diff --git a/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebarPinnedHeader.tsx b/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebarPinnedHeader.tsx
index 2e9dbbd7f..c36b18aaf 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebarPinnedHeader.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebarPinnedHeader.tsx
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export function AppSidebarPinnedHeader({
   suggestionChannels,
 }: AppSidebarPinnedHeaderProps) {
   return (
-    <div className="shrink-0 px-2" data-testid="sidebar-pinned-header">
+    <div className="shrink-0 px-2 pt-3" data-testid="sidebar-pinned-header">
       <TopbarSearch
         channelLabels={channelLabels}
         channels={searchChannels}
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/styles/globals/theme.css b/desktop/src/shared/styles/globals/theme.css
index 13d9bbce6..dc61f86ee 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/styles/globals/theme.css
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/styles/globals/theme.css
@@ -230,12 +230,6 @@
   --buzz-active-foreground: 0 0% 100%;
 }
 
-:root[data-buzz-sidebar]
-  [data-testid="app-sidebar"]
-  [data-testid="sidebar-pinned-header"] {
-  padding-top: 0.75rem;
-}
-
 :root[data-buzz-sidebar] .group\/sidebar-wrapper,
 :root[data-buzz-sidebar] [data-testid="app-sidebar"],
 :root[data-buzz-sidebar] [data-buzz-glass-inset],
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/sidebar.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/sidebar.spec.ts
index bd710d271..a0aea9ba1 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/sidebar.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/sidebar.spec.ts
@@ -181,6 +181,36 @@ test("fades the pinned sidebar chrome edges", async ({ page }) => {
   expect(fadeStyles.channelAfterBackground).toBe("none");
 });
 
+test("aligns the sidebar search with the channel title outside the Buzz theme", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  await page.addInitScript(() => {
+    window.localStorage.setItem("buzz-theme", "github-light");
+  });
+  await page.goto("/");
+  await page.getByTestId("channel-general").click();
+
+  const root = page.locator("html");
+  const search = page.getByTestId("open-search");
+  const channelTitle = page.getByTestId("chat-title");
+  await expect(root).not.toHaveAttribute("data-buzz-sidebar", "");
+  await expect(search).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(channelTitle).toHaveText("general");
+
+  const [searchBox, channelTitleBox] = await Promise.all([
+    search.boundingBox(),
+    channelTitle.boundingBox(),
+  ]);
+  expect(searchBox).not.toBeNull();
+  expect(channelTitleBox).not.toBeNull();
+
+  if (!searchBox || !channelTitleBox) return;
+
+  const searchCenter = searchBox.y + searchBox.height / 2;
+  const channelTitleCenter = channelTitleBox.y + channelTitleBox.height / 2;
+  expect(Math.abs(searchCenter - channelTitleCenter)).toBeLessThanOrEqual(2);
+});
+
 test("resizes, persists, and snaps to the default sidebar width", async ({
   page,
 }) => {