diff --git a/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-appearance-visuals.png b/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-appearance-visuals.png
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diff --git a/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-env-variables.png b/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-env-variables.png
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diff --git a/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-player-character.png b/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-player-character.png
index 1d8449f8..b8a8e87f 100644
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diff --git a/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-presets-embeddings.png b/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-presets-embeddings.png
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diff --git a/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-presets-inference.png b/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-presets-inference.png
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diff --git a/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-presets-system-prompts.png b/docs/img/0.39.0/app-settings-presets-system-prompts.png
index ba341a0e..e14ede69 100644
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diff --git a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppConfigAppearanceAssets.vue b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppConfigAppearanceAssets.vue
index c154ae88..ce225e35 100644
--- a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppConfigAppearanceAssets.vue
+++ b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppConfigAppearanceAssets.vue
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
 <template>
     <div class="ma-3">
-        <v-alert color="white" variant="text" icon="mdi-image-outline" density="compact" class="mb-3">
-            <v-alert-title>Message Visual Rendering</v-alert-title>
-            <div class="text-grey">
-                Control when visuals are rendered inline with scene messages.
-            </div>
-        </v-alert>
-        <v-divider class="mb-3"></v-divider>
-        
         <v-row class="mb-3">
             <v-col cols="12">
                 <v-checkbox 
diff --git a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppConfigPresetsSystemPrompts.vue b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppConfigPresetsSystemPrompts.vue
index ecd2a560..d13967da 100644
--- a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppConfigPresetsSystemPrompts.vue
+++ b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppConfigPresetsSystemPrompts.vue
@@ -50,14 +50,7 @@
                 </v-alert>
             </v-card>
 
-            <v-alert v-else-if="scope=='app'" density="compact" color="primary" variant="text" class="mt-10">
-                <p>
-                    App wide override for the various system prompts based on action type.
-                </p>
-                <p class="text-caption text-grey">
-                    These will be used when there are no client specific overrides configured in the client.
-                </p>
-            </v-alert>
+            <v-alert v-else-if="scope=='app'" color="grey" variant="text" class="mt-10">Select a system prompt to edit</v-alert>
 
             <v-alert v-else-if="scope=='client'" density="compact" color="primary" variant="text" class="mt-10">
                 <p>
diff --git a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettings.vue b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettings.vue
index aaed8940..d338f73b 100644
--- a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettings.vue
+++ b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettings.vue
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@
              old modal's card surface — on the bare viewport background their
              internal surfaces read as disconnected grey islands -->
         <v-sheet class="app-settings-content pa-4" rounded="md">
+            <!-- the page header for every page — page components carry none of their own -->
+            <AppSettingsPageHeader v-if="currentPage" :title="currentPage.title" :icon="currentPage.icon">
+                <div v-if="currentPage.descriptionHtml" v-html="currentPage.descriptionHtml"></div>
+                <template v-else>{{ currentPage.description }}</template>
+            </AppSettingsPageHeader>
             <v-window v-model="page" :touch="false">
                 <v-window-item value="gameplay">
                     <AppSettingsGameplay :config="app_config" />
@@ -25,15 +30,9 @@
                     <AppSettingsPlayerCharacter :config="app_config" />
                 </v-window-item>
                 <v-window-item value="appearance-messages">
-                    <AppSettingsPageHeader title="Messages" icon="mdi-script-text">
-                        Style the different message types in the scene view. Changes preview live in the scene while you edit.
-                    </AppSettingsPageHeader>
                     <AppConfigAppearanceScene ref="appearance-messages" :immutableConfig="app_config" :sceneActive="sceneActive" @changed="onAppearanceChanged"></AppConfigAppearanceScene>
                 </v-window-item>
                 <v-window-item value="appearance-visuals">
-                    <AppSettingsPageHeader title="Visuals" icon="mdi-image-outline">
-                        Message visuals and scene backdrop behavior.
-                    </AppSettingsPageHeader>
                     <AppConfigAppearanceAssets ref="appearance-visuals" :immutableConfig="app_config" :sceneActive="sceneActive" @changed="onAppearanceChanged"></AppConfigAppearanceAssets>
                 </v-window-item>
                 <v-window-item value="api-keys">
@@ -67,22 +66,16 @@
                 </v-window-item>
                 <v-window-item value="content-classification">
                     <AppSettingsStringList
-                        title="Content Classification"
-                        icon="mdi-cube-scan"
                         input-label="Add content classification (Press enter to add)"
                         :list="app_config.creator.content_context"
                         @update:list="(list) => app_config.creator.content_context = list">
-                        Available content classification choices when generating characters or scenarios.
                     </AppSettingsStringList>
                 </v-window-item>
                 <v-window-item value="perspective-presets">
                     <AppSettingsStringList
-                        title="Perspective Presets"
-                        icon="mdi-eye-outline"
                         input-label="Add perspective preset (Press enter to add)"
                         :list="app_config.creator.perspective_presets"
                         @update:list="(list) => app_config.creator.perspective_presets = list">
-                        Reusable narrative perspective / tense strings offered in the scene outline. Use <code>{player_name}</code> as a placeholder for the player character — it will be substituted at prompt render time.
                     </AppSettingsStringList>
                 </v-window-item>
             </v-window>
diff --git a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsApiKeys.vue b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsApiKeys.vue
index 53d8a94e..54d9de35 100644
--- a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsApiKeys.vue
+++ b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsApiKeys.vue
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 <template>
-    <AppSettingsPageHeader title="API Keys" icon="mdi-key-variant">
-        API keys and access tokens for third party services. Only fill in the services you use.
-    </AppSettingsPageHeader>
     <v-card v-for="provider in providers" :key="provider.id" class="mb-3" variant="tonal" :data-setting-anchor="provider.id">
         <v-card-title class="text-subtitle-1">
             <v-icon start size="small">{{ provider.icon || 'mdi-api' }}</v-icon>
@@ -36,14 +33,10 @@
 </template>
 
 <script>
-import AppSettingsPageHeader from './AppSettingsPageHeader.vue';
 import { API_PROVIDERS } from '../utils/appSettingsRegistry.js';
 
 export default {
     name: 'AppSettingsApiKeys',
-    components: {
-        AppSettingsPageHeader,
-    },
     props: {
         config: Object,
     },
diff --git a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsEnvVariables.vue b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsEnvVariables.vue
index d0b7986e..257b6e98 100644
--- a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsEnvVariables.vue
+++ b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsEnvVariables.vue
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
 <template>
-    <AppSettingsPageHeader title="Environment Variables" icon="mdi-variable">
-        <p class="mb-1">Named values passed as environment variables to processes Talemate spawns — currently the <span class="text-primary">Pi Bridge</span> client, where pi's <code>models.json</code> can reference them as <code>$NAME</code>.</p>
-        Values are encrypted at rest in Talemate's configuration file.
-    </AppSettingsPageHeader>
     <v-card variant="tonal">
-        <v-card-title class="text-subtitle-1">
-            <v-icon start size="small">mdi-variable</v-icon>
-            Variables
-        </v-card-title>
         <v-card-text>
             <div v-if="envVariableNames.length === 0" class="text-grey text-body-2 mb-4">
                 No environment variables defined yet — add one below.
@@ -44,13 +36,8 @@
 </template>
 
 <script>
-import AppSettingsPageHeader from './AppSettingsPageHeader.vue';
-
 export default {
     name: 'AppSettingsEnvVariables',
-    components: {
-        AppSettingsPageHeader,
-    },
     props: {
         config: Object,
     },
diff --git a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsGameplay.vue b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsGameplay.vue
index e47aa65f..c80b040e 100644
--- a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsGameplay.vue
+++ b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsGameplay.vue
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 <template>
-    <AppSettingsPageHeader title="General" icon="mdi-cog">
-        General game behavior.
-    </AppSettingsPageHeader>
     <v-row>
         <v-col cols="12" data-setting-anchor="auto_save">
             <v-checkbox color="primary" v-model="config.game.general.auto_save" label="Auto save" messages="Automatically save after each game-loop"></v-checkbox>
@@ -30,13 +27,8 @@
 </template>
 
 <script>
-import AppSettingsPageHeader from './AppSettingsPageHeader.vue';
-
 export default {
     name: 'AppSettingsGameplay',
-    components: {
-        AppSettingsPageHeader,
-    },
     props: {
         config: Object,
     },
diff --git a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsPlayerCharacter.vue b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsPlayerCharacter.vue
index da65ea97..bf7a3682 100644
--- a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsPlayerCharacter.vue
+++ b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsPlayerCharacter.vue
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 <template>
-    <AppSettingsPageHeader title="Default player character" icon="mdi-human-edit">
-        This will be default player character that will be added to a scene if the scene does not come with a defined player character. Mostly relevant when you load character-cards that aren't in the talemate scene format.
-    </AppSettingsPageHeader>
     <v-row>
         <v-col cols="6">
             <v-text-field v-model="config.game.default_player_character.name"
@@ -26,13 +23,8 @@
 </template>
 
 <script>
-import AppSettingsPageHeader from './AppSettingsPageHeader.vue';
-
 export default {
     name: 'AppSettingsPlayerCharacter',
-    components: {
-        AppSettingsPageHeader,
-    },
     props: {
         config: Object,
     },
diff --git a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsStringList.vue b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsStringList.vue
index 7c67c3ff..0e6edc03 100644
--- a/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsStringList.vue
+++ b/talemate_frontend/src/components/AppSettingsStringList.vue
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 <template>
-    <AppSettingsPageHeader :title="title" :icon="icon">
-        <slot></slot>
-    </AppSettingsPageHeader>
     <v-row>
         <v-col cols="12">
             <v-list density="compact">
@@ -17,16 +14,9 @@
 </template>
 
 <script>
-import AppSettingsPageHeader from './AppSettingsPageHeader.vue';
-
 export default {
     name: 'AppSettingsStringList',
-    components: {
-        AppSettingsPageHeader,
-    },
     props: {
-        title: String,
-        icon: String,
         inputLabel: String,
         list: Array,
     },
diff --git a/talemate_frontend/src/utils/appSettingsRegistry.js b/talemate_frontend/src/utils/appSettingsRegistry.js
index bb7f3c88..3e46f2f2 100644
--- a/talemate_frontend/src/utils/appSettingsRegistry.js
+++ b/talemate_frontend/src/utils/appSettingsRegistry.js
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@
 // the settings search in the drawer menu. An entry's optional `anchor` matches
 // a `data-setting-anchor` attribute in the page markup so search results can
 // scroll to and highlight the exact setting.
+//
+// `title`, `icon` and `description` are also what AppSettings.vue renders as
+// the page header — page components must not carry headers of their own. A page
+// whose description needs markup adds `descriptionHtml`, which the header
+// renders instead; `description` still carries the same words in plain text
+// because the search haystack is built from it.
 
 // API key providers rendered by AppSettingsApiKeys.vue. `id` doubles as the
 // legacy deep-link page value (`openAppConfig('application', '<id>')`) and the
@@ -121,7 +127,7 @@ export const SETTINGS_GROUPS = [
                 id: 'player-character',
                 title: 'Player Character',
                 icon: 'mdi-human-edit',
-                description: 'Default player character for scenes that do not define one.',
+                description: 'The default player character added to a scene when the scene does not come with a defined player character. Mostly relevant when you load character cards that aren\'t in the talemate scene format.',
                 entries: [
                     { label: 'Name', keywords: ['player', 'character', 'default'] },
                     { label: 'Gender', keywords: ['player', 'character'] },
@@ -139,7 +145,7 @@ export const SETTINGS_GROUPS = [
                 id: 'appearance-messages',
                 title: 'Messages',
                 icon: 'mdi-script-text',
-                description: 'Message styles and colors in the scene view.',
+                description: 'Style the different message types in the scene view. Changes preview live in the scene while you edit.',
                 entries: [
                     { label: 'Message styles', keywords: ['color', 'italic', 'bold', 'narrator', 'character', 'director', 'font'] },
                     { label: 'Quotes / emphasis styling', keywords: ['quotes', 'parentheses', 'brackets', 'emphasis', 'entities', 'highlight'] },
@@ -167,7 +173,7 @@ export const SETTINGS_GROUPS = [
                 id: 'api-keys',
                 title: 'API Keys',
                 icon: 'mdi-key-variant',
-                description: 'API keys for third party services.',
+                description: 'API keys and access tokens for third party services. Only fill in the services you use.',
                 entries: API_PROVIDERS.map((provider) => ({
                     label: provider.title,
                     anchor: provider.id,
@@ -178,7 +184,8 @@ export const SETTINGS_GROUPS = [
                 id: 'env-variables',
                 title: 'Environment Variables',
                 icon: 'mdi-variable',
-                description: 'Named values passed to processes Talemate spawns.',
+                description: 'Named values passed as environment variables to processes Talemate spawns — currently the Pi Bridge client, where pi\'s models.json can reference them as $NAME. Values are encrypted at rest in Talemate\'s configuration file.',
+                descriptionHtml: '<p class="mb-1">Named values passed as environment variables to processes Talemate spawns — currently the <span class="text-primary">Pi Bridge</span> client, where pi\'s <code>models.json</code> can reference them as <code>$NAME</code>.</p>Values are encrypted at rest in Talemate\'s configuration file.',
                 entries: [
                     { label: 'Environment variables', keywords: ['env', 'secret', 'pi bridge', 'variable'] },
                 ],
@@ -211,7 +218,7 @@ export const SETTINGS_GROUPS = [
                 id: 'presets-system-prompts',
                 title: 'System Prompts',
                 icon: 'mdi-text-box',
-                description: 'Global system prompt overrides.',
+                description: 'App wide overrides for the various system prompts, based on action type. Used when the client itself defines no override.',
                 entries: [
                     { label: 'System prompts', keywords: ['prompt', 'roleplay', 'override', 'decensor'] },
                 ],
@@ -226,7 +233,7 @@ export const SETTINGS_GROUPS = [
                 id: 'content-classification',
                 title: 'Content Classification',
                 icon: 'mdi-cube-scan',
-                description: 'Content classification choices for generation.',
+                description: 'Available content classification choices when generating characters or scenarios.',
                 entries: [
                     { label: 'Content classification', keywords: ['content context', 'rating', 'classification'] },
                 ],
@@ -235,7 +242,8 @@ export const SETTINGS_GROUPS = [
                 id: 'perspective-presets',
                 title: 'Perspective Presets',
                 icon: 'mdi-eye-outline',
-                description: 'Reusable narrative perspective / tense strings.',
+                description: 'Reusable narrative perspective / tense strings offered in the scene outline. Use {player_name} as a placeholder for the player character — it will be substituted at prompt render time.',
+                descriptionHtml: 'Reusable narrative perspective / tense strings offered in the scene outline. Use <code>{player_name}</code> as a placeholder for the player character — it will be substituted at prompt render time.',
                 entries: [
                     { label: 'Perspective presets', keywords: ['perspective', 'tense', 'pov', 'narrative'] },
                 ],