diff --git a/crates/ide-core/src/settings.rs b/crates/ide-core/src/settings.rs
index 0596b556e..8feb6a512 100644
--- a/crates/ide-core/src/settings.rs
+++ b/crates/ide-core/src/settings.rs
@@ -395,6 +395,9 @@ pub struct AppearanceSettings {
     pub show_tool_window_names: bool,
     pub show_tool_window_badges: bool,
     pub widescreen_tool_windows: bool,
+    /// View › Appearance › Toolbar; hidden leaves IDEA's compact window header.
+    pub show_main_toolbar: bool,
+    pub show_status_bar: bool,
     /// Status bar widgets shown (`true`) or hidden (`false`) by the user
     /// (status bar context menu); widgets not listed use their default.
     pub status_bar_widgets: BTreeMap<String, bool>,
@@ -465,6 +468,8 @@ impl Default for AppearanceSettings {
             show_tool_window_names: false,
             show_tool_window_badges: true,
             widescreen_tool_windows: false,
+            show_main_toolbar: true,
+            show_status_bar: true,
             status_bar_widgets: BTreeMap::new(),
             main_toolbar: None,
         }
diff --git a/crates/ide-workspace/src/settings.rs b/crates/ide-workspace/src/settings.rs
index 7d8988b30..aaed427b4 100644
--- a/crates/ide-workspace/src/settings.rs
+++ b/crates/ide-workspace/src/settings.rs
@@ -643,6 +643,22 @@ mod tests {
         let s = store.set(SettingsScope::Global, "appearance.mainToolbar", Json::Null).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(s.appearance.main_toolbar, None);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn toolbar_and_status_bar_are_shown_until_hidden() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(tmp.path().join("settings.toml"), "[appearance]\ncompactMode = true\n").unwrap();
+        let store = SettingsStore::load(tmp.path(), None);
+        let s = store.effective();
+        assert!(s.appearance.show_main_toolbar);
+        assert!(s.appearance.show_status_bar);
+        let s = store.set(SettingsScope::Global, "appearance.showMainToolbar", json!(false)).unwrap();
+        assert!(!s.appearance.show_main_toolbar);
+        let s = store.set(SettingsScope::Global, "appearance.showStatusBar", json!(false)).unwrap();
+        assert!(!s.appearance.show_status_bar);
+        assert!(!store.reload().appearance.show_main_toolbar);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn mcp_server_is_default_off_and_cannot_be_enabled_by_a_project() {
         let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/commands/window.rs b/src-tauri/src/commands/window.rs
index 7e79375f4..6923ae91b 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/commands/window.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/commands/window.rs
@@ -252,16 +252,30 @@ pub fn app_cancel_quit(app: AppHandle, windows: State<'_, WindowsState>) {
 #[tauri::command]
 #[specta::specta]
 pub fn menu_configure(
+    window: WebviewWindow,
     app: AppHandle,
     menu_state: State<'_, MenuState>,
     state: State<'_, AppState>,
     config: MenuConfig,
 ) {
+    if menu::native_menu_bar()
+        && windows::target_window(&app).is_some_and(|target| !owns_menu_config(window.label(), target.label()))
+    {
+        return;
+    }
     if menu::store_config(&menu_state, config) {
         menu::install(&app, &menu_state, &state.recent.list());
     }
 }
 
+fn owns_menu_config(source: &str, target: &str) -> bool {
+    let owner = match windows::auxiliary(target) {
+        Some((windows::AuxKind::Settings, parent)) => parent,
+        _ => target,
+    };
+    source == owner
+}
+
 /// Updates the menu after the recent-projects list changed. Only the Open Recent
 /// submenu is rewritten when the rest of the menu is unchanged.
 #[tauri::command]
@@ -588,6 +602,21 @@ pub async fn app_install_update(
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    #[test]
+    fn menu_configuration_follows_the_active_window_or_its_settings_parent() {
+        for (source, target, allowed) in [
+            ("main", "main", true),
+            ("project-1", "main", false),
+            ("main", "settings-main", true),
+            ("project-1", "settings-main", false),
+            ("project-1", "settings-project-1", true),
+            ("comparison-main-1", "comparison-main-1", true),
+            ("main", "comparison-main-1", false),
+        ] {
+            assert_eq!(super::owns_menu_config(source, target), allowed, "{source} → {target}");
+        }
+    }
+
     use super::*;
 
     fn downloading(p: Option<UpdateProgress>) -> Option<(f64, Option<f64>)> {
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index d2f7e1d76..f4a5f7373 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -306,6 +306,7 @@ fn window_state_flags() -> tauri_plugin_window_state::StateFlags {
 /// Routes IDE menu items to the focused window's frontend (`executeAction`).
 fn on_menu_event(app: &tauri::AppHandle, event: tauri::menu::MenuEvent) {
     let id = event.id().as_ref();
+    menu::restore_check(app, &app.state::<menu::MenuState>(), id);
     // A keymap accelerator only draws the shortcut: its key reached the menu because the keymap declined it.
     #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
     if !menu::fires_natively(&menu::spec(menu::Os::Mac), id)
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/menu.rs b/src-tauri/src/menu.rs
index 6437c9ed7..1515424ea 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/menu.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/menu.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use specta::Type;
 use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
 use std::path::Path;
-use tauri::menu::{IsMenuItem, Menu, MenuItem, MenuItemKind, PredefinedMenuItem, Submenu};
+use tauri::menu::{CheckMenuItem, IsMenuItem, Menu, MenuItem, MenuItemKind, PredefinedMenuItem, Submenu};
 use tauri::{AppHandle, Runtime};
 
 /// Event emitted to the focused window when an IDE menu item is clicked.
@@ -143,6 +143,9 @@ pub enum Entry {
         accel: Option<&'static str>,
         /// Shortcut text after the label, for the Windows/Linux edit items without a keymap binding.
         hint: Option<&'static str>,
+        /// A toggle (IDEA's ToggleAction) drawn with a check mark; on when its id is in
+        /// [`MenuConfig::checked`].
+        check: bool,
     },
     Native(Native),
     Separator,
@@ -157,19 +160,24 @@ fn sub(id: &'static str, label: &'static str, children: Vec<Entry>) -> Entry {
     Entry::Submenu { id, label, children }
 }
 fn act(id: &'static str, label: &'static str) -> Entry {
-    Entry::Action { id, label, accel: None, hint: None }
+    Entry::Action { id, label, accel: None, hint: None, check: false }
 }
 fn accel(id: &'static str, label: &'static str, accel: &'static str) -> Entry {
-    Entry::Action { id, label, accel: Some(accel), hint: None }
+    Entry::Action { id, label, accel: Some(accel), hint: None, check: false }
 }
 fn hinted(id: &'static str, label: &'static str, hint: &'static str) -> Entry {
-    Entry::Action { id, label, accel: None, hint: Some(hint) }
+    Entry::Action { id, label, accel: None, hint: Some(hint), check: false }
+}
+fn toggle(id: &'static str, label: &'static str) -> Entry {
+    Entry::Action { id, label, accel: None, hint: None, check: true }
 }
 const SEP: Entry = Entry::Separator;
 
 /// [`Entry::Dynamic`] slots the frontend fills.
 pub const DYNAMIC_TOOL_WINDOWS: &str = "toolWindows";
 pub const DYNAMIC_LAYOUTS: &str = "toolWindowLayouts";
+/// View › Appearance › Status Bar Widgets: every titled widget with its check mark.
+pub const DYNAMIC_STATUS_BAR_WIDGETS: &str = "statusBarWidgets";
 /// Tools › entries of plugins (`[[contributes.menus]] menu = "tools"`).
 pub const DYNAMIC_PLUGIN_TOOLS: &str = "pluginTools";
 
@@ -372,7 +380,7 @@ pub fn spec(os: Os) -> Vec<Entry> {
                 vec![
                     act("editor.toggleZen", "Enter Distraction Free Mode"),
                     act("window.toggleFullScreen", "Toggle Full Screen"),
-                    act("view.toggleCompactMode", "Compact Mode"),
+                    toggle("view.toggleCompactMode", "Compact Mode"),
                     SEP,
                     act("view.zoomIn", "Zoom In IDE"),
                     act("view.zoomOut", "Zoom Out IDE"),
@@ -380,6 +388,11 @@ pub fn spec(os: Os) -> Vec<Entry> {
                     SEP,
                     act("view.toggleTheme", "Toggle Light/Dark Theme"),
                     act("toolbar.customize", "Customize Main Toolbar…"),
+                    SEP,
+                    toggle("view.toggleToolbar", "Toolbar"),
+                    toggle("view.toggleToolWindowBars", "Tool Window Bars"),
+                    toggle("view.toggleStatusBar", "Status Bar"),
+                    sub("statusBarWidgets", "Status Bar Widgets", vec![Entry::Dynamic(DYNAMIC_STATUS_BAR_WIDGETS)]),
                 ],
             ),
             SEP,
@@ -918,6 +931,9 @@ pub struct MenuConfig {
     /// [`Entry::Dynamic`] slot → its items, already localised.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub dynamic: HashMap<String, Vec<DynamicItem>>,
+    /// Ids of the toggle actions currently on.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub checked: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 /// An item of a frontend-listed menu slot.
@@ -927,6 +943,9 @@ pub struct DynamicItem {
     pub action: String,
     pub arg: Option<String>,
     pub label: String,
+    /// Drawn with a check mark in this state; `None` for a plain item.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub checked: Option<bool>,
 }
 
 impl DynamicItem {
@@ -1025,6 +1044,12 @@ pub fn apply_disabled<R: Runtime>(app: &AppHandle<R>, disabled: &HashSet<String>
                         let _ = i.set_enabled(enabled);
                     }
                 }
+                MenuItemKind::Check(i) => {
+                    let enabled = item_enabled(i.id().as_ref(), disabled);
+                    if i.is_enabled().is_ok_and(|e| e != enabled) {
+                        let _ = i.set_enabled(enabled);
+                    }
+                }
                 MenuItemKind::Submenu(s) => {
                     if let Ok(children) = s.items() {
                         walk(children, disabled)
@@ -1077,10 +1102,12 @@ enum RenderedItem {
         items: Vec<RenderedItem>,
     },
     /// `accel` is the spec's accelerator, or else the keymap's from [`MenuConfig::accelerators`].
+    /// `checked` is set for a toggle, drawn as a check item.
     Action {
         id: String,
         text: String,
         accel: Option<String>,
+        checked: Option<bool>,
     },
     /// Always disabled (`No Recent Projects`).
     Placeholder {
@@ -1124,10 +1151,11 @@ fn render_items(entries: &[Entry], config: &MenuConfig, recent: &[RecentItem]) -
                 title: config.label(id, label),
                 items: render_items(children, config, recent),
             }),
-            Entry::Action { id, label, accel, hint } => out.push(RenderedItem::Action {
+            Entry::Action { id, label, accel, hint, check } => out.push(RenderedItem::Action {
                 id: (*id).into(),
                 text: config.item_text(id, label, *hint),
                 accel: accel.or_else(|| config.accelerator(id)).map(Into::into),
+                checked: check.then(|| config.checked.iter().any(|c| c == id)),
             }),
             Entry::Dynamic(slot) => {
                 for item in config.dynamic_items(slot) {
@@ -1135,6 +1163,7 @@ fn render_items(entries: &[Entry], config: &MenuConfig, recent: &[RecentItem]) -
                         id: item.item_id(),
                         text: item.label.clone(),
                         accel: config.dynamic_accelerator(item).map(Into::into),
+                        checked: item.checked,
                     });
                 }
             }
@@ -1152,6 +1181,7 @@ fn render_items(entries: &[Entry], config: &MenuConfig, recent: &[RecentItem]) -
                         id: format!("{RECENT_PREFIX}{}", item.path),
                         text: item.label.clone(),
                         accel: None,
+                        checked: None,
                     });
                 }
             }
@@ -1163,7 +1193,8 @@ fn render_items(entries: &[Entry], config: &MenuConfig, recent: &[RecentItem]) -
 fn structure_key(item: &RenderedItem) -> (u8, &str) {
     match item {
         RenderedItem::Submenu { id, .. } => (0, *id),
-        RenderedItem::Action { id, .. } => (1, id.as_str()),
+        RenderedItem::Action { id, checked: None, .. } => (1, id.as_str()),
+        RenderedItem::Action { id, checked: Some(_), .. } => (5, id.as_str()),
         RenderedItem::Placeholder { id, .. } => (2, id.as_str()),
         RenderedItem::Native { kind, .. } => (3, kind.key()),
         RenderedItem::Separator => (4, ""),
@@ -1223,10 +1254,14 @@ fn append_rendered<R: Runtime>(
                 append_rendered(app, &child, items, disabled)?;
                 parent.append(&child)?;
             }
-            RenderedItem::Action { id, text, accel } => {
+            RenderedItem::Action { id, text, accel, checked: None } => {
                 let enabled = item_enabled(id, disabled);
                 parent.append(&MenuItem::with_id(app, id, text, enabled, accel.as_deref())?)?;
             }
+            RenderedItem::Action { id, text, accel, checked: Some(checked) } => {
+                let enabled = item_enabled(id, disabled);
+                parent.append(&CheckMenuItem::with_id(app, id, text, enabled, *checked, accel.as_deref())?)?;
+            }
             RenderedItem::Placeholder { id, text } => {
                 parent.append(&MenuItem::with_id(app, id, text, false, None::<&str>)?)?;
             }
@@ -1270,7 +1305,11 @@ fn existing_matches<R: Runtime>(existing: &MenuItemKind<R>, desired: &RenderedIt
         (MenuItemKind::Submenu(submenu), RenderedItem::Submenu { id, .. }) => {
             submenu.id().as_ref() == format!("submenu:{id}").as_str()
         }
-        (MenuItemKind::MenuItem(item), RenderedItem::Action { id, .. } | RenderedItem::Placeholder { id, .. }) => {
+        (
+            MenuItemKind::MenuItem(item),
+            RenderedItem::Action { id, checked: None, .. } | RenderedItem::Placeholder { id, .. },
+        ) => item.id().as_ref() == id.as_str(),
+        (MenuItemKind::Check(item), RenderedItem::Action { id, checked: Some(_), .. }) => {
             item.id().as_ref() == id.as_str()
         }
         (MenuItemKind::Predefined(_), RenderedItem::Native { .. } | RenderedItem::Separator) => true,
@@ -1346,6 +1385,16 @@ fn sync_item<R: Runtime>(
                 && (previous_text == text || item.set_text(text).is_ok())
                 && (previous_accel == accel || item.set_accelerator(accel.as_deref()).is_ok())
         }
+        (
+            MenuItemKind::Check(item),
+            RenderedItem::Action { text: previous_text, accel: previous_accel, checked: previous_checked, .. },
+            RenderedItem::Action { text, accel, checked: Some(checked), .. },
+        ) => {
+            accelerator_patchable(previous_accel.as_deref(), accel.as_deref())
+                && (previous_text == text || item.set_text(text).is_ok())
+                && (previous_accel == accel || item.set_accelerator(accel.as_deref()).is_ok())
+                && (*previous_checked == Some(*checked) || item.set_checked(*checked).is_ok())
+        }
         (MenuItemKind::MenuItem(item), _, RenderedItem::Placeholder { text, .. }) => item.set_text(text).is_ok(),
         (MenuItemKind::Predefined(item), _, RenderedItem::Native { text, .. }) => item.set_text(text).is_ok(),
         _ => false,
@@ -1398,11 +1447,15 @@ pub enum MenuNode {
         children: Vec<MenuNode>,
     },
     /// Runs `id` with `arg`. Items with an `arg` (Open Recent) carry their final label.
+    /// `checked` is the state of a frontend-listed toggle (Status Bar Widgets). Spec toggles
+    /// leave it unset: the frontend menu reads their state from the action (`toggled`), the
+    /// source [`MenuConfig::checked`] is built from for the native menu.
     Action {
         id: String,
         label: String,
         hint: Option<String>,
         arg: Option<String>,
+        checked: Option<bool>,
     },
     /// A disabled placeholder such as "No Recent Projects".
     Placeholder {
@@ -1427,12 +1480,14 @@ pub fn model(spec: &[Entry], recent: &[RecentItem], config: &MenuConfig) -> Vec<
                 label: d.label.clone(),
                 hint: None,
                 arg: d.arg.clone(),
+                checked: d.checked,
             })),
             Entry::Action { id, label, hint, .. } => out.push(MenuNode::Action {
                 id: (*id).into(),
                 label: (*label).into(),
                 hint: hint.map(Into::into),
                 arg: None,
+                checked: None,
             }),
             Entry::Native(_) => {}
             Entry::Separator => out.push(MenuNode::Separator),
@@ -1444,6 +1499,7 @@ pub fn model(spec: &[Entry], recent: &[RecentItem], config: &MenuConfig) -> Vec<
                 label: r.label.clone(),
                 hint: None,
                 arg: Some(r.path.clone()),
+                checked: None,
             })),
         }
     }
@@ -1456,6 +1512,45 @@ pub fn native_menu_bar() -> bool {
     cfg!(target_os = "macos")
 }
 
+/// The check state item `id` was last drawn with; `None` for a plain item.
+fn rendered_check(menus: &[RenderedMenu], id: &str) -> Option<bool> {
+    fn find(items: &[RenderedItem], id: &str) -> Option<bool> {
+        items.iter().find_map(|item| match item {
+            RenderedItem::Submenu { items, .. } => find(items, id),
+            RenderedItem::Action { id: item_id, checked, .. } if item_id == id => *checked,
+            _ => None,
+        })
+    }
+    menus.iter().find_map(|menu| find(&menu.items, id))
+}
+
+/// Puts a clicked check item back to the state it was drawn with. muda flips it before the
+/// event arrives, but the frontend owns the state: a click it ignores (a modal Settings
+/// window, a failed save) must not leave a stale mark, and one it accepts comes back as a new
+/// config that sets the mark through [`sync_item`].
+pub fn restore_check<R: Runtime>(app: &AppHandle<R>, menu_state: &MenuState, id: &str) {
+    fn walk<R: Runtime>(items: Vec<MenuItemKind<R>>, id: &str, checked: bool) -> bool {
+        items.into_iter().any(|item| match item {
+            MenuItemKind::Check(i) if i.id().as_ref() == id => {
+                if i.is_checked().is_ok_and(|c| c != checked) {
+                    let _ = i.set_checked(checked);
+                }
+                true
+            }
+            MenuItemKind::Submenu(s) => s.items().is_ok_and(|children| walk(children, id, checked)),
+            _ => false,
+        })
+    }
+    let Some(checked) = menu_state.rendered.lock().as_deref().and_then(|menus| rendered_check(menus, id)) else {
+        return;
+    };
+    if let Some(menu) = app.menu()
+        && let Ok(items) = menu.items()
+    {
+        walk(items, id, checked);
+    }
+}
+
 /// Installs the app menu from the current config and recent list.
 ///
 /// The first install, and a change of the top-level menu ids, calls `set_menu`.
@@ -1682,6 +1777,9 @@ mod tests {
                 "window.toggleFullScreen",
                 "view.toggleTheme",
                 "editor.toggleZen",
+                "view.toggleToolbar",
+                "view.toggleToolWindowBars",
+                "view.toggleStatusBar",
                 "help.keymapReference",
                 "help.showLog",
                 "find.inFile",
@@ -1761,7 +1859,8 @@ mod tests {
             Some(RenderedItem::Action {
                 id: "file.save".into(),
                 text: "Save All".into(),
-                accel: Some("Meta+S".into())
+                accel: Some("Meta+S".into()),
+                checked: None,
             })
         );
         assert!(matches!(item("app.quit"), Some(RenderedItem::Action { accel: Some(a), .. }) if a == "CmdOrCtrl+Q"));
@@ -1869,7 +1968,83 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     fn dynamic_item(action: &str, arg: Option<&str>, label: &str) -> DynamicItem {
-        DynamicItem { action: action.into(), arg: arg.map(Into::into), label: label.into() }
+        DynamicItem { action: action.into(), arg: arg.map(Into::into), label: label.into(), checked: None }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn appearance_toggles_are_checks_that_change_only_the_view_menu() {
+        let entries = spec(Os::Mac);
+        let base = MenuConfig::default();
+        let checked = |config: &MenuConfig, id: &str| {
+            let items: Vec<RenderedItem> =
+                render_bar(&entries, config, &[]).into_iter().flat_map(|menu| menu.items).collect();
+            match rendered_action(&items, id) {
+                Some(RenderedItem::Action { checked, .. }) => *checked,
+                other => panic!("{id}: {other:?}"),
+            }
+        };
+        for id in ["view.toggleCompactMode", "view.toggleToolbar", "view.toggleToolWindowBars", "view.toggleStatusBar"]
+        {
+            assert_eq!(checked(&base, id), Some(false), "{id}");
+        }
+        assert_eq!(checked(&base, "view.zoomIn"), None);
+
+        let mut on = base.clone();
+        on.checked = vec!["view.toggleToolbar".into(), "view.zoomIn".into()];
+        assert_eq!(checked(&on, "view.toggleToolbar"), Some(true));
+        assert_eq!(checked(&on, "view.toggleStatusBar"), Some(false));
+        assert_eq!(checked(&on, "view.zoomIn"), None, "plain items stay plain");
+        assert_eq!(changed_menus(&render_bar(&entries, &base, &[]), &render_bar(&entries, &on, &[])), ["view"]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_clicked_check_returns_to_its_rendered_state() {
+        let mut config = MenuConfig { checked: vec!["view.toggleToolbar".into()], ..MenuConfig::default() };
+        config.dynamic.insert(
+            DYNAMIC_STATUS_BAR_WIDGETS.into(),
+            vec![DynamicItem {
+                action: "view.toggleStatusBarWidget".into(),
+                arg: Some("perf.memory".into()),
+                label: "Memory Indicator".into(),
+                checked: Some(false),
+            }],
+        );
+        let menus = render_bar(&spec(Os::Mac), &config, &[]);
+        assert_eq!(rendered_check(&menus, "view.toggleToolbar"), Some(true));
+        assert_eq!(rendered_check(&menus, "view.toggleStatusBar"), Some(false));
+        let widget = config.dynamic[DYNAMIC_STATUS_BAR_WIDGETS][0].item_id();
+        assert_eq!(rendered_check(&menus, &widget), Some(false));
+        assert_eq!(rendered_check(&menus, "view.zoomIn"), None, "plain items have no state");
+        assert_eq!(rendered_check(&menus, "missing"), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn status_bar_widgets_are_listed_with_their_state() {
+        let mut config = MenuConfig::default();
+        config.dynamic.insert(
+            DYNAMIC_STATUS_BAR_WIDGETS.into(),
+            vec![DynamicItem {
+                action: "view.toggleStatusBarWidget".into(),
+                arg: Some("perf.memory".into()),
+                label: "Memory Indicator".into(),
+                checked: Some(true),
+            }],
+        );
+        let id = config.dynamic[DYNAMIC_STATUS_BAR_WIDGETS][0].item_id();
+        let items: Vec<RenderedItem> =
+            render_bar(&spec(Os::Mac), &config, &[]).into_iter().flat_map(|menu| menu.items).collect();
+        assert!(matches!(rendered_action(&items, &id), Some(RenderedItem::Action { checked: Some(true), .. })));
+        assert_eq!(
+            route(&spec(Os::Mac), &id),
+            Some(MenuRoute { action: "view.toggleStatusBarWidget".into(), arg: Some("perf.memory".into()) })
+        );
+
+        let spec =
+            vec![sub("statusBarWidgets", "Status Bar Widgets", vec![Entry::Dynamic(DYNAMIC_STATUS_BAR_WIDGETS)])];
+        let MenuNode::Submenu { children, .. } = &model(&spec, &[], &config)[0] else { panic!("not a submenu") };
+        assert!(
+            matches!(&children[0], MenuNode::Action { checked: Some(true), arg: Some(a), .. } if a == "perf.memory")
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -1900,7 +2075,11 @@ mod tests {
             let spec = spec(os);
             let mut found = Vec::new();
             slots(&spec, &mut found);
-            assert_eq!(found, [DYNAMIC_TOOL_WINDOWS, DYNAMIC_PLUGIN_TOOLS, DYNAMIC_LAYOUTS], "{os:?}");
+            assert_eq!(
+                found,
+                [DYNAMIC_TOOL_WINDOWS, DYNAMIC_STATUS_BAR_WIDGETS, DYNAMIC_PLUGIN_TOOLS, DYNAMIC_LAYOUTS],
+                "{os:?}"
+            );
             assert!(!action_ids(&spec).iter().any(|id| {
                 id.starts_with("toolwindow.")
                     && *id != "toolwindow.hideAll"
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/titlebar.rs b/src-tauri/src/titlebar.rs
index 58eb68019..9f4cc002c 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/titlebar.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/titlebar.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 //! Size the native title bar around the window buttons to match the web toolbar.
 //!
 //! An empty unified toolbar makes AppKit lay out and vertically centre the buttons itself, so
-//! nothing moves them behind its back and they stay still during live resize.
+//! nothing moves them behind its back and they stay still during live resize. A bar lower than
+//! the compact toolbar (IDEA's 30px compact header) keeps the plain title bar instead.
 //!
 //! In native full screen the same toolbar is drawn as an opaque strip over the web title bar, so
 //! it is hidden from the moment the window starts entering full screen until it has left (#1899).
@@ -20,11 +21,28 @@ use objc2_foundation::{NSNotificationCenter, NSObjectProtocol};
 use std::{cell::Cell, cell::RefCell, collections::HashMap, rc::Rc};
 use tauri::Manager;
 
-/// Unified compact (38pt) and unified (52pt) toolbars; pick the one closer to the web bar.
+/// The native chrome around the window buttons: the plain title bar (28pt), or an empty unified
+/// compact (38pt) or unified (52pt) toolbar.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+enum Chrome {
+    Plain,
+    Toolbar(NSWindowToolbarStyle),
+}
+
+/// Midpoints between the 28, 38 and 52pt bars.
+const PLAIN_MAX_HEIGHT: f64 = 33.0;
 const COMPACT_MAX_HEIGHT: f64 = 45.0;
 
-fn style_for(height: f64) -> NSWindowToolbarStyle {
-    if height < COMPACT_MAX_HEIGHT { NSWindowToolbarStyle::UnifiedCompact } else { NSWindowToolbarStyle::Unified }
+/// The chrome closest to the web bar, so the buttons sit on its centre line (IDEA's 30px compact
+/// header takes the plain title bar).
+fn chrome_for(height: f64) -> Chrome {
+    if height < PLAIN_MAX_HEIGHT {
+        Chrome::Plain
+    } else if height < COMPACT_MAX_HEIGHT {
+        Chrome::Toolbar(NSWindowToolbarStyle::UnifiedCompact)
+    } else {
+        Chrome::Toolbar(NSWindowToolbarStyle::Unified)
+    }
 }
 
 /// Whether a window is in, or on its way into, native full screen. `styleMask` cannot answer
@@ -127,13 +145,23 @@ pub fn set_height(window: &tauri::WebviewWindow, height: f64) -> tauri::Result<(
         let native = &*webview.ns_window().cast::<NSWindow>();
         let state = WINDOWS
             .with_borrow_mut(|windows| windows.entry(label).or_insert_with(|| track(native, &app)).state.clone());
-        if native.toolbar().is_none() {
-            let toolbar = NSToolbar::new(mtm);
-            native.setToolbar(Some(&toolbar));
-        }
-        let style = style_for(height);
-        if native.toolbarStyle() != style {
-            native.setToolbarStyle(style);
+        match chrome_for(height) {
+            Chrome::Plain => {
+                if native.toolbar().is_some() {
+                    native.setToolbar(None);
+                }
+            }
+            Chrome::Toolbar(style) => {
+                if native.toolbar().is_none() {
+                    let toolbar = NSToolbar::new(mtm);
+                    // Hidden from the start in full screen, where it would paint an opaque strip.
+                    toolbar.setVisible(state.toolbar_visible());
+                    native.setToolbar(Some(&toolbar));
+                }
+                if native.toolbarStyle() != style {
+                    native.setToolbarStyle(style);
+                }
+            }
         }
         apply(native, &state);
     })
@@ -195,12 +223,22 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn toolbar_style_follows_the_web_bar_height() {
-        for (height, compact) in
-            [(31.9, true), (32.0, true), (40.0, true), (44.9, true), (45.0, false), (52.0, false), (120.0, false)]
-        {
-            let expected = if compact { NSWindowToolbarStyle::UnifiedCompact } else { NSWindowToolbarStyle::Unified };
-            assert_eq!(style_for(height), expected, "{height}");
+    fn chrome_is_the_closest_to_the_web_bar_height() {
+        use NSWindowToolbarStyle as Style;
+        for (height, expected) in [
+            (28.0, Chrome::Plain),
+            (30.0, Chrome::Plain),
+            (32.0, Chrome::Plain),
+            (32.9, Chrome::Plain),
+            (33.0, Chrome::Toolbar(Style::UnifiedCompact)),
+            (38.0, Chrome::Toolbar(Style::UnifiedCompact)),
+            (40.0, Chrome::Toolbar(Style::UnifiedCompact)),
+            (44.9, Chrome::Toolbar(Style::UnifiedCompact)),
+            (45.0, Chrome::Toolbar(Style::Unified)),
+            (52.0, Chrome::Toolbar(Style::Unified)),
+            (120.0, Chrome::Toolbar(Style::Unified)),
+        ] {
+            assert_eq!(chrome_for(height), expected, "{height}");
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/windows.rs b/src-tauri/src/windows.rs
index c0ce87375..c8443d313 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/windows.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/windows.rs
@@ -171,6 +171,12 @@ impl WindowsState {
         self.launches.lock().insert(label.to_owned(), launch);
     }
 
+    /// Whether the window `label` is created to open a project (local or remote).
+    #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+    pub fn opens_project(&self, label: &str) -> bool {
+        self.launches.lock().get(label).is_some_and(|l| l.project.is_some() || l.remote.is_some())
+    }
+
     pub fn take_launch(&self, label: &str) -> Option<Launch> {
         let mut launch = self.launches.lock().remove(label)?;
         let mut positions = self.positions.lock();
@@ -595,7 +601,7 @@ fn build_project_window(app: &AppHandle, mut config: WindowConfig) -> IdeResult<
     crate::page_swipe::install(&window);
     apply_zoom(app, &window);
     #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-    align_titlebar(app, &window);
+    align_titlebar(app, &window, app.try_state::<WindowsState>().is_some_and(|w| w.opens_project(window.label())));
     // "Sync with OS" needs the OS mode, known once the window exists.
     if let Some(a) = appearance.filter(|a| plugin_frame.is_none() && (a.sync_with_os || a.theme == "system"))
         && window.theme().is_ok_and(|t| t == Theme::Dark)
@@ -640,15 +646,29 @@ fn apply_zoom(app: &AppHandle, window: &WebviewWindow) {
 /// Aligns the native window buttons before the page reports its title bar height,
 /// so they don't visibly move once it loads.
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-fn align_titlebar(app: &AppHandle, window: &WebviewWindow) {
-    // `--h-titlebar` in tokens.css.
-    const HEIGHT: f64 = 40.0;
-    const COMPACT_HEIGHT: f64 = 32.0;
+fn align_titlebar(app: &AppHandle, window: &WebviewWindow, opens_project: bool) {
     let Some(a) = app.try_state::<AppState>().map(|s| s.global_settings.effective().appearance) else {
         return;
     };
-    let height = if a.compact_mode { COMPACT_HEIGHT } else { HEIGHT };
-    let _ = crate::titlebar::set_height(window, height * f64::from(a.zoom.clamp(50, 300)) / 100.0);
+    let _ = crate::titlebar::set_height(window, initial_titlebar_height(&a, opens_project));
+}
+
+/// The title bar height (AppKit points) the page will draw. Only a project window hides its
+/// toolbar for View › Appearance › Toolbar, and it is known to be one when it opens a project.
+#[cfg(any(target_os = "macos", test))]
+fn initial_titlebar_height(a: &AppearanceSettings, opens_project: bool) -> f64 {
+    // `--h-titlebar` and `--h-compact-header` in tokens.css.
+    const HEIGHT: f64 = 40.0;
+    const COMPACT_HEIGHT: f64 = 32.0;
+    const COMPACT_HEADER_HEIGHT: f64 = 30.0;
+    let height = if opens_project && !a.show_main_toolbar {
+        COMPACT_HEADER_HEIGHT
+    } else if a.compact_mode {
+        COMPACT_HEIGHT
+    } else {
+        HEIGHT
+    };
+    height * f64::from(a.zoom.clamp(50, 300)) / 100.0
 }
 
 /// The first window (`create: false` in tauri.conf.json so it can take the theme's colour).
@@ -1290,7 +1310,7 @@ pub fn open_auxiliary_window(app: &AppHandle, caller: &WebviewWindow, aux: AuxWi
     crate::page_swipe::install(&window);
     apply_zoom(app, &window);
     #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-    align_titlebar(app, &window);
+    align_titlebar(app, &window, false);
     // Restore runs during build; fit its size to the parent's current display before showing.
     #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
     if let Err(e) = fit_over_parent(&window, &parent, aux.min_size) {
@@ -1523,6 +1543,20 @@ fn dev_font_preferences(
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn a_project_window_starts_with_the_header_its_page_draws() {
+        let mut a = AppearanceSettings::default();
+        assert_eq!(initial_titlebar_height(&a, true), 40.0);
+        a.compact_mode = true;
+        assert_eq!(initial_titlebar_height(&a, true), 32.0);
+        a.show_main_toolbar = false;
+        assert_eq!(initial_titlebar_height(&a, true), 30.0);
+        // Welcome, Settings and a window whose project comes later keep the full bar.
+        assert_eq!(initial_titlebar_height(&a, false), 32.0);
+        a.zoom = 150;
+        assert_eq!(initial_titlebar_height(&a, true), 45.0);
+    }
+
     fn s(v: &[&str]) -> Vec<String> {
         v.iter().map(|x| x.to_string()).collect()
     }
diff --git a/src/bindings.ts b/src/bindings.ts
index 75503b244..85e0f2333 100644
--- a/src/bindings.ts
+++ b/src/bindings.ts
@@ -1911,6 +1911,9 @@ export type AppearanceSettings = {
 	showToolWindowNames?: boolean,
 	showToolWindowBadges?: boolean,
 	widescreenToolWindows?: boolean,
+	/**  View › Appearance › Toolbar; hidden leaves IDEA's compact window header. */
+	showMainToolbar?: boolean,
+	showStatusBar?: boolean,
 	/**
 	 *  Status bar widgets shown (`true`) or hidden (`false`) by the user
 	 *  (status bar context menu); widgets not listed use their default.
@@ -3548,6 +3551,8 @@ export type DynamicItem = {
 	action: string,
 	arg: string | null,
 	label: string,
+	/**  Drawn with a check mark in this state; `None` for a plain item. */
+	checked?: boolean | null,
 };
 
 /**  Editor › General › Appearance. */
@@ -5705,6 +5710,8 @@ export type MenuConfig = {
 	accelerators: { [key in string]: string },
 	/**  [`Entry::Dynamic`] slot → its items, already localised. */
 	dynamic?: { [key in string]: DynamicItem[] },
+	/**  Ids of the toggle actions currently on. */
+	checked?: string[],
 };
 
 /**
@@ -5712,8 +5719,13 @@ export type MenuConfig = {
  *  Labels are the English defaults; the frontend localises them like the native menu.
  */
 export type MenuNode = { kind: "submenu"; id: string; label: string; children: MenuNode[] } | 
-/**  Runs `id` with `arg`. Items with an `arg` (Open Recent) carry their final label. */
-{ kind: "action"; id: string; label: string; hint: string | null; arg: string | null } | 
+/**
+ *  Runs `id` with `arg`. Items with an `arg` (Open Recent) carry their final label.
+ *  `checked` is the state of a frontend-listed toggle (Status Bar Widgets). Spec toggles
+ *  leave it unset: the frontend menu reads their state from the action (`toggled`), the
+ *  source [`MenuConfig::checked`] is built from for the native menu.
+ */
+{ kind: "action"; id: string; label: string; hint: string | null; arg: string | null; checked: boolean | null } | 
 /**  A disabled placeholder such as "No Recent Projects". */
 { kind: "placeholder"; id: string; label: string } | { kind: "separator" };
 
diff --git a/src/features/app/__tests__/menuBridge.test.ts b/src/features/app/__tests__/menuBridge.test.ts
index cb0330c11..a1eeb6989 100644
--- a/src/features/app/__tests__/menuBridge.test.ts
+++ b/src/features/app/__tests__/menuBridge.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ import { _resetI18nForTests, setLocale } from "@/platform/i18n";
 import { useKeymap } from "@/platform/keymap";
 import * as ipc from "@/platform/ipc";
 import { resetDistractionFree, setDistractionFree } from "@/workbench/distractionFree";
-import { registerToolWindow } from "@/workbench/contributions";
+import { registerStatusItem, registerToolWindow } from "@/workbench/contributions";
+import { useProject } from "@/platform/project";
 import { _reloadLayouts, saveLayout } from "@/workbench/toolwindows/layouts";
 import { clearContext, setContext } from "@/platform/context";
 import {
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ describe("menu state from the frontend", () => {
     vi.spyOn(ipc.commands, "appBuildInfo").mockRejectedValue(new Error("No build info in tests"));
     vi.spyOn(ipc.commands, "menuConfigure").mockResolvedValue();
     vi.spyOn(ipc.commands, "menuModel").mockResolvedValue([
-      { kind: "action", id: "test.menuFocus", label: "Test", hint: null, arg: null },
+      { kind: "action", id: "test.menuFocus", label: "Test", hint: null, arg: null, checked: null },
     ]);
     const pushDisabled = vi.spyOn(ipc.commands, "menuSetDisabled").mockResolvedValue();
     const offAction = registerAction({ id: "test.menuFocus", title: "Test", run: () => {} });
@@ -84,11 +85,11 @@ describe("menu state from the frontend", () => {
         id: "x",
         label: "X",
         children: [
-          { kind: "action", id: "test.menu.whenEditor", label: "B", hint: null, arg: null },
-          { kind: "action", id: "test.menu.always", label: "A", hint: null, arg: null },
+          { kind: "action", id: "test.menu.whenEditor", label: "B", hint: null, arg: null, checked: null },
+          { kind: "action", id: "test.menu.always", label: "A", hint: null, arg: null, checked: null },
         ],
       },
-      { kind: "action", id: "not.registered", label: "C", hint: null, arg: null },
+      { kind: "action", id: "not.registered", label: "C", hint: null, arg: null, checked: null },
     ]);
     expect([...ids].sort()).toEqual(["not.registered", "test.menu.always", "test.menu.whenEditor"]);
     // Unregistered ids stay enabled: the action may register later (lazy features).
@@ -206,3 +207,58 @@ describe("window-scoped menu labels", () => {
     resetDistractionFree();
   });
 });
+
+describe("View › Appearance check marks", () => {
+  it("sends the toggle actions that are on", () => {
+    let on = true;
+    const offs = [
+      registerAction({ id: "test.menu.toggleOn", title: "On", toggled: () => on, run: () => {} }),
+      registerAction({ id: "test.menu.toggleOff", title: "Off", toggled: () => false, run: () => {} }),
+    ];
+    const checked = () => buildMenuConfig("macos").checked!.filter((id) => id.startsWith("test.menu."));
+    expect(checked()).toEqual(["test.menu.toggleOn"]);
+    on = false;
+    expect(checked()).toEqual([]);
+    offs.forEach((d) => d());
+  });
+
+  it("lists titled status bar widgets in bar order with their visibility", () => {
+    const widget = (id: string, align: "left" | "right", priority: number, title?: string, defaultVisible?: boolean) =>
+      registerStatusItem({ id, align, priority, title, defaultVisible, component: () => null });
+    const offs = [
+      widget("w.encoding", "right", 2, "File Encoding"),
+      widget("w.caret", "right", 1, "Line:Column Number"),
+      widget("w.tasks", "left", 0),
+      widget("w.memory", "right", 3, "Memory Indicator", false),
+      widget("plugin.demo.w", "left", 1, "Demo Widget"),
+    ];
+    useProject.setState({ settings: { appearance: { statusBarWidgets: { "w.caret": false } } } as never });
+    expect(dynamicMenuItems().statusBarWidgets).toEqual([
+      { action: "view.toggleStatusBarWidget", arg: "plugin.demo.w", label: "Demo Widget", checked: true },
+      { action: "view.toggleStatusBarWidget", arg: "w.caret", label: "Line:Column Number", checked: false },
+      { action: "view.toggleStatusBarWidget", arg: "w.encoding", label: "File Encoding", checked: true },
+      { action: "view.toggleStatusBarWidget", arg: "w.memory", label: "Memory Indicator", checked: false },
+    ]);
+    useProject.setState({ settings: null });
+    offs.forEach((d) => d());
+  });
+
+  it("lists only the widgets a LightEdit window's status bar has", () => {
+    const offs = [
+      registerStatusItem({
+        id: "w.caret",
+        align: "right",
+        priority: 1,
+        title: "Line:Column Number",
+        lightEdit: true,
+        component: () => null,
+      }),
+      registerStatusItem({ id: "w.branch", align: "right", priority: 2, title: "Git Branch", component: () => null }),
+    ];
+    useProject.setState({ project: null, lightEdit: true });
+    expect(dynamicMenuItems().statusBarWidgets!.map((i) => i.arg)).toEqual(["w.caret"]);
+    useProject.setState({ lightEdit: false });
+    expect(dynamicMenuItems().statusBarWidgets!.map((i) => i.arg)).toEqual(["w.caret", "w.branch"]);
+    offs.forEach((d) => d());
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/features/app/menuBridge.ts b/src/features/app/menuBridge.ts
index 6434f461c..4f9197af7 100644
--- a/src/features/app/menuBridge.ts
+++ b/src/features/app/menuBridge.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@ import {
   useKeymap,
 } from "@/platform/keymap";
 import { useProject } from "@/platform/project";
-import { useContributions, useMenuSlotItems } from "@/workbench/contributions";
+import { useContributions, useMenuSlotItems, useStandaloneEditor } from "@/workbench/contributions";
 import { isDistractionFree, useDistractionFree } from "@/workbench/distractionFree";
+import { orderStatusItems } from "@/workbench/StatusBar";
+import { statusWidgetRows } from "@/workbench/statusBarWidgets";
 import { useToolWindowLayouts } from "@/workbench/toolwindows/layouts";
 import { hostOs, type HostOs } from "./host";
 
@@ -77,10 +79,40 @@ export function buildMenuConfig(os: HostOs): MenuConfig {
     const accelerator = first && menuAccelerator(first);
     if (accelerator) accelerators[id] = accelerator;
   }
-  return { locale: useI18n.getState().locale, labels, accelerators, dynamic: dynamicMenuItems() };
+  return {
+    locale: useI18n.getState().locale,
+    labels,
+    accelerators,
+    dynamic: dynamicMenuItems(),
+    checked: toggledActions(),
+  };
 }
 
-/** View › Tool Windows (every registered window, by title) and Window › Tool Window Layouts. */
+/** Toggle actions that are on: their menu items show a check mark (View › Appearance). */
+function toggledActions(): string[] {
+  return [...useActions.getState().actions.values()]
+    .filter((a) => a.toggled?.())
+    .map((a) => a.id)
+    .sort();
+}
+
+/** View › Appearance › Status Bar Widgets: the status bar's context menu, in bar order. */
+function statusBarWidgetItems(): DynamicItem[] {
+  const { project, lightEdit, settings } = useProject.getState();
+  // A LightEdit window's status bar has only the items that apply there (Workbench.tsx).
+  const lightEditFrame = !project && (lightEdit || useStandaloneEditor.getState().title !== null);
+  const items = [...useContributions.getState().statusItems.values()].filter((i) => !lightEditFrame || i.lightEdit);
+  const { left, right } = orderStatusItems(items);
+  const overrides = settings?.appearance?.statusBarWidgets;
+  return statusWidgetRows([...left, ...right], overrides).map((row) => ({
+    action: "view.toggleStatusBarWidget",
+    arg: row.id,
+    label: row.verbatim ? row.title : tx(row.title),
+    checked: row.visible,
+  }));
+}
+
+/** View › Tool Windows (every registered window, by title), View › Appearance › Status Bar Widgets and Window › Tool Window Layouts. */
 export function dynamicMenuItems(): Record<string, DynamicItem[]> {
   const toolWindows = [...useContributions.getState().toolWindows.values()]
     .map((tw) => ({ action: `toolwindow.${tw.id}`, arg: null, label: tw.verbatim ? tw.title : tx(tw.title) }))
@@ -96,7 +128,7 @@ export function dynamicMenuItems(): Record<string, DynamicItem[]> {
         .sort((a, b) => a.label.localeCompare(b.label)),
     ]),
   );
-  return { ...slots, toolWindows, toolWindowLayouts: layouts };
+  return { ...slots, toolWindows, toolWindowLayouts: layouts, statusBarWidgets: statusBarWidgetItems() };
 }
 
 /** Action ids of every IDE item in a menu model. */
@@ -186,7 +218,7 @@ export function installMenuBridge(): () => void {
       if (s.active !== prev.active) push();
     }),
     useContributions.subscribe((s, prev) => {
-      if (s.toolWindows !== prev.toolWindows) push();
+      if (s.toolWindows !== prev.toolWindows || s.statusItems !== prev.statusItems) push();
     }),
     useToolWindowLayouts.subscribe(push),
     useMenuSlotItems.subscribe(push),
@@ -195,6 +227,9 @@ export function installMenuBridge(): () => void {
     // Opening / closing a project changes the Open Recent list.
     useProject.subscribe((s, prev) => {
       if (s.project?.root !== prev.project?.root) void commands.menuRefresh();
+      if (s.lightEdit !== prev.lightEdit) push();
+      // View › Appearance check marks and Status Bar Widgets.
+      if (s.settings?.appearance !== prev.settings?.appearance) push();
     }),
   ];
   return () => {
diff --git a/src/features/settings/__tests__/appearanceToggles.test.ts b/src/features/settings/__tests__/appearanceToggles.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..46f86ca3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/features/settings/__tests__/appearanceToggles.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { ActionContext } from "@/platform/actions";
+import type { Settings } from "@/platform/ipc";
+
+const settingsSet = vi.fn();
+
+vi.mock("@/platform/ipc", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const real = await importOriginal<typeof import("@/platform/ipc")>();
+  return {
+    ...real,
+    isTauri: () => true,
+    commands: { ...real.commands, settingsSet: (...a: unknown[]) => settingsSet(...a) },
+  };
+});
+
+import { useProject } from "@/platform/project";
+import { appearanceToggleActions } from "../appearanceRuntime";
+import { validateAppearanceExtras } from "../model/behaviorSchema";
+
+let appearance: Record<string, unknown>;
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  appearance = {};
+  const settings = () => ({ appearance: { ...appearance } }) as unknown as Settings;
+  useProject.setState({ settings: settings() });
+  settingsSet.mockReset().mockImplementation(async (_scope: string, key: string, json: string) => {
+    appearance[key.replace("appearance.", "")] = JSON.parse(json);
+    return { status: "ok", data: settings() };
+  });
+});
+
+afterEach(() => useProject.setState({ settings: null }));
+
+describe("View › Appearance toggles", () => {
+  it("shows the toolbar and the status bar unless settings hide them", () => {
+    expect(validateAppearanceExtras({})).toMatchObject({ showMainToolbar: true, showStatusBar: true });
+    expect(validateAppearanceExtras({ showMainToolbar: false, showStatusBar: "no" })).toMatchObject({
+      showMainToolbar: false,
+      showStatusBar: true,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    ["view.toggleCompactMode", "compactMode", false],
+    ["view.toggleToolbar", "showMainToolbar", true],
+    ["view.toggleToolWindowBars", "showToolWindowBars", true],
+    ["view.toggleStatusBar", "showStatusBar", true],
+  ])("%s flips appearance.%s in the global settings", async (id, key, initial) => {
+    const action = appearanceToggleActions().find((a) => a.id === id)!;
+    expect(action.toggled?.()).toBe(initial);
+    await action.run({ ctx: {} } as ActionContext);
+    expect(settingsSet).toHaveBeenCalledWith("global", `appearance.${key}`, JSON.stringify(!initial));
+    expect(action.toggled?.()).toBe(!initial);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/features/settings/__tests__/pages.test.ts b/src/features/settings/__tests__/pages.test.ts
index 208d96e0b..bbafc029c 100644
--- a/src/features/settings/__tests__/pages.test.ts
+++ b/src/features/settings/__tests__/pages.test.ts
@@ -90,3 +90,10 @@ describe("page tree", () => {
     );
   });
 });
+
+it("indexes toolbar and status bar visibility in Appearance settings", () => {
+  const appearance = BEHAVIOR_PAGES.find((p) => p.id === "appearance")!;
+  const labels = specLabels(appearance);
+  expect(labels).toContain("Show main toolbar");
+  expect(labels).toContain("Show status bar");
+});
diff --git a/src/features/settings/appearanceRuntime.ts b/src/features/settings/appearanceRuntime.ts
index 311afd2b2..d7b2feffb 100644
--- a/src/features/settings/appearanceRuntime.ts
+++ b/src/features/settings/appearanceRuntime.ts
@@ -114,21 +114,43 @@ export function zoomActions(): Action[] {
       keywords: ["zoom", "scale", "100%", "accessibility"],
       run: () => setZoom(100),
     },
-    {
-      // View › Appearance › Compact Mode (Settings › Appearance › "Compact mode").
-      id: "view.toggleCompactMode",
-      title: "Compact Mode",
-      category: "View",
-      keywords: ["appearance", "density", "smaller"],
-      toggled: () => validateSettings(useProject.getState().settings).appearance.compactMode,
-      run: async () => {
-        if (!isTauri()) return;
-        const next = !validateSettings(useProject.getState().settings).appearance.compactMode;
-        useProject.setState({
-          settings: await call(commands.settingsSet("global", "appearance.compactMode", JSON.stringify(next))),
-        });
-      },
+  ];
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// View › Appearance toggles over boolean appearance settings (IDEA's ToggleActions)
+
+type AppearanceFlag = "compactMode" | "showMainToolbar" | "showToolWindowBars" | "showStatusBar";
+
+const appearanceFlag = (key: AppearanceFlag) => validateSettings(useProject.getState().settings).appearance[key];
+
+function appearanceToggle(id: string, title: string, key: AppearanceFlag, keywords: string[]): Action {
+  return {
+    id,
+    title,
+    category: "View",
+    keywords: ["appearance", ...keywords],
+    toggled: () => appearanceFlag(key),
+    run: async () => {
+      if (!isTauri()) return;
+      const next = !appearanceFlag(key);
+      useProject.setState({
+        settings: await call(commands.settingsSet("global", `appearance.${key}`, JSON.stringify(next))),
+      });
     },
+  };
+}
+
+export function appearanceToggleActions(): Action[] {
+  return [
+    appearanceToggle("view.toggleCompactMode", "Compact Mode", "compactMode", ["density", "smaller"]),
+    appearanceToggle("view.toggleToolbar", "Toolbar", "showMainToolbar", ["main toolbar", "header", "hide"]),
+    appearanceToggle("view.toggleToolWindowBars", "Tool Window Bars", "showToolWindowBars", [
+      "stripes",
+      "tool window buttons",
+      "hide",
+    ]),
+    appearanceToggle("view.toggleStatusBar", "Status Bar", "showStatusBar", ["hide"]),
   ];
 }
 
diff --git a/src/features/settings/index.ts b/src/features/settings/index.ts
index b5d6ced14..e86d20855 100644
--- a/src/features/settings/index.ts
+++ b/src/features/settings/index.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ import {
   settingsTitle,
   useSettingsDialog,
 } from "./model/staging";
-import { zoomActions } from "./appearanceRuntime";
+import { appearanceToggleActions, zoomActions } from "./appearanceRuntime";
 import { activateFileTypes } from "./fileTypesRuntime";
 import { trackRuntimeSettings } from "./runtime";
 import { installActionProxies, installSettingsHost } from "./window/bridge";
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ export function activate(): () => void {
     registerOverlay({ id: "settings.dialog", component: LazySettingsDialog }),
     registerOverlay({ id: "settings.projectStructure", component: LazyProjectStructureDialog }),
     registerActions(zoomActions()),
+    registerActions(appearanceToggleActions()),
     registerActions(settingsActions((page, newProjects) => void showSettings(page, newProjects))),
     registerActions([
       {
diff --git a/src/features/settings/model/behaviorSchema.ts b/src/features/settings/model/behaviorSchema.ts
index b2c08a0f9..fc81997ce 100644
--- a/src/features/settings/model/behaviorSchema.ts
+++ b/src/features/settings/model/behaviorSchema.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ export interface AppearanceExtras {
   showToolWindowNames: boolean;
   showToolWindowBadges: boolean;
   widescreenToolWindows: boolean;
+  /** View › Appearance › Toolbar; hidden leaves IDEA's compact window header. */
+  showMainToolbar: boolean;
+  showStatusBar: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface DateFormatValid {
@@ -105,6 +108,8 @@ export const DEFAULT_APPEARANCE_EXTRAS: AppearanceExtras = {
   showToolWindowNames: false,
   showToolWindowBadges: true,
   widescreenToolWindows: false,
+  showMainToolbar: true,
+  showStatusBar: true,
 };
 
 export const DEFAULT_GENERAL_EXTRAS: GeneralExtras = {
@@ -163,6 +168,8 @@ export function validateAppearanceExtras(raw: unknown): AppearanceExtras {
     showToolWindowNames: b("showToolWindowNames"),
     showToolWindowBadges: b("showToolWindowBadges"),
     widescreenToolWindows: b("widescreenToolWindows"),
+    showMainToolbar: b("showMainToolbar"),
+    showStatusBar: b("showStatusBar"),
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/features/settings/pages/behavior.tsx b/src/features/settings/pages/behavior.tsx
index dfd8927f6..73a0e1c2b 100644
--- a/src/features/settings/pages/behavior.tsx
+++ b/src/features/settings/pages/behavior.tsx
@@ -642,6 +642,8 @@ export const BEHAVIOR_PAGES: PageSpec[] = [
       {
         title: "UI Options",
         options: [
+          { kind: "toggle", key: "appearance.showMainToolbar", label: "Show main toolbar" },
+          { kind: "toggle", key: "appearance.showStatusBar", label: "Show status bar" },
           {
             kind: "custom",
             label: "Main menu",
diff --git a/src/features/vcs/BranchWidget.tsx b/src/features/vcs/BranchWidget.tsx
index 9a09f4547..3dfd2064a 100644
--- a/src/features/vcs/BranchWidget.tsx
+++ b/src/features/vcs/BranchWidget.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { branchesByRepo } from "./multiRoot";
 /** Title bar branch widget (branch name + incoming / outgoing markers) + Branches popup. */
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState, type KeyboardEvent, type RefObject } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState, type KeyboardEvent } from "react";
 import clsx from "clsx";
 import { create } from "zustand";
 import type { Branch, BranchInfo } from "@/bindings";
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
   type MenuItem,
   T,
 } from "@/ui";
+import type { PopupAnchor } from "@/ui/Popup";
 import { buildBranchRows, withExpanded, type BranchRow, type PopupAction } from "./branches";
 import { branchPresentation, extensionPopupActions, useBranchWidgetExtensions } from "./branchWidgetExtensions";
 import { branchMenu, commonBranchMenu, inRepo, tagMenu } from "./branchMenu";
@@ -68,7 +69,6 @@ export function BranchWidget() {
   const otherOp = useVcs((s) => (current ? (s.operations[current] ?? null) : null));
   const open = useBranchesPopup((s) => s.open);
   const extensions = useBranchWidgetExtensions((s) => s.extensions);
-  const ref = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>(null);
   if (!available || !selected) return null;
   // Another feature presents the current branch (the GitHub pull request on it).
   const presented = other ? null : branchPresentation(extensions);
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ export function BranchWidget() {
   return (
     <>
       <BarButton
-        ref={ref}
+        data-branches-widget
         variant="title"
         className={styles.widget}
         tooltip={tooltip}
@@ -120,11 +120,17 @@ export function BranchWidget() {
         <BranchSync behind={branch.behind} ahead={branch.ahead} showCounts={false} />
         <Icon name="chevron-down" size={14} className={styles.chevron} />
       </BarButton>
-      {open && <BranchesPopup anchor={ref} onClose={() => useBranchesPopup.setState({ open: false })} />}
     </>
   );
 }
 
+export function BranchesPopupHost() {
+  const open = useBranchesPopup((s) => s.open);
+  if (!open) return null;
+  const anchor = document.querySelector("[data-branches-widget]") ?? { x: window.innerWidth / 2 - 160, y: 60 };
+  return <BranchesPopup anchor={anchor} onClose={() => useBranchesPopup.setState({ open: false })} />;
+}
+
 const POPUP_ACTIONS: PopupAction[] = [
   { id: "vcs.update", label: "Update Project…", icon: "git-pull", group: "sync" },
   { id: "vcs.commit", label: "Commit…", icon: "commit", group: "sync" },
@@ -283,7 +289,7 @@ const caretAt = (e: KeyboardEvent, where: "start" | "end") => {
   return where === "end" ? input.selectionStart === input.value.length : input.selectionStart === 0;
 };
 
-function BranchesPopup({ anchor, onClose }: { anchor: RefObject<HTMLElement | null>; onClose: () => void }) {
+function BranchesPopup({ anchor, onClose }: { anchor: PopupAnchor; onClose: () => void }) {
   const multi = useVcs((s) => s.roots.length > 1);
   const extensions = useBranchWidgetExtensions((s) => s.extensions);
   const actions = useMemo(() => [...POPUP_ACTIONS, ...extensionPopupActions(extensions)], [extensions]);
diff --git a/src/features/vcs/__tests__/branchesPopupHost.test.tsx b/src/features/vcs/__tests__/branchesPopupHost.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1548d0957
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/features/vcs/__tests__/branchesPopupHost.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { act, fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { afterEach, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { BranchesPopupHost, showBranchesPopup, useBranchesPopup } from "../BranchWidget";
+
+vi.mock("@/platform/ipc", async (original) => {
+  const real = await original<typeof import("@/platform/ipc")>();
+  return { ...real, commands: { ...real.commands, vcsTags: async () => ({ status: "ok", data: [] }) } };
+});
+
+afterEach(() => useBranchesPopup.setState({ open: false }));
+
+it("opens Git Branches without a mounted toolbar widget", () => {
+  render(<BranchesPopupHost />);
+  act(showBranchesPopup);
+  expect(screen.getByRole("dialog", { name: "Git Branches" })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  fireEvent.keyDown(document, { key: "Escape" });
+  expect(useBranchesPopup.getState().open).toBe(false);
+});
diff --git a/src/features/vcs/index.ts b/src/features/vcs/index.ts
index a2a7d369f..d741b3013 100644
--- a/src/features/vcs/index.ts
+++ b/src/features/vcs/index.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import { registerLogPaneActions } from "./logPaneActions";
 import { controlLabel, controlOperation, inProgress } from "./operations";
 import { annotationsShown, blameSlot } from "./blame";
 import { inlineBlame } from "./inlineBlame";
-import { BranchWidget, useBranchesPopup } from "./BranchWidget";
+import { BranchWidget, BranchesPopupHost, useBranchesPopup } from "./BranchWidget";
 import { showConflictsDialog, takeContinueWhenResolved } from "./conflictsUi";
 import { registerCompareActions } from "./compare";
 import { DIFF_KIND, diffTitle, type DiffData } from "./diffInput";
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ export function activate(): () => void {
     trackMergeRebaseItem(),
     installHunkPopup(),
     registerOverlay({ id: "vcs.dialogs", component: VcsDialogHost }),
+    registerOverlay({ id: "vcs.branches", component: BranchesPopupHost }),
     activateConflictBanner(),
     activateConflictMarkers(),
     trackCommitWindow(),
diff --git a/src/platform/locales/en.json b/src/platform/locales/en.json
index 427911bc1..df89808e0 100644
--- a/src/platform/locales/en.json
+++ b/src/platform/locales/en.json
@@ -394,6 +394,10 @@
   "menu.view.zoomOut": "Zoom Out IDE",
   "menu.view.resetZoom": "Reset IDE Zoom",
   "menu.toolbar.customize": "Customize Main Toolbar…",
+  "menu.view.toggleToolbar": "Toolbar",
+  "menu.view.toggleToolWindowBars": "Tool Window Bars",
+  "menu.view.toggleStatusBar": "Status Bar",
+  "menu.statusBarWidgets": "Status Bar Widgets",
   "menu.code.quickDefinition": "Quick Definition",
   "menu.code.quickTypeDefinition": "Quick Type Definition",
   "menu.localHistory.recentChanges": "Recent Changes",
diff --git a/src/platform/locales/text/en.json b/src/platform/locales/text/en.json
index 41195d8eb..d630a2740 100644
--- a/src/platform/locales/text/en.json
+++ b/src/platform/locales/text/en.json
@@ -552,5 +552,14 @@
   "No build": "No build",
   "Build, no error check": "Build, no error check",
   "Before launch build for this Java configuration": "Before launch build for this Java configuration",
-  "the bundle of {gemfile} has no `debug` gem. Add `gem \"debug\"` to the Gemfile and run `bundle install`": "the bundle of {gemfile} has no `debug` gem. Add `gem \"debug\"` to the Gemfile and run `bundle install`"
+  "the bundle of {gemfile} has no `debug` gem. Add `gem \"debug\"` to the Gemfile and run `bundle install`": "the bundle of {gemfile} has no `debug` gem. Add `gem \"debug\"` to the Gemfile and run `bundle install`",
+  "Toolbar": "Toolbar",
+  "Tool Window Bars": "Tool Window Bars",
+  "Status Bar": "Status Bar",
+  "Status Bar Widget": "Status Bar Widget",
+  "Show main toolbar": "Show main toolbar",
+  "Show status bar": "Show status bar",
+  "No background tasks": "No background tasks",
+  "Status Bar Widgets": "Status Bar Widgets",
+  "Background Tasks": "Background Tasks"
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/locales/text/zh.json b/src/platform/locales/text/zh.json
index e120de9b4..bbe7692cd 100644
--- a/src/platform/locales/text/zh.json
+++ b/src/platform/locales/text/zh.json
@@ -3452,7 +3452,13 @@
   "Build images before starting (--build)": "启动前构建镜像 (--build)",
   "Up options": "Up 选项",
   "e.g. --force-recreate --remove-orphans": "例如 --force-recreate --remove-orphans",
+  "Show main toolbar": "显示主工具栏",
+  "Show status bar": "显示状态栏",
   "Compact Mode": "紧凑模式",
+  "Toolbar": "工具栏",
+  "Tool Window Bars": "工具窗口栏",
+  "Status Bar": "状态栏",
+  "Status Bar Widget": "状态栏微件",
   "Override File Type": "覆盖文件类型",
   "Revert File Type Override": "还原文件类型覆盖",
   "Add Content Root": "添加内容根",
@@ -6896,5 +6902,7 @@
   "Servers": "服务器",
   "Open main menu with a lone Alt press": "单独按下 Alt 打开主菜单",
   "When off, Alt key combinations still work but pressing Alt alone does not focus the main menu": "关闭后，Alt 组合键仍然可用，但单独按下 Alt 不会聚焦主菜单",
-  "the bundle of {gemfile} has no `debug` gem. Add `gem \"debug\"` to the Gemfile and run `bundle install`": "{gemfile} 的 bundle 中没有 `debug` gem。请在 Gemfile 中添加 `gem \"debug\"`，然后运行 `bundle install`"
+  "the bundle of {gemfile} has no `debug` gem. Add `gem \"debug\"` to the Gemfile and run `bundle install`": "{gemfile} 的 bundle 中没有 `debug` gem。请在 Gemfile 中添加 `gem \"debug\"`，然后运行 `bundle install`",
+  "No background tasks": "没有后台任务",
+  "Status Bar Widgets": "状态栏微件"
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/locales/zh.json b/src/platform/locales/zh.json
index 3f120c953..9afe2d366 100644
--- a/src/platform/locales/zh.json
+++ b/src/platform/locales/zh.json
@@ -394,6 +394,10 @@
   "menu.view.zoomOut": "缩小 IDE",
   "menu.view.resetZoom": "重置 IDE 缩放",
   "menu.toolbar.customize": "自定义主工具栏…",
+  "menu.view.toggleToolbar": "工具栏",
+  "menu.view.toggleToolWindowBars": "工具窗口栏",
+  "menu.view.toggleStatusBar": "状态栏",
+  "menu.statusBarWidgets": "状态栏微件",
   "menu.code.quickDefinition": "快速定义",
   "menu.code.quickTypeDefinition": "快速类型定义",
   "menu.localHistory.recentChanges": "最近的更改",
diff --git a/src/styles/tokens.css b/src/styles/tokens.css
index 6214044e3..bd689734c 100644
--- a/src/styles/tokens.css
+++ b/src/styles/tokens.css
@@ -257,6 +257,8 @@ html {
 
   /* metrics (theme JSON at 100%) */
   --h-titlebar: 40px;
+  /* IDEA's compact header (HEADER_HEIGHT_DFM), the same in compact mode. */
+  --h-compact-header: 30px;
   --titlebar-tool-button: 30px;
   /* tool window stripe button, icons only */
   --stripe-icon-button: 30px;
diff --git a/src/ui/Menu.tsx b/src/ui/Menu.tsx
index ab74a835c..7b09dd9e0 100644
--- a/src/ui/Menu.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/Menu.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ export type MenuItem =
       action: string;
       arg?: unknown;
       label?: string;
+      /** A check mark in this state instead of the action's own `toggled` (one row per argument). */
+      checked?: boolean;
       icon?: IconName | (string & {});
       disabled?: boolean;
     }
@@ -82,12 +84,12 @@ export function resolveMenuItems(items: MenuItem[]): Resolved[] {
       if (!a) return;
       out.push({
         kind: "item",
-        key: item.action,
+        key: typeof item.arg === "string" ? `${item.action}|${item.arg}` : item.action,
         label: tx(item.label) ?? a.title,
         icon: item.icon ?? a.icon,
         shortcut: shortcutLabel(item.action),
         disabled: !!item.disabled || !isActionEnabled(a),
-        checked: actionToggled(a),
+        checked: item.checked ?? actionToggled(a),
         run: () => void executeActionFrom("menu", item.action, item.arg),
       });
       return;
diff --git a/src/workbench/MainMenu.interaction.test.tsx b/src/workbench/MainMenu.interaction.test.tsx
index 823de7323..a9ae7ca35 100644
--- a/src/workbench/MainMenu.interaction.test.tsx
+++ b/src/workbench/MainMenu.interaction.test.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { commands, type Settings } from "@/platform/ipc";
 import { useProject } from "@/platform/project";
 import { registerActions } from "@/platform/actions";
+import { usePlatform } from "@/platform/platformInfo";
 import { MainMenu } from "./MainMenu";
 
 let available = 500;
@@ -35,13 +36,13 @@ beforeEach(() => {
       kind: "submenu",
       id: "file",
       label: "File",
-      children: [{ kind: "action", id: "test.open", label: "Open", hint: null, arg: null }],
+      children: [{ kind: "action", id: "test.open", label: "Open", hint: null, arg: null, checked: null }],
     },
     {
       kind: "submenu",
       id: "edit",
       label: "Edit",
-      children: [{ kind: "action", id: "test.undo", label: "Undo", hint: null, arg: null }],
+      children: [{ kind: "action", id: "test.undo", label: "Undo", hint: null, arg: null, checked: null }],
     },
   ]);
   dispose = registerActions([
@@ -267,3 +268,39 @@ describe("main menu presentation", () => {
     expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Main Menu" })).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 });
+
+it.each(["windows", "linux"] as const)("renders toggle and widget checks in the %s main menu", async (os) => {
+  const platform = usePlatform.getState();
+  usePlatform.setState({ os, framelessTitleBar: true, overlayTitleBar: false });
+  const off = registerActions([
+    { id: "view.toggleToolbar", title: "Toolbar", toggled: () => true, run: () => {} },
+    { id: "view.toggleStatusBarWidget", title: "Status Bar Widget", run: () => {} },
+  ]);
+  vi.mocked(commands.menuModel).mockResolvedValue([
+    {
+      kind: "submenu",
+      id: "view",
+      label: "View",
+      children: [
+        { kind: "action", id: "view.toggleToolbar", label: "Toolbar", hint: null, arg: null, checked: null },
+        {
+          kind: "action",
+          id: "view.toggleStatusBarWidget",
+          label: "Memory Indicator",
+          hint: null,
+          arg: "memory",
+          checked: false,
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+  ]);
+  try {
+    render(<MainMenu />);
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Main Menu" }));
+    expect(await screen.findByRole("menuitemcheckbox", { name: "Toolbar" })).toHaveAttribute("aria-checked", "true");
+    expect(screen.getByRole("menuitemcheckbox", { name: "Memory Indicator" })).toHaveAttribute("aria-checked", "false");
+  } finally {
+    off();
+    usePlatform.setState(platform);
+  }
+});
diff --git a/src/workbench/MainMenu.test.ts b/src/workbench/MainMenu.test.ts
index e8b52d985..7a580885d 100644
--- a/src/workbench/MainMenu.test.ts
+++ b/src/workbench/MainMenu.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { registerAction } from "@/platform/actions";
+import { resolveMenuItems } from "@/ui/Menu";
 import { menuItems, onLoneAlt } from "./MainMenu";
 
 describe("lone Alt opens the main menu", () => {
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ describe("lone Alt opens the main menu", () => {
 describe("main menu model", () => {
   it("maps menu nodes to menu items, localising spec labels only", () => {
     const items = menuItems([
-      { kind: "action", id: "file.save", label: "Save All", hint: null, arg: null },
+      { kind: "action", id: "file.save", label: "Save All", hint: null, arg: null, checked: null },
       { kind: "separator" },
       {
         kind: "submenu",
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ describe("main menu model", () => {
             label: "openidea  —  ~/openidea",
             hint: null,
             arg: "/p/openidea",
+            checked: null,
           },
           { kind: "placeholder", id: "recent.none", label: "No Recent Projects" },
         ],
@@ -86,3 +89,20 @@ describe("main menu model", () => {
     expect(sub[1]).toMatchObject({ label: "No Recent Projects", disabled: true });
   });
 });
+
+describe("check marks in the main menu", () => {
+  it("shows a frontend-listed item's own state, one row per argument", () => {
+    const off = registerAction({ id: "test.mainMenu.widget", title: "Widget", run: () => {} });
+    const node = (arg: string, checked: boolean) =>
+      ({ kind: "action", id: "test.mainMenu.widget", label: arg, hint: null, arg, checked }) as const;
+    const items = menuItems([node("memory", true), node("caret", false)]);
+    expect(items[0]).toMatchObject({ action: "test.mainMenu.widget", arg: "memory", checked: true });
+    const rows = resolveMenuItems(items);
+    expect(rows.map((r) => [r.label, r.checked])).toEqual([
+      ["memory", true],
+      ["caret", false],
+    ]);
+    expect(new Set(rows.map((r) => r.key)).size).toBe(2);
+    off();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/workbench/MainMenu.tsx b/src/workbench/MainMenu.tsx
index d8e8e9c50..cbc28a5f4 100644
--- a/src/workbench/MainMenu.tsx
+++ b/src/workbench/MainMenu.tsx
@@ -29,7 +29,13 @@ export function menuItems(nodes: MenuNode[]): MenuItem[] {
       case "submenu":
         return { id: n.id, label: label(n.id, n.label), submenu: menuItems(n.children) };
       case "action":
-        return { kind: "action", action: n.id, arg: n.arg ?? undefined, label: n.arg ? n.label : label(n.id, n.label) };
+        return {
+          kind: "action",
+          action: n.id,
+          arg: n.arg ?? undefined,
+          label: n.arg ? n.label : label(n.id, n.label),
+          ...(n.checked != null && { checked: n.checked }),
+        };
     }
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/workbench/StatusBar.tsx b/src/workbench/StatusBar.tsx
index 4bd285b43..4e18e9c29 100644
--- a/src/workbench/StatusBar.tsx
+++ b/src/workbench/StatusBar.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { create } from "zustand";
+import { useMemo } from "react";
 import clsx from "clsx";
 import { BarButton, IconButton, Popup, ProgressBar, showContextMenu, T, tooltipAttrs } from "@/ui";
 import { useContributions, useStatusInfo, type StatusItemContribution } from "./contributions";
@@ -86,11 +87,16 @@ function TaskCancel({ task: t }: { task: BackgroundTask }) {
   );
 }
 
+const useTaskPopup = create<{ open: boolean }>(() => ({ open: false }));
+
+export function showBackgroundTasks() {
+  useTaskPopup.setState({ open: true });
+}
+
 /** Built-in: background task progress; click lists all running tasks. */
 export function TaskStatus() {
   const tasks = useTasks((s) => s.tasks);
-  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
-  const ref = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>(null);
+  const open = useTaskPopup((s) => s.open);
   const running = tasks.filter((t) => !t.done);
   // A task that is working wins over the queued ones waiting behind it.
   const current = running.findLast((t) => !t.queued) ?? running[running.length - 1] ?? tasks[tasks.length - 1];
@@ -99,11 +105,11 @@ export function TaskStatus() {
   return (
     <>
       <BarButton
-        ref={ref}
+        data-background-tasks
         aria-expanded={open}
         aria-label={tx`Background tasks: ${current.title}`}
         tooltip={current.message ?? current.title}
-        onClick={() => setOpen((v) => !v)}
+        onClick={() => useTaskPopup.setState({ open: !open })}
         className={styles.task}
       >
         <span className={styles.taskTitle}>
@@ -116,33 +122,49 @@ export function TaskStatus() {
         />
         {more > 0 && <span className={styles.taskMore}>+{more}</span>}
       </BarButton>
-      <Popup
-        open={open && tasks.length > 0}
-        anchor={ref}
-        placement="top-end"
-        offset={6}
-        onClose={() => setOpen(false)}
-        aria-label="Background tasks"
-      >
-        <div className={styles.taskList}>
-          <div className={styles.taskListHeader}>
-            <T>Background Tasks</T>
-          </div>
-          {tasks.map((t) => (
-            <div key={t.id} className={styles.taskRow}>
-              <div className={styles.taskRowHead}>
-                <span className={styles.taskRowTitle}>
-                  <T>{t.title}</T>
-                </span>
-                {t.fraction != null && <span className={styles.taskPct}>{Math.round(t.fraction * 100)}%</span>}
-                <TaskCancel task={t} />
-              </div>
-              <ProgressBar value={t.done ? 1 : t.fraction} aria-label={t.title} />
-              {t.message && <div className={styles.taskMessage}>{t.message}</div>}
-            </div>
-          ))}
-        </div>
-      </Popup>
     </>
   );
 }
+
+export function BackgroundTasksHost() {
+  const open = useTaskPopup((s) => s.open);
+  const tasks = useTasks((s) => s.tasks);
+  const anchor = document.querySelector("[data-background-tasks]") ?? {
+    x: window.innerWidth - 16,
+    y: window.innerHeight - 16,
+  };
+  return (
+    <Popup
+      open={open}
+      anchor={anchor}
+      placement="top-end"
+      offset={6}
+      onClose={() => useTaskPopup.setState({ open: false })}
+      aria-label="Background tasks"
+    >
+      <div className={styles.taskList}>
+        <div className={styles.taskListHeader}>
+          <T>Background Tasks</T>
+        </div>
+        {tasks.length === 0 && (
+          <div className={styles.taskRow}>
+            <T>No background tasks</T>
+          </div>
+        )}
+        {tasks.map((t) => (
+          <div key={t.id} className={styles.taskRow}>
+            <div className={styles.taskRowHead}>
+              <span className={styles.taskRowTitle}>
+                <T>{t.title}</T>
+              </span>
+              {t.fraction != null && <span className={styles.taskPct}>{Math.round(t.fraction * 100)}%</span>}
+              <TaskCancel task={t} />
+            </div>
+            <ProgressBar value={t.done ? 1 : t.fraction} aria-label={t.title} />
+            {t.message && <div className={styles.taskMessage}>{t.message}</div>}
+          </div>
+        ))}
+      </div>
+    </Popup>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/workbench/TitleBar.module.css b/src/workbench/TitleBar.module.css
index 834b1baf4..8c334e63e 100644
--- a/src/workbench/TitleBar.module.css
+++ b/src/workbench/TitleBar.module.css
@@ -30,6 +30,26 @@
   background: var(--bg-dialog, var(--bg-elev));
   box-shadow: none;
 }
+/* IDEA's compact header (Distraction Free, toolbar hidden): the window title, centred. */
+.compactHeader {
+  --h-titlebar: var(--h-compact-header);
+}
+.overlay.compactHeader {
+  padding-right: max(82px, calc(82px / var(--titlebar-zoom, 1)));
+}
+.overlayFullscreen.compactHeader {
+  padding-right: 10px;
+}
+.compactTitle {
+  flex: 1;
+  min-width: 0;
+  overflow: hidden;
+  text-overflow: ellipsis;
+  text-align: center;
+  font-size: var(--fs-ui);
+  color: var(--fg-secondary);
+  cursor: default;
+}
 .windowTitle {
   min-width: 0;
   overflow: hidden;
diff --git a/src/workbench/TitleBar.test.tsx b/src/workbench/TitleBar.test.tsx
index c8c802d89..a79b9b759 100644
--- a/src/workbench/TitleBar.test.tsx
+++ b/src/workbench/TitleBar.test.tsx
@@ -163,3 +163,24 @@ describe("merged title bar menu", () => {
     },
   );
 });
+
+describe("compact window header", () => {
+  it("shows the window title and follows it, without toolbar widgets", async () => {
+    document.title = "demo – src/main.rs";
+    render(<TitleBar compact />);
+    const bar = document.querySelector("header[data-titlebar='compact']")!;
+    expect(bar.textContent).toBe("demo – src/main.rs");
+    expect(bar.querySelector("button")).toBeNull();
+    await act(async () => {
+      document.title = "demo – Cargo.toml";
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+    expect(bar.textContent).toBe("demo – Cargo.toml");
+  });
+
+  it("prefers an explicit title (LightEdit)", () => {
+    document.title = "ignored";
+    render(<TitleBar compact lightEdit title="notes.txt" />);
+    expect(document.querySelector("header[data-titlebar='compact']")!.textContent).toBe("notes.txt");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/workbench/TitleBar.tsx b/src/workbench/TitleBar.tsx
index 7340163d4..e88b337ce 100644
--- a/src/workbench/TitleBar.tsx
+++ b/src/workbench/TitleBar.tsx
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import { useContributedThemes } from "@/platform/themes";
 import { currentThemeChoice, useThemeOverride } from "./theme";
 import styles from "./TitleBar.module.css";
 import { useNativeTitlebar } from "./nativeTitlebar";
+import { useDocumentTitle } from "./documentTitle";
 import { windowDragRegion } from "./window-drag";
 
 export function orderTitleItems(items: Iterable<TitleItemContribution>) {
@@ -271,21 +272,35 @@ function ToolbarEntry({ id, items }: { id: string; items: ReadonlyMap<string, Ti
   );
 }
 
+/** IDEA's compact header: the window title in the middle of a 30px bar. */
+function CompactTitle({ title }: { title?: string }) {
+  const documentTitle = useDocumentTitle();
+  return (
+    <span className={styles.compactTitle} {...windowDragRegion}>
+      {title ?? documentTitle}
+    </span>
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * 40px main toolbar. macOS: native traffic lights overlay its left edge.
  * Windows and Linux: the window is frameless, so the bar carries IDEA's main menu (☰) and
  * the caption buttons. `dialog`: a dialog window's bar (Settings), close button only.
  * `lightEdit`: a LightEdit window's bar, its title and the menu but no toolbar widgets.
+ * `compact`: IDEA's compact header (Distraction Free, View › Appearance › Toolbar off).
+ * `bare`: the window frame only, while a project opens.
  */
 export function TitleBar({
   minimal = false,
   bare = false,
+  compact = false,
   dialog = false,
   lightEdit = false,
   title,
 }: {
   minimal?: boolean;
   bare?: boolean;
+  compact?: boolean;
   dialog?: boolean;
   lightEdit?: boolean;
   title?: string;
@@ -303,18 +318,19 @@ export function TitleBar({
     overlay && fullscreen && styles.overlayFullscreen,
     frameless && styles.frameless,
   );
-  // Distraction Free Mode: the window frame only. Where the title bar carries the
-  // main menu (Windows, Linux) it stays, or nothing would lead back out of the mode.
-  if (bare)
+  // Where the title bar carries the main menu (Windows, Linux) it stays, or nothing
+  // would lead back out of Distraction Free Mode or bring the toolbar back.
+  if (bare || compact)
     return (
-      <header ref={setBar} className={className} {...windowDragRegion} data-titlebar="bare">
-        {frameless && (
-          <>
-            <MainMenu />
-            <div className={styles.drag} {...windowDragRegion} />
-            <WindowControls />
-          </>
-        )}
+      <header
+        ref={setBar}
+        className={clsx(className, compact && styles.compactHeader)}
+        {...windowDragRegion}
+        data-titlebar={compact ? "compact" : "bare"}
+      >
+        {frameless && <MainMenu />}
+        {compact ? <CompactTitle title={title} /> : frameless && <div className={styles.drag} {...windowDragRegion} />}
+        {frameless && <WindowControls />}
       </header>
     );
   const entry = (id: string) => <ToolbarEntry key={id} id={id} items={map} />;
diff --git a/src/workbench/Workbench.tsx b/src/workbench/Workbench.tsx
index 67a50b57b..dad58aaa4 100644
--- a/src/workbench/Workbench.tsx
+++ b/src/workbench/Workbench.tsx
@@ -23,19 +23,25 @@ import { WindowResizeHandles } from "./WindowResizeHandles";
 import { useContributions, useStandaloneEditor } from "./contributions";
 import styles from "./Workbench.module.css";
 
+/** View › Appearance switches (`appearance.showMainToolbar`, `appearance.showStatusBar`), shown by default. */
+function useAppearanceFlag(key: "showMainToolbar" | "showStatusBar"): boolean {
+  return useProject((s) => s.settings?.appearance?.[key] !== false);
+}
+
 /** LightEdit: editor tabs only; no tool windows, toolbar widgets or project status items. */
 function LightEditFrame({ title }: { title?: string }) {
   const path = useEditorRegistry((s) => s.active?.ctx.path);
   const distractionFree = useDistractionFree((s) => s.active);
+  const statusBar = useAppearanceFlag("showStatusBar");
   return (
     <>
-      <TitleBar lightEdit bare={distractionFree} title={title ?? (path ? basename(path) : "LightEdit")} />
+      <TitleBar lightEdit compact={distractionFree} title={title ?? (path ? basename(path) : "LightEdit")} />
       <main className={styles.lightEdit} data-light-edit>
         <div className={styles.lightEditIsland}>
           <EditorArea />
         </div>
       </main>
-      {!distractionFree && <StatusBar lightEdit />}
+      {!distractionFree && statusBar && <StatusBar lightEdit />}
     </>
   );
 }
@@ -70,6 +76,8 @@ export function Workbench() {
   const openingPath = useProject((s) => s.openingPath);
   const root = project?.root ?? null;
   const distractionFree = useDistractionFree((s) => s.active);
+  const mainToolbar = useAppearanceFlag("showMainToolbar");
+  const statusBar = useAppearanceFlag("showStatusBar");
   const frame = project ? styles.framed : lightEdit || standaloneTitle ? styles.lightEditFrame : undefined;
 
   return (
@@ -80,14 +88,13 @@ export function Workbench() {
       <div className={styles.content} inert={openingPath !== null} aria-hidden={openingPath ? true : undefined}>
         {project ? (
           <>
-            {/* Distraction Free Mode keeps the bar for the traffic lights and window dragging only. */}
-            <TitleBar bare={distractionFree} />
+            <TitleBar compact={distractionFree || !mainToolbar} />
             {!distractionFree && <WindowGroupTabs />}
             {[...banners.values()].map(({ id, component: Banner }) => (
               <Banner key={id} />
             ))}
             <ToolWindowLayout key={root} editor={<EditorArea />} />
-            {!distractionFree && <StatusBar />}
+            {!distractionFree && statusBar && <StatusBar />}
           </>
         ) : lightEdit || standaloneTitle ? (
           <LightEditFrame title={standaloneTitle ?? undefined} />
diff --git a/src/workbench/activate.ts b/src/workbench/activate.ts
index 2cc8abd9e..5e88dcac4 100644
--- a/src/workbench/activate.ts
+++ b/src/workbench/activate.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import {
 import { loadPlatformInfo } from "@/platform/platformInfo";
 import { registerShellActions } from "./shellActions";
 import { MainToolbarDialogHost } from "./MainToolbarDialog";
-import { StatusInfo, TaskStatus } from "./StatusBar";
+import { BackgroundTasksHost, StatusInfo, TaskStatus } from "./StatusBar";
 import { installTaskEvents } from "./tasks";
 import { installToolWindowActions } from "./toolwindows/actions";
 import {
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ export function activateWorkbench(): () => void {
     installBrowserGuards(),
     installFileDrop(),
     registerOverlay({ id: "workbench.customizeToolbar", component: MainToolbarDialogHost }),
+    registerOverlay({ id: "workbench.backgroundTasks", component: BackgroundTasksHost }),
     registerStatusItem({ id: "workbench.tasks", align: "right", priority: 0, component: TaskStatus, lightEdit: true }),
     registerStatusItem({ id: "workbench.info", align: "left", priority: 5, component: StatusInfo, lightEdit: true }),
     registerToolWindow({
diff --git a/src/workbench/distractionFree.test.tsx b/src/workbench/distractionFree.test.tsx
index b38bafbd7..421799fed 100644
--- a/src/workbench/distractionFree.test.tsx
+++ b/src/workbench/distractionFree.test.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { act, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { executeAction, getAction } from "@/platform/actions";
 import { getContext } from "@/platform/context";
 import { bindingsFor, installKeyboardDispatcher, useKeymap } from "@/platform/keymap";
+import type { Settings } from "@/platform/ipc";
 import { useProject } from "@/platform/project";
 import { registerStatusItem, registerToolWindow } from "./contributions";
 import { clearNotifications, useNotifications } from "./notificationStore";
@@ -216,7 +217,7 @@ describe("distraction free shell", () => {
     expect(screen.queryByText("status-x")).toBeNull();
     expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: "Project" })).toBeNull();
     expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: "Search Everywhere" })).toBeNull();
-    const bar = document.querySelector("header[data-titlebar='bare']");
+    const bar = document.querySelector("header[data-titlebar='compact']");
     // macOS uses its own drag region attribute (window-drag.ts); jsdom reports the host OS.
     expect(bar?.hasAttribute("data-tauri-drag-region") || bar?.hasAttribute("data-window-drag-region")).toBe(true);
 
@@ -226,4 +227,33 @@ describe("distraction free shell", () => {
     unmount();
     useProject.setState({ project: null });
   });
+
+  it("View › Appearance hides the main toolbar and the status bar on their own", async () => {
+    const { Workbench } = await import("./Workbench");
+    disposers.push(
+      registerStatusItem({ id: "t.status", align: "left", priority: 0, component: () => <span>status-x</span> }),
+    );
+    const appearance = (a: Record<string, boolean>) =>
+      act(() => useProject.setState({ settings: { appearance: a } as unknown as Settings }));
+    act(() =>
+      useProject.setState({
+        project: { root: "/work/df", name: "df-demo", trusted: true, isGit: false, settings: {} },
+      }),
+    );
+    document.title = "df-demo – main.rs";
+    const { unmount } = render(<Workbench />);
+    expect(await screen.findByText("df-demo")).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    appearance({ showMainToolbar: false });
+    expect(screen.queryByText("df-demo")).toBeNull();
+    expect(document.querySelector("header[data-titlebar='compact']")?.textContent).toBe("df-demo – main.rs");
+    expect(screen.getByText("status-x")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Project" })).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    appearance({ showStatusBar: false });
+    expect(screen.getByText("df-demo")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("status-x")).toBeNull();
+    unmount();
+    useProject.setState({ project: null, settings: null });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/workbench/documentTitle.ts b/src/workbench/documentTitle.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eae540dd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/workbench/documentTitle.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import { useSyncExternalStore } from "react";
+
+function subscribe(changed: () => void): () => void {
+  const observer = new MutationObserver(changed);
+  observer.observe(document.head, { subtree: true, childList: true, characterData: true });
+  return () => observer.disconnect();
+}
+
+/** The window title as `features/app/title.ts` writes it to `document.title`. */
+export function useDocumentTitle(): string {
+  return useSyncExternalStore(subscribe, () => document.title);
+}
diff --git a/src/workbench/nativeTitlebar.test.tsx b/src/workbench/nativeTitlebar.test.tsx
index 8e7547c03..376d30c43 100644
--- a/src/workbench/nativeTitlebar.test.tsx
+++ b/src/workbench/nativeTitlebar.test.tsx
@@ -95,6 +95,18 @@ describe("native title bar alignment", () => {
     expect(disconnect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
   });
 
+  it("hands the window buttons back to the remaining bar when another bar goes away", () => {
+    zoom(100);
+    renderHook(() => useNativeTitlebar(titlebar(30).bar));
+    expect(setHeight).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(30);
+    // The project-opening screen covers the frame with its own 40px bar.
+    const opening = renderHook(() => useNativeTitlebar(titlebar(40).bar));
+    expect(setHeight).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(40);
+    opening.unmount();
+    expect(setHeight).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(30);
+    expect(setHeight).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+  });
+
   it("leaves windows without native overlay buttons alone", () => {
     usePlatform.setState({ overlayTitleBar: false });
     const { bar } = titlebar(40);
diff --git a/src/workbench/nativeTitlebar.ts b/src/workbench/nativeTitlebar.ts
index e655ce406..31e3aca80 100644
--- a/src/workbench/nativeTitlebar.ts
+++ b/src/workbench/nativeTitlebar.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ import { usePlatform } from "@/platform/platformInfo";
 import { useProject } from "@/platform/project";
 import { clampZoom } from "@/platform/zoom";
 
+/**
+ * Mounted bars, newest last, each with a resend that ignores what it sent before. The window
+ * has one set of buttons: when a bar covering another goes away (the project-opening screen
+ * over the frame), the one left re-aligns them to its own height.
+ */
+const mounted: Array<() => void> = [];
+
 export function useNativeTitlebar(bar: HTMLElement | null) {
   const overlay = usePlatform((s) => s.overlayTitleBar);
   const zoom = useProject((s) => (s.settings ? clampZoom(s.settings.appearance?.zoom) : null));
@@ -25,9 +32,16 @@ export function useNativeTitlebar(bar: HTMLElement | null) {
     update();
     const observer = new ResizeObserver(update);
     observer.observe(bar);
+    const resend = () => {
+      lastHeight.current = null;
+      update();
+    };
+    mounted.push(resend);
     return () => {
       observer.disconnect();
       bar.style.removeProperty("--titlebar-zoom");
+      mounted.splice(mounted.indexOf(resend), 1);
+      mounted.at(-1)?.();
     };
   }, [bar, overlay, zoom]);
 }
diff --git a/src/workbench/shellActions.ts b/src/workbench/shellActions.ts
index f12a5c770..f38983f9f 100644
--- a/src/workbench/shellActions.ts
+++ b/src/workbench/shellActions.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { showBackgroundTasks } from "./StatusBar";
 import { executeAction, getAction, registerActions } from "@/platform/actions";
 import { isTauri } from "@/platform/ipc";
 import { closeProject, confirmLeaveProject, openProject, useProject } from "@/platform/project";
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ import { activateToolWindow } from "./toolwindows/store";
 import { toggleTheme } from "./theme";
 import { cancelTask, canCancel, useTasks } from "./tasks";
 import { maybeEditorService, showStatusInfo } from "./contributions";
+import { toggleStatusWidget } from "./statusBarWidgets";
 
 export async function openProjectDialog() {
   if (!isTauri()) {
@@ -105,6 +107,21 @@ export function registerShellActions(): () => void {
       keywords: ["toolbar", "widgets", "title bar"],
       run: showCustomizeToolbar,
     },
+    {
+      // View › Appearance › Status Bar Widgets: the argument is the widget id.
+      id: "view.toggleStatusBarWidget",
+      title: "Status Bar Widget",
+      category: "View",
+      hidden: true,
+      run: ({ arg }) => (typeof arg === "string" ? toggleStatusWidget(arg) : undefined),
+    },
+    {
+      id: "view.backgroundTasks",
+      title: "Background Tasks",
+      category: "View",
+      keywords: ["progress", "running", "processes"],
+      run: showBackgroundTasks,
+    },
     {
       id: "view.notifications",
       title: "Notifications",
diff --git a/src/workbench/statusBarWidgets.test.tsx b/src/workbench/statusBarWidgets.test.tsx
index b0027b5d1..e1edeef2b 100644
--- a/src/workbench/statusBarWidgets.test.tsx
+++ b/src/workbench/statusBarWidgets.test.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ import { ContextMenuHost } from "@/ui";
 import { registerStatusItem, type StatusItemContribution } from "./contributions";
 import { StatusBar } from "./StatusBar";
 import { isStatusItemVisible, statusBarMenu } from "./statusBarWidgets";
+import { executeAction } from "@/platform/actions";
+import { registerShellActions } from "./shellActions";
 
 const item = (id: string, extra: Partial<StatusItemContribution> = {}): StatusItemContribution => ({
   id,
@@ -103,4 +105,25 @@ describe("status bar widgets", () => {
     );
     expect(await screen.findByText("w.memory")).toBeTruthy();
   });
+
+  it("toggles one widget by id from View › Appearance › Status Bar Widgets", async () => {
+    disposers.push(
+      registerShellActions(),
+      registerStatusItem(item("w.caret", { title: "Line:Column Number" })),
+      registerStatusItem(item("w.memory", { title: "Memory Indicator", defaultVisible: false })),
+      registerStatusItem(item("w.tasks")),
+    );
+    await act(() => executeAction("view.toggleStatusBarWidget", "w.memory"));
+    expect(settingsSet).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(
+      "global",
+      "appearance.statusBarWidgets",
+      JSON.stringify({ "w.memory": true }),
+    );
+    await act(() => executeAction("view.toggleStatusBarWidget", "w.caret"));
+    expect(widgets).toEqual({ "w.memory": true, "w.caret": false });
+    // Untitled or unknown widgets cannot be hidden.
+    await act(() => executeAction("view.toggleStatusBarWidget", "w.tasks"));
+    await act(() => executeAction("view.toggleStatusBarWidget", "w.gone"));
+    expect(settingsSet).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/workbench/statusBarWidgets.ts b/src/workbench/statusBarWidgets.ts
index 078b77380..601881aa3 100644
--- a/src/workbench/statusBarWidgets.ts
+++ b/src/workbench/statusBarWidgets.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import type { MenuItem } from "@/ui";
 import { call, commands } from "@/platform/ipc";
 import { useProject } from "@/platform/project";
-import type { StatusItemContribution } from "./contributions";
+import { useContributions, type StatusItemContribution } from "./contributions";
 
 export type WidgetOverrides = Partial<Record<string, boolean>>;
 
@@ -14,25 +14,42 @@ export function isStatusItemVisible(
   return overrides?.[item.id] ?? item.defaultVisible !== false;
 }
 
+export interface StatusWidgetRow {
+  id: string;
+  title: string;
+  /** Plugin widgets are named by their plugin, not translated. */
+  verbatim: boolean;
+  visible: boolean;
+}
+
+/** Every titled widget of `items` (in bar order) with its visibility: the rows users can switch. */
+export function statusWidgetRows(
+  items: StatusItemContribution[],
+  overrides: WidgetOverrides | undefined,
+): StatusWidgetRow[] {
+  return items
+    .filter((i) => i.title)
+    .map((i) => ({
+      id: i.id,
+      title: i.title!,
+      verbatim: i.id.startsWith("plugin."),
+      visible: isStatusItemVisible(i, overrides),
+    }));
+}
+
 /** The status bar context menu: every titled widget with a checkmark, in bar order. */
 export function statusBarMenu(
   items: StatusItemContribution[],
   overrides: WidgetOverrides | undefined,
   set: (id: string, visible: boolean) => void = (id, v) => void setStatusWidgetVisible(id, v),
 ): MenuItem[] {
-  return items
-    .filter((i) => i.title)
-    .map((i) => {
-      const visible = isStatusItemVisible(i, overrides);
-      // Plugin widgets are named by their plugin, not translated.
-      return {
-        id: i.id,
-        label: i.title!,
-        verbatim: i.id.startsWith("plugin."),
-        checked: visible,
-        run: () => set(i.id, !visible),
-      };
-    });
+  return statusWidgetRows(items, overrides).map((row) => ({
+    id: row.id,
+    label: row.title,
+    verbatim: row.verbatim,
+    checked: row.visible,
+    run: () => set(row.id, !row.visible),
+  }));
 }
 
 /** Persists the choice in the global settings (the whole map, since widget ids contain dots). */
@@ -43,6 +60,14 @@ export async function setStatusWidgetVisible(id: string, visible: boolean): Prom
   useProject.setState({ settings });
 }
 
+/** Flips one widget by id (View › Appearance › Status Bar Widgets); untitled or unknown widgets stay as they are. */
+export async function toggleStatusWidget(id: string): Promise<void> {
+  const item = useContributions.getState().statusItems.get(id);
+  if (!item?.title) return;
+  const visible = isStatusItemVisible(item, useProject.getState().settings?.appearance?.statusBarWidgets);
+  await setStatusWidgetVisible(id, !visible);
+}
+
 export function useStatusWidgetOverrides(): WidgetOverrides | undefined {
   return useProject((s) => s.settings?.appearance?.statusBarWidgets);
 }
diff --git a/src/workbench/tasks.test.tsx b/src/workbench/tasks.test.tsx
index c659293bf..668a15972 100644
--- a/src/workbench/tasks.test.tsx
+++ b/src/workbench/tasks.test.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ vi.mock("@/platform/ipc", async (orig) => {
 
 const { emitLocalIdeEvent, isCancelled } = await import("@/platform/ipc");
 const { cancelTask, installTaskEvents, queueTask, setIndexing, upsertTask, useTasks } = await import("./tasks");
-const { TaskStatus } = await import("./StatusBar");
+const { BackgroundTasksHost, TaskStatus } = await import("./StatusBar");
 
 const task = (id: string) => useTasks.getState().tasks.find((t) => t.id === id);
 
@@ -126,7 +126,12 @@ describe("cancelling", () => {
       done: false,
       uncancellable: "This step can't be cancelled",
     });
-    render(<TaskStatus />);
+    render(
+      <>
+        <TaskStatus />
+        <BackgroundTasksHost />
+      </>,
+    );
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /Background tasks/ }));
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Cancel Downloading JDK 25" }));
     expect(cancel).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
@@ -160,3 +165,19 @@ describe("cancelling", () => {
     uninstall();
   });
 });
+
+it("shows progress and uncancellable tasks through an action without the status bar", async () => {
+  const { registerShellActions } = await import("./shellActions");
+  const { executeAction } = await import("@/platform/actions");
+  const dispose = registerShellActions();
+  try {
+    upsertTask({ id: "scan", title: "Scanning", message: "Reading files", fraction: 0.25, done: false });
+    render(<BackgroundTasksHost />);
+    await act(() => executeAction("view.backgroundTasks"));
+    expect(screen.getByRole("dialog", { name: "Background tasks" })).toHaveTextContent("25%");
+    expect(screen.getByText("Reading files")).toBeVisible();
+    fireEvent.keyDown(document, { key: "Escape" });
+  } finally {
+    dispose();
+  }
+});