diff --git a/assets/css/base.css b/assets/css/base.css
index ebf3b03..6e4c566 100644
--- a/assets/css/base.css
+++ b/assets/css/base.css
@@ -1449,11 +1449,7 @@ select option:checked {
   border: 1px solid var(--border-color);
   transition: var(--transition-default);
 }
-.lt-sidebar.collapsed { width: 32px; overflow: hidden; }
-.lt-sidebar.collapsed .lt-sidebar-body { display: none; }
-.lt-sidebar.collapsed .lt-sidebar-header { justify-content: center; padding: 0.5rem 0; border-bottom: none; }
-.lt-sidebar.collapsed .lt-sidebar-header > span:first-child { display: none; }
-.lt-sidebar.collapsed .lt-sidebar-toggle { font-size: 0.8rem; padding: 0.4rem; color: var(--accent-cyan); }
+.lt-sidebar.collapsed { display: none; }
 
 .lt-sidebar-header {
   display: flex;
@@ -5589,6 +5585,33 @@ body.lt-is-offline .lt-main { margin-top: 2rem; transition: margin-top 0.25s eas
   .lt-footer { flex-direction: column; align-items: flex-start; gap: 0.25rem; }
 }
 
+.lt-footer-hints { display: flex; align-items: center; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 0.25rem; }
+
+.lt-footer-hint {
+  /* reset button defaults */
+  all: unset;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.25rem;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  font-size: 0.7rem;
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+  white-space: nowrap;
+}
+.lt-footer-hint:hover { color: var(--accent-cyan); }
+.lt-footer-hint:focus-visible { outline: 1px dashed var(--accent-cyan); outline-offset: 2px; }
+
+.lt-footer-key {
+  color: var(--accent-cyan);
+  opacity: 0.8;
+}
+
+.lt-footer-sep {
+  color: var(--border-dim);
+  user-select: none;
+}
+
 /* ================================================================
    BLINKING CURSOR
    <h1 class="lt-cursor">SYSTEM STATUS</h1>
diff --git a/assets/js/base.js b/assets/js/base.js
index 7bdbdf1..91a8b00 100644
--- a/assets/js/base.js
+++ b/assets/js/base.js
@@ -391,7 +391,10 @@
     let combo = '';
     if (e.ctrlKey || e.metaKey) combo += 'ctrl+';
     if (e.altKey)               combo += 'alt+';
-    if (e.shiftKey)             combo += 'shift+';
+    // Only add shift+ for letter keys — for symbol keys (?, !, @, etc.) the shift state
+    // is already encoded in e.key itself, so adding shift+ would break registrations like '?'.
+    const isLetter = e.key.length === 1 && /[a-zA-Z]/.test(e.key);
+    if (e.shiftKey && isLetter) combo += 'shift+';
     combo += e.key.toLowerCase();
     const alwaysFire = e.key === 'Escape' || e.ctrlKey || e.metaKey;
     if (inInput && !alwaysFire) return;
diff --git a/assets/js/dashboard.js b/assets/js/dashboard.js
index e48ddb2..b81fcae 100644
--- a/assets/js/dashboard.js
+++ b/assets/js/dashboard.js
@@ -3,15 +3,11 @@
  */
 function toggleSidebar() {
     const sidebar = document.getElementById('lt-sidebar');
+    const btn     = document.getElementById('lt-sidebar-toggle-btn');
     if (!sidebar) return;
-    const isCollapsed = sidebar.classList.toggle('collapsed');
-    const btn = sidebar.querySelector('.lt-sidebar-toggle');
-    if (btn) {
-        btn.textContent = isCollapsed ? '\u25B6' : '\u25C0';
-        btn.setAttribute('aria-label', isCollapsed ? 'Expand filter sidebar' : 'Collapse filter sidebar');
-        btn.setAttribute('aria-expanded', isCollapsed ? 'false' : 'true');
-    }
-    localStorage.setItem('sidebarCollapsed', isCollapsed ? 'true' : 'false');
+    const isHidden = sidebar.classList.toggle('collapsed');
+    localStorage.setItem('sidebarCollapsed', isHidden ? 'true' : 'false');
+    if (btn) btn.textContent = isHidden ? '\u22EE\u22EE Show Filters' : '\u22EE\u22EE Filters';
 }
 
 /**
@@ -76,28 +72,20 @@ function initMobileSidebar() {
 
 }
 
-// Restore sidebar state and bind toggle button directly (no event delegation)
+// Restore sidebar state and bind toggle button
 document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
     const savedState = localStorage.getItem('sidebarCollapsed');
-    const sidebar = document.getElementById('lt-sidebar');
+    const sidebar    = document.getElementById('lt-sidebar');
+    const toggleBtn  = document.getElementById('lt-sidebar-toggle-btn');
+
     if (savedState === 'true' && sidebar) {
         sidebar.classList.add('collapsed');
-        const btn = sidebar.querySelector('.lt-sidebar-toggle');
-        if (btn) {
-            btn.textContent = '\u25B6';
-            btn.setAttribute('aria-label', 'Expand filter sidebar');
-            btn.setAttribute('aria-expanded', 'false');
-        }
+        if (toggleBtn) toggleBtn.textContent = '\u22EE\u22EE Show Filters';
     }
 
-    // Bind directly — bypass event delegation entirely so it works
-    // regardless of isDashboard guard or overflow/clipping issues
-    document.querySelectorAll('.lt-sidebar-toggle').forEach(function(btn) {
-        btn.addEventListener('click', function(e) {
-            e.stopPropagation();
-            toggleSidebar();
-        });
-    });
+    if (toggleBtn) {
+        toggleBtn.addEventListener('click', toggleSidebar);
+    }
 });
 
 // Main initialization
diff --git a/views/DashboardView.php b/views/DashboardView.php
index c0a542d..79a3251 100644
--- a/views/DashboardView.php
+++ b/views/DashboardView.php
@@ -409,12 +409,6 @@ include __DIR__ . '/layout_header.php';
   <aside class="lt-sidebar" id="lt-sidebar" role="complementary" aria-label="Filter options">
     <div class="lt-sidebar-header">
       <span>Filters</span>
-      <button type="button" class="lt-sidebar-toggle"
-              data-action="toggle-sidebar"
-              data-sidebar-toggle="lt-sidebar"
-              aria-label="Collapse filter sidebar"
-              aria-expanded="true"
-              aria-controls="lt-sidebar">&#x25C0;</button>
     </div>
     <div class="lt-sidebar-body" id="dashboardSidebar">
 
@@ -506,6 +500,8 @@ include __DIR__ . '/layout_header.php';
     <!-- Toolbar: search + export + count -->
     <div class="lt-toolbar">
       <div class="lt-toolbar-left">
+        <button type="button" id="lt-sidebar-toggle-btn" class="lt-btn lt-btn-ghost lt-btn-sm"
+                aria-label="Toggle filter sidebar" title="Toggle filters">&#x22EE;&#x22EE; Filters</button>
         <form method="GET" action="" class="lt-search-form" role="search">
           <?php foreach (['status','category','type','sort','dir'] as $p): ?>
             <?php if (isset($_GET[$p])): ?>