diff --git a/toolbar/hermes_bridge.shelf b/toolbar/hermes_bridge.shelf
index 464f0f8..16e727b 100644
--- a/toolbar/hermes_bridge.shelf
+++ b/toolbar/hermes_bridge.shelf
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ def save_config(cfg):
 def bridge_is_open(port):
     return f"Port {port} is open" in hou.hscript("openport")[0]
 
-# ── Dialog ──────────────────────────────────────────
-class HermesBridgeDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
+# ── Window (QWidget, not QDialog — per SideFX HOM cookbook) ─
+class HermesBridgeWindow(QtWidgets.QWidget):
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         super().__init__(parent)
         self.cfg = load_config()
@@ -43,22 +43,17 @@ class HermesBridgeDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
     def _build_ui(self):
         self.setWindowTitle("Hermes Bridge")
         self.setMinimumWidth(420)
-        self.setAttribute(QtCore.Qt.WA_DeleteOnClose, False)
 
-        # Dark theme
         self.setStyleSheet("""
-            QDialog { background: #1e1e1e; color: #e0e0e0; }
-            QLabel { color: #ccc; }
+            QWidget { background: #1e1e1e; color: #e0e0e0; font-size: 13px; }
             QLabel#title { font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; color: #fff; }
-            QLabel#status { font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; }
             QPushButton { border: none; border-radius: 4px; padding: 8px 16px;
-                          font-weight: bold; font-size: 13px; }
+                          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#btnToggle:hover { opacity: 0.9; }
             QPushButton#btnCopy { background: #1565c0; color: #fff; }
             QPushButton#btnCopy:hover { background: #1976d2; }
             QSpinBox { background: #2d2d2d; border: 1px solid #555; color: #e0e0e0;
@@ -71,17 +66,13 @@ class HermesBridgeDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
         layout.setSpacing(12)
         layout.setContentsMargins(20, 20, 20, 20)
 
-        # Title
         title = QtWidgets.QLabel("\U0001f916  Hermes Bridge")
         title.setObjectName("title")
         layout.addWidget(title)
 
-        # Status
         self.status_label = QtWidgets.QLabel()
-        self.status_label.setObjectName("status")
         layout.addWidget(self.status_label)
 
-        # Port
         port_row = QtWidgets.QHBoxLayout()
         port_row.addWidget(QtWidgets.QLabel("Port:"))
         self.port_spin = QtWidgets.QSpinBox()
@@ -93,13 +84,11 @@ class HermesBridgeDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
         port_row.addStretch()
         layout.addLayout(port_row)
 
-        # Toggle button
         self.btn_toggle = QtWidgets.QPushButton()
         self.btn_toggle.setObjectName("btnToggle")
         self.btn_toggle.clicked.connect(self._toggle)
         layout.addWidget(self.btn_toggle)
 
-        # Prompt text
         layout.addWidget(QtWidgets.QLabel("Tell Hermes:"))
         prompt_row = QtWidgets.QHBoxLayout()
         self.prompt_field = QtWidgets.QLineEdit()
@@ -128,7 +117,6 @@ class HermesBridgeDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
                 "color: #ff5555; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;")
             self.btn_toggle.setText("Open Bridge")
             self.btn_toggle.setProperty("active", "false")
-        # Force style refresh
         self.btn_toggle.style().unpolish(self.btn_toggle)
         self.btn_toggle.style().polish(self.btn_toggle)
         self.prompt_field.setText(
@@ -151,7 +139,6 @@ class HermesBridgeDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
         self.cfg["port"] = value
         save_config(self.cfg)
         if was_open:
-            hou.hscript(f"closeport {self.port}")
             hou.hscript(f"openport {self.port} 0.0.0.0")
         self._refresh()
 
@@ -162,13 +149,6 @@ class HermesBridgeDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
         QtCore.QTimer.singleShot(2000,
             lambda: self.btn_copy.setText("Copy"))
 
-# ── Show dialog (persist in hou.session per SideFX docs) ──
-if not hasattr(hou.session, "hermes_bridge_dialog") or hou.session.hermes_bridge_dialog is None:
-    hou.session.hermes_bridge_dialog = HermesBridgeDialog(hou.ui.mainQtWindow())
-dialog = hou.session.hermes_bridge_dialog
-dialog.show()
-dialog.raise_()
-dialog.activateWindow()
-]]></script>
-  </tool>
-</shelfDocument>
+# ── Per SideFX docs: parent to main window to keep alive ──
+win = HermesBridgeWindow(hou.ui.mainQtWindow())
+win.show()