diff --git a/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Assets/Styles/Styles.Common.axaml b/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Assets/Styles/Styles.Common.axaml
index 9a4cfd00a7..3548124288 100644
--- a/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Assets/Styles/Styles.Common.axaml
+++ b/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Assets/Styles/Styles.Common.axaml
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@
                     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextFillColorPrimaryBrush"   Color="#E4000000"/>
                     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextFillColorSecondaryBrush" Color="#9E000000"/>
                     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextFillColorTertiaryBrush"  Color="#72000000"/>
+                    <!-- Search-box placeholders. The big Discover field uses larger (thicker-stroked) text, so it
+                         gets a lighter light-theme value to read as the same weight as the compact title-bar field. -->
+                    <SolidColorBrush x:Key="SearchBoxPlaceholderForeground"   Color="#72000000"/>
+                    <SolidColorBrush x:Key="MegaQueryPlaceholderForeground"   Color="#52000000"/>
                     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextFillColorDisabledBrush"  Color="#5C000000"/>
                     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextFillColorInverseBrush"   Color="#FFFFFFFF"/>
                     <!-- Text on accent -->
@@ -102,6 +106,10 @@
                     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextFillColorPrimaryBrush"   Color="#FFFFFFFF"/>
                     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextFillColorSecondaryBrush" Color="#C5FFFFFF"/>
                     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextFillColorTertiaryBrush"  Color="#87FFFFFF"/>
+                    <!-- Search-box placeholders. Dark theme keeps the brighter value that matched WinUI; both fields
+                         share it since thick-stroke heaviness only reads as darker on light backgrounds. -->
+                    <SolidColorBrush x:Key="SearchBoxPlaceholderForeground"   Color="#C5FFFFFF"/>
+                    <SolidColorBrush x:Key="MegaQueryPlaceholderForeground"   Color="#C5FFFFFF"/>
                     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextFillColorDisabledBrush"  Color="#5DFFFFFF"/>
                     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextFillColorInverseBrush"   Color="#E4000000"/>
                     <!-- Text on accent -->
diff --git a/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/MainWindow.axaml b/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/MainWindow.axaml
index e3c97175c9..0e54a405d9 100644
--- a/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/MainWindow.axaml
+++ b/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/MainWindow.axaml
@@ -410,8 +410,8 @@
                         VerticalAlignment="Center"
                         Orientation="Horizontal"
                         Margin="65,0,8,0"
-                        Spacing="8"
-                        Opacity="0.6">
+                        Spacing="8">
+                <!-- Opacity follows window focus (see SetupTitleBarFocusOpacity): white title when active, dimmed when not. -->
                 <!-- Back button — appears once there is navigation history (mirrors WinUI's title-bar back). -->
                 <Button x:Name="BackButton"
                         Width="32" Height="32"
@@ -477,6 +477,7 @@
                                  VerticalContentAlignment="Center"
                                  Padding="12,0,4,0"
                                  Background="Transparent"
+                                 PlaceholderForeground="{DynamicResource SearchBoxPlaceholderForeground}"
                                  PlaceholderText="{Binding GlobalSearchPlaceholder}"
                                  IsEnabled="{Binding GlobalSearchEnabled}"
                                  automation:AutomationProperties.Name="{Binding GlobalSearchPlaceholder}"
@@ -492,6 +493,8 @@
                                 <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextControlBackground" Color="Transparent"/>
                                 <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextControlBackgroundPointerOver" Color="Transparent"/>
                                 <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextControlBackgroundFocused" Color="Transparent"/>
+                                <!-- Fluent dims placeholders to 0.5; WinUI showed them at full secondary-text brightness. -->
+                                <x:Double x:Key="TextControlPlaceholderOpacity">1</x:Double>
                             </TextBox.Resources>
                         </TextBox>
                         <Button Grid.Column="1"
@@ -528,7 +531,6 @@
                             VerticalAlignment="Center"
                             Margin="0,0,4,0"
                             Spacing="0"
-                            Opacity="0.55"
                             IsVisible="False">
                     <!-- Minimize: horizontal line -->
                     <Button Width="46" Height="32" Padding="0"
diff --git a/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/MainWindow.axaml.cs b/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/MainWindow.axaml.cs
index 347f729930..e1be085d7c 100644
--- a/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/MainWindow.axaml.cs
+++ b/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/MainWindow.axaml.cs
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ public MainWindow()
         DataContext = new MainWindowViewModel();
         InitializeComponent();
         SetupTitleBar();
+        SetupTitleBarFocusOpacity();
         SetupResponsiveRail();
 
         RestoreGeometry();
@@ -300,6 +301,14 @@ private void SetupResponsiveRail()
     private void FlyoutDismiss_PointerPressed(object? sender, PointerPressedEventArgs e)
         => ViewModel.Sidebar.IsPaneOpen = false;
 
+    // Title-bar caption follows window focus (WinUI behaviour): full opacity — white title — when active, dimmed when not.
+    private void SetupTitleBarFocusOpacity()
+        => this.GetObservable(IsActiveProperty).SubscribeValue(active =>
+        {
+            HamburgerPanel.Opacity = active ? 1.0 : 0.6;
+            WindowButtons.Opacity = active ? 1.0 : 0.55;
+        });
+
     private void SetupTitleBar()
     {
         if (OperatingSystem.IsMacOS())
diff --git a/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/SidebarView.axaml b/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/SidebarView.axaml
index 0f5750d672..78d507e058 100644
--- a/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/SidebarView.axaml
+++ b/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/SidebarView.axaml
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
                         <controls:SvgIcon Path="avares://UniGetUI/Assets/Symbols/update.svg" Width="24" Height="24" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                         <TextBlock Text="{t:Translate Software Updates}"
                                    FontSize="14"
-                                   FontWeight="SemiBold"
+                                   FontWeight="Normal"
                                    VerticalAlignment="Center"
                                    IsVisible="{Binding $parent[local:SidebarView].ShowLabels}"/>
                     </StackPanel>
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
                         <controls:SvgIcon Path="avares://UniGetUI/Assets/Symbols/InstalledPackages.svg" Width="24" Height="24" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                         <TextBlock Text="{t:Translate Installed Packages}"
                                    FontSize="14"
-                                   FontWeight="SemiBold"
+                                   FontWeight="Normal"
                                    VerticalAlignment="Center"
                                    IsVisible="{Binding $parent[local:SidebarView].ShowLabels}"/>
                     </StackPanel>
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
                         <controls:SvgIcon Path="avares://UniGetUI/Assets/Symbols/PackagesBundle.svg" Width="24" Height="24" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                         <TextBlock Text="{t:Translate Package Bundles}"
                                    FontSize="14"
-                                   FontWeight="SemiBold"
+                                   FontWeight="Normal"
                                    VerticalAlignment="Center"
                                    IsVisible="{Binding $parent[local:SidebarView].ShowLabels}"/>
                     </StackPanel>
diff --git a/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/SoftwarePages/AbstractPackagesPage.axaml b/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/SoftwarePages/AbstractPackagesPage.axaml
index a5e2090aea..ccd3a2f44d 100644
--- a/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/SoftwarePages/AbstractPackagesPage.axaml
+++ b/src/UniGetUI.Avalonia/Views/SoftwarePages/AbstractPackagesPage.axaml
@@ -848,7 +848,8 @@
                                          BorderThickness="0"
                                          Background="Transparent"
                                          FontSize="28"
-                                         FontWeight="SemiBold"
+                                         FontWeight="Normal"
+                                         PlaceholderForeground="{DynamicResource MegaQueryPlaceholderForeground}"
                                          PlaceholderText="{t:Translate Search for packages}"
                                          automation:AutomationProperties.Name="{t:Translate Search for packages}"
                                          Text="{Binding MegaQueryText, Mode=TwoWay}"
@@ -860,6 +861,8 @@
                                         <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextControlBackground" Color="Transparent"/>
                                         <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextControlBackgroundPointerOver" Color="Transparent"/>
                                         <SolidColorBrush x:Key="TextControlBackgroundFocused" Color="Transparent"/>
+                                        <!-- Fluent dims placeholders to 0.5; WinUI showed them at full secondary-text brightness. -->
+                                        <x:Double x:Key="TextControlPlaceholderOpacity">1</x:Double>
                                     </TextBox.Resources>
                                 </TextBox>
                                 <Button x:Name="MegaFindButton"