diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/posts/[slug].astro b/frontend/src/pages/posts/[slug].astro
index 69768f5..b584d41 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/posts/[slug].astro
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/posts/[slug].astro
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ const displayTitle = post ? (post.title || formatSlug(post.slug)) : 'Work';
     image={post?.cover_image?.url}
     type="article"
 >
-  {post?.cover_image?.url && (
+  {!isBlog && post?.cover_image?.url && (
     <Fragment slot="head">
       <link rel="preload" as="image" href={post.cover_image.url} fetchpriority="high" />
     </Fragment>
@@ -113,20 +113,6 @@ const displayTitle = post ? (post.title || formatSlug(post.slug)) : 'Work';
         )}
       </div>
 
-      {/* Blog mode: cover rides above the plaque as a lead image. In atelier
-          the cover is the index plate's job, not the post page's. */}
-      {isBlog && post.cover_image?.url && (
-        <div class="post-lead">
-          <img
-            src={post.cover_image.url}
-            alt={post.cover_image.alt || displayTitle}
-            width={post.cover_image.w}
-            height={post.cover_image.h}
-            fetchpriority="high"
-          />
-        </div>
-      )}
-
       {/* Plaque header */}
       <header class="max-w-3xl mx-auto text-center mb-12 md:mb-16">
         <h1 class="font-display italic font-semibold text-[var(--text)] text-4xl md:text-6xl lg:text-7xl leading-[1.08] tracking-tight mb-6">
@@ -174,7 +160,11 @@ const displayTitle = post ? (post.title || formatSlug(post.slug)) : 'Work';
       {/* Body — works on paper */}
       <div id="post-content" class="prose" set:html={html} />
 
-      {(neighbors.prev || neighbors.next) && (
+      {isBlog ? (
+        <div class="max-w-3xl mx-auto mt-20 md:mt-28 text-center">
+          <a href="/" class="btn btn--ghost">← {c.backHome}</a>
+        </div>
+      ) : (neighbors.prev || neighbors.next) && (
         <nav class="post-nav max-w-3xl mx-auto mt-20 md:mt-28 grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-6" aria-label="Post navigation">
           {neighbors.prev && (
             <a href={`/posts/${encodeURIComponent(neighbors.prev.slug)}`} class="group glass p-6 hover:border-[var(--mauve)] transition-colors text-left">
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/partials/45-blog.css b/frontend/src/styles/partials/45-blog.css
index ba69182..136ef9d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/partials/45-blog.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/partials/45-blog.css
@@ -174,35 +174,3 @@ html.mode-blog .post-row-draft {
     aspect-ratio: 16 / 9;
   }
 }
-
-/* ── Post page (blog mode): cover as a lead image above the plaque ── */
-html.mode-blog .post-lead {
-  position: relative;
-  max-width: 48rem;
-  margin: 0 auto 2.5rem;
-  overflow: hidden;
-  background: var(--mantle);
-  border: 1px solid var(--surface2);
-  border-radius: 2px;
-  box-shadow:
-    inset 0 0 0 1px color-mix(in srgb, var(--surface1) 50%, transparent),
-    0 26px 50px -30px rgba(20, 16, 12, 0.55);
-}
-html.salon-noir.mode-blog .post-lead,
-html.gothic.mode-blog .post-lead {
-  box-shadow:
-    inset 0 0 0 1px color-mix(in srgb, var(--surface1) 50%, transparent),
-    0 26px 50px -30px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);
-}
-html.breakcore.mode-blog .post-lead {
-  border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--mauve) 40%, var(--surface2));
-  box-shadow:
-    inset 0 0 0 1px color-mix(in srgb, var(--mauve) 28%, transparent),
-    0 0 34px -12px color-mix(in srgb, var(--mauve) 45%, transparent);
-}
-html.mode-blog .post-lead img {
-  display: block;
-  width: 100%;
-  height: auto;
-  filter: saturate(0.95) contrast(1.02);
-}