diff --git a/electron/launchers.js b/electron/launchers.js
index 1029c1b..d65891d 100644
Binary files a/electron/launchers.js and b/electron/launchers.js differ
diff --git a/electron/main.js b/electron/main.js
index 1e36f7c..a865506 100644
--- a/electron/main.js
+++ b/electron/main.js
@@ -296,6 +296,7 @@ function truncatePath(p) {
 
 function broadcastConfig() {
   if (popupWindow && !popupWindow.isDestroyed()) {
+    const cfg = readConfig();
     popupWindow.webContents.send('config-updated', {
       tabs: getTabs(),
       columns: getColumns(),
@@ -303,6 +304,7 @@ function broadcastConfig() {
       activeTabId: getActiveTabId(),
       buttonVisibility: getButtonVisibility(),
       autoStart: getAutoStart(),
+      minimized: !!cfg.minimized,
     });
   }
 }
@@ -488,6 +490,7 @@ ipcMain.handle('get-config', () => {
     activeTabId: getActiveTabId(),
     buttonVisibility: getButtonVisibility(),
     autoStart: getAutoStart(),
+    minimized: !!cfg.minimized,
   };
 });
 
@@ -712,6 +715,13 @@ ipcMain.handle('run-redeploy', (_event, p) => launchers.runRedeploy(p));
 ipcMain.handle('copy-path', (_event, text) => launchers.copyPath(text));
 ipcMain.handle('is-claude-available', () => launchers.isClaudeAvailable());
 
+ipcMain.handle('set-minimized', (_event, value) => {
+  const next = !!value;
+  writeConfig({ minimized: next });
+  broadcastConfig();
+  return next;
+});
+
 ipcMain.handle('set-pinned', (_event, value) => {
   pinned = !!value;
   writeConfig({ pinned });
diff --git a/electron/preload.js b/electron/preload.js
index 77987d1..550ef21 100644
--- a/electron/preload.js
+++ b/electron/preload.js
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('bookmarks', {
 
   // Window
   setPinned: (value) => ipcRenderer.invoke('set-pinned', value),
+  setMinimized: (value) => ipcRenderer.invoke('set-minimized', value),
   setPopupHeight: (height) => ipcRenderer.invoke('set-popup-height', height),
   setPopupWidth: (width) => ipcRenderer.invoke('set-popup-width', width),
 
diff --git a/src/App.jsx b/src/App.jsx
index 1d8e46a..2b12b7a 100644
--- a/src/App.jsx
+++ b/src/App.jsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ export default function App() {
   const [columns, setColumns] = useState([]);
   const [bookmarks, setBookmarks] = useState([]);
   const [pinned, setPinned] = useState(false);
+  const [minimized, setMinimized] = useState(false);
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
   const [claudeAvailable, setClaudeAvailable] = useState(true);
   const [buttonVisibility, setButtonVisibility] = useState({ claude: true, terminal: true, redeploy: true });
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ export default function App() {
     setColumns(Array.isArray(cfg.columns) ? cfg.columns : []);
     setBookmarks(Array.isArray(cfg.bookmarks) ? cfg.bookmarks : []);
     setPinned(!!cfg.pinned);
+    setMinimized(!!cfg.minimized);
     setClaudeAvailable(!!hasClaude);
     if (cfg.buttonVisibility) {
       setButtonVisibility({
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@ export default function App() {
         });
       }
       if (typeof payload.autoStart === 'boolean') setAutoStart(payload.autoStart);
+      if (typeof payload.minimized === 'boolean') setMinimized(payload.minimized);
     });
     const offShown = window.bookmarks.onPopupShown(() => {
       setInspectRevision((r) => r + 1);
@@ -159,6 +162,12 @@ export default function App() {
     setPinned(!!next);
   }, [pinned]);
 
+  const handleToggleMinimized = useCallback(async () => {
+    setMinimized((prev) => !prev);
+    const next = await window.bookmarks.setMinimized(!minimized);
+    if (typeof next === 'boolean') setMinimized(next);
+  }, [minimized]);
+
   const handleSetButtonVisibility = useCallback(async (patch) => {
     // Optimistic update so the checkbox flips immediately even before main responds.
     setButtonVisibility((prev) => ({ ...prev, ...patch }));
@@ -211,6 +220,8 @@ export default function App() {
         onSetButtonVisibility={handleSetButtonVisibility}
         autoStart={autoStart}
         onSetAutoStart={handleSetAutoStart}
+        minimized={minimized}
+        onToggleMinimized={handleToggleMinimized}
         onTogglePin={handleTogglePin}
         onAdd={handleAdd}
         onEdit={handleEdit}
diff --git a/src/components/Popup.jsx b/src/components/Popup.jsx
index dbed37b..7ce7e30 100644
--- a/src/components/Popup.jsx
+++ b/src/components/Popup.jsx
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ export default function Popup({
   onSetButtonVisibility,
   autoStart,
   onSetAutoStart,
+  minimized,
+  onToggleMinimized,
   onTogglePin,
   onAdd,
   onEdit,
@@ -42,14 +44,11 @@ export default function Popup({
   const heightDebounceRef = useRef(null);
   const settingsRef = useRef(null);
   const tabStripRef = useRef(null);
-  const brandRef = useRef(null);
-  const actionsRef = useRef(null);
   const [creatingColumn, setCreatingColumn] = useState(false);
   const [draftColumnName, setDraftColumnName] = useState('');
   const [settingsOpen, setSettingsOpen] = useState(false);
   const [confirmRequest, setConfirmRequest] = useState(null);
   const [tabStripScrollWidth, setTabStripScrollWidth] = useState(0);
-  const [headerMinWidth, setHeaderMinWidth] = useState(0);
 
   const requestConfirm = useCallback((opts) => {
     setConfirmRequest(opts);
@@ -90,34 +89,6 @@ export default function Popup({
     };
   }, []);
 
-  // Measure the popup header's intrinsic width so the brand never gets
-  // ellipsized. The h1 has overflow:hidden + text-overflow:ellipsis to keep
-  // it from forcing the popup wider than its content; we ask for that width
-  // explicitly through scrollWidth (which reports the full text width even
-  // when the element is clipped).
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (!brandRef.current || !actionsRef.current) return undefined;
-    const update = () => {
-      const brand = brandRef.current;
-      const actions = actionsRef.current;
-      if (!brand || !actions) return;
-      const iconEl = brand.querySelector('img');
-      const titleEl = brand.querySelector('h1');
-      const iconW = iconEl ? iconEl.offsetWidth : 0;
-      const titleW = titleEl ? titleEl.scrollWidth : 0;
-      const brandW = iconW + (titleW > 0 ? 8 + titleW : 0);
-      const actionsW = actions.scrollWidth;
-      // 28px = popup-inner horizontal padding (14 each side); 8px = gap
-      // between brand and actions inside popup-header.
-      setHeaderMinWidth(brandW + 8 + actionsW + 28);
-    };
-    update();
-    const ro = new ResizeObserver(update);
-    ro.observe(brandRef.current);
-    ro.observe(actionsRef.current);
-    return () => ro.disconnect();
-  }, []);
-
   // Watch the tab strip's scrollWidth so renames or new tabs widen the popup.
   // ResizeObserver picks up both layout changes (window width changes) and
   // content changes (a tab rename growing the strip).
@@ -142,10 +113,17 @@ export default function Popup({
   // to the screen's work area, so wide tab strips either fit (most monitors)
   // or scroll horizontally inside the popup once they would push it off-screen.
   useEffect(() => {
+    if (minimized) {
+      window.bookmarks.setPopupWidth(COLUMN_WIDTH);
+      return;
+    }
     const colsWidth = Math.max(1, visibleColumns.length || 1) * COLUMN_WIDTH;
     const tabsWidth = tabStripScrollWidth > 0 ? tabStripScrollWidth + TAB_STRIP_PADDING : 0;
-    window.bookmarks.setPopupWidth(Math.max(colsWidth, tabsWidth, headerMinWidth));
-  }, [visibleColumns.length, tabStripScrollWidth, headerMinWidth]);
+    // Floor at COLUMN_WIDTH (one column) — the long brand title in the header
+    // is allowed to ellipsize when the popup is at this minimum; the full
+    // name is preserved in the tray hover.
+    window.bookmarks.setPopupWidth(Math.max(COLUMN_WIDTH, colsWidth, tabsWidth));
+  }, [visibleColumns.length, tabStripScrollWidth, minimized]);
 
   const submitNewColumn = async () => {
     const name = draftColumnName.trim();
@@ -184,19 +162,19 @@ export default function Popup({
     <div className="popup">
       <div className="popup-inner" ref={rootRef}>
         <div className="popup-header drag-region">
-          <div className="popup-brand" ref={brandRef}>
+          <div className="popup-brand">
             <img src={iconUrl} alt="" className="popup-brand-icon" />
-            <h1>Trailhead Path Bookmarker</h1>
+            <h1 title="Trailhead Path Bookmarker">Trailhead Path Bookmarker</h1>
           </div>
-          <div className="header-actions" ref={actionsRef}>
-            {!creatingColumn ? (
+          <div className="header-actions">
+            {!minimized && !creatingColumn ? (
               <button
                 className="icon-button"
                 onClick={() => setCreatingColumn(true)}
                 title={canAddColumn ? 'Add a new column to this tab' : 'Add a tab first'}
                 disabled={!canAddColumn}
               >+</button>
-            ) : (
+            ) : !minimized && creatingColumn ? (
               <div className="header-add-column">
                 <input
                   autoFocus
@@ -219,7 +197,12 @@ export default function Popup({
                   title="Cancel"
                 >×</button>
               </div>
-            )}
+            ) : null}
+            <button
+              className="icon-button"
+              onClick={onToggleMinimized}
+              title={minimized ? 'Restore' : 'Minimize'}
+            >{minimized ? '▢' : '−'}</button>
             <div className="popup-settings" ref={settingsRef}>
               <button
                 className={`icon-button ${settingsOpen ? 'active' : ''}`}
@@ -275,20 +258,22 @@ export default function Popup({
           </div>
         </div>
 
-        <TabBar
-          tabs={tabs}
-          activeTabId={activeTabId}
-          columns={columns}
-          stripRef={tabStripRef}
-          onSelect={onSelectTab}
-          onAdd={onAddTab}
-          onRename={onRenameTab}
-          onRemove={onRemoveTab}
-          onReorder={onReorderTabs}
-          onRequestConfirm={requestConfirm}
-        />
+        {!minimized && (
+          <TabBar
+            tabs={tabs}
+            activeTabId={activeTabId}
+            columns={columns}
+            stripRef={tabStripRef}
+            onSelect={onSelectTab}
+            onAdd={onAddTab}
+            onRename={onRenameTab}
+            onRemove={onRemoveTab}
+            onReorder={onReorderTabs}
+            onRequestConfirm={requestConfirm}
+          />
+        )}
 
-        {hasNoTabs ? (
+        {minimized ? null : hasNoTabs ? (
           <div className="empty-state">
             No tabs yet — click <strong>+</strong> in the tab bar to create your first.
           </div>