diff --git a/lib/main.dart b/lib/main.dart
index 2dcb566..e1d0450 100644
--- a/lib/main.dart
+++ b/lib/main.dart
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import 'widgets/widgets.dart';
 /// Studio's own build version. Bump on every UI commit so the
 /// running app self-identifies — visible in the sidebar header
 /// and quick-glance proof that you're seeing the current build.
-const String kStudioVersion = '0.51.2';
+const String kStudioVersion = '0.51.3';
 
 Future<void> main() async {
   WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
@@ -479,29 +479,59 @@ class _SidebarState extends State<_Sidebar> {
         padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(vertical: FaiSpace.xl),
         child: ClipRect(
           child: Column(
+            // Left-align every column child so brand mark + top
+            // indicators sit at the same X-pixel as the icons
+            // below. With the default `center`, the brand mark
+            // re-positioned itself horizontally on every expand
+            // animation (centered in 72 vs centered in 220),
+            // which the user perceived as the whole nav rail
+            // shifting even though the destination icons stayed
+            // put. Anchoring everything to the start eliminates
+            // the perceived shift.
+            crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.start,
             children: [
-              // Brand mark — always visible.
-              FaiDeltaMark(color: theme.colorScheme.primary, mode: mode),
+              // Brand mark — always visible. Pad it to match the
+              // icon's left offset (ListView padding + AC padding
+              // = FaiSpace.md + FaiSpace.md), so the triangle's
+              // left edge aligns with the destination icons'
+              // left edges.
+              Padding(
+                padding: const EdgeInsets.only(
+                  left: FaiSpace.md + FaiSpace.md,
+                ),
+                child:
+                    FaiDeltaMark(color: theme.colorScheme.primary, mode: mode),
+              ),
               if (expanded) ...[
                 const SizedBox(height: FaiSpace.md),
-                Text(
-                  'F∆I Studio',
-                  style: theme.textTheme.titleMedium?.copyWith(
-                    fontWeight: FontWeight.w600,
+                const Padding(
+                  padding: EdgeInsets.only(left: FaiSpace.md + FaiSpace.md),
+                  child: Text(
+                    'F∆I Studio',
+                    style: TextStyle(fontSize: 16, fontWeight: FontWeight.w600),
                   ),
                 ),
                 const SizedBox(height: 2),
-                Text(
-                  'v$kStudioVersion',
-                  style: FaiTheme.mono(
-                    size: 10,
-                    color: theme.colorScheme.primary,
+                Padding(
+                  padding: const EdgeInsets.only(
+                    left: FaiSpace.md + FaiSpace.md,
+                  ),
+                  child: Text(
+                    'v$kStudioVersion',
+                    style: FaiTheme.mono(
+                      size: 10,
+                      color: theme.colorScheme.primary,
+                    ),
                   ),
                 ),
                 const SizedBox(height: FaiSpace.md),
-                // Connection pill — full version when expanded.
+                // Connection pill — left-aligned to the same
+                // x-anchor as the icons.
                 Padding(
-                  padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: FaiSpace.lg),
+                  padding: const EdgeInsets.only(
+                    left: FaiSpace.md + FaiSpace.md,
+                    right: FaiSpace.md,
+                  ),
                   child: _ConnectionPill(
                     connected: widget.connected,
                     label: widget.endpointLabel,
@@ -523,7 +553,10 @@ class _SidebarState extends State<_Sidebar> {
                 if (widget.activeChannel != null && widget.activeChannel!.isNotEmpty) ...[
                   const SizedBox(height: FaiSpace.sm),
                   Padding(
-                    padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: FaiSpace.lg),
+                    padding: const EdgeInsets.only(
+                      left: FaiSpace.md + FaiSpace.md,
+                      right: FaiSpace.md,
+                    ),
                     child: _ChannelPill(channel: widget.activeChannel!),
                   ),
                 ],
@@ -532,29 +565,50 @@ class _SidebarState extends State<_Sidebar> {
                 // most glance-able status indicators (version,
                 // connection dot, channel letter) so the rail
                 // still reads as F∆I Studio at-a-glance without
-                // hovering to expand.
+                // hovering to expand. All left-padded by the
+                // same offset as the destination icons (
+                // ListView.padding + AC.padding = 12 + 12)
+                // so the column reads as one stable left edge.
                 const SizedBox(height: FaiSpace.sm),
-                Text(
-                  'v$kStudioVersion'.replaceFirst(RegExp(r'-.*'), ''),
-                  style: FaiTheme.mono(
-                    size: 9,
-                    color: theme.colorScheme.primary,
+                Padding(
+                  padding: const EdgeInsets.only(
+                    left: FaiSpace.md + FaiSpace.md,
+                  ),
+                  child: Text(
+                    'v$kStudioVersion'.replaceFirst(RegExp(r'-.*'), ''),
+                    style: FaiTheme.mono(
+                      size: 9,
+                      color: theme.colorScheme.primary,
+                    ),
                   ),
                 ),
                 const SizedBox(height: FaiSpace.md),
-                Tooltip(
-                  message: widget.connected == true
-                      ? 'Connected · ${widget.endpointLabel}'
-                      : widget.connected == false
-                          ? 'Disconnected · ${widget.endpointLabel}'
-                          : 'Connecting · ${widget.endpointLabel}',
-                  child: _CollapsedConnectionDot(connected: widget.connected),
+                Padding(
+                  padding: const EdgeInsets.only(
+                    left: FaiSpace.md + FaiSpace.md,
+                  ),
+                  child: Tooltip(
+                    message: widget.connected == true
+                        ? 'Connected · ${widget.endpointLabel}'
+                        : widget.connected == false
+                            ? 'Disconnected · ${widget.endpointLabel}'
+                            : 'Connecting · ${widget.endpointLabel}',
+                    child:
+                        _CollapsedConnectionDot(connected: widget.connected),
+                  ),
                 ),
                 if (widget.activeChannel != null && widget.activeChannel!.isNotEmpty) ...[
                   const SizedBox(height: FaiSpace.sm),
-                  Tooltip(
-                    message: widget.activeChannel!,
-                    child: _CollapsedChannelChip(channel: widget.activeChannel!),
+                  Padding(
+                    padding: const EdgeInsets.only(
+                      left: FaiSpace.md + FaiSpace.md,
+                    ),
+                    child: Tooltip(
+                      message: widget.activeChannel!,
+                      child: _CollapsedChannelChip(
+                        channel: widget.activeChannel!,
+                      ),
+                    ),
                   ),
                 ],
               ],
diff --git a/pubspec.lock b/pubspec.lock
index 4e5aec4..c58cabd 100644
--- a/pubspec.lock
+++ b/pubspec.lock
@@ -125,10 +125,10 @@ packages:
     description:
       path: "."
       ref: main
-      resolved-ref: "8b918f8f2afe5babe663897aa20483708a980c4b"
+      resolved-ref: "7655e0dc32fa3093b36c094a1fbad87625199227"
       url: "https://git.flemming.ai/fai/studio-flow-editor"
     source: git
-    version: "0.1.1"
+    version: "0.1.2"
   fake_async:
     dependency: transitive
     description:
diff --git a/pubspec.yaml b/pubspec.yaml
index 34d1ada..85de955 100644
--- a/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pubspec.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name: fai_studio
 description: "F∆I Studio — desktop GUI for the F∆I hub"
 publish_to: 'none'
-version: 0.51.2
+version: 0.51.3
 
 environment:
   sdk: ^3.11.0-200.1.beta