diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/index.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/index.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..07a0fbb0435
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/index.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import { cleanup, fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import type { HermesReadDirResult } from '@/global'
+import { $connection, setCurrentCwd } from '@/store/session'
+
+import { resetProjectTreeState } from './files/use-project-tree'
+
+import { RightSidebarPane } from './index'
+
+const readDir = vi.fn<(path: string) => Promise<HermesReadDirResult>>()
+const selectPaths = vi.fn()
+
+function ok(entries: { name: string; path: string; isDirectory: boolean }[]): HermesReadDirResult {
+  return { entries }
+}
+
+function installBridge() {
+  ;(
+    window as unknown as {
+      hermesDesktop: {
+        readDir: typeof readDir
+        selectPaths: typeof selectPaths
+      }
+    }
+  ).hermesDesktop = { readDir, selectPaths }
+}
+
+describe('RightSidebarPane', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    $connection.set(null)
+    resetProjectTreeState()
+    setCurrentCwd('/repo')
+    readDir.mockReset()
+    selectPaths.mockReset()
+    readDir.mockResolvedValue(ok([{ name: 'README.md', path: '/repo/README.md', isDirectory: false }]))
+    selectPaths.mockResolvedValue(['/repo-next'])
+    installBridge()
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    cleanup()
+    $connection.set(null)
+    setCurrentCwd('')
+    resetProjectTreeState()
+    delete (window as unknown as { hermesDesktop?: unknown }).hermesDesktop
+  })
+
+  it('refreshes the current tree without opening the folder picker', async () => {
+    const onChangeCwd = vi.fn()
+
+    render(<RightSidebarPane onActivateFile={vi.fn()} onActivateFolder={vi.fn()} onChangeCwd={onChangeCwd} />)
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Refresh tree' }).hasAttribute('disabled')).toBe(false))
+
+    readDir.mockClear()
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Refresh tree' }))
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(readDir).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/repo'))
+    expect(selectPaths).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Open folder' }))
+
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(selectPaths).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        defaultPath: '/repo',
+        directories: true,
+        multiple: false,
+        title: 'Change working directory'
+      })
+    )
+    await waitFor(() => expect(onChangeCwd).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/repo-next'))
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/index.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/index.tsx
index 8a77dbc9844..21085912fc6 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/index.tsx
@@ -126,12 +126,12 @@ interface FilesystemTabProps extends FileTreeBodyProps {
   onRefresh: () => void
 }
 
-// Sidebar palette + hover-reveal: refresh tracks label hover; collapse-all
-// stays visible while any folder is expanded.
+// Sidebar palette + hover-reveal: header actions stay reachable while moving
+// from the project label to the action buttons.
 const HEADER_ACTION_CLASS =
   'text-sidebar-foreground/70 hover:bg-sidebar-accent! hover:text-sidebar-accent-foreground! focus-visible:ring-sidebar-ring'
 
-const HEADER_ACTION_LABEL_REVEAL = `${HEADER_ACTION_CLASS} pointer-events-none opacity-0 transition-opacity focus-visible:pointer-events-auto focus-visible:opacity-100 peer-focus-visible/project-label:pointer-events-auto peer-focus-visible/project-label:opacity-100 peer-hover/project-label:pointer-events-auto peer-hover/project-label:opacity-100`
+const HEADER_ACTION_LABEL_REVEAL = `${HEADER_ACTION_CLASS} pointer-events-none opacity-0 transition-opacity focus-visible:pointer-events-auto focus-visible:opacity-100 group-focus-within/project-header:pointer-events-auto group-focus-within/project-header:opacity-100 group-hover/project-header:pointer-events-auto group-hover/project-header:opacity-100`
 
 function FilesystemTab({
   canCollapse,
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ function FilesystemTab({
   return (
     <div className="flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col">
       <RightSidebarSectionHeader>
-        <div className="peer/project-label flex min-w-0 flex-1">
+        <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-1">
           <button
             className="flex w-full min-w-0 items-center rounded-md text-left hover:text-(--ui-text-secondary)"
             onClick={() => void onChangeFolder()}
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ function FilesystemTab({
 }
 
 export function RightSidebarSectionHeader({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
-  return <div className="flex h-7 shrink-0 items-center px-2.5">{children}</div>
+  return <div className="group/project-header flex h-7 shrink-0 items-center px-2.5">{children}</div>
 }
 
 interface FileTreeBodyProps {