diff --git a/.github/forge-posts/v1.2.0.md b/.github/forge-posts/v1.2.0.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d3a52a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/forge-posts/v1.2.0.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+---
+subtitle: "Layout Refresh"
+versionsnatur: "Major-UI-Cycle"
+---
+- Sidebar im modernisiertem Layout: nur noch Icons in fixer 44 px Breite, Tab-Name als Tooltip beim Hover, vertikale Akzent-Pill markiert den aktiven Tab
+- Top-Tabs bekommen eine 2 px Akzent-Underline am unteren Rand statt Background-Fill für den aktiven Tab
+- Pro Tab eigenes Icon zuweisbar via Settings → Tabs (15 FontAwesome-Glyphen-Pool)
+- Bottom-Status-Bar (22 px) zeigt fünf Live-Signale: aktiver Channel mit Color-Dot, Privacy-Badge, Tab- und Message-Counter, Auto-Tell-Counter, Plugin-Version. Update einmal pro Sekunde, gecached
+- Card-Rows als Default-Layout für Messages: Sender-Header in Channel-Farbe, Body auf eigener Zeile, dezenter Trenner zwischen den Karten
+- `Compact Density`-Toggle in Aussehen schaltet zurück auf den klassischen Einzeiler `[HH:mm] Sender: Text`
+- Auto-Tell-Tabs unterscheiden sich jetzt visuell: jeder Tell-Partner bekommt ein eigenes Icon (envelope/star/heart/bell/bookmark/flag/fire) plus eigene Farbe aus 12-Farb-Palette — 84 Icon-Farb-Kombinationen, gleicher Partner ergibt konsistent dieselbe Kombination
+- Pulsierender roter Dot oben rechts am Sidebar-Icon wenn ein Tab ungelesene Nachrichten hat. Sanft, 2-Sekunden-Cycle, lässt sich über `Configuration.ReduceMotion` deaktivieren (UI-Toggle kommt in v1.3.0)
+- Migration v14 → v15: alte `HellionThemeEnabled` und `HellionThemeWindowOpacity` Konfigurationsfelder entfernt, alle anderen Settings bleiben erhalten
+- Bug-Fix: Settings speichern zerstört nicht mehr den Chat-Verlauf — weder bei den dauerhaften Tabs noch bei den Auto-Tell-Tabs
+- Bug-Fix: Sidebar-Buttons sitzen jetzt vertikal in einer Linie mit der ersten Message-Zeile, Status-Bar-Versionsname wird vollständig angezeigt
+
+Animation-Polish (Lerps, Theme-Crossfade, Header-Quick-Picker) folgt in v1.3.0. v1.2.0 ist bewusst Hard-Switch — sauberes Layout zuerst, Bewegung später.
diff --git a/HellionChat/HellionChat.yaml b/HellionChat/HellionChat.yaml
index 8d8d1a4..1959b4d 100755
--- a/HellionChat/HellionChat.yaml
+++ b/HellionChat/HellionChat.yaml
@@ -97,6 +97,41 @@ changelog: |-
     directly will receive the default WindowOpacity (0.85);
     re-adjust in Settings → Themes if needed.
 
+  Auto-Tell tabs:
+
+  - Each tell partner gets a hashed icon from a 7-glyph tell
+    pool (envelope/star/heart/bell/bookmark/flag/fire) plus a
+    hashed color from a 12-color palette. 84 distinct icon+
+    color combinations make parallel tells visually
+    distinguishable at a glance.
+
+  Unread indicator:
+
+  - Sidebar tabs with unread messages get a pulsing red dot in
+    the top-right corner. Subtle 2-second sine-wave pulse for
+    peripheral visibility without distraction. Respects
+    Configuration.ReduceMotion (UI toggle lands in v1.3.0).
+
+  Bug fixes from in-game testing:
+
+  - Settings save no longer wipes the in-session chat history of
+    persistent tabs (Tab.Clone preserved Identifier but not
+    Messages — Identifier-based mapping now restores the live
+    MessageList onto cloned tabs).
+  - Settings save no longer clears Auto-Tell tabs either
+    (ClearAllTabs/FilterAllTabs now skip TempTabs since their
+    messages have no DB persistence to refilter from).
+  - Sidebar buttons now align vertically with the first message
+    row (top padding mirrors the chat header toolbar height).
+  - Sidebar child window no longer paints the top padding with
+    its frame background.
+  - Status bar version slot ("vX.Y.Z · Hellion") no longer
+    clips its rightmost character.
+  - Top-tab icon prefix attempt was reverted: Dalamud's default
+    font atlas does not include FontAwesome codepoints, so
+    mixed-font in a single tab label renders as tofu. Underline
+    pill alone is the v1.2.0 visual treatment for top tabs.
+
   Polish (lerps, theme crossfade, header quick-picker) follows
   in v1.3.0. v1.2.0 is intentionally hard-switch — clean layout
   first, motion next.
diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index 367807e..bb8f605 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ und verlinkt für Details auf die Release-Pages.
 
 ---
 
-## v1.2.0 — Layout Refresh (2026-XX-XX)
+## v1.2.0 — Layout Refresh (2026-05-05)
 
 ### Added
 - Sidebar tab modernization: icon-only at fixed 44 px, tooltip on hover, vertical accent pill for active tab
@@ -21,14 +21,23 @@ und verlinkt für Details auf die Release-Pages.
 - Bottom status bar (22 px): channel indicator, privacy badge, counters, tells, version — updates 1×/sec
 - Card rows as default message render: sender header in channel color, subtle border between cards
 - Compact-Density toggle in Appearance: switches back to single-line `[HH:mm] Sender: Text` layout
+- Auto-Tell tabs: per-partner hashed icon (7-glyph pool: envelope/star/heart/bell/bookmark/flag/fire) plus hashed color (12-color palette) — 84 distinct icon+color combinations
+- Unread indicator: pulsing red dot in the top-right corner of any sidebar tab icon with unread messages, 2-second sine-wave pulse, respects `Configuration.ReduceMotion`
 
 ### Changed
 - Migration v14 → v15: deprecated Configuration fields `HellionThemeEnabled` and `HellionThemeWindowOpacity` removed
 - Appearance settings cleaned: legacy theme-engine bindings replaced by Themes tab (introduced in v1.1.0)
 
+### Fixed
+- Settings save no longer wipes the in-session chat history of persistent tabs (`Tab.Clone` preserved `Identifier` but not `Messages` — Identifier-based mapping now restores the live `MessageList` onto cloned tabs)
+- Settings save no longer clears Auto-Tell tab message history (`ClearAllTabs`/`FilterAllTabs` now skip TempTabs since their messages have no DB persistence to refilter from)
+- Sidebar buttons now align vertically with the first message row (top padding mirrors the chat header toolbar height)
+- Sidebar child window no longer paints the top padding area with its frame background
+- Status bar version slot (`vX.Y.Z · Hellion`) no longer clips its rightmost character
+
 ### Notes
 - Polish phase (animations, theme crossfade, header quick-picker) follows in v1.3.0
-- Top-Tab icon prefixes were considered but dropped: Dalamud's default font atlas does not include FontAwesome codepoints, so mixed-font in a single TabItem label renders as tofu. Underline pill alone is the v1.2.0 visual treatment. Resolution would require Font-Atlas merge at FontManager level — out of scope.
+- Top-Tab icon prefixes were considered but dropped: Dalamud's default font atlas does not include FontAwesome codepoints, so mixed-font in a single TabItem label renders as tofu. Underline pill alone is the v1.2.0 visual treatment for top tabs. Resolution would require Font-Atlas merge at FontManager level — out of scope.
 
 ## [1.1.0] — 2026-05-05 — Theme Foundation