diff --git a/src/main/engine/PostEngine.ts b/src/main/engine/PostEngine.ts
index 4e6d430..591f33c 100644
--- a/src/main/engine/PostEngine.ts
+++ b/src/main/engine/PostEngine.ts
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ export class PostEngine extends EventEmitter {
       
       // Search the stemmed content, filtered by project_id for project isolation
       const result = await client.execute({
-        sql: `SELECT id FROM posts_fts WHERE project_id = ? AND posts_fts MATCH ? ORDER BY rank LIMIT 50`,
+        sql: `SELECT id FROM posts_fts WHERE project_id = ? AND posts_fts MATCH ? ORDER BY rank LIMIT 500`,
         args: [this.currentProjectId, stemmedQuery],
       });
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/Sidebar/Sidebar.tsx b/src/renderer/components/Sidebar/Sidebar.tsx
index 50159c3..2b9cf0a 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/Sidebar/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/Sidebar/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -483,12 +483,14 @@ type PostsListMode = 'posts' | 'pages';
 
 interface PostsListProps {
   mode: PostsListMode;
+  isActive: boolean;
 }
 
-const PostsList: React.FC<PostsListProps> = ({ mode }) => {
+const PostsList: React.FC<PostsListProps> = ({ mode, isActive }) => {
   const { posts, hasMorePosts, totalPosts, appendPosts, openTab, activeTabId } = useAppStore();
   const isPagesMode = mode === 'pages';
   const postSubset = useMemo(() => applyPageFilter(posts, isPagesMode), [posts, isPagesMode]);
+  const [pageBasePosts, setPageBasePosts] = useState<PostData[] | null>(null);
   
   // Filter state
   const [searchQuery, setSearchQuery] = useState('');
@@ -534,6 +536,35 @@ const PostsList: React.FC<PostsListProps> = ({ mode }) => {
     loadFilters();
   }, [posts]);
 
+  // In pages mode, load the full pages subset from backend filtering,
+  // independent of currently paged post list in the store.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isPagesMode || !isActive) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    let isCancelled = false;
+
+    const loadPagesBase = async () => {
+      try {
+        const results = await window.electronAPI?.posts.filter({ categories: [PAGE_CATEGORY] });
+        if (!isCancelled && results) {
+          setPageBasePosts(results as PostData[]);
+        }
+      } catch (error) {
+        if (!isCancelled) {
+          console.error('Failed to load pages subset:', error);
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
+    loadPagesBase();
+
+    return () => {
+      isCancelled = true;
+    };
+  }, [isPagesMode, isActive, posts]);
+
   // Handle search
   const handleSearch = async (query: string) => {
     setSearchQuery(query);
@@ -725,15 +756,17 @@ const PostsList: React.FC<PostsListProps> = ({ mode }) => {
 
   // Determine which posts to display
   // Filters only apply to published/archived posts — drafts are always shown unfiltered
-  const filteredDisplayPosts = searchResults ?? filteredPosts ?? null;
+  const filteredDisplayPosts = searchResults ?? filteredPosts ?? (isPagesMode ? pageBasePosts : null);
   const isFiltered = filteredDisplayPosts !== null;
   const hasActiveFilters = searchQuery || selectedYear || selectedTags.length > 0 || selectedCategories.length > 0;
 
+  const baseDisplayPosts = isPagesMode ? (pageBasePosts ?? postSubset) : postSubset;
+
   // Memoized grouping that freshens cached filter results with current store data
   // This ensures status changes are reflected even when filters are active
   const groupedPosts = useMemo(
-    () => groupPostsByStatus(postSubset, filteredDisplayPosts),
-    [postSubset, filteredDisplayPosts]
+    () => groupPostsByStatus(baseDisplayPosts, filteredDisplayPosts),
+    [baseDisplayPosts, filteredDisplayPosts]
   );
 
   const clearAllFilters = () => {
@@ -896,7 +929,7 @@ const PostsList: React.FC<PostsListProps> = ({ mode }) => {
         </div>
       )}
 
-      {postSubset.length === 0 && !isFiltered && (
+      {baseDisplayPosts.length === 0 && !isFiltered && (
         <div className="sidebar-empty">
           <p>{isPagesMode ? 'No pages yet' : 'No posts yet'}</p>
           <button onClick={handleCreatePost}>Create your first post</button>
@@ -1582,11 +1615,25 @@ export const Sidebar: React.FC = () => {
 
   return (
     <div className="sidebar">
-      <div style={{ display: activeView === 'posts' ? 'block' : 'none' }}>
-        <PostsList mode="posts" />
+      <div
+        style={{
+          display: activeView === 'posts' ? 'flex' : 'none',
+          flexDirection: 'column',
+          flex: 1,
+          minHeight: 0,
+        }}
+      >
+        <PostsList mode="posts" isActive={activeView === 'posts'} />
       </div>
-      <div style={{ display: activeView === 'pages' ? 'block' : 'none' }}>
-        <PostsList mode="pages" />
+      <div
+        style={{
+          display: activeView === 'pages' ? 'flex' : 'none',
+          flexDirection: 'column',
+          flex: 1,
+          minHeight: 0,
+        }}
+      >
+        <PostsList mode="pages" isActive={activeView === 'pages'} />
       </div>
       {activeView === 'media' && <MediaList />}
       {activeView === 'settings' && <SettingsNav />}
diff --git a/tests/engine/PostEngine.test.ts b/tests/engine/PostEngine.test.ts
index 2a30828..44216b8 100644
--- a/tests/engine/PostEngine.test.ts
+++ b/tests/engine/PostEngine.test.ts
@@ -2175,6 +2175,19 @@ Published content`);
       const result = await postEngine.searchPosts('nonexistent');
       expect(result).toEqual([]);
     });
+
+    it('should cap search results at 500', async () => {
+      mockLocalClient.execute.mockResolvedValueOnce({ rows: [] });
+
+      await postEngine.searchPosts('term');
+
+      expect(mockLocalClient.execute).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      const call = vi.mocked(mockLocalClient.execute).mock.calls[0]?.[0] as { sql?: string } | undefined;
+      expect(call?.sql).toBeDefined();
+      const sql = call?.sql?.toLowerCase() ?? '';
+      expect(sql).toContain('limit 500');
+      expect(sql).not.toMatch(/\blimit\s+50\b/);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('getTagsWithCounts', () => {
diff --git a/tests/renderer/components/PagesShortcut.test.tsx b/tests/renderer/components/PagesShortcut.test.tsx
index 4659fd1..c3296a1 100644
--- a/tests/renderer/components/PagesShortcut.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/renderer/components/PagesShortcut.test.tsx
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ describe('Pages shortcut UI', () => {
 
   it('shows only page-category posts when pages view is active', async () => {
     useAppStore.setState({ activeView: 'pages', sidebarVisible: true });
+    window.electronAPI.posts.filter = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([
+      createMockPost({ id: 'post-page', title: 'About Page', categories: ['page'] }),
+    ]);
 
     render(<Sidebar />);
 
@@ -87,4 +90,70 @@ describe('Pages shortcut UI', () => {
     expect(within(pagesPanel as HTMLElement).getByText('About Page')).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(within(pagesPanel as HTMLElement).queryByText('Regular Article')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+
+  it('loads pages subset from full table and does not require load-more pagination', async () => {
+    useAppStore.setState({
+      activeView: 'pages',
+      sidebarVisible: true,
+      posts: [
+        createMockPost({
+          id: 'post-article-only',
+          title: 'Loaded Article',
+          categories: ['article'],
+        }),
+      ],
+      hasMorePosts: true,
+      totalPosts: 1200,
+    });
+
+    window.electronAPI.posts.filter = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([
+      createMockPost({ id: 'post-page-remote', title: 'Remote Page', categories: ['page'] }),
+    ]);
+
+    render(<Sidebar />);
+
+    const pagesHeader = await screen.findByText('PAGES');
+    const pagesPanel = pagesHeader.closest('.sidebar-content') as HTMLElement;
+
+    expect(within(pagesPanel).getByText('Remote Page')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(within(pagesPanel).queryByText('Loaded Article')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(within(pagesPanel).queryByText(/Load more/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(window.electronAPI.posts.filter).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ categories: ['page'] });
+  });
+
+  it('does not prefetch pages subset while posts view is active', async () => {
+    useAppStore.setState({
+      activeView: 'posts',
+      sidebarVisible: true,
+      posts: [
+        createMockPost({ id: 'post-1', title: 'Loaded Post', categories: ['article'] }),
+      ],
+      hasMorePosts: true,
+      totalPosts: 1200,
+    });
+
+    window.electronAPI.posts.filter = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([
+      createMockPost({ id: 'post-page-remote', title: 'Remote Page', categories: ['page'] }),
+    ]);
+
+    render(<Sidebar />);
+
+    expect(await screen.findByText('POSTS')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(window.electronAPI.posts.filter).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith({ categories: ['page'] });
+  });
+
+  it('uses a flex-height wrapper for active posts/pages sidebar view', async () => {
+    useAppStore.setState({
+      activeView: 'posts',
+      sidebarVisible: true,
+      posts: [createMockPost({ id: 'post-1', title: 'Loaded Post', categories: ['article'] })],
+    });
+
+    const { container } = render(<Sidebar />);
+    expect(await screen.findByText('POSTS')).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    const wrappers = container.querySelectorAll('.sidebar > div');
+    expect(wrappers.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(2);
+    expect((wrappers[0] as HTMLElement).style.display).toBe('flex');
+  });
 });
\ No newline at end of file