diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarProjectSection/components/DashboardSidebarProjectRow/DashboardSidebarProjectRow.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarProjectSection/components/DashboardSidebarProjectRow/DashboardSidebarProjectRow.tsx
index 405ba3a1a86..1286ad13211 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarProjectSection/components/DashboardSidebarProjectRow/DashboardSidebarProjectRow.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarProjectSection/components/DashboardSidebarProjectRow/DashboardSidebarProjectRow.tsx
@@ -70,17 +70,15 @@ export const DashboardSidebarProjectRow = forwardRef<
 				{...props}
 			>
 				<div className="flex min-w-0 flex-1 items-center gap-2 py-0.5">
-					<div className="relative shrink-0 size-5 flex items-center justify-center">
-						<span className="group-hover:opacity-0 transition-opacity duration-150">
-							<ProjectThumbnail
-								projectName={projectName}
-								githubOwner={githubOwner}
-								className="size-4"
-							/>
-						</span>
+					<div className="flex size-5 shrink-0 items-center justify-center">
+						<ProjectThumbnail
+							projectName={projectName}
+							githubOwner={githubOwner}
+							className="size-4 group-hover:hidden"
+						/>
 						<HiChevronRight
 							className={cn(
-								"absolute inset-0 m-auto size-4 text-muted-foreground opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 transition-all duration-150",
+								"hidden size-4 text-muted-foreground transition-transform group-hover:block",
 								!isCollapsed && "rotate-90",
 							)}
 						/>
@@ -96,31 +94,35 @@ export const DashboardSidebarProjectRow = forwardRef<
 					) : (
 						<span className="truncate">{projectName}</span>
 					)}
-					{!isRenaming && (
-						<span className="shrink-0 text-xs font-normal tabular-nums text-muted-foreground">
-							({totalWorkspaceCount})
-						</span>
-					)}
 				</div>
 
-				<Tooltip delayDuration={500}>
-					<TooltipTrigger asChild>
-						<button
-							type="button"
-							onClick={(event) => {
-								event.stopPropagation();
-								onNewWorkspace();
-							}}
-							onContextMenu={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
-							className="p-1 rounded hover:bg-muted transition-colors shrink-0 ml-1"
-						>
-							<HiMiniPlus className="size-4 text-muted-foreground" />
-						</button>
-					</TooltipTrigger>
-					<TooltipContent side="bottom" sideOffset={4}>
-						New workspace
-					</TooltipContent>
-				</Tooltip>
+				{!isRenaming && (
+					<div className="ml-1 flex size-6 shrink-0 items-center justify-center">
+						<Tooltip delayDuration={500}>
+							<TooltipTrigger asChild>
+								<button
+									type="button"
+									onClick={(event) => {
+										event.stopPropagation();
+										onNewWorkspace();
+									}}
+									onKeyDown={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
+									onContextMenu={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
+									aria-label="New workspace"
+									className="hidden size-full items-center justify-center rounded transition-colors hover:bg-muted group-hover:flex group-has-[:focus]:flex focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring"
+								>
+									<HiMiniPlus className="size-4 text-muted-foreground" />
+								</button>
+							</TooltipTrigger>
+							<TooltipContent side="bottom" sideOffset={4}>
+								New workspace
+							</TooltipContent>
+						</Tooltip>
+						<span className="text-[10px] font-normal tabular-nums text-muted-foreground group-hover:hidden group-has-[:focus]:hidden">
+							{totalWorkspaceCount}
+						</span>
+					</div>
+				)}
 			</div>
 		);
 	},
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarSection/components/DashboardSidebarSectionHeader/DashboardSidebarSectionHeader.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarSection/components/DashboardSidebarSectionHeader/DashboardSidebarSectionHeader.tsx
index ae08f7c245a..e36fe8c8819 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarSection/components/DashboardSidebarSectionHeader/DashboardSidebarSectionHeader.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarSection/components/DashboardSidebarSectionHeader/DashboardSidebarSectionHeader.tsx
@@ -58,13 +58,13 @@ export const DashboardSidebarSectionHeader = forwardRef<
 							}
 				}
 				className={cn(
-					"group flex min-h-8 w-full items-center pl-0.5 pr-2 py-1.5 text-[13px] font-medium",
+					"group flex min-h-8 w-full items-center pl-5 pr-2 py-1.5 text-[13px] font-medium",
 					"text-muted-foreground hover:bg-muted/50 transition-colors",
 					className,
 				)}
 				{...props}
 			>
-				<div className="grid h-5 w-5 shrink-0 cursor-grab items-center justify-center active:cursor-grabbing [&>*]:col-start-1 [&>*]:row-start-1">
+				<div className="mr-2 grid h-5 w-5 shrink-0 cursor-grab items-center justify-center active:cursor-grabbing [&>*]:col-start-1 [&>*]:row-start-1">
 					<HiChevronRight
 						className={cn(
 							"size-3 text-muted-foreground transition-[opacity,transform] duration-150 group-hover:opacity-0",
@@ -86,24 +86,31 @@ export const DashboardSidebarSectionHeader = forwardRef<
 					) : (
 						<span className="truncate">{section.name}</span>
 					)}
-
-					{!isRenaming && (
-						<span className="shrink-0 text-[10px] font-normal tabular-nums">
-							({section.workspaces.length})
-						</span>
-					)}
 				</div>
 
-				{!isRenaming && actions ? (
-					// biome-ignore lint/a11y/noStaticElementInteractions: Nested action controls handle their own semantics; this wrapper only isolates events from the header toggle.
-					<div
-						className="flex items-center"
-						onClick={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
-						onKeyDown={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
-					>
-						{actions}
+				{!isRenaming && (
+					<div className="ml-1 flex size-5 shrink-0 items-center justify-center">
+						{actions ? (
+							// biome-ignore lint/a11y/noStaticElementInteractions: Nested action controls handle their own semantics; this wrapper only isolates events from the header toggle.
+							<div
+								className="peer hidden size-full items-center justify-center group-hover:flex group-has-[:focus]:flex has-[[data-state=open]]:flex"
+								onClick={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
+								onKeyDown={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
+							>
+								{actions}
+							</div>
+						) : null}
+						<span
+							className={cn(
+								"text-[10px] font-normal tabular-nums text-muted-foreground",
+								actions &&
+									"group-hover:hidden group-has-[:focus]:hidden peer-has-[[data-state=open]]:hidden",
+							)}
+						>
+							{section.workspaces.length}
+						</span>
 					</div>
-				) : null}
+				)}
 			</div>
 		);
 	},
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem.tsx
index a15b9043320..10b79b82d02 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem.tsx
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ export function DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem({
 				shortcutLabel={shortcutLabel}
 				diffStats={isPending ? null : diffStats}
 				workspaceStatus={workspaceStatus}
+				isInSection={isInSection}
 				onClick={isPending ? handlePendingClick : handleClick}
 				onDoubleClick={isPending ? undefined : startRename}
 				onRemoveFromSidebarClick={handleRemoveFromSidebar}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem/components/DashboardSidebarExpandedWorkspaceRow/DashboardSidebarExpandedWorkspaceRow.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem/components/DashboardSidebarExpandedWorkspaceRow/DashboardSidebarExpandedWorkspaceRow.tsx
index 43da297df29..506ab6d4520 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem/components/DashboardSidebarExpandedWorkspaceRow/DashboardSidebarExpandedWorkspaceRow.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/components/DashboardSidebarWorkspaceItem/components/DashboardSidebarExpandedWorkspaceRow/DashboardSidebarExpandedWorkspaceRow.tsx
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ interface DashboardSidebarExpandedWorkspaceRowProps
 	shortcutLabel?: string;
 	diffStats: DiffStats | null;
 	workspaceStatus?: ActivePaneStatus | null;
+	isInSection?: boolean;
 	onClick?: () => void;
 	onDoubleClick?: () => void;
 	onCloseWorkspaceClick: () => void;
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ export const DashboardSidebarExpandedWorkspaceRow = forwardRef<
 			shortcutLabel,
 			diffStats,
 			workspaceStatus = null,
+			isInSection = false,
 			onClick,
 			onDoubleClick,
 			onCloseWorkspaceClick,
@@ -128,7 +130,8 @@ export const DashboardSidebarExpandedWorkspaceRow = forwardRef<
 				}}
 				onDoubleClick={onDoubleClick}
 				className={cn(
-					"relative flex w-full items-center pl-5 pr-2 text-left text-sm",
+					"relative flex w-full items-center pr-2 text-left text-sm",
+					isInSection ? "pl-7" : "pl-5",
 					onClick &&
 						(isActive
 							? "cursor-pointer hover:bg-muted"