diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/layout/providers/LayoutDataProvider.tsx b/surfsense_web/components/layout/providers/LayoutDataProvider.tsx
index 322e136c0..96a2ce771 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/layout/providers/LayoutDataProvider.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/layout/providers/LayoutDataProvider.tsx
@@ -119,6 +119,19 @@ export function LayoutDataProvider({ searchSpaceId, children }: LayoutDataProvid
 
 	// Documents sidebar state (shared atom so Composer can toggle it)
 	const [isDocumentsSidebarOpen, setIsDocumentsSidebarOpen] = useAtom(documentsSidebarOpenAtom);
+	const [isDocumentsDocked, setIsDocumentsDocked] = useState(true);
+
+	// Open documents sidebar by default on desktop (docked mode)
+	const documentsInitialized = useRef(false);
+	useEffect(() => {
+		if (!documentsInitialized.current) {
+			documentsInitialized.current = true;
+			const isDesktop = typeof window !== "undefined" && window.innerWidth >= 768;
+			if (isDesktop) {
+				setIsDocumentsSidebarOpen(true);
+			}
+		}
+	}, [setIsDocumentsSidebarOpen]);
 
 	// Announcements sidebar state
 	const [isAnnouncementsSidebarOpen, setIsAnnouncementsSidebarOpen] = useState(false);
@@ -678,6 +691,8 @@ export function LayoutDataProvider({ searchSpaceId, children }: LayoutDataProvid
 				documentsPanel={{
 					open: isDocumentsSidebarOpen,
 					onOpenChange: setIsDocumentsSidebarOpen,
+					isDocked: isDocumentsDocked,
+					onDockedChange: setIsDocumentsDocked,
 				}}
 			>
 				<Fragment key={chatResetKey}>{children}</Fragment>
diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/shell/LayoutShell.tsx b/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/shell/LayoutShell.tsx
index e872ab84a..64acc2a0f 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/shell/LayoutShell.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/shell/LayoutShell.tsx
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ interface LayoutShellProps {
 	documentsPanel?: {
 		open: boolean;
 		onOpenChange: (open: boolean) => void;
+		isDocked?: boolean;
+		onDockedChange?: (docked: boolean) => void;
 	};
 }
 
@@ -319,6 +321,16 @@ export function LayoutShell({
 							/>
 						)}
 
+						{/* Docked Documents Sidebar - renders as flex sibling between sidebar and content */}
+						{documentsPanel?.isDocked && (
+							<DocumentsSidebar
+								open={documentsPanel.open}
+								onOpenChange={documentsPanel.onOpenChange}
+								isDocked={documentsPanel.isDocked}
+								onDockedChange={documentsPanel.onDockedChange}
+							/>
+						)}
+
 						<main className="flex-1 flex flex-col min-w-0">
 							<Header />
 
@@ -340,11 +352,13 @@ export function LayoutShell({
 							/>
 						)}
 
-						{/* Documents Sidebar - slide-out panel */}
-						{documentsPanel && (
+						{/* Documents Sidebar - floating slide-out panel (non-docked mode) */}
+						{documentsPanel && !documentsPanel.isDocked && (
 							<DocumentsSidebar
 								open={documentsPanel.open}
 								onOpenChange={documentsPanel.onOpenChange}
+								isDocked={false}
+								onDockedChange={documentsPanel.onDockedChange}
 							/>
 						)}
 
diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/sidebar/DocumentsSidebar.tsx b/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/sidebar/DocumentsSidebar.tsx
index 1a21c4b54..e1ccc867b 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/sidebar/DocumentsSidebar.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/sidebar/DocumentsSidebar.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 "use client";
 
 import { useAtom, useAtomValue } from "jotai";
-import { ChevronLeft } from "lucide-react";
+import { ChevronLeft, ChevronRight } from "lucide-react";
 import { useParams } from "next/navigation";
 import { useTranslations } from "next-intl";
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
 import { sidebarSelectedDocumentsAtom } from "@/atoms/chat/mentioned-documents.atom";
 import { deleteDocumentMutationAtom } from "@/atoms/documents/document-mutation.atoms";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
+import { Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipTrigger } from "@/components/ui/tooltip";
 import type { DocumentTypeEnum } from "@/contracts/types/document.types";
 import { useDebouncedValue } from "@/hooks/use-debounced-value";
 import { useDocumentSearch } from "@/hooks/use-document-search";
@@ -24,9 +25,11 @@ import { SidebarSlideOutPanel } from "./SidebarSlideOutPanel";
 interface DocumentsSidebarProps {
 	open: boolean;
 	onOpenChange: (open: boolean) => void;
+	isDocked?: boolean;
+	onDockedChange?: (docked: boolean) => void;
 }
 
-export function DocumentsSidebar({ open, onOpenChange }: DocumentsSidebarProps) {
+export function DocumentsSidebar({ open, onOpenChange, isDocked = false, onDockedChange }: DocumentsSidebarProps) {
 	const t = useTranslations("documents");
 	const tSidebar = useTranslations("sidebar");
 	const params = useParams();
@@ -164,6 +167,37 @@ export function DocumentsSidebar({ open, onOpenChange }: DocumentsSidebarProps)
 						)}
 						<h2 className="text-lg font-semibold">{t("title") || "Documents"}</h2>
 					</div>
+					<div className="flex items-center gap-1">
+						{!isMobile && onDockedChange && (
+							<Tooltip>
+								<TooltipTrigger asChild>
+									<Button
+										variant="ghost"
+										size="icon"
+										className="h-8 w-8 rounded-full"
+										onClick={() => {
+											if (isDocked) {
+												onDockedChange(false);
+												onOpenChange(false);
+											} else {
+												onDockedChange(true);
+											}
+										}}
+									>
+										{isDocked ? (
+											<ChevronLeft className="h-4 w-4 text-muted-foreground" />
+										) : (
+											<ChevronRight className="h-4 w-4 text-muted-foreground" />
+										)}
+										<span className="sr-only">{isDocked ? "Collapse panel" : "Expand panel"}</span>
+									</Button>
+								</TooltipTrigger>
+								<TooltipContent className="z-80">
+									{isDocked ? "Collapse panel" : "Expand panel"}
+								</TooltipContent>
+							</Tooltip>
+						)}
+					</div>
 				</div>
 			</div>
 
@@ -199,6 +233,17 @@ export function DocumentsSidebar({ open, onOpenChange }: DocumentsSidebarProps)
 		</>
 	);
 
+	if (isDocked && open && !isMobile) {
+		return (
+			<aside
+				className="h-full w-[480px] shrink-0 bg-sidebar text-sidebar-foreground flex flex-col border-r"
+				aria-label={t("title") || "Documents"}
+			>
+				{documentsContent}
+			</aside>
+		);
+	}
+
 	return (
 		<SidebarSlideOutPanel
 			open={open}
diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/ui/dropdown-menu.tsx b/surfsense_web/components/ui/dropdown-menu.tsx
index 347f08976..24b99467e 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/ui/dropdown-menu.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/ui/dropdown-menu.tsx
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ function DropdownMenuSeparator({
 	return (
 		<DropdownMenuPrimitive.Separator
 			data-slot="dropdown-menu-separator"
-			className={cn("bg-border dark:bg-neutral-700 -mx-1 my-1 h-px", className)}
+			className={cn("bg-border mx-2 my-1 h-px", className)}
 			{...props}
 		/>
 	);