diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/bench-insights.css b/apps/web/src/pages/bench-insights.css
index 923dce0d5..e163cac32 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/bench-insights.css
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/bench-insights.css
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
-.bi-head {
-  margin-bottom: 1rem;
+/* Card and table labels read as sentence case, like the drawer's tabs. */
+.page-layout .insights-panel h3 {
+  font-size: 0.9rem;
+  letter-spacing: 0;
+  text-transform: none;
+  color: var(--ink);
 }
-.bi-head h1 {
-  margin: 0;
-  font-size: 1.5rem;
-  font-weight: 700;
-}
-.bi-head p {
-  margin: 0.25rem 0 0;
-  color: var(--muted-foreground);
+.page-layout .bi-table th {
+  font-size: 0.78rem;
+  letter-spacing: 0;
+  text-transform: none;
 }
 .bi-other {
   background: var(--muted-foreground);
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/bench-insights.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/bench-insights.tsx
index 0c9386bbe..58445913c 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/bench-insights.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/bench-insights.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // The bench-scoped Insights dashboard: every number is computed from the
 // stock `GET /workflows/runs` listing of the bench's own tenant.
 
-import { Badge, PageShell, RichEmptyState, Skeleton, RUN_STATUS_TONE } from "@corbits/react-ui";
+import { Badge, RichEmptyState, Skeleton, RUN_STATUS_TONE } from "@corbits/react-ui";
 import { useState, type ReactNode } from "react";
 
 import { useAPIQuery } from "../api";
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
 } from "../insights-stats";
 import { formatWhen } from "./insights-page";
 import { useFromBench } from "../shell/page-crumbs";
+import { PageLayout } from "../shell/page-layout";
 import { StageTopBar } from "../shell/stage-top-bar";
 import { workbenchPath } from "../workbench-path";
 
@@ -207,13 +208,9 @@ export function BenchInsights({
     <div className="flex h-full min-h-0 flex-col">
       <StageTopBar crumbs={crumbs} actions={rangeSeg} />
       <div className="min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-y-auto">
-        <PageShell width="full" className="page-fill">
-          <div className="bi-head">
-            <h1>Insights</h1>
-            <p>What happened in {title}.</p>
-          </div>
+        <PageLayout title="Insights" subtitle={`What happened in ${title}.`}>
           {body}
-        </PageShell>
+        </PageLayout>
       </div>
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/routine-detail-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/routine-detail-page.tsx
index 361d688f7..e3cdc37e3 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/routine-detail-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/routine-detail-page.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 import { PageShell, RichEmptyState, RunNowButton, Skeleton } from "@corbits/react-ui";
 import { type } from "arktype";
 import { useState } from "react";
-import type { ReactNode } from "react";
+import { Clock } from "@/lib/icons";
 
 import { useAPIQuery } from "../api";
 import { useGlobalRoutines, useRoutineActions } from "../global-routines";
 import type { GlobalRoutineRow } from "../global-routines";
-import { Link } from "../navigation";
+import { useNavigate } from "../navigation";
 import { WORKFLOWS_PATH_PREFIX } from "../path-ids";
+import { PageLayout } from "../shell/page-layout";
 import { StageTopBar } from "../shell/stage-top-bar";
 import { RoutinePill, formatWhen, routineState, useRoutineRuns } from "./routine-ui";
 import type { RunRow } from "./routine-ui";
@@ -140,25 +141,28 @@ function RoutineRunsSection({
 function RoutineNotice({
   title,
   description,
-  children,
 }: {
   readonly title: string;
   readonly description: string;
-  readonly children?: ReactNode;
 }) {
+  const navigate = useNavigate();
   return (
     <div className="flex h-full min-h-0 flex-col">
       <StageTopBar
         crumbs={[{ label: "Workflows", href: WORKFLOWS_PATH_PREFIX }, { label: title }]}
       />
-      <PageShell>
-        <p className="m-0 text-sm text-[var(--ui-fg-muted)]">{description}</p>
-        {children ?? (
-          <p className="mt-4">
-            <Link to={WORKFLOWS_PATH_PREFIX}>Back to Workflows</Link>
-          </p>
-        )}
-      </PageShell>
+      <div className="min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-y-auto">
+        <PageLayout title={title}>
+          <RichEmptyState
+            icon={<Clock />}
+            title="Workflow unavailable"
+            description={description}
+            actions={[
+              { label: "Back to Workflows", onClick: () => navigate(WORKFLOWS_PATH_PREFIX) },
+            ]}
+          />
+        </PageLayout>
+      </div>
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/routines-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/routines-page.tsx
index be3c25550..eb1b8744b 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/routines-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/routines-page.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // paused (`stopped`) ones. Run-now is the only write.
 import { EmptyState, RichEmptyState, RunNowButton } from "@corbits/react-ui";
 import { cronSentence } from "@corbits/workflows/client";
-import { useState } from "react";
+import { useState, type ReactNode } from "react";
 import { Clock } from "@/lib/icons";
 
 import { useGlobalRoutines, useRoutineActions } from "../global-routines";
@@ -57,6 +57,17 @@ function RoutineListRow({
   );
 }
 
+function WorkflowsLayout({ children }: { readonly children: ReactNode }) {
+  return (
+    <PageLayout
+      title="Workflows"
+      subtitle="Deployed workflows, when they run, and how the last run went."
+    >
+      {children}
+    </PageLayout>
+  );
+}
+
 export function GlobalRoutinesList({
   rows,
   onRunNow,
@@ -68,11 +79,13 @@ export function GlobalRoutinesList({
   const fromId = useFromBench();
   if (rows.length === 0) {
     return (
-      <RichEmptyState
-        icon={<Clock />}
-        title="No workflows yet"
-        description="A deployed workflow shows up here. Run it now from its row."
-      />
+      <WorkflowsLayout>
+        <RichEmptyState
+          icon={<Clock />}
+          title="No workflows yet"
+          description="A deployed workflow shows up here. Run it now from its row."
+        />
+      </WorkflowsLayout>
     );
   }
   const needle = query.trim().toLowerCase();
@@ -82,10 +95,7 @@ export function GlobalRoutinesList({
       .includes(needle),
   );
   return (
-    <PageLayout
-      title="Workflows"
-      subtitle="Deployed workflows, when they run, and how the last run went."
-    >
+    <WorkflowsLayout>
       <input
         className="routines-filter"
         placeholder="Filter workflows"
@@ -103,7 +113,7 @@ export function GlobalRoutinesList({
           />
         ))}
       </ul>
-    </PageLayout>
+    </WorkflowsLayout>
   );
 }
 
@@ -117,17 +127,17 @@ export function RoutinesRoute() {
       <StageTopBar crumbs={[{ label: "Workflows" }]} />
       <div className="stage-content flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col overflow-y-auto">
         {routinesQuery.kind === "loading" ? (
-          <div className="flex flex-1 items-center justify-center p-6">
+          <WorkflowsLayout>
             <EmptyState icon={<Clock />} title="Loading workflows…" />
-          </div>
+          </WorkflowsLayout>
         ) : routinesQuery.kind === "error" ? (
-          <div className="flex flex-1 items-center justify-center p-6">
+          <WorkflowsLayout>
             <RichEmptyState
               icon={<Clock />}
               title="Couldn't load workflows"
               description={routinesQuery.message}
             />
-          </div>
+          </WorkflowsLayout>
         ) : (
           <GlobalRoutinesList rows={rows} onRunNow={(row) => actions.runNow(row)} />
         )}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/app-shell.tsx b/apps/web/src/shell/app-shell.tsx
index 769acddf5..40362a19d 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/app-shell.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/app-shell.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { useNavigate } from "../navigation";
 import { saveArtifactContent } from "./library-artifacts";
 import { APP_ROUTES, matchesRoute } from "../routes";
 import type { SessionUser } from "../session";
+import { isWorkbenchPath } from "../workbench-path";
 import { StageTopBar } from "./stage-top-bar";
 import {
   useCanvasColumnArtifact,
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ import {
   useToggleCanvasFocus,
 } from "./canvas-availability";
 import { Sidebar } from "./sidebar";
+import { isNarrow, SidebarToggleContext, useIsNarrow } from "./sidebar-toggle";
 import { ShellContextMenu } from "./context-menu/shell-context-menu";
 import { FirstRunTour } from "./first-run-tour";
 import "./shell-narrow.css";
@@ -126,6 +128,16 @@ export function AppShell({
   // Keyed by path so any navigation closes the phone-width sidebar.
   const [sidebarOpenFor, setSidebarOpenFor] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const sidebarOpen = sidebarOpenFor === path;
+  // Desktop collapse. The chat and home screens carry no `StageTopBar`, so
+  // they always show the sidebar rather than leave no way back.
+  const [collapsed, setCollapsed] = useState(false);
+  const narrow = useIsNarrow();
+  const collapsible = path !== "/" && !isWorkbenchPath(path);
+  const sidebarCollapsed = collapsed && collapsible;
+  const toggleSidebar = () => {
+    if (isNarrow()) setSidebarOpenFor(sidebarOpen ? null : path);
+    else setCollapsed(!collapsed);
+  };
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!sidebarOpen) return;
     const onKey = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
@@ -146,61 +158,69 @@ export function AppShell({
         : { tone: "ok" as const, label: "All caught up" };
 
   return (
-    <div className="shell-frame" data-sidebar-open={sidebarOpen}>
-      <Button
-        variant="ghost"
-        size="sm"
-        className="shell-sidebar-toggle"
-        aria-label="Toggle sidebar"
-        aria-expanded={sidebarOpen}
-        onClick={() => setSidebarOpenFor(sidebarOpen ? null : path)}
-      >
-        <PanelLeft />
-      </Button>
+    <SidebarToggleContext
+      value={{ expanded: narrow ? sidebarOpen : !sidebarCollapsed, toggle: toggleSidebar }}
+    >
       <div
-        className="shell-sidebar-scrim"
-        onClick={() => setSidebarOpenFor(null)}
-        aria-hidden="true"
-      />
-      <Sidebar path={path} onNavigate={navigate} />
-      <div className="shell-main" ref={mainRef}>
-        <ScrollToTop key={path} containerRef={mainRef} />
-        <div className="shell-main-content">
-          {routeHasNoStageTopBar(path) ? (
-            <StageTopBar
-              crumbs={[{ label: routeLabel(path) }]}
-              {...(pendingChip !== undefined ? { chip: pendingChip } : {})}
+        className="shell-frame"
+        data-sidebar-open={sidebarOpen}
+        data-sidebar-collapsed={sidebarCollapsed}
+      >
+        <Button
+          variant="ghost"
+          size="sm"
+          className="shell-sidebar-toggle"
+          aria-label="Toggle sidebar"
+          aria-expanded={sidebarOpen}
+          onClick={toggleSidebar}
+        >
+          <PanelLeft />
+        </Button>
+        <div
+          className="shell-sidebar-scrim"
+          onClick={() => setSidebarOpenFor(null)}
+          aria-hidden="true"
+        />
+        <Sidebar path={path} onNavigate={navigate} />
+        <div className="shell-main" ref={mainRef}>
+          <ScrollToTop key={path} containerRef={mainRef} />
+          <div className="shell-main-content">
+            {routeHasNoStageTopBar(path) ? (
+              <StageTopBar
+                crumbs={[{ label: routeLabel(path) }]}
+                {...(pendingChip !== undefined ? { chip: pendingChip } : {})}
+              />
+            ) : null}
+            <Suspense
+              fallback={
+                <div className="page-fill shell-route-loading">
+                  <WorkbenchLoadingState />
+                </div>
+              }
+            >
+              {children}
+            </Suspense>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+        {canvasAllowed ? (
+          <Suspense fallback={null}>
+            <CanvasColumn
+              open={canvasOpen}
+              profile={canvasProfile}
+              artifact={canvasArtifact}
+              routine={canvasRoutine}
+              focus={canvasFocus}
+              onClose={closeCanvas}
+              onToggleFocus={toggleCanvasFocus}
+              onNavigate={navigate}
+              artifactSaveState={artifactSaveState}
+              onSaveArtifact={saveArtifact}
             />
-          ) : null}
-          <Suspense
-            fallback={
-              <div className="page-fill shell-route-loading">
-                <WorkbenchLoadingState />
-              </div>
-            }
-          >
-            {children}
           </Suspense>
-        </div>
+        ) : null}
+        <ShellContextMenu onSignOut={onSignOut} />
+        <FirstRunTour userId={user.id} />
       </div>
-      {canvasAllowed ? (
-        <Suspense fallback={null}>
-          <CanvasColumn
-            open={canvasOpen}
-            profile={canvasProfile}
-            artifact={canvasArtifact}
-            routine={canvasRoutine}
-            focus={canvasFocus}
-            onClose={closeCanvas}
-            onToggleFocus={toggleCanvasFocus}
-            onNavigate={navigate}
-            artifactSaveState={artifactSaveState}
-            onSaveArtifact={saveArtifact}
-          />
-        </Suspense>
-      ) : null}
-      <ShellContextMenu onSignOut={onSignOut} />
-      <FirstRunTour userId={user.id} />
-    </div>
+    </SidebarToggleContext>
   );
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/page-crumbs.tsx b/apps/web/src/shell/page-crumbs.tsx
index 6b9267e99..07e4ec98f 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/page-crumbs.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/page-crumbs.tsx
@@ -57,6 +57,15 @@ export function usePageCrumbs(crumbs: readonly PageCrumb[]): {
   readonly back: { readonly href: string; readonly name: string } | null;
 } {
   const from = useFromWorkbench();
+  const fromId = useFromBench();
+  // A bare one-level page reads "Workbench / <Page>"; `?from=` swaps the
+  // root for the bench itself.
+  if (fromId === null) {
+    return {
+      crumbs: crumbs.length === 1 ? [{ label: "Workbench" }, ...crumbs] : crumbs,
+      back: null,
+    };
+  }
   if (from === null || from.name === null) return { crumbs, back: null };
   const href = workbenchPath(from.id);
   return {
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/shell-narrow.css b/apps/web/src/shell/shell-narrow.css
index 5d72f5d7c..a4268afa2 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/shell-narrow.css
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/shell-narrow.css
@@ -4,14 +4,32 @@
   display: none;
 }
 
+/* Desktop: the toggle sits in the page's top bar, centred with the title. */
+.stage-sidebar-toggle {
+  flex: none;
+  align-self: center;
+  margin-left: -6px;
+}
+
+.shell-frame[data-sidebar-collapsed="true"] .shell-sidebar {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+.shell-frame[data-sidebar-collapsed="true"] .shell-main {
+  margin-left: 8px;
+}
+
 @media (max-width: 860px) {
   .shell-sidebar-toggle {
     display: inline-flex;
     position: fixed;
-    top: 0.5rem;
+    top: 10px;
     left: 0.5rem;
     z-index: 30;
   }
+  .stage-sidebar-toggle {
+    display: none;
+  }
   .shell-frame .stage-top-bar {
     padding-left: 3rem;
   }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-toggle.tsx b/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-toggle.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a5939da4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-toggle.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+// One handler for the sidebar toggle: `AppShell` owns the state and the
+// phone-width button; the desktop button lives in each page's `StageTopBar`.
+
+import { createContext, useContext, useSyncExternalStore } from "react";
+import { Button } from "@corbits/react-ui";
+import { PanelLeft } from "@/lib/icons";
+
+export type SidebarToggle = {
+  readonly expanded: boolean;
+  readonly toggle: () => void;
+};
+
+export const SidebarToggleContext = createContext<SidebarToggle | null>(null);
+
+// Mirrors the `max-width: 860px` breakpoint in shell-narrow.css.
+const NARROW_QUERY = "(max-width: 860px)";
+
+export function subscribeNarrow(onChange: () => void): () => void {
+  const query = window.matchMedia(NARROW_QUERY);
+  query.addEventListener("change", onChange);
+  return () => query.removeEventListener("change", onChange);
+}
+
+export function isNarrow(): boolean {
+  return window.matchMedia(NARROW_QUERY).matches;
+}
+
+export function useIsNarrow(): boolean {
+  return useSyncExternalStore(subscribeNarrow, isNarrow);
+}
+
+/** The desktop sidebar toggle; phone width uses the shell's fixed button. */
+export function StageSidebarToggle() {
+  const sidebar = useContext(SidebarToggleContext);
+  if (sidebar === null) return null;
+  return (
+    <Button
+      variant="ghost"
+      size="sm"
+      className="stage-sidebar-toggle"
+      aria-label="Toggle sidebar"
+      aria-expanded={sidebar.expanded}
+      onClick={sidebar.toggle}
+    >
+      <PanelLeft />
+    </Button>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/stage-top-bar.tsx b/apps/web/src/shell/stage-top-bar.tsx
index 3bee982a0..754ece23c 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/stage-top-bar.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/stage-top-bar.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import type { ReactNode } from "react";
 
 import { PageCrumbs, type PageCrumb } from "./page-crumbs";
 import { Chip, type ChipTone } from "./chip";
+import { StageSidebarToggle } from "./sidebar-toggle";
 import { StageSearch, type StageSearchProps } from "./stage-search";
 
 export type StageCrumb = PageCrumb;
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ export function StageTopBar({
   const hasSubtitle = subtitle !== undefined && subtitle !== null;
   return (
     <header className="stage-top-bar" data-testid="stage-top-bar">
+      <StageSidebarToggle />
       <div className="stage-top-bar-title">
         <PageCrumbs crumbs={crumbs} />
       </div>