diff --git a/tauri-app/src/App.tsx b/tauri-app/src/App.tsx
index 22500a5..3285efd 100644
--- a/tauri-app/src/App.tsx
+++ b/tauri-app/src/App.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useState, useEffect, useCallback, useMemo } from "react";
 import Sidebar from "./components/Sidebar";
 import ChatView from "./components/ChatView";
+import AppHeader from "./components/AppHeader";
 import SettingsPage from "./features/settings/SettingsPage";
 import { ToastProvider } from "./components/Toast";
 import { useDB } from "./hooks/useDB";
@@ -8,19 +9,60 @@ import { useModels } from "./hooks/useModels";
 import { useRuntimeManager } from "./features/runtime/useRuntimeManager";
 import { useRuntimeReadyModelRefresh } from "./features/runtime/useRuntimeReadyModelRefresh";
 import { swapModel } from "./features/runtime/api";
-import type { Chat } from "./lib/types";
+import type { Chat, ChatTokenTotals } from "./lib/types";
 import type { RuntimeModelFile } from "./features/runtime/types";
 import "./App.css";
 
+const SIDEBAR_STORAGE_KEY = "forgelm.sidebar.open";
+
+function readStoredSidebarOpen(): boolean {
+  if (typeof window === "undefined") return true;
+
+  const getItem = window.localStorage?.getItem;
+  if (typeof getItem !== "function") return true;
+
+  try {
+    const saved = getItem.call(window.localStorage, SIDEBAR_STORAGE_KEY);
+    return saved === null ? true : saved === "true";
+  } catch {
+    return true;
+  }
+}
+
+function persistSidebarOpen(value: boolean): void {
+  if (typeof window === "undefined") return;
+
+  const setItem = window.localStorage?.setItem;
+  if (typeof setItem !== "function") return;
+
+  try {
+    setItem.call(window.localStorage, SIDEBAR_STORAGE_KEY, String(value));
+  } catch {
+    // Ignore storage failures and keep the in-memory UI state functional.
+  }
+}
+
 export default function App() {
   const { db, ready } = useDB();
   const [currentChatId, setCurrentChatId] = useState<number | null>(null);
   const [chats, setChats] = useState<Chat[]>([]);
-  const [sidebarOpen, setSidebarOpen] = useState(false);
+  const [sidebarOpen, setSidebarOpen] = useState<boolean>(readStoredSidebarOpen);
   const [view, setView] = useState<"chat" | "settings">("chat");
 
+  // Header live-state (lifted from ChatView via callbacks)
+  const [generating, setGenerating] = useState(false);
+  const [streamTokenCount, setStreamTokenCount] = useState(0);
+  const [tps, setTps] = useState<number | null>(null);
+  const [chatTokenTotals, setChatTokenTotals] = useState<ChatTokenTotals>({ prompt_tokens: 0, completion_tokens: 0, total_tokens: 0 });
+
   const runtime = useRuntimeManager();
-  const { models, selectedModel, setSelectedModel, status, refresh: refreshModels } = useModels(
+  const {
+    models,
+    selectedModel,
+    setSelectedModel,
+    status,
+    refresh: refreshModels,
+  } = useModels(
     runtime.connection.serverUrl,
     runtime.connection.apiKey,
     Boolean(runtime.connection.serverUrl),
@@ -36,12 +78,15 @@ export default function App() {
 
   useEffect(() => { loadChats(); }, [loadChats]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    persistSidebarOpen(sidebarOpen);
+  }, [sidebarOpen]);
+
   const newChat = useCallback(() => {
     if (!db) return;
     const id = db.insert("INSERT INTO chats (title) VALUES ('New Chat')");
     if (id > 0) {
       setCurrentChatId(id);
-      setSidebarOpen(false);
       loadChats();
     }
   }, [db, loadChats]);
@@ -51,13 +96,11 @@ export default function App() {
     if (!window.confirm("Delete this conversation and all of its messages?")) return;
     db.run("DELETE FROM chats WHERE id = ?", [id]);
     if (currentChatId === id) setCurrentChatId(null);
-    setSidebarOpen(false);
     loadChats();
   }, [db, currentChatId, loadChats]);
 
   const handleSelectChat = useCallback((id: number) => {
     setCurrentChatId(id);
-    setSidebarOpen(false);
   }, []);
 
   const [isSwapping, setIsSwapping] = useState(false);
@@ -77,9 +120,13 @@ export default function App() {
     }
   }, [setSelectedModel]);
 
-  const localModels: RuntimeModelFile[] = useMemo(() => {
-    return runtime.scannedModels ?? [];
-  }, [runtime.scannedModels]);
+  const localModels: RuntimeModelFile[] = useMemo(() => runtime.scannedModels ?? [], [runtime.scannedModels]);
+
+  // Current chat title for breadcrumb
+  const currentChatTitle = useMemo(
+    () => chats.find((c) => c.id === currentChatId)?.title ?? undefined,
+    [chats, currentChatId],
+  );
 
   if (!ready) {
     return (
@@ -92,56 +139,92 @@ export default function App() {
     );
   }
 
+  const serverConnected = Boolean(runtime.connection.serverUrl);
+
   return (
     <ToastProvider>
-    <div className={`app-layout${sidebarOpen && view !== "settings" ? " sidebar-open" : ""}`}>
-      {view !== "settings" && (
-        <Sidebar
-          chats={chats}
-          currentChatId={currentChatId}
-          initialScreen={currentChatId === null}
-          onSelectChat={handleSelectChat}
-          onNewChat={newChat}
-          onDeleteChat={deleteChat}
+      <div className={`app-layout with-app-header${sidebarOpen && view !== "settings" ? " sidebar-open" : ""}`}>
+
+        {/* ── Global header — always visible (settings mode shows back button) ── */}
+        <AppHeader
+          sidebarOpen={sidebarOpen}
+          onToggleSidebar={() => setSidebarOpen((v) => !v)}
           onOpenSettings={() => setView("settings")}
-          onCloseMobile={() => setSidebarOpen(false)}
+          onBackToChat={view === "settings" ? () => setView("chat") : undefined}
+          models={models}
+          localModels={localModels}
+          selectedModel={selectedModel}
+          onModelChange={setSelectedModel}
+          onModelSwap={handleModelSwap}
+          isSwapping={isSwapping}
+          status={status}
+          runtimeStatus={runtime.snapshot.status}
+          serverConnected={serverConnected}
+          generating={generating}
+          streamTokenCount={streamTokenCount}
+          tps={tps}
+          chatTitle={view === "settings" ? "Settings" : currentChatTitle}
+          chatTokenTotals={chatTokenTotals}
         />
-      )}
-      {view !== "settings" && sidebarOpen && (
-        <button
-          type="button"
-          className="app-sidebar-backdrop"
-          aria-label="Close navigation"
-          onClick={() => setSidebarOpen(false)}
-        />
-      )}
-      <div className="app-main">
-        {view === "settings" ? (
-          <SettingsPage runtime={runtime} onClose={() => setView("chat")} onModelSwapped={setSelectedModel} />
-        ) : (
-          <ChatView
-            db={db!}
-            chatId={currentChatId}
-            server={runtime.connection.serverUrl}
-            apiKey={runtime.connection.apiKey}
-            model={selectedModel}
-            models={models}
-            localModels={localModels}
-            selectedModel={selectedModel}
-            onModelChange={setSelectedModel}
-            onModelSwap={handleModelSwap}
-            isSwapping={isSwapping}
-            status={status}
-            runtimeMode={runtime.snapshot.config.connection_mode}
-            runtimeStatus={runtime.snapshot.status}
-            onChatCreated={(id) => { setCurrentChatId(id); loadChats(); setSidebarOpen(false); }}
-            onChatUpdated={loadChats}
-            onOpenSidebar={() => setSidebarOpen(true)}
+
+        {view !== "settings" && sidebarOpen && (
+          <Sidebar
+            chats={chats}
+            currentChatId={currentChatId}
+            initialScreen={currentChatId === null}
+            onSelectChat={handleSelectChat}
+            onNewChat={newChat}
+            onDeleteChat={deleteChat}
             onOpenSettings={() => setView("settings")}
+            onCloseMobile={() => setSidebarOpen(false)}
           />
         )}
+        {view !== "settings" && sidebarOpen && (
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            className="app-sidebar-backdrop"
+            aria-label="Close navigation"
+            onClick={() => setSidebarOpen(false)}
+          />
+        )}
+
+        <div className="app-main">
+          {view === "settings" ? (
+            <SettingsPage
+              runtime={runtime}
+              onClose={() => setView("chat")}
+              onModelSwapped={setSelectedModel}
+            />
+          ) : (
+            <ChatView
+              db={db!}
+              chatId={currentChatId}
+              server={runtime.connection.serverUrl}
+              apiKey={runtime.connection.apiKey}
+              model={selectedModel}
+              models={models}
+              localModels={localModels}
+              selectedModel={selectedModel}
+              onModelChange={setSelectedModel}
+              onModelSwap={handleModelSwap}
+              isSwapping={isSwapping}
+              status={status}
+              runtimeMode={runtime.snapshot.config.connection_mode}
+              runtimeStatus={runtime.snapshot.status}
+              runtimeLastError={runtime.snapshot.last_error?.message}
+              onChatCreated={(id) => { setCurrentChatId(id); loadChats(); }}
+              onChatUpdated={loadChats}
+              onNewChat={newChat}
+              onOpenSidebar={() => setSidebarOpen(true)}
+              onOpenSettings={() => setView("settings")}
+              onGeneratingChange={setGenerating}
+              onStreamTokenCountChange={setStreamTokenCount}
+              onTpsChange={setTps}
+              onChatTokenTotalsChange={setChatTokenTotals}
+            />
+          )}
+        </div>
       </div>
-    </div>
     </ToastProvider>
   );
 }
diff --git a/tauri-app/src/components/ChatView.tsx b/tauri-app/src/components/ChatView.tsx
index 55a3050..9cd20e2 100644
--- a/tauri-app/src/components/ChatView.tsx
+++ b/tauri-app/src/components/ChatView.tsx
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ interface Props {
   status: ServerStatus;
   runtimeMode?: "local" | "remote";
   runtimeStatus?: RuntimeStatus;
+  runtimeLastError?: string;
   showDebugTools?: boolean;
   onChatCreated: (id: number) => void;
   onChatUpdated: () => void;
@@ -74,16 +75,15 @@ interface Props {
   /** Lift TPS to parent for header display */
   onTpsChange?: (v: number | null) => void;
   onChatTokenTotalsChange?: (totals: ChatTokenTotals) => void;
-}
+  }
 
-export default function ChatView({ 
-  db, chatId, server, apiKey, model, 
+  export default function ChatView({
+  db, chatId, server, apiKey, model,
   models, localModels, selectedModel, onModelChange, onModelSwap, isSwapping, status,
-  runtimeMode = "remote", runtimeStatus = "ready", showDebugTools = Boolean((import.meta as ImportMeta & { env?: { DEV?: boolean } }).env?.DEV),
+  runtimeMode = "remote", runtimeStatus = "ready", runtimeLastError, showDebugTools = Boolean((import.meta as ImportMeta & { env?: { DEV?: boolean } }).env?.DEV),
   onChatCreated, onChatUpdated, onNewChat, onOpenSidebar, onOpenSettings, onDegradationDetected,
   onGeneratingChange, onStreamTokenCountChange, onTpsChange, onChatTokenTotalsChange,
-}: Props) {
-  const [messages, setMessages] = useState<Message[]>([]);
+  }: Props) {  const [messages, setMessages] = useState<Message[]>([]);
   const [input, setInput] = useState("");
   const [generating, setGenerating] = useState(false);
   const [streamContent, setStreamContent] = useState("");
@@ -727,6 +727,7 @@ export default function ChatView({
       latestInteraction,
       runtimeMode,
       runtimeStatus,
+      runtimeLastError,
     });
     await navigator.clipboard.writeText(transcript);
     setDebugCopied(true);
diff --git a/tauri-app/src/lib/chatDebug.ts b/tauri-app/src/lib/chatDebug.ts
index 96452ef..e316381 100644
--- a/tauri-app/src/lib/chatDebug.ts
+++ b/tauri-app/src/lib/chatDebug.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ interface FormatChatDebugTranscriptOptions {
   latestInteraction?: InteractionLog | null;
   runtimeMode?: "local" | "remote";
   runtimeStatus?: string;
+  runtimeLastError?: string;
 }
 
 function formatTimestamp(timestamp: number | null | undefined): string {
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ export function formatChatDebugTranscript({
   latestInteraction,
   runtimeMode,
   runtimeStatus,
+  runtimeLastError,
 }: FormatChatDebugTranscriptOptions): string {
   const lines = [
     "# Chat Debug Export",
@@ -127,9 +129,14 @@ export function formatChatDebugTranscript({
     `Agentic mode: ${agenticMode ? "on" : "off"}`,
     `Runtime mode: ${runtimeMode ?? "unknown"}`,
     `Runtime status: ${runtimeStatus ?? "unknown"}`,
-    "",
   ];
 
+  if (runtimeLastError) {
+    lines.push(`Runtime error: ${runtimeLastError}`);
+  }
+
+  lines.push("");
+
   if (savedMemories.length > 0) {
     lines.push("## Saved Memories Considered");
     for (const memory of savedMemories) {