diff --git a/PanTS-Demo/src/liveRooms/liveRooms.css b/PanTS-Demo/src/liveRooms/liveRooms.css
index 10bc5dde..f1783afa 100644
--- a/PanTS-Demo/src/liveRooms/liveRooms.css
+++ b/PanTS-Demo/src/liveRooms/liveRooms.css
@@ -646,7 +646,6 @@
 .lr-note-popover footer { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; gap: 12px; padding-top: 9px; border-top: 1px solid var(--lr-border); color: var(--lr-muted); font-family: var(--lr-mono); font-size: 9px; }
 .lr-note-popover footer span:first-child { text-transform: capitalize; }
 
-.vp-live-room-button { display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: 7px; color: var(--lr-primary); border-color: rgba(110, 168, 254, .35) !important; }
 .vp-tool:disabled,
 .vp-flyout__item:disabled { cursor: not-allowed; opacity: .42; }
 .lr-room-ended { position: fixed; inset: 0; z-index: 30000; display: grid; place-items: center; padding: 24px; background: rgba(3, 8, 12, .88); backdrop-filter: blur(10px); }
diff --git a/PanTS-Demo/src/routes/VisualizationPage.css b/PanTS-Demo/src/routes/VisualizationPage.css
index d4afc49c..0ec923bc 100644
--- a/PanTS-Demo/src/routes/VisualizationPage.css
+++ b/PanTS-Demo/src/routes/VisualizationPage.css
@@ -475,38 +475,16 @@
   opacity: 0.5;
 }
 
-/* Floating "Show toolbar" pill, shown only when the toolbar is hidden.
-   Labeled, not a bare icon square - an unlabeled gear floating alone in a
-   corner reads as an unexplained mystery button with only a tooltip to go
-   on. Anchored to the top-RIGHT corner of the screen, clear of every pane's
-   content and every pane's own top-left label (a fixed left-offset used to
-   land it in the middle of the axial pane's own CT image instead). */
+/* Floating gear shown only when the toolbar is hidden, back in its original
+   top-left spot. Previously it overlapped the axial pane's own "AXIAL" label
+   (both wanted the same top-left corner) - instead of moving the gear, the
+   axial label is pushed down clear of it (see .vp-pane--axial::after below),
+   so the gear can stay exactly where it always was. */
 .vp-floating-gear {
   position: fixed;
-  top: 10px;
-  right: 14px;
+  top: 12px;
+  left: 14px;
   z-index: 55;
-  display: flex;
-  align-items: center;
-  gap: 7px;
-  height: 34px;
-  padding: 0 14px 0 12px;
-  border-radius: 17px;
-  background: rgba(14, 15, 18, 0.82);
-  backdrop-filter: blur(12px);
-  -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(12px);
-  border: 1px solid var(--vp-border);
-  color: var(--vp-text);
-  font-family: var(--vp-font);
-  font-size: 12px;
-  font-weight: 600;
-  letter-spacing: 0.01em;
-  cursor: pointer;
-  transition: background 0.15s, border-color 0.15s;
-}
-.vp-floating-gear:hover {
-  background: var(--vp-panel-strong);
-  border-color: var(--vp-border-strong);
 }
 
 /* Shaded volume-rendering target: Cornerstone owns the canvas inside. */
@@ -1059,6 +1037,21 @@
   --pane-accent: #f43f5e;
 }
 
+/* The axial pane is always the top-left quadrant, the same corner the
+   floating gear (.vp-floating-gear) occupies while the toolbar is hidden -
+   rather than move the gear off its long-standing spot, push this one pane's
+   label + accent tick down below it instead, but only while the gear is
+   actually there (.toolbar-hidden on the root); with the toolbar visible
+   (the default) the axial label sits in its normal spot like every other
+   pane's. 58px clears the gear's 38px button (starting at top:12px) plus a
+   small gap. */
+.toolbar-hidden .vp-pane--axial::after {
+  top: 58px;
+}
+.toolbar-hidden .vp-pane--axial::before {
+  top: 61px;
+}
+
 .vp-pane--sagittal {
   --pane-accent: #eab308;
 }
diff --git a/PanTS-Demo/src/routes/VisualizationPage.tsx b/PanTS-Demo/src/routes/VisualizationPage.tsx
index 221a587f..babc07e7 100644
--- a/PanTS-Demo/src/routes/VisualizationPage.tsx
+++ b/PanTS-Demo/src/routes/VisualizationPage.tsx
@@ -3629,7 +3629,7 @@ const aiAvailableOrgans = useMemo(() => {
 	return (
 		<div
 			ref={vpRootRef}
-			className={`VisualizationPage${showAISidebar ? " ai-panel-open" : ""}${showAnnotationToolbar ? " annotation-open" : ""}${liveRoom ? " is-live-room" : ""}${soloChallenge ? " is-solo-challenge" : ""}${quizPractice ? " is-quiz-practice" : ""}`}
+			className={`VisualizationPage${showAISidebar ? " ai-panel-open" : ""}${showAnnotationToolbar ? " annotation-open" : ""}${liveRoom ? " is-live-room" : ""}${soloChallenge ? " is-solo-challenge" : ""}${quizPractice ? " is-quiz-practice" : ""}${!showToolbar ? " toolbar-hidden" : ""}`}
 			onPointerDownCapture={(event) => {
 				if (!liveRoom?.followingId) return;
 				const target = event.target as HTMLElement;
@@ -3719,17 +3719,6 @@ const aiAvailableOrgans = useMemo(() => {
 							</span>
 						)}
 					</div>
-					{!liveRoom && params.caseId && (
-						<button
-							className="vp-tb-mini vp-live-room-button"
-							onClick={() => setShowLiveRoomCreate(true)}
-							aria-label="Start Live Room"
-						>
-							<IconUsersGroup size={17} />
-							<span>Live Room</span>
-						</button>
-					)}
-
 					<span className="vp-tb-divider" />
 
 					{/* Layout ▾ — view mode (MPR/Axial/Sag/Cor/3D) and, while in MPR, the
@@ -4441,23 +4430,30 @@ const aiAvailableOrgans = useMemo(() => {
 													</span>
 												</button>
 											)}
+											{!liveRoom && params.caseId && (
+												<button
+													type="button"
+													className="vp-tool"
+													onClick={() => setShowLiveRoomCreate(true)}
+													aria-label="Start Live Room"
+												>
+													<IconUsersGroup size={17} />
+													<span className="vp-tool__tip">Live Room</span>
+												</button>
+											)}
 										</div>
 				</div>
 			)}
 
-			{/* When the toolbar is hidden, a labeled pill reveals it - a bare icon
-			    with no text floating alone in a corner reads as an unexplained
-			    mystery button, so this pairs the gear with its own label instead
-			    of relying on the tooltip alone. */}
+			{/* When the toolbar is hidden, a single floating gear reveals it. */}
 			{!showToolbar && (
 				<button
-					className="vp-floating-gear"
+					className="vp-floating-gear vp-iconbtn"
 					title="Show toolbar"
-					aria-label="Show toolbar"
+					aria-label="Toggle toolbar"
 					onClick={() => setShowToolbar(true)}
 				>
-					<IconSettings size={16} color="white" />
-					<span>Show toolbar</span>
+					<IconSettings size={20} color="white" />
 				</button>
 			)}