diff --git a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/canvas/DashboardCanvas.tsx b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/canvas/DashboardCanvas.tsx
index 6e9a5866..95e75390 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/canvas/DashboardCanvas.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/canvas/DashboardCanvas.tsx
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ interface DashboardCanvasProps {
   canvas: Canvas;
   selection: Selection;
   sessions: Record<string, AgentSession>;
-  sessionList: AgentSession[];
   cards: Record<string, CardPosition>;
   viewCards: Record<string, ViewCardPosition>;
   browserCards: Record<string, BrowserCardPosition>;
@@ -114,7 +113,6 @@ const DashboardCanvas: React.FC<DashboardCanvasProps> = ({
   canvas,
   selection,
   sessions,
-  sessionList,
   cards,
   viewCards,
   browserCards,
@@ -515,7 +513,7 @@ const DashboardCanvas: React.FC<DashboardCanvasProps> = ({
             />
           </div>
         )}
-        {sessionList.length === 0 && Object.keys(viewCards).length === 0 && Object.keys(browserCards).length === 0 && Object.keys(workflowCards).length === 0 && !workflowsHub && !fullscreenCardId && (
+        {canvasEmpty && !fullscreenCardId && (
           <DashboardEmptyState c={c} onLaunch={onToolbarSend} onStarter={onStarter} />
         )}
       </Box>
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/state/useDashboardController.ts b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/state/useDashboardController.ts
index f7bfdf6d..d1c5905d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/state/useDashboardController.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/state/useDashboardController.ts
@@ -90,12 +90,16 @@ export function useDashboardController(dashboardId: string, isActive: boolean) {
 
   // Nudge the chat button while the canvas is empty; the first click dismisses it for this visit.
   const bounceDismissedRef = useRef(false);
-  // Truly-empty canvas: matches the empty-state hero's own render condition (fullscreen is handled
+  const settingsWindowOpen = useAppSelector((s) => !!s.dashboardLayout.settingsCard);
+  const marketplaceWindowOpen = useAppSelector((s) => !!s.dashboardLayout.marketplaceCard);
+  // Truly-empty canvas: IS the empty-state hero's render condition (fullscreen is handled
   // separately, it display:none's the whole overlay layer), so "pill hidden" always coincides with
-  // "hero shown" and a workflow-card-only canvas never ends up with no composer at all.
+  // "hero shown". The singleton windows (Settings, Marketplace, Run Monitor) count as content,
+  // otherwise the hero floats on top of an open window.
   const canvasEmpty = layoutInitialized && sessionList.length === 0
     && Object.keys(viewCards).length === 0 && Object.keys(browserCards).length === 0
-    && Object.keys(workflowCards).length === 0 && !workflowsHub;
+    && Object.keys(workflowCards).length === 0 && !workflowsHub
+    && !settingsWindowOpen && !marketplaceWindowOpen && !workflowsMonitorCard;
   useEffect(() => {
     setNewAgentBounce(canvasEmpty && !bounceDismissedRef.current);
   }, [canvasEmpty, setNewAgentBounce]);
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/pages/Directory/MarketplaceAppCard.tsx b/frontend/src/app/pages/Directory/MarketplaceAppCard.tsx
index 75dbcc51..4d521fa6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/pages/Directory/MarketplaceAppCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/pages/Directory/MarketplaceAppCard.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import React, { useCallback } from 'react';
-import StorefrontIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Storefront';
 import { useAppDispatch, useAppSelector } from '@/shared/hooks';
 import {
   closeMarketplaceCard,
@@ -107,10 +106,6 @@ const MarketplaceAppCard: React.FC<Props> = ({
             >
               <WindowControls onClose={close} onMinimize={minimize} onTile={onTileZone} tiled={!!tileZone} />
             </span>
-            <div style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 8 }}>
-              <StorefrontIcon sx={{ fontSize: 18, color: c.text.secondary, display: 'block' }} />
-              <span style={{ fontSize: 14, fontWeight: 600, color: c.text.primary, lineHeight: 1 }}>Marketplace</span>
-            </div>
           </div>
           <MarketplaceBody />
         </>
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/pages/Settings/SettingsAppCard.tsx b/frontend/src/app/pages/Settings/SettingsAppCard.tsx
index b668c8c5..8bb28ded 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/pages/Settings/SettingsAppCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/pages/Settings/SettingsAppCard.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import React, { useCallback } from 'react';
-import SettingsIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Settings';
 import { useAppDispatch, useAppSelector } from '@/shared/hooks';
 import {
   closeSettingsCard,
@@ -109,10 +108,6 @@ const SettingsAppCard: React.FC<Props> = ({
             >
               <WindowControls onClose={close} onMinimize={minimize} onTile={onTileZone} tiled={!!tileZone} />
             </span>
-            <div style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 8 }}>
-              <SettingsIcon sx={{ fontSize: 18, color: c.text.secondary, display: 'block' }} />
-              <span style={{ fontSize: 14, fontWeight: 600, color: c.text.primary, lineHeight: 1 }}>Settings</span>
-            </div>
           </div>
           <SettingsBody active onRequestClose={close} />
         </>