Fix wave: dropdown keyboard/focus, appearance resets, inline key editors, content-sized slider

- MenuShell: after placement, focus lands in the search when the menu has
  one, else the body (tabIndex -1) — the lists' mount-time focus ran during
  the hidden measuring pass and silently failed, so no dropdown ever opened
  focused. The body owns the arrow machine for searchless menus:
  ArrowDown/Up cycle options with wrap (first/last entry from the body,
  native-select convention), Home/End, Enter activates, preventDefault so
  arrows never scroll the page.
- Appearance: the CSS-var applier only ever setProperty'd — a later write
  omitting a var left the stale inline value forever (empty background
  never reset, serif toggle-back looked dead). appliedNamesRef tracks what
  was set; staleVarNames (pure, exported) returns what to removeProperty.
- CommitInput: controlled — after a commit the field snaps to the stored
  record, so the clamp on a -5 prose size is visible (12), Esc reverts.
- Keys: Add-provider dropdown closes on pick; the paste row is inline
  (label | input | Save | Cancel); existing-row editors go inline with an
  explicit Cancel beside Save/Delete — folding is visible, not Esc-only.
- Graph context: readout is content-sized (tabular-nums) — no fixed-width
  dead gap when "off"; the dictation strip fills whatever space remains.

Gates: tsc clean, 866/866 tests (new staleVarNames suite), lint 0, build ok.
Live-verified via Playwright: dropdown focus+arrow cycles+wrap+Enter pick,
background set→empty reset, serif round-trip, visible clamp to 12, provider
pick closes menu, inline editor + Cancel + Esc fold, slider width 270→277px.

components/graph-context-control.tsx

@@ -60,8 +60,12 @@ export function GraphContextControl({
 				className="h-1 w-24 shrink-0 accent-primary"
 				data-testid="graph-context-slider"
 			/>
+			{/* Content-sized (owner, fix wave): the control hugs its value —
+			    no fixed-width readout means no dead gap when "off", and the
+			    dictation strip in the stats bar's middle always fills whatever
+			    space the slider leaves. tabular-nums keeps the digits steady. */}
 			<span
-				className="w-16 shrink-0 tabular-nums"
+				className="shrink-0 tabular-nums"
 				data-testid="graph-context-value"
 			>
 				{value === 0 ? "off" : `${value} tok`}

components/menu-shell.tsx

@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ export function MenuShell({
 }) {
 	const menuRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 	const [placed, setPlaced] = useState<MenuPlacement | null>(null);
+	const focusedOnceRef = useRef(false);
 
 	// Announce open↔close for lockable surfaces (see MENU_OPEN_EVENT).
 	useEffect(() => {
@@ -134,6 +135,55 @@ export function MenuShell({
 		};
 	}, []);
 
+	// Focus on open (owner, fix wave): the search menus land focus IN the
+	// search; menus without one land it on the body (tabIndex -1 below) so
+	// the arrow machine has a home. Once only — re-placements (scroll/
+	// resize) must never steal focus back mid-walk. The lists' own mount
+	// focus runs during the hidden measuring pass, where focus() silently
+	// fails (visibility: hidden subtrees are not focusable) — this seam is
+	// the one that actually lands.
+	useEffect(() => {
+		if (placed === null || focusedOnceRef.current) return;
+		focusedOnceRef.current = true;
+		const el = menuRef.current;
+		if (!el) return;
+		const input = el.querySelector<HTMLElement>("input");
+		(input ?? el).focus();
+	}, [placed]);
+
+	// The standard arrow machine for menus WITHOUT a search (owner: when a
+	// dropdown is expanded, the arrow keys cycle the options and never
+	// scroll the screen): ArrowDown/Up move DOM focus among the option
+	// buttons with WRAP, Home/End hit the ends; Enter activates the
+	// focused button natively. Search menus own their arrows inside the
+	// input (their clamped-walk machine, 2026-09-17) — those events never
+	// bubble here, and the input/textarea guard is belt-and-braces.
+	const onBodyKeyDown = (e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
+		if (e.target instanceof HTMLInputElement || e.target instanceof HTMLTextAreaElement) return;
+		const { key } = e;
+		if (key !== "ArrowDown" && key !== "ArrowUp" && key !== "Home" && key !== "End") return;
+		const buttons = Array.from(
+			menuRef.current?.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>("button:not([disabled])") ?? [],
+		);
+		if (buttons.length === 0) return;
+		e.preventDefault();
+		if (key === "Home") {
+			buttons[0]?.focus();
+			return;
+		}
+		if (key === "End") {
+			buttons[buttons.length - 1]?.focus();
+			return;
+		}
+		const delta = key === "ArrowDown" ? 1 : -1;
+		const idx = buttons.findIndex((b) => b === document.activeElement);
+		// From the body (nothing focused yet): ArrowDown enters at the FIRST
+		// option, ArrowUp at the last — the native-select convention.
+		const base = idx === -1 ? (delta > 0 ? -1 : 0) : idx;
+		const next = (base + delta + buttons.length) % buttons.length;
+		buttons[next]?.focus();
+	};
+
 	const anchor = () => {
 		if (anchorRef) return anchorRef.current;
 		if (anchorTestid !== undefined) return document.querySelector(`[data-testid="${anchorTestid}"]`);
@@ -193,6 +243,8 @@ export function MenuShell({
 			ref={menuRef}
 			data-testid={testid}
 			data-lh-menu=""
+			tabIndex={-1}
+			onKeyDown={onBodyKeyDown}
 			style={{ position: "fixed", zIndex: 60, ...placed.style, maxHeight: placed.maxHeight, overflowY: "auto" }}
 			className={menuClass}
 		>

components/settings/appearance.tsx

@@ -95,6 +95,18 @@ export function appearanceVars(a: ReturnType<typeof resolveAppearance>): Record<
 	return vars;
 }
 
+/** Pure: the previously-applied names ABSENT from the next var set —
+ *  these get removeProperty so the factory stylesheet value returns.
+ *  (Owner repro, fix wave: resets and toggle-backs never reverted because
+ *  application only ever SET properties — the removal half was missing.)
+ *  Exported for tests. */
+export function staleVarNames(
+	prevNames: readonly string[],
+	nextVars: Record<string, string>,
+): string[] {
+	return prevNames.filter((n) => !(n in nextVars));
+}
+
 interface AppearanceContextValue {
 	/** Resolved appearance; factory until the record arrives. */
 	appearance: ReturnType<typeof resolveAppearance>;
@@ -118,11 +130,25 @@ export function AppearanceProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode })
 	// The vars apply on every change — stringified as the change signal.
 	const vars = useMemo(() => appearanceVars(resolveAppearance(delta)), [delta]);
 	const key = useMemo(() => JSON.stringify(vars), [vars]);
+	// REMOVAL is half the job (owner repro, fix wave): a later write that
+	// OMITS a var (empty field = factory, serif toggle back on) must clear
+	// the previously-set inline value or the stale one wins forever —
+	// backgrounds never reset, toggles looked dead. Every name this effect
+	// has ever set is tracked; names absent from the new set are removed so
+	// the factory stylesheet value returns.
+	const appliedNamesRef = useRef<Set<string>>(new Set());
 	useEffect(() => {
 		if (appliedRef.current === key) return;
 		appliedRef.current = key;
 		const root = document.documentElement;
-		for (const [name, value] of Object.entries(vars)) root.style.setProperty(name, value);
+		for (const name of staleVarNames([...appliedNamesRef.current], vars)) {
+			root.style.removeProperty(name);
+			appliedNamesRef.current.delete(name);
+		}
+		for (const [name, value] of Object.entries(vars)) {
+			root.style.setProperty(name, value);
+			appliedNamesRef.current.add(name);
+		}
 	}, [key, vars]);
 
 	// One fetch per app load: the record (sanitized server-side) carries the

components/settings/controls.tsx

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  * control together) and the control itself locks — the row owns the dim.
  */
 
+import { useState } from "react";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 /** A section block: pronounced mono heading + content. */
@@ -165,7 +166,10 @@ export function CommitInput({
 	testid,
 	type = "text",
 }: {
-	/** "" = unset (the factory default). */
+	/** "" = unset (the factory default). Mirrors the STORED record —
+	 *  after a clamped/normalized commit this flows back and the field
+	 *  snaps to the stored truth (owner repro: a negative size kept
+	 *  displaying "-5" while 12 was stored). */
 	value: string;
 	placeholder?: string;
 	onCommit: (next: string) => void;
@@ -173,21 +177,32 @@ export function CommitInput({
 	testid?: string;
 	type?: "text" | "number";
 }) {
+	// The draft exists only while editing; a blur shows the record's value
+	// again — commit-on-blur/Enter (owner ruling), the field honest about
+	// what landed.
+	const [draft, setDraft] = useState(value);
+	const [editing, setEditing] = useState(false);
 	return (
 		<input
 			type={type}
-			defaultValue={value}
+			value={editing ? draft : value}
 			placeholder={placeholder}
 			aria-label={ariaLabel}
 			data-testid={testid}
-			onBlur={(e) => {
-				const next = e.target.value.trim();
+			onChange={(e) => {
+				setEditing(true);
+				setDraft(e.target.value);
+			}}
+			onBlur={() => {
+				if (!editing) return;
+				setEditing(false);
+				const next = draft.trim();
 				if (next !== value) onCommit(next);
 			}}
 			onKeyDown={(e) => {
 				if (e.key === "Enter") e.currentTarget.blur();
 				if (e.key === "Escape") {
-					e.currentTarget.value = value;
+					setEditing(false);
 					e.currentTarget.blur();
 				}
 			}}

components/settings/keys-section.tsx

@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ function KeyTableRow({
 	onToggle,
 	onSave,
 	onDelete,
+	onCancel,
 	testid,
 }: {
 	label: string;
@@ -124,6 +125,9 @@ function KeyTableRow({
 	onToggle: () => void;
 	onSave: (value: string) => Promise<string | null>;
 	onDelete?: () => Promise<void>;
+	/** Folds the editor (owner, fix wave: the way OUT of a paste prompt
+	 *  must be visible — Cancel beside Save/Delete, not only Esc). */
+	onCancel: () => void;
 	testid: string;
 }) {
 	const envOwned = status.source === "env";
@@ -141,6 +145,68 @@ function KeyTableRow({
 		setBusy(false);
 	}
 
+	// INLINE editing (owner, fix wave: "type the keys in line — more
+	// table-like"): the expanded row becomes the editor itself — label
+	// left, the paste field filling the middle, Save | Cancel (| Delete)
+	// right — instead of a second line beneath the row.
+	if (expanded && !envOwned) {
+		return (
+			<div data-testid={testid}>
+				<div className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-sm px-1 py-1.5" data-testid={`${testid}-editor`}>
+					<span className="shrink-0 font-ui text-xs text-foreground">{label}</span>
+					<input
+						type="text"
+						value={value}
+						onChange={(e) => setValue(e.target.value)}
+						onKeyDown={(e) => {
+							if (e.key === "Enter") void save();
+						}}
+						placeholder="Paste key…"
+						aria-label={`${label} key`}
+						data-testid={`${testid}-input`}
+						disabled={busy}
+						autoFocus
+						className="h-7 min-w-0 flex-1 rounded-sm border border-border bg-background px-1.5 font-mono text-xs text-foreground outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground/60 focus:border-muted-foreground/50"
+					/>
+					<button
+						type="button"
+						onClick={() => void save()}
+						disabled={busy || !value.trim()}
+						data-testid={`${testid}-save`}
+						className="shrink-0 text-xs text-foreground underline-offset-2 hover:underline disabled:text-muted-foreground/40 disabled:no-underline"
+					>
+						Save
+					</button>
+					<button
+						type="button"
+						onClick={onCancel}
+						disabled={busy}
+						data-testid={`${testid}-cancel`}
+						className="shrink-0 text-xs text-muted-foreground/70 underline-offset-2 hover:text-foreground hover:underline"
+					>
+						Cancel
+					</button>
+					{status.present && status.source === "file" && onDelete && (
+						<button
+							type="button"
+							onClick={() => void onDelete()}
+							disabled={busy}
+							data-testid={`${testid}-delete`}
+							className="shrink-0 text-xs text-muted-foreground/70 underline-offset-2 hover:text-red-500 hover:underline"
+						>
+							Delete
+						</button>
+					)}
+				</div>
+				{error && (
+					<p role="alert" data-testid={`${testid}-error`} className="px-1 text-xs text-red-500">
+						{error}
+					</p>
+				)}
+			</div>
+		);
+	}
+
 	return (
 		<div data-testid={testid} className={envOwned ? "opacity-40" : undefined}>
 			<button
@@ -170,43 +236,6 @@ function KeyTableRow({
 					</span>
 				</span>
 			</button>
-			{expanded && !envOwned && (
-				<div className="mt-0.5 mb-1 flex items-center gap-2 pl-6" data-testid={`${testid}-editor`}>
-					<input
-						type="text"
-						value={value}
-						onChange={(e) => setValue(e.target.value)}
-						onKeyDown={(e) => {
-							if (e.key === "Enter") void save();
-						}}
-						placeholder="Paste key…"
-						aria-label={`${label} key`}
-						data-testid={`${testid}-input`}
-						disabled={busy}
-						className="h-7 w-64 rounded-sm border border-border bg-background px-1.5 font-mono text-xs text-foreground outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground/60 focus:border-muted-foreground/50"
-					/>
-					<button
-						type="button"
-						onClick={() => void save()}
-						disabled={busy || !value.trim()}
-						data-testid={`${testid}-save`}
-						className="text-xs text-foreground underline-offset-2 hover:underline disabled:text-muted-foreground/40 disabled:no-underline"
-					>
-						Save
-					</button>
-					{status.present && status.source === "file" && onDelete && (
-						<button
-							type="button"
-							onClick={() => void onDelete()}
-							disabled={busy}
-							data-testid={`${testid}-delete`}
-							className="text-xs text-muted-foreground/70 underline-offset-2 hover:text-red-500 hover:underline"
-						>
-							Delete
-						</button>
-					)}
-				</div>
-			)}
 			{error && (
 				<p role="alert" data-testid={`${testid}-error`} className="pl-6 text-xs text-red-500">
 					{error}
@@ -269,7 +298,15 @@ function AddProviderRow({
 					preferredSide="down"
 					menuClass="flex w-72 flex-col rounded-xl border border-border bg-card p-2 text-xs shadow-xl"
 				>
-					<ProviderMenuList providers={addable} onPick={onPick} />
+					{/* Close on pick (owner, fix wave): a chosen provider ends
+					    the dropdown — the paste row is the next step. */}
+					<ProviderMenuList
+						providers={addable}
+						onPick={(p) => {
+							setOpen(false);
+							onPick(p);
+						}}
+					/>
 				</MenuShell>
 			)}
 		</div>
@@ -367,6 +404,7 @@ export function KeysSection() {
 							if (!err) setOpenRow(null); // fold on success — rest state
 							return err;
 						}}
+						onCancel={() => setOpenRow(null)}
 						onDelete={() => deleteKey(status.id)}
 						testid={`key-${status.id.toLowerCase()}`}
 					/>
@@ -381,8 +419,8 @@ export function KeysSection() {
 					/>
 				)}
 				{adding && (
-					<div className="mt-0.5 mb-1 flex items-center gap-2 pl-6" data-testid={`key-${adding.id}-editor`}>
-						<span className="font-ui text-xs text-foreground">{adding.label}</span>
+					<div className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-sm px-1 py-1.5" data-testid={`key-${adding.id}-editor`}>
+						<span className="shrink-0 font-ui text-xs text-foreground">{adding.label}</span>
 						<AddProviderEditor provider={adding} onSave={(v) => void saveNewProvider(adding, v)} onCancel={() => setAdding(null)} error={addError} />
 					</div>
 				)}
@@ -402,6 +440,7 @@ export function KeysSection() {
 							if (!err) setOpenRow(null);
 							return err;
 						}}
+						onCancel={() => setOpenRow(null)}
 						onDelete={() => deleteKey(status.id)}
 						testid={`key-${status.id.toLowerCase()}`}
 					/>
@@ -452,14 +491,15 @@ function AddProviderEditor({
 				placeholder="Paste key…"
 				aria-label={`${provider.label} key`}
 				data-testid={`key-${provider.id}-input`}
-				className="h-7 w-64 rounded-sm border border-border bg-background px-1.5 font-mono text-xs text-foreground outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground/60 focus:border-muted-foreground/50"
+				autoFocus
+				className="h-7 min-w-0 flex-1 rounded-sm border border-border bg-background px-1.5 font-mono text-xs text-foreground outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground/60 focus:border-muted-foreground/50"
 			/>
 			<button
 				type="button"
 				onClick={() => value.trim() && onSave(value)}
 				disabled={!value.trim()}
 				data-testid={`key-${provider.id}-save`}
-				className="text-xs text-foreground underline-offset-2 hover:underline disabled:text-muted-foreground/40 disabled:no-underline"
+				className="shrink-0 text-xs text-foreground underline-offset-2 hover:underline disabled:text-muted-foreground/40 disabled:no-underline"
 			>
 				Save
 			</button>
@@ -467,7 +507,7 @@ function AddProviderEditor({
 				type="button"
 				onClick={onCancel}
 				data-testid={`key-${provider.id}-cancel`}
-				className="text-xs text-muted-foreground/70 underline-offset-2 hover:text-foreground hover:underline"
+				className="shrink-0 text-xs text-muted-foreground/70 underline-offset-2 hover:text-foreground hover:underline"
 			>
 				Cancel
 			</button>

tests/settings-pure.test.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import { describe, it } from "node:test";
-import { appearanceVars, derivedPalette, resolveAppearance } from "../components/settings/appearance.tsx";
+import { appearanceVars, derivedPalette, resolveAppearance, staleVarNames } from "../components/settings/appearance.tsx";
 import {
 	composePromptSwitch,
 	composeSearchEngine,
@@ -105,6 +105,42 @@ describe("appearanceVars — the mapping the provider applies", () => {
 	});
 });
 
+describe("staleVarNames — the removal half of application (owner repro: resets never reverted)", () => {
+	it("a full delta applied, then factory: every delta-only name goes stale", () => {
+		const fullDelta = appearanceVars(
+			resolveAppearance({
+				background: "#101820",
+				fontFamily: "Georgia",
+				sessionNameSerif: false,
+				mdRendering: { headingWeight: 700, boldColor: "#ff0000", italicColor: "#00ff00" },
+			}),
+		);
+		const applied = Object.keys(fullDelta);
+		const factory = appearanceVars(resolveAppearance(undefined));
+		const stale = staleVarNames(applied, factory);
+		assert.ok(stale.includes("--background"));
+		assert.ok(stale.includes("--font-prose"));
+		assert.ok(stale.includes("--font-title"), "serif toggle back ON must clear the title override");
+		assert.ok(stale.includes("--lh-ink-strong"));
+		assert.ok(stale.includes("--lh-ink-italic"));
+		assert.ok(!stale.includes("--lh-prose-size"), "always-applied tokens never go stale");
+		assert.ok(!stale.includes("--lh-heading-weight"), "always-applied tokens never go stale");
+	});
+
+	it("an empty background commit (null = factory) frees the palette vars", () => {
+		const withBg = appearanceVars(resolveAppearance({ background: "#101010" }));
+		const emptied = appearanceVars(resolveAppearance({ background: null }));
+		const stale = staleVarNames(Object.keys(withBg), emptied);
+		assert.ok(stale.includes("--background"));
+		assert.ok(stale.includes("--card"), "the derived palette follows the background out");
+		assert.equal(emptied["--background"], undefined);
+	});
+
+	it("no previous applications → nothing stale", () => {
+		assert.deepEqual(staleVarNames([], appearanceVars(resolveAppearance(undefined))), []);
+	});
+});
+
 describe("agent section compose helpers — the replace-whole PUT body", () => {
 	it("composeTool carries the rest of the section verbatim", () => {
 		const before = { tools: { demo: false }, prompts: { "system-prompt.md": true } };