diff --git a/app/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx b/app/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx
index 5800c91..be5c22c 100644
--- a/app/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx
+++ b/app/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ vi.mock("../../store/appState", () => ({
     selector({
       sidebarView: "projects",
       setSidebarView: vi.fn(),
+      sidebarCollapsed: false,
+      setSidebarCollapsed: vi.fn(),
+      toggleSidebarCollapsed: vi.fn(),
     })
   ),
 }));
diff --git a/app/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx b/app/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
index 2eb6ac6..2c3bbfc 100644
--- a/app/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/app/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -1,15 +1,100 @@
+import type { ReactNode } from "react";
 import { useShallow } from "zustand/react/shallow";
 import { useAppState } from "../../store/appState";
 import ProjectList from "../projects/ProjectList";
 import McpPanel from "../mcp/McpPanel";
 import SettingsPanel from "../settings/SettingsPanel";
 
+type SidebarView = "projects" | "mcp" | "settings";
+
+const RAIL_ICONS: { view: SidebarView; label: string; icon: ReactNode }[] = [
+  {
+    view: "projects",
+    label: "Projects",
+    icon: (
+      <svg className="w-5 h-5" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round">
+        <path d="M3 7a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h4l2 2h8a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v9a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H5a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V7z" />
+      </svg>
+    ),
+  },
+  {
+    view: "mcp",
+    label: "MCP",
+    icon: (
+      <svg className="w-5 h-5" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round">
+        <path d="M9 2v6" />
+        <path d="M15 2v6" />
+        <path d="M7 8h10v4a5 5 0 0 1-10 0V8z" />
+        <path d="M12 17v5" />
+      </svg>
+    ),
+  },
+  {
+    view: "settings",
+    label: "Settings",
+    icon: (
+      <svg className="w-5 h-5" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round">
+        <circle cx="12" cy="12" r="3" />
+        <path d="M19.4 15a1.65 1.65 0 0 0 .33 1.82l.06.06a2 2 0 1 1-2.83 2.83l-.06-.06a1.65 1.65 0 0 0-1.82-.33 1.65 1.65 0 0 0-1 1.51V21a2 2 0 0 1-4 0v-.09a1.65 1.65 0 0 0-1-1.51 1.65 1.65 0 0 0-1.82.33l-.06.06a2 2 0 1 1-2.83-2.83l.06-.06a1.65 1.65 0 0 0 .33-1.82 1.65 1.65 0 0 0-1.51-1H3a2 2 0 0 1 0-4h.09a1.65 1.65 0 0 0 1.51-1 1.65 1.65 0 0 0-.33-1.82l-.06-.06a2 2 0 1 1 2.83-2.83l.06.06a1.65 1.65 0 0 0 1.82.33H9a1.65 1.65 0 0 0 1-1.51V3a2 2 0 0 1 4 0v.09a1.65 1.65 0 0 0 1 1.51 1.65 1.65 0 0 0 1.82-.33l.06-.06a2 2 0 1 1 2.83 2.83l-.06.06a1.65 1.65 0 0 0-.33 1.82V9a1.65 1.65 0 0 0 1.51 1H21a2 2 0 0 1 0 4h-.09a1.65 1.65 0 0 0-1.51 1z" />
+      </svg>
+    ),
+  },
+];
+
 export default function Sidebar() {
-  const { sidebarView, setSidebarView } = useAppState(
-    useShallow(s => ({ sidebarView: s.sidebarView, setSidebarView: s.setSidebarView }))
+  const { sidebarView, setSidebarView, sidebarCollapsed, setSidebarCollapsed, toggleSidebarCollapsed } = useAppState(
+    useShallow(s => ({
+      sidebarView: s.sidebarView,
+      setSidebarView: s.setSidebarView,
+      sidebarCollapsed: s.sidebarCollapsed,
+      setSidebarCollapsed: s.setSidebarCollapsed,
+      toggleSidebarCollapsed: s.toggleSidebarCollapsed,
+    }))
   );
 
-  const tabCls = (view: typeof sidebarView) =>
+  if (sidebarCollapsed) {
+    const railBtn = (view: SidebarView, label: string, icon: ReactNode) => {
+      const active = sidebarView === view;
+      return (
+        <button
+          key={view}
+          onClick={() => {
+            setSidebarView(view);
+            setSidebarCollapsed(false);
+          }}
+          title={label}
+          aria-label={label}
+          className={`flex items-center justify-center h-10 w-full transition-colors ${
+            active
+              ? "text-[var(--accent)]"
+              : "text-[var(--text-secondary)] hover:text-[var(--text-primary)]"
+          }`}
+        >
+          {icon}
+        </button>
+      );
+    };
+
+    return (
+      <div className="flex flex-col h-full w-12 bg-[var(--bg-secondary)] border border-[var(--border-color)] rounded-lg overflow-hidden">
+        <button
+          onClick={toggleSidebarCollapsed}
+          title="Expand sidebar"
+          aria-label="Expand sidebar"
+          className="flex items-center justify-center h-10 border-b border-[var(--border-color)] text-[var(--text-secondary)] hover:text-[var(--text-primary)] transition-colors"
+        >
+          <svg className="w-4 h-4" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round">
+            <polyline points="9 18 15 12 9 6" />
+          </svg>
+        </button>
+        <div className="flex flex-col py-1">
+          {RAIL_ICONS.map(({ view, label, icon }) => railBtn(view, label, icon))}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
+  const tabCls = (view: SidebarView) =>
     `flex-1 px-3 py-2 text-sm font-medium transition-colors ${
       sidebarView === view
         ? "text-[var(--accent)] border-b-2 border-[var(--accent)]"
@@ -29,6 +114,16 @@ export default function Sidebar() {
         <button onClick={() => setSidebarView("settings")} className={tabCls("settings")}>
           Settings
         </button>
+        <button
+          onClick={toggleSidebarCollapsed}
+          title="Collapse sidebar"
+          aria-label="Collapse sidebar"
+          className="px-2 text-[var(--text-secondary)] hover:text-[var(--text-primary)] transition-colors"
+        >
+          <svg className="w-4 h-4" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round">
+            <polyline points="15 18 9 12 15 6" />
+          </svg>
+        </button>
       </div>
 
       {/* Content */}
diff --git a/app/src/store/appState.ts b/app/src/store/appState.ts
index 37de139..bf9cdb0 100644
--- a/app/src/store/appState.ts
+++ b/app/src/store/appState.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,24 @@
 import { create } from "zustand";
 import type { Project, TerminalSession, AppSettings, UpdateInfo, ImageUpdateInfo, McpServer } from "../lib/types";
 
+const SIDEBAR_COLLAPSED_KEY = "triple-c.sidebar.collapsed";
+
+function loadSidebarCollapsed(): boolean {
+  try {
+    return localStorage.getItem(SIDEBAR_COLLAPSED_KEY) === "1";
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+function persistSidebarCollapsed(value: boolean) {
+  try {
+    localStorage.setItem(SIDEBAR_COLLAPSED_KEY, value ? "1" : "0");
+  } catch {
+    // ignore — storage may be unavailable
+  }
+}
+
 interface AppState {
   // Projects
   projects: Project[];
@@ -28,6 +46,9 @@ interface AppState {
   setTerminalHasSelection: (has: boolean) => void;
   sidebarView: "projects" | "mcp" | "settings";
   setSidebarView: (view: "projects" | "mcp" | "settings") => void;
+  sidebarCollapsed: boolean;
+  setSidebarCollapsed: (collapsed: boolean) => void;
+  toggleSidebarCollapsed: () => void;
   dockerAvailable: boolean | null;
   setDockerAvailable: (available: boolean | null) => void;
   imageExists: boolean | null;
@@ -106,6 +127,17 @@ export const useAppState = create<AppState>((set) => ({
   setTerminalHasSelection: (has) => set({ terminalHasSelection: has }),
   sidebarView: "projects",
   setSidebarView: (view) => set({ sidebarView: view }),
+  sidebarCollapsed: loadSidebarCollapsed(),
+  setSidebarCollapsed: (collapsed) => {
+    persistSidebarCollapsed(collapsed);
+    set({ sidebarCollapsed: collapsed });
+  },
+  toggleSidebarCollapsed: () =>
+    set((state) => {
+      const next = !state.sidebarCollapsed;
+      persistSidebarCollapsed(next);
+      return { sidebarCollapsed: next };
+    }),
   dockerAvailable: null,
   setDockerAvailable: (available) => set({ dockerAvailable: available }),
   imageExists: null,