diff --git a/src/components/Sidebar.test.ts b/src/components/Sidebar.test.ts
index 195c189a..1f5f3444 100644
--- a/src/components/Sidebar.test.ts
+++ b/src/components/Sidebar.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
-import { buildSectionGroup } from '../utils/sidebarSections'
+import { buildSectionGroup, buildDynamicSections, collectActiveTypes } from '../utils/sidebarSections'
 import { resolveIcon } from '../utils/iconRegistry'
 import type { VaultEntry } from '../types'
 import { GearSix, CookingPot, FileText } from '@phosphor-icons/react'
@@ -71,3 +71,71 @@ describe('buildSectionGroup', () => {
     expect(group.Icon).toBe(GearSix)
   })
 })
+
+describe('buildDynamicSections', () => {
+  it('includes types with 0 notes from typeEntryMap', () => {
+    const entries: VaultEntry[] = [
+      { ...baseEntry, title: 'My Note', isA: 'Note' },
+    ]
+    const typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry> = {
+      Recipe: { ...baseEntry, title: 'Recipe', isA: 'Type', icon: 'cooking-pot' },
+      recipe: { ...baseEntry, title: 'Recipe', isA: 'Type', icon: 'cooking-pot' },
+    }
+    const sections = buildDynamicSections(entries, typeEntryMap)
+    const types = sections.map((s) => s.type)
+    expect(types).toContain('Note')
+    expect(types).toContain('Recipe')
+  })
+
+  it('does not duplicate types that have both entries and type definitions', () => {
+    const entries: VaultEntry[] = [
+      { ...baseEntry, title: 'My Project', isA: 'Project' },
+    ]
+    const typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry> = {
+      Project: { ...baseEntry, title: 'Project', isA: 'Type' },
+      project: { ...baseEntry, title: 'Project', isA: 'Type' },
+    }
+    const sections = buildDynamicSections(entries, typeEntryMap)
+    const projectSections = sections.filter((s) => s.type === 'Project')
+    expect(projectSections).toHaveLength(1)
+  })
+
+  it('excludes trashed type definitions', () => {
+    const entries: VaultEntry[] = []
+    const typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry> = {
+      Deleted: { ...baseEntry, title: 'Deleted', isA: 'Type', trashed: true },
+    }
+    const sections = buildDynamicSections(entries, typeEntryMap)
+    expect(sections.map((s) => s.type)).not.toContain('Deleted')
+  })
+
+  it('excludes archived type definitions', () => {
+    const entries: VaultEntry[] = []
+    const typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry> = {
+      Old: { ...baseEntry, title: 'Old', isA: 'Type', archived: true },
+    }
+    const sections = buildDynamicSections(entries, typeEntryMap)
+    expect(sections.map((s) => s.type)).not.toContain('Old')
+  })
+})
+
+describe('collectActiveTypes', () => {
+  it('excludes non-markdown entries from type collection', () => {
+    const entries: VaultEntry[] = [
+      { ...baseEntry, title: 'My Note', isA: 'Note', fileKind: 'markdown' },
+      { ...baseEntry, title: 'config.yml', isA: null, fileKind: 'text' },
+      { ...baseEntry, title: 'photo.png', isA: null, fileKind: 'binary' },
+    ]
+    const types = collectActiveTypes(entries)
+    expect(types).toContain('Note')
+    expect(types.size).toBe(1)
+  })
+
+  it('treats entries without fileKind as markdown', () => {
+    const entries: VaultEntry[] = [
+      { ...baseEntry, title: 'Legacy Note', isA: 'Note' },
+    ]
+    const types = collectActiveTypes(entries)
+    expect(types).toContain('Note')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/utils/sidebarSections.ts b/src/utils/sidebarSections.ts
index 1ab3e8fe..0cd9d2cd 100644
--- a/src/utils/sidebarSections.ts
+++ b/src/utils/sidebarSections.ts
@@ -26,31 +26,43 @@ const BUILT_IN_SECTION_GROUPS: SectionGroup[] = [
 /** Metadata lookup for well-known types (icon/label only — NOT used to determine which sections to show) */
 const BUILT_IN_TYPE_MAP = new Map(BUILT_IN_SECTION_GROUPS.map((sg) => [sg.type, sg]))
 
-/** Collect unique isA values from active (non-trashed, non-archived) entries. Untyped entries count as 'Note'. */
+const isMarkdown = (e: VaultEntry) => e.fileKind === 'markdown' || !e.fileKind
+const isActive = (e: VaultEntry) => !e.trashed && !e.archived
+
+/** Collect unique isA values from active (non-trashed, non-archived) markdown entries. Untyped entries count as 'Note'. */
 export function collectActiveTypes(entries: VaultEntry[]): Set<string> {
   const types = new Set<string>()
   for (const e of entries) {
-    if (!e.trashed && !e.archived) types.add(e.isA || 'Note')
+    if (isActive(e) && isMarkdown(e)) types.add(e.isA || 'Note')
   }
   return types
 }
 
+function resolveLabel(type: string, typeEntry: VaultEntry | undefined, builtIn: SectionGroup | undefined): string {
+  return typeEntry?.sidebarLabel || builtIn?.label || pluralizeType(type)
+}
+
 /** Build a single SectionGroup for a type, using built-in metadata or Type entry for icon/label */
 export function buildSectionGroup(type: string, typeEntryMap: Record<string, VaultEntry>): SectionGroup {
   const builtIn = BUILT_IN_TYPE_MAP.get(type)
   const typeEntry = typeEntryMap[type]
   const customColor = typeEntry?.color ?? null
-  const label = typeEntry?.sidebarLabel || (builtIn?.label ?? pluralizeType(type))
+  const label = resolveLabel(type, typeEntry, builtIn)
+  const icon = resolveIcon(typeEntry?.icon ?? null)
   if (builtIn) {
-    const Icon = typeEntry?.icon ? resolveIcon(typeEntry.icon) : builtIn.Icon
-    return { ...builtIn, label, Icon, customColor }
+    return { ...builtIn, label, Icon: typeEntry?.icon ? icon : builtIn.Icon, customColor }
   }
-  return { label, type, Icon: resolveIcon(typeEntry?.icon ?? null), customColor }
+  return { label, type, Icon: icon, customColor }
 }
 
-/** Build sections dynamically from actual vault entries — only types with ≥1 active note appear */
+/** 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)
+  for (const [name, entry] of Object.entries(typeEntryMap)) {
+    if (name === entry.title && isActive(entry)) {
+      activeTypes.add(name)
+    }
+  }
   return Array.from(activeTypes, (type) => buildSectionGroup(type, typeEntryMap))
 }