diff --git a/src/zen/compact-mode/ZenCompactMode.mjs b/src/zen/compact-mode/ZenCompactMode.mjs
index b9a146293..8a9314ca5 100644
--- a/src/zen/compact-mode/ZenCompactMode.mjs
+++ b/src/zen/compact-mode/ZenCompactMode.mjs
@@ -463,31 +463,27 @@ window.gZenCompactModeManager = {
               this.sidebar.removeAttribute("animate");
               document.documentElement.removeAttribute("zen-compact-animating");
 
-              setTimeout(() => {
-                this.getAndApplySidebarWidth({});
-                this._ignoreNextResize = true;
-
+              if (this._ignoreNextHover) {
                 setTimeout(() => {
-                  if (this._ignoreNextHover) {
-                    setTimeout(() => {
-                      delete this._ignoreNextHover;
-                    });
-                  }
-
-                  this.sidebar.style.removeProperty("margin-right");
-                  this.sidebar.style.removeProperty("margin-left");
-                  this.sidebar.style.removeProperty("transition");
-                  this.sidebar.style.removeProperty("transform");
-                  this.sidebar.style.removeProperty("point-events");
-
-                  titlebar.style.removeProperty("visibility");
-                  titlebar.style.removeProperty("transition");
-
-                  gURLBar.style.removeProperty("visibility");
-
-                  resolve();
+                  delete this._ignoreNextHover;
                 });
-              });
+              }
+
+              this.getAndApplySidebarWidth({});
+              this._ignoreNextResize = true;
+
+              this.sidebar.style.removeProperty("margin-right");
+              this.sidebar.style.removeProperty("margin-left");
+              this.sidebar.style.removeProperty("transition");
+              this.sidebar.style.removeProperty("transform");
+              this.sidebar.style.removeProperty("point-events");
+
+              titlebar.style.removeProperty("visibility");
+              titlebar.style.removeProperty("transition");
+
+              gURLBar.style.removeProperty("visibility");
+
+              resolve();
             });
         } else if (canHideSidebar && !isCompactMode) {
           // Shouldn't be ever true, but just in case
diff --git a/src/zen/drag-and-drop/ZenDragAndDrop.js b/src/zen/drag-and-drop/ZenDragAndDrop.js
index 3e21b9261..c09a1a2ac 100644
--- a/src/zen/drag-and-drop/ZenDragAndDrop.js
+++ b/src/zen/drag-and-drop/ZenDragAndDrop.js
@@ -978,18 +978,14 @@
       let draggedTab = event.dataTransfer.mozGetDataAt(TAB_DROP_TYPE, 0);
       let dragData = draggedTab._dragData;
       let movingTabs = dragData.movingTabs;
-      if (!gZenPinnedTabManager.canEssentialBeAdded(draggedTab)) {
+      if (
+        !gZenPinnedTabManager.canEssentialBeAdded(draggedTab) &&
+        !draggedTab.hasAttribute("zen-essential")
+      ) {
         return;
       }
       let essentialsPromoStatus = this.createZenEssentialsPromo();
       this.clearDragOverVisuals();
-      if (
-        !draggedTab.hasAttribute("zen-essential") &&
-        gBrowser._numZenEssentials >= gZenPinnedTabManager.maxEssentialTabs
-      ) {
-        return;
-      }
-      let essentialsPromoStatus = this.createZenEssentialsPromo(draggedTab?.userContextId);
       switch (essentialsPromoStatus) {
         case "shown":
         case "created":
diff --git a/src/zen/kbs/ZenKeyboardShortcuts.mjs b/src/zen/kbs/ZenKeyboardShortcuts.mjs
index a2765f114..40d90baae 100644
--- a/src/zen/kbs/ZenKeyboardShortcuts.mjs
+++ b/src/zen/kbs/ZenKeyboardShortcuts.mjs
@@ -1060,7 +1060,7 @@ class nsZenKeyboardShortcutsVersioner {
       data.push(
         new KeyShortcut(
           "zen-new-empty-split-view",
-          AppConstants.platform == "macosx" ? "+" : "*",
+          "*",
           "",
           ZEN_SPLIT_VIEW_SHORTCUTS_GROUP,
           nsKeyShortcutModifiers.fromObject({ accel: true, shift: true }),
@@ -1102,7 +1102,7 @@ class nsZenKeyboardShortcutsVersioner {
       );
     }
 
-    if (version < 14) {
+    if (version < 15) {
       // Migrate from version 13 to 14
       // Add shortcut to open a new unsynced window: Default accelt+option+N (Ctrl+Alt+N on non-macOS)
       data.push(
@@ -1116,6 +1116,15 @@ class nsZenKeyboardShortcutsVersioner {
           "zen-new-unsynced-window-shortcut"
         )
       );
+      // Also, change the default for new empty split from + to * on mac
+      for (let shortcut of data) {
+        if (shortcut.getID() == "zen-new-empty-split-view" && AppConstants.platform == "macosx") {
+          if (shortcut.getKeyName() == "+") {
+            shortcut.setNewBinding("*");
+          }
+          break;
+        }
+      }
     }
 
     return data;
diff --git a/src/zen/split-view/ZenViewSplitter.mjs b/src/zen/split-view/ZenViewSplitter.mjs
index 0eb28f7b7..ac23352ad 100644
--- a/src/zen/split-view/ZenViewSplitter.mjs
+++ b/src/zen/split-view/ZenViewSplitter.mjs
@@ -2023,15 +2023,24 @@ class nsZenViewSplitter extends nsZenDOMOperatedFeature {
       return;
     }
     this._sessionRestoring = true;
+    let groups = [];
     // We can just get the tab group with document.getElementById(group.groupId)
     // and add the tabs to it
     for (const group of data) {
       const groupElement = document.getElementById(group.groupId);
       if (groupElement) {
         const tabs = groupElement.tabs;
+        groups.push(groupElement);
         this.splitTabs(tabs, group.gridType);
       }
     }
+    // See https://github.com/zen-browser/desktop/issues/11887, some groups
+    // may end up empty after restoring, so we need to remove them
+    for (const groupElement of groups) {
+      if (groupElement.tabs.length === 0) {
+        groupElement.remove();
+      }
+    }
     delete this._sessionRestoring;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/zen/tabs/zen-essentials-promo.css b/src/zen/tabs/zen-essentials-promo.css
index a5bd9449b..48b5c4bb1 100644
--- a/src/zen/tabs/zen-essentials-promo.css
+++ b/src/zen/tabs/zen-essentials-promo.css
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ zen-essentials-promo {
   margin: 2px;
   text-align: center;
   box-shadow: 0 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
+  transition:
+    background 0.1s,
+    outline 0.1s;
 
   &:not([dragover="true"]) {
     background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--zen-primary-color) 60%, transparent);
diff --git a/src/zen/tabs/zen-tabs/vertical-tabs.css b/src/zen/tabs/zen-tabs/vertical-tabs.css
index c2f79c455..d6f4ba1b1 100644
--- a/src/zen/tabs/zen-tabs/vertical-tabs.css
+++ b/src/zen/tabs/zen-tabs/vertical-tabs.css
@@ -1097,7 +1097,7 @@
 }
 
 #zen-essentials {
-  z-index: 1;
+  z-index: 2;
 }
 
 .zen-essentials-container {