diff --git a/src/css/custom.css b/src/css/custom.css
index 88368f6..4fe2ca5 100644
--- a/src/css/custom.css
+++ b/src/css/custom.css
@@ -144,8 +144,11 @@
 	}
 }
 
-/* when the window is narrow, the right-header icons are in the pull-down sidebar */
-.navbar-sidebar__items {
+/* .navbar-sidebar__items: when the window is narrow, the right-header icons are in the pull-down sidebar
+	.navbar__inner .dropdown__menu: for dropdown menus in the navbar. (note, though, that the current design does not allow dropdowns in the left section.)
+	*/
+.navbar-sidebar__items,
+.navbar__inner .dropdown__menu {
 	/* fontawesome-* classes were added in the item definitions in docusaurus.config.ts  */
 	.fontawesome-container {
 		display: flex;
@@ -214,16 +217,23 @@
 	border-radius: 0.5rem;
 }
 
-/* move the expand/contract caret to the far left for improved visibility/group offsetting */
-.menu__caret {
+/* move the expand/contract caret to the far left for improved visibility/group offsetting.
+   The second class is active if the subdirectory has no linked-page (so clicking on it just opens the sublist w/o changing the main panel.
+   */
+.menu__caret,
+.menu__link--sublist-caret::after {
 	order: -1;
 	padding-left: 0.45em;
 	padding-right: 0;
 	border-radius: 0.5rem 0 0 0.5rem; /* match the outer box's corner */
+}
 
-	&::before {
-		scale: 0.6;
-	}
+/* The caret is placed differently depending on whether the subdirectory has an index page.
+   The first is when an "index" is present; the second when there's no linked page */
+.menu__caret::before,
+.menu__link--sublist-caret::after {
+	scale: 0.6;
+	margin-left: 0; /* this is currently needed for .menu__link--sublist-caret::after, but is correct for both */
 }
 
 /* split the padding between the caret (previous rule) and the text in the category header */