diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index cec5546..d1829ff 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ lite-xl (2.1.8-3) stonking; urgency=medium
     - default config uses JetBrains Mono (new fonts-jetbrains-mono dependency)
   * desktop: launch with SDL software rendering and LITE_SCALE=1.5 so text is
     sharp on fractional-scaled Wayland panels and avoids panfrost artifacts.
+  * vendored nerdicons ships with the tuned icon rendering (whole-pixel size,
+    hinting off) instead of the pristine upstream copy.
+  * default config keeps the status bar always visible.
 
  -- Valentin Haudiquet <valentin.haudiquet@canonical.com>  Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:50:00 +0200
 
diff --git a/debian/extra/init.lua b/debian/extra/init.lua
index c82c16e..05450b6 100644
--- a/debian/extra/init.lua
+++ b/debian/extra/init.lua
@@ -68,3 +68,13 @@ function TreeView:draw_item_background(item, active, hovered, x, y, w, h)
     renderer.draw_rect(x, y, w, h, style.treeview_active_bg or style.line_highlight)
   end
 end
+
+------------------------------ Status bar -------------------------------------
+-- Keep the status bar always visible: show it at startup and turn the
+-- status-bar:hide / status-bar:toggle commands into no-ops so it cannot
+-- be dismissed (from the command palette or by any plugin).
+
+core.status_view:show()
+local StatusView = require "core.statusview"
+function StatusView:toggle() self:show() end
+function StatusView:hide() self:show() end
diff --git a/debian/extra/plugins/nerdicons.lua b/debian/extra/plugins/nerdicons.lua
index c26c8f2..f515fa1 100644
--- a/debian/extra/plugins/nerdicons.lua
+++ b/debian/extra/plugins/nerdicons.lua
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ config.plugins.nerdicons = common.merge({
   }
 }, config.plugins.nerdicons)
 
-local icon_font = renderer.font.load(nerdfonts_symbols.path, 18.5 * SCALE)
+local icon_font = renderer.font.load(nerdfonts_symbols.path, common.round(18.5 * SCALE),
+  {antialiasing = "grayscale", hinting = "none"})
 local map = nerdfonts_symbols.utf8
 local chevron_width = icon_font:get_width(map["oct-chevron_down"])
 local previous_scale = SCALE
@@ -186,7 +187,7 @@ function TreeView:draw_item_chevron(item, active, hovered, x, y, w, h)
     if item.type == "dir" then
       local chevron_icon = item.expanded and "oct-chevron_down" or "oct-chevron_right"
       local chevron_color = hovered and style.accent or style.text
-      common.draw_text(icon_font, chevron_color, map[chevron_icon], nil, x+8, y, 0, h) -- added 8 to x to draw the chevron closer to the icon
+      common.draw_text(icon_font, chevron_color, map[chevron_icon], nil, x + common.round(6 * SCALE), y, 0, h)
     end
     return chevron_width + style.padding.x
   end
diff --git a/debian/patches/0001-first-run-config-vscode-dark.patch b/debian/patches/0001-first-run-config-vscode-dark.patch
index 847b4fb..baa75fb 100644
--- a/debian/patches/0001-first-run-config-vscode-dark.patch
+++ b/debian/patches/0001-first-run-config-vscode-dark.patch
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 --- a/data/core/init.lua
 +++ b/data/core/init.lua
-@@ -475,79 +475,79 @@
+@@ -475,79 +475,89 @@
    local init_file = io.open(init_filename, "w")
    if not init_file then error("cannot create file: \"" .. init_filename .. "\"") end
    init_file:write([[
@@ -145,6 +145,16 @@
 +    renderer.draw_rect(x, y, w, h, style.treeview_active_bg or style.line_highlight)
 +  end
 +end
++
++------------------------------ Status bar -------------------------------------
++-- Keep the status bar always visible: show it at startup and turn the
++-- status-bar:hide / status-bar:toggle commands into no-ops so it cannot
++-- be dismissed (from the command palette or by any plugin).
++
++core.status_view:show()
++local StatusView = require "core.statusview"
++function StatusView:toggle() self:show() end
++function StatusView:hide() self:show() end
  
  ]])
    init_file:close()