diff --git a/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/Panel.qml b/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/Panel.qml
index 031853fe..e3b549ec 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/Panel.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/Panel.qml
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ Panel {
   readonly property color urgent: bar ? bar.urgent : Color.urgent
   readonly property color dim: Qt.darker(foreground, 1.55)
   readonly property string fontFamily: bar ? bar.fontFamily : Style.font.family
-  readonly property color iconColor: dropbox.authenticated ? foreground : dim
-  readonly property color barIconColor: dropbox.authenticated ? barForeground : Qt.darker(barForeground, 1.55)
+  readonly property color iconColor: dropbox.authenticated && dropbox.active ? foreground : dim
+  readonly property color barIconColor: dropbox.authenticated && dropbox.active ? barForeground : Qt.darker(barForeground, 1.55)
 
   function ensureCursor() {
     if (!dropbox.authenticated) {
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ Panel {
           anchors.centerIn: parent
           iconSize: Style.space(12)
           color: root.barIconColor
-          opacity: dropbox.authenticated ? 1.0 : 0.6
+          opacity: dropbox.active ? 1.0 : 0.6
         }
       }
     }
@@ -206,14 +206,36 @@ Panel {
             visible: dropbox.authenticated
             width: parent.width
             title: "Dropbox"
-            meta: root.heroPhraseText
+            meta: dropbox.active ? root.heroPhraseText : "Syncing paused"
             foreground: root.foreground
             fontFamily: root.fontFamily
-            iconOpacity: 1.0
+            iconOpacity: dropbox.active ? 1.0 : 0.5
             iconComponent: Component {
-              DropboxIcon {
-                iconSize: Style.font.display
-                color: root.iconColor
+              Item {
+                implicitWidth: heroIcon.implicitWidth
+                implicitHeight: heroIcon.implicitHeight
+
+                DropboxIcon {
+                  id: heroIcon
+                  iconSize: Style.font.display
+                  color: root.iconColor
+                  anchors.centerIn: parent
+                }
+
+                MouseArea {
+                  id: heroMouse
+                  anchors.fill: parent
+                  hoverEnabled: true
+                  enabled: dropbox.installed && !dropbox.busy
+                  cursorShape: enabled ? Qt.PointingHandCursor : Qt.ArrowCursor
+                  onClicked: dropbox.toggleRunning()
+                }
+
+                PanelToolTip {
+                  visible: heroMouse.containsMouse
+                  text: dropbox.active ? "Pause syncing" : "Resume syncing"
+                  fontFamily: root.fontFamily
+                }
               }
             }
           }
@@ -297,7 +319,7 @@ Panel {
   Timer {
     id: phraseTimer
     interval: 2800
-    running: root.opened && dropbox.authenticated
+    running: root.opened && dropbox.authenticated && dropbox.active
     repeat: true
     onTriggered: phraseSwap.restart()
   }
diff --git a/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/Service.qml b/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/Service.qml
index 44f90ebb..13f7e4bd 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/Service.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/Service.qml
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ Item {
   property bool installed: false
   property bool running: false
   property bool authenticated: false
+
+  // Optimistic sync state so the UI reacts the instant you click, rather than
+  // waiting for dropboxd to actually settle. _desired is -1 while we just
+  // follow the real state, or 0/1 while a pause/resume is still catching up.
+  property int _desired: -1
+  readonly property bool active: _desired === -1 ? running : (_desired === 1)
   property bool refreshing: false
   property string statusText: "Checking…"
   property string accountPath: ""
@@ -26,7 +32,7 @@ Item {
   property string lastError: ""
 
   readonly property int refreshIntervalSec: intSetting("refreshIntervalSec", 60, 10, 3600)
-  readonly property bool busy: statusProcess.running || loginProcess.running
+  readonly property bool busy: statusProcess.running || loginProcess.running || controlProcess.running
   readonly property string helperPath: (omarchyPath || "") + "/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/status.py"
 
   property string _statusOutput: ""
@@ -34,6 +40,8 @@ Item {
   property string _loginOutput: ""
   property string _loginError: ""
   property bool _loginUrlOpened: false
+  property string _controlOutput: ""
+  property string _controlError: ""
 
   function setting(name, fallback) {
     var value = settings ? settings[name] : undefined
@@ -66,6 +74,8 @@ Item {
     installed = parsed.installed === true
     running = parsed.running === true
     authenticated = parsed.authenticated === true
+    // Reality caught up to the pending pause/resume — stop overriding.
+    if (_desired !== -1 && running === (_desired === 1)) _desired = -1
     statusText = String(parsed.statusText || (installed ? "Stopped" : "Not installed"))
     accountPath = String(parsed.accountPath || "")
     plan = String(parsed.plan || "")
@@ -92,6 +102,30 @@ Item {
     loginProcess.running = true
   }
 
+  function pause() {
+    runControl(["dropbox-cli", "stop"], 0)
+  }
+
+  function resume() {
+    runControl(["dropbox-cli", "start"], 1)
+  }
+
+  function toggleRunning() {
+    if (active) pause()
+    else resume()
+  }
+
+  function runControl(command, desired) {
+    // No progress status here — the greyed icon and hero phrase already convey
+    // the pause/resume; only surface a message if the command fails.
+    if (!installed || controlProcess.running) return
+    _desired = desired
+    _controlOutput = ""
+    _controlError = ""
+    controlProcess.command = command
+    controlProcess.running = true
+  }
+
   function openFile(file) {
     if (!file || !file.path) return
     Quickshell.execDetached(["uwsm-app", "--", "nautilus", "--select", fileUri(String(file.path))])
@@ -146,6 +180,26 @@ Item {
     onTriggered: root.actionStatus = ""
   }
 
+  Timer {
+    // dropboxd takes a few (variable) seconds to settle after stop/start, so
+    // re-poll a handful of times to reflect the new state without waiting for
+    // the next periodic refresh.
+    id: settleTimer
+    property int ticks: 0
+    interval: 1500
+    repeat: true
+    running: false
+    onTriggered: {
+      settleTimer.ticks += 1
+      root.refresh()
+      if (settleTimer.ticks >= 4) {
+        settleTimer.ticks = 0
+        settleTimer.running = false
+        root._desired = -1
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   Process {
     id: statusProcess
     running: false
@@ -180,4 +234,27 @@ Item {
       delayedRefresh.restart()
     }
   }
+
+  Process {
+    id: controlProcess
+    running: false
+    command: []
+    stdout: StdioCollector { id: controlStdout; waitForEnd: true; onStreamFinished: root._controlOutput = text }
+    stderr: StdioCollector { id: controlStderr; waitForEnd: true; onStreamFinished: root._controlError = text }
+    onExited: function(exitCode) {
+      var stdout = String(controlStdout.text || root._controlOutput || "")
+      var stderr = String(controlStderr.text || root._controlError || "")
+      if (exitCode !== 0) {
+        root._desired = -1
+        root.lastError = root.elideStatus(stderr || stdout || "Dropbox command failed")
+        root.actionStatus = root.lastError
+      } else {
+        root.lastError = ""
+        root.actionStatus = ""
+      }
+      settleTimer.ticks = 0
+      settleTimer.restart()
+      delayedRefresh.restart()
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/status.py b/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/status.py
index 61880347..70e4a93f 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/status.py
+++ b/shell/plugins/panels/dropbox/status.py
@@ -99,11 +99,11 @@ def main():
   running = False
   status_text = "Not installed"
   if dropbox_cli:
-    running_exit, _ = command_output([dropbox_cli, "running"])
     status_exit, status_output = command_output([dropbox_cli, "status"])
-    status_text = status_output if status_exit == 0 and status_output else ("Running" if running else "Stopped")
-    stopped = "not running" in status_text.lower() or status_text.lower() == "stopped"
-    running = running_exit == 0 or (status_exit == 0 and status_text != "" and not stopped)
+    status_text = status_output if status_exit == 0 and status_output else "Stopped"
+    lowered = status_text.lower()
+    stopped = "not running" in lowered or "isn't running" in lowered or lowered == "stopped"
+    running = status_exit == 0 and status_output != "" and not stopped
 
   used, files = scan_dropbox(account_path, limit) if authenticated else (0, [])
   usage_percent = (used / quota * 100) if quota > 0 else 0