diff --git a/src/ui/pages/settings_page.cpp b/src/ui/pages/settings_page.cpp
index f825554..f3827ba 100644
--- a/src/ui/pages/settings_page.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/pages/settings_page.cpp
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ struct SettingsPageState {
     std::set<std::string> debug_categories;
     bool debug_cats_dirty = false;
     bool debug_expanded = false;
-    bool node_advanced_expanded = false;   // Node & Security: rare/destructive daemon actions
+    bool node_advanced_expanded = true;    // Node & Security: rare/destructive daemon actions (shown by default)
     bool effects_expanded = false;
     bool tools_expanded = false;
     bool confirm_clear_ztx = false;
@@ -1571,10 +1571,11 @@ void RenderSettingsPage(App* app) {
                             app->showDecryptDialog();
                         if (ImGui::IsItemHovered()) material::Tooltip("%s", TR("tt_remove_encrypt"));
                     }
-                    ImGui::Dummy(ImVec2(0, Layout::spacingXs()));
                 }
 
-                // Auto-Lock timeout + PIN controls on one horizontal row.
+                // Auto-Lock timeout + PIN controls — continue on the same row as the encrypt
+                // controls (full-node) so the whole SECURITY band fills the width; on lite
+                // (no encrypt row) they start a fresh row at the section's left edge.
                 {
                     float comboW = S.drawElement("components.settings-page", "security-combo-width").sizeOr(120.0f);
 
@@ -1585,7 +1586,10 @@ void RenderSettingsPage(App* app) {
                     for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
                         if (timeoutValues[i] == timeout) { selTimeout = i; break; }
                     }
-                    ImGui::SetCursorScreenPos(ImVec2(secX, ImGui::GetCursorScreenPos().y));
+                    if (includeRpcEncrypt)
+                        ImGui::SameLine(0, Layout::spacingLg());
+                    else
+                        ImGui::SetCursorScreenPos(ImVec2(secX, ImGui::GetCursorScreenPos().y));
                     ImGui::AlignTextToFramePadding();
                     Type().textColored(TypeStyle::Caption, OnSurfaceMedium(), TR("settings_auto_lock"));
                     ImGui::SameLine(0, Layout::spacingXs());