diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index a01be2c..1fba27f 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Pagerite is a CMS. See `docs` for the full design and implementation details. Ke
   - `files.py` — `FileStore` (content-addressed, RAM-cached), image derivative helpers (`store_image`; `store_attachment` keeps non-media uploads as inert `{hash}.file` blobs), file routes (`/_api/files`, `/_f/` — media by hash, attachments only via `/_f/{hash}/{filename}`, all forced-download + nosniff, `/_themes/`, `/_fonts/`, favicon settings).
   - `api.py` — editor REST + WS: `/_api/pages`, `/_api/structure`, `/_api/settings`, `/_api/toggle-task`, `/_api/translations`, `/_api/ws/editor`, `/_translate/{key}`.
   - `tracking.py` — visit analytics: GeoIP, client enrichment, favicon fetch, `/_ws`, `/_api/ws/analytics`, the `/_a` page (docs/analytics.md). Both sockets also carry the contact-message protocol (docs/messages.md): `/_ws` routes token-bearing visitor frames and gates sends with a per-connection single-use easypow challenge, the analytics socket the admin inbox.
-  - `messages.py` — visitor contact threads (docs/messages.md): strict message rendering (`html=False` markdown-it — threads never carry user markup), thread store ops, the visitor/admin socket protocols (PoW validation lives in `tracking.activity_ws` as a per-connection local; browser solver served at `/_contact/easypow.js`), the `/_m` admin inbox page route, and the public `/_contact/files` upload route (pending-upload quota, unreferenced files deleted when the session's last socket closes).
+  - `messages.py` — visitor contact threads (docs/messages.md): strict message rendering (`html=False` markdown-it — threads never carry user markup), thread store ops, the visitor/admin socket protocols (PoW validation lives in `tracking.activity_ws` as a per-connection local; browser solver served at `/_contact/easypow.js`), the admin unread count for `/_api/settings`, and the public `/_contact/files` upload route (pending-upload quota, unreferenced files deleted when the session's last socket closes).
   - `pages.py` — public content pages: `/`, `/sitemap.xml`, `/robots.txt`, the `/{path:path}` catch-all. Articles serve their Markdown (title injected as `# title`, per-language hybrid) at a `.md`-suffixed URL, or at the plain URL when Accept explicitly names text/markdown; pages link it via `<link rel="alternate" type="text/markdown">`, and llms.txt links point at the `.md` URLs.
   - `feeds.py` — machine-readable exports: `/llms.txt` (compact index linking each article's `.md` Markdown URL), `/feed.json` (JSON Feed 1.1), `/feed.xml` (RSS 2.0 + atom:link); the feeds carry all published articles with full content, linked from every page `<head>` and the sitemap, recorded in analytics.
   - `data.py` — msgspec Structs for the kanta database.
@@ -31,9 +31,8 @@ Pagerite is a CMS. See `docs` for the full design and implementation details. Ke
 - `frontend/src/` — Vue editor and public-page JS entries.
   - `main.js` — Vue editor app entry.
   - `analytics-main.js` — analytics page entry (mounts `AnalyticsView` at `/_a`).
-  - `messages-main.js` + `MessagesView.vue` — admin contact inbox page at `/_m` (docs/messages.md): thread list, replies and read marking over `/_api/ws/analytics`; owns its socket lifecycle like AnalyticsView.
   - `langselect-main.js` + `LangSelector.vue` — public language selector, imported on demand by pagerite.js on pages with more than one hreflang alternate (the editors' `LangSelect` flag dropdown).
-  - `contact-main.js` + `ContactPanel.vue` — public contact panel (docs/messages.md), imported on demand by pagerite.js when a `{contact:}` trigger button is clicked; rides the `/_ws` activity socket through pagerite.js's bridge (register/send, shared queue and reconnect pacing) — no extra connection.
+  - `contact-main.js` + `ContactOverlay.vue` — messaging overlay entry and shell (docs/messages.md), imported on demand by pagerite.js when a `{contact:}` trigger button or the corner ✉️ icon is clicked: the visitor thread (ContactPanel.vue, riding the `/_ws` activity socket through pagerite.js's bridge — register/send, shared queue and reconnect pacing) or, for editors, the admin inbox (MessagesView.vue: thread list, replies and read marking over `/_api/ws/analytics`, connected only while open).
   - `Composer.vue` + `richtext.js` — the message composer shared by the contact panel and the admin inbox: constrained contenteditable (plain-text paste, toolbar formatting, upload chips) serialized to a Markdown subset that the server re-renders strictly.
   - `store.js` — the shared Pinia store (`useStore`, id `pagerite`) for cross-bundle UI state.
   - `pagerite.js` — public page entry.
diff --git a/docs/messages.md b/docs/messages.md
index 2986397..0a992c2 100644
--- a/docs/messages.md
+++ b/docs/messages.md
@@ -1,25 +1,30 @@
 # Contact messages
 
 Visitor→admin messaging built into the site: a `{contact: Label}` directive
-in article Markdown renders a button that opens a chat-style panel; messages
-are stored in the kanta database and answered from the admin inbox on `/_m`.
-Visitors are anonymous — a localStorage session token identifies their
-thread — and everything realtime rides the two existing WebSockets; there is
-no REST polling anywhere.
+in article Markdown renders a button that opens the messaging overlay, and
+the corner ✉️ icon (top right, for everyone) opens it too — the visitor's
+own thread for visitors, the admin inbox for editors. Messages are stored
+in the kanta database. Visitors are anonymous — a localStorage session
+token identifies their thread — and everything realtime rides the two
+existing WebSockets; there is no REST polling anywhere.
 
 - `pagerite/messages.py` — the feature's core: the strict message renderer,
-  thread store ops, wire payloads, both socket protocols, the `/_m` inbox
-  page route and the `/_contact/files` upload route.
+  thread store ops, wire payloads, both socket protocols, the admin unread
+  count and the `/_contact/files` upload route.
 - `pagerite/data.py` — `Data.contact` (`ContactThread`/`ContactMessage`).
 - `pagerite/tracking.py` — the sockets the protocol rides (see below).
-- `pagerite/views.py` — the `{contact:}` directive (`_contact_tag`), the
-  `/_m` page render and the on-demand bundles' asset config.
-- `frontend/src/contact-main.js` + `ContactPanel.vue` — the visitor panel,
-  imported on demand by `pagerite.js` on trigger clicks.
+- `pagerite/api.py` — `/_api/settings` carries `contact_unread` (the admin
+  icon badge seed — the probe runs on every page load, no polling).
+- `pagerite/views.py` — the `{contact:}` directive (`_contact_tag`) and the
+  on-demand bundle's asset config.
+- `frontend/src/contact-main.js` + `ContactOverlay.vue` — the overlay entry
+  and shell (paskia's shared blur backdrop, centered dialog, full-screen on
+  mobile), imported on demand by `pagerite.js` on icon/trigger clicks.
+- `frontend/src/ContactPanel.vue` — the visitor thread content.
+- `frontend/src/MessagesView.vue` — the admin inbox content (thread list,
+  replies, read marking); connects its admin-gated socket only while open.
 - `frontend/src/Composer.vue` + `richtext.js` — the shared composer and its
   DOM→Markdown serializer.
-- `frontend/src/messages-main.js` + `MessagesView.vue` — the admin inbox
-  page at `/_m` (own pens-row icon, own socket lifecycle).
 
 ## Trigger
 
@@ -38,8 +43,11 @@ The token is `crypto.randomUUID()` in localStorage
 (`pagerite-contact-token`), generated on first use; the server stores only
 its blake3 hash as the thread key. Pages are shared/cached renders, so the
 thread UI is entirely client-side. A per-browser "seen" timestamp
-(`pagerite-contact-seen`) drives the unread dot on trigger buttons when an
-admin reply arrives while the panel is closed.
+(`pagerite-contact-seen`) and the newest admin reply's timestamp
+(`pagerite-contact-lastadmin`) drive the unread dot on trigger buttons and
+the corner ✉️ icon when an admin reply arrives while the panel is closed —
+including on a fresh page load before any socket activity (pagerite.js
+reads the pair directly; the bundle keeps it live once loaded).
 
 The panel rides the public `/_ws` activity socket via a bridge in
 `pagerite.js` (`register`/`send`, sharing its queue and reconnect pacing —
@@ -78,18 +86,24 @@ solves and retries once. Challenges are a per-connection local in the
 
 ## Admin side
 
-Admins watch the inbox on its own page, **`/_m`** (✉️ icon in the pens
-row), served by the existing `/_api/ws/analytics` socket (admin-gated like
-all of `/_api`). Analytics payloads keep their type-less snapshot shape;
-messaging frames always carry a `type` field, and that is how each client
-picks out its own frames (the analytics viewer ignores them). On connect
-the server sends `{type: "threads", threads: [...]}` (100 most
-recently active); new messages and replies push single-thread updates.
-Admin→server frames: `{type: "reply", id, text}` and `{type: "read", id}`.
+Editors open the inbox from the same ✉️ corner icon (the trigger buttons
+always open the visitor side, so both can be tested side by side): the
+same overlay, wider to fit the thread list, served by the existing
+`/_api/ws/analytics` socket (admin-gated like all of `/_api`) which
+`MessagesView` connects only while the overlay is open. Analytics payloads
+keep their type-less snapshot shape; messaging frames always carry a
+`type` field, and that is how each client picks out its own frames (the
+analytics viewer ignores them). On connect the server sends
+`{type: "threads", threads: [...]}` (100 most recently active); new
+messages and replies push single-thread updates. Admin→server frames:
+`{type: "reply", id, text}` and `{type: "read", id}`.
 Replies store the SSO `remote-user` name for audit but are labeled with
 the currently configured **site name** in the wire payload (substituted at
 read time) and mark the thread read; `unread` on a thread means its last
-message is the visitor's and newer than the admin's last read.
+message is the visitor's and newer than the admin's last read. The icon's
+badge (a count of unanswered threads) is seeded by the `/_api/settings`
+probe's `contact_unread` on every page load and kept live by the inbox
+while it is open.
 
 ## Message format and the XSS model
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/AnalyticsView.vue b/frontend/src/AnalyticsView.vue
index 820b1e9..fbb683b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/AnalyticsView.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/AnalyticsView.vue
@@ -3,9 +3,8 @@
 // analytics data over /_api/ws/analytics (admin-gated by the auth proxy) and
 // renders totals, smoothed visit/views curves, a transition map, and recent
 // visit/crawler tables. The same socket also carries the contact-messaging
-// protocol (typed frames) for the admin inbox — that lives on its own /_m
-// page now (MessagesView.vue, docs/messages.md), so typed frames are ignored
-// here.
+// protocol (typed frames) for the admin inbox overlay (MessagesView.vue,
+// docs/messages.md), so typed frames are ignored here.
 // See docs/analytics.md for the data format.
 import { computed, onMounted, onUnmounted, ref, watch } from 'vue'
 import { fetchJson } from 'paskia'
@@ -89,7 +88,8 @@ function connect() {
     try {
       const msg = JSON.parse(event.data)
       // Contact-messaging frames (docs/messages.md) carry a type field and
-      // are for the /_m inbox; the type-less snapshot is analytics data.
+      // are for the admin inbox overlay; the type-less snapshot is
+      // analytics data.
       if (msg?.type) return
       data.value = msg
       if (!rangePinned) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/ContactOverlay.vue b/frontend/src/ContactOverlay.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..38b00d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/ContactOverlay.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+<script setup>
+// The messaging overlay shell (docs/messages.md): one centered dialog over
+// paskia's shared blur backdrop, on any page. The mode decides the content:
+// 'visitor' shows the visitor's own thread (ContactPanel — what the
+// {contact:} trigger buttons open, for admins too), 'admin' the contact
+// inbox (MessagesView — what the corner ✉️ icon opens for admins).
+// contact-main holds the backdrop while state.open and owns the store.
+import { computed, onMounted, onUnmounted } from 'vue'
+import ContactPanel from './ContactPanel.vue'
+import MessagesView from './MessagesView.vue'
+
+const props = defineProps({
+  state: { type: Object, required: true },
+  token: { type: String, required: true },
+})
+const emit = defineEmits(['send', 'close'])
+
+const admin = computed(() => props.state.mode === 'admin')
+
+// Escape closes, like the paskia dialogs whose backdrop we share.
+function onKey(ev) {
+  if (ev.key === 'Escape' && props.state.open) emit('close')
+}
+onMounted(() => addEventListener('keydown', onKey))
+onUnmounted(() => removeEventListener('keydown', onKey))
+</script>
+
+<template>
+  <div v-if="state.open" class="contact-overlay" @click.self="emit('close')">
+    <section
+      class="contact-panel"
+      :class="{ admin }"
+      role="dialog"
+      :aria-label="admin ? 'Messages' : 'Contact us'"
+    >
+      <header>
+        <h2>{{ admin ? 'Messages' : 'Contact us' }}</h2>
+        <button type="button" class="close" title="close" @click="emit('close')">✕</button>
+      </header>
+      <ContactPanel v-if="!admin" :state="state" :token="token" @send="(p) => emit('send', p)" />
+      <MessagesView v-else :state="state" />
+    </section>
+  </div>
+</template>
+
+<style scoped>
+.contact-overlay {
+  position: fixed;
+  inset: 0;
+  /* Above paskia's shared blur backdrop (1099, held by contact-main while
+     open), below the authentication iframe (9999). Transparent: the blur
+     is the backdrop's job, this layer only centers the panel and catches
+     outside clicks (the backdrop itself is pointer-events: none). */
+  z-index: 1100;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+}
+
+.contact-panel {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  /* Same dimensions as paskia's own dialog. */
+  width: min(36rem, 100%);
+  height: min(42rem, 92vh);
+  padding: 0.8rem;
+  gap: 0.6rem;
+  background: var(--bg, Canvas);
+  color: var(--text, CanvasText);
+  border: 1px solid var(--line);
+  border-radius: 0.5rem;
+  box-shadow: 0 0.5rem 2rem rgb(0 0 0 / 0.3);
+}
+
+/* The admin inbox adds the thread-list sidebar: a wider dialog. */
+.contact-panel.admin {
+  width: min(54rem, 100%);
+}
+
+.contact-panel header {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+}
+.contact-panel h2 {
+  margin: 0;
+  font-size: 1.1rem;
+}
+.contact-panel .close {
+  margin-left: auto;
+  padding: 0 0.3rem;
+  border: none;
+  background: none;
+  color: var(--muted);
+  font-size: 1.2rem;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+.contact-panel .close:hover {
+  color: var(--text, CanvasText);
+}
+
+/* Mobile: full screen (the admin layout's own sidebar stacking kicks in
+   at the same width). */
+@media (max-width: 36rem) {
+  .contact-panel {
+    width: 100%;
+    height: 100%;
+    border: none;
+    border-radius: 0;
+    box-shadow: none;
+  }
+}
+@media (max-width: 48rem) {
+  .contact-panel.admin {
+    width: 100%;
+    height: 100%;
+    border: none;
+    border-radius: 0;
+    box-shadow: none;
+  }
+}
+</style>
diff --git a/frontend/src/ContactPanel.vue b/frontend/src/ContactPanel.vue
index 927eca3..5a31c40 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ContactPanel.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/ContactPanel.vue
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 // The visitor's contact thread: messages pushed live over the activity
 // socket (via the bridge pagerite.js hands to contact-main), with the
 // composer shared with the admin inbox. state is contact-main's reactive
-// store ({open, thread, unread}).
-import { computed, nextTick, onMounted, onUnmounted, reactive, ref, watch } from 'vue'
+// store ({open, mode, thread, unread, ...}). The overlay shell (backdrop,
+// dialog frame, close) is ContactOverlay.vue.
+import { computed, nextTick, reactive, ref, watch } from 'vue'
 import { formatWhen } from './analytics/format.js'
 import Composer from './Composer.vue'
 
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ const props = defineProps({
   state: { type: Object, required: true },
   token: { type: String, required: true },
 })
-const emit = defineEmits(['send', 'close'])
+const emit = defineEmits(['send'])
 
 const scroll = ref(null)
 
@@ -26,13 +27,6 @@ watch(() => props.state.open, (open) => { if (open) scrollDown() })
 // Relative timestamps like in analytics.
 const fmtTime = (t) => formatWhen(t)
 
-// Escape closes, like the paskia dialogs whose backdrop we share.
-function onKey(ev) {
-  if (ev.key === 'Escape' && props.state.open) emit('close')
-}
-onMounted(() => addEventListener('keydown', onKey))
-onUnmounted(() => removeEventListener('keydown', onKey))
-
 const NAME_KEY = 'pagerite-contact-name'
 const EMAIL_KEY = 'pagerite-contact-email'
 
@@ -60,104 +54,37 @@ function onSend(md) {
 </script>
 
 <template>
-  <div v-if="state.open" class="contact-overlay" @click.self="emit('close')">
-    <section class="contact-panel" role="dialog" aria-label="Contact us">
+  <div ref="scroll" class="contact-messages">
+    <p v-if="!state.thread || !state.thread.messages.length" class="contact-empty">
+      Send us a message — the reply appears here.
+    </p>
+    <div
+      v-for="m in state.thread?.messages || []"
+      :key="m.id"
+      class="contact-msg"
+      :class="{ mine: !m.admin }"
+    >
+      <!-- m.html is the server's strict-markdown rendering of the
+           message source (pagerite/messages.py, html=False): markdown-it
+           output only, never user markup. -->
       <header>
-        <h2>Contact us</h2>
-        <button type="button" class="close" title="close" @click="emit('close')">✕</button>
+        <span class="who">{{ m.admin || state.thread?.name || 'you' }}</span>
+        <time>{{ fmtTime(m.t) }}</time>
       </header>
-      <div ref="scroll" class="contact-messages">
-        <p v-if="!state.thread || !state.thread.messages.length" class="contact-empty">
-          Send us a message — the reply appears here.
-        </p>
-        <div
-          v-for="m in state.thread?.messages || []"
-          :key="m.id"
-          class="contact-msg"
-          :class="{ mine: !m.admin }"
-        >
-          <!-- m.html is the server's strict-markdown rendering of the
-               message source (pagerite/messages.py, html=False): markdown-it
-               output only, never user markup. -->
-          <header>
-            <span class="who">{{ m.admin || state.thread?.name || 'you' }}</span>
-            <time>{{ fmtTime(m.t) }}</time>
-          </header>
-          <div class="contact-msg-body" v-html="m.html"></div>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-      <div v-if="showIntro" class="contact-intro">
-        <input v-model="intro.name" type="text" placeholder="Your name" maxlength="100">
-        <input v-model="intro.email" type="email" placeholder="Your email (optional)" maxlength="200">
-      </div>
-      <Composer :token="token" :send-disabled="introInvalid" autofocus @send="onSend" />
-    </section>
+      <div class="contact-msg-body" v-html="m.html"></div>
+    </div>
   </div>
+  <div v-if="showIntro" class="contact-intro">
+    <input v-model="intro.name" type="text" placeholder="Your name" maxlength="100">
+    <input v-model="intro.email" type="email" placeholder="Your email (optional)" maxlength="200">
+  </div>
+  <Composer :token="token" :send-disabled="introInvalid" autofocus @send="onSend" />
 </template>
 
 <style scoped>
-.contact-overlay {
-  position: fixed;
-  inset: 0;
-  /* Above paskia's shared blur backdrop (1099, held by contact-main while
-     open), below the authentication iframe (9999). Transparent: the blur
-     is the backdrop's job, this layer only centers the panel and catches
-     outside clicks (the backdrop itself is pointer-events: none). */
-  z-index: 1100;
-  display: flex;
-  align-items: center;
-  justify-content: center;
-}
-
-.contact-panel {
-  display: flex;
-  flex-direction: column;
-  /* Same dimensions as paskia's own dialog. */
-  width: min(36rem, 100%);
-  height: min(42rem, 92vh);
-  padding: 0.8rem;
-  gap: 0.6rem;
-  background: var(--bg, Canvas);
-  color: var(--text, CanvasText);
-  border: 1px solid var(--line);
-  border-radius: 0.5rem;
-  box-shadow: 0 0.5rem 2rem rgb(0 0 0 / 0.3);
-}
-
-/* Mobile: full screen. */
-@media (max-width: 36rem) {
-  .contact-panel {
-    width: 100%;
-    height: 100%;
-    border: none;
-    border-radius: 0;
-    box-shadow: none;
-  }
-}
-
-.contact-panel header {
-  display: flex;
-  align-items: center;
-}
-.contact-panel h2 {
-  margin: 0;
-  font-size: 1.1rem;
-}
-.contact-panel .close {
-  margin-left: auto;
-  padding: 0 0.3rem;
-  border: none;
-  background: none;
-  color: var(--muted);
-  font-size: 1.2rem;
-  cursor: pointer;
-}
-.contact-panel .close:hover {
-  color: var(--text, CanvasText);
-}
-
 .contact-messages {
   flex: 1;
+  min-height: 0;
   overflow-y: auto;
   padding-right: 0.2rem;
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/MessagesView.vue b/frontend/src/MessagesView.vue
index a29d3ad..66e7933 100644
--- a/frontend/src/MessagesView.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/MessagesView.vue
@@ -1,18 +1,25 @@
 <script setup>
-// The admin contact inbox, rendered as a normal page at /_m inside
-// #messages-app. Owns its connection to the admin-gated /_api/ws/analytics
-// socket (the same endpoint the analytics viewer uses): frames carrying a
-// `type` field are messaging payloads (threads/thread/contact-error), the
-// type-less analytics snapshot is ignored. Replies and read-markings go
-// back down the same socket (docs/messages.md). Message HTML is the
-// server's strict-markdown rendering — injected verbatim, never user
-// markup (pagerite/messages.py).
+// The admin contact inbox, mounted inside the messaging overlay
+// (ContactOverlay.vue) when an admin opens the corner ✉️ icon. Owns its
+// connection to the admin-gated /_api/ws/analytics socket (the same
+// endpoint the analytics viewer uses) for exactly as long as the overlay
+// is open: frames carrying a `type` field are messaging payloads
+// (threads/thread/contact-error), the type-less analytics snapshot is
+// ignored. Replies and read-markings go back down the same socket
+// (docs/messages.md). Message HTML is the server's strict-markdown
+// rendering — injected verbatim, never user markup (pagerite/messages.py).
 import { computed, nextTick, onMounted, onUnmounted, ref, watch } from 'vue'
 import { formatWhen } from './analytics/format.js'
 import Composer from './Composer.vue'
 import ConnNote from './ConnNote.vue'
 import { authReconnect, reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from './reconnect'
 
+// The shared store (contact-main): adminUnread mirrors the inbox's unread
+// count onto the corner icon's badge.
+const props = defineProps({
+  state: { type: Object, required: true },
+})
+
 const threads = ref([])
 const selected = ref('')
 const scroll = ref(null)
@@ -37,6 +44,9 @@ const connNote = computed(() =>
     : '',
 )
 
+const unreadTotal = computed(() => threads.value.reduce((n, t) => n + (t.unread ? 1 : 0), 0))
+watch(unreadTotal, (n) => { props.state.adminUnread = n }, { immediate: true })
+
 function lastT(t) {
   return t.messages.length ? t.messages[t.messages.length - 1].t : t.created
 }
@@ -87,8 +97,8 @@ function connect() {
 // dead network, but retrying the socket loops forever — the WS API cannot
 // open the login dialog. A lost session runs the paskia login flow and
 // reconnects the moment it completes; an aborted login (declined, or a
-// proxy offering no paskia flow) leaves for the front page; anything else
-// gets the paced backoff.
+// proxy offering no paskia flow) closes the inbox; anything else gets the
+// paced backoff.
 async function onSocketClose() {
   ws = null
   if (!mounted) return
@@ -99,7 +109,7 @@ async function onSocketClose() {
   if (outcome === 'auth') {
     connectNow()
   } else if (outcome === 'abort') {
-    goHome()
+    props.state.open = false
   } else {
     scheduleRetry(wait)
   }
@@ -112,12 +122,6 @@ function scheduleRetry(wait) {
   reconnectTimer = setTimeout(connect, wait)
 }
 
-// Leave for the front page, replacing the history entry: Back must not
-// return to /_m just to pop the login flow again.
-function goHome() {
-  location.replace('/')
-}
-
 // Connect (or recycle) right away, skipping any pending backoff: used after
 // login and when the page wakes — a socket that survived sleep still looks
 // OPEN but is dead (the server gave up on it while we were asleep), and
@@ -161,8 +165,8 @@ function onPageShow(ev) {
 
 // paskia's auth iframe announces its result as a window message: a login
 // completed anywhere in the page reconnects at once instead of waiting out
-// the backoff timer; a logout leaves for the front page — the inbox is
-// useless without a session.
+// the backoff timer; a logout closes the inbox — it is useless without a
+// session.
 function onAuthMessage(ev) {
   if (!mounted) return
   const type = ev.data?.type
@@ -178,7 +182,7 @@ function onAuthMessage(ev) {
       ws.close()
       ws = null
     }
-    goHome()
+    props.state.open = false
   }
 }
 
@@ -257,109 +261,60 @@ function send(md) {
 </script>
 
 <template>
-  <!-- Untranslated admin view: always LTR, like the editor panel. -->
-  <div class="messages-page" lang="en" dir="ltr">
-    <div class="messages-panel">
-      <header class="view-head">
-        <h1>Messages</h1>
-        <a href="/" class="close" title="home">✕</a>
+  <ConnNote :text="connNote" />
+  <div class="messages-view">
+    <aside class="thread-list">
+      <p v-if="!threads.length" class="empty">no messages yet</p>
+      <button
+        v-for="t in threads"
+        :key="t.id"
+        type="button"
+        class="thread-row"
+        :class="{ active: t.id === selected }"
+        @click="selected = t.id"
+      >
+        <span class="dot" :class="{ unread: t.unread }"></span>
+        <span class="peek">
+          <strong>{{ t.name || t.id.slice(0, 8) }}</strong>
+          {{ preview(t) }}
+        </span>
+        <time>{{ fmtTime(lastMsg(t)?.t || t.created) }}</time>
+      </button>
+    </aside>
+    <section v-if="thread" class="thread">
+      <header v-if="thread.name" class="thread-head">
+        <strong>{{ thread.name }}</strong>
+        <a v-if="thread.email" :href="`mailto:${thread.email}`">{{ thread.email }}</a>
       </header>
-      <ConnNote :text="connNote" />
-      <div class="messages-view">
-        <aside class="thread-list">
-          <p v-if="!threads.length" class="empty">no messages yet</p>
-          <button
-            v-for="t in threads"
-            :key="t.id"
-            type="button"
-            class="thread-row"
-            :class="{ active: t.id === selected }"
-            @click="selected = t.id"
-          >
-            <span class="dot" :class="{ unread: t.unread }"></span>
-            <span class="peek">
-              <strong>{{ t.name || t.id.slice(0, 8) }}</strong>
-              {{ preview(t) }}
-            </span>
-            <time>{{ fmtTime(lastMsg(t)?.t || t.created) }}</time>
-          </button>
-        </aside>
-        <section v-if="thread" class="thread">
-          <header v-if="thread.name" class="thread-head">
-            <strong>{{ thread.name }}</strong>
-            <a v-if="thread.email" :href="`mailto:${thread.email}`">{{ thread.email }}</a>
+      <div ref="scroll" class="thread-messages">
+        <div
+          v-for="m in thread.messages"
+          :key="m.id"
+          class="contact-msg"
+          :class="{ mine: m.admin }"
+        >
+          <!-- Server-rendered strict markdown only (see ContactPanel). -->
+          <header>
+            <span class="who">{{ m.admin || thread.name || 'visitor' }}</span>
+            <time>{{ fmtTime(m.t) }}</time>
           </header>
-          <div ref="scroll" class="thread-messages">
-            <div
-              v-for="m in thread.messages"
-              :key="m.id"
-              class="contact-msg"
-              :class="{ mine: m.admin }"
-            >
-              <!-- Server-rendered strict markdown only (see ContactPanel). -->
-              <header>
-                <span class="who">{{ m.admin || thread.name || 'visitor' }}</span>
-                <time>{{ fmtTime(m.t) }}</time>
-              </header>
-              <div class="contact-msg-body" v-html="m.html"></div>
-            </div>
-          </div>
-          <Composer placeholder="Reply…" @send="send" />
-        </section>
-        <section v-else class="thread">
-          <p class="empty">select a thread</p>
-        </section>
+          <div class="contact-msg-body" v-html="m.html"></div>
+        </div>
       </div>
-    </div>
+      <Composer placeholder="Reply…" @send="send" />
+    </section>
+    <section v-else class="thread">
+      <p class="empty">select a thread</p>
+    </section>
   </div>
 </template>
 
 <style scoped>
-.messages-page {
-  min-height: 100vh;
-  background: var(--bg, Canvas);
-  color: var(--text, CanvasText);
-}
-
-.messages-panel {
-  margin: 0;
-  width: 100%;
-  /* Same 1.25rem side spacing as main's article padding. */
-  padding: 1.5rem 1.25rem 4rem;
-}
-
-.view-head {
-  display: flex;
-  align-items: center;
-  gap: 1rem;
-  /* Roughly the article column: the thread renders much like the
-     visitor's narrow panel. */
-  max-width: 41rem;
-  margin-inline: auto;
-}
-
-.view-head h1 {
-  margin: 0;
-  font-size: 1.4rem;
-}
-
-.close {
-  margin-left: auto;
-  padding: 0 0.3rem;
-  background: none;
-  border: none;
-  color: var(--muted);
-  font-size: 1.2rem;
-  cursor: pointer;
-}
-.close:hover { color: var(--text); }
-
 .messages-view {
+  flex: 1;
+  min-height: 0;
   display: flex;
   gap: 1rem;
-  margin: 1rem auto 0;
-  max-width: 41rem;
-  min-height: 60vh;
 }
 
 .thread-list {
@@ -368,6 +323,7 @@ function send(md) {
   gap: 0.2rem;
   width: 16rem;
   flex-shrink: 0;
+  overflow-y: auto;
 }
 .thread-row {
   display: flex;
@@ -419,11 +375,12 @@ function send(md) {
   flex-direction: column;
   gap: 0.6rem;
   min-width: 0;
+  min-height: 0;
 }
 .thread-messages {
   flex: 1;
+  min-height: 0;
   overflow-y: auto;
-  max-height: 65vh;
   padding-right: 0.2rem;
 }
 .empty {
@@ -494,6 +451,7 @@ function send(md) {
   }
   .thread-list {
     width: 100%;
+    max-height: 30%;
   }
 }
 </style>
diff --git a/frontend/src/assets/pagerite.css b/frontend/src/assets/pagerite.css
index a28e975..2fdad55 100644
--- a/frontend/src/assets/pagerite.css
+++ b/frontend/src/assets/pagerite.css
@@ -407,6 +407,47 @@ body.editing #sidebar {
   text-decoration: none;
 }
 
+/* The corner ✉️ (docs/messages.md) is in the pens row for everyone, so
+   needs its own positioning context for the unread markers: the same
+   accent dot as the trigger buttons (visitors: a new reply) or a count
+   pill (admins: unanswered threads). The marker lifts the icon out of the
+   icon-btn dimming so it reads clearly. */
+.contact-icon {
+  position: relative;
+}
+
+.contact-icon.has-unread {
+  opacity: 1;
+}
+
+.contact-icon.has-unread::after {
+  content: "";
+  position: absolute;
+  top: -0.2em;
+  right: -0.25em;
+  width: 0.5em;
+  height: 0.5em;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  background: var(--accent);
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 0.12em var(--bg);
+}
+
+.contact-icon .n {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: -0.5em;
+  right: -0.7em;
+  min-width: 1.3em;
+  padding: 0.05em 0.3em;
+  border-radius: 1em;
+  background: var(--accent);
+  color: var(--bg);
+  font-size: 0.62em;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  line-height: 1.3;
+  text-align: center;
+  opacity: 1;
+}
+
 #sidebar {
   grid-column: 1;
   /* Pinned to the page's start edge (not the article's) and kept in view
diff --git a/frontend/src/contact-main.js b/frontend/src/contact-main.js
index 9dc5753..d0ad406 100644
--- a/frontend/src/contact-main.js
+++ b/frontend/src/contact-main.js
@@ -1,26 +1,42 @@
-// Contact panel entry: imported on demand by pagerite.js when a
-// {contact:} trigger button is clicked. The panel rides the activity
-// socket through the bridge pagerite.js hands over ({send, register}) —
-// no extra connection is opened. The session token is a localStorage
-// random; the server stores only its hash.
+// Messaging overlay entry: imported on demand by pagerite.js when a
+// {contact:} trigger button or the corner ✉️ icon is clicked. The icon
+// opens the admin inbox for admins, the visitor thread for visitors; the
+// trigger buttons always open the visitor thread (so admins can test both
+// sides). The visitor thread rides the activity socket through the bridge
+// pagerite.js hands over ({send, register}) — no extra connection; the
+// admin inbox connects its own admin-gated socket only while open
+// (MessagesView). The session token is a localStorage random; the server
+// stores only its hash.
 import { createApp, reactive, watch } from 'vue'
 import { holdGlobalBackdrop, releaseGlobalBackdrop } from 'paskia'
-import ContactPanel from './ContactPanel.vue'
+import ContactOverlay from './ContactOverlay.vue'
 
 const TOKEN_KEY = 'pagerite-contact-token'
 const SEEN_KEY = 'pagerite-contact-seen'
+// The newest admin reply seen, so the corner icon's unread dot survives
+// page loads without any socket activity (pagerite.js reads it too).
+const LASTADMIN_KEY = 'pagerite-contact-lastadmin'
 
 let app = null
-const state = reactive({ open: false, thread: null, unread: false })
+const state = reactive({
+  open: false,
+  mode: 'visitor', // 'visitor' | 'admin'
+  thread: null,
+  unread: false, // visitor: an unread admin reply
+  adminUnread: 0, // admin: unanswered threads
+  viewerAdmin: false, // set once the inbox has been opened: icon badge = adminUnread
+})
 
 // The panel is main content, not a sidebar: while open it holds paskia's
-// shared blur backdrop (refcounted, z-index 1099; the panel itself sits at
-// 1100, below the auth iframe's 9999).
+// shared blur backdrop (refcounted, z-index 1099; the overlay itself sits
+// at 1100, below the auth iframe's 9999).
 watch(() => state.open, (open) => {
   if (open) holdGlobalBackdrop()
   else releaseGlobalBackdrop()
 })
 
+watch(() => state.adminUnread, () => refreshBadges())
+
 function ensureToken() {
   let token = localStorage.getItem(TOKEN_KEY)
   if (!token) {
@@ -89,29 +105,50 @@ async function onPow(msg) {
   }
 }
 
-// A "new reply" dot on every contact trigger button while the panel is
-// closed and the newest admin message is younger than the last look.
-// Called on thread pushes and (from pagerite.js) after navigations,
-// whose swap rebuilds the buttons.
+// Unread markers: a dot on every contact trigger button while the panel
+// is closed and the newest admin message is younger than the last look,
+// and on the corner ✉️ icon — a count of unanswered threads for admins,
+// the same dot for visitors. Called on thread pushes and (from
+// pagerite.js) after navigations, whose swap rebuilds the buttons.
 export function refreshBadges() {
   for (const btn of document.querySelectorAll('.contact-trigger')) {
     btn.classList.toggle('has-unread', state.unread)
   }
+  const icon = document.getElementById('contact-icon')
+  if (!icon) return
+  if (state.viewerAdmin) {
+    let badge = icon.querySelector('.n')
+    if (state.adminUnread > 0) {
+      if (!badge) {
+        badge = document.createElement('span')
+        badge.className = 'n'
+        icon.append(badge)
+      }
+      badge.textContent = state.adminUnread
+    } else {
+      badge?.remove()
+    }
+  } else {
+    icon.classList.toggle('has-unread', state.unread)
+  }
 }
 
 function onThread(thread) {
   state.thread = thread
   const lastAdmin = [...thread.messages].reverse().find((m) => m.admin)
-  state.unread = Boolean(lastAdmin) && Date.parse(lastAdmin.t) > seenAt() && !state.open
-  if (state.open) markSeen()
+  if (lastAdmin) localStorage.setItem(LASTADMIN_KEY, lastAdmin.t)
+  const viewing = state.open && state.mode === 'visitor'
+  state.unread = Boolean(lastAdmin) && Date.parse(lastAdmin.t) > seenAt() && !viewing
+  if (viewing) markSeen()
   else refreshBadges()
 }
 
-export function open(br) {
+export function open(br, { admin = false } = {}) {
   bridge = br
+  if (admin) state.viewerAdmin = true
   if (!app) {
     token = ensureToken()
-    app = createApp(ContactPanel, {
+    app = createApp(ContactOverlay, {
       state,
       token,
       onSend: ({ md, name, email }) => sendMessage(md, name, email),
@@ -126,8 +163,12 @@ export function open(br) {
     app.mount(el)
     // Registration doubles as the resync: the server pushes the thread
     // state back, and pagerite.js re-registers on every socket reconnect.
+    // Registered on first open in either mode — the visitor thread is
+    // also the admin's own (the trigger buttons open it for them).
     bridge.register(token, onThread, onPow)
   }
+  state.mode = admin ? 'admin' : 'visitor'
   state.open = true
-  markSeen()
+  if (!admin) markSeen()
+  else refreshBadges()
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/messages-main.js b/frontend/src/messages-main.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 009358f..0000000
--- a/frontend/src/messages-main.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-// Messages page entry: mounts MessagesView (the admin contact inbox) inside
-// the normal page layout. In production the backend inlines this module into
-// the /_m page (and pagerite.js re-creates the script element after
-// fetch-navigations there); in dev pagerite.js imports it from the Vite dev
-// server on demand. Either way it auto-mounts on #messages-app when it
-// evaluates, and unmounts when pagerite.js announces a swap away from /_m.
-import { createApp } from 'vue'
-import MessagesView from './MessagesView.vue'
-
-let app = null
-
-export function mount(container) {
-  if (app) return
-  app = createApp(MessagesView)
-  app.mount(container)
-}
-
-export function unmount() {
-  app?.unmount()
-  app = null
-}
-
-// pagerite.js calls this before swapping away from /_m; each evaluation
-// (the inlined production module evaluates fresh on every visit) replaces
-// the handle.
-window.__pageriteMessagesUnmount = unmount
-
-// Auto-mount when the page holding #messages-app is present.
-const container = document.getElementById('messages-app')
-if (container) mount(container)
diff --git a/frontend/src/pagerite.js b/frontend/src/pagerite.js
index bd9bfc7..be711b5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pagerite.js
+++ b/frontend/src/pagerite.js
@@ -182,6 +182,38 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
     return btn;
   }
 
+  // The corner ✉️ (for everyone): opens the messaging overlay — the
+  // visitor's own thread, or the admin inbox for editors (the {contact:}
+  // trigger buttons always open the visitor side, so admins can test it).
+  // The unread marker is seeded without any socket: for visitors from
+  // localStorage (the newest admin reply vs. the last look, both written
+  // by the contact bundle), for editors from the /_api/settings probe's
+  // contact_unread. Once the bundle has loaded, its refreshBadges keeps
+  // the marker live.
+  let adminUnreadSeed = 0;
+  function makeContactIcon(admin) {
+    const b = document.createElement("button");
+    b.type = "button";
+    b.id = "contact-icon";
+    b.className = "contact-icon icon-btn";
+    b.title = admin ? "messages" : "contact us";
+    b.textContent = "✉️";
+    if (admin) {
+      if (adminUnreadSeed > 0) {
+        const badge = document.createElement("span");
+        badge.className = "n";
+        badge.textContent = adminUnreadSeed;
+        b.append(badge);
+      }
+    } else {
+      const seen = Number(localStorage.getItem("pagerite-contact-seen") || 0);
+      const last = localStorage.getItem("pagerite-contact-lastadmin") || "";
+      if (last && Date.parse(last) > seen) b.classList.add("has-unread");
+    }
+    b.addEventListener("click", () => openContactPanel({ admin }));
+    return b;
+  }
+
   // The banner top-right corner container: the language selector (first
   // item) plus the admin pens and auth links. renderAuthUi rebuilds it from
   // scratch; the selector's state lives in the shared store, not the DOM,
@@ -213,25 +245,21 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
       // Editing is open for admins and, as a dev/no-proxy fallback, when no
       // Paskia SSO is detected at all.
       const canEdit = isAdmin || !ssoAvailable;
-      // The analytics and messages pages are tool dashboards: editing pens
-      // and the side panel do not apply there. Login/logout links are
-      // still useful.
-      const onToolPage = currentPath === "/_a" || currentPath === "/_m";
+      // The analytics page is a read-only dashboard: editing pens and the
+      // side panel do not apply there. Login/logout links are still useful.
+      const onToolPage = currentPath === "/_a";
       if (document.getElementById("page-banner")) {
         const pens = pensContainer();
+        // The contact icon is there for everyone.
+        pens.append(makeContactIcon(canEdit));
         if (canEdit && !onToolPage) {
-          // The tool viewers are normal pages at /_a and /_m.
+          // Analytics viewer is a normal page at /_a.
           const a = document.createElement("a");
           a.className = "edit-link analytics-link icon-btn";
           a.href = "/_a";
           a.title = "analytics";
           a.textContent = "📊";
-          const m = document.createElement("a");
-          m.className = "edit-link messages-link icon-btn";
-          m.href = "/_m";
-          m.title = "messages";
-          m.textContent = "✉️";
-          pens.append(a, m);
+          pens.append(a);
           pens.append(makePen("site"));
         }
         if (ssoAvailable) pens.append(makeAuthButton(isAdmin));
@@ -269,8 +297,10 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
 
     isAdmin = false;
     try {
-      await fetchJson("/_api/settings");
+      const settings = await fetchJson("/_api/settings");
       isAdmin = true;
+      // Seeds the contact icon's admin badge (docs/messages.md).
+      adminUnreadSeed = settings.contact_unread || 0;
     } catch {
       // Anonymous, no pagerite:admin, or no auth proxy / dev.
     }
@@ -278,8 +308,8 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
     if (isAdmin) {
       // Warm the cache with the editor bundle: the hashed asset is
       // immutable, so preloading costs nothing and the pens then open
-      // instantly. The tool pages have no editor.
-      if (currentPath !== "/_a" && currentPath !== "/_m" && !import.meta.env.DEV) {
+      // instantly. The analytics page has no editor.
+      if (currentPath !== "/_a" && !import.meta.env.DEV) {
         const preload = document.createElement("link");
         preload.rel = "modulepreload";
         preload.href = src;
@@ -592,8 +622,8 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
   // activity reconnects and the server sees a new session.
   // Excluded: back/forward (popstate never reports), everything while the
   // editor is open (body.editing — admin noise, not visits), and
-  // navigations TO the tool pages (/_a, /_m — admin machinery). Navigations
-  // AWAY from a tool page must report: load() already fetched the target page
+  // navigations TO the analytics page (/_a — admin machinery). Navigations
+  // AWAY from /_a must report: load() already fetched the target page
   // without the preload header, and without the message that GET would flush
   // to the crawler list.
   // Admins (when SSO is actually in use — with no auth proxy "admin" is
@@ -797,18 +827,16 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
   }
 
   // --- Admin tool pages mount/unmount ------------------------------------
-  // /_a (analytics) and /_m (contact inbox) are normal pages whose bodies
-  // are rendered by the server but whose content is a Vue app. In dev the
+  // /_a (analytics) is a normal page whose body is rendered by the server
+  // but whose content is a Vue app. In dev the
   // entry module is imported from the Vite dev server on demand; in
   // production it is inlined into the page as a script element, which a
   // fetch-navigation swap does not execute — re-create the element so the
   // fresh module auto-mounts on its container. Each module exposes its
-  // unmount as a window global (see analytics-main.js / messages-main.js).
+  // unmount as a window global (see analytics-main.js).
   const TOOL_PAGES = {
     "/_a": { container: "analytics-app", script: "pagerite-js-analytics",
              asset: "pagerite:analytics-src", unmount: "__pageriteAnalyticsUnmount" },
-    "/_m": { container: "messages-app", script: "pagerite-js-messages",
-             asset: "pagerite:messages-src", unmount: "__pageriteMessagesUnmount" },
   };
 
   function isToolPage(path) {
@@ -905,11 +933,13 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
     ping({ to: currentPath, lang: tag });
   });
 
-  // --- Contact panel ------------------------------------------------------
-  // {contact: Label} directives in articles render .contact-trigger buttons.
-  // The panel bundle (Vue composer + thread view) loads on first click and
-  // rides the activity socket for realtime thread state — no extra
-  // connection (docs/messages.md). Registration re-sends on every socket
+  // --- Messaging overlay ---------------------------------------------------
+  // {contact: Label} directives in articles render .contact-trigger buttons,
+  // and the corner ✉️ icon (rendered by renderAuthUi for everyone) opens the
+  // same overlay: the visitor's thread, or the admin inbox for editors
+  // (docs/messages.md). The bundle (Vue overlay + composer) loads on first
+  // click and rides the activity socket for realtime thread state — no extra
+  // connection for visitors. Registration re-sends on every socket
   // (re)connect, and the server pushes the thread back as the resync.
   let contactMod = null;
   let contactToken = "";
@@ -935,7 +965,7 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
     },
   };
 
-  async function openContactPanel() {
+  async function openContactPanel(opts) {
     try {
       contactMod ??= await import(/* @vite-ignore */ assets["pagerite:contact-src"]);
       for (const css of (assets["pagerite:contact-css"] || "").split(",")) {
@@ -947,7 +977,7 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
           document.head.append(link);
         }
       }
-      contactMod.open(contactBridge);
+      contactMod.open(contactBridge, opts);
     } catch (e) {
       console.error("contact panel load failed:", e);
     }
@@ -959,18 +989,19 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
     ev.preventDefault();
     // In the editor preview the button is inert.
     if (document.body.classList.contains("editing")) return;
-    openContactPanel();
+    // Always the visitor side, even for admins (testing both sides).
+    openContactPanel({ admin: false });
   });
 
   // --- Fetch navigation ------------------------------------------------
   async function load(url, push = true, back = false) {
     // Navigating with the editor open keeps it open: the shell retargets to
-    // the new page once the swap lands (below). The exception is the tool
-    // pages (/_a analytics, /_m inbox), where the panel does not apply —
-    // close it there, with navigating: true so the close does not
-    // re-swap/re-title the page it was previewing (this navigation is
-    // already swapping). The cache is bypassed while editing because the
-    // editor may have invalidated the prefetched copies of other pages.
+    // the new page once the swap lands (below). The exception is /_a
+    // (analytics), where the panel does not apply — close it there, with
+    // navigating: true so the close does not re-swap/re-title the page it
+    // was previewing (this navigation is already swapping). The cache is
+    // bypassed while editing because the editor may have invalidated the
+    // prefetched copies of other pages.
     const editing = document.body.classList.contains("editing");
     if (editing && isToolPage(new URL(url, location.href).pathname)) {
       await editorModule?.then((m) => m.closeEditor({ navigating: true }));
@@ -1021,9 +1052,9 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
       }
       // Stylesheets live in <head> with stable ids — links in dev, inline
       // <style> elements in production — and must follow the swap: the
-      // analytics sheet exists on /_a (and the messages sheet on /_m)
-      // only, and theme/banner/custom CSS may have changed since this page
-      // was loaded. Diff by id, keeping the fresh document's order; unchanged sheets keep their elements
+      // analytics sheet exists on /_a only, and theme/banner/custom CSS
+      // may have changed since this page was loaded. Diff by id, keeping
+      // the fresh document's order; unchanged sheets keep their elements
       // so their @keyframes are never torn down. Editor-injected sheets
       // (data-pagerite, no id) and Vite's dev styles (no id) are left
       // alone. Mirrors the head sync in swapdoc.js.
@@ -1180,7 +1211,7 @@ import { reconnectPolicy, socketSlot, watchConnecting } from "./reconnect";
       return;
     }
     // Machinery and auth endpoints are never fetch-navigated, except the
-    // admin tool pages (/_a analytics, /_m inbox).
+    // public analytics viewer page at /_a.
     if ((url.pathname.startsWith("/_") && !isToolPage(url.pathname))
         || url.pathname.startsWith("/auth")) return;
     ev.preventDefault();
diff --git a/frontend/vite.config.js b/frontend/vite.config.js
index 26fe514..32deb64 100644
--- a/frontend/vite.config.js
+++ b/frontend/vite.config.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const CONTENT_PROXY = '^(?!/_|/@|/src|/node_modules|/__).*$'
 // https://vite.dev/config/
 export default defineConfig({
   plugins: [
-    fastapiVue({ paths: ["/_api", "/_f", "/_themes", "/_fonts", "/_a", "/_m", "/_ws", "/_translate", "/_contact"] }),
+    fastapiVue({ paths: ["/_api", "/_f", "/_themes", "/_fonts", "/_a", "/_ws", "/_translate", "/_contact"] }),
     vue(),
     vueDevTools(),
   ],
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ export default defineConfig({
         main: fileURLToPath(new URL('./src/main.js', import.meta.url)),
         pagerite: fileURLToPath(new URL('./src/pagerite.js', import.meta.url)),
         analytics: fileURLToPath(new URL('./src/analytics-main.js', import.meta.url)),
-        messages: fileURLToPath(new URL('./src/messages-main.js', import.meta.url)),
         langselect: fileURLToPath(new URL('./src/langselect-main.js', import.meta.url)),
         contact: fileURLToPath(new URL('./src/contact-main.js', import.meta.url)),
         // Only the base CSS is built; theme/banner-design stylesheets live
diff --git a/pagerite/api.py b/pagerite/api.py
index fd7f844..3b387c5 100644
--- a/pagerite/api.py
+++ b/pagerite/api.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from fastapi import (
 from html5tagger import E
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 
-from pagerite import i18n, views
+from pagerite import i18n, messages, views
 from pagerite.chunks import store_chunks
 from pagerite.data import (
     Node,
@@ -293,6 +293,9 @@ async def get_settings() -> dict:
         "transition": data.transition,
         "transitions": views._transition_names(),
         "translate_keys": data.translate_keys,
+        # Unanswered contact threads: the corner ✉️ icon's badge for
+        # admins (this probe runs on every page load; no polling).
+        "contact_unread": messages.unread_count(),
         # The site default primary language: the front page's resolved
         # setting (every page may override it, inherited down the tree).
         "primary_lang": i18n.primary_lang(data.menu, ""),
diff --git a/pagerite/messages.py b/pagerite/messages.py
index 8f6cb12..92062e1 100644
--- a/pagerite/messages.py
+++ b/pagerite/messages.py
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ article (views._contact_tag). The panel rides the public /_ws activity
 socket: tracking.activity_ws routes frames carrying a ``token`` field to
 ``visitor_frame``. The token (a localStorage random, generated on first
 use) identifies the visitor's thread; only its blake3 hash is stored.
-Admins watch and reply from the /_m inbox page (below) over the
+Admins watch and reply from the same overlay panel (the corner ✉️ icon
+opens the inbox for them, the visitor thread for visitors) over the
 analytics socket (tracking.analytics_websocket), admin-gated like the
 rest of /_api; their frames go to ``admin_frame``. Both sides get
 pushed full thread payloads (threads are small); there is no REST
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ from markdown_it.common.utils import escapeHtml
 
 from pagerite.data import ContactMessage, ContactThread
 from pagerite.files import _ext, file_store, store_attachment, store_image
-from pagerite.state import _html_response, data, kanta
+from pagerite.state import data, kanta
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -288,6 +289,13 @@ def visitor_disconnect(ws: WebSocket) -> None:
 # --- Admin protocol (/_api/ws/analytics frames) -----------------------------
 
 
+def unread_count() -> int:
+    """Threads with an unanswered visitor message — the admin inbox icon's
+    badge, seeded by /_api/settings (no polling; live while the inbox's
+    socket is open)."""
+    return sum(1 for t in data.contact.values() if _unread(t))
+
+
 def _key_from_hex(value) -> bytes | None:
     try:
         key = bytes.fromhex(str(value or ""))
@@ -361,26 +369,6 @@ async def admin_frame(ws: WebSocket, raw: dict) -> None:
             await _push(_admin_ws, _payload(key, thread))
 
 
-# --- Admin inbox page -------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-@router.get("/_m", response_model=None)
-async def messages_page(request: Request) -> Response:
-    """Render the admin contact inbox as a normal site page at /_m.
-
-    Like /_a, the page shell itself is public, but the data stream
-    (/_api/ws/analytics, which carries the admin messaging protocol) stays
-    admin-gated like the rest of /_api.
-    """
-    return _html_response(
-        request,
-        "messages",
-        "",
-        headers={"cache-control": "no-cache"},
-        etag=True,
-    )
-
-
 # --- Uploads -----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 #: Contact-panel uploads: images (raster and SVG) go through the usual
diff --git a/pagerite/state.py b/pagerite/state.py
index 2dd86c4..5c8eb71 100644
--- a/pagerite/state.py
+++ b/pagerite/state.py
@@ -153,16 +153,6 @@ def _render_html(
             data.brand_html,
             transition=data.transition,
         )
-    if kind == "messages":
-        return views.render_messages(
-            data.menu,
-            data.brand,
-            data.custom_css,
-            data.theme,
-            data.favicon,
-            data.brand_html,
-            transition=data.transition,
-        )
     return views.render_analytics(
         data.menu,
         data.brand,
diff --git a/pagerite/tracking.py b/pagerite/tracking.py
index 3baaabf..2df0b66 100644
--- a/pagerite/tracking.py
+++ b/pagerite/tracking.py
@@ -528,8 +528,8 @@ async def analytics_websocket(ws: WebSocket) -> None:
     Admin-only via the /_api forward-auth gate, like every management
     endpoint. Powers the analytics viewer rendered at /_a.
 
-    The same socket serves the admin contact inbox rendered at /_m
-    (docs/messages.md):
+    The same socket serves the admin contact inbox (the overlay opened
+    from the corner ✉️ icon, docs/messages.md):
     on connect the thread list follows the snapshot, new visitor messages
     are pushed as they arrive, and incoming frames (``reply``/``read``)
     go to pagerite.messages. Analytics payloads carry no ``type`` field;
diff --git a/pagerite/views.py b/pagerite/views.py
index d380ab1..682606d 100644
--- a/pagerite/views.py
+++ b/pagerite/views.py
@@ -419,7 +419,6 @@ def _layout(
     config = {
         "pagerite:editor-src": editor_scripts[-1],
         "pagerite:analytics-src": _analytics_assets()[0][0],
-        "pagerite:messages-src": _messages_assets()[0][0],
         "pagerite:langselect-src": langselect_scripts[-1],
         "pagerite:contact-src": contact_scripts[-1],
     }
@@ -1576,20 +1575,6 @@ def _analytics_assets() -> tuple[list[str], list[str]]:
     return _asset_cache["analytics"]
 
 
-def _messages_assets() -> tuple[list[str], list[str]]:
-    """Script and stylesheet URLs for the admin contact-inbox page entry."""
-    vite_url = env.vite_url
-    if vite_url:
-        return [f"{vite_url}/src/messages-main.js"], []
-    if "messages" not in _asset_cache:
-        manifest = _manifest()
-        entry = manifest["src/messages-main.js"]
-        scripts = [f"/{entry['file']}"]
-        stylesheets = [f"/{css}" for css in entry.get("css", [])]
-        _asset_cache["messages"] = scripts, stylesheets
-    return _asset_cache["messages"]
-
-
 def _langselect_assets() -> tuple[list[str], list[str]]:
     """Script and stylesheet URLs for the on-demand public language selector."""
     vite_url = env.vite_url
@@ -1683,46 +1668,3 @@ def render_analytics(
             Main=HTML(str(doc)),
         ),
     )
-
-
-def render_messages(
-    menu: dict[str, Node],
-    brand: str = SITE_NAME,
-    custom_css: str = "",
-    theme: str = "",
-    favicon: str = "",
-    brand_html: str = "",
-    transition: str = "cube",
-) -> str:
-    """Render the admin contact inbox as a normal page at /_m.
-
-    Same shell treatment as render_analytics (entry inlined in prod, loaded
-    from the Vite dev server in dev), minus the .wide breakout: the thread
-    view keeps roughly the article column's width so it renders much like
-    the visitor's panel.
-    """
-    page_scripts, page_stylesheets = _page_assets()
-    messages_scripts, messages_stylesheets = _messages_assets()
-    scripts = page_scripts + messages_scripts
-    stylesheets = page_stylesheets + messages_stylesheets
-    doc = E.article
-    with doc:
-        doc.div(id="messages-app")
-    return str(
-        _layout(
-            scripts,
-            stylesheets,
-            custom_css,
-            theme,
-            banner_design(menu, "_m", theme),
-            transition,
-            favicon,
-        )(
-            Title=f"Messages – {brand}" if brand else "Messages",
-            Brand=_brand_link(brand, brand_html),
-            Nav=nav_html(menu, "_m"),
-            Sidebar=sidebar_html(menu, "_m"),
-            Banner=banner_html(menu, "_m", theme),
-            Main=HTML(str(doc)),
-        ),
-    )