diff --git a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/dashboard.xml b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/dashboard.xml
index ed76a08..8852664 100644
--- a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/dashboard.xml
+++ b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/dashboard.xml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
   <theme>
     <var key="side_size" value="48" />
+    <var key="top_size" value="40" />
     <var key="side_sprite_size" value="26" />
     <var key="side_button_size" value="48" />
   </theme>
@@ -25,13 +26,6 @@
   </template>
 
   <elements>
-    <div position="absolute" width="100%" justify_content="space_between">
-      <div />
-      <div padding="6">
-        <Button id="btn_close" sprite_src_builtin="dashboard/close.svg" color="#000000" border="2" border_color="~color_faded" />
-      </div>
-    </div>
-
     <!-- left/right separator (menu and rest) -->
     <div flex_direction="row" gap="8" width="100%" height="100%" padding="4" interactable="0">
       <!-- LEFT MENU -->
@@ -60,15 +54,29 @@
         </rectangle>
       </div>
       <!-- REST -->
-      <!-- content/bottom panel separator -->
+      <!-- top/content/bottom panel separator -->
       <div
         flex_direction="column"
         gap="8"
         width="100%"
         height="100%"
         overflow_x="scroll">
-        <!-- CONTENT -->
+        <!-- TOP PANEL -->
+        <div position="relative" width="100%" height="~top_size" min_height="~top_size" max_height="~top_size" justify_content="end">
+          <!-- Title bar -->
+          <div width="100%" align_items="center" justify_content="center">
+            <rectangle min_width="300" height="100%" consume_mouse_events="1" round="100%" color="~color_top_panel" align_items="center" justify_content="center" gap="8">
+              <sprite id="sprite_titlebar_icon" width="28" height="28" />
+              <label id="label_titlebar_title" weight="bold" size="16" text="Title" />
+            </rectangle>
+          </div>
+          <!-- Close button -->
+          <Button position="absolute" id="btn_close" color="~color_top_panel" round="100%" width="~top_size" height="~top_size" tooltip="CLOSE_WINDOW" tooltip_side="left">
+            <sprite src_builtin="dashboard/close.svg" width="32" height="32" />
+          </Button>
+        </div>
 
+        <!-- CONTENT -->
         <!-- color and color2 alpha will be modified at runtime -->
         <rectangle
           id="rect_content"
diff --git a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/apps.xml b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/apps.xml
index ff2e188..6a415bf 100644
--- a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/apps.xml
+++ b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/apps.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 <layout>
-  <include src="t_tab_title.xml" />
   <include src="../theme.xml" />
 
   <template name="AppEntry">
@@ -25,7 +24,6 @@
   </template>
 
   <elements>
-    <TabTitle translation="APPLICATIONS" icon="dashboard/apps.svg" />
     <!-- placeholders for now -->
     <!--
     <div gap="4" align_items="center">
diff --git a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/games.xml b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/games.xml
index 8d5b2fa..c1ade2f 100644
--- a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/games.xml
+++ b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/games.xml
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 <layout>
-  <include src="t_tab_title.xml" />
   <include src="../t_group_box.xml" />
 
   <elements>
-    <TabTitle translation="GAMES" icon="dashboard/games.svg" />
     <rectangle macro="group_box" id="running_games_list_parent" align_self="center" />
     <div id="game_list_parent" align_items="center" />
   </elements>
diff --git a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/monado.xml b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/monado.xml
index 35907a3..83a24fa 100644
--- a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/monado.xml
+++ b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/monado.xml
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 <layout>
-  <include src="t_tab_title.xml" />
   <include src="../t_group_box.xml" />
 
-
   <!-- key: str, value: str -->
   <template name="BoolFlag">
     <div flex_direction="row" gap="4">
@@ -27,7 +25,6 @@
   </template>
 
   <elements>
-    <TabTitle translation="MONADO_RUNTIME" icon="dashboard/monado.svg" />
     <label translation="DISPLAY_BRIGHTNESS" />
     <Slider id="slider_brightness" width="300" height="24" min_value="0" max_value="140" />
 
diff --git a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/settings.xml b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/settings.xml
index 7c442b7..5350a0e 100644
--- a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/settings.xml
+++ b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/settings.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 <layout>
-  <include src="t_tab_title.xml" />
   <include src="../t_group_box.xml" />
   <include src="../t_dropdown_button.xml" />
 
@@ -46,7 +45,6 @@
   </template>
 
   <elements>
-    <TabTitle translation="SETTINGS" icon="dashboard/settings.svg" />
     <div gap="4">
       <Tabs id="tabs">
         <Tab name="look_and_feel" translation="APP_SETTINGS.LOOK_AND_FEEL" sprite_src_builtin="dashboard/palette.svg" />
diff --git a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/t_tab_title.xml b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/t_tab_title.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index a7f63e1..0000000
--- a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/tab/t_tab_title.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-<layout>
-  <!-- translation, icon -->
-  <template name="TabTitle">
-    <div gap="8" align_items="center">
-      <sprite src_builtin="${icon}" width="24" height="24" />
-      <label translation="${translation}" size="18" weight="bold" />
-    </div>
-  </template>
-</layout>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/theme.xml b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/theme.xml
index 28f4e57..cbfcdab 100644
--- a/dash-frontend/assets/gui/theme.xml
+++ b/dash-frontend/assets/gui/theme.xml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   <theme>
     <var key="color_menu_dark" value="#0A0A0ACC" />
     <var key="color_accent" value="#008cff" />
+    <var key="color_top_panel" value="#00000099" />
     <var key="color_bottom_panel" value="#141e28" />
   </theme>
 </layout>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dash-frontend/src/frontend.rs b/dash-frontend/src/frontend.rs
index ffa9b94..639e311 100644
--- a/dash-frontend/src/frontend.rs
+++ b/dash-frontend/src/frontend.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use std::{path::PathBuf, rc::Rc};
 
+use anyhow::Context;
 use chrono::Timelike;
 use glam::Vec2;
 use wgui::{
@@ -10,8 +11,9 @@ use wgui::{
 	i18n::Translation,
 	layout::{Layout, LayoutParams, LayoutUpdateParams, LayoutUpdateResult, WidgetID},
 	parser::{Fetchable, ParseDocumentParams, ParserState},
+	renderer_vk::text::custom_glyph::CustomGlyphData,
 	task::Tasks,
-	widget::{label::WidgetLabel, rectangle::WidgetRectangle},
+	widget::{label::WidgetLabel, rectangle::WidgetRectangle, sprite::WidgetSprite},
 	windowing::window::{WguiWindow, WguiWindowParams, WguiWindowParamsExtra, WguiWindowPlacement},
 };
 use wlx_common::{
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ use wlx_common::{
 
 use crate::{
 	assets,
-	tab::{apps::TabApps, games::TabGames, home::TabHome, monado::TabMonado, settings::TabSettings, Tab, TabType},
+	tab::{Tab, TabType, apps::TabApps, games::TabGames, home::TabHome, monado::TabMonado, settings::TabSettings},
 	util::{
 		popup_manager::{MountPopupParams, PopupManager, PopupManagerParams},
 		toast_manager::ToastManager,
@@ -32,8 +34,10 @@ use crate::{
 };
 
 pub struct FrontendWidgets {
-	pub id_label_time: WidgetID,
-	pub id_rect_content: WidgetID,
+	id_label_time: WidgetID,
+	id_rect_content: WidgetID,
+	id_sprite_titlebar_icon: WidgetID,
+	id_label_titlebar_title: WidgetID,
 }
 
 pub type FrontendTasks = Tasks<FrontendTask>;
@@ -148,6 +152,8 @@ impl<T: 'static> Frontend<T> {
 
 		let id_label_time = state.get_widget_id("label_time")?;
 		let id_rect_content = state.get_widget_id("rect_content")?;
+		let id_sprite_titlebar_icon = state.get_widget_id("sprite_titlebar_icon")?;
+		let id_label_titlebar_title = state.get_widget_id("label_titlebar_title")?;
 
 		let timestep = Timestep::new(60.0);
 
@@ -161,6 +167,8 @@ impl<T: 'static> Frontend<T> {
 			widgets: FrontendWidgets {
 				id_label_time,
 				id_rect_content,
+				id_sprite_titlebar_icon,
+				id_label_titlebar_title,
 			},
 			timestep,
 			interface: params.interface,
@@ -283,9 +291,10 @@ impl<T: 'static> Frontend<T> {
 		let mut common = c.common();
 
 		{
-			let Some(mut label) = common.state.widgets.get_as::<WidgetLabel>(self.widgets.id_label_time) else {
-				anyhow::bail!("");
-			};
+			let mut label = common
+				.state
+				.widgets
+				.cast_as::<WidgetLabel>(self.widgets.id_label_time)?;
 
 			let now = chrono::Local::now();
 			let hours = now.hour();
@@ -370,11 +379,48 @@ impl<T: 'static> Frontend<T> {
 		Ok(())
 	}
 
+	fn set_tab_title(&mut self, translation: &str, icon: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+		let mut c = self.layout.start_common();
+		let mut common = c.common();
+
+		{
+			let mut label = common
+				.state
+				.widgets
+				.cast_as::<WidgetLabel>(self.widgets.id_label_titlebar_title)?;
+			label.set_text(&mut common, Translation::from_translation_key(translation));
+		}
+
+		{
+			let mut sprite = common
+				.state
+				.widgets
+				.cast_as::<WidgetSprite>(self.widgets.id_sprite_titlebar_icon)?;
+			sprite.set_content(
+				&mut common,
+				Some(CustomGlyphData::from_assets(&self.globals, AssetPath::BuiltIn(icon))?),
+			);
+		}
+
+		c.finish()?;
+		Ok(())
+	}
+
 	fn set_tab(&mut self, data: &mut T, tab_type: TabType) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 		log::info!("Setting tab to {tab_type:?}");
 		let widget_content = self.state.fetch_widget(&self.layout.state, "content")?;
 		self.layout.remove_children(widget_content.id);
 
+		let (tab_translation, icon_path) = match tab_type {
+			TabType::Home => ("HOME_SCREEN", "dashboard/home.svg"),
+			TabType::Apps => ("APPLICATIONS", "dashboard/apps.svg"),
+			TabType::Games => ("GAMES", "dashboard/games.svg"),
+			TabType::Monado => ("MONADO_RUNTIME", "dashboard/monado.svg"),
+			TabType::Settings => ("SETTINGS", "dashboard/settings.svg"),
+		};
+
+		self.set_tab_title(tab_translation, icon_path)?;
+
 		let tab: Box<dyn Tab<T>> = match tab_type {
 			TabType::Home => Box::new(TabHome::new(self, widget_content.id, data)?),
 			TabType::Apps => Box::new(TabApps::new(self, widget_content.id, data)?),
diff --git a/uidev/src/testbed/testbed_generic.rs b/uidev/src/testbed/testbed_generic.rs
index c577117..1e4b25e 100644
--- a/uidev/src/testbed/testbed_generic.rs
+++ b/uidev/src/testbed/testbed_generic.rs
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ fn button_click_callback(
 ) -> ButtonClickCallback {
 	Rc::new(move |common, _e| {
 		label
-			.get_as::<WidgetLabel>()
-			.unwrap()
+			.cast::<WidgetLabel>()?
 			.set_text(common, Translation::from_raw_text(text));
 
 		button.try_cast::<ComponentButton>()?.set_text(
@@ -169,7 +168,7 @@ impl TestbedGeneric {
 		let cb_first = parser_state.fetch_component_as::<ComponentCheckbox>("cb_first")?;
 		let label = label_cur_option.widget.clone();
 		cb_first.on_toggle(Box::new(move |common, e| {
-			let mut widget = label.get_as::<WidgetLabel>().unwrap();
+			let mut widget = label.cast::<WidgetLabel>()?;
 			let text = format!("checkbox toggle: {}", e.checked);
 			widget.set_text(common, Translation::from_raw_text(&text));
 			Ok(())
diff --git a/wayvr/src/gui/panel/label.rs b/wayvr/src/gui/panel/label.rs
index b13d804..e8a32b5 100644
--- a/wayvr/src/gui/panel/label.rs
+++ b/wayvr/src/gui/panel/label.rs
@@ -103,8 +103,7 @@ pub(super) fn setup_custom_label<S: 'static>(
                     layout
                         .state
                         .widgets
-                        .get_as::<WidgetLabel>(attribs.widget_id)
-                        .unwrap()
+                        .cast_as::<WidgetLabel>(attribs.widget_id)?
                         .set_text_simple(&mut globals, Translation::from_raw_text(pretty_tz));
 
                     // does not need to be dynamic
diff --git a/wgui/src/layout.rs b/wgui/src/layout.rs
index 823e448..45d2e37 100644
--- a/wgui/src/layout.rs
+++ b/wgui/src/layout.rs
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ impl WidgetMap {
 		self.0.get(handle)?.get_as::<T>()
 	}
 
+	pub fn cast_as<T: 'static>(&self, handle: WidgetID) -> anyhow::Result<RefMut<'_, T>> {
+		self.get_as(handle).context("Widget cast failed")
+	}
+
 	pub fn get(&self, handle: WidgetID) -> Option<&Widget> {
 		self.0.get(handle)
 	}
diff --git a/wgui/src/widget/mod.rs b/wgui/src/widget/mod.rs
index d074a32..5f0e08a 100644
--- a/wgui/src/widget/mod.rs
+++ b/wgui/src/widget/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use anyhow::Context;
 use glam::Vec2;
 use taffy::{NodeId, TaffyTree};
 
@@ -248,10 +249,18 @@ impl dyn WidgetObj {
 		any.downcast_ref::<T>()
 	}
 
+	pub fn cast<T: 'static>(&self) -> anyhow::Result<&T> {
+		self.get_as().context("cast failed")
+	}
+
 	pub fn get_as_mut<T: 'static>(&mut self) -> Option<&mut T> {
 		let any = self.as_any_mut();
 		any.downcast_mut::<T>()
 	}
+
+	pub fn cast_mut<T: 'static>(&mut self) -> anyhow::Result<&mut T> {
+		self.get_as_mut().context("cast failed")
+	}
 }
 
 struct InvokeData<'a, 'b, U1: 'static, U2: 'static> {