diff --git a/src/controller.ts b/src/controller.ts
index be5c088..1c5ebb1 100644
--- a/src/controller.ts
+++ b/src/controller.ts
@@ -408,6 +408,7 @@ export class Controller {
       if (dialogs.length) this.closeDialog(dialogs.reduce((top, x) => (x.z > top.z ? x : top)).key)
       else if (this.inlineSession) this.stopInline()
       else if (this.store.get().selected) this.select(null)
+      else if (this.store.get().rail) this.setRail(false)
       else return
       e.preventDefault()
       return
diff --git a/src/persist.ts b/src/persist.ts
index 12c17c1..c31e346 100644
--- a/src/persist.ts
+++ b/src/persist.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,21 @@
-// Remembering small UI preferences across reloads (rail open, section
-// collapsed). Editors reload the page constantly to preview; losing the
-// panel state every time is the papercut this removes. All access is
+// Remembering small UI preferences across reloads (rail open/width, section
+// collapsed, dev tab). Editors reload the page constantly to preview; losing
+// the panel state every time is the papercut this removes. All access is
 // guarded: private mode, sandboxed iframes and some embeds throw.
 export function readPersist<T>(key: string, fallback: T): T {
   try {
     const raw = localStorage.getItem(key)
     if (raw === null) return fallback
-    return (typeof fallback === 'boolean' ? raw === 'true' : JSON.parse(raw)) as T
+    if (typeof fallback === 'boolean') return (raw === 'true') as T
+    if (typeof fallback === 'number') {
+      const n = Number(raw)
+      return (Number.isFinite(n) ? n : fallback) as T
+    }
+    try {
+      return JSON.parse(raw) as T
+    } catch {
+      return (typeof fallback === 'string' ? raw : fallback) as T
+    }
   } catch {
     return fallback
   }
diff --git a/src/ui/DevPanel.tsx b/src/ui/DevPanel.tsx
index d3237b3..09b5800 100644
--- a/src/ui/DevPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/DevPanel.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
 import type { CmsNode, JSONSchema } from '../api'
 import { blockEditors, fieldEditors, inlineEditors } from '../registry'
 import { Icon } from './Icon'
-import { useCtrl, useEditorState, useRegistryVersion } from './hooks'
+import { useCtrl, useEditorState, usePersistentState, useRegistryVersion } from './hooks'
 
 type Tab = 'requests' | 'selection' | 'registry'
 
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ type Tab = 'requests' | 'selection' | 'registry'
 export function DevPanel() {
   const ctrl = useCtrl()
   const open = useEditorState((s) => s.dev)
-  const [tab, setTab] = useState<Tab>('requests')
+  const [saved, setTab] = usePersistentState<Tab>('cms-onpage.devtab', 'requests')
+  const tab: Tab = saved === 'selection' || saved === 'registry' ? saved : 'requests'
   if (!open) return null
   return (
     <aside className="cms-dev" aria-label="Developer panel">
diff --git a/src/ui/Dock.tsx b/src/ui/Dock.tsx
index 1becb91..2bf5ac8 100644
--- a/src/ui/Dock.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/Dock.tsx
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export function Dock() {
         <Icon name="redo" />
       </button>
       <span className="cms-dock__sep" />
-      <button className={`cms-ico${s.rail ? ' is-on' : ''}`} onClick={() => panel()} title="Page panel: outline, blocks and nodes" aria-label="Panel">
+      <button className={`cms-ico${s.rail ? ' is-on' : ''}`} onClick={() => panel()} title="Page panel: outline, blocks and nodes (Esc closes)" aria-label="Panel">
         <Icon name="outline" />
       </button>
       {aiSupported() && (
diff --git a/src/ui/Rail.tsx b/src/ui/Rail.tsx
index 250a552..4f4f26f 100644
--- a/src/ui/Rail.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/Rail.tsx
@@ -17,9 +17,13 @@ import type { Block, Controller } from '../controller'
  * - Blocks are the new types that fit this page (drag onto the page or the outline).
  * - Nodes finds *existing* nodes (type filter + text) to link into the page.
  */
+const RAIL_W_MIN = 240
+const RAIL_W_MAX = 640
+
 export function Rail() {
   const ctrl = useCtrl()
   const open = useEditorState((s) => s.rail)
+  const [width, setWidth] = usePersistentState<number>('cms-onpage.railwidth', 320)
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!open) return
     // Types carry every schema (titles, groups, slots): one request seeds them all.
@@ -33,16 +37,41 @@ export function Rail() {
     void ctrl.fillHandles()
   }, [open, ctrl])
   if (!open) return null
+  const w = Math.max(RAIL_W_MIN, Math.min(width, window.innerWidth - 24))
+  const startResize = (e: React.PointerEvent) => {
+    if (e.button !== 0) return
+    e.preventDefault()
+    const doc = e.currentTarget.ownerDocument
+    const rail = e.currentTarget.parentElement!
+    const move = (m: PointerEvent) => {
+      const left = rail.getBoundingClientRect().left
+      setWidth(Math.round(Math.max(RAIL_W_MIN, Math.min(RAIL_W_MAX, m.clientX - left))))
+    }
+    const stop = () => {
+      doc.removeEventListener('pointermove', move, true)
+      doc.removeEventListener('pointerup', stop, true)
+    }
+    doc.addEventListener('pointermove', move, true)
+    doc.addEventListener('pointerup', stop, true)
+  }
   return (
-    <aside className="cms-rail" aria-label="Page panel">
+    <aside className="cms-rail" aria-label="Page panel" style={{ width: w }}>
       <header>
         <span className="cms-rail__title">
           <Icon name="outline" size={16} /> Page
         </span>
-        <button className="cms-ico" onClick={() => ctrl.setRail(false)} aria-label="Close panel">
+        <button className="cms-ico" onClick={() => ctrl.setRail(false)} aria-label="Close panel" title="Close panel (Esc)">
           <Icon name="close" />
         </button>
       </header>
+      <div
+        className="cms-rail__resize"
+        role="separator"
+        aria-orientation="vertical"
+        aria-label="Resize panel"
+        title="Drag to resize"
+        onPointerDown={startResize}
+      />
       <div className="cms-rail__body">
         <OutlineTree />
         <Palette />
diff --git a/src/ui/hooks.ts b/src/ui/hooks.ts
index d00d17a..d6d0def 100644
--- a/src/ui/hooks.ts
+++ b/src/ui/hooks.ts
@@ -11,12 +11,12 @@ export function useEditorState<S>(select: (s: EditorState) => S): S {
   return useStore(useCtrl().store, select)
 }
 
-/** Boolean UI state that survives reloads (rail sections, panel toggles). */
-export function usePersistentState(key: string, initial: boolean): [boolean, (update: boolean | ((prev: boolean) => boolean)) => void] {
+/** UI state that survives reloads (rail sections, widths, panel toggles). */
+export function usePersistentState<T>(key: string, initial: T): [T, (update: T | ((prev: T) => T)) => void] {
   const [value, setValue] = useState(() => readPersist(key, initial))
-  const set = (update: boolean | ((prev: boolean) => boolean)) =>
+  const set = (update: T | ((prev: T) => T)) =>
     setValue((prev) => {
-      const next = typeof update === 'function' ? update(prev) : update
+      const next = typeof update === 'function' ? (update as (prev: T) => T)(prev) : update
       writePersist(key, next)
       return next
     })
diff --git a/src/ui/styles.css b/src/ui/styles.css
index d44aa82..e9b69b2 100644
--- a/src/ui/styles.css
+++ b/src/ui/styles.css
@@ -228,6 +228,9 @@ input.cms-map__key { padding-top: 6px; }
 /* left panel: outline + blocks + nodes, one scroll (no tabs) */
 .cms-rail { pointer-events: auto; position: fixed; z-index: 2147483001; left: 12px; top: 12px; bottom: 76px; width: min(320px, calc(100vw - 24px)); display: flex; flex-direction: column; overflow: hidden; background: var(--cms-panel); border: 1px solid var(--cms-line); border-radius: 12px; box-shadow: 0 10px 40px rgba(0,0,0,.5); }
 .cms-rail > header { display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: space-between; padding: 6px 6px 6px 12px; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--cms-line); font-weight: 600; }
+.cms-rail__resize { position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: -5px; width: 12px; cursor: ew-resize; touch-action: none; z-index: 2; }
+.cms-rail__resize::after { content: ''; position: absolute; top: 10px; bottom: 10px; right: 5px; width: 2px; border-radius: 2px; background: transparent; }
+.cms-rail__resize:hover::after { background: var(--cms-accent); }
 .cms-rail__title { display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: 8px; }
 .cms-rail__body { overflow-y: auto; flex: 1; min-height: 0; padding-bottom: 12px; }
 .cms-rail__body > section + section { border-top: 1px solid var(--cms-line); margin-top: 8px; padding-top: 4px; }
diff --git a/test/rail-sections.test.tsx b/test/rail-sections.test.tsx
index f6837a1..c49e003 100644
--- a/test/rail-sections.test.tsx
+++ b/test/rail-sections.test.tsx
@@ -59,6 +59,61 @@ describe('rail sections', () => {
     expect(qa('.cms-outline').length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
   })
 
+  it('dragging the rail edge resizes it and remembers the width', async () => {
+    h = await setup()
+    await h.settle()
+    await h.press('Panel')
+    await h.settle()
+    const grip = q('.cms-rail__resize')
+    const down = new Event('pointerdown', { bubbles: true, cancelable: true }) as Event & { clientX: number; button: number }
+    down.clientX = 332
+    down.button = 0
+    await act(async () => void grip.dispatchEvent(down))
+    const move = new Event('pointermove', { bubbles: true, cancelable: true }) as Event & { clientX: number }
+    move.clientX = 420
+    await act(async () => void document.dispatchEvent(move))
+    const up = new Event('pointerup', { bubbles: true, cancelable: true })
+    await act(async () => void document.dispatchEvent(up))
+    await h.settle()
+    // jsdom reports rect.left as 0, so width == clientX, clamped to [240, 640]
+    expect((q('.cms-rail') as HTMLElement).style.width).toBe('420px')
+    expect(localStorage.getItem('cms-onpage.railwidth')).toBe('420')
+    h.cleanup()
+    h = await setup({ keepStorage: true })
+    await h.settle()
+    await h.settle()
+    expect((q('.cms-rail') as HTMLElement).style.width).toBe('420px')
+  })
+
+  it('Escape closes the rail when nothing else is open', async () => {
+    h = await setup()
+    await h.settle()
+    await h.press('Panel')
+    await h.settle()
+    expect(q('.cms-rail')).not.toBeNull()
+    await act(async () => void document.dispatchEvent(new KeyboardEvent('keydown', { key: 'Escape', bubbles: true, cancelable: true, composed: true })))
+    await h.settle()
+    expect(h.shadow.querySelector('.cms-rail')).toBeNull()
+    expect(localStorage.getItem('cms-onpage.rail')).toBe('false')
+  })
+
+  it('dev panel remembers its tab', async () => {
+    h = await setup()
+    await h.settle()
+    await act(async () => void h.editor.ctrl.store.set({ dev: true }))
+    await h.settle()
+    const registry = qa('.cms-dev header button').find((b) => b.textContent === 'registry')!
+    await act(async () => void registry.click())
+    await h.settle()
+    expect(localStorage.getItem('cms-onpage.devtab')).toBe('registry')
+    h.cleanup()
+    h = await setup({ keepStorage: true })
+    await h.settle()
+    await act(async () => void h.editor.ctrl.store.set({ dev: true }))
+    await h.settle()
+    expect(q('.cms-dev__body').textContent).toContain('blockEditors')
+  })
+
   it('assistant sits beside the dev panel instead of stacking under it', async () => {
     ;(navigator as any).gpu = {} // aiSupported() checks for a WebGPU API
     h = await setup()