diff --git a/graph-ui/src/components/GraphTab.filters.test.tsx b/graph-ui/src/components/GraphTab.filters.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9ee22f210
--- /dev/null
+++ b/graph-ui/src/components/GraphTab.filters.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/* @vitest-environment jsdom */
+import "@testing-library/jest-dom/vitest";
+import { fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { GraphTab } from "./GraphTab";
+import type { GraphData } from "../lib/types";
+
+/* GraphScene renders a WebGL <Canvas> which jsdom can't run — stub it out. */
+vi.mock("./GraphScene", () => ({
+  GraphScene: () => null,
+  computeCameraTarget: () => null,
+}));
+
+const SAMPLE: GraphData = {
+  nodes: [
+    { id: 1, x: 0, y: 0, z: 0, label: "Function", name: "foo", size: 1, color: "#fff" },
+    { id: 2, x: 1, y: 0, z: 0, label: "Class", name: "Bar", size: 1, color: "#fff" },
+  ],
+  edges: [{ source: 1, target: 2, type: "CALLS" }],
+  total_nodes: 2,
+};
+
+function mockLayoutFetch(data: GraphData) {
+  const fetchMock = vi.fn(async (input: RequestInfo | URL) => {
+    const url = String(input);
+    if (url.startsWith("/api/layout")) {
+      return new Response(JSON.stringify(data), {
+        status: 200,
+        headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+      });
+    }
+    return new Response("{}", { status: 200 });
+  });
+  vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchMock);
+  return fetchMock;
+}
+
+describe("GraphTab filters", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the filter sidebar visible when all nodes are filtered out", async () => {
+    mockLayoutFetch(SAMPLE);
+
+    render(<GraphTab project="demo" />);
+
+    /* Wait for the layout to load — the filter panel header appears. */
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Filters")).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    /* Disable every filter via the "None" shortcut. */
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "None" }));
+
+    /* The graph area reports that everything is filtered out… */
+    expect(screen.getByText("All nodes filtered out")).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    /* …but the filter sidebar must stay so the user can re-enable filters
+       instead of being forced to reset everything. */
+    expect(screen.getByText("Filters")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "All" })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "None" })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/components/GraphTab.tsx b/graph-ui/src/components/GraphTab.tsx
index 0e6c8fb08..7986c3c99 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/components/GraphTab.tsx
+++ b/graph-ui/src/components/GraphTab.tsx
@@ -211,21 +211,13 @@ export function GraphTab({ project }: GraphTabProps) {
     );
   }
 
-  if (!data || !filteredData || filteredData.nodes.length === 0) {
+  /* No data, or the project genuinely has no nodes — there are no filters to
+     interact with, so show a plain full-screen message. The "all filtered out"
+     case is handled inside the layout below so the filter sidebar stays put. */
+  if (!data || !filteredData || data.nodes.length === 0) {
     return (
       <div className="flex items-center justify-center h-full">
-        <div className="text-center">
-          <p className="text-white/30 text-sm mb-3">
-            {data && filteredData?.nodes.length === 0
-              ? "All nodes filtered out"
-              : "No nodes in this project"}
-          </p>
-          {data && filteredData?.nodes.length === 0 && (
-            <Button size="sm" onClick={enableAll}>
-              Reset Filters
-            </Button>
-          )}
-        </div>
+        <p className="text-white/30 text-sm">No nodes in this project</p>
       </div>
     );
   }
@@ -267,65 +259,78 @@ export function GraphTab({ project }: GraphTabProps) {
 
       {/* Graph area */}
       <div className="flex-1 relative overflow-hidden">
-        <ErrorBoundary>
-          <GraphScene
-            data={filteredData}
-            highlightedIds={highlightedIds}
-            cameraTarget={cameraTarget}
-            showLabels={showLabels}
-            onNodeClick={handleNodeClick}
-          />
-        </ErrorBoundary>
+        {filteredData.nodes.length === 0 ? (
+          <div className="flex items-center justify-center h-full">
+            <div className="text-center">
+              <p className="text-white/30 text-sm mb-3">All nodes filtered out</p>
+              <Button size="sm" onClick={enableAll}>
+                Reset Filters
+              </Button>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        ) : (
+          <>
+            <ErrorBoundary>
+              <GraphScene
+                data={filteredData}
+                highlightedIds={highlightedIds}
+                cameraTarget={cameraTarget}
+                showLabels={showLabels}
+                onNodeClick={handleNodeClick}
+              />
+            </ErrorBoundary>
 
-        {/* HUD */}
-        <div className="absolute top-4 left-4 text-[11px] text-white/30 pointer-events-none font-mono">
-          <p>
-            {filteredData.nodes.length.toLocaleString()} nodes /{" "}
-            {filteredData.edges.length.toLocaleString()} edges
-          </p>
-          {data.nodes.length > filteredData.nodes.length && (
-            <p className="text-white/25 mt-0.5">
-              filtered from {data.nodes.length.toLocaleString()}
-            </p>
-          )}
-          {limitNotice && (
-            <p className="text-amber-300/80 mt-0.5">{limitNotice}</p>
-          )}
-          {highlightedIds && highlightedIds.size > 0 && (
-            <p className="text-cyan-400/50 mt-0.5">
-              {highlightedIds.size} selected
-            </p>
-          )}
-        </div>
+            {/* HUD */}
+            <div className="absolute top-4 left-4 text-[11px] text-white/30 pointer-events-none font-mono">
+              <p>
+                {filteredData.nodes.length.toLocaleString()} nodes /{" "}
+                {filteredData.edges.length.toLocaleString()} edges
+              </p>
+              {data.nodes.length > filteredData.nodes.length && (
+                <p className="text-white/25 mt-0.5">
+                  filtered from {data.nodes.length.toLocaleString()}
+                </p>
+              )}
+              {limitNotice && (
+                <p className="text-amber-300/80 mt-0.5">{limitNotice}</p>
+              )}
+              {highlightedIds && highlightedIds.size > 0 && (
+                <p className="text-cyan-400/50 mt-0.5">
+                  {highlightedIds.size} selected
+                </p>
+              )}
+            </div>
 
-        <div className="absolute top-4 right-4 flex gap-2">
-          {highlightedIds && (
-            <Button
-              size="sm"
-              onClick={() => {
-                setHighlightedIds(null);
-                setSelectedPath(null);
-                setSelectedNode(null);
-                setCameraTarget(null);
-              }}
-            >
-              Clear
-            </Button>
-          )}
-          <Button
-            variant="outline"
-            size="sm"
-            onClick={() => {
-              setHighlightedIds(null);
-              setSelectedPath(null);
-              setSelectedNode(null);
-              setCameraTarget(null);
-              fetchOverview(project);
-            }}
-          >
-            Refresh
-          </Button>
-        </div>
+            <div className="absolute top-4 right-4 flex gap-2">
+              {highlightedIds && (
+                <Button
+                  size="sm"
+                  onClick={() => {
+                    setHighlightedIds(null);
+                    setSelectedPath(null);
+                    setSelectedNode(null);
+                    setCameraTarget(null);
+                  }}
+                >
+                  Clear
+                </Button>
+              )}
+              <Button
+                variant="outline"
+                size="sm"
+                onClick={() => {
+                  setHighlightedIds(null);
+                  setSelectedPath(null);
+                  setSelectedNode(null);
+                  setCameraTarget(null);
+                  fetchOverview(project);
+                }}
+              >
+                Refresh
+              </Button>
+            </div>
+          </>
+        )}
       </div>
 
       {/* Right detail panel — resizable */}