diff --git a/next.config.mjs b/next.config.mjs
index c4a93f3..0aa98dd 100644
--- a/next.config.mjs
+++ b/next.config.mjs
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ const nextConfig = {
   experimental: {
     // better-sqlite3 is a native module, keep it out of the webpack bundle
     serverComponentsExternalPackages: ["better-sqlite3"],
+    // don't reuse a cached dynamic page when navigating back, so the dashboard
+    // always reflects projects you just created or deleted
+    staleTimes: { dynamic: 0 },
   },
 };
 
diff --git a/src/app/editor/[id]/page.tsx b/src/app/editor/[id]/page.tsx
index 2cec3ea..a3a0d3e 100644
--- a/src/app/editor/[id]/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/editor/[id]/page.tsx
@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@ export default function EditorPage({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) {
     };
   }, [id, compile]);
 
-  // open the log automatically when a compile fails
+  // open the log automatically when a compile fails or has errors
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (status === "error") setShowLog(true);
+    if (status === "error" || status === "warning") setShowLog(true);
   }, [status]);
 
   // flush pending work when leaving the editor
diff --git a/src/app/globals.css b/src/app/globals.css
index ea7f6b0..0f77a04 100644
--- a/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/src/app/globals.css
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@
   --color-text: 15 18 23;
   --color-text-muted: 92 99 112;
 
-  /* default accent is the LaTeX green (#50C878) */
-  --color-accent: 80 200 120;
+  /* default accent is the LaTeX green (#14B84B) */
+  --color-accent: 20 184 75;
   --color-accent-fg: 255 255 255;
-  --color-accent-soft: 224 245 233;
+  --color-accent-soft: 222 246 230;
 
   --color-danger: 225 76 76;
+  --color-warning: 217 119 6;
 
   --font-sans: "Inter", system-ui, sans-serif;
   --font-mono: "JetBrains Mono", ui-monospace, monospace;
@@ -28,14 +29,14 @@
 /* Per-engine accent. Set data-engine on a wrapper and everything tinted with
    the accent token follows along. Typst lands here in a later version. */
 [data-engine="latex"] {
-  --color-accent: 80 200 120;
-  --color-accent-soft: 224 245 233;
+  --color-accent: 20 184 75;
+  --color-accent-soft: 222 246 230;
 }
 
 [data-engine="typst"] {
-  /* placeholder blue until Typst support arrives */
-  --color-accent: 56 152 236;
-  --color-accent-soft: 222 238 252;
+  /* ready for when Typst support arrives */
+  --color-accent: 0 122 255;
+  --color-accent-soft: 220 235 255;
 }
 
 /* Dark theme tokens live here once we ship dark mode. Toggling will be a matter
diff --git a/src/components/dashboard/ProjectsGallery.tsx b/src/components/dashboard/ProjectsGallery.tsx
index d9f4faa..233681e 100644
--- a/src/components/dashboard/ProjectsGallery.tsx
+++ b/src/components/dashboard/ProjectsGallery.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import { ConfirmDialog } from "@/components/ui/ConfirmDialog";
 import type { Project } from "@/lib/projects";
 import { ProjectCard } from "./ProjectCard";
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@ export function ProjectsGallery({
   const [showAll, setShowAll] = useState(false);
   const [pendingDelete, setPendingDelete] = useState<Project | null>(null);
 
+  // when the server sends a fresh list (e.g. after navigating back from a
+  // project), adopt it so deleted or newly created projects are reflected
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setProjects(initialProjects);
+  }, [initialProjects]);
+
   async function togglePin(project: Project) {
     const pinned = !project.pinned;
     setProjects((prev) =>
diff --git a/src/components/editor/Toolbar.tsx b/src/components/editor/Toolbar.tsx
index 8c9e0cf..2af0aac 100644
--- a/src/components/editor/Toolbar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/editor/Toolbar.tsx
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ function statusLabel(
             : "Compiled",
         className: "text-accent",
       };
+    case "warning":
+      return { text: "Compiled with errors", className: "text-warning" };
     case "error":
       return { text: "Compile errors", className: "text-danger" };
     case "empty":
diff --git a/src/components/editor/useCompile.ts b/src/components/editor/useCompile.ts
index 607f2c3..3a10151 100644
--- a/src/components/editor/useCompile.ts
+++ b/src/components/editor/useCompile.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ export type CompileStatus =
   | "idle"
   | "running"
   | "success"
+  // a PDF was produced but the log has errors (still worth showing the PDF)
+  | "warning"
   | "error"
   | "empty";
 
@@ -27,6 +29,7 @@ export function useCompile(projectId: string) {
     setLog("");
 
     let success = false;
+    let pdfProduced = false;
     let empty = false;
     let duration: number | null = null;
 
@@ -63,6 +66,7 @@ export function useCompile(projectId: string) {
           else if (event.type === "error") setLog((prev) => prev + event.message);
           else if (event.type === "done") {
             success = event.success;
+            pdfProduced = event.pdfProduced;
             empty = event.empty;
             duration = event.durationMs;
           }
@@ -74,9 +78,10 @@ export function useCompile(projectId: string) {
     }
 
     setDurationMs(duration);
-    if (success) {
-      setStatus("success");
+    // show the PDF whenever one was produced, even if the log has errors
+    if (pdfProduced) {
       setPdfVersion((v) => v + 1);
+      setStatus(success ? "success" : "warning");
     } else if (empty) {
       setStatus("empty");
     } else {
diff --git a/src/lib/compiler.ts b/src/lib/compiler.ts
index 7661f69..fa8502f 100644
--- a/src/lib/compiler.ts
+++ b/src/lib/compiler.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@ import { projectDir, projectOutputDir } from "./paths";
 import { mainSourcePath, outputPdfPath, ensureProjectDirs } from "./storage";
 
 export interface CompileResult {
+  // the compiler exited cleanly with a PDF
   success: boolean;
+  // a PDF came out even if there were errors. LaTeX often still produces one,
+  // and we'd rather show it (with the errors) than hide it, like Overleaf does.
+  pdfProduced: boolean;
   // the document compiled cleanly but had nothing to typeset (an empty body).
   // not a failure, just nothing to preview yet.
   empty: boolean;
@@ -69,14 +73,28 @@ export async function runCompile(
   } catch {
     const message = `Unknown engine: ${engineId}\n`;
     onLog?.(message);
-    return { success: false, empty: false, log: message, durationMs: 0, passes: 0 };
+    return {
+      success: false,
+      pdfProduced: false,
+      empty: false,
+      log: message,
+      durationMs: 0,
+      passes: 0,
+    };
   }
 
   const mainPath = mainSourcePath(projectId, engine);
   if (!fs.existsSync(mainPath)) {
     const message = `No ${engine.mainFileName} found for this project.\n`;
     onLog?.(message);
-    return { success: false, empty: false, log: message, durationMs: 0, passes: 0 };
+    return {
+      success: false,
+      pdfProduced: false,
+      empty: false,
+      log: message,
+      durationMs: 0,
+      passes: 0,
+    };
   }
 
   ensureProjectDirs(projectId);
@@ -106,6 +124,7 @@ export async function runCompile(
   const empty = !pdfExists && /no pages of output/i.test(log);
   return {
     success: lastCode === 0 && pdfExists,
+    pdfProduced: pdfExists,
     empty,
     log,
     durationMs: Date.now() - start,
@@ -138,6 +157,7 @@ export function compileStream(
       send({
         type: "done",
         success: result.success,
+        pdfProduced: result.pdfProduced,
         empty: result.empty,
         durationMs: result.durationMs,
         passes: result.passes,
diff --git a/tailwind.config.ts b/tailwind.config.ts
index 05b865f..bf29a24 100644
--- a/tailwind.config.ts
+++ b/tailwind.config.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ const config: Config = {
           soft: withAlpha("--color-accent-soft"),
         },
         danger: withAlpha("--color-danger"),
+        warning: withAlpha("--color-warning"),
       },
       fontFamily: {
         sans: ["var(--font-sans)", "system-ui", "sans-serif"],