diff --git a/toolbar/hermes_bridge.shelf b/toolbar/hermes_bridge.shelf
index 65e969d..b2ad372 100644
--- a/toolbar/hermes_bridge.shelf
+++ b/toolbar/hermes_bridge.shelf
@@ -30,7 +30,20 @@ def save_config(cfg):
 def bridge_is_open(port):
     return f"Port {port} is open" in hou.hscript("openport")[0]
 
-# ── Window (QWidget, not QDialog — per SideFX HOM cookbook) ─
+# ── Styles ──────────────────────────────────────────
+STYLE_CONNECTED = (
+    "QPushButton {"
+    "  background: #5c1a1a; color: #ff7777;"
+    "  border: 1px solid #a44; border-radius: 4px;"
+    "  padding: 12px; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; }"
+)
+STYLE_DISCONNECTED = (
+    "QPushButton {"
+    "  background: #1a4a1a; color: #77cc77;"
+    "  border: 1px solid #4a4; border-radius: 4px;"
+    "  padding: 12px; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; }"
+)
+
 class HermesBridgeWindow(QtWidgets.QWidget):
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         super().__init__(parent)
@@ -39,7 +52,7 @@ class HermesBridgeWindow(QtWidgets.QWidget):
         self.hostname = socket.gethostname()
         self._build_ui()
         self._refresh()
-        # Connect AFTER refresh — avoids signal-loss from style changes
+        # Connect after refresh — style changes don't kill the signal
         self.btn_toggle.released.connect(self._toggle)
 
     def _build_ui(self):
@@ -49,14 +62,8 @@ class HermesBridgeWindow(QtWidgets.QWidget):
         self.setStyleSheet("""
             QWidget { background: #1e1e1e; color: #e0e0e0; font-size: 13px; }
             QLabel#title { font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; color: #fff; }
-            QPushButton { border: none; border-radius: 4px; padding: 8px 16px;
-                          font-weight: bold; }
-            QPushButton#btnToggle { padding: 12px; font-size: 15px; }
-            QPushButton#btnToggle[active="true"] {
-                background: #5c1a1a; color: #ff7777; border: 1px solid #a44; }
-            QPushButton#btnToggle[active="false"] {
-                background: #1a4a1a; color: #77cc77; border: 1px solid #4a4; }
-            QPushButton#btnCopy { background: #1565c0; color: #fff; }
+            QPushButton#btnCopy { background: #1565c0; color: #fff;
+                border: none; border-radius: 4px; padding: 8px 16px; font-weight: bold; }
             QPushButton#btnCopy:hover { background: #1976d2; }
             QSpinBox { background: #2d2d2d; border: 1px solid #555; color: #e0e0e0;
                        padding: 5px 8px; border-radius: 3px; }
@@ -86,7 +93,7 @@ class HermesBridgeWindow(QtWidgets.QWidget):
         port_row.addStretch()
         layout.addLayout(port_row)
 
-        self.btn_toggle = QtWidgets.QPushButton("Open Bridge")
+        self.btn_toggle = QtWidgets.QPushButton()
         self.btn_toggle.setObjectName("btnToggle")
         layout.addWidget(self.btn_toggle)
 
@@ -100,7 +107,6 @@ class HermesBridgeWindow(QtWidgets.QWidget):
         self.btn_copy.clicked.connect(self._copy)
         prompt_row.addWidget(self.btn_copy)
         layout.addLayout(prompt_row)
-
         layout.addStretch()
 
     def _refresh(self):
@@ -111,24 +117,18 @@ class HermesBridgeWindow(QtWidgets.QWidget):
             self.status_label.setStyleSheet(
                 "color: #4caf50; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;")
             self.btn_toggle.setText("Close Bridge")
-            self.btn_toggle.setProperty("active", "true")
+            self.btn_toggle.setStyleSheet(STYLE_CONNECTED)
         else:
             self.status_label.setText("\u25cf  Not connected")
             self.status_label.setStyleSheet(
                 "color: #ff5555; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;")
             self.btn_toggle.setText("Open Bridge")
-            self.btn_toggle.setProperty("active", "false")
-        self.btn_toggle.style().unpolish(self.btn_toggle)
-        self.btn_toggle.style().polish(self.btn_toggle)
+            self.btn_toggle.setStyleSheet(STYLE_DISCONNECTED)
         self.prompt_field.setText(
             f"Hey Hermes, I have a Houdini session running "
             f"on {self.hostname} (port {self.port}).")
 
     def _toggle(self):
-        hou.ui.displayMessage(
-            "TOGGLE FIRED! (signal works)",
-            severity=hou.severityType.ImportantMessage,
-            title="Hermes Bridge")
         try:
             if bridge_is_open(self.port):
                 hou.hscript(f"closeport {self.port}")
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ class HermesBridgeWindow(QtWidgets.QWidget):
         QtCore.QTimer.singleShot(2000,
             lambda: self.btn_copy.setText("Copy"))
 
-# ── Store on hou.session to prevent GC (per SideFX docs) ──
+# ── Keep alive via hou.session ──
 win = HermesBridgeWindow()
 hou.session.hermes_bridge_win = win
 win.show()