diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/left.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/left.rs
index 64b3a98b1..98182936f 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/left.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/left.rs
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui) {
             ui.add_space(10.0);
             // Albums header
             let (ar, albums_open) = sidebar_section_header(app, ui, "albums", "Albums");
+            top_level_drop_target(app, ui, ar);
             // the + stays at the visible edge when the sidebar is scrolled sideways
             let plus_right = (ar.left() + viewport.max.x).min(ar.right());
             let mut hdr = ui.new_child(
@@ -255,7 +256,6 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui) {
                     cur = cat.album(p).and_then(|a| a.parent);
                 }
                 albums_tree(app, ui, &kids, None, 0.0, &open_to);
-                top_level_drop_zone(app, ui);
             }
             ui.add_space(10.0);
             local_section(app, ui);
@@ -904,20 +904,22 @@ fn album_drag_over(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, resp: &egui::Resp
     opened
 }
 
-/// While an album that sits in a folder is dragged: a row under the tree that takes it back to the
-/// top level.
-fn top_level_drop_zone(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui) {
+/// While an album that sits in a folder is dragged: the "Albums" header takes it back to the top
+/// level (outlined, with a hint). The header stays in view however long the tree is, and nothing
+/// moves when it appears.
+fn top_level_drop_target(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, header: Rect) {
     let Some(dragged) = app.ui.dragging_album.map(AlbumId) else { return };
     if !can_drop_album(app, dragged, None) {
         return;
     }
     let t = Tokens::get(ui.ctx());
-    let (r, _) = ui.allocate_exact_size(vec2(ui.available_width(), 29.0), Sense::hover());
-    register(ui.ctx(), "albumDrop:top", r);
-    let over = pointer_over(ui, r);
+    register(ui.ctx(), "albumDrop:top", header);
+    let over = pointer_over(ui, header);
     let stroke = if over { egui::Stroke::new(1.5, t.accent) } else { egui::Stroke::new(1.0, t.text_dim.gamma_multiply(0.5)) };
-    ui.painter().rect_stroke(r.shrink2(vec2(8.0, 1.0)), 4.0, stroke, egui::StrokeKind::Inside);
-    ui.painter().text(pos2(r.left() + 18.0, r.center().y), Align2::LEFT_CENTER, crate::i18n::tr("Top Level"), t.font(13.5), t.text_dim);
+    ui.painter().rect_stroke(header.shrink2(vec2(8.0, 3.0)), 4.0, stroke, egui::StrokeKind::Inside);
+    // right-aligned, left of the + button
+    let edge = header.right().min(ui.clip_rect().right());
+    ui.painter().text(pos2(edge - 56.0, header.center().y), Align2::RIGHT_CENTER, crate::i18n::tr("Top Level"), t.font(12.5), t.text_dim);
     if over && ui.input(|i| i.pointer.primary_released()) {
         drop_album(app, ui, dragged, None);
     }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_panels.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_panels.rs
index 364fdc2be..98b6da647 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_panels.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_panels.rs
@@ -383,13 +383,9 @@ impl AlbumTree {
         let name = ["source:folder:", "source:album:"].iter().map(|p| format!("{p}{id}")).find(|n| h.app.widgets.iter().any(|(w, _)| w == n));
         widget(h, &name.unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("no row for album {id}")))
     }
-    /// The middle of the row just under the last row of the Albums tree (where the top-level drop zone is).
-    fn below_tree(&self) -> egui::Pos2 {
-        let bottom = (self.h.app.widgets.iter())
-            .filter(|(w, r)| (w.starts_with("source:album:") || w.starts_with("source:folder:")) && r.left() < 300.0)
-            .map(|(_, r)| r.bottom())
-            .fold(0.0, f32::max);
-        egui::pos2(100.0, bottom + 14.5)
+    /// The middle of the "Albums" header, where an album is dropped to take it to the top level.
+    fn albums_header(&self) -> egui::Pos2 {
+        widget(&self.h, "sidebarSection:albums").center()
     }
     fn parent(&self, id: u64) -> Option<u64> {
         self.h.app.session.catalog.album(lightcraft_catalog::AlbumId(id)).unwrap().parent.map(|p| p.0)
@@ -600,22 +596,23 @@ fn folders_are_placed_by_their_edges_and_entered_by_their_middle() {
     assert!(!t.h.app.session.catalog.album_children_are_ordered(None), "Travel 2026 already sits right before Trips");
 }
 
-/// Dragging out of a folder: the drop zone under the tree puts the album back at the top level;
-/// it only shows when there is somewhere to go, and the move is one undo step.
+/// Dragging out of a folder: the "Albums" header is the way back to the top level (it stays in
+/// view however long the tree is), only offered for an album that sits in a folder, and the move
+/// is one undo step. The drop does not fold the section.
 #[test]
-fn dragging_an_album_to_the_top_level() {
+fn dragging_an_album_to_the_albums_header_takes_it_to_the_top_level() {
     let mut t = album_tree();
     let has = |t: &AlbumTree, id: &str| t.h.app.widgets.iter().any(|(w, _)| w == id);
-    assert!(!has(&t, "albumDrop:top"), "no zone unless an album is being dragged");
-    // below the last row of the tree, where the zone appears once an album with a folder is dragged
-    let below = t.below_tree();
-    let from = t.row(t.best).center();
-    t.drag(from, &[(below, 3)]);
+    assert!(!has(&t, "albumDrop:top"), "no target unless an album is being dragged");
+    let (from, header) = (t.row(t.best).center(), t.albums_header());
+    t.drag(from, &[(header, 3)]);
     assert_eq!(t.parent(t.best), None, "moved out of Trips");
-    // a top-level album has nowhere to go: dropping it there does nothing
-    let (from, below) = (t.row(t.best).center(), t.below_tree());
-    t.drag(from, &[(below, 3)]);
+    assert!(!t.h.app.ui.sidebar_section_collapsed("albums"), "dropping on the header does not fold it");
+    // a top-level album has nowhere to go: dropping it on the header does nothing
+    let (from, header) = (t.row(t.best).center(), t.albums_header());
+    t.drag(from, &[(header, 3)]);
     assert_eq!(t.parent(t.best), None);
+    assert!(!t.h.app.ui.sidebar_section_collapsed("albums"));
     t.h.app.session.execute("edit.undo", &json!({})).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(t.parent(t.best), Some(t.trips), "one undo puts it back");
 }