diff --git a/src/main/menu.ts b/src/main/menu.ts
index 0bd9cb1..7964a22 100644
--- a/src/main/menu.ts
+++ b/src/main/menu.ts
@@ -80,33 +80,31 @@ export function buildMenu(
       },
       { type: "separator" },
       {
-        label: "Export",
+        label: "Export Markdown…",
+        accelerator: "CmdOrCtrl+Shift+E",
         enabled: !!getState().bookPath,
-        submenu: [
-          {
-            label: "Markdown…",
-            accelerator: "CmdOrCtrl+Shift+E",
-            click: () => getWindow()?.webContents.send("folio:export-markdown-requested"),
-          },
-          {
-            label: "Bundle (ZIP)…",
-            click: () => getWindow()?.webContents.send("folio:export-zip-requested"),
-          },
-          { type: "separator" },
-          {
-            label: "Full Book (PDF)…",
-            accelerator: "CmdOrCtrl+Shift+P",
-            click: () => getWindow()?.webContents.send("folio:export-pdf-requested"),
-          },
-          {
-            label: "Full Book (DOCX)…",
-            click: () => getWindow()?.webContents.send("folio:export-docx-requested"),
-          },
-          {
-            label: "Full Book (ODT)…",
-            click: () => getWindow()?.webContents.send("folio:export-odt-requested"),
-          },
-        ],
+        click: () => getWindow()?.webContents.send("folio:export-markdown-requested"),
+      },
+      {
+        label: "Export Bundle (ZIP)…",
+        enabled: !!getState().bookPath,
+        click: () => getWindow()?.webContents.send("folio:export-zip-requested"),
+      },
+      {
+        label: "Export Full Book (PDF)…",
+        accelerator: "CmdOrCtrl+Shift+P",
+        enabled: !!getState().bookPath,
+        click: () => getWindow()?.webContents.send("folio:export-pdf-requested"),
+      },
+      {
+        label: "Export Full Book (DOCX)…",
+        enabled: !!getState().bookPath,
+        click: () => getWindow()?.webContents.send("folio:export-docx-requested"),
+      },
+      {
+        label: "Export Full Book (ODT)…",
+        enabled: !!getState().bookPath,
+        click: () => getWindow()?.webContents.send("folio:export-odt-requested"),
       },
       { type: "separator" },
       {
diff --git a/src/renderer/book/search.ts b/src/renderer/book/search.ts
index e6295c5..c19c9da 100644
--- a/src/renderer/book/search.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/book/search.ts
@@ -95,40 +95,27 @@ export function createSearchFeature(ctx: BookCtx, editor: Editor): SearchFeature
     void (async () => {
       const list = await api.getChapterList();
       const chapters = Array.isArray(list) ? list : [];
-      const byChapter: { id: string; title: string; plain: string; positions: number[]; titleHits: number }[] = [];
+      const byChapter: { id: string; title: string; plain: string; positions: number[] }[] = [];
       let total = 0;
       for (const ch of chapters) {
         if (total >= 200) break;
-        // Chapter titles count as matches too: a title hit links to the
-        // chapter itself (no in-body scroll position).
-        const title = ch.title || ch.id;
-        const titleHits = findMatches(title, term, matchCase).length;
         const res = await api.getChapterContent(ch.id);
         const md = typeof res === "string" ? res : "";
         const plain = markdownToPlain(md);
         const positions = findMatches(plain, term, matchCase);
-        if (positions.length || titleHits) {
-          byChapter.push({ id: ch.id, title, plain, positions, titleHits });
-          total += positions.length + titleHits;
+        if (positions.length) {
+          byChapter.push({ id: ch.id, title: ch.title || ch.id, plain, positions });
+          total += positions.length;
         }
       }
       searchMeta.textContent = total
         ? `${total} match${total === 1 ? "" : "es"} in ${byChapter.length} chapter${byChapter.length === 1 ? "" : "s"}`
         : "No matches.";
-    for (const r of byChapter) {
-      const head = document.createElement("li");
-      head.className = "search-chapter-head";
-      const counts = [
-        r.titleHits ? `title: ${r.titleHits}` : "",
-        r.positions.length ? `text: ${r.positions.length}` : "",
-      ].filter(Boolean).join(", ");
-      head.textContent = `${r.title} (${counts})`;
-      if (r.titleHits) {
-        head.classList.add("search-result");
-        head.title = "Open chapter";
-        head.addEventListener("click", () => void goToResult(r.id, 0, term, matchCase));
-      }
-      searchResults.appendChild(head);
+      for (const r of byChapter) {
+        const head = document.createElement("li");
+        head.className = "search-chapter-head";
+        head.textContent = `${r.title} (${r.positions.length})`;
+        searchResults.appendChild(head);
         for (const pos of r.positions) {
           const li = document.createElement("li");
           li.className = "search-result";
diff --git a/src/renderer/book/settings.ts b/src/renderer/book/settings.ts
index c9adad1..0344849 100644
--- a/src/renderer/book/settings.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/book/settings.ts
@@ -164,8 +164,8 @@ export function createSettingsFeature(ctx: BookCtx): SettingsFeature {
     if (e.key === "Escape" && !modal.classList.contains("hidden")) closeSettings();
   });
 
-  // File-menu entry point (the redundant sidebar button was removed Sep 22).
-  $("settingCheckUpdate")?.addEventListener("click", () => hooks.checkForUpdates());
+  // Sidebar + File-menu entry points.
+  $("settingsBtn")?.addEventListener("click", openSettings);
   api.onSettingsRequested(() => openSettings());
 
   // Refresh the resolved-path line whenever a book opens (the default root
diff --git a/src/renderer/index.css b/src/renderer/index.css
index ad9509d..9495beb 100644
--- a/src/renderer/index.css
+++ b/src/renderer/index.css
@@ -188,13 +188,6 @@ html, body {
   margin-bottom: 10px;
 }
 
-.update-control {
-  display: flex;
-  align-items: center;
-  gap: 6px;
-  margin-bottom: 10px;
-}
-
 .backup-label {
   font-size: 0.72rem;
   font-weight: 700;
@@ -288,24 +281,11 @@ html, body {
   word-break: break-all;
 }
 
-/* ---- sidebar nav row (Search / Full Book, under the Home bar) ---- */
-.sidebar-nav {
-  display: flex;
-  gap: 8px;
-  margin-bottom: var(--gap);
-}
-
-.sidebar-nav .nav-btn {
-  flex: 1;
-  min-width: 0;
-  width: auto;
-}
-
 /* ---- full book nav ---- */
 .full-book-nav {
-  display: flex;
-  flex: 1;
-  min-width: 0;
+  margin-top: var(--gap);
+  padding-top: var(--gap);
+  border-top: 1px solid var(--color-border);
 }
 
 .full-book-btn {
@@ -321,8 +301,7 @@ html, body {
   padding: 6px 12px;
   cursor: pointer;
   transition: background 0.12s ease, color 0.12s ease, border-color 0.12s ease;
-  min-width: 0;
-  flex: 1;
+  min-width: 100px;
 }
 
 .full-book-btn:hover {
@@ -609,47 +588,6 @@ html, body {
   color: var(--color-on-accent);
 }
 
-.recent-list li.recent-item.selected {
-  background: var(--color-accent);
-  color: var(--color-on-accent);
-  outline: 1px solid var(--color-accent);
-}
-
-.recent-list li.recent-item:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--color-accent);
-  outline-offset: -2px;
-}
-
-/* Row actions appear only when the row is selected. */
-.recent-item .recent-actions {
-  flex: 0 0 auto;
-  display: none;
-  align-items: center;
-  gap: 4px;
-}
-
-.recent-item.selected .recent-actions {
-  display: flex;
-}
-
-.recent-item .recent-action {
-  height: 20px;
-  line-height: 1;
-  font-size: 0.72rem;
-  padding: 0 6px;
-  border: none;
-  background: transparent;
-  color: inherit;
-  cursor: pointer;
-  border-radius: var(--radius);
-  opacity: 0.85;
-}
-
-.recent-item .recent-action:hover {
-  opacity: 1;
-  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.18);
-}
-
 .recent-item .recent-title {
   flex: 1 1 auto;
   min-width: 0;
@@ -659,9 +597,24 @@ html, body {
   user-select: none;
 }
 
+.recent-item .recent-delete {
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
+  width: 20px;
+  height: 20px;
+  line-height: 1;
+  font-size: 1rem;
+  padding: 0;
+  border: none;
+  background: transparent;
+  color: inherit;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  border-radius: var(--radius);
+  opacity: 0.6;
+}
+
 .recent-item .recent-delete:hover {
   opacity: 1;
-  background: rgba(220, 53, 69, 0.35);
+  background: rgba(220, 53, 69, 0.18);
   color: #ff6b6b;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/index.html b/src/renderer/index.html
index d41d81b..f935365 100644
--- a/src/renderer/index.html
+++ b/src/renderer/index.html
@@ -24,14 +24,13 @@
           <span class="book-title" id="bookTitle"></span>
           <span class="book-path" id="bookPath" title=""></span>
         </div>
-        <div class="sidebar-nav">
-          <button class="button button-ghost nav-btn" id="searchBtn" title="Search chapter titles and text (Ctrl+F)">Search</button>
-          <div class="full-book-nav hidden" id="fullBookNav">
-            <button class="full-book-btn nav-btn" id="fullBookBtn" title="View the entire book as one continuous manuscript">Full Book</button>
-          </div>
-        </div>
         <ul class="chapter-list" id="chapterList"></ul>
+        <div class="full-book-nav hidden" id="fullBookNav">
+          <button class="full-book-btn" id="fullBookBtn" title="View the entire book as one continuous manuscript">Full Book</button>
+        </div>
         <div class="sidebar-footer">
+          <button class="button button-ghost" id="searchBtn" title="Search all chapters (Ctrl+F)">Search</button>
+          <button class="button button-ghost" id="settingsBtn" title="Settings (autosave, backups)">Settings</button>
           <div class="theme-control">
             <label class="theme-label" for="themeSelect">Theme</label>
             <select id="themeSelect" class="theme-select" title="Interface theme">
@@ -58,6 +57,8 @@
           <div class="welcome-actions">
             <button class="button" id="welcomeNewBook">New</button>
             <button class="button button-ghost" id="welcomeOpenBook">Open</button>
+            <button class="button button-ghost" id="welcomeOpenMd" title="Open a Markdown or text file as a new book">Open file</button>
+            <button class="button button-ghost" id="welcomeUpdate" title="Check for a new version of Folio">Update</button>
           </div>
           <div class="recents-block">
             <div class="recents-title">Recent</div>
@@ -350,10 +351,6 @@
         </div>
         <p class="setting-meta" id="settingResolved"></p>
         <p class="setting-meta" id="settingLastSnap"></p>
-        <div class="update-control">
-          <span class="backup-label">Updates</span>
-          <button type="button" class="button button-ghost" id="settingCheckUpdate" title="Check for a new version of Folio">Check now</button>
-        </div>
         <div class="modal-actions">
           <button class="button button-ghost" id="settingSnapNow" title="Take a snapshot right now">Snapshot now</button>
           <button class="button" id="settingsClose">Close</button>