diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/App.vue b/apps/desktop/src/App.vue
index 4d70aa467a..ecf041c34c 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/App.vue
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/App.vue
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import { ref, computed, watch, onMounted, onUnmounted, nextTick, defineAsyncComponent, provide } from "vue";
 import { useI18n } from "vue-i18n";
-import { ChevronsRight, FileText } from "@lucide/vue";
+import { FileText } from "@lucide/vue";
 import { TooltipProvider } from "@/components/ui/tooltip";
 import AppToolbar from "@/components/layout/AppToolbar.vue";
 import AppTabBar from "@/components/layout/AppTabBar.vue";
@@ -3425,6 +3425,7 @@ onUnmounted(() => {
           v-if="!isDetachedWindowContext"
           :is-dark="isDark"
           :theme-mode="themeMode"
+          :show-sidebar-expand="!sidebarOpen && !isZenMode"
           :show-ai-panel="showAiPanel"
           :active-ai-run-count="activeAiRunCount"
           :awaiting-ai-run-count="awaitingAiRunCount"
@@ -3445,6 +3446,7 @@ onUnmounted(() => {
           :has-connections="connectionStore.connections.length > 0"
           :has-sql-file-connections="hasSqlFileConnections"
           @new-connection="showConnectionDialog = true"
+          @expand-sidebar="setSidebarOpen(true)"
           @new-query="newQuery"
           @set-theme-mode="setThemeMode"
           @toggle-ai="toggleRightSidebarPanel('ai')"
@@ -3475,11 +3477,6 @@ onUnmounted(() => {
             @open-settings="(initialTab) => openSettings(initialTab ?? 'appearance')"
             @add-to-ai="addToAi"
           />
-          <div v-if="!isDetachedWindowContext" v-show="!sidebarOpen && !isZenMode" class="flex h-full w-8 shrink-0 items-start justify-center border-r bg-background/80 pt-2" :class="isClassicLayout ? '' : 'rounded-md border border-border/80'">
-            <Button variant="ghost" size="icon" class="h-7 w-7" :title="t('sidebar.expand')" :aria-label="t('sidebar.expand')" @click="setSidebarOpen(true)">
-              <ChevronsRight class="h-4 w-4" />
-            </Button>
-          </div>
 
           <div v-show="!isAiPanelMaximized || isZenMode" :class="isDetachedWindowContext ? 'flex-1 min-w-0 overflow-hidden bg-background' : isClassicLayout ? 'flex-1 min-w-0 overflow-hidden' : 'flex-1 min-w-0 overflow-hidden rounded-md border border-border/80 bg-background'">
             <div class="h-full flex min-h-0 min-w-0 flex-col">
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/layout/AppToolbar.vue b/apps/desktop/src/components/layout/AppToolbar.vue
index 81a3622880..8b8602e008 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/layout/AppToolbar.vue
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/layout/AppToolbar.vue
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import { computed, ref, onMounted, onBeforeUnmount, h, nextTick, watch } from "vue";
 import { useI18n } from "vue-i18n";
 import { invoke } from "@tauri-apps/api/core";
-import { DatabaseZap, FilePlus2, Moon, Sun, SunMoon, History, Bot, ArrowLeftRight, FileCode, BookMarked, GitCompareArrows, TableProperties, Settings, CloudDownload, Package, FileDown, FolderTree } from "@lucide/vue";
+import { ChevronsRight, DatabaseZap, FilePlus2, Moon, Sun, SunMoon, History, Bot, ArrowLeftRight, FileCode, BookMarked, GitCompareArrows, TableProperties, Settings, CloudDownload, Package, FileDown, FolderTree } from "@lucide/vue";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipTrigger } from "@/components/ui/tooltip";
 import LightDropdown from "@/components/ui/LightDropdown.vue";
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ const GithubIcon = {
 const props = defineProps<{
   isDark: boolean;
   themeMode: AppThemeMode;
+  showSidebarExpand?: boolean;
   showAiPanel: boolean;
   activeAiRunCount: number;
   /** Runs awaiting a write confirmation; the badge turns amber to outrank the
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ const props = defineProps<{
 }>();
 
 const emit = defineEmits<{
+  "expand-sidebar": [];
   "new-connection": [];
   "new-query": [];
   "set-theme-mode": [mode: AppThemeMode];
@@ -379,6 +381,11 @@ function handleWindowResize() {
 }
 
 watch(collapsibleRightItemDefs, () => scheduleToolbarLayout(), { flush: "post" });
+watch(
+  () => props.showSidebarExpand,
+  () => scheduleToolbarLayout(),
+  { flush: "post" },
+);
 watch(
   () => settingsStore.editorSettings.uiScale,
   () => {
@@ -534,6 +541,14 @@ const toolbarStyle = computed(() => {
 
 <template>
   <div ref="toolbarEl" class="app-toolbar h-10 flex items-center gap-1 px-2 border-b bg-muted/30 shrink-0 overflow-hidden" :style="toolbarStyle" data-tauri-drag-region @dblclick="onToolbarDblClick">
+    <Tooltip v-if="showSidebarExpand">
+      <TooltipTrigger as-child>
+        <Button variant="ghost" size="icon" class="toolbar-action-button h-8 w-8 shrink-0" :aria-label="t('sidebar.expand')" @click="emit('expand-sidebar')">
+          <ChevronsRight class="h-4 w-4" />
+        </Button>
+      </TooltipTrigger>
+      <TooltipContent>{{ t("sidebar.expand") }}</TooltipContent>
+    </Tooltip>
     <Button variant="ghost" size="sm" :class="toolbarTextButtonClass" @click="emit('new-connection')">
       <span class="inline-flex items-center gap-1">
         <DatabaseZap class="h-3.5 w-3.5" />
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/__tests__/app/rightSidebarPanels.spec.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/__tests__/app/rightSidebarPanels.spec.ts
index f33a57645e..96cab7276e 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/__tests__/app/rightSidebarPanels.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/__tests__/app/rightSidebarPanels.spec.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,10 @@ describe("right sidebar panel entry points", () => {
     expect(appSource).toContain("isToggleZenModeShortcut(e, shortcuts) && supportsZenMode(activeTab.value?.mode)");
     expect(appSource).toContain('@toggle-zen-mode="toggleZenMode"');
     expect(appSource).toContain('v-show="sidebarOpen && !isZenMode"');
-    expect(appSource).toContain('v-show="!sidebarOpen && !isZenMode"');
+    expect(appSource).toContain(':show-sidebar-expand="!sidebarOpen && !isZenMode"');
+    expect(toolbarSource).toContain('<Tooltip v-if="showSidebarExpand">');
+    expect(toolbarSource).toContain("@click=\"emit('expand-sidebar')\"");
+    expect(appSource).toContain('@expand-sidebar="setSidebarOpen(true)"');
     expect(appSource).toContain('v-show="!isAiPanelMaximized || isZenMode"');
     expect(appSource).toContain('v-show="!isZenMode"');
   });