToolsets] = await Promise.all([getSkills(), getToolsets()])
       setSkills(nextSkills)
       setToolsets(nextToolsets)
     } catch (err) {
       notifyError(err, 'Skills failed to load')
-    } finally {
-      setRefreshing(false)
     }
   }, [])
 
+  useRefreshHotkey(refreshCapabilities)
+
   const refreshToolsets = useCallback(() => {
     getToolsets()
       .then(setToolsets)
@@ -181,65 +179,54 @@ export function SkillsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, ...p
     <PageSearchShell
       {...props}
       filters={
-        <>
-          <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-x-2 gap-y-1">
-            <TextTab active={mode === 'skills'} onClick={() => setMode('skills')}>
-              Skills
+        mode === 'skills' && categories.length > 0 ? (
+          <>
+            <TextTab active={activeCategory === null} onClick={() => setActiveCategory(null)}>
+              All <TextTabMeta>{totalSkills}</TextTabMeta>
             </TextTab>
-            <TextTab active={mode === 'toolsets'} onClick={() => setMode('toolsets')}>
-              Toolsets
-            </TextTab>
-          </div>
-          {mode === 'skills' && categories.length > 0 && (
-            <div className="flex flex-wrap justify-center gap-x-2 gap-y-1">
-              <TextTab active={activeCategory === null} onClick={() => setActiveCategory(null)}>
-                All <TextTabMeta>{totalSkills}</TextTabMeta>
+            {categories.map(category => (
+              <TextTab
+                active={activeCategory === category.key}
+                key={category.key}
+                onClick={() => setActiveCategory(activeCategory === category.key ? null : category.key)}
+              >
+                {prettyName(category.key)} <TextTabMeta>{category.count}</TextTabMeta>
               </TextTab>
-              {categories.map(category => (
-                <TextTab
-                  active={activeCategory === category.key}
-                  key={category.key}
-                  onClick={() => setActiveCategory(activeCategory === category.key ? null : category.key)}
-                >
-                  {prettyName(category.key)} <TextTabMeta>{category.count}</TextTabMeta>
-                </TextTab>
-              ))}
-            </div>
-          )}
-        </>
+            ))}
+          </>
+        ) : undefined
       }
       onSearchChange={setQuery}
+      searchHidden={mode === 'skills' ? (skills?.length ?? 0) === 0 : (toolsets?.length ?? 0) === 0}
       searchPlaceholder={mode === 'skills' ? 'Search skills...' : 'Search toolsets...'}
-      searchTrailingAction={
-        <Button
-          aria-label={refreshing ? 'Refreshing skills' : 'Refresh skills'}
-          className="text-(--ui-text-tertiary) hover:bg-transparent hover:text-foreground"
-          disabled={refreshing}
-          onClick={() => void refreshCapabilities()}
-          size="icon-xs"
-          title={refreshing ? 'Refreshing skills' : 'Refresh skills'}
-          type="button"
-          variant="ghost"
-        >
-          <Codicon name="refresh" size="0.875rem" spinning={refreshing} />
-        </Button>
-      }
       searchValue={query}
+      tabs={
+        <>
+          <TextTab active={mode === 'skills'} onClick={() => setMode('skills')}>
+            Skills
+          </TextTab>
+          <TextTab active={mode === 'toolsets'} onClick={() => setMode('toolsets')}>
+            Toolsets
+          </TextTab>
+        </>
+      }
     >
       {!skills || !toolsets ? (
         <PageLoader label="Loading capabilities..." />
       ) : mode === 'skills' ? (
-        <div className="h-full overflow-y-auto px-4 py-3">
+        <div className={cn('h-full overflow-y-auto py-3', PAGE_INSET_X)}>
           {visibleSkills.length === 0 ? (
             <EmptyState description="Try a broader search or different category." title="No skills found" />
           ) : (
             <div className="space-y-4">
               {skillGroups.map(([category, list]) => (
                 <div className="space-y-1.5" key={category}>
-                  <div className="text-[0.68rem] font-semibold uppercase tracking-[0.12em] text-muted-foreground">
-                    {prettyName(category)}
-                  </div>
-                  <div className="divide-y divide-(--ui-stroke-quaternary)">
+                  {activeCategory === null && (
+                    <div className="text-[0.68rem] font-semibold uppercase tracking-[0.12em] text-muted-foreground">
+                      {prettyName(category)}
+                    </div>
+                  )}
+                  <div>
                     {list.map(skill => (
                       <div
                         className="grid gap-3 px-0 py-2.5 sm:grid-cols-[minmax(0,1fr)_auto] sm:items-center"
@@ -265,7 +252,7 @@ export function SkillsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, ...p
           )}
         </div>
       ) : (
-        <div className="h-full overflow-y-auto px-4 py-3">
+        <div className={cn('h-full overflow-y-auto py-3', PAGE_INSET_X)}>
           {visibleToolsets.length === 0 ? (
             <EmptyState description="Try a broader search query." title="No toolsets found" />
           ) : (
@@ -273,7 +260,7 @@ export function SkillsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, ...p
               <div className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
                 {enabledToolsets}/{toolsets.length} toolsets enabled
               </div>
-              <div className="divide-y divide-(--ui-stroke-quaternary)">
+              <div>
                 {visibleToolsets.map(toolset => {
                   const tools = toolNames(toolset)
                   const label = asText(toolset.label || toolset.name)
@@ -287,7 +274,7 @@ export function SkillsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, ...p
                           <button
                             aria-expanded={expanded}
                             aria-label={`Configure ${label}`}
-                            className="cursor-pointer rounded-full outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring/50"
+                            className="rounded-full outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring/50"
                             onClick={() => setExpandedToolset(current => (current === toolset.name ? null : toolset.name))}
                             type="button"
                           >
@@ -333,14 +320,11 @@ export function SkillsView({ setStatusbarItemGroup: _setStatusbarItemGroup, ...p
 
 function StatusPill({ active, children }: { active: boolean; children: string }) {
   return (
-    <span
-      className={cn(
-        'inline-flex items-center rounded-full px-1.5 py-0.5 text-[0.64rem]',
-        active ? 'bg-(--ui-bg-tertiary) text-(--ui-text-secondary)' : 'bg-(--ui-bg-quinary) text-(--ui-text-tertiary)'
-      )}
+    <Badge
+      className={active ? 'bg-(--ui-bg-tertiary) text-(--ui-text-secondary)' : 'bg-(--ui-bg-quinary) text-(--ui-text-tertiary)'}
     >
       {children}
-    </span>
+    </Badge>
   )
 }
 

apps/desktop/src/app/types.ts

@@ -73,4 +73,7 @@ export interface ClientSessionState {
   sawAssistantPayload: boolean
   pendingBranchGroup: string | null
   interrupted: boolean
+  /** A blocking clarify prompt is waiting on the user for this session. Drives
+   *  the sidebar "needs input" indicator; cleared when the turn resumes/ends. */
+  needsInput: boolean
 }

apps/desktop/src/app/updates-overlay.tsx

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { writeClipboardText } from '@/components/ui/copy-button'
 import { Dialog, DialogContent, DialogDescription, DialogTitle } from '@/components/ui/dialog'
+import { ErrorState } from '@/components/ui/error-state'
 import type { DesktopUpdateCommit, DesktopUpdateStage, DesktopUpdateStatus } from '@/global'
 import { buildCommitChangelog, type CommitGroup } from '@/lib/commit-changelog'
 import { AlertCircle, Check, CheckCircle2, Copy, Loader2, Sparkles, Terminal } from '@/lib/icons'
@@ -146,11 +147,6 @@ function IdleView({
   if (!status.supported) {
     return (
       <CenteredStatus
-        action={
-          <Button onClick={onLater} size="sm" variant="outline">
-            Close
-          </Button>
-        }
         body={status.message ?? 'This version of Hermes can’t update itself from inside the app.'}
         icon={<AlertCircle className="size-6 text-muted-foreground" />}
         title="Update not available"
@@ -176,11 +172,6 @@ function IdleView({
   if (behind === 0) {
     return (
       <CenteredStatus
-        action={
-          <Button onClick={onLater} size="sm" variant="outline">
-            Close
-          </Button>
-        }
         body="You’re running the latest version."
         icon={<CheckCircle2 className="size-7 text-emerald-600 dark:text-emerald-400" />}
         title="You’re all set"
@@ -208,11 +199,13 @@ function IdleView({
       <div className="grid gap-3 rounded-xl border border-border/70 bg-muted/20 px-4 py-3">
         {groups.map(group => (
           <div key={group.id}>
-            <p className="text-xs font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-muted-foreground">{group.label}</p>
-            <ul className="mt-1.5 grid gap-1.5 text-sm text-foreground">
+            <p className="text-[0.625rem] font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-muted-foreground">
+              {group.label}
+            </p>
+            <ul className="mt-1.5 grid gap-1.5 text-xs text-foreground">
               {group.items.map(item => (
                 <li className="flex items-start gap-2" key={item}>
-                  <span aria-hidden className="mt-2 inline-block size-1.5 shrink-0 rounded-full bg-primary" />
+                  <span aria-hidden className="mt-1.5 inline-block size-1 shrink-0 rounded-full bg-primary" />
                   <span className="leading-snug">{item}</span>
                 </li>
               ))}
@@ -222,7 +215,7 @@ function IdleView({
       </div>
 
       <div className="grid gap-2">
-        <Button className="h-10 text-sm font-semibold" onClick={onInstall} size="default">
+        <Button className="font-semibold" onClick={onInstall} size="lg">
           Update now
         </Button>
         <button
@@ -267,9 +260,9 @@ function ManualView({ command, onDone }: { command: string; onDone: () => void }
       </div>
 
       <button
-        type="button"
-        onClick={handleCopy}
         className="group flex w-full items-center justify-between gap-3 rounded-xl border border-border/70 bg-muted/30 px-4 py-3 text-left transition-colors hover:border-border hover:bg-muted/50"
+        onClick={handleCopy}
+        type="button"
       >
         <code className="select-all font-mono text-sm text-foreground">
           <span className="text-muted-foreground">$ </span>
@@ -294,7 +287,7 @@ function ManualView({ command, onDone }: { command: string; onDone: () => void }
         Hermes will pick up the new version next time you launch it.
       </p>
 
-      <Button className="h-10 text-sm font-semibold" onClick={onDone} variant="outline">
+      <Button className="font-semibold" onClick={onDone} size="lg" variant="outline">
         Done
       </Button>
     </div>
@@ -339,31 +332,22 @@ function ApplyingView({ apply }: { apply: UpdateApplyState }) {
 
 function ErrorView({ message, onDismiss, onRetry }: { message: string; onDismiss: () => void; onRetry: () => void }) {
   return (
-    <div className="grid gap-5 px-6 pb-6 pt-7 pr-8">
-      <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-3 text-center">
-        <span className="flex size-14 items-center justify-center rounded-2xl bg-destructive/10 text-destructive">
-          <AlertCircle className="size-7" />
-        </span>
-
-        <DialogTitle className="text-center text-xl">Update didn’t finish</DialogTitle>
-        <DialogDescription className="text-center text-sm">
+    <ErrorState
+      className="px-6 pb-6 pt-7 pr-8"
+      description={
+        <DialogDescription className="max-w-prose text-center text-sm leading-5 text-muted-foreground">
           {message || 'No worries — nothing was lost. You can try again now.'}
         </DialogDescription>
-      </div>
-
-      <div className="grid gap-2">
-        <Button className="h-10 text-sm font-semibold" onClick={onRetry}>
-          Try again
-        </Button>
-        <button
-          className="text-center text-sm font-medium text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:text-foreground"
-          onClick={onDismiss}
-          type="button"
-        >
-          Not now
-        </button>
-      </div>
-    </div>
+      }
+      title={<DialogTitle className="text-center text-xl font-semibold tracking-tight">Update didn’t finish</DialogTitle>}
+    >
+      <Button className="font-semibold" onClick={onRetry} size="lg">
+        Try again
+      </Button>
+      <Button onClick={onDismiss} variant="text">
+        Not now
+      </Button>
+    </ErrorState>
   )
 }
 

apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { ToolFallback } from '@/components/assistant-ui/tool-fallback'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
 import { Textarea } from '@/components/ui/textarea'
 import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
-import { HelpCircle, Loader2, PencilLine } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { Check, HelpCircle, Loader2 } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { $clarifyRequest, clearClarifyRequest } from '@/store/clarify'
 import { $gateway } from '@/store/gateway'
@@ -33,6 +33,23 @@ function readClarifyArgs(args: unknown): ClarifyArgs {
   }
 }
 
+// Choice and "Other" rows share a layout; only color/hover differs.
+const OPTION_ROW_CLASS = 'flex w-full items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2.5 py-1.5 text-left text-sm transition-colors'
+
+function RadioDot({ selected }: { selected: boolean }) {
+  return (
+    <span
+      aria-hidden
+      className={cn(
+        'grid size-3.5 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-full border transition-colors',
+        selected ? 'border-primary' : 'border-muted-foreground/40'
+      )}
+    >
+      {selected && <span className="size-1.5 rounded-full bg-primary" />}
+    </span>
+  )
+}
+
 export const ClarifyTool = (props: ToolCallMessagePartProps) => {
   const isPending = props.result === undefined
 
@@ -74,6 +91,7 @@ function ClarifyToolPending({ args }: ToolCallMessagePartProps) {
   const [typing, setTyping] = useState(false)
   const [draft, setDraft] = useState('')
   const [submitting, setSubmitting] = useState(false)
+  const [selectedChoice, setSelectedChoice] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const textareaRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>(null)
 
   // Race: tool.start fires a tick before clarify.request, so request_id
@@ -103,7 +121,7 @@ function ClarifyToolPending({ args }: ToolCallMessagePartProps) {
           answer
         })
         triggerHaptic('submit')
-        clearClarifyRequest(matchingRequest.requestId)
+        clearClarifyRequest(matchingRequest.requestId, matchingRequest.sessionId)
         // The matching tool.complete will land shortly after, swapping this
         // panel for the ToolFallback view above.
       } catch (error) {
@@ -140,72 +158,49 @@ function ClarifyToolPending({ args }: ToolCallMessagePartProps) {
     [draft, respond]
   )
 
-  const handleChoiceKey = useCallback(
-    (event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
-      if (typing || submitting) {
-        return
-      }
-
-      const numeric = Number.parseInt(event.key, 10)
-
-      if (Number.isFinite(numeric) && numeric >= 1 && numeric <= choices.length) {
-        event.preventDefault()
-        void respond(choices[numeric - 1]!)
-      }
-    },
-    [choices, respond, submitting, typing]
-  )
-
   return (
     <div
-      className={cn(
-        'mb-3 mt-2 grid gap-3 rounded-xl border border-border/70 bg-card/40 px-4 py-3.5 text-sm',
-        'shadow-[inset_0_1px_0_color-mix(in_srgb,var(--foreground)_3%,transparent)]'
-      )}
+      className="relative mb-3 mt-2 grid gap-2 rounded-[0.5rem] border border-border/70 bg-card/40 px-3 py-2.5 text-sm shadow-[inset_0_1px_0_color-mix(in_srgb,var(--foreground)_3%,transparent)]"
       data-slot="clarify-inline"
     >
-      <div className="flex items-start gap-2.5">
+      <span aria-hidden className="arc-border" />
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-2.5">
         <span
           aria-hidden
-          className="mt-0.5 grid size-6 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-md bg-[color-mix(in_srgb,var(--dt-primary)_14%,transparent)] text-primary ring-1 ring-inset ring-primary/15"
+          className="grid size-6 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-md bg-[color-mix(in_srgb,var(--dt-primary)_14%,transparent)] text-primary ring-1 ring-inset ring-primary/15"
         >
           <HelpCircle className="size-3.5" />
         </span>
-        <div className="grid flex-1 gap-0.5">
-          <span className="text-[0.6875rem] font-medium uppercase tracking-wide text-muted-foreground/85">
-            Hermes is asking
-          </span>
-          <span className="whitespace-pre-wrap leading-snug text-foreground">
-            {question || <em className="text-muted-foreground/70">Loading question…</em>}
-          </span>
-        </div>
+        <span className="flex-1 whitespace-pre-wrap font-medium leading-snug text-foreground">
+          {question || <em className="font-normal text-muted-foreground/70">Loading question…</em>}
+        </span>
       </div>
 
       {!typing && hasChoices && (
-        <div className="grid gap-1.5" onKeyDown={handleChoiceKey} role="group">
+        <div className="grid gap-0.5" role="group">
           {choices.map((choice, index) => (
             <button
               className={cn(
-                'group/choice flex w-full items-center gap-3 rounded-lg border border-border/70 bg-background/60 px-3 py-2 text-left text-sm text-foreground/95',
-                'transition-colors hover:border-border hover:bg-accent/60 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-55'
+                OPTION_ROW_CLASS,
+                'text-foreground/95 hover:bg-accent/60 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-55',
+                selectedChoice === choice && 'bg-accent/60'
               )}
               data-choice
               disabled={!ready || submitting}
               key={`${index}-${choice}`}
-              onClick={() => void respond(choice)}
+              onClick={() => {
+                setSelectedChoice(choice)
+                void respond(choice)
+              }}
               type="button"
             >
-              <span className="grid size-5 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-md bg-muted text-[0.6875rem] font-mono tabular-nums text-muted-foreground group-hover/choice:bg-background">
-                {index + 1}
-              </span>
+              <RadioDot selected={selectedChoice === choice} />
               <span className="flex-1 wrap-anywhere">{choice}</span>
+              {selectedChoice === choice && <Check aria-hidden className="size-4 shrink-0 text-primary" />}
             </button>
           ))}
           <button
-            className={cn(
-              'flex w-full items-center gap-3 rounded-lg border border-dashed border-border/60 bg-transparent px-3 py-2 text-left text-sm text-muted-foreground',
-              'transition-colors hover:border-border hover:bg-accent/40 hover:text-foreground'
-            )}
+            className={cn(OPTION_ROW_CLASS, 'text-muted-foreground hover:bg-accent/40 hover:text-foreground')}
             disabled={submitting}
             onClick={() => {
               setTyping(true)
@@ -213,12 +208,7 @@ function ClarifyToolPending({ args }: ToolCallMessagePartProps) {
             }}
             type="button"
           >
-            <span
-              aria-hidden
-              className="grid size-5 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-md bg-muted text-muted-foreground"
-            >
-              <PencilLine className="size-3" />
-            </span>
+            <RadioDot selected={false} />
             <span className="flex-1">Other (type your answer)</span>
           </button>
         </div>
@@ -227,7 +217,7 @@ function ClarifyToolPending({ args }: ToolCallMessagePartProps) {
       {(typing || !hasChoices) && (
         <form className="grid gap-2" onSubmit={handleSubmitFreeform}>
           <Textarea
-            className="min-h-20 resize-y rounded-lg border-border/70 bg-background/60 text-sm"
+            className="min-h-20 resize-y rounded-lg border-transparent bg-accent/40 text-sm focus-visible:bg-background/60"
             disabled={submitting}
             onChange={event => setDraft(event.target.value)}
             onKeyDown={handleTextareaKey}
@@ -270,10 +260,9 @@ function ClarifyToolPending({ args }: ToolCallMessagePartProps) {
       )}
 
       {!typing && hasChoices && (
-        <div className="flex items-center justify-between text-[0.6875rem] text-muted-foreground/85">
-          <span>1–{choices.length} to pick</span>
+        <div className="flex justify-end">
           <button
-            className="bg-transparent text-muted-foreground/85 underline-offset-4 decoration-current/20 hover:text-foreground hover:underline disabled:opacity-50"
+            className="bg-transparent text-[0.6875rem] text-muted-foreground/70 underline-offset-4 hover:text-foreground hover:underline disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50"
             disabled={!ready || submitting}
             onClick={() => void respond('')}
             type="button"

apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread-virtualizer.tsx

@@ -430,7 +430,12 @@ function useThreadScrollAnchor({
       return
     }
     if (groupCount > prevGroupCountForLayoutRef.current && stickyBottomRef.current) {
-      pinToBottom()
+      // Defer to rAF so that browser scroll/wheel events from the current
+      // frame are processed first.  Without this deferral, a trackpad
+      // scroll-up during streaming can race with this effect: the wheel
+      // event hasn't fired yet so stickyBottomRef is still true, and the
+      // immediate pinToBottom() would snap the viewport back to bottom
+      // against the user's intent.
       requestAnimationFrame(() => {
         if (stickyBottomRef.current) {
           pinToBottom()

apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread.tsx

@@ -375,7 +375,9 @@ const ThinkingDisclosure: FC<{
     observer.observe(content)
 
     return () => observer.disconnect()
-  }, [isPreview])
+    // Re-run when the disclosure toggles so the observer attaches to the new
+    // DOM after expand/collapse (refs are conditionally rendered on `open`).
+  }, [isPreview, open])
 
   return (
     <div
@@ -616,13 +618,13 @@ const AssistantFooter: FC<MessageActionProps> = props => (
       className="inline-flex h-6 items-center gap-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground"
       hideWhenSingleBranch
     >
-      <BranchPickerPrimitive.Previous className="grid size-6 cursor-pointer place-items-center rounded-md text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-accent hover:text-foreground disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-35">
+      <BranchPickerPrimitive.Previous className="grid size-6 place-items-center rounded-md text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-accent hover:text-foreground disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-35">
         <Codicon name="chevron-left" size="0.875rem" />
       </BranchPickerPrimitive.Previous>
       <span className="tabular-nums">
         <BranchPickerPrimitive.Number /> / <BranchPickerPrimitive.Count />
       </span>
-      <BranchPickerPrimitive.Next className="grid size-6 cursor-pointer place-items-center rounded-md text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-accent hover:text-foreground disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-35">
+      <BranchPickerPrimitive.Next className="grid size-6 place-items-center rounded-md text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-accent hover:text-foreground disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-35">
         <Codicon name="chevron-right" size="0.875rem" />
       </BranchPickerPrimitive.Next>
     </BranchPickerPrimitive.Root>
@@ -660,7 +662,7 @@ const USER_BUBBLE_BASE_CLASS =
   'composer-human-message standalone-glass relative flex w-full min-w-0 max-w-full flex-col gap-1.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl border bg-(--dt-user-bubble) px-3 py-2 text-left shadow-composer'
 
 const USER_ACTION_ICON_BUTTON_CLASS =
-  'grid cursor-pointer place-items-center rounded-md bg-transparent text-(--ui-text-secondary) transition-colors hover:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) hover:text-foreground disabled:cursor-default disabled:text-(--ui-text-quaternary) disabled:opacity-70'
+  'grid place-items-center rounded-md bg-transparent text-(--ui-text-secondary) transition-colors hover:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) hover:text-foreground disabled:cursor-default disabled:text-(--ui-text-quaternary) disabled:opacity-70'
 
 const USER_ACTION_ICON_SIZE = '0.6875rem'
 const StopGlyph = <IconPlayerStopFilled aria-hidden className="size-3.5 -translate-y-px" />
@@ -803,7 +805,7 @@ const UserMessage: FC<{
             >
               <span aria-hidden className="checkpoint-icon size-1.5 rounded-full border border-current" />
               <BranchPickerPrimitive.Previous
-                className="checkpoint-restore-text cursor-pointer rounded-sm bg-transparent px-1 opacity-65 hover:opacity-100 disabled:hidden disabled:cursor-default"
+                className="checkpoint-restore-text rounded-sm bg-transparent px-1 opacity-65 hover:opacity-100 disabled:hidden disabled:cursor-default"
                 title="Restore previous checkpoint"
               >
                 Restore checkpoint
@@ -812,7 +814,7 @@ const UserMessage: FC<{
                 <BranchPickerPrimitive.Number />/<BranchPickerPrimitive.Count />
               </span>
               <BranchPickerPrimitive.Next
-                className="checkpoint-restore-text cursor-pointer rounded-sm bg-transparent px-1 opacity-65 hover:opacity-100 disabled:hidden disabled:cursor-default"
+                className="checkpoint-restore-text rounded-sm bg-transparent px-1 opacity-65 hover:opacity-100 disabled:hidden disabled:cursor-default"
                 title="Restore next checkpoint"
               >
                 Go forward

apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-approval.test.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+import { cleanup, fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import type { HermesGateway } from '@/hermes'
+import { $gateway } from '@/store/gateway'
+import { $approvalRequest } from '@/store/prompts'
+
+import { PendingToolApproval } from './tool-approval'
+import type { ToolPart } from './tool-fallback-model'
+
+function part(toolName: string): ToolPart {
+  return { toolName, type: `tool-${toolName}` } as unknown as ToolPart
+}
+
+function setRequest(command = 'rm -rf /tmp/x') {
+  $approvalRequest.set({ command, description: 'dangerous command', sessionId: 'sess-1' })
+}
+
+function mockGateway() {
+  const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ resolved: true })
+  $gateway.set({ request } as unknown as HermesGateway)
+
+  return request
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup()
+  $approvalRequest.set(null)
+  $gateway.set(null)
+})
+
+describe('PendingToolApproval', () => {
+  it('renders nothing when there is no pending approval', () => {
+    const { container } = render(<PendingToolApproval part={part('terminal')} />)
+
+    expect(container.innerHTML).toBe('')
+  })
+
+  it('renders nothing for tools that never raise approval', () => {
+    setRequest()
+    const { container } = render(<PendingToolApproval part={part('read_file')} />)
+
+    expect(container.innerHTML).toBe('')
+  })
+
+  it('renders the inline run/reject controls on the pending terminal row', () => {
+    setRequest('chmod -R 777 /tmp/x')
+    render(<PendingToolApproval part={part('terminal')} />)
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Run/ })).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Reject/ })).toBeTruthy()
+  })
+
+  it('sends approval.respond {choice: "once"} and clears the request on Run', async () => {
+    const request = mockGateway()
+    setRequest()
+    render(<PendingToolApproval part={part('terminal')} />)
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Run/ }))
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledWith('approval.respond', { choice: 'once', session_id: 'sess-1' })
+    })
+    expect($approvalRequest.get()).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('sends choice "deny" on Reject', async () => {
+    const request = mockGateway()
+    setRequest()
+    render(<PendingToolApproval part={part('terminal')} />)
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Reject/ }))
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledWith('approval.respond', { choice: 'deny', session_id: 'sess-1' })
+    })
+  })
+})

apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-approval.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+'use client'
+
+import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react'
+import { type FC, useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+
+import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
+import {
+  Dialog,
+  DialogContent,
+  DialogDescription,
+  DialogFooter,
+  DialogHeader,
+  DialogTitle
+} from '@/components/ui/dialog'
+import {
+  DropdownMenu,
+  DropdownMenuContent,
+  DropdownMenuItem,
+  DropdownMenuTrigger
+} from '@/components/ui/dropdown-menu'
+import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
+import { ChevronDown, Loader2 } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { $gateway } from '@/store/gateway'
+import { notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
+import { $approvalRequest, type ApprovalRequest, clearApprovalRequest } from '@/store/prompts'
+
+import type { ToolPart } from './tool-fallback-model'
+
+// Inline approval control. Rendered as a compact button strip
+// under the pending tool row that raised the approval (the row already shows
+// the command, so the strip deliberately doesn't repeat it) instead of as a
+// modal overlay.
+//
+// Binding is POSITIONAL, not command-matched: the desktop `tool.start` payload
+// carries no structured args (only tool_id/name/context — see
+// tui_gateway/server.py::_on_tool_start), so we cannot join the approval to the
+// row by command string. But `approval.request` only ever fires from the
+// `terminal` / `execute_code` guards and the agent thread blocks on exactly one
+// approval at a time, so the single pending row of those tools IS the row that
+// raised it. The command/description text comes from `$approvalRequest` (the
+// event payload), which is the only place that data reliably exists.
+const APPROVAL_TOOLS = new Set(['terminal', 'execute_code'])
+
+// Canonical gateway choices (ui-tui/src/components/prompts.tsx).
+type ApprovalChoice = 'once' | 'session' | 'always' | 'deny'
+
+export const PendingToolApproval: FC<{ part: ToolPart }> = ({ part }) => {
+  const request = useStore($approvalRequest)
+
+  if (!request || !APPROVAL_TOOLS.has(part.toolName)) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  return <ApprovalBar request={request} />
+}
+
+const isMac = typeof navigator !== 'undefined' && /Mac|iP(hone|ad|od)/.test(navigator.platform)
+
+const ApprovalBar: FC<{ request: ApprovalRequest }> = ({ request }) => {
+  const gateway = useStore($gateway)
+  const [submitting, setSubmitting] = useState<ApprovalChoice | null>(null)
+  // "Always allow" persists the pattern to ~/.hermes/config.yaml permanently, so
+  // it goes through a confirm step rather than firing straight from the menu.
+  const [confirmAlways, setConfirmAlways] = useState(false)
+  const busy = submitting !== null
+
+  const respond = useCallback(
+    async (choice: ApprovalChoice) => {
+      // Another bar (or the keyboard path) may have already resolved this
+      // approval; the atom is the single source of truth, so bail if it's gone.
+      if (busy || !$approvalRequest.get()) {
+        return
+      }
+
+      if (!gateway) {
+        notifyError(new Error('Hermes gateway is not connected'), 'Could not send approval response')
+
+        return
+      }
+
+      setSubmitting(choice)
+
+      try {
+        await gateway.request<{ resolved?: boolean }>('approval.respond', {
+          choice,
+          session_id: request.sessionId ?? undefined
+        })
+        triggerHaptic(choice === 'deny' ? 'cancel' : 'submit')
+        clearApprovalRequest()
+      } catch (error) {
+        notifyError(error, 'Could not send approval response')
+        setSubmitting(null)
+      }
+    },
+    [busy, gateway, request.sessionId]
+  )
+
+  // ⌘/Ctrl+Enter → Run, Esc → Reject.
+  // While the confirm dialog is open it owns the keyboard (Esc closes it), so
+  // the strip-level shortcuts stand down to avoid denying the whole approval.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (confirmAlways) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    const onKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
+      if (event.key === 'Enter' && (event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey)) {
+        event.preventDefault()
+        void respond('once')
+      } else if (event.key === 'Escape') {
+        event.preventDefault()
+        void respond('deny')
+      }
+    }
+
+    window.addEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown, true)
+
+    return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown, true)
+  }, [confirmAlways, respond])
+
+  return (
+    <div className="mt-1 flex items-center gap-2.5 ps-5" data-slot="tool-approval-inline">
+      <div className="inline-flex h-6 items-stretch overflow-hidden rounded-md border border-primary/25 bg-primary/10 text-primary">
+        <Button
+          className="h-full gap-1 rounded-none px-2 text-xs font-medium text-primary hover:bg-primary/15 hover:text-primary"
+          disabled={busy}
+          onClick={() => void respond('once')}
+          size="xs"
+          variant="ghost"
+        >
+          {submitting === 'once' ? <Loader2 className="size-3 animate-spin" /> : 'Run'}
+          {submitting !== 'once' && <span className="text-[0.625rem] text-primary/60">{isMac ? '⌘⏎' : 'Ctrl⏎'}</span>}
+        </Button>
+        <span aria-hidden className="w-px self-stretch bg-primary/20" />
+        <DropdownMenu>
+          <DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
+            <Button
+              aria-label="More approval options"
+              className="h-full w-5 rounded-none px-0 text-primary hover:bg-primary/15 hover:text-primary"
+              disabled={busy}
+              size="xs"
+              variant="ghost"
+            >
+              <ChevronDown className="size-3" />
+            </Button>
+          </DropdownMenuTrigger>
+          <DropdownMenuContent align="start" className="min-w-44">
+            <DropdownMenuItem onSelect={() => void respond('session')}>Allow this session</DropdownMenuItem>
+            <DropdownMenuItem
+              onSelect={() => {
+                // Defer one tick so the menu fully unmounts before the dialog
+                // mounts — otherwise Radix's focus-return races the dialog and
+                // dismisses it via onInteractOutside.
+                setTimeout(() => setConfirmAlways(true), 0)
+              }}
+            >
+              Always allow…
+            </DropdownMenuItem>
+            <DropdownMenuItem onSelect={() => void respond('deny')} variant="destructive">
+              Reject
+            </DropdownMenuItem>
+          </DropdownMenuContent>
+        </DropdownMenu>
+      </div>
+
+      <Button
+        className="h-6 gap-1.5 rounded-md px-1.5 text-xs font-normal text-(--ui-text-tertiary) hover:text-foreground"
+        disabled={busy}
+        onClick={() => void respond('deny')}
+        size="xs"
+        variant="ghost"
+      >
+        {submitting === 'deny' ? <Loader2 className="size-3 animate-spin" /> : 'Reject'}
+        {submitting !== 'deny' && <span className="text-[0.625rem] opacity-55">Esc</span>}
+      </Button>
+
+      <Dialog onOpenChange={setConfirmAlways} open={confirmAlways}>
+        <DialogContent className="max-w-md">
+          <DialogHeader>
+            <DialogTitle>Always allow this command?</DialogTitle>
+            <DialogDescription>
+              This adds the “{request.description}” pattern to your permanent allowlist (
+              <code className="font-mono text-xs">~/.hermes/config.yaml</code>). Hermes won’t ask again for commands
+              like this — in this session or any future one.
+            </DialogDescription>
+          </DialogHeader>
+
+          {request.command.trim() && (
+            <pre className="max-h-32 overflow-auto whitespace-pre-wrap break-words rounded-md border border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-chat-surface-background) px-2.5 py-1.5 font-mono text-xs leading-snug text-foreground">
+              {request.command.trim()}
+            </pre>
+          )}
+
+          <DialogFooter>
+            <Button onClick={() => setConfirmAlways(false)} size="sm" variant="ghost">
+              Cancel
+            </Button>
+            <Button
+              onClick={() => {
+                setConfirmAlways(false)
+                void respond('always')
+              }}
+              size="sm"
+              variant="destructive"
+            >
+              Always allow
+            </Button>
+          </DialogFooter>
+        </DialogContent>
+      </Dialog>
+    </div>
+  )
+}

apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tool-fallback.tsx

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { $toolInlineDiffs } from '@/store/tool-diffs'
 import { $toolDisclosureOpen, $toolViewMode, setToolDisclosureOpen } from '@/store/tool-view'
 
+import { PendingToolApproval } from './tool-approval'
 import {
   groupCopyText as buildGroupCopyText,
   buildToolView,
@@ -309,6 +310,7 @@ function ToolEntry({ part }: ToolEntryProps) {
           </span>
         </DisclosureRow>
       </div>
+      {isPending && <PendingToolApproval part={part} />}
       {open && (
         <div className="grid w-full min-w-0 max-w-full gap-1.5 overflow-hidden p-1.5">
           {!embedded && view.previewTarget && isPreviewableTarget(view.previewTarget) && (
@@ -387,7 +389,7 @@ function ToolEntry({ part }: ToolEntryProps) {
             ))}
           {showRawSearchDrilldown && (
             <details className="max-w-full">
-              <summary className={cn(TOOL_SECTION_LABEL_CLASS, 'cursor-pointer mb-0')}>Raw response</summary>
+              <summary className={cn(TOOL_SECTION_LABEL_CLASS, 'mb-0')}>Raw response</summary>
               <pre className={cn(TOOL_SECTION_PRE_CLASS, 'mt-1 whitespace-pre-wrap wrap-anywhere')}>
                 {view.rawResult}
               </pre>

apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/tooltip-icon-button.tsx

@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ export const TooltipIconButton = forwardRef<HTMLButtonElement, TooltipIconButton
   ({ children, tooltip, side: _side = 'bottom', className, ...rest }, ref) => {
     return (
       <Button
-        size="icon"
+        size="icon-xs"
         variant="ghost"
         {...rest}
         aria-label={tooltip}
-        className={cn('aui-button-icon size-6 p-1', className)}
+        className={cn('aui-button-icon', className)}
         ref={ref}
         title={tooltip}
       >

apps/desktop/src/components/chat/disclosure-row.tsx

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export function DisclosureRow({
           // background fill, just the cursor + the affordance caret.
           'flex min-w-0 max-w-fit items-start gap-1.5 text-left transition-colors',
           onToggle
-            ? 'cursor-pointer hover:text-foreground focus-visible:text-foreground focus-visible:outline-none'
+            ? 'hover:text-foreground focus-visible:text-foreground focus-visible:outline-none'
             : 'cursor-default'
         )}
         disabled={!onToggle}

apps/desktop/src/components/chat/intro.tsx

@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@ function pickCopy(copies: IntroCopy[], seed = 0): IntroCopy {
   return copies[Math.abs(seed) % copies.length] || FALLBACK_COPY[0]
 }
 
+const WORDMARK = 'HERMES AGENT'
+
 function resolveCopy(personality?: string, seed?: number): IntroCopy {
   const personalityKey = normalizeKey(personality)
 
@@ -163,15 +165,14 @@ export function Intro({ personality, seed }: IntroProps) {
     >
       <div className="w-full min-w-0">
         <p
-          className="fit-text mx-auto mb-3 w-4/5 font-['Collapse'] font-bold uppercase leading-[0.9] tracking-[0.08em] text-midground mix-blend-plus-lighter dark:text-foreground/90"
-          style={
-            { '--fit-text-line-height': '0.9', '--fit-text-max': '8rem', '--fit-text-min': '2.75rem' } as CSSProperties
-          }
+          aria-label={WORDMARK}
+          className="fit-text mx-auto mb-3 w-[88%] font-['Collapse'] font-bold uppercase leading-[0.9] tracking-[0.08em] text-midground mix-blend-plus-lighter dark:text-foreground/90"
+          style={{ '--fit-text-line-height': '0.9', '--fit-text-min': '2.75rem' } as CSSProperties}
         >
           <span>
-            <span>HERMES AGENT</span>
+            <span>{WORDMARK}</span>
           </span>
-          <span aria-hidden="true">HERMES AGENT</span>
+          <span aria-hidden="true">{WORDMARK}</span>
         </p>
 
         <p className="m-0 text-center leading-normal tracking-tight">{copy.body}</p>

apps/desktop/src/components/desktop-onboarding-overlay.test.tsx

@@ -52,11 +52,11 @@ describe('onboarding Picker', () => {
 
     expect(screen.getByText('Nous Portal')).toBeTruthy()
     expect(screen.getByText('Recommended')).toBeTruthy()
-    expect(screen.queryByText('Anthropic Claude')).toBeNull()
+    expect(screen.queryByText('Anthropic API Key')).toBeNull()
 
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Other providers' }))
 
-    expect(screen.getByText('Anthropic Claude')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.getByText('Anthropic API Key')).toBeTruthy()
     expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Collapse' })).toBeTruthy()
   })
 
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ describe('onboarding Picker', () => {
     setProviders([provider('anthropic', 'Anthropic Claude'), provider('openai-codex', 'OpenAI Codex / ChatGPT')])
     render(<Picker ctx={ctx} />)
 
-    expect(screen.getByText('Anthropic Claude')).toBeTruthy()
-    expect(screen.getByText('OpenAI Codex / ChatGPT')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.getByText('Anthropic API Key')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.getByText('OpenAI OAuth (ChatGPT)')).toBeTruthy()
     expect(screen.queryByText('Other sign-in options')).toBeNull()
     expect(screen.queryByText('Recommended')).toBeNull()
   })

apps/desktop/src/components/desktop-onboarding-overlay.tsx

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 
 import { ModelPickerDialog } from '@/components/model-picker'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
+import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
 import { getGlobalModelOptions } from '@/hermes'
 import {
@@ -102,12 +103,14 @@ const API_KEY_OPTIONS: ApiKeyOption[] = [
 
 const PROVIDER_DISPLAY: Record<string, { order: number; title: string }> = {
   nous: { order: 0, title: 'Nous Portal' },
-  anthropic: { order: 1, title: 'Anthropic Claude' },
-  'openai-codex': { order: 2, title: 'OpenAI Codex / ChatGPT' },
-  'minimax-oauth': { order: 3, title: 'MiniMax' },
+  'openai-codex': { order: 1, title: 'OpenAI OAuth (ChatGPT)' },
+  'minimax-oauth': { order: 2, title: 'MiniMax' },
+  'qwen-oauth': { order: 3, title: 'Qwen Code' },
   'xai-oauth': { order: 4, title: 'xAI Grok' },
-  'claude-code': { order: 5, title: 'Claude Code' },
-  'qwen-oauth': { order: 6, title: 'Qwen Code' }
+  // Both Anthropic entries sit at the bottom: the API-key path first, then
+  // the subscription OAuth path (only works with extra usage credits).
+  anthropic: { order: 5, title: 'Anthropic API Key' },
+  'claude-code': { order: 6, title: 'Anthropic OAuth: Required Extra Usage Credits to Use Subscription' }
 }
 
 const assetPath = (path: string) => `${import.meta.env.BASE_URL}${path.replace(/^\/+/, '')}`
@@ -165,20 +168,20 @@ export function DesktopOnboardingOverlay({ enabled, onCompleted, requestGateway
 
   return (
     <div className="fixed inset-0 z-1300 flex items-center justify-center bg-(--ui-chat-surface-background) p-6">
-      <div className="w-full max-w-[45rem] overflow-hidden rounded-xl border border-(--ui-stroke-secondary) bg-(--ui-chat-bubble-background) shadow-sm">
+      <div className="relative w-full max-w-[45rem] overflow-hidden rounded-xl border border-(--ui-stroke-secondary) bg-(--ui-chat-bubble-background) shadow-sm">
         <Header />
+        {onboarding.manual ? (
+          <Button
+            aria-label="Close"
+            className="absolute right-3 top-3 z-10 text-(--ui-text-tertiary) hover:bg-(--chrome-action-hover) hover:text-foreground"
+            onClick={() => closeManualOnboarding()}
+            size="icon-sm"
+            variant="ghost"
+          >
+            <Codicon name="close" size="1rem" />
+          </Button>
+        ) : null}
         <div className="grid gap-3 p-5">
-          {onboarding.manual ? (
-            <div className="flex justify-end">
-              <button
-                className="text-xs font-medium text-muted-foreground transition hover:text-foreground"
-                onClick={() => closeManualOnboarding()}
-                type="button"
-              >
-                Close
-              </button>
-            </div>
-          ) : null}
           {reason ? <ReasonNotice reason={reason} /> : null}
           {ready ? showPicker ? <Picker ctx={ctx} /> : <FlowPanel ctx={ctx} flow={flow} /> : <Preparing boot={boot} />}
         </div>
@@ -692,9 +695,11 @@ function ConfirmingModelPanel({
     queryKey: ['onboarding-model-options', flow.providerSlug],
     queryFn: () => getGlobalModelOptions()
   })
+
   const providerRow = options.data?.providers?.find(
     p => String(p.slug).toLowerCase() === flow.providerSlug.toLowerCase()
   )
+
   const price = providerRow?.pricing?.[flow.currentModel]
   const freeTier = providerRow?.free_tier
 

apps/desktop/src/components/error-boundary.tsx

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Component, type ErrorInfo, type ReactNode } from 'react'
 
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
-import { AlertTriangle, RefreshCw } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { ErrorState } from '@/components/ui/error-state'
 
 export interface ErrorBoundaryFallbackProps {
   error: Error
@@ -53,39 +53,25 @@ export class ErrorBoundary extends Component<ErrorBoundaryProps, ErrorBoundarySt
 
 function RootErrorFallback({ error, reset }: ErrorBoundaryFallbackProps) {
   return (
-    <div className="fixed inset-0 z-[1500] flex items-center justify-center bg-(--ui-chat-surface-background) p-6">
-      <div className="w-full max-w-[40rem] overflow-hidden rounded-xl border border-(--ui-stroke-secondary) bg-(--ui-chat-bubble-background) shadow-sm">
-        <div className="flex items-start gap-3 border-b border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) px-5 py-4">
-          <div className="flex size-9 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-lg bg-destructive/10 text-destructive">
-            <AlertTriangle className="size-5" />
-          </div>
-          <div>
-            <h2 className="text-[0.9375rem] font-semibold tracking-tight">Something broke in the interface</h2>
-            <p className="mt-1 text-[0.8125rem] leading-5 text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">
-              The view hit an unexpected error. Your chats and settings are safe - try again, or reload the window.
-            </p>
-          </div>
-        </div>
-
-        <div className="grid gap-4 p-5">
-          <div className="rounded-2xl border border-destructive/30 bg-destructive/10 px-4 py-3 font-mono text-[0.7rem] leading-4 text-destructive">
-            {error.message || String(error)}
-          </div>
-
-          <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-2">
-            <Button onClick={reset}>
-              <RefreshCw className="size-4" />
-              Try again
-            </Button>
-            <Button onClick={() => window.location.reload()} variant="outline">
-              Reload window
-            </Button>
-            <Button onClick={() => void window.hermesDesktop?.revealLogs()?.catch(() => undefined)} variant="ghost">
-              Open logs
-            </Button>
-          </div>
-        </div>
-      </div>
+    <div className="fixed inset-0 z-[1500] grid place-items-center bg-(--ui-chat-surface-background) p-6">
+      <ErrorState
+        className="w-full max-w-[28rem]"
+        description={error.message || 'The view hit an unexpected error. Your chats and settings are safe.'}
+        title="Something broke in the interface"
+      >
+        <Button className="font-semibold" onClick={reset} size="lg">
+          Try again
+        </Button>
+        <Button onClick={() => window.location.reload()} variant="text">
+          Reload window
+        </Button>
+        <Button
+          onClick={() => void window.hermesDesktop?.revealLogs()?.catch(() => undefined)}
+          variant="text"
+        >
+          Open logs
+        </Button>
+      </ErrorState>
     </div>
   )
 }

apps/desktop/src/components/model-visibility-dialog.tsx

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react'
 import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query'
 import { useMemo, useState } from 'react'
 
+import { BrailleSpinner } from '@/components/ui/braille-spinner'
 import { Dialog, DialogContent, DialogHeader, DialogTitle } from '@/components/ui/dialog'
 import { Switch } from '@/components/ui/switch'
 import type { HermesGateway } from '@/hermes'
@@ -86,7 +87,11 @@ export function ModelVisibilityDialog({ gw, onOpenChange, onOpenProviders, open,
         <div className="max-h-[55vh] overflow-y-auto pb-1">
           {providers.length === 0 ? (
             <div className="px-3 py-5 text-center text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-              {modelOptions.isPending ? 'Loading…' : 'No authenticated providers.'}
+              {modelOptions.isPending ? (
+                <BrailleSpinner className="mx-auto text-sm" />
+              ) : (
+                'No authenticated providers.'
+              )}
             </div>
           ) : (
             providers.map(provider => {
@@ -118,7 +123,6 @@ export function ModelVisibilityDialog({ gw, onOpenChange, onOpenProviders, open,
                         </span>
                         <Switch
                           checked={visible.has(key)}
-                          className="cursor-pointer"
                           onCheckedChange={() => toggle(provider, family.id)}
                         />
                       </label>

apps/desktop/src/components/notifications.tsx

@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ function NotificationItem({ notification }: { notification: AppNotification }) {
 function NotificationDetail({ detail }: { detail: string }) {
   return (
     <details className="mt-2 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-      <summary className="cursor-pointer select-none font-medium text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground">
+      <summary className="select-none font-medium text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground">
         Details
       </summary>
       <div className="mt-1 rounded-md border border-border/70 bg-background/65 p-2">

apps/desktop/src/components/prompt-overlays.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,230 @@
+'use client'
+
+import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react'
+import { type FormEvent, useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+
+import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
+import { Dialog, DialogContent, DialogDescription, DialogFooter, DialogHeader, DialogTitle } from '@/components/ui/dialog'
+import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
+import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
+import { KeyRound, Loader2, Lock } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { $gateway } from '@/store/gateway'
+import { notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
+import { $secretRequest, $sudoRequest, clearSecretRequest, clearSudoRequest } from '@/store/prompts'
+
+// Renders the modal mid-turn prompts the gateway raises and waits on: sudo
+// password and skill secret capture. (Dangerous-command / execute_code approval
+// is rendered INLINE on the pending tool row instead — see
+// components/assistant-ui/tool-approval.tsx — so it reads like an inline "Run"
+// affordance rather than a blocking modal.) Each Python-side caller blocks the
+// agent thread until the matching `*.respond` RPC lands; without a renderer the
+// agent stalls until its timeout and the tool is BLOCKED (the bug this fixes —
+// desktop handled clarify.request but not these). Any close path (Esc, backdrop
+// click) funnels through Radix's single `onOpenChange(false)` and maps to a
+// refusal, so silence is never mistaken for consent, matching the TUI. We
+// deliberately do NOT add onEscapeKeyDown / onInteractOutside handlers — they'd
+// fire a second `*.respond` alongside onOpenChange (double-send) or block the
+// backdrop-dismiss path.
+
+function SudoDialog() {
+  const request = useStore($sudoRequest)
+  const gateway = useStore($gateway)
+  const [password, setPassword] = useState('')
+  const [submitting, setSubmitting] = useState(false)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setPassword('')
+    setSubmitting(false)
+  }, [request?.requestId])
+
+  const send = useCallback(
+    async (value: string) => {
+      if (!request) {
+        return
+      }
+
+      if (!gateway) {
+        notifyError(new Error('Hermes gateway is not connected'), 'Could not send sudo password')
+
+        return
+      }
+
+      setSubmitting(true)
+
+      try {
+        await gateway.request<{ status?: string }>('sudo.respond', {
+          password: value,
+          request_id: request.requestId
+        })
+        triggerHaptic('submit')
+        clearSudoRequest(request.requestId)
+      } catch (error) {
+        notifyError(error, 'Could not send sudo password')
+        setSubmitting(false)
+      }
+    },
+    [gateway, request]
+  )
+
+  // Cancel → empty password. The backend treats an empty sudo response as a
+  // failed sudo (no command runs), so closing the dialog is a safe refusal.
+  const onOpenChange = useCallback(
+    (open: boolean) => {
+      if (!open && !submitting && request) {
+        void send('')
+      }
+    },
+    [request, send, submitting]
+  )
+
+  const onSubmit = useCallback(
+    (event: FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) => {
+      event.preventDefault()
+      void send(password)
+    },
+    [password, send]
+  )
+
+  if (!request) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <Dialog onOpenChange={onOpenChange} open>
+      <DialogContent showCloseButton={false}>
+        <DialogHeader>
+          <DialogTitle className="flex items-center gap-2">
+            <Lock className="size-4 text-primary" />
+            Administrator password
+          </DialogTitle>
+          <DialogDescription>
+            Hermes needs your sudo password to run a privileged command. It is sent only to your local agent.
+          </DialogDescription>
+        </DialogHeader>
+
+        <form className="grid gap-3" onSubmit={onSubmit}>
+          <Input
+            autoFocus
+            disabled={submitting}
+            onChange={event => setPassword(event.target.value)}
+            placeholder="sudo password"
+            type="password"
+            value={password}
+          />
+          <DialogFooter>
+            <Button disabled={submitting} onClick={() => void send('')} type="button" variant="ghost">
+              Cancel
+            </Button>
+            <Button disabled={submitting} type="submit">
+              {submitting ? <Loader2 className="size-3.5 animate-spin" /> : 'Send'}
+            </Button>
+          </DialogFooter>
+        </form>
+      </DialogContent>
+    </Dialog>
+  )
+}
+
+function SecretDialog() {
+  const request = useStore($secretRequest)
+  const gateway = useStore($gateway)
+  const [value, setValue] = useState('')
+  const [submitting, setSubmitting] = useState(false)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setValue('')
+    setSubmitting(false)
+  }, [request?.requestId])
+
+  const send = useCallback(
+    async (secret: string) => {
+      if (!request) {
+        return
+      }
+
+      if (!gateway) {
+        notifyError(new Error('Hermes gateway is not connected'), 'Could not send secret')
+
+        return
+      }
+
+      setSubmitting(true)
+
+      try {
+        await gateway.request<{ status?: string }>('secret.respond', {
+          request_id: request.requestId,
+          value: secret
+        })
+        triggerHaptic('submit')
+        clearSecretRequest(request.requestId)
+      } catch (error) {
+        notifyError(error, 'Could not send secret')
+        setSubmitting(false)
+      }
+    },
+    [gateway, request]
+  )
+
+  const onOpenChange = useCallback(
+    (open: boolean) => {
+      if (!open && !submitting && request) {
+        void send('')
+      }
+    },
+    [request, send, submitting]
+  )
+
+  const onSubmit = useCallback(
+    (event: FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) => {
+      event.preventDefault()
+      void send(value)
+    },
+    [send, value]
+  )
+
+  if (!request) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <Dialog onOpenChange={onOpenChange} open>
+      <DialogContent showCloseButton={false}>
+        <DialogHeader>
+          <DialogTitle className="flex items-center gap-2">
+            <KeyRound className="size-4 text-primary" />
+            {request.envVar || 'Secret required'}
+          </DialogTitle>
+          <DialogDescription>{request.prompt || 'Hermes needs a credential to continue.'}</DialogDescription>
+        </DialogHeader>
+
+        <form className="grid gap-3" onSubmit={onSubmit}>
+          <Input
+            autoFocus
+            disabled={submitting}
+            onChange={event => setValue(event.target.value)}
+            placeholder={request.envVar || 'secret value'}
+            type="password"
+            value={value}
+          />
+          <DialogFooter>
+            <Button disabled={submitting} onClick={() => void send('')} type="button" variant="ghost">
+              Cancel
+            </Button>
+            <Button disabled={submitting || !value} type="submit">
+              {submitting ? <Loader2 className="size-3.5 animate-spin" /> : 'Send'}
+            </Button>
+          </DialogFooter>
+        </form>
+      </DialogContent>
+    </Dialog>
+  )
+}
+
+export function PromptOverlays() {
+  return (
+    <>
+      <SudoDialog />
+      <SecretDialog />
+    </>
+  )
+}

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/badge.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import { cva, type VariantProps } from 'class-variance-authority'
+import { Slot } from 'radix-ui'
+import type * as React from 'react'
+
+import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
+
+// Small status/metadata tag. App radius (not a full pill); tones map to the
+// shared accent/muted/destructive surfaces so badges read consistently.
+const badgeVariants = cva(
+  'inline-flex w-fit shrink-0 items-center gap-1 rounded-[3px] px-1.5 py-0.5 text-[0.65rem] font-medium leading-none whitespace-nowrap [&_svg]:size-3 [&_svg]:pointer-events-none',
+  {
+    variants: {
+      variant: {
+        default: 'bg-primary/10 text-primary',
+        muted: 'bg-muted text-muted-foreground',
+        warn: 'bg-amber-500/10 text-amber-600 dark:text-amber-300',
+        destructive: 'bg-destructive/10 text-destructive',
+        outline: 'border border-(--ui-stroke-secondary) text-muted-foreground'
+      }
+    },
+    defaultVariants: { variant: 'default' }
+  }
+)
+
+export interface BadgeProps extends React.ComponentProps<'span'>, VariantProps<typeof badgeVariants> {
+  asChild?: boolean
+}
+
+export function Badge({ asChild = false, className, variant, ...props }: BadgeProps) {
+  const Comp = asChild ? Slot.Root : 'span'
+
+  return <Comp className={cn(badgeVariants({ variant }), className)} data-slot="badge" {...props} />
+}
+
+export { badgeVariants }

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/button.tsx

@@ -4,8 +4,11 @@ import * as React from 'react'
 
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
+// Text buttons are square (no radius) and sized by padding + line-height — no
+// fixed heights — so they stay snug and scale with content. Only icon buttons
+// (inherently square) carry the shared 4px radius.
 const buttonVariants = cva(
-  "inline-flex shrink-0 cursor-pointer items-center justify-center gap-2 rounded-md text-sm font-medium whitespace-nowrap transition-all outline-none focus-visible:border-ring focus-visible:ring-[0.1875rem] focus-visible:ring-ring/50 disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-50 aria-invalid:border-destructive aria-invalid:ring-destructive/20 dark:aria-invalid:ring-destructive/40 [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-4",
+  "inline-flex shrink-0 cursor-pointer items-center justify-center gap-1.5 rounded-[2.5px] text-xs leading-4 font-medium whitespace-nowrap transition-all outline-none focus-visible:border-ring focus-visible:ring-[0.1875rem] focus-visible:ring-ring/50 disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-50 aria-invalid:border-destructive aria-invalid:ring-destructive/20 dark:aria-invalid:ring-destructive/40 [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3.5",
   {
     variants: {
       variant: {
@@ -16,17 +19,24 @@ const buttonVariants = cva(
           'border bg-background shadow-xs hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground dark:border-input dark:bg-input/30 dark:hover:bg-input/50',
         secondary: 'bg-secondary text-secondary-foreground hover:bg-secondary/80',
         ghost: 'hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground dark:hover:bg-accent/50',
-        link: 'text-primary underline-offset-4 decoration-current/20 hover:underline'
+        link: 'text-primary underline-offset-4 decoration-current/20 hover:underline',
+        // Boxless inline-text action (no bg/border). Quiet by default — reads as
+        // muted label text, underlines on hover (e.g. "Cancel", "Clear").
+        text: 'text-muted-foreground underline-offset-4 hover:text-foreground hover:underline',
+        // Emphasized inline-text action: bold + always-underlined link. Use for
+        // the actionable affordance in a row ("Change", "Set", "Open logs", …).
+        textStrong: 'font-semibold text-muted-foreground underline underline-offset-4 hover:text-foreground'
       },
       size: {
-        default: 'h-9 px-4 py-2 has-[>svg]:px-3',
-        xs: "h-6 gap-1 rounded-md px-2 text-xs has-[>svg]:px-1.5 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3",
-        sm: 'h-8 gap-1.5 rounded-md px-3 has-[>svg]:px-2.5',
-        lg: 'h-10 rounded-md px-6 has-[>svg]:px-4',
-        icon: 'size-9',
-        'icon-xs': "size-6 rounded-md [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3",
-        'icon-sm': 'size-8',
-        'icon-lg': 'size-10'
+        default: 'px-3 py-1.5 has-[>svg]:px-2.5',
+        xs: "gap-1 px-2 py-0.5 text-[0.6875rem] leading-4 has-[>svg]:px-1.5 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3",
+        sm: 'px-2.5 py-1 has-[>svg]:px-2',
+        lg: 'px-5 py-2 text-sm leading-5 has-[>svg]:px-4',
+        icon: 'size-9 rounded-[4px]',
+        'icon-xs': "size-6 rounded-[4px] [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3",
+        'icon-sm': 'size-8 rounded-[4px]',
+        'icon-lg': 'size-10 rounded-[4px]',
+        'icon-titlebar': 'h-(--titlebar-control-height) w-(--titlebar-control-size) rounded-[4px] [&_.codicon]:text-[0.875rem]'
       }
     },
     defaultVariants: {

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/control.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { cva, type VariantProps } from 'class-variance-authority'
+
+// Single source of truth for non-composer form-control chrome — Input,
+// Textarea, and SelectTrigger all consume this. Mirrors `buttonVariants`:
+// 2.5px radius, 12px text, padding-driven sizing (no fixed heights). The visual
+// chrome (background, border tint, hover, focus glow, invalid state) comes from
+// the `desktop-input-chrome` CSS so every control shares one exact look.
+export const controlVariants = cva(
+  'desktop-input-chrome w-full min-w-0 rounded-[2.5px] border text-xs leading-4 text-foreground outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50',
+  {
+    variants: {
+      size: {
+        sm: 'px-2 py-1',
+        default: 'px-2.5 py-1.5',
+        lg: 'px-3 py-2 text-sm leading-5'
+      }
+    },
+    defaultVariants: {
+      size: 'default'
+    }
+  }
+)
+
+export type ControlVariantProps = VariantProps<typeof controlVariants>

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/dropdown-menu.tsx

@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ function DropdownMenuItem({
   return (
     <DropdownMenuPrimitive.Item
       className={cn(
-        "relative flex cursor-default items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1 text-xs outline-hidden select-none focus:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) focus:text-foreground data-[disabled]:pointer-events-none data-[disabled]:opacity-50 data-[inset]:pl-7 data-[variant=destructive]:text-destructive data-[variant=destructive]:focus:bg-destructive/10 data-[variant=destructive]:focus:text-destructive dark:data-[variant=destructive]:focus:bg-destructive/20 [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3.5 [&_svg:not([class*='text-'])]:text-(--ui-text-tertiary) data-[variant=destructive]:*:[svg]:text-destructive!",
+        "relative flex items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1 text-xs outline-hidden select-none focus:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) focus:text-foreground data-[disabled]:pointer-events-none data-[disabled]:opacity-50 data-[inset]:pl-7 data-[variant=destructive]:text-destructive data-[variant=destructive]:focus:bg-destructive/10 data-[variant=destructive]:focus:text-destructive dark:data-[variant=destructive]:focus:bg-destructive/20 [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3.5 [&_svg:not([class*='text-'])]:text-(--ui-text-tertiary) data-[variant=destructive]:*:[svg]:text-destructive!",
         className
       )}
       data-inset={inset}
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ function DropdownMenuCheckboxItem({
     <DropdownMenuPrimitive.CheckboxItem
       checked={checked}
       className={cn(
-        "relative flex cursor-default items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1 text-xs outline-hidden select-none focus:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) focus:text-foreground data-[disabled]:pointer-events-none data-[disabled]:opacity-50 [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3.5",
+        "relative flex items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1 text-xs outline-hidden select-none focus:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) focus:text-foreground data-[disabled]:pointer-events-none data-[disabled]:opacity-50 [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3.5",
         className
       )}
       data-slot="dropdown-menu-checkbox-item"
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ function DropdownMenuRadioItem({
   return (
     <DropdownMenuPrimitive.RadioItem
       className={cn(
-        "relative flex cursor-default items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1 text-xs outline-hidden select-none focus:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) focus:text-foreground data-[disabled]:pointer-events-none data-[disabled]:opacity-50 [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3.5",
+        "relative flex items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1 text-xs outline-hidden select-none focus:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) focus:text-foreground data-[disabled]:pointer-events-none data-[disabled]:opacity-50 [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3.5",
         className
       )}
       data-slot="dropdown-menu-radio-item"
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ function DropdownMenuSubTrigger({
   return (
     <DropdownMenuPrimitive.SubTrigger
       className={cn(
-        "flex cursor-default items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1 text-xs outline-hidden select-none focus:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) focus:text-foreground data-[inset]:pl-7 data-[state=open]:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) data-[state=open]:text-foreground [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3.5 [&_svg:not([class*='text-'])]:text-(--ui-text-tertiary)",
+        "flex cursor-pointer items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1 text-xs outline-hidden select-none focus:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) focus:text-foreground data-[inset]:pl-7 data-[state=open]:bg-(--ui-control-active-background) data-[state=open]:text-foreground [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0 [&_svg:not([class*='size-'])]:size-3.5 [&_svg:not([class*='text-'])]:text-(--ui-text-tertiary)",
         className
       )}
       data-inset={inset}

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/error-state.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import type { ReactNode } from 'react'
+
+import { AlertCircle } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
+
+export interface ErrorStateProps {
+  /** Optional actions row/stack rendered below the copy. */
+  children?: ReactNode
+  className?: string
+  description?: ReactNode
+  /** Defaults to a destructive AlertCircle. */
+  icon?: ReactNode
+  title: ReactNode
+}
+
+// Shared, presentation-only error layout: a destructive icon chip over a
+// centered title + body, with an optional actions stack. Used by both the
+// top-level React error boundary and the in-dialog update error so every
+// failure state reads the same. Title/description accept nodes so callers in a
+// Radix Dialog can pass DialogTitle/DialogDescription for accessibility.
+export function ErrorState({ children, className, description, icon, title }: ErrorStateProps) {
+  return (
+    <div className={cn('grid gap-5', className)}>
+      <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-3 text-center">
+        <span className="flex size-14 items-center justify-center rounded-2xl bg-destructive/10 text-destructive">
+          {icon ?? <AlertCircle className="size-7" />}
+        </span>
+
+        {typeof title === 'string' ? (
+          <h2 className="text-center text-xl font-semibold tracking-tight">{title}</h2>
+        ) : (
+          title
+        )}
+
+        {typeof description === 'string' ? (
+          <p className="max-w-prose text-center text-sm leading-5 text-muted-foreground">{description}</p>
+        ) : (
+          description
+        )}
+      </div>
+
+      {children && <div className="grid gap-2">{children}</div>}
+    </div>
+  )
+}

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/input.tsx

@@ -2,11 +2,19 @@ import * as React from 'react'
 
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
-function Input({ className, type, ...props }: React.ComponentProps<'input'>) {
+import { type ControlVariantProps, controlVariants } from './control'
+
+function Input({
+  className,
+  type,
+  size,
+  ...props
+}: Omit<React.ComponentProps<'input'>, 'size'> & ControlVariantProps) {
   return (
     <input
       className={cn(
-        'desktop-input-chrome h-9 w-full min-w-0 rounded-md border px-3 py-1 text-base outline-none selection:bg-primary selection:text-primary-foreground file:inline-flex file:h-7 file:border-0 file:bg-transparent file:text-sm file:font-medium file:text-foreground placeholder:text-muted-foreground disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50 md:text-sm',
+        controlVariants({ size }),
+        'selection:bg-primary selection:text-primary-foreground file:inline-flex file:h-7 file:border-0 file:bg-transparent file:text-xs file:font-medium file:text-foreground',
         className
       )}
       data-slot="input"

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/search-field.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+import type { ReactNode, RefObject } from 'react'
+
+import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
+import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
+import { Loader2, Search } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
+
+interface SearchFieldProps {
+  placeholder: string
+  value: string
+  onChange: (value: string) => void
+  containerClassName?: string
+  inputClassName?: string
+  loading?: boolean
+  onClear?: () => void
+  inputRef?: RefObject<HTMLInputElement | null>
+  trailingAction?: ReactNode
+  'aria-label'?: string
+}
+
+/**
+ * Shared search field used everywhere (sessions sidebar, pages, overlays,
+ * command center, cron). No box — borderless until focus, then an underline.
+ * Width/placement come from `containerClassName`.
+ */
+export function SearchField({
+  placeholder,
+  value,
+  onChange,
+  containerClassName,
+  inputClassName,
+  loading = false,
+  onClear,
+  inputRef,
+  trailingAction,
+  'aria-label': ariaLabel
+}: SearchFieldProps) {
+  const clear = onClear ?? (() => onChange(''))
+
+  return (
+    <div
+      className={cn(
+        'inline-flex max-w-full items-center gap-1.5 border-b border-transparent px-0.5 transition-colors focus-within:border-(--ui-stroke-secondary)',
+        containerClassName
+      )}
+    >
+      <Search className="pointer-events-none size-3.5 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground/70" />
+      <input
+        aria-label={ariaLabel}
+        className={cn(
+          // `field-sizing: content` grows the input to fit the placeholder/typed
+          // text, capped by the container's max-width — no awkward empty space.
+          'h-7 max-w-full bg-transparent text-sm text-foreground [field-sizing:content] placeholder:text-muted-foreground focus:outline-none',
+          inputClassName
+        )}
+        onChange={event => onChange(event.target.value)}
+        placeholder={placeholder}
+        ref={inputRef}
+        type="text"
+        value={value}
+      />
+      {trailingAction}
+      {loading ? (
+        <Loader2 className="pointer-events-none size-3.5 shrink-0 animate-spin text-muted-foreground/70" />
+      ) : value ? (
+        <Button
+          aria-label="Clear search"
+          className="shrink-0 text-muted-foreground/85 hover:bg-accent/60 hover:text-foreground"
+          onClick={clear}
+          size="icon-xs"
+          variant="ghost"
+        >
+          <Codicon name="close" size="0.875rem" />
+        </Button>
+      ) : null}
+    </div>
+  )
+}

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/segmented-control.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import type { IconComponent } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
+
+export interface SegmentedControlOption<T extends string> {
+  id: T
+  label: string
+  icon?: IconComponent
+}
+
+interface SegmentedControlProps<T extends string> {
+  options: readonly SegmentedControlOption<T>[]
+  value: T
+  onChange: (id: T) => void
+  className?: string
+}
+
+/**
+ * Grouped one-row toggle used for small mutually-exclusive choices
+ * (color mode, tool-call display, usage period, etc.). Flat by design —
+ * no per-option borders, just a tinted track with a raised active pill.
+ */
+export function SegmentedControl<T extends string>({ options, value, onChange, className }: SegmentedControlProps<T>) {
+  return (
+    <div
+      className={cn(
+        'inline-grid w-fit auto-cols-fr grid-flow-col gap-0.5 rounded-[5px] bg-(--ui-bg-tertiary) p-0.5',
+        className
+      )}
+    >
+      {options.map(({ id, label, icon: Icon }) => {
+        const active = value === id
+
+        return (
+          <button
+            aria-pressed={active}
+            className={cn(
+              'flex items-center justify-center gap-1 rounded-[3px] px-2.5 py-0.5 text-[0.6875rem] font-medium transition-colors',
+              active ? 'bg-background text-foreground shadow-sm' : 'text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground'
+            )}
+            key={id}
+            onClick={() => onChange(id)}
+            type="button"
+          >
+            {Icon && <Icon className="size-3" />}
+            {label}
+          </button>
+        )
+      })}
+    </div>
+  )
+}

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/select.tsx

@@ -2,17 +2,24 @@ import { Select as SelectPrimitive } from 'radix-ui'
 import * as React from 'react'
 
 import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
+import { type ControlVariantProps, controlVariants } from '@/components/ui/control'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
 function Select({ ...props }: React.ComponentProps<typeof SelectPrimitive.Root>) {
   return <SelectPrimitive.Root data-slot="select" {...props} />
 }
 
-function SelectTrigger({ className, children, ...props }: React.ComponentProps<typeof SelectPrimitive.Trigger>) {
+function SelectTrigger({
+  className,
+  children,
+  size,
+  ...props
+}: React.ComponentProps<typeof SelectPrimitive.Trigger> & ControlVariantProps) {
   return (
     <SelectPrimitive.Trigger
       className={cn(
-        'flex h-8 w-full items-center justify-between gap-2 rounded-lg border border-input bg-background px-3 py-2 text-sm whitespace-nowrap shadow-xs outline-none transition-[color,box-shadow] focus-visible:border-ring focus-visible:ring-[0.1875rem] focus-visible:ring-ring/50 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50 data-placeholder:text-muted-foreground [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0',
+        controlVariants({ size }),
+        'flex items-center justify-between gap-2 whitespace-nowrap data-placeholder:text-muted-foreground [&_svg]:pointer-events-none [&_svg]:shrink-0',
         className
       )}
       data-slot="select-trigger"
@@ -66,7 +73,7 @@ function SelectItem({ className, children, ...props }: React.ComponentProps<type
   return (
     <SelectPrimitive.Item
       className={cn(
-        'relative flex w-full cursor-default items-center gap-2 rounded-sm py-1.5 pr-8 pl-2 text-sm outline-none select-none focus:bg-accent focus:text-accent-foreground data-disabled:pointer-events-none data-disabled:opacity-50',
+        'relative flex w-full cursor-pointer items-center gap-2 rounded-sm py-1.5 pr-8 pl-2 text-xs outline-none select-none focus:bg-accent focus:text-accent-foreground data-disabled:pointer-events-none data-disabled:cursor-default data-disabled:opacity-50',
         className
       )}
       data-slot="select-item"

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/sidebar.tsx

@@ -242,14 +242,14 @@ function SidebarTrigger({ className, onClick, ...props }: React.ComponentProps<t
 
   return (
     <Button
-      className={cn('size-7', className)}
+      className={className}
       data-sidebar="trigger"
       data-slot="sidebar-trigger"
       onClick={event => {
         onClick?.(event)
         toggleSidebar()
       }}
-      size="icon"
+      size="icon-sm"
       variant="ghost"
       {...props}
     >

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/switch.tsx

@@ -1,24 +1,47 @@
+import { cva, type VariantProps } from 'class-variance-authority'
 import { Switch as SwitchPrimitive } from 'radix-ui'
 import * as React from 'react'
 
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
-function Switch({ className, ...props }: React.ComponentProps<typeof SwitchPrimitive.Root>) {
+const switchVariants = cva(
+  'peer inline-flex shrink-0 items-center rounded-full border border-[color-mix(in_srgb,var(--dt-foreground)_18%,transparent)] bg-[color-mix(in_srgb,var(--dt-background)_58%,var(--dt-input))] shadow-[inset_0_0_0_0.0625rem_color-mix(in_srgb,var(--dt-foreground)_8%,transparent)] transition-colors outline-none focus-visible:border-ring focus-visible:ring-[0.1875rem] focus-visible:ring-ring/50 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50 data-[state=checked]:border-transparent data-[state=checked]:bg-primary',
+  {
+    variants: {
+      size: {
+        default: 'h-5 w-9',
+        xs: 'h-4 w-7'
+      }
+    },
+    defaultVariants: {
+      size: 'default'
+    }
+  }
+)
+
+const switchThumbVariants = cva(
+  'pointer-events-none block rounded-full bg-foreground shadow-[0_0.0625rem_0.1875rem_color-mix(in_srgb,var(--dt-background)_50%,transparent)] ring-0 transition-transform data-[state=unchecked]:translate-x-0 data-[state=checked]:bg-background',
+  {
+    variants: {
+      size: {
+        default: 'size-4 data-[state=checked]:translate-x-4',
+        xs: 'size-3 data-[state=checked]:translate-x-3.5'
+      }
+    },
+    defaultVariants: {
+      size: 'default'
+    }
+  }
+)
+
+function Switch({
+  className,
+  size,
+  ...props
+}: React.ComponentProps<typeof SwitchPrimitive.Root> & VariantProps<typeof switchVariants>) {
   return (
-    <SwitchPrimitive.Root
-      className={cn(
-        'peer inline-flex h-5 w-9 shrink-0 items-center rounded-full border border-[color-mix(in_srgb,var(--dt-foreground)_18%,transparent)] bg-[color-mix(in_srgb,var(--dt-background)_58%,var(--dt-input))] shadow-[inset_0_0_0_0.0625rem_color-mix(in_srgb,var(--dt-foreground)_8%,transparent)] transition-colors outline-none focus-visible:border-ring focus-visible:ring-[0.1875rem] focus-visible:ring-ring/50 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50 data-[state=checked]:border-transparent data-[state=checked]:bg-primary',
-        className
-      )}
-      data-slot="switch"
-      {...props}
-    >
-      <SwitchPrimitive.Thumb
-        className={cn(
-          'pointer-events-none block size-4 rounded-full bg-foreground shadow-[0_0.0625rem_0.1875rem_color-mix(in_srgb,var(--dt-background)_50%,transparent)] ring-0 transition-transform data-[state=checked]:translate-x-4 data-[state=checked]:bg-background data-[state=unchecked]:translate-x-0'
-        )}
-        data-slot="switch-thumb"
-      />
+    <SwitchPrimitive.Root className={cn(switchVariants({ size }), className)} data-slot="switch" {...props}>
+      <SwitchPrimitive.Thumb className={switchThumbVariants({ size })} data-slot="switch-thumb" />
     </SwitchPrimitive.Root>
   )
 }

apps/desktop/src/components/ui/textarea.tsx

@@ -2,13 +2,12 @@ import * as React from 'react'
 
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
-function Textarea({ className, ...props }: React.ComponentProps<'textarea'>) {
+import { type ControlVariantProps, controlVariants } from './control'
+
+function Textarea({ className, size, ...props }: React.ComponentProps<'textarea'> & ControlVariantProps) {
   return (
     <textarea
-      className={cn(
-        'desktop-input-chrome min-h-16 w-full rounded-md border px-3 py-2 text-sm outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50',
-        className
-      )}
+      className={cn(controlVariants({ size }), 'min-h-16', className)}
       data-slot="textarea"
       {...props}
     />

apps/desktop/src/hermes.ts

@@ -255,8 +255,8 @@ export function setEnvVar(key: string, value: string): Promise<{ ok: boolean }>
 export function validateProviderCredential(
   key: string,
   value: string
-): Promise<{ ok: boolean; reachable: boolean; message: string }> {
-  return window.hermesDesktop.api<{ ok: boolean; reachable: boolean; message: string }>({
+): Promise<{ ok: boolean; reachable: boolean; message: string; models?: string[] }> {
+  return window.hermesDesktop.api<{ ok: boolean; reachable: boolean; message: string; models?: string[] }>({
     path: '/api/providers/validate',
     method: 'POST',
     body: { key, value }

apps/desktop/src/lib/chat-messages.ts

@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ export type GatewayEventPayload = {
   request_id?: string
   question?: string
   choices?: string[] | null
+  // approval.request (dangerous command / execute_code) — session-keyed
+  command?: string
+  description?: string
+  // secret.request (skill credential capture)
+  env_var?: string
+  prompt?: string
 }
 
 export function textPart(text: string): ChatMessagePart {

apps/desktop/src/lib/chat-runtime.ts

@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ export function createClientSessionState(
     streamId: null,
     sawAssistantPayload: false,
     pendingBranchGroup: null,
-    interrupted: false
+    interrupted: false,
+    needsInput: false
   }
 }
 

apps/desktop/src/store/clarify.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import {
+  $clarifyRequest,
+  $clarifyRequests,
+  type ClarifyRequest,
+  clearClarifyRequest,
+  setClarifyRequest
+} from './clarify'
+import { $activeSessionId } from './session'
+
+function clarify(sessionId: string | null, requestId: string): ClarifyRequest {
+  return {
+    requestId,
+    question: `question-${requestId}`,
+    choices: null,
+    sessionId
+  }
+}
+
+describe('clarify store', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    $clarifyRequests.set({})
+    $activeSessionId.set(null)
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    $clarifyRequests.set({})
+    $activeSessionId.set(null)
+  })
+
+  it('keeps clarify requests from concurrent sessions independent', () => {
+    setClarifyRequest(clarify('session-a', 'req-a'))
+    setClarifyRequest(clarify('session-b', 'req-b'))
+
+    expect($clarifyRequests.get()['session-a']?.requestId).toBe('req-a')
+    expect($clarifyRequests.get()['session-b']?.requestId).toBe('req-b')
+  })
+
+  it('exposes only the active session via the focus-scoped view', () => {
+    setClarifyRequest(clarify('session-a', 'req-a'))
+    setClarifyRequest(clarify('session-b', 'req-b'))
+
+    $activeSessionId.set('session-a')
+    expect($clarifyRequest.get()?.requestId).toBe('req-a')
+
+    $activeSessionId.set('session-b')
+    expect($clarifyRequest.get()?.requestId).toBe('req-b')
+
+    $activeSessionId.set('session-c')
+    expect($clarifyRequest.get()).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('clears only the targeted session, leaving the other pending', () => {
+    setClarifyRequest(clarify('session-a', 'req-a'))
+    setClarifyRequest(clarify('session-b', 'req-b'))
+
+    clearClarifyRequest('req-a', 'session-a')
+
+    expect($clarifyRequests.get()['session-a']).toBeUndefined()
+    expect($clarifyRequests.get()['session-b']?.requestId).toBe('req-b')
+  })
+
+  it('ignores a stale clear whose request id no longer matches', () => {
+    setClarifyRequest(clarify('session-a', 'req-a2'))
+
+    clearClarifyRequest('req-a1', 'session-a')
+
+    expect($clarifyRequests.get()['session-a']?.requestId).toBe('req-a2')
+  })
+
+  it('clears by request id across sessions when no session hint is given', () => {
+    setClarifyRequest(clarify('session-a', 'shared'))
+    setClarifyRequest(clarify('session-b', 'other'))
+
+    clearClarifyRequest('shared')
+
+    expect($clarifyRequests.get()['session-a']).toBeUndefined()
+    expect($clarifyRequests.get()['session-b']?.requestId).toBe('other')
+  })
+})

apps/desktop/src/store/clarify.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-import { atom } from 'nanostores'
+import { atom, computed } from 'nanostores'
+
+import { $activeSessionId } from './session'
 
 export interface ClarifyRequest {
   requestId: string
@@ -7,26 +9,61 @@ export interface ClarifyRequest {
   sessionId: string | null
 }
 
-// Holds the request_id (and metadata) for the most recent in-flight
-// clarify call. The inline ClarifyTool component (rendered inside the
-// assistant message stream) reads this to know which request_id to send
-// back over `clarify.respond`.
-export const $clarifyRequest = atom<ClarifyRequest | null>(null)
+// Pending clarify requests keyed by the runtime session id that raised them.
+// Storing per-session (instead of one shared slot) lets a *background* session
+// park its clarify request while the user is looking at a different chat, then
+// resolve it once they switch over — without a second concurrent clarify
+// clobbering the first. A request with no session id lands under the empty key.
+const keyFor = (sessionId: string | null | undefined): string => sessionId ?? ''
+
+export const $clarifyRequests = atom<Record<string, ClarifyRequest>>({})
+
+// The clarify request for the currently-viewed session. The inline ClarifyTool
+// only ever mounts inside the active session's transcript, so it reads this
+// focus-scoped view rather than reaching into the whole map.
+export const $clarifyRequest = computed(
+  [$clarifyRequests, $activeSessionId],
+  (requests, activeId) => requests[keyFor(activeId)] ?? null
+)
 
 export function setClarifyRequest(request: ClarifyRequest): void {
-  $clarifyRequest.set(request)
+  $clarifyRequests.set({ ...$clarifyRequests.get(), [keyFor(request.sessionId)]: request })
 }
 
-export function clearClarifyRequest(requestId?: string): void {
-  const current = $clarifyRequest.get()
+export function clearClarifyRequest(requestId?: string, sessionId?: string | null): void {
+  const requests = $clarifyRequests.get()
+
+  // Targeted clear when the caller knows the session (the common path from the
+  // inline ClarifyTool answering its own request).
+  if (sessionId !== undefined) {
+    const key = keyFor(sessionId)
+    const current = requests[key]
+
+    if (!current || (requestId && current.requestId !== requestId)) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    const next = { ...requests }
+    delete next[key]
+    $clarifyRequests.set(next)
 
-  if (!current) {
     return
   }
 
-  if (requestId && current.requestId !== requestId) {
-    return
+  // Fallback with no session hint: drop every entry matching the request id
+  // (or clear all when none is given).
+  const next: Record<string, ClarifyRequest> = {}
+  let changed = false
+
+  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(requests)) {
+    if (requestId && value.requestId !== requestId) {
+      next[key] = value
+    } else {
+      changed = true
+    }
   }
 
-  $clarifyRequest.set(null)
+  if (changed) {
+    $clarifyRequests.set(next)
+  }
 }

apps/desktop/src/store/command-palette.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { atom } from 'nanostores'
+
+/** Whether the global command palette (Cmd/Ctrl+K) is currently open. */
+export const $commandPaletteOpen = atom(false)
+
+export function openCommandPalette(): void {
+  $commandPaletteOpen.set(true)
+}
+
+export function closeCommandPalette(): void {
+  $commandPaletteOpen.set(false)
+}
+
+export function setCommandPaletteOpen(open: boolean): void {
+  $commandPaletteOpen.set(open)
+}
+
+export function toggleCommandPalette(): void {
+  $commandPaletteOpen.set(!$commandPaletteOpen.get())
+}

apps/desktop/src/store/layout.ts

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export const SIDEBAR_SESSIONS_PAGE_SIZE = 50
 
 const SIDEBAR_PINNED_STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.pinnedSessions'
 const SIDEBAR_AGENTS_GROUPED_STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.agentsGroupedByWorkspace'
+const PANES_FLIPPED_STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.panesFlipped'
 
 export const CHAT_SIDEBAR_PANE_ID = 'chat-sidebar'
 export const FILE_BROWSER_PANE_ID = 'file-browser'
@@ -53,11 +54,15 @@ export const $pinnedSessionIds = atom(storedStringArray(SIDEBAR_PINNED_STORAGE_K
 export const $sidebarPinsOpen = atom(true)
 export const $sidebarRecentsOpen = atom(true)
 export const $sidebarAgentsGrouped = atom(storedBoolean(SIDEBAR_AGENTS_GROUPED_STORAGE_KEY, false))
+// When true, the sessions sidebar moves to the right and the file browser +
+// preview rail move to the left — a mirror of the default layout.
+export const $panesFlipped = atom(storedBoolean(PANES_FLIPPED_STORAGE_KEY, false))
 export const $isSidebarResizing = atom(false)
 export const $sessionsLimit = atom(SIDEBAR_SESSIONS_PAGE_SIZE)
 
 $pinnedSessionIds.subscribe(ids => persistStringArray(SIDEBAR_PINNED_STORAGE_KEY, [...ids]))
 $sidebarAgentsGrouped.subscribe(grouped => persistBoolean(SIDEBAR_AGENTS_GROUPED_STORAGE_KEY, grouped))
+$panesFlipped.subscribe(flipped => persistBoolean(PANES_FLIPPED_STORAGE_KEY, flipped))
 
 export function setSidebarWidth(width: number) {
   const bounded = Math.min(SIDEBAR_MAX_WIDTH, Math.max(SIDEBAR_DEFAULT_WIDTH, width))
@@ -76,6 +81,10 @@ export function toggleFileBrowserOpen() {
   togglePane(FILE_BROWSER_PANE_ID)
 }
 
+export function togglePanesFlipped() {
+  $panesFlipped.set(!$panesFlipped.get())
+}
+
 export function selectRightRailTab(id: RightRailTabId) {
   $rightRailActiveTabId.set(id)
 }

apps/desktop/src/store/onboarding.test.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ import {
   type DesktopOnboardingState,
   type OnboardingContext,
   refreshOnboarding,
-  requestDesktopOnboarding
+  requestDesktopOnboarding,
+  saveOnboardingLocalEndpoint
 } from './onboarding'
 
 function provider(id: string, name = id): OAuthProvider {
@@ -143,3 +144,132 @@ describe('refreshOnboarding', () => {
     expect($desktopOnboarding.get().providers?.map(p => p.id)).toEqual(['shared'])
   })
 })
+
+describe('saveOnboardingLocalEndpoint', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    window.localStorage.clear()
+    $desktopOnboarding.set(baseState())
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    window.localStorage.clear()
+    $desktopOnboarding.set(baseState())
+    vi.restoreAllMocks()
+  })
+
+  function readyGateway(): OnboardingContext['requestGateway'] {
+    return async method => {
+      if (method === 'reload.env') {
+        return {} as never
+      }
+
+      if (method === 'setup.status') {
+        return { provider_configured: true } as never
+      }
+
+      if (method === 'setup.runtime_check') {
+        return { ok: true } as never
+      }
+
+      throw new Error(`unexpected gateway method: ${method}`)
+    }
+  }
+
+  it('errors when the endpoint advertises no models (nothing to route to)', async () => {
+    const calls: string[] = []
+    installApiMock(async ({ path }: { path: string }) => {
+      calls.push(path)
+
+      if (path === '/api/providers/validate') {
+        return { ok: true, reachable: true, message: '', models: [] }
+      }
+
+      throw new Error(`unexpected api path: ${path}`)
+    })
+
+    const result = await saveOnboardingLocalEndpoint('http://127.0.0.1:8000/v1', {
+      requestGateway: readyGateway()
+    })
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.message).toContain('no models')
+    // Must not attempt to persist an assignment without a model.
+    expect(calls).not.toContain('/api/model/set')
+  })
+
+  it('auto-discovers the model and persists provider=custom + base_url, then finishes', async () => {
+    const calls: { body?: unknown; path: string }[] = []
+    const api = vi.fn(async ({ body, path }: { body?: unknown; path: string }) => {
+      calls.push({ body, path })
+
+      if (path === '/api/providers/validate') {
+        return { ok: true, reachable: true, message: '', models: ['llama-3.1-8b', 'qwen2.5-7b'] }
+      }
+
+      if (path === '/api/model/set') {
+        return { ok: true, provider: 'custom', model: 'llama-3.1-8b', base_url: 'http://127.0.0.1:8000/v1' }
+      }
+
+      throw new Error(`unexpected api path: ${path}`)
+    })
+
+    installApiMock(api)
+    const onCompleted = vi.fn()
+
+    const result = await saveOnboardingLocalEndpoint('http://127.0.0.1:8000/v1', {
+      onCompleted,
+      requestGateway: readyGateway()
+    })
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true)
+
+    const assign = calls.find(c => c.path === '/api/model/set')
+    expect(assign?.body).toMatchObject({
+      scope: 'main',
+      provider: 'custom',
+      model: 'llama-3.1-8b',
+      base_url: 'http://127.0.0.1:8000/v1'
+    })
+
+    expect(onCompleted).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect($desktopOnboarding.get().configured).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('reports the runtime reason when resolution still fails after saving', async () => {
+    installApiMock(async ({ path }: { path: string }) => {
+      if (path === '/api/providers/validate') {
+        return { ok: true, reachable: true, message: '', models: ['llama-3.1-8b'] }
+      }
+
+      if (path === '/api/model/set') {
+        return { ok: true }
+      }
+
+      throw new Error(`unexpected api path: ${path}`)
+    })
+
+    const failingGateway: OnboardingContext['requestGateway'] = async method => {
+      if (method === 'reload.env') {
+        return {} as never
+      }
+
+      if (method === 'setup.status') {
+        return { provider_configured: false } as never
+      }
+
+      if (method === 'setup.runtime_check') {
+        return { ok: false, error: 'No provider can serve the selected model.' } as never
+      }
+
+      throw new Error(`unexpected gateway method: ${method}`)
+    }
+
+    const result = await saveOnboardingLocalEndpoint('http://127.0.0.1:8000/v1', {
+      requestGateway: failingGateway
+    })
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.message).toContain('No provider can serve the selected model.')
+    expect($desktopOnboarding.get().configured).not.toBe(true)
+  })
+})

apps/desktop/src/store/onboarding.ts

@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ import {
   setEnvVar,
   setModelAssignment,
   startOAuthLogin,
-  submitOAuthCode
+  submitOAuthCode,
+  validateProviderCredential
 } from '@/hermes'
 import { evaluateRuntimeReadiness, type RuntimeReadinessResult } from '@/lib/runtime-readiness'
 import { notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
@@ -619,6 +620,13 @@ export async function saveOnboardingApiKey(envKey: string, value: string, label:
     return { ok: false, message: 'Enter a value first.' }
   }
 
+  // The "Local / custom endpoint" option carries a base URL, not an API key.
+  // It must be wired into config (provider=custom + base_url + model), not
+  // dropped into .env — runtime resolution ignores OPENAI_BASE_URL.
+  if (envKey === 'OPENAI_BASE_URL') {
+    return saveOnboardingLocalEndpoint(trimmed, ctx)
+  }
+
   // No key validation here on purpose: we previously live-probed the key and
   // hard-blocked on a runtime check after saving, which rejected too many
   // legitimate users (corporate proxies, regional blocks, flaky/rate-limited
@@ -644,6 +652,73 @@ export async function saveOnboardingApiKey(envKey: string, value: string, label:
   }
 }
 
+// Configure a local / self-hosted OpenAI-compatible endpoint (vLLM, llama.cpp,
+// Ollama, …). Unlike API-key providers, a local endpoint is defined by its URL
+// and usually needs NO key. The runtime resolver reads model.base_url from
+// config (it ignores the OPENAI_BASE_URL env var), so we persist
+// provider=custom + base_url + model via /api/model/set rather than dropping an
+// env var that resolution never consults.
+//
+// The model is auto-discovered from the endpoint's /v1/models (surfaced by the
+// validate probe) so the user only has to paste a URL — no extra UI field.
+//
+// We deliberately don't route through completeWithModelConfirm: that path
+// re-assigns the model from /api/model/options WITHOUT a base_url, which would
+// wipe the base_url we just wrote. We have a concrete model already, so we
+// verify the runtime directly and finish.
+export async function saveOnboardingLocalEndpoint(baseUrl: string, ctx: OnboardingContext) {
+  const url = baseUrl.trim()
+
+  if (!url) {
+    return { ok: false, message: 'Enter the endpoint URL first.' }
+  }
+
+  // Probe connectivity + discover the served models. Any HTTP response proves
+  // the endpoint is up; an unreachable probe hard-blocks because we can't
+  // resolve a model to route to.
+  let model = ''
+  try {
+    const probe = await validateProviderCredential('OPENAI_BASE_URL', url)
+    if (!probe.ok && probe.reachable) {
+      return { ok: false, message: probe.message || 'Could not reach that endpoint.' }
+    }
+    if (!probe.reachable) {
+      return { ok: false, message: probe.message || `Could not reach ${url}.` }
+    }
+    model = (probe.models?.[0] ?? '').trim()
+  } catch {
+    return { ok: false, message: `Could not reach ${url}.` }
+  }
+
+  if (!model) {
+    return {
+      ok: false,
+      message: `Connected to ${url}, but it advertised no models at /v1/models. Start a model on that endpoint and try again.`
+    }
+  }
+
+  try {
+    await setModelAssignment({ scope: 'main', provider: 'custom', model, base_url: url })
+    await ctx.requestGateway('reload.env').catch(() => undefined)
+
+    const runtime = await checkRuntime(ctx)
+    if (!runtime.ready) {
+      const detail = (runtime.reason ?? '').trim()
+      return { ok: false, message: detail || `Saved, but Hermes still cannot reach ${url}.` }
+    }
+
+    notifyReady('Local / custom endpoint')
+    completeDesktopOnboarding()
+    ctx.onCompleted?.()
+
+    return { ok: true }
+  } catch (error) {
+    notifyError(error, 'Could not save local endpoint')
+
+    return { ok: false, message: errMessage(error) }
+  }
+}
+
 // User picked a different model from the dropdown on the confirm card.
 // Persists immediately so the displayed value is always what's on disk.
 export async function setOnboardingModel(model: string) {

apps/desktop/src/store/prompts.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import {
+  $approvalRequest,
+  $secretRequest,
+  $sudoRequest,
+  clearAllPrompts,
+  clearApprovalRequest,
+  clearSecretRequest,
+  clearSudoRequest,
+  setApprovalRequest,
+  setSecretRequest,
+  setSudoRequest
+} from './prompts'
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  clearAllPrompts()
+})
+
+describe('approval prompt store', () => {
+  it('holds the most recent session-keyed approval request', () => {
+    setApprovalRequest({ command: 'rm -rf /tmp/x', description: 'recursive delete', sessionId: 's1' })
+
+    expect($approvalRequest.get()).toEqual({
+      command: 'rm -rf /tmp/x',
+      description: 'recursive delete',
+      sessionId: 's1'
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('clears unconditionally (approval is session-keyed, no request id)', () => {
+    setApprovalRequest({ command: 'x', description: 'd', sessionId: 's1' })
+    clearApprovalRequest()
+
+    expect($approvalRequest.get()).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
+
+describe('sudo prompt store', () => {
+  it('clears only when the request id matches the in-flight prompt', () => {
+    setSudoRequest({ requestId: 'abc' })
+
+    // A stale clear for a different request must NOT drop the live prompt —
+    // otherwise a late response to a prior sudo ask would dismiss the current
+    // one and leave the agent blocked.
+    clearSudoRequest('stale')
+    expect($sudoRequest.get()).toEqual({ requestId: 'abc' })
+
+    clearSudoRequest('abc')
+    expect($sudoRequest.get()).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('clears unconditionally when no request id is given', () => {
+    setSudoRequest({ requestId: 'abc' })
+    clearSudoRequest()
+
+    expect($sudoRequest.get()).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
+
+describe('secret prompt store', () => {
+  it('carries env var and prompt, and clears on id match', () => {
+    setSecretRequest({ requestId: 'r1', envVar: 'OPENAI_API_KEY', prompt: 'Paste your key' })
+
+    expect($secretRequest.get()).toEqual({
+      requestId: 'r1',
+      envVar: 'OPENAI_API_KEY',
+      prompt: 'Paste your key'
+    })
+
+    clearSecretRequest('mismatch')
+    expect($secretRequest.get()).not.toBeNull()
+
+    clearSecretRequest('r1')
+    expect($secretRequest.get()).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
+
+describe('clearAllPrompts', () => {
+  it('drops every in-flight prompt at once (turn end / interrupt)', () => {
+    setApprovalRequest({ command: 'x', description: 'd', sessionId: 's1' })
+    setSudoRequest({ requestId: 'abc' })
+    setSecretRequest({ requestId: 'r1', envVar: 'E', prompt: 'p' })
+
+    clearAllPrompts()
+
+    expect($approvalRequest.get()).toBeNull()
+    expect($sudoRequest.get()).toBeNull()
+    expect($secretRequest.get()).toBeNull()
+  })
+})

apps/desktop/src/store/prompts.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+import { atom } from 'nanostores'
+
+// Blocking interactive prompts the gateway raises mid-turn. Each maps to a
+// `*.request` event the Python side emits while it blocks the agent thread
+// waiting for a `*.respond` RPC. Without a renderer for these, the agent
+// silently stalls until its timeout (default 5 min) and the tool is BLOCKED
+// — the desktop app previously handled clarify.request but not these three,
+// so dangerous-command approval, sudo, and secret prompts never surfaced.
+
+export interface ApprovalRequest {
+  command: string
+  description: string
+  sessionId: string | null
+}
+
+// Approval is session-keyed on the backend (one in-flight approval per
+// session, resolved via approval.respond {choice, session_id}). It carries
+// no request_id, unlike sudo/secret which are _block()-style request/response.
+export const $approvalRequest = atom<ApprovalRequest | null>(null)
+
+export function setApprovalRequest(request: ApprovalRequest): void {
+  $approvalRequest.set(request)
+}
+
+export function clearApprovalRequest(): void {
+  $approvalRequest.set(null)
+}
+
+export interface SudoRequest {
+  requestId: string
+}
+
+export const $sudoRequest = atom<SudoRequest | null>(null)
+
+export function setSudoRequest(request: SudoRequest): void {
+  $sudoRequest.set(request)
+}
+
+export function clearSudoRequest(requestId?: string): void {
+  const current = $sudoRequest.get()
+
+  if (!current) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  if (requestId && current.requestId !== requestId) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  $sudoRequest.set(null)
+}
+
+export interface SecretRequest {
+  requestId: string
+  envVar: string
+  prompt: string
+}
+
+export const $secretRequest = atom<SecretRequest | null>(null)
+
+export function setSecretRequest(request: SecretRequest): void {
+  $secretRequest.set(request)
+}
+
+export function clearSecretRequest(requestId?: string): void {
+  const current = $secretRequest.get()
+
+  if (!current) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  if (requestId && current.requestId !== requestId) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  $secretRequest.set(null)
+}
+
+// Drop every in-flight prompt. Called when a turn ends (message.complete /
+// error) so a stale overlay can't linger past the turn that raised it — e.g.
+// if the agent was interrupted while a prompt was open.
+export function clearAllPrompts(): void {
+  $approvalRequest.set(null)
+  $sudoRequest.set(null)
+  $secretRequest.set(null)
+}

apps/desktop/src/store/session.test.ts

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 
 import type { SessionInfo } from '@/types/hermes'
 
-import { mergeSessionPage, sessionPinId } from './session'
+import { $attentionSessionIds, mergeSessionPage, sessionPinId, setSessionAttention } from './session'
 
 const session = (over: Partial<SessionInfo>): SessionInfo => ({
   archived: false,
@@ -23,6 +23,34 @@ const session = (over: Partial<SessionInfo>): SessionInfo => ({
   ...over
 })
 
+describe('setSessionAttention', () => {
+  it('adds and removes a session id without duplicating it', () => {
+    $attentionSessionIds.set([])
+
+    setSessionAttention('s1', true)
+    setSessionAttention('s1', true)
+    expect($attentionSessionIds.get()).toEqual(['s1'])
+
+    setSessionAttention('s2', true)
+    expect($attentionSessionIds.get()).toEqual(['s1', 's2'])
+
+    setSessionAttention('s1', false)
+    expect($attentionSessionIds.get()).toEqual(['s2'])
+
+    $attentionSessionIds.set([])
+  })
+
+  it('ignores empty ids and no-op clears', () => {
+    $attentionSessionIds.set([])
+
+    setSessionAttention(null, true)
+    setSessionAttention(undefined, true)
+    setSessionAttention('', true)
+    setSessionAttention('missing', false)
+    expect($attentionSessionIds.get()).toEqual([])
+  })
+})
+
 describe('sessionPinId', () => {
   it('uses the live id when there is no compression lineage', () => {
     expect(sessionPinId(session({ id: 'abc' }))).toBe('abc')

apps/desktop/src/store/session.ts

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ export function mergeSessionPage(
   }
 
   const incomingIds = new Set(incoming.map(session => session.id))
+
   const survivors = previous.filter(
     session =>
       !incomingIds.has(session.id) &&
@@ -164,6 +165,7 @@ function armSessionWatchdog(sessionId: string) {
 
   const timer = setTimeout(() => {
     sessionWatchdogTimers.delete(sessionId)
+
     // Re-check the latest state at fire-time. If the user already navigated
     // away or the session genuinely finished, the timer is a no-op.
     if ($workingSessionIds.get().includes(sessionId)) {
@@ -193,24 +195,41 @@ export function noteSessionActivity(sessionId: string | null | undefined) {
   armSessionWatchdog(sessionId)
 }
 
+// Toggle an id's membership in a string-set atom, no-op when unchanged (keeps
+// the same array reference so subscribers don't churn).
+const toggleMembership = (set: (next: Updater<string[]>) => void, id: string, on: boolean) =>
+  set(current => {
+    const present = current.includes(id)
+
+    if (on) {
+      return present ? current : [...current, id]
+    }
+
+    return present ? current.filter(x => x !== id) : current
+  })
+
+// Stored session ids with a blocking prompt (clarify) waiting on the user.
+// Separate from $workingSessionIds: a session can be "working" (turn running)
+// AND need input. The sidebar row reads this for a persistent indicator that,
+// unlike a toast, survives window blur / alt-tab.
+export const $attentionSessionIds = atom<string[]>([])
+export const setAttentionSessionIds = (next: Updater<string[]>) => updateAtom($attentionSessionIds, next)
+
+export function setSessionAttention(sessionId: string | null | undefined, needsInput: boolean) {
+  if (sessionId) {
+    toggleMembership(setAttentionSessionIds, sessionId, needsInput)
+  }
+}
+
 export function setSessionWorking(sessionId: string | null | undefined, working: boolean) {
   if (!sessionId) {
     return
   }
 
-  setWorkingSessionIds(current => {
-    const alreadyWorking = current.includes(sessionId)
+  toggleMembership(setWorkingSessionIds, sessionId, working)
 
-    if (working) {
-      return alreadyWorking ? current : [...current, sessionId]
-    }
-
-    return alreadyWorking ? current.filter(id => id !== sessionId) : current
-  })
-
-  // Bookend the watchdog: arm it whenever a session enters "working",
-  // disarm it whenever it leaves. A subsequent noteSessionActivity() from
-  // a streaming event will refresh the timer.
+  // Bookend the watchdog: arm on enter, disarm on leave. A later
+  // noteSessionActivity() from a streaming event refreshes the timer.
   if (working) {
     armSessionWatchdog(sessionId)
   } else {

apps/desktop/src/styles.css

@@ -425,6 +425,25 @@
   display: none;
 }
 
+/* Primitive-level pointer cursor for every interactive control (buttons,
+   selects, menu items, switches, tabs, summaries). Keeps individual
+   components from having to hardcode `cursor-pointer`; explicit cursor
+   utilities (cursor-grab, cursor-default, disabled:cursor-*) still win since
+   they live in the utilities layer. */
+@layer base {
+  button:not(:disabled):not([aria-disabled='true']),
+  summary,
+  [role='button']:not([aria-disabled='true']),
+  [role='menuitem']:not([aria-disabled='true']),
+  [role='menuitemradio']:not([aria-disabled='true']),
+  [role='menuitemcheckbox']:not([aria-disabled='true']),
+  [role='option']:not([aria-disabled='true']),
+  [role='switch']:not([aria-disabled='true']),
+  [role='tab']:not([aria-disabled='true']) {
+    cursor: pointer;
+  }
+}
+
 @layer utilities {
   [class*='rounded-full'],
   [class*=':rounded-full'] {
@@ -467,6 +486,57 @@
   --arc-c1: var(--dt-foreground);
 }
 
+/* Quest-style "needs you" pulse for a clarify-blocked session's dot —
+   a soft amber glow that breathes so the row draws the eye without a toast. */
+@keyframes quest-glow {
+  0%,
+  100% {
+    transform: scale(1);
+    box-shadow:
+      0 0 0.1875rem color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-amber-500, #f59e0b) 70%, transparent),
+      0 0 0.5rem color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-amber-500, #f59e0b) 45%, transparent);
+  }
+  50% {
+    transform: scale(1.18);
+    box-shadow:
+      0 0 0.3125rem color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-amber-500, #f59e0b) 90%, transparent),
+      0 0 0.875rem color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-amber-500, #f59e0b) 65%, transparent);
+  }
+}
+
+.quest-glow {
+  animation: quest-glow 1.8s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
+
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  .quest-glow {
+    animation: none;
+    box-shadow:
+      0 0 0.25rem color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-amber-500, #f59e0b) 80%, transparent),
+      0 0 0.625rem color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-amber-500, #f59e0b) 55%, transparent);
+  }
+}
+
+/* Command-palette deep-link: briefly flash the targeted settings row. */
+@keyframes setting-field-flash {
+  0% {
+    background-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--dt-primary, #f59e0b) 22%, transparent);
+  }
+  100% {
+    background-color: transparent;
+  }
+}
+
+.setting-field-highlight {
+  animation: setting-field-flash 1.6s ease-out;
+}
+
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  .setting-field-highlight {
+    animation: none;
+  }
+}
+
 .arc-border::before {
   content: '';
   position: absolute;
@@ -498,6 +568,21 @@
   }
 }
 
+/* No focus rings, anywhere. Kills the native outline plus Tailwind's
+   `focus-visible:ring-*` (a box-shadow driven by --tw-ring-*). Unlayered so it
+   beats the utilities layer without !important on the outline. The composer /
+   .desktop-input-chrome focus glow is untouched — those set `box-shadow`
+   directly rather than through the ring vars. */
+*:focus,
+*:focus-visible {
+  outline: none;
+}
+
+*:focus-visible {
+  --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000 !important;
+  --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000 !important;
+}
+
 button {
   -webkit-app-region: no-drag;
 }

apps/desktop/src/types/hermes.ts

@@ -577,6 +577,9 @@ export interface AuxiliaryModelsResponse {
 }
 
 export interface ModelAssignmentRequest {
+  /** OpenAI-compatible endpoint URL. Only honored for custom/local providers
+   *  on the main slot — wires a self-hosted endpoint into runtime resolution. */
+  base_url?: string
   model: string
   provider: string
   scope: 'main' | 'auxiliary'
@@ -584,6 +587,8 @@ export interface ModelAssignmentRequest {
 }
 
 export interface ModelAssignmentResponse {
+  /** Persisted endpoint URL for custom/local providers (echoed back). */
+  base_url?: string
   /** Toolset keys auto-routed through the Nous Tool Gateway as a result of
    *  switching the main provider to Nous. Empty unless provider === 'nous'
    *  and the user is a paid subscriber with unconfigured tools. */

cli.py

@@ -313,6 +313,25 @@ def _load_prefill_messages(file_path: str) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
         return []
 
 
+def _resolve_prefill_messages_file(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> str:
+    """Resolve the prefill file path from env/config.
+
+    ``prefill_messages_file`` at the top level is the canonical config key.
+    ``agent.prefill_messages_file`` remains a legacy fallback for older CLI and
+    godmode-generated configs.
+    """
+    env_path = os.getenv("HERMES_PREFILL_MESSAGES_FILE", "").strip()
+    if env_path:
+        return env_path
+    top_level = str(config.get("prefill_messages_file", "") or "").strip()
+    if top_level:
+        return top_level
+    agent_cfg = config.get("agent", {})
+    if isinstance(agent_cfg, dict):
+        return str(agent_cfg.get("prefill_messages_file", "") or "").strip()
+    return ""
+
+
 def _parse_reasoning_config(effort: str) -> dict | None:
     """Parse a reasoning effort level into an OpenRouter reasoning config dict."""
     from hermes_constants import parse_reasoning_effort
@@ -3272,7 +3291,7 @@ class HermesCLI:
         
         # Ephemeral prefill messages (few-shot priming, never persisted)
         self.prefill_messages = _load_prefill_messages(
-            CLI_CONFIG["agent"].get("prefill_messages_file", "")
+            _resolve_prefill_messages_file(CLI_CONFIG)
         )
         
         # Reasoning config (OpenRouter reasoning effort level)
@@ -5108,6 +5127,7 @@ class HermesCLI:
                         f"[bold {_accent_hex()}]{_escape(title_part)}[/] "
                         f"({msg_count} user message{'s' if msg_count != 1 else ''}, {len(restored)} total messages)"
                     )
+                self._restore_session_cwd(session_meta, quiet=_quiet_mode)
             else:
                 if _quiet_mode:
                     print(
@@ -5327,6 +5347,59 @@ class HermesCLI:
 
         self._console_print()
 
+    def _restore_session_cwd(self, session_meta: dict, *, quiet: bool = False) -> None:
+        """Relaunch a resumed session in the directory it was started from.
+
+        Idempotent and safe to call from every resume path. When the stored
+        ``cwd`` differs from the current process directory, we both
+        ``os.chdir()`` (so the process and any ``os.getcwd()`` fallback agree)
+        and retarget ``TERMINAL_CWD`` (so the terminal tool, code-exec tool,
+        and relative-path resolution all land in the same place — the local
+        terminal backend snapshots cwd on first use, which happens after this).
+
+        No-ops when: the session recorded no cwd (gateway/remote/older
+        sessions), the directory no longer exists, or we're already there.
+        A missing directory degrades to a single dim warning rather than a
+        crash — repos get moved and deleted.
+        """
+        recorded = (session_meta or {}).get("cwd")
+        if not recorded:
+            return
+        recorded = os.path.expanduser(str(recorded))
+        try:
+            current = os.getcwd()
+        except OSError:
+            current = None
+        if current and os.path.realpath(recorded) == os.path.realpath(current):
+            return  # Already where the session lived — nothing to announce.
+
+        if not os.path.isdir(recorded):
+            msg = f"⚠ Session's working directory is gone: {recorded} — staying in {current or '.'}"
+            if quiet:
+                print(msg, file=sys.stderr)
+            else:
+                self._console_print(f"[{_DIM}]{_escape(msg)}[/]")
+            return
+
+        try:
+            os.chdir(recorded)
+        except OSError as e:
+            msg = f"⚠ Could not enter session's working directory {recorded}: {e}"
+            if quiet:
+                print(msg, file=sys.stderr)
+            else:
+                self._console_print(f"[{_DIM}]{_escape(msg)}[/]")
+            return
+
+        # Retarget the terminal/code-exec tools to match the process cwd.
+        os.environ["TERMINAL_CWD"] = recorded
+
+        msg = f"↻ Working directory: {recorded}"
+        if quiet:
+            print(msg, file=sys.stderr)
+        else:
+            self._console_print(f"[{_DIM}]{_escape(msg)}[/]")
+
     def _preload_resumed_session(self) -> bool:
         """Load a resumed session's history from the DB early (before first chat).
 
@@ -5383,6 +5456,7 @@ class HermesCLI:
                 f"({msg_count} user message{'s' if msg_count != 1 else ''}, "
                 f"{len(restored)} total messages)[/]"
             )
+            self._restore_session_cwd(session_meta)
         else:
             accent_color = _accent_hex()
             self._console_print(

cron/scheduler.py

@@ -1551,9 +1551,16 @@ def _run_job_impl(job: dict) -> tuple[bool, str, str, Optional[str]]:
         effort = str(_cfg.get("agent", {}).get("reasoning_effort", "")).strip()
         reasoning_config = parse_reasoning_effort(effort)
 
-        # Prefill messages from env or config.yaml
+        # Prefill messages from env or config.yaml. The top-level
+        # prefill_messages_file key is canonical; agent.prefill_messages_file is
+        # retained as a legacy fallback for older CLI/godmode configs.
         prefill_messages = None
-        prefill_file = os.getenv("HERMES_PREFILL_MESSAGES_FILE", "") or _cfg.get("prefill_messages_file", "")
+        agent_cfg = _cfg.get("agent", {}) if isinstance(_cfg.get("agent", {}), dict) else {}
+        prefill_file = (
+            os.getenv("HERMES_PREFILL_MESSAGES_FILE", "")
+            or _cfg.get("prefill_messages_file", "")
+            or agent_cfg.get("prefill_messages_file", "")
+        )
         if prefill_file:
             pfpath = Path(prefill_file).expanduser()
             if not pfpath.is_absolute():

docker/main-wrapper.sh

@@ -21,6 +21,34 @@ set -e
 
 drop() { [ "$(id -u)" = 0 ] && set -- s6-setuidgid hermes "$@"; exec "$@"; }
 
+# --- Reject the unsupported `docker run --user <uid>:<gid>` start ---
+# Mirror the guard in stage2-hook.sh (cont-init). This is the surface the
+# user actually sees in `docker run` output: when the container is pinned to
+# an arbitrary non-root, non-hermes UID, the bootstrap was skipped and the
+# baked image dirs (owned by the hermes build UID) are unwritable, so fail
+# fast here with actionable guidance rather than crashing on `cd`/EACCES
+# further down. See stage2-hook.sh for the full rationale.
+cur_uid="$(id -u)"
+if [ "$cur_uid" != 0 ] && [ "$cur_uid" != "$(id -u hermes)" ]; then
+    cat >&2 <<EOF
+[hermes] ERROR: container started with --user $cur_uid (an arbitrary, non-hermes UID) — not supported.
+
+To make container-written files match your HOST user, don't use --user.
+Start as root (the default) and pass your host UID/GID instead:
+
+    docker run -e HERMES_UID=\$(id -u) -e HERMES_GID=\$(id -g) ...
+
+NAS users (Synology / unRAID / UGOS) can use the PUID/PGID aliases:
+
+    docker run -e PUID=\$(id -u) -e PGID=\$(id -g) ...
+
+The image remaps the hermes user to that UID/GID at boot and chowns the data
+volume, so files land owned by your host user — the same outcome --user gave,
+without breaking the s6 supervision tree.
+EOF
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 # HOME comes through with-contenv as /root (the /init context). Override
 # to the hermes user's home before dropping privileges so libraries that
 # resolve paths via $HOME (e.g. discord lockfile under XDG_STATE_HOME)

docker/stage2-hook.sh

@@ -23,6 +23,56 @@ INSTALL_DIR="/opt/hermes"
 # Drop to hermes via s6-setuidgid, but skip it when already non-root.
 as_hermes() { [ "$(id -u)" = 0 ] || { "$@"; return; }; s6-setuidgid hermes "$@"; }
 
+# --- Reject the unsupported `docker run --user <uid>:<gid>` start ---
+# Detect the case where the container was launched with `--user` pinned to an
+# arbitrary host UID (the classic `--user $(id -u):$(id -g)` invocation people
+# used in the tini era to make container-written files match their host user).
+#
+# Under s6-overlay this no longer works: the bootstrap (UID remap, volume +
+# build-tree chown, config seeding) all require root, and they're skipped when
+# the container starts non-root. The baked image trees (/opt/data, /opt/hermes/
+# .venv, ui-tui, node_modules) stay owned by the hermes build UID (10000), so an
+# arbitrary `--user` UID can't write them — the runtime then fails with EACCES
+# on a bind mount, or hard-crashes on a named volume (Docker initialises the
+# volume from the image as UID 10000, and the non-root start can't even `cd`
+# into $HERMES_HOME). See #34837 for the supervision-tree side of this.
+#
+# The supported way to match host-side ownership is to start as root (the image
+# default) and pass HERMES_UID/HERMES_GID — or the PUID/PGID aliases — which the
+# remap block below consumes via usermod/groupmod + targeted chown. That gives
+# the exact same outcome (files owned by your host UID) without breaking s6.
+#
+# preinit runs setuid-root (euid=0) but cont-init.d hooks run with the real UID
+# the container was started as, so `id -u` here is the host UID (e.g. 1000), and
+# `id -u hermes` is the unremapped build UID (10000) because no root-only remap
+# could run. root starts (id -u = 0) and the normal supervised drop to the
+# hermes UID are both unaffected.
+cur_uid="$(id -u)"
+if [ "$cur_uid" != 0 ] && [ "$cur_uid" != "$(id -u hermes)" ]; then
+    cat >&2 <<EOF
+[stage2] ERROR: container started with --user $cur_uid (an arbitrary, non-hermes UID).
+
+This is not supported under the s6-overlay image. The container bootstrap
+(UID remap, volume ownership, dependency installs) needs to start as root,
+and the baked image directories are owned by the hermes user (UID $(id -u hermes)),
+so a pinned --user UID cannot write them — startup will fail.
+
+To make container-written files match your HOST user, DON'T use --user.
+Start the container as root (the default) and pass your host UID/GID instead:
+
+    docker run -e HERMES_UID=\$(id -u) -e HERMES_GID=\$(id -g) ...
+
+NAS users (Synology / unRAID / UGOS) can use the PUID/PGID aliases:
+
+    docker run -e PUID=\$(id -u) -e PGID=\$(id -g) ...
+
+The image remaps the hermes user to that UID/GID at boot and chowns the data
+volume accordingly, so files land owned by your host user — the same outcome
+--user was being used for, without breaking the supervision tree.
+EOF
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 # --- Bootstrap HERMES_HOME as root ---
 # Create the directory (and any missing parents) while we still have root
 # privileges so the chown checks below see real metadata and the later
@@ -35,11 +85,12 @@ as_hermes() { [ "$(id -u)" = 0 ] || { "$@"; return; }; s6-setuidgid hermes "$@";
 # is a no-op if the dir already exists. (#18482, salvages #18488)
 mkdir -p "$HERMES_HOME"
 
-# Numeric UID/GID validation: must be digits only, 1000-65534
+# Numeric UID/GID validation: must be digits only, non-root, 1-65534.
+# NAS hosts such as Unraid commonly use low non-root IDs (99:100).
 validate_uid_gid() {
     case "$1" in
         ''|*[!0-9]*) return 1 ;;
-        *) [ "$1" -ge 1000 ] && [ "$1" -le 65534 ] ;;
+        *) [ "$1" -ge 1 ] && [ "$1" -le 65534 ] ;;
     esac
 }
 
@@ -148,29 +199,53 @@ if [ "$needs_chown" = true ]; then
     # Hermes-owned subdirs: recursive chown is safe here because these are
     # created and managed exclusively by hermes (see the s6-setuidgid mkdir
     # -p block below for the canonical list).
-    for sub in cron sessions logs hooks memories skills skins plans workspace home profiles; do
+    for sub in cron sessions logs hooks memories skills skins plans workspace home profiles pairing platforms/pairing; do
         if [ -e "$HERMES_HOME/$sub" ]; then
             chown -R hermes:hermes "$HERMES_HOME/$sub" 2>/dev/null || \
                 echo "[stage2] Warning: chown $HERMES_HOME/$sub failed (rootless container?) — continuing"
         fi
     done
-    # Hermes-owned trees under $INSTALL_DIR must be re-chowned when the UID
-    # is remapped — otherwise:
-    #   - .venv: lazy_deps.py cannot install platform packages (discord.py,
-    #     telegram, slack, etc.) with EACCES (#15012, #21100)
-    #   - ui-tui: esbuild rebuilds dist/entry.js on every TUI launch (when
-    #     the source mtime is newer than dist/ or when HERMES_TUI_FORCE_BUILD
-    #     is set) and writes to ui-tui/dist/. Without this chown the new
-    #     hermes UID can't write the build output (#28851).
-    #   - node_modules: root-level dependencies (puppeteer, web tooling)
-    #     that runtime code may walk/update.
-    # The set mirrors the build-time `chown -R hermes:hermes` line in the
-    # Dockerfile — keep them in sync if the Dockerfile chown set changes.
-    # These are under $INSTALL_DIR (not $HERMES_HOME), so the bind-mount
-    # concern doesn't apply — recursive is fine.
+fi
+
+# --- Fix ownership of build trees under $INSTALL_DIR ---
+# Hermes-owned trees under $INSTALL_DIR must be re-chowned whenever the
+# runtime hermes UID no longer owns them — otherwise:
+#   - .venv: lazy_deps.py cannot install platform packages (discord.py,
+#     telegram, slack, etc.) with EACCES (#15012, #21100)
+#   - ui-tui: esbuild rebuilds dist/entry.js on every TUI launch (when
+#     the source mtime is newer than dist/ or when HERMES_TUI_FORCE_BUILD
+#     is set) and writes to ui-tui/dist/. Without this chown the new
+#     hermes UID can't write the build output (#28851).
+#   - gateway: Python writes __pycache__ and runtime artifacts beneath the
+#     gateway package on first import. After a UID remap those source-owned
+#     paths still belong to the build-time UID (10000) unless repaired here,
+#     producing EACCES for the supervised gateway (#27221).
+#   - node_modules: root-level dependencies (puppeteer, web tooling)
+#     that runtime code may walk/update.
+# The set mirrors the build-time `chown -R hermes:hermes` line in the
+# Dockerfile — keep them in sync if the Dockerfile chown set changes.
+# These are under $INSTALL_DIR (not $HERMES_HOME), so the bind-mount
+# concern doesn't apply — recursive is fine.
+#
+# This MUST be gated independently of the $HERMES_HOME ownership check
+# above. `usermod -u <new> hermes` re-chowns the hermes home dir
+# ($HERMES_HOME == /opt/data) to the new UID as a side effect, so after a
+# HERMES_UID/PUID remap `stat $HERMES_HOME` always already matches the new
+# UID and `needs_chown` is false — but the build trees under /opt/hermes
+# are NOT touched by usermod and remain owned by the build-time UID
+# (10000). Gating them on $HERMES_HOME ownership (as #35027 did) silently
+# skipped this chown on the common PUID/NAS path, regressing lazy installs
+# and TUI rebuilds. Probe the build trees directly instead: chown only
+# when the venv is not already owned by the runtime hermes UID. Idempotent
+# and skips the expensive recursive chown on every restart once ownership
+# is settled.
+venv_owner=$(stat -c %u "$INSTALL_DIR/.venv" 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+if [ -n "$venv_owner" ] && [ "$venv_owner" != "$actual_hermes_uid" ]; then
+    echo "[stage2] Fixing ownership of build trees under $INSTALL_DIR to hermes ($actual_hermes_uid)"
     chown -R hermes:hermes \
         "$INSTALL_DIR/.venv" \
         "$INSTALL_DIR/ui-tui" \
+        "$INSTALL_DIR/gateway" \
         "$INSTALL_DIR/node_modules" \
         2>/dev/null || \
         echo "[stage2] Warning: chown of build trees failed (rootless container?) — continuing"
@@ -239,7 +314,9 @@ as_hermes mkdir -p \
     "$HERMES_HOME/skins" \
     "$HERMES_HOME/plans" \
     "$HERMES_HOME/workspace" \
-    "$HERMES_HOME/home"
+    "$HERMES_HOME/home" \
+    "$HERMES_HOME/pairing" \
+    "$HERMES_HOME/platforms/pairing"
 
 # --- Install-method stamp (read by detect_install_method() in hermes status) ---
 # Preserved from the tini-era entrypoint (PR #27843). Must be written as
@@ -269,6 +346,17 @@ if [ -f "$HERMES_HOME/.env" ]; then
     chmod 600 "$HERMES_HOME/.env" 2>/dev/null || true
 fi
 
+# --- Migrate persisted config schema ---
+# Docker image upgrades replace the code under $INSTALL_DIR but preserve
+# $HERMES_HOME on the mounted volume. Run the same safe, non-interactive
+# config-schema migrations that `hermes update` runs for non-Docker installs,
+# after first-boot seeding and before supervised gateway services start.
+# Set HERMES_SKIP_CONFIG_MIGRATION=1 for controlled/manual migrations.
+if [ -f "$HERMES_HOME/config.yaml" ]; then
+    s6-setuidgid hermes "$INSTALL_DIR/.venv/bin/python" "$INSTALL_DIR/scripts/docker_config_migrate.py" \
+        || echo "[stage2] Warning: docker_config_migrate.py failed; continuing"
+fi
+
 # auth.json: bootstrap from env on first boot only. Same semantics as the
 # pre-s6 entrypoint — the [ ! -f ] guard is critical to avoid clobbering
 # rotated refresh tokens on container restart.

docs/analysis/coding-agent-harness.md

@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+# Why IDE-Embedded Coding Agents Feel Better — and Where Hermes Stands
+
+A study of the *harness* techniques that make in-editor coding agents punch above
+the raw model, and an honest map of which ones Hermes already implements, which it
+approximates, and which it lacks.
+
+## TL;DR
+
+The leading IDE-embedded coding products are **not better models** — they call the
+same frontier models (Claude, GPT) that power terminal agents like this one. Their
+edge comes entirely from the **harness**: how context is retrieved and assembled,
+how mechanical edits are applied reliably, and how cheap specialized models are
+routed in for sub-tasks. The model is a commodity; the meal it's fed is not.
+
+This document breaks the advantage into five concrete subsystems, each backed by
+published engineering from the vendors, and maps each onto the Hermes codebase.
+
+| # | Technique | What it buys | Hermes status |
+|---|-----------|--------------|---------------|
+| 1 | Indexed semantic retrieval (Merkle delta-sync + content-addressed embedding cache) | Knows the repo in ms; feeds the *right* snippets | ❌ **Gap** (grep/FTS5 only, no vector index) |
+| 2 | Retrieval as the accuracy driver | +~12.5% answer accuracy (vendor eval) | ⚠️ **Approximated** (lexical search, not semantic) |
+| 3 | Decoupled "apply" model + line-number-free search/replace | Frontier model only *reasons*; mechanical patching never botches the file | ✅ **Have an analog** (`tools/fuzzy_match.py`) |
+| 4 | Ambient IDE context (cursor pos, selection, live diagnostics) | More intent-signal per token | ⚠️ **Partial** (context files + LSP, no live cursor/selection) |
+| 5 | Per-task model routing (tiny model for autocomplete, frontier for reasoning) | Right tool per job | ✅ **Have** (`agent/auxiliary_client.py`) |
+
+---
+
+## 1. Indexed semantic retrieval — the actual moat
+
+The headline trick is *not* the system prompt. It's a vector index over the repo
+that is kept fresh cheaply:
+
+- **Merkle tree for change detection.** Every file is SHA-256 hashed; folder hashes
+  derive from children; the root summarizes the repo. An edit changes only that
+  file's hash plus the path to the root, so the indexer walks **only the branches
+  that differ** instead of rescanning. (This is git's own content-addressing trick
+  repurposed for indexing.)
+- **Syntax-aware chunking.** Changed files are split on function/class boundaries,
+  not arbitrary token windows, then embedded.
+- **Content-addressed embedding cache.** Embeddings are keyed by the hash of the
+  chunk content. Re-indexing unchanged code is a cache hit → zero embedding cost.
+  Embedding is the expensive step, so this is the whole ballgame for speed.
+- **Cross-clone index reuse.** Vendors observe that clones of one repo are ~92%
+  identical across an org; a "simhash" lets a new clone reuse a teammate's index,
+  collapsing time-to-first-query from hours (99th pct) to seconds. Access is gated
+  cryptographically: you can only compute a Merkle node's hash if you actually hold
+  the file, so results you can't *prove* you possess are dropped.
+
+**Hermes status: this is the real gap.** Core Hermes has no vector index, no
+embedding store, no Merkle delta-sync. Codebase awareness is achieved at task time
+via lexical tools (`search_files` → ripgrep) and session recall via SQLite FTS5
+(`hermes_state.py`, `tools/session_search_tool.py`). The only embedding-flavored
+retrieval lives in an optional plugin (`plugins/memory/holographic/`), and even
+that is FTS5-backed, not dense-vector.
+
+This is a *defensible* design choice for a terminal-first agent — ripgrep over a
+known working tree is fast, dependency-free, and always current — but it means
+Hermes "discovers" a codebase cold each task rather than walking in pre-indexed.
+
+## 2. Retrieval is the accuracy driver (empirically)
+
+Vendor evals attribute **~+12.5% answer accuracy** and higher edit-retention to
+semantic search alone — same model, better-retrieved context. This is the
+empirical proof of the thesis: *a worse model with better context beats a better
+model with worse context.*
+
+**Hermes status: approximated, lexically.** Hermes gets the *shape* of this through
+aggressive context assembly — `agent/prompt_builder.py` and `agent/system_prompt.py`
+inject project context files (AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md / .cursorrules), and
+`agent/subdirectory_hints.py` surfaces local structure. What's missing is *ranked
+semantic* retrieval: Hermes finds text by pattern, not by meaning. For
+"where is the thing that does X" questions, lexical search is strictly weaker than
+embeddings.
+
+## 3. Decoupled apply model — the most underrated trick
+
+Leading products split edits into two stages:
+
+1. **Plan** — the frontier model emits a *terse* edit, often with
+   `// ... existing code ...` placeholders.
+2. **Apply** — a separate, cheap, often self-hosted model turns that sketch into the
+   final file.
+
+Why bother? Frontier models are *lazy and inaccurate* at large rewrites: they drop
+code, emit `...`, "helpfully" reformat unrelated lines, miscount line numbers, and
+can trap the agent in retry loops. Three published findings drive the design:
+
+- **Whole-file rewrites beat diffs** for the model, because diffs force fewer output
+  tokens (less room to "think"), are out-of-distribution (models saw far more whole
+  files in training), and line numbers are tokenizer poison (a number is one token,
+  forcing a one-shot commit, and models can't count lines).
+- So edits use **search/replace blocks with no line numbers**, with redundant
+  context lines so the parser tolerates model slips.
+- **Speculative decoding** makes apply fast (~1000 tok/s) because the unchanged file
+  *is* the draft — and because that can't be built into hosted Anthropic/OpenAI
+  models, vendors train and self-host their own apply model.
+
+**Hermes status: it has a deterministic analog, and it's good.**
+`tools/fuzzy_match.py` implements an **8-strategy search/replace matcher** (exact →
+line-trimmed → whitespace-normalized → indentation-flexible → escape-normalized →
+trimmed-boundary → block-anchor → context-aware-similarity) that is *precisely* the
+"tolerate model slips in line-number-free search/replace" idea — just solved with
+`difflib.SequenceMatcher` instead of a trained model. `tools/patch_parser.py` and
+`tools/file_tools.py` wire it into the `patch` tool. Hermes also already adopts the
+correct *interface*: the model emits `old_string`/`new_string`, never line numbers.
+
+Where the vendors go further: a *trained* apply model can reconstruct intent from a
+sketch (resolve `// ... existing ...` placeholders against the real file), whereas a
+fuzzy matcher can only locate-and-substitute text the model actually wrote. Hermes
+trades that capability for zero latency, zero cost, and full determinism — a sound
+trade for a local agent, but worth naming.
+
+## 4. Ambient context — the editor's free advantage
+
+Because the product *is* the editor, it injects for free: the open file, **cursor
+position**, current selection, **live LSP/linter diagnostics**, and recent diffs.
+Terminal agents must spend tool calls reconstructing all of this. More intent-signal
+per token → better output from the same model.
+
+**Hermes status: partial.** Hermes injects project context files and has LSP
+plumbing (`agent/lsp/`), and the ACP adapter (`acp_adapter/`) gives editors a way to
+feed edits/approvals back. What it lacks is the *passive* signal: it doesn't know
+where your cursor is or what you've selected, because in a terminal there is no
+cursor to read. The ACP integration narrows this gap when Hermes runs inside an
+editor, but the default terminal surface is signal-poorer by construction.
+
+## 5. Per-task model routing
+
+Autocomplete uses a tiny fast model; chat uses a frontier model; apply uses the
+custom fast model; the agent loop uses a frontier model plus tools. Nothing is
+forced through one monolith.
+
+**Hermes status: have it.** `agent/auxiliary_client.py` provides a routed auxiliary
+model used for cheaper sub-tasks — title generation (`agent/title_generator.py`),
+vision routing (`tools/computer_use/vision_routing.py`), background review
+(`agent/background_review.py`), and conversation compression
+(`agent/context_compressor.py`, `trajectory_compressor.py`). The pattern — reserve
+the expensive model for reasoning, route mechanical sub-tasks to a cheap one — is
+already core to Hermes.
+
+---
+
+## Synthesis: where Hermes wins, ties, and trails
+
+**Ties or wins:**
+- **Apply reliability** — the 8-strategy fuzzy matcher is a genuinely strong,
+  zero-cost analog to a trained apply model, and uses the same line-number-free
+  search/replace interface the research converged on.
+- **Model routing** — auxiliary-client routing already reserves the frontier model
+  for reasoning.
+- **Context-file injection & session memory** — robust, and FTS5 session search is a
+  real recall capability terminal-first.
+
+**Trails:**
+- **Semantic codebase retrieval** is the one structural gap. Hermes is lexical
+  (ripgrep + FTS5) where the leaders are dense-vector with a cheaply-maintained
+  index. This is the highest-leverage area if Hermes ever wants to close the
+  "feels like it already knows my repo" gap.
+- **Ambient passive context** (cursor/selection/live diagnostics) is inherently
+  weaker outside an editor; the ACP path is the right place to invest if that
+  matters.
+
+**The single most transferable insight:** the research independently concluded that
+it is *better to rewrite via fuzzy-tolerant, line-number-free search/replace than to
+trust the smart model to emit a precise diff* — and Hermes already lands on the same
+answer in `tools/fuzzy_match.py`. That convergence is a good sign the harness
+fundamentals here are sound; the missing piece is retrieval, not editing.
+
+## Suggested follow-ups (not implemented here — analysis only)
+
+1. **Optional semantic index plugin.** A content-addressed embedding cache keyed by
+   file hash, behind the existing plugin interface, would give ranked semantic
+   retrieval without bloating the core terminal path. Merkle delta-sync keeps it
+   cheap to refresh.
+2. **Apply-from-sketch mode.** Let the model emit `// ... existing ...` placeholders
+   and resolve them against the real file before handing to the fuzzy matcher —
+   captures most of a trained apply model's benefit deterministically.
+3. **Richer ambient context over ACP.** Pipe editor cursor/selection/diagnostics
+   into prompt assembly when running embedded, closing the passive-signal gap.