diff --git a/frontend/src/components/heaps/HeapsPanel.tsx b/frontend/src/components/heaps/HeapsPanel.tsx
index 75fd9cb..c7e4ca1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/heaps/HeapsPanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/heaps/HeapsPanel.tsx
@@ -266,6 +266,10 @@ export function HeapsPanel() {
                 className={clsx(
                   'group relative flex cursor-pointer items-center gap-1 rounded px-2 py-1 text-[13px]',
                   isFiltered ? 'bg-primary/20 text-primary' : 'text-text hover:bg-surface-2',
+                  // Active-heap row gets a left accent stripe so the
+                  // user always knows where Pick / T will land, even
+                  // when navigating to a different section.
+                  isActive && !isFiltered && 'bg-pick/10 text-text',
                   isDropTarget && 'ring-2 ring-primary bg-primary/10'
                 )}
                 style={{ paddingLeft: '32px' }}
@@ -308,7 +312,11 @@ export function HeapsPanel() {
                 <ShoppingBasket
                   className={clsx(
                     'h-4 w-4 flex-shrink-0',
-                    isFiltered ? 'text-primary' : 'text-text-muted'
+                    isActive
+                      ? 'text-pick'
+                      : isFiltered
+                      ? 'text-primary'
+                      : 'text-text-muted'
                   )}
                 />
 
@@ -330,12 +338,23 @@ export function HeapsPanel() {
                     className="flex-1 rounded border border-border bg-bg px-1 py-0 text-[13px] text-text focus:border-primary focus:outline-none"
                   />
                 ) : (
-                  <span
-                    className={clsx('flex-1 truncate', isActive && 'font-semibold')}
-                    title={heap.name}
-                  >
-                    {heap.name}
-                  </span>
+                  <>
+                    <span
+                      className={clsx('truncate', isActive && 'font-semibold')}
+                      title={heap.name}
+                    >
+                      {heap.name}
+                    </span>
+                    {isActive && (
+                      <span
+                        className="ml-1 flex-shrink-0 rounded-full bg-pick/25 px-1.5 py-0.5 text-[9px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-pick"
+                        title="Active heap — Pick (P) and the basket badge on photos point here"
+                      >
+                        Active
+                      </span>
+                    )}
+                    <span className="flex-1" />
+                  </>
                 )}
 
                 {/* Right cluster. Count is the rightmost element in the
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/layout/TopBar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/layout/TopBar.tsx
index 4038321..7c7ebad 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/layout/TopBar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/layout/TopBar.tsx
@@ -1,33 +1,17 @@
-import { ShoppingBasket } from 'lucide-react'
-import { useHeapsQuery } from '../../hooks/useHeapsQuery'
 import muliLogo from '../../assets/muli-logo.png'
 
 /**
- * Slim top bar — just the logo and the active-heap pill. The search input
- * lives in the FilterBar now (next to the rest of the filter controls).
+ * Slim top bar — just the logo. The active heap badge moved into the
+ * Heaps panel in the left sidebar (where it actually relates to the
+ * heap rows the user navigates to).
  */
 export function TopBar() {
-  const { data: heapsList = [] } = useHeapsQuery()
-  const activeHeap = heapsList.find((h) => h.is_active)
-
   return (
     <header className="flex h-12 items-center justify-between border-b border-border bg-surface px-4">
-      <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
-        <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
-          <img src={muliLogo} alt="Mulimago" className="h-7 w-7 object-contain" />
-          <h1 className="text-lg font-semibold text-text">Mulimago</h1>
-        </div>
-        {activeHeap && (
-          <span
-            className="flex items-center gap-1 rounded bg-primary/20 px-2 py-0.5 text-xs text-primary"
-            title="Active heap — press P to add selected photos here"
-          >
-            <ShoppingBasket className="h-3 w-3" />
-            {activeHeap.name}
-          </span>
-        )}
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+        <img src={muliLogo} alt="Mulimago" className="h-7 w-7 object-contain" />
+        <h1 className="text-lg font-semibold text-text">Mulimago</h1>
       </div>
-
       <div className="flex items-center gap-2" />
     </header>
   )
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/timeline/PhotoThumbnail.tsx b/frontend/src/components/timeline/PhotoThumbnail.tsx
index aaa85d5..2d20026 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/timeline/PhotoThumbnail.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/timeline/PhotoThumbnail.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ interface PhotoThumbnailProps {
   isSelected: boolean
   /** True when the photo belongs to the currently active heap. */
   isInActiveHeap?: boolean
+  /** Name of the active heap. When set + isInActiveHeap, the basket
+   *  badge expands into a name chip so the user knows which heap. */
+  activeHeapName?: string | null
   onClick: (e: React.MouseEvent) => void
   onDoubleClick?: (e: React.MouseEvent) => void
 }
@@ -27,6 +30,7 @@ export function PhotoThumbnail({
   size,
   isSelected,
   isInActiveHeap = false,
+  activeHeapName = null,
   onClick,
   onDoubleClick,
 }: PhotoThumbnailProps) {
@@ -210,10 +214,15 @@ export function PhotoThumbnail({
       <div className="absolute bottom-1 right-1 flex items-center gap-1">
         {isInActiveHeap && (
           <div
-            className="flex h-5 w-5 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-pick text-white shadow-md ring-2 ring-white/90"
-            title="In active heap"
+            className="flex h-5 max-w-[120px] items-center gap-1 rounded-full bg-pick px-1.5 text-white shadow-md ring-2 ring-white/90"
+            title={activeHeapName ? `In heap: ${activeHeapName}` : 'In active heap'}
           >
-            <ShoppingBasket className="h-3 w-3" strokeWidth={2.5} />
+            <ShoppingBasket className="h-3 w-3 flex-shrink-0" strokeWidth={2.5} />
+            {activeHeapName && (
+              <span className="truncate text-[10px] font-medium leading-none">
+                {activeHeapName}
+              </span>
+            )}
           </div>
         )}
         {photo.is_duplicate && (
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/timeline/Timeline.tsx b/frontend/src/components/timeline/Timeline.tsx
index 5e7c5b1..39eb1a5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/timeline/Timeline.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/timeline/Timeline.tsx
@@ -196,7 +196,8 @@ export function Timeline() {
   // Membership in the active heap (for the basket affordance). Subscribed
   // once at this level so we don't have hundreds of thumbnails each
   // subscribing to the same query.
-  const { memberIds: activeHeapMembers } = useActiveHeapMembers()
+  const { memberIds: activeHeapMembers, activeHeap } = useActiveHeapMembers()
+  const activeHeapName = activeHeap?.name ?? null
 
   // Build the flat virtualizer items: a mix of group headers and rows of
   // photos. Date headers appear when sorted by a date field; tag headers
@@ -510,6 +511,7 @@ export function Timeline() {
                       size={THUMBNAIL_SIZE}
                       isSelected={selectedPhotos.includes(photo.id)}
                       isInActiveHeap={activeHeapMembers.has(photo.id)}
+                      activeHeapName={activeHeapName}
                       onClick={(e) => {
                         if (e.shiftKey) {
                           selectRange(photo.id)