diff --git a/apps/web/components/app-sidebar/app-sidebar.test.tsx b/apps/web/components/app-sidebar/app-sidebar.test.tsx
index aea8b0d101..45e8bb48b6 100644
--- a/apps/web/components/app-sidebar/app-sidebar.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/components/app-sidebar/app-sidebar.test.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ const navigationMock = vi.hoisted(() => ({
 const officeRouteMock = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   inOffice: false,
 }));
+const footerMock = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  onLayout: null as (() => void) | null,
+}));
 
 // The AppSidebar pulls in a lot of children that touch the dockview / kanban
 // data layer. For unit testing the collapse + section toggle behaviour we stub
@@ -56,9 +59,16 @@ vi.mock("./sections/office-navigation-section", () => ({
     <div data-testid={`office-navigation-section-${section ?? "all"}`} />
   ),
 }));
-vi.mock("./app-sidebar-footer", () => ({
-  AppSidebarFooter: () => <div data-testid="footer" />,
-}));
+vi.mock("./app-sidebar-footer", async () => {
+  const { useLayoutEffect } = await vi.importActual<typeof import("react")>("react");
+
+  return {
+    AppSidebarFooter: () => {
+      useLayoutEffect(() => footerMock.onLayout?.(), []);
+      return <div data-testid="footer" />;
+    },
+  };
+});
 vi.mock("./app-sidebar-settings-mode", () => ({
   AppSidebarSettingsMode: () => <div data-testid="settings-mode" />,
 }));
@@ -95,6 +105,7 @@ const storeState = {
   toggleAppSidebarSection: vi.fn(),
   setAppSidebarWidth: vi.fn(),
   toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode: vi.fn(),
+  setAppSidebarSettingsMode: vi.fn((_settingsMode: boolean) => {}),
 };
 
 vi.mock("@/components/state-provider", () => ({
@@ -112,6 +123,8 @@ describe("AppSidebar", () => {
     storeState.toggleAppSidebar = vi.fn();
     storeState.toggleAppSidebarSection = vi.fn();
     storeState.toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode = vi.fn();
+    storeState.setAppSidebarSettingsMode = vi.fn((_settingsMode: boolean) => {});
+    footerMock.onLayout = null;
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
@@ -180,8 +193,28 @@ describe("AppSidebar", () => {
     render(<AppSidebar />);
 
     await waitFor(() => {
-      expect(storeState.toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      expect(storeState.setAppSidebarSettingsMode).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
     });
+    expect(storeState.toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps settings open when the gear is clicked before route synchronization", async () => {
+    navigationMock.pathname = "/settings";
+    storeState.toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode = vi.fn(() => {
+      storeState.appSidebar.settingsMode = !storeState.appSidebar.settingsMode;
+    });
+    storeState.setAppSidebarSettingsMode = vi.fn((settingsMode: boolean) => {
+      storeState.appSidebar.settingsMode = settingsMode;
+    });
+    footerMock.onLayout = () => storeState.toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode();
+
+    render(<AppSidebar />);
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(storeState.toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      expect(storeState.setAppSidebarSettingsMode).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    });
+    expect(storeState.appSidebar.settingsMode).toBe(true);
   });
 
   it("exits settings mode when navigating from a settings route to a non-settings route", async () => {
@@ -194,7 +227,8 @@ describe("AppSidebar", () => {
     rerender(<AppSidebar />);
 
     await waitFor(() => {
-      expect(storeState.toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      expect(storeState.setAppSidebarSettingsMode).toHaveBeenCalledWith(false);
     });
+    expect(storeState.toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });
diff --git a/apps/web/components/app-sidebar/app-sidebar.tsx b/apps/web/components/app-sidebar/app-sidebar.tsx
index a35c17cd3d..655b263f1e 100644
--- a/apps/web/components/app-sidebar/app-sidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/components/app-sidebar/app-sidebar.tsx
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ export function AppSidebar() {
   const storedWidth = useAppStore((s) => s.appSidebar.width);
   const toggleSection = useAppStore((s) => s.toggleAppSidebarSection);
   const toggleCollapsed = useAppStore((s) => s.toggleAppSidebar);
-  const toggleSettingsMode = useAppStore((s) => s.toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode);
+  const setSettingsMode = useAppStore((s) => s.setAppSidebarSettingsMode);
   const setWidth = useAppStore((s) => s.setAppSidebarWidth);
   const pathname = usePathname();
   const inOffice = useInOffice();
@@ -150,13 +150,13 @@ export function AppSidebar() {
     if (!pathname || prevPathnameRef.current === pathname) return;
     prevPathnameRef.current = pathname;
     if (isSettingsRoute(pathname)) {
-      if (!settingsMode) toggleSettingsMode();
+      if (!settingsMode) setSettingsMode(true);
       return;
     }
     if (settingsMode) {
-      toggleSettingsMode();
+      setSettingsMode(false);
     }
-  }, [pathname, settingsMode, toggleSettingsMode]);
+  }, [pathname, settingsMode, setSettingsMode]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!pathname) return;
diff --git a/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/app-sidebar-actions.ts b/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/app-sidebar-actions.ts
index 985e2a6360..fe083ac3f7 100644
--- a/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/app-sidebar-actions.ts
+++ b/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/app-sidebar-actions.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,14 @@ export function buildAppSidebarActions(set: ImmerSet) {
         draft.appSidebar.width = width;
         setStoredAppSidebarWidth(width);
       }),
+    setAppSidebarSettingsMode: (settingsMode: boolean) =>
+      set((draft) => {
+        draft.appSidebar.settingsMode = settingsMode;
+        if (settingsMode && draft.appSidebar.collapsed) {
+          draft.appSidebar.collapsed = false;
+          setStoredAppSidebarCollapsed(false);
+        }
+      }),
     toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode: () =>
       set((draft) => {
         const next = !draft.appSidebar.settingsMode;
diff --git a/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/types.ts b/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/types.ts
index 8500899899..c5b0d056d3 100644
--- a/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/types.ts
+++ b/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/types.ts
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ export type UISliceActions = {
   setAppSidebarCollapsed: (collapsed: boolean) => void;
   toggleAppSidebarSection: (sectionId: string, defaultExpanded?: boolean) => void;
   setAppSidebarWidth: (width: number) => void;
+  setAppSidebarSettingsMode: (settingsMode: boolean) => void;
   toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode: () => void;
   /** Record multiple sidebar badge acknowledgements with one localStorage merge. */
   acknowledgeAgentErrors: (stamps: Record<string, string>) => void;
diff --git a/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/ui-slice.test.ts b/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/ui-slice.test.ts
index bb133a48c5..8772971da2 100644
--- a/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/ui-slice.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/lib/state/slices/ui/ui-slice.test.ts
@@ -419,6 +419,23 @@ describe("appSidebar actions", () => {
     expect(store.getState().appSidebar.settingsMode).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("setAppSidebarSettingsMode applies the requested state idempotently", () => {
+    window.localStorage.setItem(COLLAPSED_KEY, JSON.stringify(true));
+    const store = makeStore();
+
+    store.getState().setAppSidebarSettingsMode(true);
+    store.getState().setAppSidebarSettingsMode(true);
+    expect(store.getState().appSidebar.settingsMode).toBe(true);
+    expect(store.getState().appSidebar.collapsed).toBe(false);
+    expect(JSON.parse(window.localStorage.getItem(COLLAPSED_KEY) ?? "null")).toBe(false);
+
+    store.getState().setAppSidebarSettingsMode(false);
+    store.getState().setAppSidebarSettingsMode(false);
+    expect(store.getState().appSidebar.settingsMode).toBe(false);
+    expect(store.getState().appSidebar.collapsed).toBe(false);
+    expect(window.localStorage.getItem("kandev.appSidebar.settingsMode")).toBeNull();
+  });
+
   it("entering settings mode while collapsed force-expands the rail", () => {
     window.localStorage.setItem(COLLAPSED_KEY, JSON.stringify(true));
     const store = makeStore();
diff --git a/apps/web/lib/state/store.ts b/apps/web/lib/state/store.ts
index 24e4893716..f54018132e 100644
--- a/apps/web/lib/state/store.ts
+++ b/apps/web/lib/state/store.ts
@@ -542,6 +542,7 @@ export type AppState = {
   setAppSidebarCollapsed: UIA["setAppSidebarCollapsed"];
   toggleAppSidebarSection: UIA["toggleAppSidebarSection"];
   setAppSidebarWidth: UIA["setAppSidebarWidth"];
+  setAppSidebarSettingsMode: UIA["setAppSidebarSettingsMode"];
   toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode: UIA["toggleAppSidebarSettingsMode"];
   acknowledgeAgentErrors: UIA["acknowledgeAgentErrors"];
   dismissAgentError: UIA["dismissAgentError"];