diff --git a/src/features/chat/chat-host.ts b/src/features/chat/chat-host.ts
index c65c3225..9d545c7a 100644
--- a/src/features/chat/chat-host.ts
+++ b/src/features/chat/chat-host.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export interface CodexChatHost {
   notifyThreadArchived(threadId: string): void;
   notifyThreadRenamed(threadId: string, name: string | null): void;
   refreshThreadsViewLiveState(): void;
+  refreshOpenViews(): void;
   refreshSharedThreadListFromOpenSurface(): void;
   applyThreadListSnapshot(threads: readonly Thread[]): void;
   refreshThreadList(fetchThreads: () => Promise<readonly Thread[]>): Promise<readonly Thread[]>;
diff --git a/src/features/chat/chat-view-controller-assembly.ts b/src/features/chat/chat-view-controller-assembly.ts
index 1d71ff9d..8ca66b24 100644
--- a/src/features/chat/chat-view-controller-assembly.ts
+++ b/src/features/chat/chat-view-controller-assembly.ts
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ export function createChatViewControllerAssembly(host: ChatViewControllerAssembl
   renderController = new ChatViewRenderController({
     shell: createChatShellRenderPort(host.stateStore, {
       connected: () => connection.isConnected(),
+      showToolbar: () => host.plugin.settings.showToolbar,
       pendingRequestsSignature: host.pendingRequestsSignature,
       activeComposerThreadName: host.activeComposerThreadName,
     }),
diff --git a/src/features/chat/controllers/state-ports.ts b/src/features/chat/controllers/state-ports.ts
index 50796af4..3bc943f8 100644
--- a/src/features/chat/controllers/state-ports.ts
+++ b/src/features/chat/controllers/state-ports.ts
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ export function createChatShellRenderPort(
   stateStore: ChatStateStore,
   options: {
     connected: () => boolean;
+    showToolbar: () => boolean;
     pendingRequestsSignature: () => string;
     activeComposerThreadName: () => string | null;
   },
@@ -198,6 +199,7 @@ export function createChatShellRenderPort(
       renderChatPanelShell(root, {
         stateStore,
         renderVersion,
+        showToolbar: options.showToolbar(),
         toolbar: { render: slots.renderToolbar, snapshot: (state) => toolbarSlotSnapshot(state, options.connected()) },
         messages: {
           render: slots.renderMessages,
diff --git a/src/features/chat/ui/shell.tsx b/src/features/chat/ui/shell.tsx
index 820ef1af..1ba3c9a7 100644
--- a/src/features/chat/ui/shell.tsx
+++ b/src/features/chat/ui/shell.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type { ChatPanelSlotSnapshot } from "../view-snapshot";
 export interface ChatPanelShellProps {
   stateStore: ChatStateStore;
   renderVersion: number;
+  showToolbar: boolean;
   toolbar: ChatPanelSlotProps;
   messages: ChatPanelSlotProps;
   composer: ChatPanelSlotProps;
@@ -22,7 +23,10 @@ const shellSlots = {
   toolbar: {
     selector: ":scope > .codex-panel__toolbar",
     create(container: HTMLElement): HTMLElement {
-      return container.createDiv({ cls: "codex-panel__toolbar" });
+      const toolbar = container.createDiv({ cls: "codex-panel__toolbar" });
+      const body = container.querySelector<HTMLElement>(":scope > .codex-panel__body");
+      if (body) container.insertBefore(toolbar, body);
+      return toolbar;
     },
     props(props: ChatPanelShellProps): ChatPanelSlotProps {
       return props.toolbar;
@@ -54,7 +58,7 @@ const shellSlotDefinitions = Object.values(shellSlots);
 
 export function renderChatPanelShell(container: HTMLElement, props: ChatPanelShellProps): void {
   container.addClass("codex-panel");
-  ensureShellDom(container);
+  ensureShellDom(container, props.showToolbar);
   const existing = shellMounts.get(container);
   if (existing?.stateStore === props.stateStore) {
     existing.props = props;
@@ -86,17 +90,23 @@ interface ChatPanelSlotProps {
   snapshot: (state: ChatState) => ChatPanelSlotSnapshot;
 }
 
-function ensureShellDom(container: HTMLElement): void {
-  if (shellSlotDefinitions.every((slot) => container.querySelector(slot.selector))) {
+function ensureShellDom(container: HTMLElement, showToolbar: boolean): void {
+  if (!showToolbar) {
+    const toolbar = container.querySelector<HTMLElement>(shellSlots.toolbar.selector);
+    unmountUiRoot(toolbar);
+    toolbar?.remove();
+  }
+  const requiredSlots = activeShellSlotDefinitions(showToolbar);
+  if (requiredSlots.every((slot) => container.querySelector(slot.selector))) {
     return;
   }
   // The shell owns the fixed Obsidian DOM scaffold; toolbar, messages, and
   // composer each own their own Preact root inside that scaffold.
   unmountSlotRoots(container);
   container.replaceChildren();
-  shellSlots.toolbar.create(container);
-  shellSlots.messages.create(container);
-  shellSlots.composer.create(container);
+  for (const slot of requiredSlots) {
+    slot.create(container);
+  }
 }
 
 function renderSlotIfNeeded(element: HTMLElement, slot: ChatPanelSlotProps, renderKey: string): void {
@@ -107,7 +117,7 @@ function renderSlotIfNeeded(element: HTMLElement, slot: ChatPanelSlotProps, rend
 
 function renderMountedSlots(container: HTMLElement, props: ChatPanelShellProps): void {
   const state = props.stateStore.getState();
-  for (const slotDefinition of shellSlotDefinitions) {
+  for (const slotDefinition of activeShellSlotDefinitions(props.showToolbar)) {
     const element = container.querySelector<HTMLElement>(slotDefinition.selector);
     if (!element) continue;
     const slot = slotDefinition.props(props);
@@ -115,6 +125,10 @@ function renderMountedSlots(container: HTMLElement, props: ChatPanelShellProps):
   }
 }
 
+function activeShellSlotDefinitions(showToolbar: boolean): typeof shellSlotDefinitions {
+  return showToolbar ? shellSlotDefinitions : shellSlotDefinitions.filter((slot) => slot !== shellSlots.toolbar);
+}
+
 function unmountSlotRoots(container: HTMLElement): void {
   for (const slotDefinition of shellSlotDefinitions) {
     unmountUiRoot(container.querySelector<HTMLElement>(slotDefinition.selector));
diff --git a/src/settings/model.ts b/src/settings/model.ts
index dbdb8fcc..515da1a6 100644
--- a/src/settings/model.ts
+++ b/src/settings/model.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ export interface CodexPanelSettings {
   threadNamingEffort: ReasoningEffort | null;
   rewriteSelectionModel: string | null;
   rewriteSelectionEffort: ReasoningEffort | null;
+  showToolbar: boolean;
   sendShortcut: SendShortcut;
   scrollThreadFromComposerEdges: boolean;
   archiveExportEnabled: boolean;
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_SETTINGS: CodexPanelSettings = {
   threadNamingEffort: null,
   rewriteSelectionModel: null,
   rewriteSelectionEffort: null,
+  showToolbar: true,
   sendShortcut: "enter",
   scrollThreadFromComposerEdges: false,
   archiveExportEnabled: false,
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ export function normalizeSettings(data: unknown): CodexPanelSettings {
     threadNamingEffort: reasoningEffortOrDefault(record["threadNamingEffort"]),
     rewriteSelectionModel: modelOrDefault(record["rewriteSelectionModel"]),
     rewriteSelectionEffort: reasoningEffortOrDefault(record["rewriteSelectionEffort"]),
+    showToolbar: booleanOrDefault(record["showToolbar"], DEFAULT_SETTINGS.showToolbar),
     sendShortcut: sendShortcutOrDefault(record["sendShortcut"]),
     scrollThreadFromComposerEdges: booleanOrDefault(
       record["scrollThreadFromComposerEdges"],
@@ -61,12 +64,13 @@ export function normalizeSettings(data: unknown): CodexPanelSettings {
 export function settingsMatchNormalizedData(data: unknown, settings: CodexPanelSettings): boolean {
   const record = asRecord(data);
   return (
-    Object.keys(record).length === 11 &&
+    Object.keys(record).length === 12 &&
     record["codexPath"] === settings.codexPath &&
     record["threadNamingModel"] === settings.threadNamingModel &&
     record["threadNamingEffort"] === settings.threadNamingEffort &&
     record["rewriteSelectionModel"] === settings.rewriteSelectionModel &&
     record["rewriteSelectionEffort"] === settings.rewriteSelectionEffort &&
+    record["showToolbar"] === settings.showToolbar &&
     record["sendShortcut"] === settings.sendShortcut &&
     record["scrollThreadFromComposerEdges"] === settings.scrollThreadFromComposerEdges &&
     record["archiveExportEnabled"] === settings.archiveExportEnabled &&
diff --git a/src/settings/tab.ts b/src/settings/tab.ts
index 873eabaf..bceac461 100644
--- a/src/settings/tab.ts
+++ b/src/settings/tab.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,16 @@ export class CodexPanelSettingTab extends PluginSettingTab {
             await this.plugin.saveSettings();
           });
       });
+    new Setting(configSection)
+      .setName("Show chat toolbar")
+      .setDesc("Show the chat panel toolbar. Slash commands, composer status controls, and the threads view remain available when hidden.")
+      .addToggle((toggle) => {
+        toggle.setValue(this.plugin.settings.showToolbar).onChange(async (value) => {
+          this.plugin.settings.showToolbar = value;
+          await this.plugin.saveSettings();
+          this.plugin.refreshOpenViews();
+        });
+      });
 
     const composerSection = containerEl.createDiv({ cls: "codex-panel-settings__section codex-panel-settings__composer-section" });
     renderSettingsHeading(composerSection, "Composer");
@@ -522,6 +532,7 @@ export interface CodexPanelSettingTabHost extends Plugin {
   settings: CodexPanelSettings;
   vaultPath: string;
   saveSettings(): Promise<void>;
+  refreshOpenViews(): void;
   refreshSharedThreadListFromOpenSurface(): void;
   cachedModels(): Model[];
   publishModels(models: Model[]): void;
diff --git a/tests/features/chat/ui/shell.test.tsx b/tests/features/chat/ui/shell.test.tsx
index 01d8d229..fe313b60 100644
--- a/tests/features/chat/ui/shell.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/features/chat/ui/shell.test.tsx
@@ -86,6 +86,34 @@ describe("ChatPanelShell", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("removes and restores the toolbar slot from shell props", async () => {
+    const store = createChatStateStore();
+    const container = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.appendChild(container);
+    const renderers = shellRenderers(store);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      renderChatPanelShell(container, { ...renderers, showToolbar: false });
+      await settleShellEffects();
+    });
+
+    expect(container.querySelector(".codex-panel__toolbar")).toBeNull();
+    expect(container.querySelector(".codex-panel__slot--messages")).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(container.querySelector(".codex-panel__slot--composer")).not.toBeNull();
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      renderChatPanelShell(container, { ...renderers, showToolbar: true });
+      await settleShellEffects();
+    });
+
+    expect(container.querySelector(".codex-panel__toolbar")).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(container.firstElementChild?.classList.contains("codex-panel__toolbar")).toBe(true);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      unmountChatPanelShell(container);
+    });
+  });
+
   it("unmounts existing slot roots before rebuilding a damaged shell scaffold", async () => {
     const store = createChatStateStore();
     const container = document.createElement("div");
@@ -163,6 +191,7 @@ function shellRenderers(store: ReturnType<typeof createChatStateStore>) {
   return {
     stateStore: store,
     renderVersion: 0,
+    showToolbar: true,
     toolbar: {
       render: vi.fn((toolbar: HTMLElement) => {
         toolbar.textContent = store.getState().status;
@@ -188,6 +217,7 @@ function nestedRootShellRenderers(store: ReturnType<typeof createChatStateStore>
   return {
     stateStore: store,
     renderVersion: 0,
+    showToolbar: true,
     toolbar: {
       render: vi.fn((toolbar: HTMLElement) => {
         renderUiRoot(
@@ -225,6 +255,7 @@ function trackedRootShellRenderers(store: ReturnType<typeof createChatStateStore
   return {
     stateStore: store,
     renderVersion: 0,
+    showToolbar: true,
     toolbar: {
       render: vi.fn((toolbar: HTMLElement) => {
         renderUiRoot(toolbar, <TrackedSlot slot="toolbar" cleanup={cleanup} />);
diff --git a/tests/features/chat/view-connection.test.ts b/tests/features/chat/view-connection.test.ts
index 9dbeeb29..acb35e64 100644
--- a/tests/features/chat/view-connection.test.ts
+++ b/tests/features/chat/view-connection.test.ts
@@ -1050,6 +1050,7 @@ function chatHost(overrides: Partial<CodexChatHost> = {}): CodexChatHost {
     openTurnDiff: vi.fn(),
     notifyThreadArchived: vi.fn(),
     notifyThreadRenamed: vi.fn(),
+    refreshOpenViews: vi.fn(),
     refreshSharedThreadListFromOpenSurface: vi.fn(),
     refreshThreadsViewLiveState: vi.fn(),
     applyThreadListSnapshot: vi.fn(),
diff --git a/tests/main.test.ts b/tests/main.test.ts
index 0b694e05..82e4441a 100644
--- a/tests/main.test.ts
+++ b/tests/main.test.ts
@@ -540,6 +540,7 @@ function chatView(CodexChatViewCtor: typeof CodexChatView, leaf: TestLeaf) {
       openTurnDiff: vi.fn(),
       notifyThreadArchived: vi.fn(),
       notifyThreadRenamed: vi.fn(),
+      refreshOpenViews: vi.fn(),
       refreshSharedThreadListFromOpenSurface: vi.fn(),
       refreshThreadsViewLiveState: vi.fn(),
       applyThreadListSnapshot: vi.fn(),
diff --git a/tests/settings/settings-tab.test.ts b/tests/settings/settings-tab.test.ts
index 14f9a47f..2e615e7c 100644
--- a/tests/settings/settings-tab.test.ts
+++ b/tests/settings/settings-tab.test.ts
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ describe("settings tab", () => {
     expect(tab.containerEl.querySelector("h2")).toBeNull();
     expect(settingNames(tab)).toEqual([
       "Codex executable",
+      "Show chat toolbar",
       "Composer",
       "Send shortcut",
       "Scroll thread from composer edges",
@@ -113,6 +114,24 @@ describe("settings tab", () => {
     expect(tab.containerEl.querySelector(".codex-panel-settings__section-status")?.textContent ?? "").not.toContain("Obsidian hotkeys");
   });
 
+  it("saves the toolbar visibility setting and refreshes open panels", async () => {
+    const saveSettings = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    const refreshOpenViews = vi.fn();
+    const tab = newSettingsTab({ saveSettings, refreshOpenViews });
+
+    tab.display();
+    const toggle = inputForSetting(tab, "Show chat toolbar");
+    if (!toggle) throw new Error("Missing toolbar visibility toggle");
+
+    toggle.checked = false;
+    toggle.dispatchEvent(new Event("change"));
+    await flushPromises();
+
+    expect(saveSettings).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(refreshOpenViews).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(settingDesc(tab, "Show chat toolbar")).toContain("Slash commands");
+  });
+
   it("saves the composer edge scroll setting", async () => {
     const saveSettings = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
     const tab = newSettingsTab({ saveSettings });
@@ -345,6 +364,7 @@ function newSettingsTab(
     sendShortcut?: "enter" | "mod-enter";
     cachedModels?: Model[];
     publishModels?: (models: Model[]) => void;
+    refreshOpenViews?: () => void;
   } = {},
 ): CodexPanelSettingTab {
   return new CodexPanelSettingTab(
@@ -356,6 +376,7 @@ function newSettingsTab(
         threadNamingEffort: null,
         rewriteSelectionModel: null,
         rewriteSelectionEffort: null,
+        showToolbar: true,
         sendShortcut: options.sendShortcut ?? "enter",
         scrollThreadFromComposerEdges: false,
         archiveExportEnabled: false,
@@ -365,6 +386,7 @@ function newSettingsTab(
       },
       vaultPath: "/vault",
       saveSettings: options.saveSettings ?? vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+      refreshOpenViews: options.refreshOpenViews ?? vi.fn(),
       refreshSharedThreadListFromOpenSurface: vi.fn(),
       cachedModels: vi.fn(() => options.cachedModels ?? []),
       publishModels: options.publishModels ?? vi.fn(),
diff --git a/tests/settings/settings.test.ts b/tests/settings/settings.test.ts
index 697b548a..6634e3dc 100644
--- a/tests/settings/settings.test.ts
+++ b/tests/settings/settings.test.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ describe("settings", () => {
       threadNamingEffort: "low",
       rewriteSelectionModel: "gpt-5.4-mini",
       rewriteSelectionEffort: "minimal",
+      showToolbar: false,
       sendShortcut: "mod-enter",
       scrollThreadFromComposerEdges: true,
       archiveExportEnabled: true,
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ describe("settings", () => {
       threadNamingEffort: "low",
       rewriteSelectionModel: "gpt-5.4-mini",
       rewriteSelectionEffort: "minimal",
+      showToolbar: false,
       sendShortcut: "mod-enter",
       scrollThreadFromComposerEdges: true,
       archiveExportEnabled: true,
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ describe("settings", () => {
       threadNamingEffort: "low",
       rewriteSelectionModel: "gpt-5.4-mini",
       rewriteSelectionEffort: "minimal",
+      showToolbar: true,
       sendShortcut: "mod-enter",
       scrollThreadFromComposerEdges: true,
       archiveExportEnabled: true,
@@ -101,6 +104,12 @@ describe("settings", () => {
     expect(normalizeSettings({ sendShortcut: "invalid" }).sendShortcut).toBe(DEFAULT_SETTINGS.sendShortcut);
   });
 
+  it("shows the chat toolbar by default", () => {
+    expect(normalizeSettings({}).showToolbar).toBe(true);
+    expect(normalizeSettings({ showToolbar: false }).showToolbar).toBe(false);
+    expect(normalizeSettings({ showToolbar: "no" }).showToolbar).toBe(DEFAULT_SETTINGS.showToolbar);
+  });
+
   it("normalizes composer edge scrolling", () => {
     expect(normalizeSettings({ scrollThreadFromComposerEdges: true }).scrollThreadFromComposerEdges).toBe(true);
     expect(normalizeSettings({ scrollThreadFromComposerEdges: "yes" }).scrollThreadFromComposerEdges).toBe(