diff --git a/components/profile-modal.html b/components/profile-modal.html
index 39d716a6..a4ee0f30 100644
--- a/components/profile-modal.html
+++ b/components/profile-modal.html
@@ -62,6 +62,35 @@
         </button>
       </div>
 
+      <!--
+        Active-identity card (#43): visible on EVERY pane, straddling the
+        header divider, so users always see which profile they're acting as
+        (e.g. before uploading). Clicking it jumps to the Account pane.
+      -->
+      <button
+        id="profileModalIdentityCard"
+        type="button"
+        class="profile-modal__identity focus-ring hidden"
+        aria-hidden="true"
+        aria-label="Active profile — open account settings"
+      >
+        <span class="profile-modal__identity-avatar" aria-hidden="true">
+          <img
+            id="profileModalIdentityAvatar"
+            src="/assets/svg/default-profile.svg"
+            alt=""
+          />
+        </span>
+        <span class="profile-modal__identity-copy">
+          <span class="profile-modal__identity-kicker">Acting as</span>
+          <span
+            id="profileModalIdentityName"
+            class="profile-modal__identity-name"
+            >No active profile</span
+          >
+        </span>
+      </button>
+
       <!-- Modal Body -->
       <div class="profile-modal__body">
         <div
diff --git a/css/tailwind.source.css b/css/tailwind.source.css
index 015e13c5..6efe4a5a 100644
--- a/css/tailwind.source.css
+++ b/css/tailwind.source.css
@@ -2904,6 +2904,79 @@
     transform-origin: top center;
   }
 
+  /* #43: always-visible active-identity pill. Rendered after the header in
+     flow and pulled up with a negative block-start margin so it sits half-on /
+     half-off the header divider — every pane shows who you're acting as. */
+  .profile-modal__identity {
+    align-self: center;
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: var(--space-xs);
+    max-inline-size: min(80%, calc(var(--profile-modal-active-min-width) * 2));
+    padding: var(--space-3xs);
+    padding-inline-end: var(--space-md);
+    border-radius: var(--radius-full);
+    border: var(--border-width-hairline) solid var(--color-border-translucent);
+    background-color: var(--color-panel);
+    color: var(--color-text);
+    box-shadow: var(--shadow-md);
+    position: relative;
+    z-index: 2;
+    margin-block-start: calc(-1 * var(--space-sm));
+    margin-block-end: calc(-1 * var(--space-3xs));
+    cursor: pointer;
+    text-align: start;
+  }
+
+  .profile-modal__identity.hidden {
+    display: none;
+  }
+
+  .profile-modal__identity:hover {
+    border-color: var(--color-accent);
+  }
+
+  .profile-modal__identity-avatar {
+    display: flex;
+    inline-size: var(--space-xl);
+    block-size: var(--space-xl);
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    border-radius: var(--radius-full);
+    border: var(--border-width-hairline) solid var(--color-accent);
+    background-color: var(--color-surface);
+  }
+
+  .profile-modal__identity-avatar img {
+    inline-size: 100%;
+    block-size: 100%;
+    object-fit: cover;
+  }
+
+  .profile-modal__identity-copy {
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    min-inline-size: 0;
+  }
+
+  .profile-modal__identity-kicker {
+    font-size: var(--font-size-3xs);
+    font-weight: 600;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    letter-spacing: var(--tracking-extra-wide);
+    color: var(--color-accent);
+    line-height: var(--line-height-tight);
+  }
+
+  .profile-modal__identity-name {
+    font-size: var(--font-size-sm);
+    font-weight: 600;
+    line-height: var(--line-height-tight);
+    overflow: hidden;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
+    white-space: nowrap;
+  }
+
   .profile-modal__active-profile {
     @apply focus-ring flex flex-wrap items-center gap-4 p-4;
   }
diff --git a/js/ui/profileModalController.js b/js/ui/profileModalController.js
index 03f74a9f..f5753350 100644
--- a/js/ui/profileModalController.js
+++ b/js/ui/profileModalController.js
@@ -669,6 +669,13 @@ export class ProfileModalController {
     this.profileAvatar = document.getElementById("profileModalAvatar") || null;
     this.profileName = document.getElementById("profileModalName") || null;
     this.profileNpub = document.getElementById("profileModalNpub") || null;
+    // #43: always-visible identity card straddling the header divider.
+    this.identityCard =
+      document.getElementById("profileModalIdentityCard") || null;
+    this.identityCardAvatar =
+      document.getElementById("profileModalIdentityAvatar") || null;
+    this.identityCardName =
+      document.getElementById("profileModalIdentityName") || null;
     this.switcherList = document.getElementById("profileSwitcherList") || null;
 
     this.profileModalAvatar = this.profileAvatar;
@@ -1745,6 +1752,12 @@ export class ProfileModalController {
       });
     }
 
+    if (this.identityCard instanceof HTMLElement) {
+      this.identityCard.addEventListener("click", () => {
+        this.selectPane("account");
+      });
+    }
+
     if (this.permissionPromptCtaButton instanceof HTMLElement) {
       this.permissionPromptCtaButton.addEventListener("click", () => {
         if (this.permissionPromptCtaButton?.dataset?.action === "retry-auth-sync") {
@@ -2564,6 +2577,24 @@ export class ProfileModalController {
         : this.globalProfileAvatar.alt || "Profile avatar";
     }
 
+    // #43: keep the always-visible identity card in sync (hidden when logged
+    // out so the modal doesn't claim an identity that isn't active).
+    if (this.identityCard instanceof HTMLElement) {
+      this.identityCard.classList.toggle("hidden", !hasActiveProfile);
+      this.identityCard.setAttribute(
+        "aria-hidden",
+        hasActiveProfile ? "false" : "true",
+      );
+    }
+    if (this.identityCardName instanceof HTMLElement) {
+      this.identityCardName.textContent = activeDisplayName;
+    }
+    if (this.identityCardAvatar instanceof HTMLImageElement) {
+      if (this.identityCardAvatar.src !== activeAvatarSrc) {
+        this.identityCardAvatar.src = activeAvatarSrc;
+      }
+    }
+
     const listEl = this.switcherList;
     if (listEl instanceof HTMLElement) {
       listEl.textContent = "";
diff --git a/tests/profile-modal-controller.test.mjs b/tests/profile-modal-controller.test.mjs
index 49f0aa24..74d773e0 100644
--- a/tests/profile-modal-controller.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/profile-modal-controller.test.mjs
@@ -726,6 +726,59 @@ for (const _ of [0]) {
     assert.equal(switcherNpubEl.textContent, expectedSwitcher);
   });
 
+  // #43: the always-visible identity card mirrors the active profile on every
+  // pane (populated by renderSavedProfiles, so it also refreshes on account
+  // switch), hides when logged out, and click-through opens the Account pane.
+  test('identity card shows the acting profile, hides logged out, opens Account', async () => {
+    const sampleProfiles = [
+      {
+        pubkey: defaultActorHex,
+        npub: 'npub1abcdefghijkmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890example',
+        name: 'Primary Account',
+        picture: '',
+        providerId: 'nip07',
+        authType: 'nip07',
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const controller = createController({
+      services: {
+        formatShortNpub,
+      },
+    });
+
+    await controller.load();
+
+    controller.state.setSavedProfiles(sampleProfiles);
+    controller.state.setActivePubkey(defaultActorHex);
+    controller.renderSavedProfiles();
+
+    assert.ok(controller.identityCard, 'identity card element is cached');
+    assert.equal(
+      controller.identityCard.classList.contains('hidden'),
+      false,
+      'visible while a profile is active',
+    );
+    assert.equal(controller.identityCard.getAttribute('aria-hidden'), 'false');
+    assert.equal(controller.identityCardName.textContent, 'Primary Account');
+
+    controller.identityCard.click();
+    assert.equal(
+      controller.getActivePane(),
+      'account',
+      'click-through jumps to the Account pane',
+    );
+
+    controller.state.setActivePubkey(null);
+    controller.renderSavedProfiles();
+    assert.equal(
+      controller.identityCard.classList.contains('hidden'),
+      true,
+      'hidden when logged out (no claimed identity)',
+    );
+    assert.equal(controller.identityCard.getAttribute('aria-hidden'), 'true');
+  });
+
   test('renderSavedProfiles applies provider metadata', async () => {
     const sampleProfiles = [
       {