diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9343a22..7018a64 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 node_modules/
 dist/shim-loader.js
 investigation/
-test-vault/
-
+vaults/
diff --git a/scripts/patch-obsidian.js b/scripts/patch-obsidian.js
index 018bb9e..c4d8b8e 100644
--- a/scripts/patch-obsidian.js
+++ b/scripts/patch-obsidian.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Patches the extracted Obsidian asar for browser use:
 //   1. Removes Content-Security-Policy meta tag
 //   2. Injects shim-loader.js script (non-deferred, before all other scripts)
+// Patches both index.html and starter.html.
 
 const fs = require("fs");
 const path = require("path");
@@ -12,27 +13,29 @@ if (!asarDir) {
   process.exit(1);
 }
 
-const indexPath = path.join(asarDir, "index.html");
-if (!fs.existsSync(indexPath)) {
-  console.error(`Not found: ${indexPath}`);
-  process.exit(1);
+function patchHtml(filePath) {
+  if (!fs.existsSync(filePath)) {
+    console.warn(`[patch] Skipping (not found): ${filePath}`);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  let html = fs.readFileSync(filePath, "utf-8");
+
+  // Remove CSP meta tag
+  html = html.replace(
+    /\s*<meta\s+http-equiv="Content-Security-Policy"[^>]*>\s*/g,
+    "\n",
+  );
+
+  // Inject shim-loader before the first <script> tag
+  html = html.replace(
+    '<script type="text/javascript"',
+    '<script type="text/javascript" src="shim-loader.js"></script>\n' +
+      '<script type="text/javascript"',
+  );
+
+  fs.writeFileSync(filePath, html);
+  console.log(`[patch] Patched ${filePath}`);
 }
 
-let html = fs.readFileSync(indexPath, "utf-8");
-
-// Remove CSP meta tag
-html = html.replace(
-  /\s*<meta\s+http-equiv="Content-Security-Policy"[^>]*>\s*/g,
-  "\n",
-);
-
-// Inject shim-loader before the first <script> tag
-html = html.replace(
-  '<script type="text/javascript"',
-  '<!-- Shim loader MUST load before everything else (no defer) -->\n' +
-    '<script type="text/javascript" src="shim-loader.js"></script>\n' +
-    '<script type="text/javascript"',
-);
-
-fs.writeFileSync(indexPath, html);
-console.log(`[patch] Patched ${indexPath}`);
+patchHtml(path.join(asarDir, "index.html"));
diff --git a/server/config.js b/server/config.js
index 7226acd..a286605 100644
--- a/server/config.js
+++ b/server/config.js
@@ -1,8 +1,48 @@
 const path = require("path");
+const fs = require("fs");
+
+// VAULT_ROOT: a directory that contains vault folders.
+// Each subdirectory is a vault. New vaults are created as new subdirs.
+// Falls back to parent of VAULT_PATH (single-vault compat) or ./vaults.
+const vaultRoot =
+  process.env.VAULT_ROOT ||
+  (process.env.VAULT_PATH
+    ? path.dirname(process.env.VAULT_PATH)
+    : path.join(__dirname, "..", "vaults"));
+
+function discoverVaults() {
+  const vaults = {};
+  try {
+    const entries = fs.readdirSync(vaultRoot, { withFileTypes: true });
+    for (const entry of entries) {
+      if (entry.isDirectory() && !entry.name.startsWith(".")) {
+        vaults[entry.name] = path.join(vaultRoot, entry.name);
+      }
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error("[config] Failed to read VAULT_ROOT:", vaultRoot, e.message);
+  }
+  return vaults;
+}
+
+let vaults = discoverVaults();
 
 module.exports = {
   port: process.env.PORT || 8080,
-  vaultPath: process.env.VAULT_PATH || path.join(__dirname, "..", "test-vault"),
+  vaultRoot,
+  get vaults() {
+    return vaults;
+  },
+  get defaultVaultId() {
+    return Object.keys(vaults)[0] || null;
+  },
+  getVaultPath(id) {
+    return vaults[id] || null;
+  },
+  refreshVaults() {
+    vaults = discoverVaults();
+    return vaults;
+  },
   obsidianAssetsPath:
     process.env.OBSIDIAN_ASSETS_PATH ||
     path.join(__dirname, "..", "investigation", "obsidian.asar.unpacked"),
diff --git a/server/index.js b/server/index.js
index 85fa462..6936a94 100644
--- a/server/index.js
+++ b/server/index.js
@@ -37,7 +37,19 @@ app.use("/api/fs", fsRoutes);
 app.use("/api/vault", vaultRoutes);
 
 // Serve vault files for resource URLs (images, attachments, etc.)
-app.use("/vault-files", express.static(config.vaultPath));
+// Vault ID is the first path segment: /vault-files/<vault-id>/path/to/file
+app.use("/vault-files", (req, res, next) => {
+  // Extract vault ID from the first path segment
+  const parts = req.path.split("/").filter(Boolean);
+  if (parts.length === 0)
+    return res.status(400).json({ error: "Missing vault ID" });
+  const vaultId = decodeURIComponent(parts[0]);
+  const vaultPath = config.getVaultPath(vaultId);
+  if (!vaultPath) return res.status(404).json({ error: "Vault not found" });
+  // Rewrite req.url to strip the vault ID prefix, then serve statically
+  req.url = "/" + parts.slice(1).join("/");
+  express.static(vaultPath)(req, res, next);
+});
 
 // --- Static serving ---
 // dist/ has shim-loader.js + patched index.html (dev mode).
@@ -52,7 +64,10 @@ const server = app.listen(config.port, () => {
   console.log(
     `[obsidian-bridge] Server running on http://localhost:${config.port}`,
   );
-  console.log(`[obsidian-bridge] Vault path: ${config.vaultPath}`);
+  console.log(`[obsidian-bridge] Vault root: ${config.vaultRoot}`);
+  console.log(
+    `[obsidian-bridge] Vaults: ${Object.keys(config.vaults).join(", ")}`,
+  );
 });
 
 setupWebSocket(server);
diff --git a/server/routes/fs.js b/server/routes/fs.js
index ab0c049..49f4f1c 100644
--- a/server/routes/fs.js
+++ b/server/routes/fs.js
@@ -5,32 +5,44 @@ const config = require("../config");
 
 const router = express.Router();
 
-// Resolve a client-provided path to an absolute path within the vault.
+// Resolve the vault root for a request. Reads vault ID from query or body.
+function getVaultRoot(req, res) {
+  const vaultId = req.query.vault || req.body?.vault || config.defaultVaultId;
+  const vaultPath = config.getVaultPath(vaultId);
+  if (!vaultPath) {
+    res.status(404).json({ error: "Vault not found", id: vaultId });
+    return null;
+  }
+  return vaultPath;
+}
+
+// Resolve a client-provided path to an absolute path within a vault.
 // Strips leading slashes so paths from the client are always treated as
 // relative to the vault root. Rejects path traversal attempts.
-function resolveVaultPath(relativePath) {
-  // Strip leading slashes  -  client paths like "/.obsidian" should resolve
-  // relative to the vault, not as absolute filesystem paths.
+function resolveVaultPath(vaultRoot, relativePath) {
   const cleaned = (relativePath || "").replace(/^\/+/, "");
-  const resolved = path.resolve(config.vaultPath, cleaned);
-  if (!resolved.startsWith(path.resolve(config.vaultPath))) {
+  const resolved = path.resolve(vaultRoot, cleaned);
+  if (!resolved.startsWith(path.resolve(vaultRoot))) {
     return null;
   }
   return resolved;
 }
 
 function guardPath(req, res) {
+  const vaultRoot = getVaultRoot(req, res);
+  if (!vaultRoot) return null;
   const p = req.query.path ?? req.body?.path;
   if (p === undefined || p === null) {
     res.status(400).json({ error: "Missing path parameter" });
     return null;
   }
   // Empty string = vault root, which is valid
-  const resolved = resolveVaultPath(p);
+  const resolved = resolveVaultPath(vaultRoot, p);
   if (!resolved) {
     res.status(403).json({ error: "Path traversal rejected" });
     return null;
   }
+  req._vaultRoot = vaultRoot;
   return resolved;
 }
 
@@ -89,12 +101,10 @@ router.get("/readFile", async (req, res) => {
     // Check if path is a directory
     const stat = await fs.promises.stat(resolved);
     if (stat.isDirectory()) {
-      return res
-        .status(400)
-        .json({
-          error: "EISDIR: illegal operation on a directory",
-          code: "EISDIR",
-        });
+      return res.status(400).json({
+        error: "EISDIR: illegal operation on a directory",
+        code: "EISDIR",
+      });
     }
     const encoding = req.query.encoding;
     if (encoding === "utf8" || encoding === "utf-8") {
@@ -111,9 +121,11 @@ router.get("/readFile", async (req, res) => {
   }
 });
 
-// POST /api/fs/writeFile { path, content, encoding? }
+// POST /api/fs/writeFile { path, content, encoding?, vault? }
 router.post("/writeFile", async (req, res) => {
-  const resolved = resolveVaultPath(req.body?.path);
+  const vaultRoot = getVaultRoot(req, res);
+  if (!vaultRoot) return;
+  const resolved = resolveVaultPath(vaultRoot, req.body?.path);
   if (!resolved) return res.status(403).json({ error: "Invalid path" });
   try {
     // Ensure parent directory exists
@@ -137,9 +149,11 @@ router.post("/writeFile", async (req, res) => {
   }
 });
 
-// POST /api/fs/appendFile { path, content }
+// POST /api/fs/appendFile { path, content, vault? }
 router.post("/appendFile", async (req, res) => {
-  const resolved = resolveVaultPath(req.body?.path);
+  const vaultRoot = getVaultRoot(req, res);
+  if (!vaultRoot) return;
+  const resolved = resolveVaultPath(vaultRoot, req.body?.path);
   if (!resolved) return res.status(403).json({ error: "Invalid path" });
   try {
     await fs.promises.appendFile(resolved, req.body.content, "utf-8");
@@ -149,9 +163,11 @@ router.post("/appendFile", async (req, res) => {
   }
 });
 
-// POST /api/fs/mkdir { path, recursive? }
+// POST /api/fs/mkdir { path, recursive?, vault? }
 router.post("/mkdir", async (req, res) => {
-  const resolved = resolveVaultPath(req.body?.path);
+  const vaultRoot = getVaultRoot(req, res);
+  if (!vaultRoot) return;
+  const resolved = resolveVaultPath(vaultRoot, req.body?.path);
   if (!resolved) return res.status(403).json({ error: "Invalid path" });
   try {
     await fs.promises.mkdir(resolved, { recursive: !!req.body.recursive });
@@ -161,10 +177,12 @@ router.post("/mkdir", async (req, res) => {
   }
 });
 
-// POST /api/fs/rename { oldPath, newPath }
+// POST /api/fs/rename { oldPath, newPath, vault? }
 router.post("/rename", async (req, res) => {
-  const oldResolved = resolveVaultPath(req.body?.oldPath);
-  const newResolved = resolveVaultPath(req.body?.newPath);
+  const vaultRoot = getVaultRoot(req, res);
+  if (!vaultRoot) return;
+  const oldResolved = resolveVaultPath(vaultRoot, req.body?.oldPath);
+  const newResolved = resolveVaultPath(vaultRoot, req.body?.newPath);
   if (!oldResolved || !newResolved)
     return res.status(403).json({ error: "Invalid path" });
   try {
@@ -175,10 +193,12 @@ router.post("/rename", async (req, res) => {
   }
 });
 
-// POST /api/fs/copyFile { src, dest }
+// POST /api/fs/copyFile { src, dest, vault? }
 router.post("/copyFile", async (req, res) => {
-  const srcResolved = resolveVaultPath(req.body?.src);
-  const destResolved = resolveVaultPath(req.body?.dest);
+  const vaultRoot = getVaultRoot(req, res);
+  if (!vaultRoot) return;
+  const srcResolved = resolveVaultPath(vaultRoot, req.body?.src);
+  const destResolved = resolveVaultPath(vaultRoot, req.body?.dest);
   if (!srcResolved || !destResolved)
     return res.status(403).json({ error: "Invalid path" });
   try {
@@ -249,15 +269,17 @@ router.get("/realpath", async (req, res) => {
   try {
     const real = await fs.promises.realpath(resolved);
     // Return path relative to vault root
-    res.json({ path: path.relative(config.vaultPath, real) });
+    res.json({ path: path.relative(req._vaultRoot, real) });
   } catch (e) {
     res.status(500).json({ error: e.message, code: e.code });
   }
 });
 
-// POST /api/fs/utimes { path, atime, mtime }
+// POST /api/fs/utimes { path, atime, mtime, vault? }
 router.post("/utimes", async (req, res) => {
-  const resolved = resolveVaultPath(req.body?.path);
+  const vaultRoot = getVaultRoot(req, res);
+  if (!vaultRoot) return;
+  const resolved = resolveVaultPath(vaultRoot, req.body?.path);
   if (!resolved) return res.status(403).json({ error: "Invalid path" });
   try {
     await fs.promises.utimes(
@@ -271,11 +293,13 @@ router.post("/utimes", async (req, res) => {
   }
 });
 
-// GET /api/fs/tree?path=...  -  returns full recursive file tree with metadata
+// GET /api/fs/tree?path=...&vault=...  -  returns full recursive file tree with metadata
 router.get("/tree", async (req, res) => {
+  const vaultRoot = getVaultRoot(req, res);
+  if (!vaultRoot) return;
   const rootPath = req.query.path
-    ? resolveVaultPath(req.query.path)
-    : config.vaultPath;
+    ? resolveVaultPath(vaultRoot, req.query.path)
+    : vaultRoot;
   if (!rootPath) return res.status(403).json({ error: "Invalid path" });
   try {
     const tree = {};
diff --git a/server/routes/vault.js b/server/routes/vault.js
index 6e10419..804d105 100644
--- a/server/routes/vault.js
+++ b/server/routes/vault.js
@@ -1,16 +1,73 @@
-const express = require('express');
-const config = require('../config');
-const path = require('path');
+const express = require("express");
+const fs = require("fs");
+const config = require("../config");
+const path = require("path");
 
 const router = express.Router();
 
-// GET /api/vault/info
-router.get('/info', (req, res) => {
+// GET /api/vault/list  -  returns all discovered vaults (re-scans on each call)
+router.get("/list", (req, res) => {
+  config.refreshVaults();
+  const list = Object.entries(config.vaults).map(([id, vaultPath]) => ({
+    id,
+    name: id,
+    path: vaultPath,
+  }));
+  res.json(list);
+});
+
+// GET /api/vault/info?vault=<id>  -  returns info for a specific vault
+router.get("/info", (req, res) => {
+  const vaultId = req.query.vault || config.defaultVaultId;
+  const vaultPath = config.getVaultPath(vaultId);
+  if (!vaultPath) {
+    return res.status(404).json({ error: "Vault not found", id: vaultId });
+  }
   res.json({
-    name: path.basename(config.vaultPath),
+    id: vaultId,
+    name: vaultId,
+    path: vaultPath,
     platform: process.platform,
-    version: '0.1.0',
+    version: "0.1.0",
   });
 });
 
+// POST /api/vault/create { name }  -  create a new vault in VAULT_ROOT
+router.post("/create", async (req, res) => {
+  const name = req.body?.name;
+  if (!name || /[\/\\:*?"<>|]/.test(name)) {
+    return res.status(400).json({ error: "Invalid vault name" });
+  }
+  const vaultPath = path.join(config.vaultRoot, name);
+  try {
+    await fs.promises.mkdir(vaultPath, { recursive: false });
+    await fs.promises.mkdir(path.join(vaultPath, ".obsidian"), {
+      recursive: false,
+    });
+    config.refreshVaults();
+    res.json({ ok: true, id: name, path: vaultPath });
+  } catch (e) {
+    if (e.code === "EEXIST") {
+      return res.status(409).json({ error: "Vault already exists" });
+    }
+    res.status(500).json({ error: e.message, code: e.code });
+  }
+});
+
+// DELETE /api/vault/remove?vault=<id>  -  remove a vault from disk
+router.delete("/remove", async (req, res) => {
+  const vaultId = req.query.vault;
+  const vaultPath = config.getVaultPath(vaultId);
+  if (!vaultPath) {
+    return res.status(404).json({ error: "Vault not found" });
+  }
+  try {
+    await fs.promises.rm(vaultPath, { recursive: true });
+    config.refreshVaults();
+    res.json({ ok: true });
+  } catch (e) {
+    res.status(500).json({ error: e.message, code: e.code });
+  }
+});
+
 module.exports = router;
diff --git a/shims/electron/ipc-renderer.js b/shims/electron/ipc-renderer.js
index 949f609..d9899fa 100644
--- a/shims/electron/ipc-renderer.js
+++ b/shims/electron/ipc-renderer.js
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 //   sandbox      → void            -  open sandbox vault
 //   copy-asar    → boolean         -  install update
 
+import { showVaultManager } from "../ui/vault-manager.js";
+
 const listeners = new Map();
 
 // Sync channel handlers  -  must return values synchronously
@@ -25,7 +27,8 @@ const syncHandlers = {
   vault: () => window.__vaultConfig || { id: "default-vault", path: "/" },
   version: () => "1.8.9",
   "is-dev": () => false,
-  "file-url": () => "/vault-files/",
+  "file-url": () =>
+    "/vault-files/" + encodeURIComponent(window.__currentVaultId || "") + "/",
   "disable-update": () => true,
   update: () => "",
   "disable-gpu": () => false,
@@ -36,7 +39,10 @@ const syncHandlers = {
     window.location.reload();
     return null;
   },
-  starter: () => null,
+  starter: () => {
+    showVaultManager();
+    return null;
+  },
   help: () => {
     window.open("https://help.obsidian.md/", "_blank");
     return null;
@@ -44,6 +50,55 @@ const syncHandlers = {
   sandbox: () => null,
   "copy-asar": () => false,
   "check-update": () => null,
+  "vault-list": () => {
+    // Starter expects an object keyed by ID: {id: {path, ts, name}}
+    const result = {};
+    for (const v of window.__vaultList || []) {
+      result[v.id] = {
+        path: "/" + v.id,
+        ts: Date.now(),
+        open: v.id === (window.__currentVaultId || ""),
+      };
+    }
+    return result;
+  },
+  "vault-open": (vaultPath, newWindow) => {
+    const id = (vaultPath || "").replace(/^\/+/, "");
+    const vault = (window.__vaultList || []).find((v) => v.id === id);
+    if (!vault && id) {
+      // New vault created by starter  -  create it on the server
+      const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+      xhr.open("POST", "/api/vault/create", false);
+      xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
+      xhr.send(JSON.stringify({ name: id }));
+      if (xhr.status >= 400) return "Failed to create vault";
+    }
+    // Navigate  -  use parent if in iframe, otherwise current window
+    const target = window.parent !== window ? window.parent : window;
+    target.location.href = "/?vault=" + encodeURIComponent(id);
+    return true;
+  },
+  "vault-remove": (vaultPath) => {
+    const id = (vaultPath || "").replace(/^\/+/, "");
+    const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+    xhr.open(
+      "DELETE",
+      "/api/vault/remove?vault=" + encodeURIComponent(id),
+      false,
+    );
+    xhr.send();
+    return xhr.status < 400;
+  },
+  "vault-move": (oldPath, newPath) => {
+    // Not supported in web context
+    return "Moving vaults is not supported in the web version";
+  },
+  "vault-message": () => null,
+  "get-default-vault-path": () => "/My Vault",
+  "get-documents-path": () => "/",
+  "desktop-dir": () => "/desktop",
+  "documents-dir": () => "/documents",
+  resources: () => "",
 };
 
 export const ipcRenderer = {
diff --git a/shims/fs/transport.js b/shims/fs/transport.js
index 9d26181..1ffa084 100644
--- a/shims/fs/transport.js
+++ b/shims/fs/transport.js
@@ -20,18 +20,23 @@ function uint8ToBase64(bytes) {
   return btoa(binary);
 }
 
+function vaultId() {
+  return window.__currentVaultId || "";
+}
+
 async function request(method, endpoint, params = {}) {
   const url = new URL(API_BASE + endpoint, window.location.origin);
 
   const options = { method };
 
   if (method === "GET" || method === "DELETE") {
+    if (vaultId()) url.searchParams.set("vault", vaultId());
     for (const [key, val] of Object.entries(params)) {
       url.searchParams.set(key, val);
     }
   } else {
     options.headers = { "Content-Type": "application/json" };
-    options.body = JSON.stringify(params);
+    options.body = JSON.stringify({ vault: vaultId(), ...params });
   }
 
   const res = await fetch(url.toString(), options);
@@ -57,6 +62,7 @@ function requestSync(method, endpoint, params = {}) {
   const url = new URL(API_BASE + endpoint, window.location.origin);
 
   if (method === "GET") {
+    if (vaultId()) url.searchParams.set("vault", vaultId());
     for (const [key, val] of Object.entries(params)) {
       url.searchParams.set(key, val);
     }
@@ -67,7 +73,7 @@ function requestSync(method, endpoint, params = {}) {
 
   if (method !== "GET") {
     xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
-    xhr.send(JSON.stringify(params));
+    xhr.send(JSON.stringify({ vault: vaultId(), ...params }));
   } else {
     xhr.send();
   }
diff --git a/shims/loader.js b/shims/loader.js
index 960deb9..558885f 100644
--- a/shims/loader.js
+++ b/shims/loader.js
@@ -114,8 +114,14 @@ if (typeof window.Buffer === "undefined") {
 }
 
 // Prevent app.js from closing the window (browser blocks this anyway, but suppress the error)
+// In an iframe (starter modal), close the modal overlay instead.
 const _origClose = window.close;
 window.close = function () {
+  if (window.parent !== window) {
+    const modal = window.parent.document.getElementById("ignis-starter-modal");
+    if (modal) modal.remove();
+    return;
+  }
   console.log("[obsidian-bridge] window.close() blocked");
 };
 
@@ -132,17 +138,60 @@ window.addEventListener(
   true,
 );
 
+// Read vault ID from URL query param (?vault=my-notes)
+const _urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
+window.__currentVaultId = _urlParams.get("vault") || "";
+
+// Fetch vault config from server synchronously (before metadata cache)
+(function initVaultConfig() {
+  try {
+    const vaultParam = window.__currentVaultId
+      ? "?vault=" + encodeURIComponent(window.__currentVaultId)
+      : "";
+    const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+    xhr.open("GET", "/api/vault/info" + vaultParam, false);
+    xhr.send();
+    if (xhr.status === 200) {
+      const info = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
+      window.__currentVaultId = info.id;
+      window.__vaultConfig = {
+        id: info.id,
+        path: "/",
+      };
+      console.log("[obsidian-bridge] Vault:", window.__vaultConfig);
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error("[obsidian-bridge] Failed to fetch vault config:", e);
+  }
+})();
+
+// Fetch vault list for IPC handlers
+(function initVaultList() {
+  try {
+    const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+    xhr.open("GET", "/api/vault/list", false);
+    xhr.send();
+    if (xhr.status === 200) {
+      window.__vaultList = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    window.__vaultList = [];
+  }
+})();
+
 // Pre-populate fs metadata cache synchronously before app.js runs.
 // This ensures existsSync() works for the vault path during startup.
 (function initMetadataCache() {
   try {
+    const vaultParam = window.__currentVaultId
+      ? "?vault=" + encodeURIComponent(window.__currentVaultId)
+      : "";
     const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
-    xhr.open("GET", "/api/fs/tree", false); // synchronous
+    xhr.open("GET", "/api/fs/tree" + vaultParam, false);
     xhr.send();
     if (xhr.status === 200) {
       const tree = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
       fsShim._metadataCache.populate(tree);
-      // Also add the root path itself
       fsShim._metadataCache.set("", { type: "directory" });
       fsShim._metadataCache.set("/", { type: "directory" });
       console.log(
@@ -161,24 +210,4 @@ window.addEventListener(
   }
 })();
 
-// Fetch vault config from server synchronously
-(function initVaultConfig() {
-  try {
-    const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
-    xhr.open("GET", "/api/vault/info", false); // synchronous
-    xhr.send();
-    if (xhr.status === 200) {
-      const info = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
-      // Set the vault config that sendSync('vault') will return
-      window.__vaultConfig = {
-        id: info.name || "default-vault",
-        path: "/",
-      };
-      console.log("[obsidian-bridge] Vault config:", window.__vaultConfig);
-    }
-  } catch (e) {
-    console.error("[obsidian-bridge] Failed to fetch vault config:", e);
-  }
-})();
-
 console.log("[obsidian-bridge] Shim loader initialized");
diff --git a/shims/path.js b/shims/path.js
index fac79d0..3774a5e 100644
--- a/shims/path.js
+++ b/shims/path.js
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
 // Path shim  -  delegates to path-browserify (bundled via esbuild alias)
 // Configured for posix mode since vault paths are normalized to forward slashes.
 
-import pathBrowserify from 'path';
+import pathBrowserify from "path";
 
-export const pathShim = pathBrowserify;
+const _origBasename = pathBrowserify.basename;
+
+export const pathShim = {
+  ...pathBrowserify,
+  basename(p, ext) {
+    // Vault root "/" should return the vault name for display purposes
+    if (p === "/" && window.__currentVaultId) {
+      return window.__currentVaultId;
+    }
+    return _origBasename(p, ext);
+  },
+};
diff --git a/shims/ui/vault-manager.js b/shims/ui/vault-manager.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..721f497
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shims/ui/vault-manager.js
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+// Custom vault manager modal  -  vanilla JS (will migrate to Svelte later)
+// Shows list of vaults, create new, delete, switch.
+
+export function showVaultManager() {
+  if (!document.querySelector(".workspace")) return;
+  if (document.getElementById("ignis-starter-modal")) return;
+
+  const overlay = document.createElement("div");
+  overlay.id = "ignis-starter-modal";
+  overlay.style.cssText =
+    "position:fixed;inset:0;z-index:99999;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.6);" +
+    "display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;font-family:var(--font-interface);";
+
+  const modal = document.createElement("div");
+  modal.style.cssText =
+    "background:var(--background-primary);color:var(--text-normal);border-radius:12px;" +
+    "padding:24px;width:min(480px,90vw);max-height:80vh;overflow-y:auto;box-shadow:0 16px 48px rgba(0,0,0,0.4);";
+
+  const title = document.createElement("h2");
+  title.textContent = "Vaults";
+  title.style.cssText = "margin:0 0 16px 0;font-size:18px;font-weight:600;";
+  modal.appendChild(title);
+
+  const listEl = document.createElement("div");
+  listEl.style.cssText =
+    "display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:4px;margin-bottom:16px;";
+  modal.appendChild(listEl);
+
+  function renderList() {
+    const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+    xhr.open("GET", "/api/vault/list", false);
+    xhr.send();
+    const vaults = xhr.status === 200 ? JSON.parse(xhr.responseText) : [];
+    listEl.innerHTML = "";
+    if (vaults.length === 0) {
+      const empty = document.createElement("div");
+      empty.textContent = "No vaults yet. Create one below.";
+      empty.style.cssText = "color:var(--text-muted);padding:12px 0;";
+      listEl.appendChild(empty);
+      return;
+    }
+    for (const v of vaults) {
+      const isCurrent = v.id === (window.__currentVaultId || "");
+
+      const row = document.createElement("div");
+      row.style.cssText =
+        "display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;" +
+        "padding:8px 12px;border-radius:6px;cursor:pointer;" +
+        "background:var(--background-secondary);";
+      row.addEventListener(
+        "mouseenter",
+        () => (row.style.background = "var(--background-modifier-hover)"),
+      );
+      row.addEventListener(
+        "mouseleave",
+        () => (row.style.background = "var(--background-secondary)"),
+      );
+
+      const name = document.createElement("span");
+      name.textContent = v.name;
+      name.style.cssText = "font-weight:500;flex:1;";
+      if (isCurrent) {
+        const badge = document.createElement("span");
+        badge.textContent = " current";
+        badge.style.cssText =
+          "font-size:11px;color:var(--text-muted);font-weight:400;";
+        name.appendChild(badge);
+      }
+
+      const del = document.createElement("button");
+      del.textContent = "Delete";
+      del.style.cssText =
+        "background:none;border:1px solid var(--background-modifier-border);" +
+        "color:var(--text-muted);border-radius:4px;padding:2px 8px;font-size:12px;cursor:pointer;";
+      del.addEventListener("click", (e) => {
+        e.stopPropagation();
+        if (
+          !confirm(
+            'Delete vault "' + v.name + '"? This removes all files.',
+          )
+        )
+          return;
+        const xhr2 = new XMLHttpRequest();
+        xhr2.open(
+          "DELETE",
+          "/api/vault/remove?vault=" + encodeURIComponent(v.id),
+          false,
+        );
+        xhr2.send();
+        renderList();
+        if (isCurrent) window.location.href = "/";
+      });
+
+      row.addEventListener("click", () => {
+        if (isCurrent) {
+          overlay.remove();
+          return;
+        }
+        window.location.href = "/?vault=" + encodeURIComponent(v.id);
+      });
+
+      row.appendChild(name);
+      row.appendChild(del);
+      listEl.appendChild(row);
+    }
+  }
+
+  renderList();
+
+  const form = document.createElement("div");
+  form.style.cssText = "display:flex;gap:8px;";
+
+  const input = document.createElement("input");
+  input.type = "text";
+  input.placeholder = "New vault name...";
+  input.style.cssText =
+    "flex:1;padding:6px 10px;border-radius:6px;border:1px solid var(--background-modifier-border);" +
+    "background:var(--background-secondary);color:var(--text-normal);font-size:14px;outline:none;";
+
+  const btn = document.createElement("button");
+  btn.textContent = "Create";
+  btn.style.cssText =
+    "padding:6px 16px;border-radius:6px;border:none;" +
+    "background:var(--interactive-accent);color:var(--text-on-accent);font-size:14px;cursor:pointer;font-weight:500;";
+
+  function createVault() {
+    const name = input.value.trim();
+    if (!name) return;
+    const xhr3 = new XMLHttpRequest();
+    xhr3.open("POST", "/api/vault/create", false);
+    xhr3.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
+    xhr3.send(JSON.stringify({ name }));
+    if (xhr3.status >= 400) {
+      alert(
+        "Failed to create vault: " +
+          (JSON.parse(xhr3.responseText).error || "Unknown error"),
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+    input.value = "";
+    window.location.href = "/?vault=" + encodeURIComponent(name);
+  }
+
+  btn.addEventListener("click", createVault);
+  input.addEventListener("keydown", (e) => {
+    if (e.key === "Enter") createVault();
+  });
+
+  form.appendChild(input);
+  form.appendChild(btn);
+  modal.appendChild(form);
+
+  overlay.addEventListener("click", (e) => {
+    if (e.target === overlay) overlay.remove();
+  });
+  overlay.addEventListener("keydown", (e) => {
+    if (e.key === "Escape") overlay.remove();
+  });
+
+  overlay.appendChild(modal);
+  document.body.appendChild(overlay);
+  input.focus();
+}