diff --git a/docs/tui.md b/docs/tui.md
index b627485a..711d57ec 100644
--- a/docs/tui.md
+++ b/docs/tui.md
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ manually launched TUIs.
 
 The app has four sections: Mail, Contacts, Calendar and Journal. The context-sensitive
 shortcut bar is visible by default; press `?` to hide or restore it, and the choice is
-remembered across restarts.
+remembered across restarts. While it is hidden, `? help` at the left of the top bar says
+how to bring it back.
 
 Mail navigation includes HEY's boxes plus separate Labels and Collections tabs: Shift+L
 opens Labels directly and Shift+K opens Collections. Previously Seen has its own tab after
diff --git a/internal/tui/nav.go b/internal/tui/nav.go
index bcbbffa2..ccd6fea6 100644
--- a/internal/tui/nav.go
+++ b/internal/tui/nav.go
@@ -324,10 +324,11 @@ func centerText(text string, width int) string {
 }
 
 // renderTopRule draws the top rule with HEY centered and the account
-// aligned to the right, both bold:
+// aligned to the right, both bold. A hint, when given, sits at the left end
+// if there is room for it beside HEY:
 //
-//	─────────── HEY ─────────── jz@example.com ──
-func renderTopRule(width int, account string) string {
+//	── ? help ── HEY ─────────── jz@example.com ──
+func renderTopRule(width int, hint, account string) string {
 	ruleStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(colorChrome)
 	labelStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(colorChrome).Bold(true)
 
@@ -346,6 +347,12 @@ func renderTopRule(width int, account string) string {
 	}
 
 	var b strings.Builder
+	const lead = 2
+	if hintWidth := lipgloss.Width(hint) + 2; hint != "" && left >= lead+hintWidth+1 {
+		b.WriteString(ruleStyle.Render(strings.Repeat("─", lead)))
+		b.WriteString(" " + labelStyle.Render(hint) + " ")
+		left -= lead + hintWidth
+	}
 	b.WriteString(ruleStyle.Render(strings.Repeat("─", left)))
 	b.WriteString(" " + labelStyle.Render("HEY") + " ")
 	b.WriteString(ruleStyle.Render(strings.Repeat("─", mid)))
@@ -360,8 +367,12 @@ func renderTopRule(width int, account string) string {
 func renderHeader(m *model) string {
 	var b strings.Builder
 
-	// Row 1: section rule + items
-	b.WriteString(renderTopRule(m.width, m.mailAccount.label))
+	// Row 1: section rule + items. Hidden help leaves the one key that brings it back.
+	hint := ""
+	if m.help.hidden && m.canToggleHelp() {
+		hint = "? help"
+	}
+	b.WriteString(renderTopRule(m.width, hint, m.mailAccount.label))
 	b.WriteString("\n")
 	b.WriteString(renderNavRow(sectionItems, int(m.section), m.focus == rowSection, m.width, true))
 	b.WriteString("\n")
diff --git a/internal/tui/tui.go b/internal/tui/tui.go
index 1e293344..24edd16a 100644
--- a/internal/tui/tui.go
+++ b/internal/tui/tui.go
@@ -998,7 +998,8 @@ func (m model) handleKey(msg tea.KeyPressMsg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 }
 
 func (m model) canToggleHelp() bool {
-	if m.mailAccountPicker {
+	// An error box takes every key until it is dismissed, ? included.
+	if m.mailAccountPicker || m.err != nil {
 		return false
 	}
 	if m.activeView == m.screenerView {
diff --git a/internal/tui/tui_test.go b/internal/tui/tui_test.go
index 6d5c77ee..1e7a56ac 100644
--- a/internal/tui/tui_test.go
+++ b/internal/tui/tui_test.go
@@ -248,6 +248,19 @@ func TestQuestionMarkTogglesHelpAndResizesContent(t *testing.T) {
 	if !slices.Equal(saved, []bool{true}) {
 		t.Errorf("saved preferences = %v, want [true]", saved)
 	}
+	if top := lines[0]; !strings.Contains(top, " ? help ") {
+		t.Errorf("hidden help left no way back on the top rule: %q", top)
+	}
+	m.err = errors.New("HEY is not answering")
+	if top := strings.SplitN(stripANSI(m.View().Content), "\n", 2)[0]; strings.Contains(top, "? help") {
+		t.Errorf("the top rule offers ? while an error box would swallow it: %q", top)
+	}
+	updated, _ = m.Update(keyPress("?"))
+	m = updated.(model)
+	if !m.help.hidden {
+		t.Error("? acted through an error box")
+	}
+	m.err = nil
 
 	updated, _ = m.Update(keyPress("?"))
 	m = updated.(model)
@@ -1436,8 +1449,30 @@ func TestChromeUsesBlueBoldConvention(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestTopRuleShowsAHintBesideHeyWhenThereIsRoom(t *testing.T) {
+	line := stripANSI(renderTopRule(80, "? help", "frank.castillo@example.com"))
+	if got := lipgloss.Width(line); got != 80 {
+		t.Errorf("top rule width = %d, want 80", got)
+	}
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(line, "── ? help ─") {
+		t.Errorf("the hint should open the rule: %q", line)
+	}
+	heyColumn := func(rule string) int { return lipgloss.Width(rule[:strings.Index(rule, "HEY")]) }
+	if want := stripANSI(renderTopRule(80, "", "frank.castillo@example.com")); heyColumn(line) != heyColumn(want) {
+		t.Errorf("the hint moved HEY: %q, want HEY where it is in %q", line, want)
+	}
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(line, "frank.castillo@example.com ──") {
+		t.Errorf("the account should stay right-aligned: %q", line)
+	}
+
+	narrow := stripANSI(renderTopRule(40, "? help", "frank.castillo@example.com"))
+	if strings.Contains(narrow, "help") || lipgloss.Width(narrow) != 40 {
+		t.Errorf("a rule with no room for the hint = %q, want it left out", narrow)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestTopRuleCentersHeyAndRightAlignsAccount(t *testing.T) {
-	line := renderTopRule(80, "frank.castillo@example.com")
+	line := renderTopRule(80, "", "frank.castillo@example.com")
 	if got := lipgloss.Width(line); got != 80 {
 		t.Errorf("top rule width = %d, want 80", got)
 	}