diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/bolenpad/photophetch/ui/BrowseScreen.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/bolenpad/photophetch/ui/BrowseScreen.kt
index 4d17891..de9c589 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/bolenpad/photophetch/ui/BrowseScreen.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/bolenpad/photophetch/ui/BrowseScreen.kt
@@ -100,13 +100,23 @@ fun BrowseScreen(state: AppState) {
                     }
                 }
 
-                // Dense mode: folder scroll index (photo rows only, no day boundary items)
+                // Dense mode: folder scroll index (folder header + date labels + photo rows)
                 val denseScrollIndex = remember(folderSections, columnCount) {
                     var idx = 0
+                    val zoneId = java.time.ZoneId.systemDefault()
                     folderSections.associate { folderSection ->
                         val startIdx = idx
                         idx += 1 // folder header
-                        idx += ((folderSection.allPhotos.size + columnCount - 1) / columnCount) // photo rows
+                        val sorted = folderSection.allPhotos.sortedByDescending { it.dateTaken }
+                        var lastDate: java.time.LocalDate? = null
+                        sorted.chunked(columnCount).forEach { row ->
+                            val rowDate = row.first().dateTaken.atZone(zoneId).toLocalDate()
+                            if (rowDate != lastDate) {
+                                idx += 1 // date label row
+                                lastDate = rowDate
+                            }
+                            idx += 1 // photo row
+                        }
                         folderSection.folder.name to startIdx
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/bolenpad/photophetch/ui/DensePhotoGrid.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/bolenpad/photophetch/ui/DensePhotoGrid.kt
index 97bf218..60393f2 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/bolenpad/photophetch/ui/DensePhotoGrid.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/bolenpad/photophetch/ui/DensePhotoGrid.kt
@@ -60,16 +60,13 @@ fun DensePhotoGrid(
     val zoneId = ZoneId.systemDefault()
     val dayFmt = remember { DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("MMM d") }
 
-    // Build items: FOLDER_HEADER | PHOTO_ROW (with optional dateLabel on first photo)
-    // dateLabel is set on the first photo of each new day within a folder
-    data class PhotoRow(
-        val photos: List<PhonePhoto>,
-        val dateLabel: String?,  // non-null on first row of a new day
-    )
+    // Build items: FOLDER_HEADER | DATE_LABEL | PHOTO_ROW
+    data class PhotoRow(val photos: List<PhonePhoto>)
     data class Item(
         val type: GridItemType,
         val folderSection: FolderSection? = null,
         val photoRow: PhotoRow? = null,
+        val dateLabel: String? = null,
     )
 
     val items: List<Item> = buildList {
@@ -82,11 +79,12 @@ fun DensePhotoGrid(
 
             sorted.chunked(columnCount).forEach { rowPhotos ->
                 val rowDate = rowPhotos.first().dateTaken.atZone(zoneId).toLocalDate()
-                val label = if (rowDate != lastDate) {
+                if (rowDate != lastDate) {
                     lastDate = rowDate
-                    dayFmt.format(rowDate)
-                } else null
-                add(Item(GridItemType.PHOTO_ROW, photoRow = PhotoRow(rowPhotos, label)))
+                    // Slim date label above every day's first row (including first row of folder)
+                    add(Item(GridItemType.DAY_BOUNDARY, dateLabel = dayFmt.format(rowDate)))
+                }
+                add(Item(GridItemType.PHOTO_ROW, photoRow = PhotoRow(rowPhotos)))
             }
         }
     }
@@ -102,6 +100,7 @@ fun DensePhotoGrid(
                 val item = items[idx]
                 when (item.type) {
                     GridItemType.FOLDER_HEADER -> "hdr-${item.folderSection!!.folder.name}"
+                    GridItemType.DAY_BOUNDARY -> "date-${item.dateLabel}-${idx}"
                     else -> "row-${item.photoRow!!.photos.first().devicePath}"
                 }
             },
@@ -120,21 +119,42 @@ fun DensePhotoGrid(
                         onDeselectAll = { onDeselectAllFolder(section.allPhotos) },
                     )
                 }
+                GridItemType.DAY_BOUNDARY -> {
+                    // Slim full-width date label — 18dp tall, no wasted space
+                    Row(
+                        modifier = Modifier
+                            .fillMaxWidth()
+                            .padding(horizontal = 8.dp)
+                            .padding(top = 4.dp, bottom = 1.dp),
+                        verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically,
+                        horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(6.dp),
+                    ) {
+                        Text(
+                            item.dateLabel!!,
+                            fontSize = 10.sp,
+                            fontWeight = FontWeight.Medium,
+                            color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+                        )
+                        HorizontalDivider(
+                            modifier = Modifier.weight(1f),
+                            thickness = 0.5.dp,
+                            color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.outlineVariant,
+                        )
+                    }
+                }
                 else -> {
                     val row = item.photoRow!!
                     Row(
                         modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth().padding(horizontal = 8.dp),
                         horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(2.dp),
                     ) {
-                        row.photos.forEachIndexed { colIdx, photo ->
+                        row.photos.forEach { photo ->
                             DenseThumb(
                                 photo = photo,
                                 isSelected = photo in selectedPhotos,
                                 device = device,
                                 adbBin = adbBin,
                                 onToggle = { onTogglePhoto(photo) },
-                                // Show date label only on first photo of the row that starts a new day
-                                dateLabel = if (colIdx == 0) row.dateLabel else null,
                                 modifier = Modifier.weight(1f),
                             )
                         }
@@ -154,7 +174,6 @@ private fun DenseThumb(
     device: DeviceInfo?,
     adbBin: String,
     onToggle: () -> Unit,
-    dateLabel: String?,
     modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
 ) {
     var thumbnail by remember(photo.devicePath) { mutableStateOf<ImageBitmap?>(null) }
@@ -199,20 +218,6 @@ private fun DenseThumb(
             }
         }
 
-        // Date label overlaid on top-left — only on first photo of a new day
-        if (dateLabel != null) {
-            Text(
-                dateLabel,
-                fontSize = 9.sp,
-                fontWeight = FontWeight.SemiBold,
-                color = Color.White,
-                modifier = Modifier
-                    .align(Alignment.TopStart)
-                    .background(Color.Black.copy(alpha = 0.55f))
-                    .padding(horizontal = 4.dp, vertical = 2.dp),
-            )
-        }
-
         // Video badge
         if (photo.mediaType == MediaType.VIDEO) {
             Badge(