diff --git a/frontend/src/api/client.ts b/frontend/src/api/client.ts
index 7e5432f0..07b6bd36 100644
--- a/frontend/src/api/client.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/api/client.ts
@@ -37,15 +37,16 @@ function handleGlobalError(error: AxiosError) {
     return
   }
 
-  // Rate limit
+  // Rate limit — always worth notifying
   if (status === 429) {
     toast.error(detail || 'Too many requests — please try again shortly')
     return
   }
 
-  // Client errors (4xx) — show backend detail if present
+  // Client errors (4xx) — don't toast globally.
+  // Pages handle their own 4xx errors (permission checks, validation, not-found)
+  // and many are caught silently. Global toasts here cause noisy duplicates.
   if (status >= 400 && status < 500) {
-    toast.error(detail || 'Invalid request')
     return
   }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/tree-editor/NodeEditorPanel.tsx b/frontend/src/components/tree-editor/NodeEditorPanel.tsx
index 39c52274..a6d76349 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/tree-editor/NodeEditorPanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/tree-editor/NodeEditorPanel.tsx
@@ -40,14 +40,15 @@ export function NodeEditorPanel({ nodeId, onClose, onSelectType }: NodeEditorPan
   const [showDiscardConfirm, setShowDiscardConfirm] = useState(false)
   const panelRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
 
-  // Initialize/reset draft when nodeId changes
+  // Initialize/reset draft when nodeId changes or when node type changes
+  // (e.g., answer stub → decision/action/solution via type picker)
   useEffect(() => {
     if (node) {
       setDraft(cloneWithoutChildren(node))
       setIsDirty(false)
       setShowDeleteConfirm(false)
     }
-  }, [nodeId]) // eslint-disable-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+  }, [nodeId, node?.type]) // eslint-disable-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
 
   const handleDraftUpdate = useCallback((updates: Partial<TreeStructure>) => {
     setDraft(prev => prev ? { ...prev, ...updates } : prev)
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ export function NodeEditorPanel({ nodeId, onClose, onSelectType }: NodeEditorPan
     updateNode(nodeId, draftWithoutChildren)
 
     // Auto-create answer stubs for new decision options without next_node_id
-    if (draft.options) {
+    if (draft.type === 'decision' && draft.options) {
       const options = draft.options.filter(o => o.label.trim())
       const stubsCreated: Array<{ optId: string; stubId: string }> = []
 
@@ -81,6 +82,13 @@ export function NodeEditorPanel({ nodeId, onClose, onSelectType }: NodeEditorPan
       }
     }
 
+    // Auto-create answer stub for action node without next_node_id
+    if (draft.type === 'action' && !draft.next_node_id) {
+      const stubId = addNode(nodeId, 'answer')
+      updateNode(stubId, { title: 'Next Step' })
+      updateNode(nodeId, { next_node_id: stubId })
+    }
+
     setIsDirty(false)
   }, [draft, node, nodeId, updateNode, addNode])
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/tree-editor/NodeFormAction.tsx b/frontend/src/components/tree-editor/NodeFormAction.tsx
index 90fcd1cf..2cd5b837 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/tree-editor/NodeFormAction.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/tree-editor/NodeFormAction.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { useState } from 'react'
 import { DynamicArrayField } from './DynamicArrayField'
-import { NodePicker } from './NodePicker'
 import { useTreeEditorStore } from '@/store/treeEditorStore'
 import { MarkdownContent } from '@/components/ui/MarkdownContent'
 import { InfoTip } from '@/components/common/InfoTip'
@@ -20,9 +19,7 @@ export function NodeFormAction({ node, onUpdate }: NodeFormActionProps) {
     e => e.nodeId === node.id && e.field === 'title'
   )
 
-  const nextNodeError = validationErrors.find(
-    e => e.nodeId === node.id && e.field === 'next_node_id'
-  )
+  const hasNextNode = !!node.next_node_id
 
   const handleAddCommand = () => {
     onUpdate({
@@ -161,16 +158,16 @@ export function NodeFormAction({ node, onUpdate }: NodeFormActionProps) {
         />
       </div>
 
-      {/* Next Node */}
-      <NodePicker
-        value={node.next_node_id || ''}
-        onChange={(nodeId) => onUpdate({ next_node_id: nodeId })}
-        parentNodeId={node.id}
-        excludeNodeId={node.id}
-        label="Next Node (after action)"
-        placeholder="Select or create next node..."
-        error={nextNodeError?.message}
-      />
+      {/* Next step hint */}
+      {hasNextNode ? (
+        <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+          Next step is linked — click it on the canvas to edit.
+        </p>
+      ) : (
+        <p className="text-xs text-yellow-400/70">
+          Save to create a placeholder for the next step.
+        </p>
+      )}
     </div>
   )
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/index.css b/frontend/src/index.css
index e521169c..06bc9aee 100644
--- a/frontend/src/index.css
+++ b/frontend/src/index.css
@@ -198,59 +198,61 @@
   }
 }
 
-/* Sonner Toast Customization */
+/* Sonner Toast Customization — outside @layer for higher specificity */
+[data-sonner-toast] {
+  background-color: hsl(var(--card)) !important;
+  color: hsl(var(--card-foreground)) !important;
+  border: 1px solid hsl(var(--border)) !important;
+  box-shadow: 0 10px 15px -3px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.3) !important;
+  border-radius: 0.75rem;
+  font-family: 'Inter', system-ui, sans-serif;
+}
+
+[data-sonner-toast] [data-title] {
+  font-family: 'Inter', system-ui, sans-serif;
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
+
+[data-sonner-toast][data-type="success"] {
+  border-color: rgba(52, 211, 153, 0.3) !important;
+}
+[data-sonner-toast][data-type="success"] [data-icon] {
+  color: #34d399;
+}
+
+[data-sonner-toast][data-type="error"] {
+  border-color: rgba(248, 113, 113, 0.3) !important;
+}
+[data-sonner-toast][data-type="error"] [data-icon] {
+  color: #f87171;
+}
+
+[data-sonner-toast][data-type="info"] {
+  border-color: hsl(var(--border)) !important;
+}
+[data-sonner-toast][data-type="info"] [data-icon] {
+  color: hsl(var(--muted-foreground));
+}
+
+[data-sonner-toast][data-type="warning"] {
+  border-color: rgba(251, 191, 36, 0.3) !important;
+}
+[data-sonner-toast][data-type="warning"] [data-icon] {
+  color: #fbbf24;
+}
+
+[data-sonner-toast] [data-close-button] {
+  color: hsl(var(--muted-foreground));
+  border-radius: 0.375rem;
+  transition: color 150ms, background-color 150ms;
+}
+[data-sonner-toast] [data-close-button]:hover {
+  background-color: hsl(var(--accent));
+  color: hsl(var(--accent-foreground));
+}
+
+/* React Day Picker Customization */
 @layer components {
-  :where([data-sonner-toast]) {
-    @apply bg-card text-card-foreground;
-    @apply border border-border shadow-lg;
-    @apply rounded-xl;
-    font-family: 'Inter', system-ui, sans-serif;
-    backdrop-filter: blur(10px);
-  }
-
-  :where([data-sonner-toast]) [data-title] {
-    font-family: 'Inter', system-ui, sans-serif;
-    font-weight: 600;
-  }
-
-  :where([data-sonner-toast][data-type="success"]) {
-    border-color: rgba(52, 211, 153, 0.3);
-  }
-  :where([data-sonner-toast][data-type="success"]) [data-icon] {
-    color: #34d399;
-  }
-
-  :where([data-sonner-toast][data-type="error"]) {
-    border-color: rgba(248, 113, 113, 0.3);
-  }
-  :where([data-sonner-toast][data-type="error"]) [data-icon] {
-    color: #f87171;
-  }
-
-  :where([data-sonner-toast][data-type="info"]) {
-    @apply border-border;
-  }
-  :where([data-sonner-toast][data-type="info"]) [data-icon] {
-    @apply text-muted-foreground;
-  }
-
-  :where([data-sonner-toast][data-type="warning"]) {
-    border-color: rgba(251, 191, 36, 0.3);
-  }
-  :where([data-sonner-toast][data-type="warning"]) [data-icon] {
-    color: #fbbf24;
-  }
-
-  :where([data-sonner-toast]) [data-close-button] {
-    @apply text-muted-foreground hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground;
-    @apply rounded-md transition-colors;
-  }
-
-  :where([data-sonner-toast]) [data-icon][data-loading] {
-    @apply text-white;
-  }
-
-  /* React Day Picker Customization */
   .rdp-custom {
     @apply text-foreground;
   }
diff --git a/frontend/src/main.tsx b/frontend/src/main.tsx
index e8bd2b5b..bdb2d697 100644
--- a/frontend/src/main.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/main.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ createRoot(document.getElementById('root')!).render(
       closeButton
       visibleToasts={3}
       gap={8}
+      theme="dark"
+      toastOptions={{
+        className: 'sonner-toast-custom',
+      }}
     />
     <App />
   </StrictMode>,