diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fcc38bbb6..197a00ce8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 ### Added
 - CLAP plugins now appear in the Unverified plugin menu and can be added to a graph without a prior scan.
 - Graph Mixer: channel strips can be hidden via right-click and restored from the mixer background's right-click menu.
+- "Menu-bar only" UI Type in Preferences: the main window starts hidden and Element is reachable exclusively through the system tray icon. The systray menu now includes a Preferences item.
 
 ### Changed
 - Disconnected audio devices are no longer silently replaced with another device: Element closes the device, shows its status in the status bar, and automatically restores it when it reconnects. Double-click the status label to open audio settings.
@@ -15,6 +16,9 @@
 - Note names throughout the UI now use scientific pitch notation (middle C = C4), matching the convention used by most DAWs.
 
 ### Fixed
+- The Preferences UI Type dropdown is now wired up: selecting an option persists and is applied. Previously the value was silently ignored.
+- Switching UI Type no longer rebuilds the main content, which previously reset graph layout and node positions.
+- In Menu-bar only mode, closing the main window now hides to the tray instead of quitting the app.
 - Freeze on Windows when an ASIO audio interface is disconnected. Reconnection is now driven by system hardware notifications instead of repeatedly probing the driver.
 - Blocks embedded in the graph return to their embedded state when the plugin window is closed.
 - MIDI Monitor note names displayed two octaves too high.
diff --git a/include/element/ui.hpp b/include/element/ui.hpp
index 50d8a6fd2..4a916cf7a 100644
--- a/include/element/ui.hpp
+++ b/include/element/ui.hpp
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ class GuiService : public Service,
     /** Clears the current content component */
     void clearContentComponent();
 
+    /** Show or hide the main window according to the persisted UI Type. */
+    void applyUiTypeToMainWindow();
+
     // TODO: content manager on selected nodes
     Node getSelectedNode() const { return selectedNode; }
     // TODO: content manager on selected nodes.
diff --git a/src/services/guiservice.cpp b/src/services/guiservice.cpp
index 9669a12b0..3d4c29207 100644
--- a/src/services/guiservice.cpp
+++ b/src/services/guiservice.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,18 @@ namespace element {
     command line flag, and on Windows the shortcut "Run: Minimized" option. */
 static bool shouldStartHidden (Settings& settings)
 {
-    if (! SystemTray::isAvailable() || ! settings.isSystrayEnabled())
+    if (! SystemTray::isAvailable())
+        return false;
+
+    if (settings.getMainContentType() == "menubarOnly")
+    {
+        // Auto-enable the tray so the mode is actually reachable.
+        if (! settings.isSystrayEnabled())
+            settings.setSystrayEnabled (true);
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    if (! settings.isSystrayEnabled())
         return false;
 
     if (settings.isStartHiddenEnabled())
@@ -1179,6 +1190,31 @@ void GuiService::refreshSystemTray()
 #endif
 }
 
+void GuiService::applyUiTypeToMainWindow()
+{
+    if (! mainWindow)
+        return;
+
+    const bool menubarOnly = context().settings().getMainContentType() == "menubarOnly";
+
+    if (menubarOnly)
+    {
+        if (mainWindow->isOnDesktop())
+        {
+            mainWindow->removeFromDesktop();
+            closeAllPluginWindows (true);
+        }
+    }
+    else if (! mainWindow->isOnDesktop())
+    {
+        mainWindow->addToDesktop();
+        mainWindow->setBoundsConstrained (mainWindow->getBounds());
+        mainWindow->toFront (true);
+        if (auto session = context().session())
+            showPluginWindowsFor (session->getActiveGraph(), true, false);
+    }
+}
+
 void GuiService::setMainWindowTitler (std::function<juce::String()> f)
 {
     if (mainWindow)
@@ -1262,6 +1298,7 @@ bool GuiService::handleMessage (const AppMessage& msg)
             stabilizeContent();
             refreshMainMenu();
             refreshSystemTray();
+            applyUiTypeToMainWindow();
         }
 
         return true;
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index c816dfab6..accf25a62 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -250,8 +250,23 @@ double Settings::getDesktopScale() const { return getDouble (desktopScaleKey, 1.
 void Settings::setDesktopScale (double scale) { set (desktopScaleKey, jlimit (0.1, 8.0, scale)); }
 
 //=============================================================================
-String Settings::getMainContentType() const { return "standard"; }
-void Settings::setMainContentType (const String& tp) { ignoreUnused (tp); }
+String Settings::getMainContentType() const
+{
+    auto value = getString (mainContentTypeKey, "standard");
+    if (value != "standard" && value != "menubarOnly")
+        return "standard";
+    return value;
+}
+
+void Settings::setMainContentType (const String& tp)
+{
+    if (tp != "standard" && tp != "menubarOnly")
+    {
+        jassertfalse;
+        return;
+    }
+    set (mainContentTypeKey, tp);
+}
 
 String Settings::getClockSource() const { return getString (clockSourceKey, "internal"); }
 
diff --git a/src/ui/mainwindow.cpp b/src/ui/mainwindow.cpp
index d7dd0e08f..bbc1d5079 100644
--- a/src/ui/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -119,6 +119,14 @@ void MainWindow::nameChangedSession()
 
 void MainWindow::closeButtonPressed()
 {
+    auto& settings = world.settings();
+    if (settings.getMainContentType() == "menubarOnly")
+    {
+        auto& gui = *world.services().find<GuiService>();
+        gui.commands().invokeDirectly (Commands::toggleUserInterface, true);
+        return;
+    }
+
     JUCEApplication* app (JUCEApplication::getInstance());
     app->systemRequestedQuit();
 }
diff --git a/src/ui/preferences.cpp b/src/ui/preferences.cpp
index 560d45003..6213e5a23 100644
--- a/src/ui/preferences.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/preferences.cpp
@@ -479,8 +479,12 @@ class GeneralSettingsPage : public SettingsPage,
         mainContentLabel.setFont (Font (FontOptions (12.0, Font::bold)));
         addAndMakeVisible (mainContentBox);
         mainContentBox.addItem ("Standard", 1);
-        jassert (settings.getMainContentType() == "standard");
-        mainContentBox.setSelectedId (1, dontSendNotification);
+        mainContentBox.addItem ("Menu-bar only", 2);
+        {
+            const auto uitype = settings.getMainContentType();
+            const int selectedId = uitype == "menubarOnly" ? 2 : 1;
+            mainContentBox.setSelectedId (selectedId, dontSendNotification);
+        }
         mainContentBox.getSelectedIdAsValue().addListener (this);
     }
 
@@ -552,11 +556,16 @@ class GeneralSettingsPage : public SettingsPage,
         }
         else if (value.refersToSameSourceAs (mainContentBox.getSelectedIdAsValue()))
         {
-            const String uitype = "standard";
+            const String uitype = mainContentBox.getSelectedId() == 2
+                                      ? String ("menubarOnly")
+                                      : String ("standard");
             if (uitype != settings.getMainContentType())
             {
                 settings.setMainContentType (uitype);
-                ViewHelpers::postMessageFor (this, new ReloadMainContentMessage());
+                if (uitype == "menubarOnly" && ! settings.isSystrayEnabled())
+                    settings.setSystrayEnabled (true);
+                gui.applyUiTypeToMainWindow();
+                gui.refreshSystemTray();
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/ui/systemtray.cpp b/src/ui/systemtray.cpp
index 03f357f6e..fe1de1f83 100644
--- a/src/ui/systemtray.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/systemtray.cpp
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ void SystemTray::mouseUp (const MouseEvent& ev)
     {
         PopupMenu menu;
         menu.addCommandItem (cmd, Commands::toggleUserInterface, "Show/Hide");
+        menu.addCommandItem (cmd, Commands::showPreferences, "Preferences...");
         menu.addSeparator();
         menu.addCommandItem (cmd, Commands::quit, "Exit");
 #if JUCE_MAC
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ void SystemTray::runMenu()
 
     PopupMenu menu;
     menu.addCommandItem (cmd, Commands::toggleUserInterface, "Show/Hide");
+    menu.addCommandItem (cmd, Commands::showPreferences, "Preferences...");
     menu.addSeparator();
     menu.addCommandItem (cmd, Commands::quit, "Exit");
 #if JUCE_MAC