diff --git a/crates/maestro-tui/src/app.rs b/crates/maestro-tui/src/app.rs
index 7191546..323eefe 100644
--- a/crates/maestro-tui/src/app.rs
+++ b/crates/maestro-tui/src/app.rs
@@ -193,24 +193,12 @@ impl App {
                 self.state.focus = Focus::Pane;
             }
             Action::SidebarNext => {
-                let order: Vec<Uuid> = self
-                    .catalog
-                    .snapshot()
-                    .sessions
-                    .iter()
-                    .map(|s| s.id)
-                    .collect();
+                let order = visible_sidebar_order(&self.catalog.snapshot());
                 self.state.move_sidebar_highlight(&order, 1);
                 self.state.focus = Focus::Sidebar;
             }
             Action::SidebarPrev => {
-                let order: Vec<Uuid> = self
-                    .catalog
-                    .snapshot()
-                    .sessions
-                    .iter()
-                    .map(|s| s.id)
-                    .collect();
+                let order = visible_sidebar_order(&self.catalog.snapshot());
                 self.state.move_sidebar_highlight(&order, -1);
                 self.state.focus = Focus::Sidebar;
             }
@@ -432,6 +420,19 @@ impl App {
     }
 }
 
+/// Order the sidebar walks for `j`/`k`: each daemon's sessions, in the same
+/// order [`crate::sidebar::Sidebar::render`] emits them. Keeps highlight
+/// movement in visual sync with what the user sees.
+fn visible_sidebar_order(snap: &crate::catalog::CatalogSnapshot) -> Vec<Uuid> {
+    let mut out = Vec::with_capacity(snap.sessions.len());
+    for d in &snap.daemons {
+        for s in snap.sessions.iter().filter(|s| s.daemon_id == d.daemon_id) {
+            out.push(s.id);
+        }
+    }
+    out
+}
+
 fn ws_base(http: &str) -> String {
     if let Some(rest) = http.strip_prefix("http://") {
         format!("ws://{rest}")
diff --git a/crates/maestro-tui/src/render.rs b/crates/maestro-tui/src/render.rs
index 645b9ad..2f5e5a0 100644
--- a/crates/maestro-tui/src/render.rs
+++ b/crates/maestro-tui/src/render.rs
@@ -103,26 +103,35 @@ pub fn draw(f: &mut Frame, inputs: RenderInputs<'_>) -> RegionMap {
         map.sidebar = Some(sidebar_area);
     }
 
+    // 1-row tab bar + 1-row horizontal rule (doubles as the pane's focus
+    // indicator) + flex pane area below. Saves the 4 rows the old
+    // `Length(3) + Borders::ALL` layout was eating before any content showed.
     let rows = Layout::default()
         .direction(Direction::Vertical)
-        .constraints([Constraint::Length(3), Constraint::Min(0)])
+        .constraints([
+            Constraint::Length(1),
+            Constraint::Length(1),
+            Constraint::Min(0),
+        ])
         .split(right);
     let tab_area = rows[0];
-    let pane_area = rows[1];
+    let separator_area = rows[1];
+    let pane_area = rows[2];
 
     inputs.tab_bar.render(f, tab_area);
     map.tab_bar = Some(tab_area);
 
     let pane_focused = inputs.state.focus == Focus::Pane;
-    let pane_block = Block::default()
-        .borders(Borders::ALL)
-        .border_style(focus_style(pane_focused));
-    let pane_inner = pane_block.inner(pane_area);
-    f.render_widget(pane_block, pane_area);
+    f.render_widget(
+        Block::default()
+            .borders(Borders::TOP)
+            .border_style(focus_style(pane_focused)),
+        separator_area,
+    );
     if let Some(p) = inputs.pane {
-        p.render(f, pane_inner);
+        p.render(f, pane_area);
     }
-    map.pane = Some(pane_inner);
+    map.pane = Some(pane_area);
 
     // Status bar — always visible, never eclipsed by overlays so the user can
     // always see the current mode + key hints.
diff --git a/crates/maestro-tui/src/sidebar.rs b/crates/maestro-tui/src/sidebar.rs
index fdc2f4a..f0bcf09 100644
--- a/crates/maestro-tui/src/sidebar.rs
+++ b/crates/maestro-tui/src/sidebar.rs
@@ -26,9 +26,10 @@ impl Sidebar {
         self.render_with_focus(f, area, false);
     }
 
-    /// Same as [`Sidebar::render`] but draws the border in the focus colour
-    /// when `focused`. Used by the top-level orchestrator to surface which
-    /// panel currently consumes navigation keys.
+    /// Same as [`Sidebar::render`] but tints the right-edge separator in the
+    /// focus colour when `focused`. Box borders eat too many rows/cols for
+    /// the v1 layout — a single vertical rule keeps the panel boundary
+    /// without stealing space.
     pub fn render_with_focus(&self, f: &mut Frame, area: Rect, focused: bool) {
         let border_style = if focused {
             Style::default().fg(Color::Cyan)
@@ -36,13 +37,15 @@ impl Sidebar {
             Style::default()
         };
         let block = Block::default()
-            .title(" daemons ")
-            .borders(Borders::ALL)
+            .borders(Borders::RIGHT)
             .border_style(border_style);
         let inner = block.inner(area);
         f.render_widget(block, area);
 
-        let mut lines: Vec<Line> = Vec::new();
+        let mut lines: Vec<Line> = vec![Line::from(Span::styled(
+            "daemons",
+            Style::default().add_modifier(Modifier::BOLD),
+        ))];
         for d in &self.daemons {
             lines.push(Line::from(format!("● {}", d.hostname)));
             for s in self.sessions.iter().filter(|s| s.daemon_id == d.daemon_id) {