diff --git a/src/web/lisa-client.ts b/src/web/lisa-client.ts
index 2cfad50..d51fa16 100644
--- a/src/web/lisa-client.ts
+++ b/src/web/lisa-client.ts
@@ -1120,10 +1120,12 @@ if (fnSearchBtn && fnFind) {
// Right panel manual collapse (F4) — wide-screen only concern: the ≤1180px
// media query hides the panel regardless. Persisted; the fnbar button shows
-// an active tint while collapsed.
+// an active tint while collapsed. Collapsed is the DEFAULT: the panel only
+// stays open once the user has explicitly opened it ("open" in localStorage),
+// so a fresh profile boots into the two-column chat-first layout.
{
- let collapsed = false;
- try { collapsed = localStorage.getItem('lisaRightbar') === 'collapsed'; } catch (e) {}
+ let collapsed = true;
+ try { collapsed = localStorage.getItem('lisaRightbar') !== 'open'; } catch (e) {}
const applyRb = () => {
document.body.classList.toggle('rb-collapsed', collapsed);
const btn = document.getElementById('fnPanel');
diff --git a/src/web/lisa-css.ts b/src/web/lisa-css.ts
index 15235f3..c56273c 100644
--- a/src/web/lisa-css.ts
+++ b/src/web/lisa-css.ts
@@ -2416,7 +2416,9 @@ export const MAIN_CSS = ` :root {
/* Hide the legacy pixel send icon; the text label is enough in the new theme. */
#sendBtn img { display: none; }
- /* ── Manual right-panel collapse (F4, persisted client-side) ──── */
+ /* ── Manual right-panel collapse (F4, persisted client-side) ────
+ Collapsed is the DEFAULT state; the class is only absent once the user
+ has explicitly opened the panel (lisaRightbar === "open"). */
body.rb-collapsed .frame {
grid-template-columns: 300px 1fr;
grid-template-areas:
diff --git a/src/web/lisa-html-snapshot.test.ts b/src/web/lisa-html-snapshot.test.ts
index 34f7271..dc4c995 100644
--- a/src/web/lisa-html-snapshot.test.ts
+++ b/src/web/lisa-html-snapshot.test.ts
@@ -197,10 +197,16 @@ import { MAIN_HTML } from "./lisa-html.js";
* #tabStrip); nodes now carry data-* attributes only
* (runDelegatedAction dispatches approve/deny/send/output/cancel/adopt/
* stream/open-lisa/close-stream).
+ * Then: the right panel now defaults to COLLAPSED — the lisaRightbar check
+ * inverted (open only when the value is literally "open", so an unset key
+ * reads as collapsed), and a tiny boot
+