diff --git a/style/border.go b/style/border.go
index ca87b4f..6cc803a 100644
--- a/style/border.go
+++ b/style/border.go
@@ -23,6 +23,25 @@ func resolveBorderType(name string) lipgloss.Border {
 	return lipgloss.RoundedBorder()
 }
 
+type LayoutBorderMode string
+
+const (
+	LayoutBorderFull      LayoutBorderMode = "full"
+	LayoutBorderSidebar   LayoutBorderMode = "sidebar"
+	LayoutBorderSeparator LayoutBorderMode = "separator"
+)
+
+func resolveLayoutBorder(name string) LayoutBorderMode {
+	switch strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(name)) {
+	case string(LayoutBorderSidebar):
+		return LayoutBorderSidebar
+	case string(LayoutBorderSeparator):
+		return LayoutBorderSeparator
+	default:
+		return LayoutBorderFull
+	}
+}
+
 func ContentHeight(totalH int) int {
 	h := totalH - 2
 	if h < 0 {
@@ -62,3 +81,37 @@ func RenderWithTitle(border lipgloss.Style, title, content string, width, height
 
 	return lipgloss.JoinVertical(lipgloss.Left, topLine, box)
 }
+
+func RenderPlain(border lipgloss.Style, title, content string, width, height int) string {
+	if titleW := lipgloss.Width(title); titleW > width {
+		title = ansi.Truncate(title, width, "")
+	}
+	titleLine := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Bold(true).
+		Foreground(border.GetBorderTopForeground()).
+		Width(width).
+		Render(title)
+
+	contentH := max(height-1, 0)
+	lines := strings.Split(content, "\n")
+	if len(lines) > contentH {
+		content = strings.Join(lines[:contentH], "\n")
+	}
+	box := lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(width).Height(contentH).Render(content)
+
+	return lipgloss.JoinVertical(lipgloss.Left, titleLine, box)
+}
+
+func VerticalDivider(border lipgloss.Style, height int) string {
+	b, _, _, _, _ := border.GetBorder()
+	ch := b.Left
+	if ch == "" {
+		ch = "│"
+	}
+	line := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(border.GetBorderLeftForeground()).Render(ch)
+	rows := make([]string, max(height, 0))
+	for i := range rows {
+		rows[i] = line
+	}
+	return strings.Join(rows, "\n")
+}
diff --git a/style/config.go b/style/config.go
index 0f8cd20..23a5313 100644
--- a/style/config.go
+++ b/style/config.go
@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@ type colorsYAML struct {
 }
 
 type configYAML struct {
-	Colors    colorsYAML `yaml:"colors"`
-	NerdFonts bool       `yaml:"nerd_fonts"`
-	Border    string     `yaml:"border"`
+	Colors       colorsYAML `yaml:"colors"`
+	NerdFonts    bool       `yaml:"nerd_fonts"`
+	Border       string     `yaml:"border"`
+	LayoutBorder string     `yaml:"layout_border"`
 }
 
 func pickString(base, user string) string {
@@ -36,8 +37,9 @@ func mergeConfig(base, user configYAML) configYAML {
 	return configYAML{
 		Colors: mergeColors(base.Colors, user.Colors),
 
-		NerdFonts: base.NerdFonts || user.NerdFonts,
-		Border:    pickString(base.Border, user.Border),
+		NerdFonts:    base.NerdFonts || user.NerdFonts,
+		Border:       pickString(base.Border, user.Border),
+		LayoutBorder: pickString(base.LayoutBorder, user.LayoutBorder),
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/style/default.yaml b/style/default.yaml
index cbfa8ea..55a98f9 100644
--- a/style/default.yaml
+++ b/style/default.yaml
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ nerd_fonts: false
 # One of: rounded, normal, thick, double, hidden, ascii.
 border: rounded
 
+# How sidebar+content layouts draw their borders. One of:
+#   full: both the sidebar and content panes get a full titled border.
+#   sidebar: only the sidebar gets a full border
+#   separator: neither pane is bordered; a single vertical line divides them.
+layout_border: full
+
 colors:
   base00: "#110F12" # Background
   base01: "#1C1920" # Lighter Background / Status Bars
diff --git a/style/style.go b/style/style.go
index 59644fa..a937218 100644
--- a/style/style.go
+++ b/style/style.go
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ type Styles struct {
 	Bold  lipgloss.Style
 	Faint lipgloss.Style
 
-	NerdFonts  bool
-	BorderType lipgloss.Border
+	NerdFonts    bool
+	BorderType   lipgloss.Border
+	LayoutBorder LayoutBorderMode
 
 	Panel        lipgloss.Style
 	PanelFocused lipgloss.Style
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ type Styles struct {
 	PagerDotInactive string
 }
 
-func newStyles(c colorsYAML, nerdFonts bool, borderName string) Styles {
+func newStyles(c colorsYAML, nerdFonts bool, borderName, layoutBorderName string) Styles {
 	lc := func(s string) color.Color {
 		s = strings.TrimSpace(s)
 		if s != "" && s[0] != '#' {
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ func newStyles(c colorsYAML, nerdFonts bool, borderName string) Styles {
 	b0F := lc(c.Base0F)
 
 	borderType := resolveBorderType(borderName)
+	layoutBorder := resolveLayoutBorder(layoutBorderName)
 
 	return Styles{
 		Base00: b00, Base01: b01, Base02: b02, Base03: b03,
@@ -97,8 +99,9 @@ func newStyles(c colorsYAML, nerdFonts bool, borderName string) Styles {
 		Bold:  lipgloss.NewStyle().Bold(true),
 		Faint: lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(b03).Faint(true),
 
-		NerdFonts:  nerdFonts,
-		BorderType: borderType,
+		NerdFonts:    nerdFonts,
+		BorderType:   borderType,
+		LayoutBorder: layoutBorder,
 
 		Panel: lipgloss.NewStyle().
 			Border(borderType).
diff --git a/style/theme.go b/style/theme.go
index 61851a5..8bfd41f 100644
--- a/style/theme.go
+++ b/style/theme.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func stylesFromBytes(data []byte) (Styles, error) {
 		return Styles{}, fmt.Errorf("style: parse config: %w", err)
 	}
 	merged := mergeConfig(base, user)
-	return newStyles(merged.Colors, merged.NerdFonts, merged.Border), nil
+	return newStyles(merged.Colors, merged.NerdFonts, merged.Border, merged.LayoutBorder), nil
 }
 
 func configDir() string {