diff --git a/settings.html b/settings.html
index 5508eb4..7c19306 100644
--- a/settings.html
+++ b/settings.html
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@
         <div id="aegisStatus" class="pmuted" style="font-size:12.5px">Loading…</div>
         <div style="display:flex;gap:8px;flex-wrap:wrap">
           <button id="aegisCheck" class="btn">Check for updates</button>
-          <button id="aegisApply" class="btn" hidden>Restart to apply update</button>
+          <button id="aegisApply" class="btn" hidden>Apply update now</button>
         </div>
       </div>
     </section>
@@ -1079,7 +1079,7 @@
         if (!cur) { aegisStatus.textContent = "Aegis isn't installed. Reinstall Theseus to add it back, or open Settings > Extensions to load it manually."; return; }
         const curVer = cur.version || "?";
         if (upd && upd.version) {
-          aegisStatus.innerHTML = `<b style="color:var(--acid-text)">v${upd.version}</b> staged — restart Theseus to switch to it. You're on v${curVer}.`;
+          aegisStatus.innerHTML = `<b style="color:var(--acid-text)">v${upd.version}</b> ready — click Apply update now to switch without restarting Theseus. You're on v${curVer}.`;
           aegisApply.hidden = false;
         } else {
           aegisStatus.textContent = `You're on v${curVer}. Updates arrive over-the-air; the next check runs at boot and every 6h.`;
@@ -1100,7 +1100,29 @@
       } catch (e) { aegisStatus.textContent = "Check failed: " + (e?.message || e); }
       finally { aegisCheck.disabled = false; aegisCheck.textContent = orig; }
     };
-    aegisApply.onclick = () => { if (C && C.restartApp) C.restartApp(); };
+    // Apply staged update without restarting Theseus. The main-process
+    // handler promotes staged → active, tears down + rebuilds the addon
+    // host, then force-reloads the sidebar iframe so the new panel bytes
+    // are actually mounted. Falls back to a full restart if the IPC isn't
+    // wired (older Theseus builds).
+    aegisApply.onclick = async () => {
+      const orig = aegisApply.textContent;
+      aegisApply.disabled = true; aegisApply.textContent = "Applying…";
+      try {
+        if (C && C.applyStagedAddons) {
+          const r = await C.applyStagedAddons();
+          if (r && r.ok === false) throw new Error(r.err || "apply failed");
+          aegisStatus.textContent = "Update applied. Reopen the Aegis panel to see the new version.";
+          refreshAegis();
+        } else if (C && C.restartApp) {
+          C.restartApp();
+        } else {
+          aegisStatus.textContent = "Update staged — restart Theseus to switch.";
+        }
+      } catch (e) {
+        aegisStatus.textContent = "Apply failed: " + (e?.message || e) + " — restart Theseus to fall back.";
+      } finally { aegisApply.disabled = false; aegisApply.textContent = orig; }
+    };
     refreshAegis();
 
     // ---- Manual "Check for updates" -----------------------------------------
@@ -1280,13 +1302,7 @@
     return '<div class="d" style="' + cls + ';margin-top:4px">' + msg + '</div>';
   }
   function renderAddons(snap) {
-    // Plug-in category add-ons (Aegis and future first-class Silent Mode
-    // components) live in Settings › Plug-ins with their own product-facing
-    // copy — showing them again here as raw extension rows was confusing
-    // ("why can I toggle my wallet off from two places?"). Filter them
-    // out of the Extensions listing entirely; the Plug-ins tab is the
-    // single source of truth for those.
-    const items = ((snap && snap.installed) || []).filter((a) => a.category !== "plugin");
+    const items = (snap && snap.installed) || [];
     if (!items.length) {
       addonsList.innerHTML = '<div class="d" style="color:var(--dim)">No extensions installed. Drop a folder into the extensions directory to install one.</div>';
       return;
@@ -1340,8 +1356,13 @@
     let r;
     try { r = await C.communityCatalog(); } catch (e) { r = { ok: false, error: e?.message || String(e), extensions: [] }; }
     if (!r.ok) { communityList.innerHTML = '<div class="d" style="color:#f6768a">Catalog unavailable: ' + escapeHtml(r.error) + '</div>'; return; }
-    if (!r.extensions.length) { communityList.innerHTML = '<div class="d" style="color:var(--dim)">Nothing published yet. Be the first — see theseus.x/extensions.</div>'; return; }
-    communityList.innerHTML = r.extensions.map((e) => {
+    // Hide extensions already shown in the Installed list above — the
+    // Community list's job is to surface things you DON'T have. Updates to
+    // installed extensions come through the poll + "Check for updates" flow
+    // in the Installed list, not through a second card for the same id here.
+    const catalog = r.extensions.filter((e) => !e.installedVersion);
+    if (!catalog.length) { communityList.innerHTML = '<div class="d" style="color:var(--dim)">' + (r.extensions.length ? "All catalog extensions are already installed." : "Nothing published yet. Be the first — see theseus.x/extensions.") + '</div>'; return; }
+    communityList.innerHTML = catalog.map((e) => {
       const state = e.installedVersion
         ? (e.canUpdate ? '<button class="btn" data-install="' + escapeAttr(e.id) + '">Update to ' + escapeHtml(e.latest) + '</button>'
                        : '<span style="color:var(--acid);font-size:12.5px">Installed v' + escapeHtml(e.installedVersion) + '</span>')