diff --git a/frontend/public/locales/en-GB/translation.json b/frontend/public/locales/en-GB/translation.json
index 76a498d2d..01a8278f6 100644
--- a/frontend/public/locales/en-GB/translation.json
+++ b/frontend/public/locales/en-GB/translation.json
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@
   "save": "Save",
   "saveToBrowser": "Save to Browser",
   "download": "Download",
+  "pin": "Pin",
+  "unpin": "Unpin",
   "undoOperationTooltip": "Click to undo the last operation and restore the original files",
   "undo": "Undo",
   "moreOptions": "More Options",
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditor.module.css b/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditor.module.css
index 173738c29..17184bbf4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditor.module.css
+++ b/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditor.module.css
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@
 .header {
   height: 2.25rem;
   border-radius: 0.0625rem 0.0625rem 0 0;
-  display: grid;
-  grid-template-columns: 44px 1fr 44px;
+  display: flex;
   align-items: center;
+  justify-content: space-between;
   padding: 0 6px;
   user-select: none;
   background: var(--bg-toolbar);
@@ -86,14 +86,23 @@
 }
 
 .headerIndex {
+  position: absolute;
+  left: 50%;
+  transform: translateX(-50%);
   text-align: center;
   font-weight: 500;
   font-size: 18px;
   letter-spacing: 0.04em;
 }
 
-.kebab {
-  justify-self: end;
+.headerActions {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 8px;
+  margin-left: auto;
+}
+
+.headerIconButton {
   color: #FFFFFF !important;
 }
 
@@ -216,6 +225,11 @@
   color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.35);
 }
 
+.pinned {
+  color: #FFC107 !important;
+}
+
+
 /* Unsupported file indicator */
 .unsupportedPill {
   margin-left: 1.75rem;
@@ -384,4 +398,4 @@
 .addFileSubtext {
   font-size: 0.875rem;
   opacity: 0.8;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditor.tsx b/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditor.tsx
index 626eaab4f..90ee6eebe 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditor.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditor.tsx
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ const FileEditor = ({
 
 
   // File operations using context
-  const handleDeleteFile = useCallback((fileId: FileId) => {
+  const handleCloseFile = useCallback((fileId: FileId) => {
     const record = activeStirlingFileStubs.find(r => r.id === fileId);
     const file = record ? selectors.getFile(record.id) : null;
     if (record && file) {
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ const FileEditor = ({
                   selectedFiles={localSelectedIds}
                   selectionMode={selectionMode}
                   onToggleFile={toggleFile}
-                  onDeleteFile={handleDeleteFile}
+                  onCloseFile={handleCloseFile}
                   onViewFile={handleViewFile}
                   _onSetStatus={showStatus}
                   onReorderFiles={handleReorderFiles}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditorThumbnail.tsx b/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditorThumbnail.tsx
index f09bfeeb1..8159e30a9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditorThumbnail.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/fileEditor/FileEditorThumbnail.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import React, { useState, useCallback, useRef, useMemo, useEffect } from 'react';
-import { Text, ActionIcon, CheckboxIndicator } from '@mantine/core';
+import { Text, ActionIcon, CheckboxIndicator, Tooltip } from '@mantine/core';
 import { alert } from '../toast';
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import MoreVertIcon from '@mui/icons-material/MoreVert';
 import DownloadOutlinedIcon from '@mui/icons-material/DownloadOutlined';
-import DeleteOutlineIcon from '@mui/icons-material/DeleteOutline';
+import CloseIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Close';
 import UnarchiveIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Unarchive';
 import PushPinIcon from '@mui/icons-material/PushPin';
 import PushPinOutlinedIcon from '@mui/icons-material/PushPinOutlined';
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ interface FileEditorThumbnailProps {
   selectedFiles: FileId[];
   selectionMode: boolean;
   onToggleFile: (fileId: FileId) => void;
-  onDeleteFile: (fileId: FileId) => void;
+  onCloseFile: (fileId: FileId) => void;
   onViewFile: (fileId: FileId) => void;
   _onSetStatus: (status: string) => void;
   onReorderFiles?: (sourceFileId: FileId, targetFileId: FileId, selectedFileIds: FileId[]) => void;
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ const FileEditorThumbnail = ({
   index,
   selectedFiles,
   onToggleFile,
-  onDeleteFile,
+  onCloseFile,
   _onSetStatus,
   onReorderFiles,
   onDownloadFile,
@@ -258,18 +258,60 @@ const FileEditorThumbnail = ({
           {index + 1}
         </div>
 
-        {/* Kebab menu */}
-        <ActionIcon
-          aria-label={t('moreOptions', 'More options')}
-          variant="subtle"
-          className={styles.kebab}
-          onClick={(e) => {
-            e.stopPropagation();
-            setShowActions((v) => !v);
-          }}
-        >
-          <MoreVertIcon fontSize="small" />
-        </ActionIcon>
+        {/* Action buttons group */}
+        <div className={styles.headerActions}>
+          {/* Pin/Unpin icon */}
+          <Tooltip label={isPinned ? t('unpin', 'Unpin') : t('pin', 'Pin')}>
+            <ActionIcon
+              aria-label={isPinned ? t('unpin', 'Unpin') : t('pin', 'Pin')}
+              variant="subtle"
+              className={isPinned ? styles.pinned : styles.headerIconButton}
+              onClick={(e) => {
+                e.stopPropagation();
+                if (actualFile) {
+                  if (isPinned) {
+                    unpinFile(actualFile);
+                    alert({ alertType: 'neutral', title: `Unpinned ${file.name}`, expandable: false, durationMs: 3000 });
+                  } else {
+                    pinFile(actualFile);
+                    alert({ alertType: 'success', title: `Pinned ${file.name}`, expandable: false, durationMs: 3000 });
+                  }
+                }
+              }}
+            >
+              {isPinned ? <PushPinIcon fontSize="small" /> : <PushPinOutlinedIcon fontSize="small" />}
+            </ActionIcon>
+          </Tooltip>
+
+          {/* Download icon */}
+          <Tooltip label={t('download', 'Download')}>
+            <ActionIcon
+              aria-label={t('download', 'Download')}
+              variant="subtle"
+              className={styles.headerIconButton}
+              onClick={(e) => {
+                e.stopPropagation();
+                onDownloadFile(file.id);
+                alert({ alertType: 'success', title: `Downloading ${file.name}`, expandable: false, durationMs: 2500 });
+              }}
+            >
+              <DownloadOutlinedIcon fontSize="small" />
+            </ActionIcon>
+          </Tooltip>
+
+          {/* Kebab menu */}
+          <ActionIcon
+            aria-label={t('moreOptions', 'More options')}
+            variant="subtle"
+            className={styles.headerIconButton}
+            onClick={(e) => {
+              e.stopPropagation();
+              setShowActions((v) => !v);
+            }}
+          >
+            <MoreVertIcon fontSize="small" />
+          </ActionIcon>
+        </div>
       </div>
 
       {/* Actions overlay */}
@@ -294,7 +336,7 @@ const FileEditorThumbnail = ({
               setShowActions(false);
             }}
           >
-            {isPinned ? <PushPinIcon fontSize="small" /> : <PushPinOutlinedIcon fontSize="small" />}
+            {isPinned ? <PushPinIcon className={styles.pinned} fontSize="small" /> : <PushPinOutlinedIcon fontSize="small" />}
             <span>{isPinned ? t('unpin', 'Unpin') : t('pin', 'Pin')}</span>
           </button>
 
@@ -321,13 +363,13 @@ const FileEditorThumbnail = ({
           <button
             className={`${styles.actionRow} ${styles.actionDanger}`}
             onClick={() => {
-              onDeleteFile(file.id);
-              alert({ alertType: 'neutral', title: `Deleted ${file.name}`, expandable: false, durationMs: 3500 });
+              onCloseFile(file.id);
+              alert({ alertType: 'neutral', title: `Closed ${file.name}`, expandable: false, durationMs: 3500 });
               setShowActions(false);
             }}
           >
-            <DeleteOutlineIcon fontSize="small" />
-            <span>{t('delete', 'Delete')}</span>
+            <CloseIcon fontSize="small" />
+            <span>{t('close', 'Close')}</span>
           </button>
         </div>
       )}
@@ -394,13 +436,6 @@ const FileEditorThumbnail = ({
           )}
         </div>
 
-        {/* Pin indicator (bottom-left) */}
-        {isPinned && (
-          <span className={styles.pinIndicator} aria-hidden>
-            <PushPinIcon fontSize="small" />
-          </span>
-        )}
-
         {/* Drag handle (span wrapper so we can attach a ref reliably) */}
         <span ref={handleRef} className={styles.dragHandle} aria-hidden>
           <DragIndicatorIcon fontSize="small" />