diff --git a/server/shell.ts b/server/shell.ts
index 2de60d0..94c8104 100644
--- a/server/shell.ts
+++ b/server/shell.ts
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ export function renderShell(opts: ShellOptions): string {
     <rstack-tab-bar space="${escapeAttr(spaceSlug)}" active="" view-mode="flat">
       <rstack-collab-overlay module-id="${escapeAttr(moduleId)}" space="${escapeAttr(spaceSlug)}"></rstack-collab-overlay>
       <button class="rapp-info-btn" id="rapp-info-btn" title="About this rApp"><svg width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="10"/><line x1="12" y1="16" x2="12" y2="12"/><line x1="12" y1="8" x2="12.01" y2="8"/></svg></button>
+      <button class="rapp-minimize-btn" id="header-minimize-btn" title="Minimize headers"><svg width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2.5" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"/></svg></button>
     </rstack-tab-bar>
   </div>
   <div id="rapp-info-overlay" class="rapp-info-overlay" style="display:none"></div>
@@ -352,6 +353,14 @@ export function renderShell(opts: ShellOptions): string {
       window.__rspaceInstallPrompt = () => { e.prompt(); return e.userChoice; };
       window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("rspace-install-available"));
     });
+    // ── Header minimize toggle ──
+    if (localStorage.getItem('rspace_headers_minimized') === '1') {
+      document.body.classList.add('rspace-headers-minimized');
+    }
+    document.getElementById('header-minimize-btn')?.addEventListener('click', () => {
+      const minimized = document.body.classList.toggle('rspace-headers-minimized');
+      localStorage.setItem('rspace_headers_minimized', minimized ? '1' : '0');
+    });
     // ── Settings panel toggle (close history first) ──
     document.getElementById('settings-btn')?.addEventListener('click', () => {
       document.querySelector('rstack-history-panel')?.close();
@@ -1533,6 +1542,7 @@ export function renderExternalAppShell(opts: ExternalAppShellOptions): string {
   <div class="rstack-tab-row">
     <rstack-tab-bar space="${escapeAttr(spaceSlug)}" active="" view-mode="flat">
       <rstack-collab-overlay module-id="${escapeAttr(moduleId)}" space="${escapeAttr(spaceSlug)}" mode="badge-only"></rstack-collab-overlay>
+      <button class="rapp-minimize-btn" id="header-minimize-btn" title="Minimize headers"><svg width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2.5" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15"/></svg></button>
     </rstack-tab-bar>
   </div>
   <div class="rspace-iframe-wrap">
@@ -1555,6 +1565,15 @@ export function renderExternalAppShell(opts: ExternalAppShellOptions): string {
     import '/shell.js';
     document.querySelector('rstack-app-switcher')?.setModules(${moduleListJSON});
 
+    // ── Header minimize toggle ──
+    if (localStorage.getItem('rspace_headers_minimized') === '1') {
+      document.body.classList.add('rspace-headers-minimized');
+    }
+    document.getElementById('header-minimize-btn')?.addEventListener('click', () => {
+      const minimized = document.body.classList.toggle('rspace-headers-minimized');
+      localStorage.setItem('rspace_headers_minimized', minimized ? '1' : '0');
+    });
+
     const tabBar = document.querySelector('rstack-tab-bar');
     const spaceSlug = '${escapeAttr(spaceSlug)}';
     const currentModuleId = '${escapeAttr(moduleId)}';
diff --git a/website/public/shell.css b/website/public/shell.css
index e54136c..c5684dd 100644
--- a/website/public/shell.css
+++ b/website/public/shell.css
@@ -326,8 +326,6 @@ body {
 
 /* ── Sidebar push offsets ── */
 
-.rstack-tab-row,
-#app,
 rstack-user-dashboard,
 .rspace-iframe-wrap,
 #toolbar {
@@ -489,3 +487,79 @@ body.rstack-sidebar-open #toolbar {
   .hover-reveal { opacity: 0.5 !important; }
   .hover-reveal:active { opacity: 1 !important; }
 }
+
+/* ── Header minimize toggle ── */
+
+.rapp-minimize-btn {
+  display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;
+  width: 28px; height: 28px; padding: 0; margin-right: 2px;
+  background: none; border: 1px solid transparent; border-radius: 6px;
+  color: var(--rs-text-muted); cursor: pointer; flex-shrink: 0;
+  transition: color 0.15s, background 0.15s, border-color 0.15s;
+}
+.rapp-minimize-btn:hover {
+  color: var(--rs-text-primary); background: var(--rs-bg-hover); border-color: var(--rs-border);
+}
+.rapp-minimize-btn svg {
+  transition: transform 0.25s ease;
+}
+body.rspace-headers-minimized .rapp-minimize-btn svg {
+  transform: rotate(180deg);
+}
+
+/* Minimized state: slide header up, shrink tab row to thin restore strip */
+body.rspace-headers-minimized .rstack-header {
+  transform: translateY(-100%);
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+body.rspace-headers-minimized .rstack-tab-row {
+  top: 0;
+  height: 24px;
+  overflow: hidden;
+  justify-content: flex-end;
+}
+body.rspace-headers-minimized #app {
+  padding-top: 24px;
+}
+body.rspace-headers-minimized #app.canvas-layout {
+  padding-top: 24px;
+}
+body.rspace-headers-minimized .rapp-subnav {
+  top: 25px;
+}
+
+/* Smooth transitions for header minimize/restore */
+.rstack-header {
+  transition: transform 0.25s ease;
+}
+.rstack-tab-row {
+  transition: margin-left 0.25s ease, left 0.25s ease, top 0.25s ease, height 0.25s ease;
+}
+#app {
+  transition: margin-left 0.25s ease, left 0.25s ease, padding-top 0.25s ease;
+}
+.rapp-subnav {
+  transition: top 0.25s ease;
+}
+
+/* Mobile: minimized state adjustments (sticky, not fixed) */
+@media (max-width: 640px) {
+  body.rspace-headers-minimized .rstack-header {
+    transform: translateY(-100%);
+    max-height: 0;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    padding: 0;
+    border: 0;
+  }
+  body.rspace-headers-minimized .rstack-tab-row {
+    top: auto;
+    height: 24px;
+  }
+  body.rspace-headers-minimized #app {
+    padding-top: 0;
+  }
+  body.rspace-headers-minimized .rapp-subnav {
+    top: auto;
+  }
+  .rapp-minimize-btn { display: flex; } /* keep visible on mobile unlike info btn */
+}