diff --git a/frontend/src/components/layout/RightSidebar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/layout/RightSidebar.tsx
index a7703d1..943a365 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/layout/RightSidebar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/layout/RightSidebar.tsx
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import { formatApiError } from '../../lib/apiError'
  *    rating / color / discard / pick across the entire selection.
  */
 export function RightSidebar() {
-  const { selectedPhotos, activePhotoId, clearSelection } = usePhotoStore()
+  const { selectedPhotos, activePhotoId } = usePhotoStore()
   const queryClient = useQueryClient()
 
   const {
@@ -182,9 +182,10 @@ export function RightSidebar() {
     },
   })
 
-  // Unified header rendered in every branch so the collapse button is
-  // always reachable regardless of selection state. Title and the
-  // clear-selection X adapt to what's selected.
+  // Unified header rendered in every branch so the panel always has
+  // a title strip regardless of selection state. The title adapts to
+  // what's selected; selection is cleared via Esc or by clicking
+  // empty space in the grid.
   const headerTitle =
     selectedPhotos.length === 0
       ? 'Metadata'
@@ -193,24 +194,10 @@ export function RightSidebar() {
         : `${selectedPhotos.length} Photos Selected`
 
   const Header = () => (
-    <div className="flex h-9 flex-shrink-0 items-center justify-between border-b border-border px-3">
+    <div className="flex h-9 flex-shrink-0 items-center border-b border-border px-3">
       <h2 className="text-[11px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-[0.14em] text-text-muted">
         {headerTitle}
       </h2>
-      <div className="flex items-center gap-0.5">
-        {selectedPhotos.length > 0 && (
-          <Button
-            variant="ghost"
-            size="icon"
-            className="h-6 w-6 text-text-muted"
-            onClick={clearSelection}
-            title="Clear selection (Esc)"
-            aria-label="Clear selection"
-          >
-            <X className="h-3.5 w-3.5" />
-          </Button>
-        )}
-      </div>
     </div>
   )
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/sidebar/PhotoInfoPanel.tsx b/frontend/src/components/sidebar/PhotoInfoPanel.tsx
index d9f3e74..f3452a4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/sidebar/PhotoInfoPanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/sidebar/PhotoInfoPanel.tsx
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ export function PhotoInfoPanel({ photoId, darkTheme = false }: PhotoInfoPanelPro
   const queryClient = useQueryClient()
 
   const [expandedSections, setExpandedSections] = useState<Set<string>>(
-    new Set(['metadata', 'basic', 'camera', 'location', 'tags'])
+    new Set(['edit', 'metadata', 'basic', 'camera', 'location', 'tags'])
   )
   const toggleSection = (section: string) => {
     const next = new Set(expandedSections)
@@ -390,8 +390,24 @@ export function PhotoInfoPanel({ photoId, darkTheme = false }: PhotoInfoPanelPro
         isPlaceholderData && 'opacity-70'
       )}
     >
-      {/* Edit fields */}
-      <div className="space-y-2.5 border-b border-border p-3">
+      {/* Edit fields — collapsible group so the user can hide the
+       *  editable form (filename, title, notes, rating, color, flag)
+       *  the same way they can hide the readonly metadata block below. */}
+      <Collapsible
+        open={expandedSections.has('edit')}
+        onOpenChange={() => toggleSection('edit')}
+        className="border-b border-border"
+      >
+        <CollapsibleTrigger className="flex w-full items-center justify-between border-b border-border bg-surface-2/40 px-3 py-2 text-[11px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-[0.14em] text-text-muted hover:bg-surface-2 hover:text-text">
+          <span>Edit</span>
+          {expandedSections.has('edit') ? (
+            <ChevronDown className="h-3 w-3" />
+          ) : (
+            <ChevronRight className="h-3 w-3" />
+          )}
+        </CollapsibleTrigger>
+        <CollapsibleContent>
+      <div className="space-y-2.5 p-3">
         <div>
           <label className="mb-1 block text-xs text-text-muted">Filename</label>
           <Input
@@ -544,6 +560,8 @@ export function PhotoInfoPanel({ photoId, darkTheme = false }: PhotoInfoPanelPro
           </div>
         </div>
       </div>
+        </CollapsibleContent>
+      </Collapsible>
 
       {/* Read-only metadata — collapsed/expanded as one block so the user
        *  can hide everything below the editable form with a single click.