diff --git a/frontend/src/renderer/components/SessionsBoard.tsx b/frontend/src/renderer/components/SessionsBoard.tsx
index 7da1b8a303..cc0a850d3e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/renderer/components/SessionsBoard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/renderer/components/SessionsBoard.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { type AttentionZone, type WorkspaceSession, attentionZone, workerSession
 import { useSessionScmSummary, type SessionPRSummary } from "../hooks/useSessionScmSummary";
 import { useWorkspaceQuery, workspaceQueryKey } from "../hooks/useWorkspaceQuery";
 import { DashboardSubhead } from "./DashboardSubhead";
+import { NotificationCenter } from "./NotificationCenter";
 import { OrchestratorIcon } from "./icons";
 import { NewTaskDialog } from "./NewTaskDialog";
 import { spawnOrchestrator } from "../lib/spawn-orchestrator";
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ export function SessionsBoard({ projectId }: SessionsBoardProps) {
 
 	const actions = projectId ? (
 		<>
+			<NotificationCenter />
 			<button
 				aria-label="New task"
 				className="dashboard-app-header__accent-btn"
@@ -146,7 +148,9 @@ export function SessionsBoard({ projectId }: SessionsBoardProps) {
 				{isSpawning ? "Spawning..." : orchestrator ? "Orchestrator" : "Spawn Orchestrator"}
 			</button>
 		</>
-	) : undefined;
+	) : (
+		<NotificationCenter />
+	);
 
 	return (
 		<div className="flex h-full min-h-0 flex-col bg-background text-foreground">
diff --git a/frontend/src/renderer/components/ShellTopbar.tsx b/frontend/src/renderer/components/ShellTopbar.tsx
index c336b19cb3..a78f2fefca 100644
--- a/frontend/src/renderer/components/ShellTopbar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/renderer/components/ShellTopbar.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { useMutation, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useNavigate, useParams } from "@tanstack/react-router";
 import { GitBranch, LayoutDashboard, PanelRightClose, PanelRightOpen, Plus, Square, Trash2 } from "lucide-react";
 import { useState } from "react";
-import { NotificationCenter } from "./NotificationCenter";
 import {
 	findProjectOrchestrator,
 	isOrchestratorSession,
@@ -70,11 +69,13 @@ export function ShellTopbar() {
 	// removed, or data still loading) shows an empty crumb — never the raw
 	// route slug. "agent-orchestrator" is the root-board crumb only.
 	const projectId = session?.workspaceId ?? params.projectId;
-	const isProjectBoardRoute = !isSessionRoute && Boolean(projectId);
-	const project = projectId ? all.find((workspace) => workspace.id === projectId) : undefined;
-	const projectLabel = project?.name ?? session?.workspaceName ?? (projectId ? "" : "agent-orchestrator");
+	const projectLabel = session?.workspaceName ?? "";
 	const orchestrator = projectId ? findProjectOrchestrator(all, projectId) : undefined;
 
+	if (!isSessionRoute) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	const openBoard = () =>
 		projectId ? void navigate({ to: "/projects/$projectId", params: { projectId } }) : void navigate({ to: "/" });
 
@@ -132,7 +133,7 @@ export function ShellTopbar() {
 	return (
 		<header className={cn("dashboard-app-header", isMac && "is-under-titlebar-nav")} style={dragStyle}>
 			<div className="session-topbar__lead">
-				{isSessionRoute && isOrchestrator ? (
+				{isOrchestrator ? (
 					<div className="topbar-project-pills-group">
 						<div className="topbar-project-line">
 							<span className="dashboard-app-header__project">{projectLabel}</span>
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ export function ShellTopbar() {
 							</span>
 						</div>
 					</div>
-				) : isSessionRoute ? (
+				) : (
 					<div className="session-topbar__identity">
 						<div className="session-topbar__branch">
 							<GitBranch className="h-3 w-3 shrink-0" aria-hidden="true" />
@@ -153,79 +154,70 @@ export function ShellTopbar() {
 						</div>
 						{session ? <SessionStatusPill session={session} /> : null}
 					</div>
-				) : isProjectBoardRoute ? null : (
-					<div className="topbar-project-line">
-						<span className="dashboard-app-header__project">{projectLabel}</span>
-					</div>
 				)}
 			</div>
 
 			<div className="dashboard-app-header__spacer" />
 
 			<div className="dashboard-app-header__actions">
-				<NotificationCenter style={noDragStyle} />
-				{isSessionRoute ? (
+				{isOrchestrator ? (
 					<>
-						{isOrchestrator ? (
-							<>
-								<button
-									aria-label="New task"
-									className="dashboard-app-header__primary-btn"
-									onClick={openNewTask}
-									style={noDragStyle}
-									type="button"
-								>
-									<Plus className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden="true" />
-									New task
-								</button>
-								<button
-									aria-label="Open Kanban"
-									className="dashboard-app-header__accent-btn"
-									onClick={openBoard}
-									style={noDragStyle}
-									type="button"
-								>
-									<LayoutDashboard className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden="true" />
-									Kanban
-								</button>
-							</>
-						) : null}
-						{/* Kill control sits beside the orchestrator link for active workers —
-						    moved here from the inspector's Summary "Danger zone". */}
-						{!isOrchestrator && session && sessionIsActive(session) ? <TopbarKillButton session={session} /> : null}
-						{!isOrchestrator && (
-							<button
-								aria-label="Open orchestrator"
-								className="dashboard-app-header__primary-btn dashboard-app-header__primary-btn--compact"
-								disabled={isSpawning}
-								onClick={() => void openOrchestrator()}
-								style={noDragStyle}
-								type="button"
-							>
-								<OrchestratorIcon className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden="true" />
-								{isSpawning ? "Spawning…" : "Orchestrator"}
-							</button>
-						)}
-						{/* Inspector collapse (worker sessions only — orchestrators have no rail). */}
-						{!isOrchestrator && (
-							<button
-								aria-label={isInspectorOpen ? "Close inspector panel" : "Open inspector panel"}
-								aria-pressed={isInspectorOpen}
-								className="dashboard-app-header__icon-btn"
-								onClick={toggleInspector}
-								style={noDragStyle}
-								title={`${isInspectorOpen ? "Close" : "Open"} inspector · ⌘⇧B`}
-								type="button"
-							>
-								{isInspectorOpen ? (
-									<PanelRightClose className="h-[15px] w-[15px]" aria-hidden="true" />
-								) : (
-									<PanelRightOpen className="h-[15px] w-[15px]" aria-hidden="true" />
-								)}
-							</button>
-						)}
+						<button
+							aria-label="New task"
+							className="dashboard-app-header__primary-btn"
+							onClick={openNewTask}
+							style={noDragStyle}
+							type="button"
+						>
+							<Plus className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden="true" />
+							New task
+						</button>
+						<button
+							aria-label="Open Kanban"
+							className="dashboard-app-header__accent-btn"
+							onClick={openBoard}
+							style={noDragStyle}
+							type="button"
+						>
+							<LayoutDashboard className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden="true" />
+							Kanban
+						</button>
 					</>
 				) : null}
+				{/* Kill control sits beside the orchestrator link for active workers —
+				    moved here from the inspector's Summary "Danger zone". */}
+				{!isOrchestrator && session && sessionIsActive(session) ? <TopbarKillButton session={session} /> : null}
+				{!isOrchestrator && (
+					<button
+						aria-label="Open orchestrator"
+						className="dashboard-app-header__primary-btn dashboard-app-header__primary-btn--compact"
+						disabled={isSpawning}
+						onClick={() => void openOrchestrator()}
+						style={noDragStyle}
+						type="button"
+					>
+						<OrchestratorIcon className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden="true" />
+						{isSpawning ? "Spawning…" : "Orchestrator"}
+					</button>
+				)}
+				{/* Inspector collapse (worker sessions only — orchestrators have no rail). */}
+				{!isOrchestrator && (
+					<button
+						aria-label={isInspectorOpen ? "Close inspector panel" : "Open inspector panel"}
+						aria-pressed={isInspectorOpen}
+						className="dashboard-app-header__icon-btn"
+						onClick={toggleInspector}
+						style={noDragStyle}
+						title={`${isInspectorOpen ? "Close" : "Open"} inspector · ⌘⇧B`}
+						type="button"
+					>
+						{isInspectorOpen ? (
+							<PanelRightClose className="h-[15px] w-[15px]" aria-hidden="true" />
+						) : (
+							<PanelRightOpen className="h-[15px] w-[15px]" aria-hidden="true" />
+						)}
+					</button>
+				)}
 			</div>
 			<NewTaskDialog
 				open={isNewTaskOpen}
diff --git a/frontend/src/renderer/routes/_shell.tsx b/frontend/src/renderer/routes/_shell.tsx
index 72c12a11e0..8749c32456 100644
--- a/frontend/src/renderer/routes/_shell.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/renderer/routes/_shell.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { createFileRoute, Outlet, useNavigate } from "@tanstack/react-router";
+import { createFileRoute, Outlet, useMatchRoute, useNavigate } from "@tanstack/react-router";
 import { useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { type CSSProperties, useCallback, useEffect } from "react";
 import { ShellTopbar } from "../components/ShellTopbar";
@@ -40,11 +40,15 @@ function errorMessage(error: unknown) {
 // instead of Zustand. The daemon-status effect runs here exactly once.
 function ShellLayout() {
 	const navigate = useNavigate();
+	const matchRoute = useMatchRoute();
 	const queryClient = useQueryClient();
 	const workspaceQuery = useWorkspaceQuery();
 	const workspaces = workspaceQuery.data ?? [];
 	const daemonStatus = useDaemonStatus(queryClient);
 	const { theme, setTheme, isSidebarOpen, toggleSidebar } = useUiStore();
+	const isSessionRoute =
+		Boolean(matchRoute({ to: "/projects/$projectId/sessions/$sessionId", fuzzy: true })) ||
+		Boolean(matchRoute({ to: "/sessions/$sessionId", fuzzy: true }));
 
 	const updateWorkspaces = useCallback(
 		(updater: (workspaces: WorkspaceSummary[]) => WorkspaceSummary[]) => {
@@ -185,7 +189,7 @@ function ShellLayout() {
 				>
 					<Sidebar
 						daemonStatus={daemonStatus}
-						underTopbar
+						underTopbar={isSessionRoute}
 						onCreateProject={createProject}
 						onRemoveProject={removeProject}
 						workspaceError={workspaceQuery.isError ? errorMessage(workspaceQuery.error) : undefined}