diff --git a/src/browser/base/content/ZenStartup.mjs b/src/browser/base/content/ZenStartup.mjs
index c4dcd6817..88e4fad4b 100644
--- a/src/browser/base/content/ZenStartup.mjs
+++ b/src/browser/base/content/ZenStartup.mjs
@@ -3,11 +3,9 @@
   var ZenStartup = {
     init() {
       this.openWatermark();
-      window.SessionStore.promiseInitialized.then(() => {
-        this._changeSidebarLocation();
-        this._zenInitBrowserLayout();
-        this._initSearchBar();
-      });
+      this._changeSidebarLocation();
+      this._zenInitBrowserLayout();
+      this._initSearchBar();
     },
 
     _zenInitBrowserLayout() {
diff --git a/src/browser/base/content/ZenUIManager.mjs b/src/browser/base/content/ZenUIManager.mjs
index e9f32b5b7..42da71cc8 100644
--- a/src/browser/base/content/ZenUIManager.mjs
+++ b/src/browser/base/content/ZenUIManager.mjs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ var gZenUIManager = {
       return ChromeUtils.importESModule('chrome://browser/content/zen-vendor/motion.min.mjs', { global: 'current' });
     });
 
-    new ResizeObserver(gZenCommonActions.throttle(this.updateTabsToolbar.bind(this), this.sidebarHeightThrottle)).observe(
+    new ResizeObserver(this.updateTabsToolbar.bind(this)).observe(
       document.getElementById('TabsToolbar')
     );
 
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ var gZenVerticalTabsManager = {
     window.addEventListener('customizationstarting', this._preCustomize.bind(this));
     window.addEventListener('aftercustomization', this._postCustomize.bind(this));
 
-    window.addEventListener('MozAfterPaint', updateEvent, { once: true });
+    this._updateEvent();
 
     if (!this.isWindowsStyledButtons) {
       document.documentElement.setAttribute('zen-window-buttons-reversed', true);
@@ -570,6 +570,7 @@ var gZenVerticalTabsManager = {
     } catch (e) {
       console.error(e);
     }
+    gZenUIManager.updateTabsToolbar();
     this._isUpdating = false;
   },
 
diff --git a/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenPinnedTabManager.mjs b/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenPinnedTabManager.mjs
index 0e6d0fee9..3bb7f747f 100644
--- a/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenPinnedTabManager.mjs
+++ b/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenPinnedTabManager.mjs
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@
       }
 
       gBrowser._updateTabBarForPinnedTabs();
+      gZenUIManager.updateTabsToolbar();
     }
 
     _onPinnedTabEvent(action, event) {
diff --git a/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenWorkspaces.mjs b/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenWorkspaces.mjs
index 1518cb41b..523f6e095 100644
--- a/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenWorkspaces.mjs
+++ b/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenWorkspaces.mjs
@@ -232,6 +232,9 @@ var ZenWorkspaces = new (class extends ZenMultiWindowFeature {
   _organizeTabsToWorkspaceSections(workspace, section, pinnedSection, tabs) {
     const workspaceTabs = Array.from(tabs).filter((tab) => tab.getAttribute('zen-workspace-id') === workspace.uuid);
     for (const tab of workspaceTabs) {
+      if (tab.hasAttribute('zen-essential')) {
+        continue; // Ignore essentials as they need to be in their own section
+      }
       // remove tab from list
       tabs.splice(tabs.indexOf(tab), 1);
       if (tab.pinned) {