diff --git a/tonalmine/stylesheets/components.css b/tonalmine/stylesheets/components.css
index 90769b0..31cea75 100644
--- a/tonalmine/stylesheets/components.css
+++ b/tonalmine/stylesheets/components.css
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ input.autocomplete {
 :where(:root[data-mode="dark"]) input.autocomplete { background-image: url(../images/search-dark.svg); }
 @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) { :where(:root:not([data-mode="light"])) input.autocomplete { background-image: url(../images/search-dark.svg); } }
 select[multiple] { background-image: none; padding-inline-end: 12px; }
-input::placeholder, textarea::placeholder { color: var(--md-sys-color-on-surface-variant); opacity: 1; }
+input::placeholder, textarea::placeholder { color: var(--md-sys-color-outline); opacity: 1; } /* lighter than typed text, so an empty field does not look filled */
 input[type="checkbox"], input[type="radio"] { accent-color: var(--md-sys-color-primary); }
 input[type="file"] { color: var(--md-sys-color-on-surface-variant); }
 input[type="file"]::file-selector-button {
diff --git a/tonalmine/stylesheets/layout.css b/tonalmine/stylesheets/layout.css
index ebf7f7d..0c95a62 100644
--- a/tonalmine/stylesheets/layout.css
+++ b/tonalmine/stylesheets/layout.css
@@ -295,23 +295,24 @@ div + .drdn-items, .dropdown-divider, #account .dropdown-content .logout { borde
   display: flex;
   align-items: center;
   min-block-size: 36px;
+  padding-block: 8px; /* long names wrap: keep the items apart */
   padding-inline: 12px;
+  box-sizing: border-box;
   border-radius: var(--md-sys-shape-corner-full);
   color: var(--md-sys-color-on-surface-variant);
-  font: var(--md-sys-typescale-label-large);
-  letter-spacing: var(--md-sys-typescale-label-large-tracking);
+  font: var(--md-sys-typescale-body-medium); /* regular weight: only the section titles are bold */
+  letter-spacing: var(--md-sys-typescale-body-medium-tracking);
   transition: var(--nm-transition);
 }
 #sidebar li > a:is(:only-child, .query):hover, #admin-menu li a:hover { background-image: var(--nm-state-hover); text-decoration: none; }
 #sidebar li > a.selected:is(:only-child, .query), #admin-menu li a.selected {
   margin-inline-start: 0; /* core: -6px, inset marker bar */
-  padding-block: 0;
+  padding-block: 8px;
   box-shadow: none;
-  line-height: normal;
   background-color: var(--md-sys-color-secondary-container);
   color: var(--md-sys-color-on-secondary-container);
 }
-#admin-menu li { padding-block-end: 2px; }
+#admin-menu li, #sidebar li:has(> a:is(:only-child, .query)) { padding-block-end: 2px; }
 /* The selected query also holds its "clear" icon: it sits at the end, inside the pill */
 #sidebar li:has(> .icon-clear-query) { display: grid; align-items: center; }
 #sidebar li:has(> .icon-clear-query) > * { grid-area: 1 / 1; }