diff --git a/frontend/src/App.test.js b/frontend/src/App.test.js
index d9907f4..f2721d3 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.test.js
+++ b/frontend/src/App.test.js
@@ -19,3 +19,13 @@ describe("App reset password account picker", () => {
     assert.match(source, /formatResetPasswordUserLabel\(user\)/);
   });
 });
+
+describe("App user menu interactions", () => {
+  it("closes the avatar menu when the user clicks outside the menu shell", () => {
+    assert.match(source, /ref="userMenuShellRef"/);
+    assert.match(source, /function handleUserMenuOutsidePointerDown\(event\)/);
+    assert.match(source, /userMenuShellRef\.value\?\.contains\(event\.target\)/);
+    assert.match(source, /document\.addEventListener\("pointerdown", handleUserMenuOutsidePointerDown\)/);
+    assert.match(source, /document\.removeEventListener\("pointerdown", handleUserMenuOutsidePointerDown\)/);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.vue b/frontend/src/App.vue
index d355211..4c4133c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/App.vue
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
                 <span class="assistant-bot-eye"></span>
               </span>
             </button>
-            <div class="user-menu-shell">
+            <div ref="userMenuShellRef" class="user-menu-shell">
               <button class="user-avatar-button" type="button" @click="toggleUserMenu">
                 <span class="user-avatar">{{ avatarInitial }}</span>
                 <span class="user-avatar-meta">
@@ -307,6 +307,7 @@ const activeBroadcasts = ref([]);
 const activeBroadcastIndex = ref(0);
 const assistantDrawerOpen = ref(false);
 const userMenuOpen = ref(false);
+const userMenuShellRef = ref(null);
 const changePasswordOpen = ref(false);
 const resetPasswordOpen = ref(false);
 const passwordSubmitting = ref(false);
@@ -1011,9 +1012,20 @@ function handleTagContextAction(action) {
 function handleGlobalKeydown(event) {
   if (event.key === "Escape") {
     closeTagContextMenu();
+    userMenuOpen.value = false;
   }
 }
 
+function handleUserMenuOutsidePointerDown(event) {
+  if (!userMenuOpen.value) {
+    return;
+  }
+  if (userMenuShellRef.value?.contains(event.target)) {
+    return;
+  }
+  userMenuOpen.value = false;
+}
+
 function updateShellViewportState() {
   narrowShell.value = window.innerWidth < 1024;
   if (narrowShell.value) {
@@ -1040,6 +1052,7 @@ onMounted(() => {
   window.addEventListener("resize", updateShellViewportState);
   window.addEventListener("click", closeTagContextMenu);
   window.addEventListener("keydown", handleGlobalKeydown);
+  document.addEventListener("pointerdown", handleUserMenuOutsidePointerDown);
   void loadActiveBroadcast();
   void loadSmartOperationFeature();
   broadcastTimer = window.setInterval(() => {
@@ -1054,6 +1067,7 @@ onUnmounted(() => {
   window.removeEventListener("resize", updateShellViewportState);
   window.removeEventListener("click", closeTagContextMenu);
   window.removeEventListener("keydown", handleGlobalKeydown);
+  document.removeEventListener("pointerdown", handleUserMenuOutsidePointerDown);
   if (broadcastTimer) {
     window.clearInterval(broadcastTimer);
     broadcastTimer = null;
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/OrgPermissionTree.test.js b/frontend/src/components/OrgPermissionTree.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2620ee9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/OrgPermissionTree.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { describe, it } from "node:test";
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { dirname, join } from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+
+const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const source = readFileSync(join(__dirname, "OrgPermissionTree.vue"), "utf8");
+
+describe("OrgPermissionTree hierarchy lines", () => {
+  it("draws connector lines so parent-child hierarchy is easier to read", () => {
+    assert.match(source, /\.org-tree-branch::before/);
+    assert.match(source, /\.org-tree-node::before/);
+    assert.match(source, /--tree-connector-x/);
+    assert.match(source, /--tree-connector-color/);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/OrgPermissionTree.vue b/frontend/src/components/OrgPermissionTree.vue
index a5fa858..9167ba9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/OrgPermissionTree.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/OrgPermissionTree.vue
@@ -164,7 +164,10 @@ const OrgTreeBranch = defineComponent({
     }
 
     return () =>
-      h("div", { class: "org-tree-branch" }, [
+      h("div", {
+        class: ["org-tree-branch", { "org-tree-branch-root": branchProps.level === 0 }],
+        style: { "--tree-level": branchProps.level }
+      }, [
         h(
           "button",
           {
@@ -567,6 +570,8 @@ function removeEmployee(employee) {
 }
 
 .org-tree-list {
+  --tree-connector-color: rgba(64, 158, 255, 0.34);
+  --tree-connector-x: calc(15px + var(--tree-level, 0) * 22px);
   display: flex;
   flex: 1;
   flex-direction: column;
@@ -579,12 +584,34 @@ function removeEmployee(employee) {
 }
 
 .org-tree-branch {
+  position: relative;
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
   gap: 2px;
 }
 
+.org-tree-branch::before {
+  content: "";
+  position: absolute;
+  top: -2px;
+  bottom: -2px;
+  left: var(--tree-connector-x);
+  width: 1px;
+  background: linear-gradient(180deg, transparent, var(--tree-connector-color) 12px, var(--tree-connector-color) calc(100% - 12px), transparent);
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
+.org-tree-branch-root::before {
+  content: none;
+}
+
+.org-tree-branch:not(.org-tree-branch-root):last-child::before {
+  bottom: calc(100% - 21px);
+  background: var(--tree-connector-color);
+}
+
 .org-tree-node {
+  position: relative;
   display: grid;
   grid-template-columns: 18px 24px minmax(0, 1fr);
   align-items: center;
@@ -600,6 +627,17 @@ function removeEmployee(employee) {
   transition: background 0.14s ease, color 0.14s ease, box-shadow 0.14s ease;
 }
 
+.org-tree-branch:not(.org-tree-branch-root) > .org-tree-node::before {
+  content: "";
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 50%;
+  left: var(--tree-connector-x);
+  width: 14px;
+  height: 1px;
+  background: var(--tree-connector-color);
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
 .org-tree-node:hover,
 .org-tree-node.active {
   border-color: transparent;
@@ -750,12 +788,34 @@ function removeEmployee(employee) {
 }
 
 :deep(.org-tree-branch) {
+  position: relative;
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
   gap: 2px;
 }
 
+:deep(.org-tree-branch::before) {
+  content: "";
+  position: absolute;
+  top: -2px;
+  bottom: -2px;
+  left: var(--tree-connector-x);
+  width: 1px;
+  background: linear-gradient(180deg, transparent, var(--tree-connector-color) 12px, var(--tree-connector-color) calc(100% - 12px), transparent);
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
+:deep(.org-tree-branch-root::before) {
+  content: none;
+}
+
+:deep(.org-tree-branch:not(.org-tree-branch-root):last-child::before) {
+  bottom: calc(100% - 21px);
+  background: var(--tree-connector-color);
+}
+
 :deep(.org-tree-node) {
+  position: relative;
   display: grid;
   grid-template-columns: 18px 24px minmax(0, 1fr);
   align-items: center;
@@ -772,6 +832,17 @@ function removeEmployee(employee) {
   transition: background 0.14s ease, color 0.14s ease, box-shadow 0.14s ease;
 }
 
+:deep(.org-tree-branch:not(.org-tree-branch-root) > .org-tree-node::before) {
+  content: "";
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 50%;
+  left: var(--tree-connector-x);
+  width: 14px;
+  height: 1px;
+  background: var(--tree-connector-color);
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
 :deep(.org-tree-node:hover),
 :deep(.org-tree-node.active) {
   border-color: transparent;