diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 252e5d0..8e6a230 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1825,8 +1825,8 @@ src/                 The app — strict tsc, no build step. *.test.ts sit beside
   plugin-host/       plugin.ts (the contract) · plugin-api.ts (the `@plainpages/plugin-api` barrel) · system.ts
                      (ctx.system) · discovery · router · hooks · view-resolver · storage (the rules) ·
                      storage-provisioning (the DDL; bootstrap-only, holds the driver)
-  ui/                chrome (the one global menu) · shell-context · dashboard · nav (composeNav) ·
-                     menu-config (`#menu-config`) · icons (lucide sprite builder) · list-query · paginate
+  ui/                chrome (`ctx.chrome`: menu, brand, user) · nav (composeNav) · menu-config
+                     (`#menu-config`) · icons (lucide sprite builder) · list-query · paginate
 
 plugin-api/          The `@plainpages/plugin-api` package — the author barrel, linked into /node_modules
 views/               Core EJS in the one app shell: home, index, auth, oauth-consent, error, 403/404/500/503,
diff --git a/docs/reading-cost.md b/docs/reading-cost.md
index ad8f288..47125bd 100644
--- a/docs/reading-cost.md
+++ b/docs/reading-cost.md
@@ -72,3 +72,20 @@ Read most (opens and searches):
 - `CHANGELOG.md` 2
 - `AGENTS.md` 1
 - `src/auth/jwt-middleware.ts` 1
+
+## Reading cost, chunk 9e8ffd0aa8dc, finished 2026-10-31T07:36:53Z
+
+98975 new input tokens before the first commit.
+
+Read most (opens and searches):
+
+- `README.md` 9
+- `ci.sh` 3
+- `e2e-tests/visual.spec.ts` 3
+- `todo.md` 3
+- `CHANGELOG.md` 2
+- `e2e-tests/compose.visual.yml` 2
+- `e2e-tests/language.spec.ts` 2
+- `e2e-tests/mock-oidc.ts` 2
+- `src/ci-gate.test.ts` 2
+- `.dockerignore` 1
diff --git a/src/http/app.test.ts b/src/http/app.test.ts
index 706c227..591f059 100644
--- a/src/http/app.test.ts
+++ b/src/http/app.test.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ test("the dashboard at /dashboard: the instructional starter in the unified shel
   assert.match(html, /<aside class="sidebar"/);
   // The default is a short instructional starter, not a mock-data list.
   assert.match(html, /Starter dashboard/);
+  assert.match(html, /<h1 class="page-title">Dashboard<\/h1>/); // the topbar heading …
+  assert.match(html, /<nav class="crumbs"[^>]*>\s*<span>Dashboard<\/span>/); // … and its breadcrumb
   assert.match(html, /export default definePlugin/); // shows how to replace it from a plugin
   assert.doesNotMatch(html, /<form class="filters"/); // the old mock People list is gone
   assert.doesNotMatch(html, /Avery Kline/);
diff --git a/src/http/app.ts b/src/http/app.ts
index b354c63..f55baff 100644
--- a/src/http/app.ts
+++ b/src/http/app.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import { buildPluginChrome, type PageChrome } from "../ui/chrome.ts";
 import { buildContext, type RequestContext, type User } from "./context.ts";
 import { csrfCookie, ensureCsrfToken, verifyCsrfRequest } from "../auth/csrf.ts";
 import type { Denylist } from "../auth/denylist.ts";
-import { buildDashboardModel } from "../ui/dashboard.ts";
 import { PLUGINS_DIR } from "../plugin-host/discovery.ts";
 import { GuardError, loginRedirect } from "../auth/guards.ts";
 import { ENGLISH_I18N } from "../i18n/english.ts";
@@ -168,7 +167,7 @@ export function createApp(options: AppOptions = {}): Server {
       await sendResult(ctx.res, result, pluginViewsFor(pluginCtx, dashboardPlugin.id), pluginCtx.localeHref);
       return null;
     }
-    return { data: { model: buildDashboardModel({ csrfToken: csrf.token, menu, user: ctx.user, nav: ctx.chrome.nav, t: ctx.t }) }, view: "index" };
+    return { data: { chrome: ctx.chrome }, view: "index" };
   };
 
   // The internal route table, matched after plugin routes: the auth/OAuth2 group (src/auth/
diff --git a/src/ui/chrome.test.ts b/src/ui/chrome.test.ts
index df39503..fc6210e 100644
--- a/src/ui/chrome.test.ts
+++ b/src/ui/chrome.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import test from "node:test";
-import { buildPluginChrome } from "./chrome.ts";
+import { buildPluginChrome, shellUser } from "./chrome.ts";
 import { DEFAULT_MENU, type MenuConfig } from "./menu-config.ts";
 import type { NavNode } from "./nav.ts";
 import type { Plugin } from "../plugin-host/plugin.ts";
@@ -74,3 +74,16 @@ test("branding logo + default theme flow through when set", () => {
   assert.equal(chrome.brand.name, "Acme");
   assert.equal(chrome.theme, "dark");
 });
+
+test("branding name and sub are translated; an unknown key renders as itself", () => {
+  const t = (key: string): string => (key === "brand.sub" ? "Undertitel" : key);
+  const chrome = buildPluginChrome({ menu: { branding: { name: "Acme", sub: "brand.sub" }, override: {} }, t });
+  assert.equal(chrome.brand.name, "Acme");
+  assert.equal(chrome.brand.sub, "Undertitel");
+  assert.equal(buildPluginChrome({ menu: { branding: { name: "Acme" }, override: {} } }).brand.sub, undefined);
+});
+
+test("shellUser derives the profile from the real user; anonymous → Guest", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(shellUser(null), { email: "", initials: "G", name: "Guest" });
+  assert.deepEqual(shellUser({ email: "ada@example.com", id: "u1", permissions: [] }), { email: "ada@example.com", initials: "AD", name: "ada" });
+});
diff --git a/src/ui/chrome.ts b/src/ui/chrome.ts
index 984cd87..82e433d 100644
--- a/src/ui/chrome.ts
+++ b/src/ui/chrome.ts
@@ -8,10 +8,15 @@ import type { Translate } from "../i18n/translate.ts";
 import { type MenuConfig } from "./menu-config.ts";
 import { composeNav, type NavNode } from "./nav.ts";
 import type { Plugin } from "../plugin-host/plugin.ts";
-import { branding, shellUser, type ShellUser } from "./shell-context.ts";
 
 const DASHBOARD_NAV: NavNode = { href: "/dashboard", icon: "i-grid", id: "dashboard", label: "nav.dashboard", session: true };
 
+export interface ShellUser {
+  email: string;
+  initials: string;
+  name: string;
+}
+
 export interface PageChrome {
   brand: { logo?: string; name: string; sub?: string };
   csrfToken: string; // double-submit token for the shell's Sign-out form + a plugin's own forms
@@ -65,6 +70,26 @@ export function buildPluginChrome(opts: ChromeOptions): PageChrome {
   };
 }
 
+// The JWT holds only id/email/permissions, so the profile name is the email's local part.
+export function shellUser(user: User | null | undefined, t: Translate = ENGLISH): ShellUser {
+  if (!user) {
+    const guest = t("shell.guest");
+    return { email: "", initials: ([...guest][0] ?? "?").toUpperCase(), name: guest }; // by character: the word is translated
+  }
+  const local = user.email.split("@")[0] || user.email;
+  return { email: user.email, initials: (local.slice(0, 2) || "U").toUpperCase(), name: local };
+}
+
+function branding(menu: MenuConfig, t: Translate): { logo?: string; name: string; sub?: string; theme?: string } {
+  const b = menu.branding;
+  return {
+    ...(b.logo != null ? { logo: b.logo } : {}),
+    name: t(b.name),
+    ...(b.sub != null ? { sub: t(b.sub) } : {}),
+    ...(b.theme != null ? { theme: b.theme } : {}),
+  };
+}
+
 function translateNav(nodes: NavNode[], t: Translate): NavNode[] {
   return nodes.map((node) => ({
     ...node,
diff --git a/src/ui/dashboard.test.ts b/src/ui/dashboard.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 48126ec..0000000
--- a/src/ui/dashboard.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-import assert from "node:assert/strict";
-import { test } from "node:test";
-import { buildDashboardModel } from "./dashboard.ts";
-import type { NavNode } from "./nav.ts";
-
-// The default /dashboard is an instructional starter: no mock data, just the unified
-// menu + shell. The host passes the one global menu (ctx.chrome.nav); the model passes it through.
-const NAV: NavNode[] = [{ href: "/dashboard", label: "Dashboard" }, { children: [{ href: "/admin/users", label: "Users" }], label: "Admin" }];
-
-test("dashboard model: titled shell, passes the unified nav + csrf + user through", () => {
-  const m = buildDashboardModel({ csrfToken: "tok.sig", user: { email: "ada@x.io", id: "u1", permissions: ["admin"] }, nav: NAV });
-  assert.equal(m.shell.title, "Dashboard");
-  assert.equal(m.shell.csrfToken, "tok.sig");
-  assert.equal(m.shell.user.name, "ada"); // real signed-in identity, not a demo profile
-  assert.deepEqual(m.nav, NAV); // the host's menu is used verbatim — the dashboard builds no nav of its own
-});
-
-test("dashboard model: sensible defaults (empty nav, no token, Guest) and branding from menu", () => {
-  const m = buildDashboardModel();
-  assert.deepEqual(m.nav, []);
-  assert.equal(m.shell.csrfToken, "");
-  assert.equal(m.shell.user.name, "Guest");
-  assert.equal(m.shell.brand.name, "Plainpages");
-
-  const branded = buildDashboardModel({ menu: { branding: { name: "Acme Ops", sub: "Admin", theme: "dark" }, override: {} } });
-  assert.equal(branded.shell.brand.name, "Acme Ops");
-  assert.equal(branded.shell.theme, "dark");
-});
diff --git a/src/ui/dashboard.ts b/src/ui/dashboard.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index c26d0ea..0000000
--- a/src/ui/dashboard.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-// Dashboard view model: the gated "/dashboard" app home. By default a short instructional
-// starter — what the dashboard is and how to replace it by exporting a `dashboard` handler from a
-// plugin (views/index.ejs holds the prose). A plugin owns the real one (PluginManifest.dashboard);
-// this placeholder renders until then. Pure: `nav` is the one global menu (ctx.chrome.nav), built
-// once per request by the host, so the dashboard shows the exact same menu as every other page.
-
-import type { User } from "../http/context.ts";
-import { ENGLISH } from "../i18n/english.ts";
-import type { Translate } from "../i18n/translate.ts";
-import { DEFAULT_MENU, type MenuConfig } from "./menu-config.ts";
-import type { NavNode } from "./nav.ts";
-import { buildShellContext } from "./shell-context.ts";
-
-export function buildDashboardModel(opts: { csrfToken?: string; menu?: MenuConfig; nav?: NavNode[]; t?: Translate; user?: User | null } = {}) {
-  const t = opts.t ?? ENGLISH;
-  return {
-    nav: opts.nav ?? [],
-    shell: buildShellContext({
-      breadcrumbs: [{ label: t("dashboard.title") }],
-      csrfToken: opts.csrfToken ?? "",
-      menu: opts.menu ?? DEFAULT_MENU,
-      t,
-      title: t("dashboard.title"),
-      user: opts.user ?? null,
-    }),
-  };
-}
-
-export type DashboardModel = ReturnType<typeof buildDashboardModel>;
diff --git a/src/ui/shell-context.test.ts b/src/ui/shell-context.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index cfd2649..0000000
--- a/src/ui/shell-context.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-import assert from "node:assert/strict";
-import { test } from "node:test";
-import { buildShellContext, shellUser } from "./shell-context.ts";
-
-test("shellUser derives the profile from the real user; anonymous → Guest", () => {
-  assert.deepEqual(shellUser(null), { email: "", initials: "G", name: "Guest" });
-  // Real user: name = email local part, email kept, initials = first two letters of the local part.
-  assert.deepEqual(shellUser({ email: "ada@example.com", id: "u1", permissions: [] }), { email: "ada@example.com", initials: "AD", name: "ada" });
-});
-
-test("buildShellContext maps branding + breadcrumbs, omitting unset optional fields", () => {
-  const bare = buildShellContext({ menu: { branding: { name: "Plainpages" }, override: {} }, title: "Users" });
-  assert.deepEqual(bare.brand, { name: "Plainpages" }); // no logo/sub when unset
-  assert.equal(bare.theme, undefined);
-  assert.equal(bare.csrfToken, "");
-  assert.equal(bare.user.name, "Guest");
-  assert.equal(bare.signInHref, undefined); // omitted unless supplied (a public built-in screen would set it)
-
-  const full = buildShellContext({
-    breadcrumbs: [{ href: "/", label: "Home" }, { label: "Users" }],
-    csrfToken: "tok.sig",
-    menu: { branding: { logo: "/l.svg", name: "Acme", sub: "Ops", theme: "dark" }, override: {} },
-    signInHref: "/login?return_to=%2Fx",
-    title: "Users",
-    user: { email: "a@b.c", id: "u1", permissions: ["admin"] },
-  });
-  assert.deepEqual(full.brand, { logo: "/l.svg", name: "Acme", sub: "Ops" });
-  assert.equal(full.theme, "dark");
-  assert.equal(full.csrfToken, "tok.sig");
-  assert.equal(full.breadcrumbs?.length, 2);
-  assert.equal(full.signInHref, "/login?return_to=%2Fx");
-});
diff --git a/src/ui/shell-context.ts b/src/ui/shell-context.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index aa173a2..0000000
--- a/src/ui/shell-context.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,70 +0,0 @@
-// Shell view-model builder: the brand/theme/user/title block every app-shell page
-// (the home dashboard, the built-in admin screens) hands to shell.ejs. Pure. Extracted so the
-// shell user is the *real* signed-in identity — no hardcoded demo profile — and branding is
-// read from one place. The User carries no display name (the JWT holds only id/email/permissions), so
-// the profile shows the email's local part as the name with the full email beneath, initials from
-// the local part; anonymous ⇒ "Guest".
-
-import type { User } from "../http/context.ts";
-import { ENGLISH } from "../i18n/english.ts";
-import type { Translate } from "../i18n/translate.ts";
-import { type MenuConfig } from "./menu-config.ts";
-
-// The brand block both the chrome and the shell model carry. `name`/`sub` pass through `t`, so a
-// catalog key is translated and an operator's own wording renders as written.
-export function branding(menu: MenuConfig, t: Translate): { logo?: string; name: string; sub?: string; theme?: string } {
-  const b = menu.branding;
-  return {
-    ...(b.logo != null ? { logo: b.logo } : {}),
-    name: t(b.name),
-    ...(b.sub != null ? { sub: t(b.sub) } : {}),
-    ...(b.theme != null ? { theme: b.theme } : {}),
-  };
-}
-
-export interface ShellUser {
-  email: string;
-  initials: string;
-  name: string;
-}
-
-export interface ShellModel {
-  brand: { logo?: string; name: string; sub?: string };
-  breadcrumbs?: { href?: string; label: string }[];
-  csrfToken: string;
-  signInHref?: string; // anonymous "Sign in" target (mirrors PageChrome.signInHref); a gated screen omits it
-  theme?: string;
-  title: string;
-  user: ShellUser;
-}
-
-export function shellUser(user: User | null | undefined, t: Translate = ENGLISH): ShellUser {
-  if (!user) {
-    const guest = t("shell.guest");
-    return { email: "", initials: ([...guest][0] ?? "?").toUpperCase(), name: guest }; // by character: the word is translated
-  }
-  const local = user.email.split("@")[0] || user.email;
-  return { email: user.email, initials: (local.slice(0, 2) || "U").toUpperCase(), name: local };
-}
-
-export function buildShellContext(opts: {
-  breadcrumbs?: { href?: string; label: string }[];
-  csrfToken?: string;
-  menu: MenuConfig;
-  signInHref?: string;
-  t?: Translate;
-  title: string;
-  user?: User | null;
-}): ShellModel {
-  const t = opts.t ?? ENGLISH;
-  const { theme, ...brand } = branding(opts.menu, t);
-  return {
-    brand,
-    ...(opts.breadcrumbs ? { breadcrumbs: opts.breadcrumbs } : {}),
-    csrfToken: opts.csrfToken ?? "",
-    ...(opts.signInHref != null ? { signInHref: opts.signInHref } : {}),
-    ...(theme != null ? { theme } : {}),
-    title: opts.title,
-    user: shellUser(opts.user, t),
-  };
-}
diff --git a/todo.md b/todo.md
index 87050da..6c4759e 100644
--- a/todo.md
+++ b/todo.md
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 
 | ID | Release | Blocked by | Exempt | Item | L | E | I | R | S | Moves | Score |
 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
-| 24 | 0.4.21 |  |  | **Retire `src/ui/shell-context.ts` and render the dashboard from `ctx.chrome`.** | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | code health by 3 | 9.0 |
 | 21 | 0.4.21 |  |  | **Fail the gate on a function that exceeds a size or complexity limit.** | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | code health by 4 | 7.2 |
 | 32 | 0.4.21 |  |  | **Fail the gate on a stylesheet feature the browser floor lacks, unless it is guarded.** | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | code health by 2 | 6.0 |
 | 20 | 0.4.21 |  |  | **Redirect an anonymous hit on a session-needing flow page to sign-in, instead of a 500.** | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 by 4 | 4.2 |
@@ -34,11 +33,6 @@
 
 ## Details
 
-### 24. Retire `src/ui/shell-context.ts` and render the dashboard from `ctx.chrome`.
-
-`ShellModel`/`buildShellContext` has one consumer, the dashboard, and duplicates `PageChrome` on
-almost every field. Keep `shellUser` as the shared primitive.
-
 ### 21. Fail the gate on a function that exceeds a size or complexity limit.
 
 Only `tsc --strict` runs today. A new tool is a new dependency, so justify it.
diff --git a/views/index.ejs b/views/index.ejs
index 29a9dee..7e4f14f 100644
--- a/views/index.ejs
+++ b/views/index.ejs
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 <%#
-  Dashboard: the gated post-login app home. The built-in default is a short instructional
-  starter — what /dashboard is and how to replace it from a plugin. Composes the app shell (the one
-  global menu via model.nav) around the prose. A plugin owns the real dashboard via a `dashboard`
-  handler; this renders until then. Data: model { nav, shell }.
+  The built-in /dashboard starter, shown until a plugin's `dashboard` handler replaces it.
+  Data: chrome (PageChrome).
 %><%
-  const nav = include("partials/nav-tree", { nodes: model.nav });
+  const nav = include("partials/nav-tree", { nodes: chrome.nav });
   // These four messages carry markup (<code> spans), so they render raw — the documented
   // markup-carrying case. They interpolate nothing, so there is no untrusted data to escape.
   const body = `
@@ -27,12 +25,11 @@
 -%>
 <%- include("partials/shell", {
   body,
-  brand: model.shell.brand,
-  breadcrumbs: model.shell.breadcrumbs,
-  csrfToken: model.shell.csrfToken,
+  brand: chrome.brand,
+  breadcrumbs: [{ label: t("dashboard.title") }],
+  csrfToken: chrome.csrfToken,
   nav,
-  signInHref: model.shell.signInHref,
-  theme: model.shell.theme,
-  title: model.shell.title,
-  user: model.shell.user,
+  theme: chrome.theme,
+  title: t("dashboard.title"),
+  user: chrome.user,
 }) %>