diff --git a/resources/views/components/sidebar.blade.php b/resources/views/components/sidebar.blade.php
index bbd1927..87dd5e1 100644
--- a/resources/views/components/sidebar.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/components/sidebar.blade.php
@@ -104,14 +104,14 @@
     <!-- Header: Logo + Workspace Switcher -->
     <div class="flex-shrink-0 relative" @click.outside="wsOpen = false">
         <!-- Collapsed state: centered logo acts as expand toggle -->
-        <div x-show="$store.sidebar.isCollapsed" class="flex items-center justify-center py-4 border-b border-white/[.06]">
+        <div class="nim-sb-collapsed flex items-center justify-center py-4 border-b border-white/[.06]">
             <button @click="$store.sidebar.toggle()" title="Expand sidebar" class="flex items-center justify-center w-7 h-7 hover:opacity-75 transition-opacity">
                 <img src="/brand/logo-mark.svg" alt="Nimuli" class="w-7 h-7">
             </button>
         </div>
 
         <!-- Expanded state: full header with workspace switcher -->
-        <div x-show="!$store.sidebar.isCollapsed">
+        <div class="nim-sb-expanded">
             <div class="flex items-stretch border-b border-white/[.06]">
                 <button
                     @click="wsOpen = !wsOpen"
@@ -192,8 +192,7 @@
                 data-nav-link="{{ $item['route'] }}"
                 @if(in_array($item['route'], ['w.dashboard', 'dashboard'])) data-nav-exact="1" @endif
                 :title="$store.sidebar.isCollapsed ? '{{ $item['label'] }}' : ''"
-                :class="$store.sidebar.isCollapsed ? 'justify-center px-2 gap-0' : 'gap-3 px-3'"
-                class="flex items-center py-2 rounded-lg text-sm transition-colors group
+                class="sidebar-nav-link flex items-center py-2 rounded-lg text-sm transition-colors group
                        {{ $isActive
                            ? 'bg-blue/10 text-blue'
                            : 'text-t2 hover:text-t1 hover:bg-s2' }}"
@@ -241,7 +240,7 @@
                         </svg>
                     @endif
                 </span>
-                <span x-show="!$store.sidebar.isCollapsed" class="truncate">{{ $item['label'] }}</span>
+                <span class="nim-sb-expanded truncate">{{ $item['label'] }}</span>
             </a>
         @endforeach
     </nav>
@@ -251,23 +250,23 @@
         <button
             @click="$store.sidebar.toggle()"
             :title="$store.sidebar.isCollapsed ? 'Expand sidebar' : 'Collapse sidebar'"
-            class="flex items-center gap-3 w-full px-3 py-2 rounded-lg text-t3 hover:text-t1 hover:bg-s2 transition-colors"
+            class="sidebar-nav-link flex items-center w-full py-2 rounded-lg text-t3 hover:text-t1 hover:bg-s2 transition-colors"
         >
             <span class="w-4 h-4 flex-shrink-0">
-                <svg x-show="!$store.sidebar.isCollapsed" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 16 16" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1.5">
+                <svg class="nim-sb-expanded" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 16 16" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1.5">
                     <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="M10 3L5 8l5 5"/>
                 </svg>
-                <svg x-show="$store.sidebar.isCollapsed" x-cloak fill="none" viewBox="0 0 16 16" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1.5">
+                <svg class="nim-sb-collapsed" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 16 16" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1.5">
                     <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="M6 3l5 5-5 5"/>
                 </svg>
             </span>
-            <span x-show="!$store.sidebar.isCollapsed" class="text-xs">Collapse</span>
+            <span class="nim-sb-expanded text-xs">Collapse</span>
         </button>
     </div>
 
     <!-- Plan Usage Box -->
     @if($workspace && $plan)
-        <div x-show="!$store.sidebar.isCollapsed" class="mx-3 mb-3 p-3 bg-s2 border border-white/[.06] rounded-lg">
+        <div class="nim-sb-expanded mx-3 mb-3 p-3 bg-s2 border border-white/[.06] rounded-lg">
             <div class="flex items-center justify-between mb-1.5">
                 <span class="text-xs font-medium text-t2">{{ ucfirst($plan->name) }} Plan</span>
                 @if(str_contains(strtolower($plan->name), 'free'))
@@ -290,11 +289,11 @@
             <div class="w-8 h-8 rounded-full bg-blue flex items-center justify-center text-white text-xs font-semibold flex-shrink-0">
                 {{ $initials ?: strtoupper(substr(auth()->user()->email, 0, 2)) }}
             </div>
-            <div x-show="!$store.sidebar.isCollapsed" class="flex-1 min-w-0">
+            <div class="nim-sb-expanded flex-1 min-w-0">
                 <div class="text-xs font-medium text-t1 truncate">{{ auth()->user()->name }}</div>
                 <div class="text-xs text-t3 truncate">{{ auth()->user()->email }}</div>
             </div>
-            <form x-show="!$store.sidebar.isCollapsed" method="POST" action="{{ route('logout') }}">
+            <form class="nim-sb-expanded" method="POST" action="{{ route('logout') }}">
                 @csrf
                 <button
                     type="submit"
diff --git a/resources/views/layouts/nimuli-app.blade.php b/resources/views/layouts/nimuli-app.blade.php
index 52e5c60..2cfa3d3 100644
--- a/resources/views/layouts/nimuli-app.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/layouts/nimuli-app.blade.php
@@ -89,12 +89,18 @@
         }
         html[data-sidebar-collapsed] .skel-sidebar { width: 64px; }
         html[data-sidebar-collapsed] .skel-topbar { left: 64px; }
-        .sidebar-aside { width: 15rem; }
+        .sidebar-aside { width: 15rem; overflow-x: hidden; }
         @media (min-width: 768px) {
             .nim-content { margin-left: 210px; }
             html[data-sidebar-collapsed] .nim-content { margin-left: 55px; }
             html[data-sidebar-collapsed] .sidebar-aside { width: 4rem; }
         }
+        /* Sidebar collapsed/expanded visibility — CSS-driven, bypasses @persist Alpine issue */
+        html[data-sidebar-collapsed] .nim-sb-expanded { display: none !important; }
+        .nim-sb-collapsed { display: none !important; }
+        html[data-sidebar-collapsed] .nim-sb-collapsed { display: flex !important; }
+        .sidebar-nav-link { gap: 0.75rem; padding-left: 0.75rem; padding-right: 0.75rem; }
+        html[data-sidebar-collapsed] .sidebar-nav-link { justify-content: center; padding-left: 0.5rem; padding-right: 0.5rem; gap: 0; }
         body.app-ready .app-spinner,
         body.app-ready .skel-sidebar,
         body.app-ready .skel-topbar { display: none; }