diff --git a/gclo.Engine.Tests/AppSettingsTests.cs b/gclo.Engine.Tests/AppSettingsTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b755d1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gclo.Engine.Tests/AppSettingsTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+using gclo.ViewModels;
+
+namespace gclo.Engine.Tests;
+
+/// <summary>Pins defaults and load-time sanitizing of <see cref="AppSettings"/>.</summary>
+public sealed class AppSettingsTests
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public void Defaults_SplashOnAtFiveSeconds()
+    {
+        var settings = new AppSettings();
+
+        Assert.True(settings.ShowSplashScreen);
+        Assert.Equal(5_000, settings.SplashMilliseconds);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Save_ClampsSplashDuration()
+    {
+        string dir = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "gclo-tests", Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N"));
+        Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("GCLO_DATA_DIR", dir);
+        try
+        {
+            var settings = new AppSettings { SplashMilliseconds = 999_999 };
+            settings.Save();
+            Assert.Equal(AppSettings.MaxSplashMilliseconds, settings.SplashMilliseconds);
+
+            settings.SplashMilliseconds = 1;
+            settings.Save();
+            Assert.Equal(AppSettings.MinSplashMilliseconds, settings.SplashMilliseconds);
+
+            // Round trip: the persisted values load back as saved.
+            var loaded = AppSettings.Load();
+            Assert.Equal(AppSettings.MinSplashMilliseconds, loaded.SplashMilliseconds);
+            Assert.True(loaded.ShowSplashScreen);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("GCLO_DATA_DIR", null);
+            try
+            {
+                Directory.Delete(dir, recursive: true);
+            }
+            catch (IOException)
+            {
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/gclo.Engine.Tests/WorkspaceViewModelTests.cs b/gclo.Engine.Tests/WorkspaceViewModelTests.cs
index 0379e2b..516bb92 100644
--- a/gclo.Engine.Tests/WorkspaceViewModelTests.cs
+++ b/gclo.Engine.Tests/WorkspaceViewModelTests.cs
@@ -1150,6 +1150,42 @@ public sealed class WorkspaceViewModelTests
         MaxConcurrency = 1, // serialize progress: the sync fake reports inline across threads
     };
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task OrgRefresh_AccountSeededOrganization_SurvivesAndResyncsTheView()
+    {
+        // Regression: the view's editable ComboBox resets its Text when its
+        // ItemsSource is mutated, blanking the org an account workspace seeded in
+        // the constructor. The VM must keep the value across the refresh AND raise
+        // Organization again after the list mutation so the view resyncs its Text.
+        var account = new Account
+        {
+            Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
+            Name = "Kof",
+            Organization = "KofTwentyTwo",
+            TargetRoot = @"C:\repos\kof",
+        };
+        var vault = new InMemoryVault();
+        vault.Store(account.Id, "vault-token-1234567890");
+        _orgs.Handler = (_, _) =>
+            Task.FromResult<IReadOnlyList<string>>(["KofTwentyTwo", "acme", "other"]);
+
+        var vm = CreateViewModel(account: account, vault: vault);
+        bool resyncAfterListArrived = false;
+        vm.PropertyChanged += (_, e) =>
+        {
+            if (e.PropertyName == nameof(WorkspaceViewModel.Organization)
+                && vm.Organizations.Count > 0)
+            {
+                resyncAfterListArrived = true;
+            }
+        };
+
+        await WaitUntilAsync(() => vm.Organizations.Count == 3, "org list refresh");
+
+        Assert.Equal("KofTwentyTwo", vm.Organization);
+        Assert.True(resyncAfterListArrived, "Organization must be re-raised after the list mutation");
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task AccountConstruction_SeedsWorkspace_AndLooksUpOrgsWithVaultToken()
     {
diff --git a/gclo.ViewModels/AppSettings.cs b/gclo.ViewModels/AppSettings.cs
index 3692af1..413c70e 100644
--- a/gclo.ViewModels/AppSettings.cs
+++ b/gclo.ViewModels/AppSettings.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,17 @@ public sealed class AppSettings
     public const int MaxConcurrency = 64;
     public const int DefaultConcurrency = 8;
 
+    public const int MinSplashMilliseconds = 500;
+    public const int MaxSplashMilliseconds = 30_000;
+    public const int DefaultSplashMilliseconds = 5_000;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Vault id under which the optional default GitHub token is stored. The token
+    /// itself lives only in the <see cref="ITokenVault"/> (Credential Manager) —
+    /// never in this settings file.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static readonly Guid DefaultTokenVaultId = new("d0f0e0c0-9c40-4a5e-8f3a-5b1e6f7a2c11");
+
     /// <summary>Folder pre-filled as the sync target. Empty means "no default".</summary>
     public string DefaultTargetFolder { get; set; } = "";
 
@@ -24,6 +35,12 @@ public sealed class AppSettings
     /// <summary>App theme: "System", "Light", or "Dark". Unknown values fall back to "System".</summary>
     public string Theme { get; set; } = "System";
 
+    /// <summary>Whether the branded splash overlay shows at startup.</summary>
+    public bool ShowSplashScreen { get; set; } = true;
+
+    /// <summary>How long the splash stays up before fading, clamped to 500..30000 ms.</summary>
+    public int SplashMilliseconds { get; set; } = DefaultSplashMilliseconds;
+
     private static string SettingsPath => Path.Combine(GcloPaths.DataRoot, "settings.json");
 
     /// <summary>
@@ -84,6 +101,7 @@ public sealed class AppSettings
         // The JSON deserializer can assign null despite the non-nullable annotation.
         DefaultTargetFolder ??= "";
         DefaultMaxConcurrency = Math.Clamp(DefaultMaxConcurrency, MinConcurrency, MaxConcurrency);
+        SplashMilliseconds = Math.Clamp(SplashMilliseconds, MinSplashMilliseconds, MaxSplashMilliseconds);
         if (Theme is not ("System" or "Light" or "Dark"))
         {
             Theme = "System";
diff --git a/gclo.ViewModels/WorkspaceViewModel.cs b/gclo.ViewModels/WorkspaceViewModel.cs
index fff3534..8e5ad61 100644
--- a/gclo.ViewModels/WorkspaceViewModel.cs
+++ b/gclo.ViewModels/WorkspaceViewModel.cs
@@ -352,11 +352,19 @@ public sealed partial class WorkspaceViewModel : ObservableObject, IDisposable
             var orgs = await _orgLister.ListOrganizationsAsync(token, lookupToken);
             lookupToken.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
 
+            // An editable ComboBox resets its Text when its ItemsSource is mutated,
+            // and the TwoWay binding would wipe a value that was already set — an
+            // account workspace seeds Organization in the constructor, and this
+            // refresh lands ~a second later. Capture, restore, and force a binding
+            // resync so the seeded (or typed) organization survives the refresh.
+            string organizationBeforeRefresh = Organization;
             Organizations.Clear();
             foreach (string org in orgs)
             {
                 Organizations.Add(org);
             }
+            Organization = organizationBeforeRefresh;
+            OnPropertyChanged(nameof(Organization));
             // The production lister always lists the token's own account first, so a
             // single entry means no organizations were visible.
             StatusText = orgs.Count <= 1
diff --git a/gclo/AboutDialog.xaml b/gclo/AboutDialog.xaml
index 869b78c..4765f19 100644
--- a/gclo/AboutDialog.xaml
+++ b/gclo/AboutDialog.xaml
@@ -10,20 +10,50 @@
     CloseButtonText="Close"
     DefaultButton="Close">
 
-    <ScrollViewer MaxHeight="420" VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto">
+    <ScrollViewer MaxHeight="460" VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto">
         <StackPanel Spacing="12" Padding="0,0,12,0">
 
-            <!-- App identity -->
-            <StackPanel Spacing="4">
-                <TextBlock Text="gclo — Git Clone Large Organizations" Style="{ThemeResource SubtitleTextBlockStyle}" />
-                <TextBlock
-                    Text="Clone and update every repository in a GitHub organization."
-                    TextWrapping="Wrap" />
-                <TextBlock
-                    x:Name="VersionText"
-                    AutomationProperties.AutomationId="AboutVersionText"
-                    Foreground="{ThemeResource TextFillColorSecondaryBrush}" />
-            </StackPanel>
+            <!-- Brand header: the splash's look in miniature (same gradient, glyph,
+                 wordmark, and white type — deliberately single-theme, like the splash). -->
+            <Border CornerRadius="8" RequestedTheme="Dark">
+                <Border.Background>
+                    <LinearGradientBrush StartPoint="0,0" EndPoint="1,1">
+                        <GradientStop Offset="0" Color="#3B4CCA" />
+                        <GradientStop Offset="1" Color="#2A2F8F" />
+                    </LinearGradientBrush>
+                </Border.Background>
+                <StackPanel Padding="20,16" Spacing="4">
+                    <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Spacing="12">
+                        <FontIcon
+                            Glyph="&#xE895;"
+                            FontSize="28"
+                            Foreground="White"
+                            VerticalAlignment="Center" />
+                        <TextBlock
+                            Text="gclo"
+                            FontFamily="Segoe UI Variable Display"
+                            FontWeight="SemiBold"
+                            FontSize="28"
+                            Foreground="White"
+                            VerticalAlignment="Center" />
+                    </StackPanel>
+                    <TextBlock
+                        Text="Git Clone Large Organizations"
+                        FontSize="13"
+                        Foreground="White"
+                        Opacity="0.8" />
+                    <TextBlock
+                        x:Name="VersionText"
+                        AutomationProperties.AutomationId="AboutVersionText"
+                        FontSize="12"
+                        Foreground="White"
+                        Opacity="0.7" />
+                </StackPanel>
+            </Border>
+
+            <TextBlock
+                Text="Clone and update every repository in a GitHub organization."
+                TextWrapping="Wrap" />
 
             <HyperlinkButton
                 Padding="0"
diff --git a/gclo/AccountWizardDialog.xaml b/gclo/AccountWizardDialog.xaml
index f605ac8..0f48f25 100644
--- a/gclo/AccountWizardDialog.xaml
+++ b/gclo/AccountWizardDialog.xaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <ContentDialog
     x:Class="gclo.AccountWizardDialog"
     xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
             <TextBox
                 AutomationProperties.AutomationId="WizardNameBox"
                 Header="Account name"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Shown in the navigation pane; must be unique"
                 PlaceholderText="e.g. Work – Acme"
                 Text="{x:Bind ViewModel.Name, Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" />
             <TextBlock
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@
                 Visibility="{x:Bind local:StatusFormat.VisibleIfNotEmpty(ViewModel.NameError), Mode=OneWay}" />
             <TextBox
                 Header="Description (optional)"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="A note to future you about what this account is for"
                 PlaceholderText="What this account is for"
                 Text="{x:Bind ViewModel.Description, Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" />
         </StackPanel>
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@
                 x:Name="TokenBox"
                 AutomationProperties.AutomationId="WizardTokenBox"
                 Header="Personal access token"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Stored in Windows Credential Manager, never in a file; needs repository read access"
                 PlaceholderText="ghp_…"
                 PasswordChanged="TokenBox_PasswordChanged" />
             <HyperlinkButton
@@ -99,9 +102,11 @@
                 AutomationProperties.AutomationId="WizardOrgBox"
                 HorizontalAlignment="Stretch"
                 Header="Organization or account"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="The GitHub organization or user account this saved account syncs"
                 IsEditable="True"
                 ItemsSource="{x:Bind ViewModel.Organizations, Mode=OneTime}"
                 PlaceholderText="Choose from the list, or type a name"
+                Loaded="OrgBox_Loaded"
                 Text="{x:Bind ViewModel.Organization, Mode=TwoWay}" />
         </StackPanel>
 
@@ -121,6 +126,7 @@
                     Grid.Column="0"
                     AutomationProperties.AutomationId="WizardTargetBox"
                     Header="Target folder"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Local folder each repository is cloned into"
                     PlaceholderText="C:\src\my-org"
                     Text="{x:Bind ViewModel.TargetRoot, Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" />
                 <Button
@@ -136,6 +142,7 @@
             <NumberBox
                 x:Name="ConcurrencyBox"
                 Header="Parallel clones and pulls"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="How many repositories run at the same time (1-64)"
                 Minimum="1"
                 Maximum="64"
                 SmallChange="1"
diff --git a/gclo/AccountWizardDialog.xaml.cs b/gclo/AccountWizardDialog.xaml.cs
index 7929b94..363697e 100644
--- a/gclo/AccountWizardDialog.xaml.cs
+++ b/gclo/AccountWizardDialog.xaml.cs
@@ -149,6 +149,12 @@ namespace gclo
         private void TokenBox_PasswordChanged(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
             => ViewModel.Token = ((PasswordBox)sender).Password;
 
+        // An editable ComboBox does not render Text set before its template loaded;
+        // when editing an account, step 3 would show blank despite the seeded
+        // organization — see EditableComboBox.
+        private void OrgBox_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+            => EditableComboBox.ReapplyText((ComboBox)sender, ViewModel.Organization);
+
         /// <summary>Mirrors the NumberBox's double into the view model's int.</summary>
         private void ConcurrencyBox_ValueChanged(NumberBox sender, NumberBoxValueChangedEventArgs args)
         {
diff --git a/gclo/EditableComboBox.cs b/gclo/EditableComboBox.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e77827
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gclo/EditableComboBox.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Media;
+
+namespace gclo
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Workaround for a WinUI platform quirk: an editable ComboBox never renders
+    /// Text that was bound before its template loaded — the value sits in the Text
+    /// property but the template's inner TextBox stays empty, so a seeded value
+    /// (an account workspace's organization) looks blank. Re-assigning Text is an
+    /// identical-value no-op, so the inner TextBox must be written directly.
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static class EditableComboBox
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Pushes <paramref name="text"/> into the combo's template TextBox (and the
+        /// Text property, for good measure). Call from the control's Loaded handler;
+        /// enqueued once when the template has not been applied yet at that point.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static void ReapplyText(ComboBox combo, string text)
+        {
+            if (FindInnerTextBox(combo) is TextBox inner)
+            {
+                inner.Text = text;
+                inner.SelectionStart = text.Length;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // Template not applied yet: try once more after this layout pass.
+                combo.DispatcherQueue.TryEnqueue(() =>
+                {
+                    if (FindInnerTextBox(combo) is TextBox late)
+                    {
+                        late.Text = text;
+                        late.SelectionStart = text.Length;
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+        }
+
+        private static TextBox? FindInnerTextBox(DependencyObject root)
+        {
+            int count = VisualTreeHelper.GetChildrenCount(root);
+            for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
+            {
+                DependencyObject child = VisualTreeHelper.GetChild(root, i);
+                if (child is TextBox box)
+                {
+                    return box;
+                }
+                if (FindInnerTextBox(child) is TextBox nested)
+                {
+                    return nested;
+                }
+            }
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/gclo/LogViewerDialog.xaml b/gclo/LogViewerDialog.xaml
deleted file mode 100644
index e19b836..0000000
--- a/gclo/LogViewerDialog.xaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
-<ContentDialog
-    x:Class="gclo.LogViewerDialog"
-    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
-    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
-    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
-    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
-    mc:Ignorable="d"
-    Title="Activity log"
-    CloseButtonText="Close"
-    SecondaryButtonText="Open logs folder"
-    SecondaryButtonClick="OpenLogsFolder_Click"
-    DefaultButton="Close">
-
-    <ContentDialog.Resources>
-        <!-- Log lines are wide; loosen the stock 548px dialog cap. -->
-        <x:Double x:Key="ContentDialogMaxWidth">800</x:Double>
-    </ContentDialog.Resources>
-
-    <ScrollViewer
-        x:Name="LogScroll"
-        MinWidth="480"
-        MaxHeight="420"
-        HorizontalScrollBarVisibility="Auto"
-        HorizontalScrollMode="Auto"
-        VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto">
-        <TextBlock
-            x:Name="LogText"
-            FontFamily="Consolas"
-            FontSize="12"
-            IsTextSelectionEnabled="True"
-            TextWrapping="NoWrap" />
-    </ScrollViewer>
-</ContentDialog>
diff --git a/gclo/LogViewerDialog.xaml.cs b/gclo/LogViewerDialog.xaml.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index 270685b..0000000
--- a/gclo/LogViewerDialog.xaml.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,82 +0,0 @@
-using System;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.IO;
-using gclo.Engine;
-using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls;
-
-namespace gclo
-{
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Read-only viewer for the tail of today's activity log, with a shortcut to the
-    /// logs folder. The caller must set <see cref="ContentDialog.XamlRoot"/> before
-    /// calling ShowAsync.
-    /// </summary>
-    public sealed partial class LogViewerDialog : ContentDialog
-    {
-        private const int TailLineCount = 400;
-
-        private readonly IActivityLog _log;
-
-        public LogViewerDialog(IActivityLog log)
-        {
-            _log = log;
-            InitializeComponent();
-            LogText.Text = ReadTail(log.CurrentLogFilePath);
-
-            // Recent entries matter most: start scrolled to the end of the tail.
-            Opened += (_, _) =>
-            {
-                LogScroll.UpdateLayout();
-                LogScroll.ChangeView(null, LogScroll.ScrollableHeight, null, true);
-            };
-        }
-
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Returns the last <see cref="TailLineCount"/> lines of <paramref name="path"/>,
-        /// or a placeholder when the file is missing or unreadable. Never throws: the
-        /// viewer is diagnostics UI and must not crash the app over a bad log file.
-        /// </summary>
-        private static string ReadTail(string path)
-        {
-            try
-            {
-                if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(path) || !File.Exists(path))
-                {
-                    return "No log entries yet.";
-                }
-
-                // Share ReadWrite: the activity log may append while the dialog reads.
-                using var stream = new FileStream(
-                    path, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.ReadWrite | FileShare.Delete);
-                using var reader = new StreamReader(stream);
-
-                var tail = new Queue<string>(TailLineCount);
-                while (reader.ReadLine() is string line)
-                {
-                    if (tail.Count == TailLineCount)
-                    {
-                        tail.Dequeue();
-                    }
-                    tail.Enqueue(line);
-                }
-
-                return tail.Count == 0
-                    ? "No log entries yet."
-                    : string.Join(Environment.NewLine, tail);
-            }
-            catch (Exception ex)
-            {
-                return "Could not read the log file." + Environment.NewLine + ex.Message;
-            }
-        }
-
-        private async void OpenLogsFolder_Click(ContentDialog sender, ContentDialogButtonClickEventArgs args)
-        {
-            string directory = _log.LogDirectory;
-            if (Directory.Exists(directory))
-            {
-                await Windows.System.Launcher.LaunchFolderPathAsync(directory);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
diff --git a/gclo/LogWindow.xaml b/gclo/LogWindow.xaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62398bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gclo/LogWindow.xaml
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<Window
+    x:Class="gclo.LogWindow"
+    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
+    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
+    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
+    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
+    mc:Ignorable="d"
+    Title="gclo — Activity log">
+
+    <Window.SystemBackdrop>
+        <MicaBackdrop />
+    </Window.SystemBackdrop>
+
+    <Grid Padding="16" RowSpacing="12">
+        <Grid.RowDefinitions>
+            <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
+            <RowDefinition Height="*" />
+        </Grid.RowDefinitions>
+
+        <!-- Toolbar: filter and actions. The window is non-modal by design — it can
+             stay open beside the main window while syncs run. -->
+        <Grid ColumnSpacing="8">
+            <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
+                <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
+                <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
+                <ColumnDefinition Width="*" />
+                <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
+                <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
+            </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
+            <ToggleButton
+                x:Name="ErrorsOnlyToggle"
+                Grid.Column="0"
+                Content="Errors only"
+                AutomationProperties.AutomationId="LogErrorsOnlyToggle"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Show only [ERROR] entries (with their exception details)"
+                Click="ErrorsOnlyToggle_Click" />
+            <ToggleButton
+                x:Name="FollowToggle"
+                Grid.Column="1"
+                Content="Follow"
+                IsChecked="True"
+                AutomationProperties.AutomationId="LogFollowToggle"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Refresh automatically and keep the newest entries in view" />
+            <TextBlock
+                x:Name="LogPathText"
+                Grid.Column="2"
+                VerticalAlignment="Center"
+                Style="{ThemeResource CaptionTextBlockStyle}"
+                Foreground="{ThemeResource TextFillColorSecondaryBrush}"
+                TextTrimming="CharacterEllipsis"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="The file new entries are appended to" />
+            <Button
+                Grid.Column="3"
+                Content="Copy"
+                AutomationProperties.AutomationId="LogCopyButton"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Copy the visible log text to the clipboard"
+                Click="CopyButton_Click" />
+            <Button
+                Grid.Column="4"
+                Content="Open logs folder"
+                AutomationProperties.AutomationId="LogOpenFolderButton"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Open the folder that holds all gclo log files"
+                Click="OpenLogsFolder_Click" />
+        </Grid>
+
+        <!-- The raw log tail: timestamps, levels, and full exception text, in a
+             monospace face for scanability. Selection enabled for copy/paste. -->
+        <Border
+            Grid.Row="1"
+            Background="{ThemeResource LayerFillColorDefaultBrush}"
+            BorderBrush="{ThemeResource CardStrokeColorDefaultBrush}"
+            BorderThickness="1"
+            CornerRadius="8">
+            <ScrollViewer
+                x:Name="LogScroll"
+                Padding="12"
+                HorizontalScrollBarVisibility="Auto"
+                VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto">
+                <TextBlock
+                    x:Name="LogText"
+                    AutomationProperties.AutomationId="LogWindowText"
+                    FontFamily="Cascadia Mono, Consolas"
+                    FontSize="12"
+                    IsTextSelectionEnabled="True"
+                    TextWrapping="NoWrap" />
+            </ScrollViewer>
+        </Border>
+    </Grid>
+</Window>
diff --git a/gclo/LogWindow.xaml.cs b/gclo/LogWindow.xaml.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69e632a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gclo/LogWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
+using gclo.Engine;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml;
+
+namespace gclo
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Non-modal activity-log window: stays open beside the main window while syncs
+    /// run, tails the current log file live (timer + follow mode), and shows the raw
+    /// technical text — timestamps, levels, full exception stacks — in monospace.
+    /// <see cref="MainWindow"/> keeps at most one instance and re-activates it.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed partial class LogWindow : Window
+    {
+        private const int TailLineCount = 2000;
+        private static readonly TimeSpan RefreshInterval = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1);
+
+        private readonly IActivityLog _log;
+        private readonly DispatcherTimer _refresh = new() { Interval = RefreshInterval };
+
+        private long _lastLength = -1;
+        private bool _errorsOnly;
+
+        public LogWindow(IActivityLog log)
+        {
+            ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(log);
+            _log = log;
+            InitializeComponent();
+
+            LogPathText.Text = _log.CurrentLogFilePath;
+
+            var hwnd = WinRT.Interop.WindowNative.GetWindowHandle(this);
+            double scale = GetDpiForWindow(hwnd) / 96.0;
+            AppWindow.Resize(new Windows.Graphics.SizeInt32((int)(1000 * scale), (int)(680 * scale)));
+
+            _refresh.Tick += (_, _) => RefreshIfChanged();
+            _refresh.Start();
+            Closed += (_, _) => _refresh.Stop();
+
+            Reload(scrollToEnd: true);
+        }
+
+        private void ErrorsOnlyToggle_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+        {
+            _errorsOnly = ErrorsOnlyToggle.IsChecked == true;
+            Reload(scrollToEnd: true);
+        }
+
+        private void CopyButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+        {
+            var package = new Windows.ApplicationModel.DataTransfer.DataPackage();
+            package.SetText(LogText.Text);
+            Windows.ApplicationModel.DataTransfer.Clipboard.SetContent(package);
+        }
+
+        private async void OpenLogsFolder_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+        {
+            string directory = _log.LogDirectory;
+            if (Directory.Exists(directory))
+            {
+                await Windows.System.Launcher.LaunchFolderPathAsync(directory);
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>Timer tick: reload only when the file grew (or rolled) and Follow is on.</summary>
+        private void RefreshIfChanged()
+        {
+            if (FollowToggle.IsChecked != true)
+            {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            try
+            {
+                string path = _log.CurrentLogFilePath;
+                long length = File.Exists(path) ? new FileInfo(path).Length : 0;
+                if (length != _lastLength)
+                {
+                    LogPathText.Text = path; // the day can roll over while the window is open
+                    Reload(scrollToEnd: true);
+                }
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                // Diagnostics UI must never take the app down over an unreadable file.
+            }
+        }
+
+        private void Reload(bool scrollToEnd)
+        {
+            IReadOnlyList<string> lines = ReadTail(_log.CurrentLogFilePath, out _lastLength);
+            if (_errorsOnly)
+            {
+                lines = FilterToErrorEntries(lines);
+            }
+
+            LogText.Text = lines.Count == 0
+                ? (_errorsOnly ? "No errors logged. Good." : "No log entries yet.")
+                : string.Join(Environment.NewLine, lines);
+
+            if (scrollToEnd)
+            {
+                LogScroll.UpdateLayout();
+                LogScroll.ChangeView(null, LogScroll.ScrollableHeight, null, disableAnimation: true);
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Last <see cref="TailLineCount"/> lines of the file (shared for concurrent
+        /// appends); never throws — this is diagnostics UI.
+        /// </summary>
+        private static IReadOnlyList<string> ReadTail(string path, out long length)
+        {
+            length = 0;
+            try
+            {
+                if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(path) || !File.Exists(path))
+                {
+                    return [];
+                }
+
+                using var stream = new FileStream(
+                    path, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.ReadWrite | FileShare.Delete);
+                length = stream.Length;
+                using var reader = new StreamReader(stream);
+
+                var tail = new Queue<string>(TailLineCount);
+                while (reader.ReadLine() is string line)
+                {
+                    if (tail.Count == TailLineCount)
+                    {
+                        tail.Dequeue();
+                    }
+                    tail.Enqueue(line);
+                }
+                return [.. tail];
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                return ["Could not read the log file.", ex.Message];
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Keeps [ERROR] entries including their continuation lines (exception text
+        /// spans lines until the next timestamped entry starts).
+        /// </summary>
+        private static List<string> FilterToErrorEntries(IReadOnlyList<string> lines)
+        {
+            var kept = new List<string>();
+            bool inError = false;
+            foreach (string line in lines)
+            {
+                if (EntryStart().IsMatch(line))
+                {
+                    inError = line.Contains("[ERROR]", StringComparison.Ordinal);
+                }
+                if (inError)
+                {
+                    kept.Add(line);
+                }
+            }
+            return kept;
+        }
+
+        [GeneratedRegex(@"^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2} \d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2}")]
+        private static partial Regex EntryStart();
+
+        [System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("user32.dll")]
+        private static extern uint GetDpiForWindow(IntPtr hwnd);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/gclo/MainWindow.xaml b/gclo/MainWindow.xaml
index b686399..429c8c9 100644
--- a/gclo/MainWindow.xaml
+++ b/gclo/MainWindow.xaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <Window
     x:Class="gclo.MainWindow"
     xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@
                 <NavigationViewItem
                     x:Name="QuickSyncNavItem"
                     AutomationProperties.AutomationId="NavQuickSync"
-                    Content="Quick Sync">
+                    Content="Quick Sync"
+                    ToolTipService.ToolTip="Ad-hoc sync: paste a token and go, nothing is saved">
                     <NavigationViewItem.Icon>
                         <FontIcon Glyph="&#xE945;" />
                     </NavigationViewItem.Icon>
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@
                     x:Name="SyncAllNavItem"
                     AutomationProperties.AutomationId="NavSyncAll"
                     Content="Sync all"
+                    ToolTipService.ToolTip="Run every saved account in order, one after another"
                     Tag="syncall"
                     IsEnabled="False">
                     <NavigationViewItem.Icon>
@@ -77,6 +79,7 @@
                 <NavigationViewItem
                     AutomationProperties.AutomationId="NavAddAccount"
                     Content="Add account"
+                    ToolTipService.ToolTip="Save an organization, token, and target as a reusable account"
                     Tag="add">
                     <NavigationViewItem.Icon>
                         <FontIcon Glyph="&#xE710;" />
diff --git a/gclo/MainWindow.xaml.cs b/gclo/MainWindow.xaml.cs
index 91ab8d4..2142739 100644
--- a/gclo/MainWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/gclo/MainWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -109,19 +109,27 @@ namespace gclo
                 presenter.PreferredMinimumHeight = (int)(MinWindowHeight * scale);
             }
 
-            Closed += (_, _) => DisposeWorkspaces();
-
-            // Dismiss the startup splash overlay once it has been visible long enough
-            // to read as an intentional brand moment rather than a flicker.
-            DispatcherQueue.TryEnqueue(async () =>
+            Closed += (_, _) =>
             {
-                await Task.Delay(MinimumSplashMilliseconds);
-                await StartupSplash.DismissAsync();
-            });
-        }
+                _logWindow?.Close(); // a log-only process would linger otherwise
+                DisposeWorkspaces();
+            };
 
-        /// <summary>Minimum splash display, so a fast startup never shows a flicker.</summary>
-        private const int MinimumSplashMilliseconds = 800;
+            // The splash overlay honors Settings → Advanced: skipped entirely when
+            // disabled, otherwise dismissed after the configured display time.
+            if (_settings.ShowSplashScreen)
+            {
+                DispatcherQueue.TryEnqueue(async () =>
+                {
+                    await Task.Delay(_settings.SplashMilliseconds);
+                    await StartupSplash.DismissAsync();
+                });
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                StartupSplash.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
+            }
+        }
 
         private void ApplySettings()
         {
@@ -253,8 +261,14 @@ namespace gclo
         {
             if (id == Guid.Empty)
             {
-                // Quick Sync: no account behind it — exactly the pre-accounts behavior.
-                return new WorkspaceViewModel(log: _log);
+                // Quick Sync: no account behind it. A saved default token (Settings)
+                // pre-fills the connect card; setting Token also starts the org lookup.
+                var quickSync = new WorkspaceViewModel(log: _log);
+                if (_tokenVault.TryRetrieve(AppSettings.DefaultTokenVaultId) is { Length: > 0 } defaultToken)
+                {
+                    quickSync.Token = defaultToken;
+                }
+                return quickSync;
             }
 
             Account? account = _accountsStore.GetAll().FirstOrDefault(a => a.Id == id);
@@ -662,7 +676,11 @@ namespace gclo
 
         private async void SettingsMenuItem_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
         {
-            var dialog = new SettingsDialog(_settings) { XamlRoot = Content.XamlRoot };
+            var dialog = new SettingsDialog(
+                _settings, _tokenVault, () => WinRT.Interop.WindowNative.GetWindowHandle(this))
+            {
+                XamlRoot = Content.XamlRoot,
+            };
             if (await DialogGuard.ShowAsync(dialog) == ContentDialogResult.Primary)
             {
                 dialog.ApplyAndSave();
@@ -672,10 +690,19 @@ namespace gclo
 
         private void ExitMenuItem_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) => Close();
 
-        private async void ActivityLogMenuItem_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+        /// <summary>The one log window, re-activated while open; null when closed.</summary>
+        private LogWindow? _logWindow;
+
+        private void ActivityLogMenuItem_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
         {
-            var dialog = new LogViewerDialog(_log) { XamlRoot = Content.XamlRoot };
-            await DialogGuard.ShowAsync(dialog);
+            // Non-modal by design: the log stays open and live-updating beside the
+            // main window while syncs run.
+            if (_logWindow is null)
+            {
+                _logWindow = new LogWindow(_log);
+                _logWindow.Closed += (_, _) => _logWindow = null;
+            }
+            _logWindow.Activate();
         }
 
         private async void GitHubMenuItem_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
diff --git a/gclo/SettingsDialog.xaml b/gclo/SettingsDialog.xaml
index 46e943e..1f1bdba 100644
--- a/gclo/SettingsDialog.xaml
+++ b/gclo/SettingsDialog.xaml
@@ -11,25 +11,80 @@
     CloseButtonText="Cancel"
     DefaultButton="Primary">
 
-    <StackPanel MinWidth="380" Spacing="12">
-        <TextBox
-            x:Name="TargetFolderBox"
-            Header="Default target folder"
-            PlaceholderText="C:\src\my-org" />
+    <StackPanel MinWidth="420" Spacing="12">
+        <Grid ColumnSpacing="8">
+            <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
+                <ColumnDefinition Width="*" />
+                <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
+            </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
+            <TextBox
+                x:Name="TargetFolderBox"
+                Header="Default target folder"
+                PlaceholderText="C:\src\my-org"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Pre-filled as the sync target for new workspaces" />
+            <Button
+                Grid.Column="1"
+                VerticalAlignment="Bottom"
+                Content="Browse…"
+                AutomationProperties.AutomationId="SettingsBrowseButton"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Choose the default target folder"
+                Click="BrowseButton_Click" />
+        </Grid>
+        <PasswordBox
+            x:Name="DefaultTokenBox"
+            Header="Default GitHub token"
+            AutomationProperties.AutomationId="SettingsDefaultTokenBox"
+            ToolTipService.ToolTip="Pre-fills Quick Sync so you do not paste the token every launch. Stored in Windows Credential Manager, never in a file." />
+        <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Spacing="8">
+            <TextBlock
+                x:Name="TokenStateText"
+                VerticalAlignment="Center"
+                Style="{ThemeResource CaptionTextBlockStyle}"
+                Foreground="{ThemeResource TextFillColorSecondaryBrush}" />
+            <HyperlinkButton
+                x:Name="RemoveTokenButton"
+                Padding="0"
+                Content="Remove saved token"
+                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Deletes the saved default token from Windows Credential Manager when you press Save"
+                Click="RemoveTokenButton_Click" />
+        </StackPanel>
         <NumberBox
             x:Name="ConcurrencyBox"
             Header="Default parallelism"
             Minimum="1"
             Maximum="64"
             SmallChange="1"
-            SpinButtonPlacementMode="Inline" />
+            SpinButtonPlacementMode="Inline"
+            ToolTipService.ToolTip="How many repositories new workspaces clone or pull at the same time" />
         <ComboBox
             x:Name="ThemeBox"
             HorizontalAlignment="Stretch"
-            Header="Theme">
+            Header="Theme"
+            ToolTipService.ToolTip="Light, dark, or follow the Windows setting">
             <ComboBoxItem Content="System" />
             <ComboBoxItem Content="Light" />
             <ComboBoxItem Content="Dark" />
         </ComboBox>
+        <Expander
+            HorizontalAlignment="Stretch"
+            HorizontalContentAlignment="Stretch"
+            Header="Advanced">
+            <StackPanel Spacing="12">
+                <ToggleSwitch
+                    x:Name="SplashToggle"
+                    Header="Show splash screen at startup"
+                    AutomationProperties.AutomationId="SettingsSplashToggle"
+                    ToolTipService.ToolTip="Turns the branded startup splash on or off" />
+                <NumberBox
+                    x:Name="SplashDurationBox"
+                    Header="Splash duration (milliseconds)"
+                    Minimum="500"
+                    Maximum="30000"
+                    SmallChange="250"
+                    SpinButtonPlacementMode="Inline"
+                    AutomationProperties.AutomationId="SettingsSplashDurationBox"
+                    ToolTipService.ToolTip="How long the splash stays on screen before fading (500–30000 ms)" />
+            </StackPanel>
+        </Expander>
     </StackPanel>
 </ContentDialog>
diff --git a/gclo/SettingsDialog.xaml.cs b/gclo/SettingsDialog.xaml.cs
index 095bcb0..403d3fa 100644
--- a/gclo/SettingsDialog.xaml.cs
+++ b/gclo/SettingsDialog.xaml.cs
@@ -1,33 +1,45 @@
 using System;
 using gclo.ViewModels;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml;
 using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls;
 
 namespace gclo
 {
     /// <summary>
-    /// Modal editor for <see cref="AppSettings"/>. The dialog only edits and persists the
-    /// values; it does not apply the theme or touch any window — the caller owns side effects.
+    /// Modal editor for <see cref="AppSettings"/> plus the optional default GitHub
+    /// token (kept in the <see cref="ITokenVault"/>, never in settings.json). The
+    /// dialog only edits and persists values; the caller owns side effects like
+    /// applying the theme.
     ///
-    /// WinUI 3 requires <c>XamlRoot</c> to be set before <c>ShowAsync</c> (a ContentDialog
-    /// created in code has no visual tree to attach to and throws otherwise). Typical usage
-    /// from a Window:
+    /// WinUI 3 requires <c>XamlRoot</c> to be set before <c>ShowAsync</c>. Typical
+    /// usage from a Window:
     /// <code>
-    /// var dialog = new SettingsDialog(settings) { XamlRoot = Content.XamlRoot };
+    /// var dialog = new SettingsDialog(settings, vault, () => hwnd) { XamlRoot = Content.XamlRoot };
     /// if (await dialog.ShowAsync() == ContentDialogResult.Primary)
     /// {
-    ///     dialog.ApplyAndSave(); // writes edits into the AppSettings passed above, then Save()
-    ///     // caller applies theme / defaults as it sees fit
+    ///     dialog.ApplyAndSave();
     /// }
     /// </code>
     /// </summary>
     public sealed partial class SettingsDialog : ContentDialog
     {
         private readonly AppSettings _settings;
+        private readonly ITokenVault _vault;
+        // A ContentDialog has no HWND of its own; the host window supplies one for pickers.
+        private readonly Func<nint> _windowHandleProvider;
+
+        /// <summary>Set by the Remove link; the deletion happens on Save.</summary>
+        private bool _removeSavedToken;
 
         /// <summary>Creates the dialog and populates the controls from <paramref name="settings"/>.</summary>
-        public SettingsDialog(AppSettings settings)
+        public SettingsDialog(AppSettings settings, ITokenVault vault, Func<nint> windowHandleProvider)
         {
+            ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(settings);
+            ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(vault);
+            ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(windowHandleProvider);
             _settings = settings;
+            _vault = vault;
+            _windowHandleProvider = windowHandleProvider;
             InitializeComponent();
 
             TargetFolderBox.Text = settings.DefaultTargetFolder;
@@ -38,11 +50,18 @@ namespace gclo
                 "Dark" => 2,
                 _ => 0,
             };
+            SplashToggle.IsOn = settings.ShowSplashScreen;
+            SplashDurationBox.Value = settings.SplashMilliseconds;
+
+            // The saved token is never re-materialized into the box — the box stays
+            // empty and means "unchanged"; only typing a new value replaces it.
+            RefreshTokenState(hasSaved: _vault.TryRetrieve(AppSettings.DefaultTokenVaultId) is not null);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Copies the edited values back into the <see cref="AppSettings"/> instance the dialog
-        /// was constructed with and persists them. Call this after <c>ShowAsync</c> returned
+        /// Copies the edited values back into the <see cref="AppSettings"/> instance the
+        /// dialog was constructed with, persists them, and applies the default-token
+        /// change (store or remove) to the vault. Call after <c>ShowAsync</c> returned
         /// <see cref="ContentDialogResult.Primary"/>.
         /// </summary>
         public void ApplyAndSave()
@@ -64,7 +83,57 @@ namespace gclo
                 _ => "System",
             };
 
+            _settings.ShowSplashScreen = SplashToggle.IsOn;
+            double splash = SplashDurationBox.Value;
+            if (!double.IsNaN(splash))
+            {
+                _settings.SplashMilliseconds = Math.Clamp(
+                    (int)Math.Round(splash),
+                    AppSettings.MinSplashMilliseconds,
+                    AppSettings.MaxSplashMilliseconds);
+            }
+
             _settings.Save();
+
+            string typed = DefaultTokenBox.Password;
+            if (typed.Length > 0)
+            {
+                _vault.Store(AppSettings.DefaultTokenVaultId, typed);
+            }
+            else if (_removeSavedToken)
+            {
+                _vault.Delete(AppSettings.DefaultTokenVaultId);
+            }
+        }
+
+        private void RemoveTokenButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+        {
+            _removeSavedToken = true;
+            DefaultTokenBox.Password = "";
+            TokenStateText.Text = "Saved token will be removed on Save.";
+            RemoveTokenButton.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
+        }
+
+        private void RefreshTokenState(bool hasSaved)
+        {
+            TokenStateText.Text = hasSaved
+                ? "A default token is saved. Leave the box empty to keep it."
+                : "No default token saved.";
+            RemoveTokenButton.Visibility = hasSaved ? Visibility.Visible : Visibility.Collapsed;
+        }
+
+        private async void BrowseButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+        {
+            var picker = new Windows.Storage.Pickers.FolderPicker();
+            picker.FileTypeFilter.Add("*"); // required in packaged apps
+
+            WinRT.Interop.InitializeWithWindow.Initialize(picker, _windowHandleProvider());
+
+            var folder = await picker.PickSingleFolderAsync();
+            if (folder is not null)
+            {
+                TargetFolderBox.Text = folder.Path;
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/gclo/WorkspacePage.xaml b/gclo/WorkspacePage.xaml
index 18fe1bc..e1d3675 100644
--- a/gclo/WorkspacePage.xaml
+++ b/gclo/WorkspacePage.xaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <UserControl
     x:Class="gclo.WorkspacePage"
     xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@
                             x:Name="TokenBox"
                             AutomationProperties.AutomationId="ConnectTokenBox"
                             Header="Personal access token"
+                            ToolTipService.ToolTip="Fine-grained or classic PAT with repository read access; used for the GitHub API and git over HTTPS. Never written to disk or logs."
                             PlaceholderText="ghp_…"
                             PasswordChanged="TokenBox_PasswordChanged" />
                         <HyperlinkButton
@@ -101,9 +102,11 @@
                                 AutomationProperties.AutomationId="ConnectOrgBox"
                                 HorizontalAlignment="Stretch"
                                 Header="Organization or account"
+                                ToolTipService.ToolTip="The GitHub organization or user account whose repositories are synced. Populated from the token; typing a name also works."
                                 IsEditable="True"
                                 ItemsSource="{x:Bind ViewModel.Organizations, Mode=OneTime}"
                                 PlaceholderText="Paste a token first, or type an org"
+                                Loaded="OrgBox_Loaded"
                                 Text="{x:Bind ViewModel.Organization, Mode=TwoWay}" />
                             <ProgressRing
                                 Grid.Column="1"
@@ -122,12 +125,14 @@
                             <TextBox
                                 Grid.Column="0"
                                 AutomationProperties.AutomationId="ConnectTargetBox"
+                                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Local folder each repository is cloned into (one subfolder per repository)"
                                 Header="Target folder"
                                 PlaceholderText="C:\src\my-org"
                                 Text="{x:Bind ViewModel.TargetFolder, Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" />
                             <Button
                                 Grid.Column="1"
                                 AutomationProperties.AutomationId="ConnectBrowseButton"
+                                ToolTipService.ToolTip="Choose the target folder"
                                 VerticalAlignment="Bottom"
                                 Content="Browse…"
                                 Click="BrowseButton_Click" />
@@ -150,6 +155,7 @@
                         <Button
                             MinWidth="140"
                             AutomationProperties.AutomationId="LoadReposButton"
+                            ToolTipService.ToolTip="List every repository the token can see in this organization"
                             Style="{StaticResource AccentButtonStyle}"
                             Content="Load repositories"
                             Command="{x:Bind ViewModel.LoadReposCommand, Mode=OneTime}">
@@ -261,6 +267,7 @@
                                                 IsEditable="True"
                                                 ItemsSource="{x:Bind ViewModel.Organizations, Mode=OneTime}"
                                                 PlaceholderText="Paste a token first, or type an org"
+                                                Loaded="OrgBox_Loaded"
                                                 Text="{x:Bind ViewModel.Organization, Mode=TwoWay}" />
                                             <ProgressRing
                                                 Grid.Column="1"
@@ -349,10 +356,10 @@
                         Grid.Column="0"
                         VerticalAlignment="Center"
                         SelectionChanged="FilterSelectorBar_SelectionChanged">
-                        <SelectorBarItem x:Name="FilterAllItem" Text="All" Tag="All" />
-                        <SelectorBarItem Text="Active" Tag="Active" />
-                        <SelectorBarItem Text="Failed" Tag="Failed" />
-                        <SelectorBarItem Text="Pending" Tag="Pending" />
+                        <SelectorBarItem x:Name="FilterAllItem" Text="All" Tag="All" ToolTipService.ToolTip="Show every loaded repository" />
+                        <SelectorBarItem Text="Active" Tag="Active" ToolTipService.ToolTip="Show repositories cloning or pulling right now" />
+                        <SelectorBarItem Text="Failed" Tag="Failed" ToolTipService.ToolTip="Show repositories whose last run failed" />
+                        <SelectorBarItem Text="Pending" Tag="Pending" ToolTipService.ToolTip="Show repositories still waiting to run" />
                     </SelectorBar>
                     <TextBlock
                         x:Name="SelectionSummaryText"
@@ -410,6 +417,7 @@
                         <Button
                             AutomationProperties.AutomationId="RefreshButton"
                             Content="Refresh"
+                            ToolTipService.ToolTip="Reload the repository list from GitHub (Ctrl+R)"
                             Command="{x:Bind ViewModel.LoadReposCommand, Mode=OneTime}">
                             <Button.KeyboardAccelerators>
                                 <KeyboardAccelerator Key="R" Modifiers="Control" />
@@ -419,6 +427,7 @@
                             MinWidth="120"
                             AutomationProperties.AutomationId="SyncButton"
                             Style="{StaticResource AccentButtonStyle}"
+                            ToolTipService.ToolTip="Clone new repositories and update existing ones, for the selected rows (Ctrl+Enter)"
                             Content="{x:Bind ViewModel.SyncButtonLabel, Mode=OneWay}"
                             Command="{x:Bind ViewModel.SyncCommand, Mode=OneTime}">
                             <Button.KeyboardAccelerators>
@@ -449,6 +458,7 @@
                         <Button
                             AutomationProperties.AutomationId="CancelSyncButton"
                             Content="Cancel"
+                            ToolTipService.ToolTip="Stop scheduling new repositories; operations already running finish cleanly (Esc)"
                             Command="{x:Bind ViewModel.SyncCancelCommand, Mode=OneTime}">
                             <Button.KeyboardAccelerators>
                                 <KeyboardAccelerator Key="Escape" />
diff --git a/gclo/WorkspacePage.xaml.cs b/gclo/WorkspacePage.xaml.cs
index 90a4b15..16fd0ac 100644
--- a/gclo/WorkspacePage.xaml.cs
+++ b/gclo/WorkspacePage.xaml.cs
@@ -242,6 +242,13 @@ namespace gclo
             null => "Filter by archived",
         };
 
+        // An editable ComboBox does not render Text that was set before its template
+        // loaded, so an account workspace's seeded org shows as blank even though
+        // the view model holds it — see EditableComboBox. Runs on every Loaded:
+        // the connect card's box on page creation, the chip flyout's on each open.
+        private void OrgBox_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+            => EditableComboBox.ReapplyText((ComboBox)sender, ViewModel.Organization);
+
         private void Toolbar_SizeChanged(object sender, SizeChangedEventArgs e)
             => UpdateToolbarLayout();