diff --git a/src/components/Sidebar.test.ts b/src/components/Sidebar.test.ts
index cd871347..06b224c6 100644
--- a/src/components/Sidebar.test.ts
+++ b/src/components/Sidebar.test.ts
@@ -113,6 +113,16 @@ describe('buildDynamicSections', () => {
     const entries: VaultEntry[] = [
       { ...baseEntry, title: 'Daily Log', isA: 'Journal' },
     ]
+
+    const sections = buildDynamicSections(entries, {})
+
+    expect(sections.map((section) => section.type)).not.toContain('Journal')
+  })
+
+  it('includes Journal when a real Journal type definition exists', () => {
+    const entries: VaultEntry[] = [
+      { ...baseEntry, title: 'Daily Log', isA: 'journal' },
+    ]
     const typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry> = {
       Journal: { ...baseEntry, title: 'Journal', isA: 'Type' },
       journal: { ...baseEntry, title: 'Journal', isA: 'Type' },
@@ -120,7 +130,7 @@ describe('buildDynamicSections', () => {
 
     const sections = buildDynamicSections(entries, typeEntryMap)
 
-    expect(sections.map((section) => section.type)).not.toContain('Journal')
+    expect(sections.filter((section) => section.type === 'Journal')).toHaveLength(1)
   })
 })
 
diff --git a/src/components/Sidebar.test.tsx b/src/components/Sidebar.test.tsx
index 75cfcd10..bc63a47c 100644
--- a/src/components/Sidebar.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Sidebar.test.tsx
@@ -517,11 +517,17 @@ describe('Sidebar', () => {
   })
 
   describe('type visibility via visible property', () => {
-    const makeTypeEntry = (title: string, visible: boolean | null): VaultEntry => ({
-      path: `/vault/${title.toLowerCase()}.md`,
-      filename: `${title.toLowerCase()}.md`,
-      title,
-      isA: 'Type',
+    const makeSidebarEntry = (overrides: {
+      path: string
+      filename: string
+      title: string
+      isA: string
+      visible?: boolean | null
+    }): VaultEntry => ({
+      path: overrides.path,
+      filename: overrides.filename,
+      title: overrides.title,
+      isA: overrides.isA,
       aliases: [],
       belongsTo: [],
       relatedTo: [],
@@ -542,11 +548,19 @@ describe('Sidebar', () => {
       template: null,
       sort: null,
       view: null,
-      visible,
+      visible: overrides.visible ?? null,
       outgoingLinks: [],
       properties: {},
     })
 
+    const makeTypeEntry = (title: string, visible: boolean | null): VaultEntry => makeSidebarEntry({
+      path: `/vault/${title.toLowerCase()}.md`,
+      filename: `${title.toLowerCase()}.md`,
+      title,
+      isA: 'Type',
+      visible,
+    })
+
     it('hides a section when its Type entry has visible: false', () => {
       const entries: VaultEntry[] = [
         ...mockEntries,
@@ -620,6 +634,34 @@ describe('Sidebar', () => {
       expect(screen.getByLabelText('Toggle Topics')).toBeInTheDocument()
     })
 
+    it('updates the sidebar type picker when Journal becomes a real type while the app stays open', () => {
+      const journalEntries: VaultEntry[] = [
+        ...mockEntries,
+        makeSidebarEntry({
+          path: '/vault/april-21.md',
+          filename: 'april-21.md',
+          title: 'April 21',
+          isA: 'journal',
+        }),
+      ]
+      const { rerender } = render(<Sidebar entries={journalEntries} selection={defaultSelection} onSelect={() => {}} />)
+
+      fireEvent.click(screen.getByTitle('Customize sections'))
+      expect(screen.queryByLabelText('Toggle Journals')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+
+      rerender(
+        <Sidebar
+          entries={[...journalEntries, makeTypeEntry('Journal', null)]}
+          selection={defaultSelection}
+          onSelect={() => {}}
+        />,
+      )
+      expect(screen.getByLabelText('Toggle Journals')).toBeInTheDocument()
+
+      rerender(<Sidebar entries={journalEntries} selection={defaultSelection} onSelect={() => {}} />)
+      expect(screen.queryByLabelText('Toggle Journals')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+    })
+
     it('preserves custom section colors in the customize popover', () => {
       const entries: VaultEntry[] = [
         ...mockEntries,
diff --git a/src/hooks/useCommandRegistry.test.ts b/src/hooks/useCommandRegistry.test.ts
index bf127b98..6dae1c1b 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useCommandRegistry.test.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useCommandRegistry.test.ts
@@ -376,14 +376,23 @@ describe('extractVaultTypes', () => {
     expect(extractVaultTypes(entries)).toEqual(['Note', 'Project'])
   })
 
-  it('omits the legacy Journal type from extracted command-palette types', () => {
+  it('omits the legacy Journal type when no Type document defines it', () => {
+    const entries = [
+      { path: '/2026-03-11.md', title: 'March 11', isA: 'Journal' },
+      { path: '/note.md', title: 'General Note', isA: 'Note' },
+    ] as never[]
+
+    expect(extractVaultTypes(entries)).toEqual(['Note'])
+  })
+
+  it('includes Journal when a real Type document defines it', () => {
     const entries = [
       { path: '/journal.md', title: 'Journal', isA: 'Type' },
       { path: '/2026-03-11.md', title: 'March 11', isA: 'Journal' },
       { path: '/note.md', title: 'General Note', isA: 'Note' },
     ] as never[]
 
-    expect(extractVaultTypes(entries)).toEqual(['Note'])
+    expect(extractVaultTypes(entries)).toEqual(['Journal', 'Note'])
   })
 
   it('omits hidden types from extracted command-palette types', () => {
diff --git a/src/utils/sidebarSections.ts b/src/utils/sidebarSections.ts
index 21c64ef0..3b0061ee 100644
--- a/src/utils/sidebarSections.ts
+++ b/src/utils/sidebarSections.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import type { SectionGroup } from '../components/SidebarParts'
 import { resolveIcon } from './iconRegistry'
 import { pluralizeType } from '../hooks/useCommandRegistry'
 import { isLegacyJournalingType } from './legacyTypes'
+import { canonicalizeTypeName } from './vaultTypes'
 import {
   Wrench, Flask, Target, ArrowsClockwise,
   Users, CalendarBlank, Tag, StackSimple,
@@ -29,17 +30,44 @@ const BUILT_IN_TYPE_MAP = new Map(BUILT_IN_SECTION_GROUPS.map((sg) => [sg.type,
 
 const isMarkdown = (e: VaultEntry) => e.fileKind === 'markdown' || !e.fileKind
 const isActive = (e: VaultEntry) => !e.archived
-const isSupportedSectionType = (type: string) => !isLegacyJournalingType(type)
 
 function shouldCollectActiveType(entry: VaultEntry): boolean {
   if (!isActive(entry) || !isMarkdown(entry)) return false
-  if (!entry.isA) return false
-  return isSupportedSectionType(entry.isA)
+  return Boolean(entry.isA)
 }
 
 function shouldIncludeTypeDefinition(name: string, entry: VaultEntry): boolean {
-  if (name !== entry.title || !isActive(entry)) return false
-  return isSupportedSectionType(name)
+  return name === entry.title && isActive(entry)
+}
+
+function resolveTypeEntry(type: string, typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry>): VaultEntry | undefined {
+  return typeEntryMap[type] ?? typeEntryMap[type.toLowerCase()]
+}
+
+function hasExplicitTypeDefinition(type: string, typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry>): boolean {
+  const typeEntry = resolveTypeEntry(type, typeEntryMap)
+  return Boolean(typeEntry && typeEntry.title.trim().toLowerCase() === type.trim().toLowerCase() && isActive(typeEntry))
+}
+
+function shouldIncludeSectionType(type: string, typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry>): boolean {
+  if (!isLegacyJournalingType(type)) return true
+  return hasExplicitTypeDefinition(type, typeEntryMap)
+}
+
+function canonicalizeSectionType(type: string, typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry>): string | null {
+  const trimmedType = type.trim()
+  if (!trimmedType) return null
+  return resolveTypeEntry(trimmedType, typeEntryMap)?.title ?? canonicalizeTypeName(trimmedType)
+}
+
+function addSectionType(typeMap: Map<string, string>, rawType: string, typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry>): void {
+  const canonicalType = canonicalizeSectionType(rawType, typeEntryMap)
+  if (!canonicalType) return
+
+  const typeKey = canonicalType.toLowerCase()
+  if (!typeMap.has(typeKey)) {
+    typeMap.set(typeKey, canonicalType)
+  }
 }
 
 /** Collect unique explicit isA values from active (non-archived) markdown entries. */
@@ -71,12 +99,17 @@ export function buildSectionGroup(type: string, typeEntryMap: Record<string, Vau
 
 /** Build sections dynamically from vault entries and defined types — types with 0 notes still appear */
 export function buildDynamicSections(entries: VaultEntry[], typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry>): SectionGroup[] {
-  const activeTypes = collectActiveTypes(entries)
+  const activeTypes = new Map<string, string>()
+  for (const type of collectActiveTypes(entries)) {
+    addSectionType(activeTypes, type, typeEntryMap)
+  }
   for (const [name, entry] of Object.entries(typeEntryMap)) {
     if (!shouldIncludeTypeDefinition(name, entry)) continue
-    activeTypes.add(name)
+    addSectionType(activeTypes, name, typeEntryMap)
   }
-  return Array.from(activeTypes, (type) => buildSectionGroup(type, typeEntryMap))
+  return Array.from(activeTypes.values())
+    .filter((type) => shouldIncludeSectionType(type, typeEntryMap))
+    .map((type) => buildSectionGroup(type, typeEntryMap))
 }
 
 export function sortSections(groups: SectionGroup[], typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry>): SectionGroup[] {
diff --git a/src/utils/vaultTypes.ts b/src/utils/vaultTypes.ts
index 41220e34..0e86550f 100644
--- a/src/utils/vaultTypes.ts
+++ b/src/utils/vaultTypes.ts
@@ -45,9 +45,16 @@ function collectHiddenTypeKeys(entries: VaultEntry[]): Set<string> {
   return hiddenTypeKeys
 }
 
-function shouldIncludeCommandPaletteType(type: string, hiddenTypeKeys: Set<string>): boolean {
+function hasExplicitTypeDefinition(entries: VaultEntry[], type: string): boolean {
+  const typeKey = type.trim().toLowerCase()
+  return entries.some((entry) => entry.isA === 'Type' && !entry.archived && entry.title.trim().toLowerCase() === typeKey)
+}
+
+function shouldIncludeCommandPaletteType(type: string, hiddenTypeKeys: Set<string>, entries: VaultEntry[]): boolean {
   const typeKey = type.toLowerCase()
-  return !hiddenTypeKeys.has(typeKey) && !isLegacyJournalingType(type)
+  if (hiddenTypeKeys.has(typeKey)) return false
+  if (!isLegacyJournalingType(type)) return true
+  return hasExplicitTypeDefinition(entries, type)
 }
 
 export function extractVaultTypes(entries: VaultEntry[]): string[] {
@@ -60,5 +67,5 @@ export function extractVaultTypes(entries: VaultEntry[]): string[] {
   const hiddenTypeKeys = collectHiddenTypeKeys(entries)
   const sourceTypes = typeMap.size === 0 ? DEFAULT_TYPES : Array.from(typeMap.values()).sort()
 
-  return sourceTypes.filter((type) => shouldIncludeCommandPaletteType(type, hiddenTypeKeys))
+  return sourceTypes.filter((type) => shouldIncludeCommandPaletteType(type, hiddenTypeKeys, entries))
 }