diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/theme/colors.css b/frontend/editor/src/core/theme/colors.css
index 31f9666271..80ad626dfa 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/theme/colors.css
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/theme/colors.css
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ html[data-app-theme="light"] {
   --c-bg-raised: var(--p-white);
   --c-surface: var(--p-snow);
   --c-surface-raised: var(--p-white);
-  --c-surface-sunken: var(--p-gray-100);
+  --c-surface-sunken: var(--p-c-f4f2ed);
   --c-input-bg: var(--p-white);
   --c-modal-surface: var(--p-white);
   --c-hover: var(--p-gray-50);
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ html[data-app-theme="midnight"] {
   --c-bg-raised: var(--p-zinc-850);
   --c-surface: var(--p-c-1a1a1d);
   --c-surface-raised: var(--p-zinc-650);
-  --c-surface-sunken: var(--p-zinc-850);
+  --c-surface-sunken: var(--p-c-100f0e);
   --c-input-bg: var(--c-surface);
   --c-modal-surface: var(--c-surface);
   --c-hover: var(--p-gray-800);
@@ -206,8 +206,8 @@ html[data-app-theme="custom"] {
   --c-surface-raised: color-mix(in srgb, var(--c-primary) 4%, var(--p-white));
   --c-surface-sunken: color-mix(
     in srgb,
-    var(--c-primary) 8%,
-    var(--p-gray-100)
+    var(--c-primary) 4%,
+    var(--p-c-f4f2ed)
   );
   --c-input-bg: color-mix(in srgb, var(--c-primary) 2%, var(--p-white));
   --c-hover: color-mix(in srgb, var(--c-primary) 9%, var(--p-gray-50));
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ html[data-app-theme="custom"][data-mantine-color-scheme="dark"] {
   --c-surface-sunken: color-mix(
     in srgb,
     var(--c-primary) 8%,
-    var(--p-zinc-900)
+    var(--p-c-100f0e)
   );
   --c-input-bg: var(--c-surface);
   --c-hover: color-mix(in srgb, var(--c-primary) 12%, var(--p-zinc-750));
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ html[data-app-theme="custom"][data-accent="default"] {
   --c-bg-raised: var(--p-white);
   --c-surface: var(--p-snow);
   --c-surface-raised: var(--p-white);
-  --c-surface-sunken: var(--p-gray-100);
+  --c-surface-sunken: var(--p-c-f4f2ed);
   --c-input-bg: var(--p-white);
   --c-hover: var(--p-gray-50);
   --c-active: var(--p-gray-100);
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ html[data-app-theme="custom"][data-accent="default"][data-mantine-color-scheme="
   --c-bg-raised: var(--p-zinc-850);
   --c-surface: var(--p-c-1a1a1d);
   --c-surface-raised: var(--p-zinc-775);
-  --c-surface-sunken: var(--p-zinc-900);
+  --c-surface-sunken: var(--p-c-100f0e);
   --c-input-bg: var(--c-surface);
   --c-hover: var(--p-zinc-750);
   --c-active: var(--p-zinc-700);
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/theme/primitives.css b/frontend/editor/src/core/theme/primitives.css
index 5ca38559b2..f759f36fa0 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/theme/primitives.css
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/theme/primitives.css
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
   --p-zinc-100: #f4f4f5;
   --p-c-141416: #141416;
   --p-c-1a1a1d: #1a1a1d;
+  --p-c-100f0e: #100f0e;
   --p-c-28282d: #28282d;
   --p-c-343439: #343439;
   --p-blue-400: #60a5fa;
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@
   --p-ink: #373530;
   --p-snow: #fafafa;
   --p-c-f0f0f0: #f0f0f0;
+  --p-c-f4f2ed: #f4f2ed;
 
   /* Notion-style procurement view palette. */
   --p-notion-blue: #2383e2;
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineTemplateCard.css b/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineTemplateCard.css
index b8dd8bb13a..f00b8b7098 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineTemplateCard.css
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineTemplateCard.css
@@ -6,9 +6,20 @@
   height: 12rem;
 }
 
+/* Disabled cards recede onto the standard sunken surface, and reinforce it with ink: the accent
+   icon chip flattens to a muted glyph and every label drops to muted, so the card reads clearly
+   greyed against the usable ones. */
 .portal-pipelines__template-card--locked {
-  /* Recede via surface + ink rather than opacity, which would fade text below the contrast floor. */
   background: var(--c-surface-sunken);
+}
+
+.portal-pipelines__template-card--locked .portal-pipelines__template-icon {
+  background: transparent;
+  color: var(--c-text-muted);
+}
+
+.portal-pipelines__template-card--locked .portal-pipelines__template-title,
+.portal-pipelines__template-card--locked .portal-pipelines__template-blurb {
   color: var(--c-text-muted);
 }
 
@@ -23,11 +34,6 @@
   color: var(--c-accent-fg, var(--c-primary));
 }
 
-.portal-pipelines__template-card--locked .portal-pipelines__template-icon {
-  background: var(--c-surface-raised);
-  color: var(--c-text-muted);
-}
-
 .portal-pipelines__template-title {
   margin: 0;
   font-size: 0.9375rem;
@@ -62,3 +68,13 @@
   font-weight: 620;
   color: var(--c-accent-fg, var(--c-primary));
 }
+
+/* The disabled card's foot: sits where the CTA does, but muted - the reason it can't be set up. */
+.portal-pipelines__template-note {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.3rem;
+  font-size: 0.8125rem;
+  font-weight: 600;
+  color: var(--c-text-muted);
+}
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineTemplateCard.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineTemplateCard.tsx
index a3f7a1c1ab..e882f40a05 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineTemplateCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineTemplateCard.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import ArrowForwardRoundedIcon from "@mui/icons-material/ArrowForwardRounded";
-import { Card, Chip } from "@app/ui";
+import LockOutlinedIcon from "@mui/icons-material/LockOutlined";
+import { Card } from "@app/ui";
 import type { CatalogueEntry } from "@portal/api/policies";
 import { policyCategoryIcon } from "@app/components/policies/policyCategoryIcon";
 import "@portal/components/pipelines/PipelineTemplateCard.css";
@@ -18,8 +19,8 @@ interface PipelineTemplateCardProps {
 /**
  * A template in the Pipelines gallery: a ready-made starting point that opens the simple, guided
  * setup. Vertical card (icon, title, blurb, a "Set up" affordance) so the gallery reads as a set of
- * choices, distinct from the pipelines table below. Locked/coming-soon templates show a chip and
- * don't open.
+ * choices, distinct from the pipelines table below.
+ *
  */
 export function PipelineTemplateCard({
   entry,
@@ -60,19 +61,18 @@ export function PipelineTemplateCard({
       <h3 className="portal-pipelines__template-title">{t(category.label)}</h3>
       <p className="portal-pipelines__template-blurb">{t(category.desc)}</p>
 
-      {comingSoon ? (
-        <Chip accent="neutral" size="sm">
-          {t("portal.policies.card.comingSoon")}
-        </Chip>
-      ) : locked ? (
-        <Chip accent="neutral" size="sm">
-          {lockedLabel ?? t("portal.policies.card.requiresAiEngine")}
-        </Chip>
-      ) : (
+      {openable ? (
         <span className="portal-pipelines__template-cta">
           {t("portal.pipelines.templates.setUp")}
           <ArrowForwardRoundedIcon style={{ fontSize: "1rem" }} />
         </span>
+      ) : (
+        <span className="portal-pipelines__template-note">
+          <LockOutlinedIcon style={{ fontSize: "0.95rem" }} />
+          {comingSoon
+            ? t("portal.policies.card.comingSoon")
+            : (lockedLabel ?? t("portal.policies.card.requiresAiEngine"))}
+        </span>
       )}
     </Card>
   );
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/Pipelines.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/Pipelines.tsx
index cfbaaa4fd7..2f4581d3f6 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/Pipelines.tsx
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/Pipelines.tsx
@@ -69,13 +69,6 @@ export function Pipelines() {
   const hasPipelines = pipelines.length > 0;
   const showEmpty = !listLoading && pipelines.length === 0;
 
-  // The gallery is the on-ramp: only suggested policies NOT yet set up (incl. "coming soon"). Once a
-  // policy is configured it lives in the list below, so it never appears in both places.
-  const galleryEntries = useMemo(
-    () => (catalogueData?.catalogue ?? []).filter((e) => e.policy === null),
-    [catalogueData],
-  );
-
   const isLocked = useCallback(
     (entry: CatalogueEntry): boolean =>
       entry.category.requiresAiEngine === true &&
@@ -84,6 +77,18 @@ export function Pipelines() {
     [aiEngineEnabled, aiEngineLoading],
   );
 
+  // The gallery is the on-ramp: only suggested policies NOT yet set up (once configured a policy
+  // lives in the list below). Templates the user can set up now sort first; coming-soon / AI-locked
+  // ones stay, shown disabled, at the end (a stable sort keeps each group in its original order).
+  const galleryEntries = useMemo(() => {
+    const entries = (catalogueData?.catalogue ?? []).filter(
+      (e) => e.policy === null,
+    );
+    const usable = (e: CatalogueEntry) =>
+      !e.category.comingSoon && !isLocked(e);
+    return [...entries].sort((a, b) => Number(usable(b)) - Number(usable(a)));
+  }, [catalogueData, isLocked]);
+
   // Pipelines and policies share a backend, and Home/onboarding read the same caches, so refresh all
   // three: the overview list, the catalogue list, and runs.
   const refetch = useCallback(() => {