diff --git a/classifier/css/layout.css b/classifier/css/layout.css
index c9f574e..1546911 100644
--- a/classifier/css/layout.css
+++ b/classifier/css/layout.css
@@ -191,18 +191,23 @@
     50%      { opacity: 1; }
 }
 
-/* Live scan status line under the tree-pane header. */
-.scan-status {
-    padding: 0.25rem 0.6rem;
+/* Page footer — hosts the live scan status. */
+.app-footer {
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    padding: 0.2rem 0.75rem;
+    border-top: 1px solid var(--border, #e2e2e2);
+    background: var(--bg-secondary, #f5f5f5);
     font-size: 0.75rem;
     color: var(--text-muted, #8a8a8a);
-    border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border, #e2e2e2);
+    min-height: 1.4em;
+}
+.scan-status {
     white-space: nowrap;
     overflow: hidden;
     text-overflow: ellipsis;
-    min-height: 1.1em;
 }
-.scan-status:empty { display: none; }
 .scan-status.scanning { color: var(--primary, #2868c8); }
 
 .folder-item.selected {
diff --git a/classifier/template.html b/classifier/template.html
index d9df7a4..70bfcd4 100644
--- a/classifier/template.html
+++ b/classifier/template.html
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@
                             <span id="selectedFoldersCount" class="folder-count">0 folders selected</span>
                         </div>
                     </div>
-                    <div id="scanStatus" class="scan-status" aria-live="polite"></div>
                     <div id="folderTree" class="folder-tree">
                         <!-- Dynamically populated -->
                     </div>
@@ -129,6 +128,11 @@
 
             </div>
 
+            <!-- Page footer — scan status lives here -->
+            <footer class="app-footer">
+                <span id="scanStatus" class="scan-status" aria-live="polite"></span>
+            </footer>
+
             <!-- Empty State — shown until a directory is selected -->
             <div id="welcomeScreen" class="empty-state empty-state--overlay">
                 <div class="empty-state__inner empty-state__inner--centered">