diff --git a/src/renderer/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx b/src/renderer/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx
index 6975c4db..c764e025 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Field } from "../shared/ui";
 import { Dialog } from "../shared/Dialog";
 import { ChatSidebar } from "./chat/ChatSidebar";
 import { ChatConversation } from "./chat/ChatConversation";
-import { ChatThreadPanel } from "./chat/ChatThreadPanel";
+import { ChatThreadView } from "./chat/ChatThreadView";
 import {
   buildConversations,
   collectParticipants,
@@ -266,33 +266,8 @@ export function ChatPage({ snapshot, actions }: PageProps) {
         onCreateSpace={() => setCreateOpen(true)}
       />
 
-      <ChatConversation
-        space={activeSpace}
-        participants={participants}
-        messagesInSpace={messagesInSpace}
-        threadsInSpace={threadsInSpace}
-        pendingApprovals={pendingApprovalsInSpace}
-        attachments={snapshot.chatAttachments}
-        mentions={mentionsAll}
-        slashInvocations={slashInvocationsAll}
-        files={files}
-        context={{ employees, agents }}
-        attachmentFileId={attachmentFileId}
-        currentEmployeeId={employee.id}
-        onAttachmentChange={setAttachmentFileId}
-        onAttach={attachFile}
-        onOpenThread={openThread}
-        onApprove={(approvalId) => decideApproval(approvalId, "approved")}
-        onDecline={(approvalId) => decideApproval(approvalId, "declined")}
-        onEditMessage={editChatMessage}
-        onDeleteMessage={deleteChatMessage}
-        onOpenFile={openFile}
-        onSubmit={sendInChannel}
-        composerRef={composerRef}
-      />
-
-      {selectedThread && (
-        <ChatThreadPanel
+      {selectedThread ? (
+        <ChatThreadView
           thread={selectedThread}
           rootMessage={messagesAll.find((m) => m.id === selectedThread.rootMessageId) ?? null}
           messages={threadMessages}
@@ -311,6 +286,31 @@ export function ChatPage({ snapshot, actions }: PageProps) {
           onBoardSubmit={sendBoardIntervention}
           onOpenFile={openFile}
         />
+      ) : (
+        <ChatConversation
+          space={activeSpace}
+          participants={participants}
+          messagesInSpace={messagesInSpace}
+          threadsInSpace={threadsInSpace}
+          pendingApprovals={pendingApprovalsInSpace}
+          attachments={snapshot.chatAttachments}
+          mentions={mentionsAll}
+          slashInvocations={slashInvocationsAll}
+          files={files}
+          context={{ employees, agents }}
+          attachmentFileId={attachmentFileId}
+          currentEmployeeId={employee.id}
+          onAttachmentChange={setAttachmentFileId}
+          onAttach={attachFile}
+          onOpenThread={openThread}
+          onApprove={(approvalId) => decideApproval(approvalId, "approved")}
+          onDecline={(approvalId) => decideApproval(approvalId, "declined")}
+          onEditMessage={editChatMessage}
+          onDeleteMessage={deleteChatMessage}
+          onOpenFile={openFile}
+          onSubmit={sendInChannel}
+          composerRef={composerRef}
+        />
       )}
 
       <Dialog
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/pages/chat/ChatThreadPanel.tsx b/src/renderer/src/pages/chat/ChatThreadView.tsx
similarity index 81%
rename from src/renderer/src/pages/chat/ChatThreadPanel.tsx
rename to src/renderer/src/pages/chat/ChatThreadView.tsx
index 9203e933..a8bb9c2f 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/pages/chat/ChatThreadPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/pages/chat/ChatThreadView.tsx
@@ -12,9 +12,14 @@ import type {
 import { formatTime } from "../types";
 import { ChatMessageRow } from "./ChatMessageRow";
 import { MentionTextarea } from "./MentionTextarea";
-import { senderName, type MessageContext } from "./chat-helpers";
+import type { MessageContext } from "./chat-helpers";
 
-export function ChatThreadPanel({
+/**
+ * Thread focus, in place: the center pane narrows to one thread — root,
+ * replies, board controls, and a reply composer — and the back control
+ * returns to the conversation. No side panel duplicating the timeline.
+ */
+export function ChatThreadView({
   thread,
   rootMessage,
   messages,
@@ -53,25 +58,13 @@ export function ChatThreadPanel({
 }) {
   const attachment = files.find((file) => file.id === attachmentFileId) ?? null;
   return (
-    <aside
-      style={{
-        width: 320,
-        flexShrink: 0,
-        borderLeft: "1px solid var(--border-soft)",
-        background: "var(--bg)",
-        display: "flex",
-        flexDirection: "column",
-        minHeight: 0,
-      }}
-    >
-      <div className="row" style={{ padding: "14px 16px", borderBottom: "1px solid var(--border-soft)", flexShrink: 0 }}>
-        <div style={{ fontSize: 12, fontWeight: 600 }}>Thread</div>
+    <section style={{ flex: 1, minWidth: 0, display: "flex", flexDirection: "column", background: "var(--panel)" }}>
+      <header className="row" style={{ height: 52, padding: "0 16px", borderBottom: "1px solid var(--border-soft)", flexShrink: 0, gap: 10 }}>
+        <IconButton icon="chevronLeft" label="Close thread" onClick={onClose} />
+        <span style={{ fontSize: 14, fontWeight: 600 }}>Thread</span>
         <Pill tone={boardStateTone(thread.boardState)}>{boardStateLabel(thread.boardState)}</Pill>
-        <div style={{ marginLeft: "auto" }}>
-          <IconButton icon="x" label="Close thread" onClick={onClose} />
-        </div>
-      </div>
-      <div style={{ padding: 16, overflow: "auto", flex: 1 }}>
+      </header>
+      <div style={{ flex: 1, overflow: "auto", padding: "20px 24px 8px" }}>
         <BoardControl
           thread={thread}
           interventions={boardInterventions}
@@ -80,25 +73,26 @@ export function ChatThreadPanel({
           onSubmit={onBoardSubmit}
         />
         {rootMessage && (
-          <>
-            <div style={{ fontSize: 12, color: "var(--text-3)", marginBottom: 10 }}>
-              {formatTime(rootMessage.createdAt)} · {senderName(rootMessage, context)}
+          <ChatMessageRow
+            message={rootMessage}
+            attachments={attachments}
+            mentions={mentions}
+            slashInvocations={slashInvocations}
+            files={files}
+            replyCount={0}
+            onOpenThread={null}
+            context={context}
+            onOpenFile={onOpenFile}
+          />
+        )}
+        {messages.length > 0 && (
+          <div className="row" style={{ gap: 12, margin: "4px 0 16px" }}>
+            <div style={{ flex: 1, height: 1, background: "var(--border-soft)" }} />
+            <div style={{ fontSize: 12, color: "var(--text-3)", fontWeight: 540 }}>
+              {messages.length} {messages.length === 1 ? "reply" : "replies"}
             </div>
-            <div style={{ border: "1px solid var(--border)", borderRadius: 10, padding: 12, background: "var(--panel)", marginBottom: 16 }}>
-              <ChatMessageRow
-                message={rootMessage}
-                attachments={attachments}
-                mentions={mentions}
-                slashInvocations={slashInvocations}
-                files={files}
-                replyCount={0}
-                onOpenThread={null}
-                context={context}
-                onOpenFile={onOpenFile}
-                compact
-              />
-            </div>
-          </>
+            <div style={{ flex: 1, height: 1, background: "var(--border-soft)" }} />
+          </div>
         )}
         {messages.map((message) => (
           <ChatMessageRow
@@ -112,11 +106,10 @@ export function ChatThreadPanel({
             onOpenThread={null}
             context={context}
             onOpenFile={onOpenFile}
-            compact
           />
         ))}
       </div>
-      <form onSubmit={onSubmit} style={{ padding: 12, flexShrink: 0 }}>
+      <form onSubmit={onSubmit} style={{ padding: "0 24px 16px", flexShrink: 0 }}>
         <div style={{ border: "1px solid var(--border-strong)", borderRadius: 10, background: "var(--panel)", padding: "8px 10px" }}>
           <MentionTextarea
             name="message"
@@ -148,7 +141,7 @@ export function ChatThreadPanel({
           </div>
         </div>
       </form>
-    </aside>
+    </section>
   );
 }
 
@@ -168,7 +161,7 @@ function BoardControl({
   const [action, setAction] = useState("decision");
   if (!canIntervene && interventions.length === 0) return null;
   return (
-    <section style={{ border: "1px solid var(--border)", borderRadius: 10, padding: 10, background: "var(--panel)", marginBottom: 16 }}>
+    <section style={{ border: "1px solid var(--border)", borderRadius: 10, padding: 10, background: "var(--panel)", marginBottom: 16, maxWidth: 480 }}>
       <div className="row" style={{ marginBottom: 8 }}>
         <div className="section-label">Board</div>
         <Pill tone={boardStateTone(thread.boardState)}>{boardStateLabel(thread.boardState)}</Pill>
diff --git a/tests/contract/desktop-release-contract.test.ts b/tests/contract/desktop-release-contract.test.ts
index 9783ec18..42c3db62 100644
--- a/tests/contract/desktop-release-contract.test.ts
+++ b/tests/contract/desktop-release-contract.test.ts
@@ -64,8 +64,12 @@ describe("desktop release contract", () => {
     expect(topLevelValue(config, "asar")).toBe("true");
     expect(directories).toContain("output: release");
     expect(directories).toContain("buildResources: resources");
-    expect(topLevelList(config, "files")).toEqual(["out/**/*", "package.json"]);
+    // resources/icon.png ships inside the package so windows can load it at
+    // runtime on Windows and Linux.
+    expect(topLevelList(config, "files")).toEqual(["out/**/*", "package.json", "resources/icon.png"]);
     expect(existsSync(join(projectRoot, "resources", "icon.png"))).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(projectRoot, "resources", "icon.ico"))).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(projectRoot, "resources", "icon-mac.png"))).toBe(true);
     expect(existsSync(join(projectRoot, "resources", "entitlements.mac.plist"))).toBe(true);
   });
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/desktop.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/desktop.spec.ts
index 7a897ec1..26bcb72a 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/desktop.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/desktop.spec.ts
@@ -101,8 +101,13 @@ test("onboards, hires, and creates work in the Electron shell", async () => {
     await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Send" }).click();
     await expect(page.getByText("@Board").first()).toBeVisible();
     await expect(page.getByText("/escalate").first()).toBeVisible();
+    // Threads open in place: the center pane becomes the thread and the
+    // channel composer is gone until you go back.
     await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Open thread" }).first().click();
     await expect(page.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Thread reply" })).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Message" })).not.toBeVisible();
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Close thread" }).click();
+    await expect(page.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Message" })).toBeVisible();
     await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Approvals" }).click();
     await expect(page.getByText("Escalate release").first()).toBeVisible();