diff --git a/assets/ocad.pgp b/assets/ocad.pgp
index 78aa32244..54f24f703 100644
--- a/assets/ocad.pgp
+++ b/assets/ocad.pgp
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ BE,       *BEDIT
 IAT,      *IMAGEATTACH
 XA,       *XATTACH
 XR,       *XREF
+-XR,      *-XREF
+XC,       *XCLIP
+ICL,      *IMAGECLIP
 ADC,      *ADCENTER
 W,        *WBLOCK
 
diff --git a/src/app/alias.rs b/src/app/alias.rs
index f6db65401..09112798a 100644
--- a/src/app/alias.rs
+++ b/src/app/alias.rs
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ const WEB_ALIAS_KEY: &str = "opencadstudio.aliases";
 /// migrated forward (see `introduced_at` / `migrate_aliases`). Version 1 shipped
 /// the pre-REDRAW table; version 2 introduced the REDRAW-family aliases; version 3
 /// introduced HB (HATCHTOBACK); version 4 introduced ER (EXTERNALREFERENCES).
-const DEFAULT_ALIASES_VERSION: u32 = 7;
+const DEFAULT_ALIASES_VERSION: u32 = 8;
 
 #[cfg(target_arch = "wasm32")]
 const WEB_ALIAS_VERSION_KEY: &str = "opencadstudio.aliases.version";
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ fn introduced_at(version: u32) -> &'static [(&'static str, &'static str)] {
         5 => &[("-ATT", "-ATTDEF")],
         6 => &[("VV", "QLAYER")],
         7 => &[("DV", "DVIEW")],
+        8 => &[("-XR", "-XREF"), ("XC", "XCLIP"), ("ICL", "IMAGECLIP")],
         _ => &[],
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/app/commands/blocks.rs b/src/app/commands/blocks.rs
index b9a74490b..7bf4e2c44 100644
--- a/src/app/commands/blocks.rs
+++ b/src/app/commands/blocks.rs
@@ -951,17 +951,30 @@ impl OpenCADStudio {
                 }
             }
 
-            // EXTERNALREFERENCES — toggle the docked External References panel.
+            // EXTERNALREFERENCES opens the docked External References panel
+            // (an open one stays open); EXTERNALREFERENCESCLOSE closes it.
             // (XREFMAN was a provisional name and is not kept, not even as an
             // alias.) The XREF command below is untouched.
             "EXTERNALREFERENCES" => {
-                self.show_external_references ^= true;
-                if self.show_external_references {
-                    // Always open expanded so the panel is immediately usable;
-                    // dock it on the right if the user closed it from the layout.
-                    self.dock_open_at_default(crate::ui::dock::PanelId::ExternalReferences);
-                    self.refresh_xref_manager();
-                }
+                self.show_external_references = true;
+                // Always open expanded so the panel is immediately usable;
+                // dock it on the right if the user closed it from the layout.
+                self.dock_open_at_default(crate::ui::dock::PanelId::ExternalReferences);
+                self.refresh_xref_manager();
+            }
+            "EXTERNALREFERENCESCLOSE" => self.show_external_references = false,
+            // ERSTATE (read only): whether the panel is open.
+            cmd if cmd
+                .strip_prefix("SETVAR ")
+                .unwrap_or(cmd)
+                .split_whitespace()
+                .next()
+                .is_some_and(|name| name.eq_ignore_ascii_case("ERSTATE")) =>
+            {
+                self.command_line.push_output(&format!(
+                    "ERSTATE = {} (read only)",
+                    u8::from(self.show_external_references)
+                ));
             }
 
             cmd if cmd.eq_ignore_ascii_case("XREF")
diff --git a/src/app/commands/mod.rs b/src/app/commands/mod.rs
index ba82aeeba..7fa3919e6 100644
--- a/src/app/commands/mod.rs
+++ b/src/app/commands/mod.rs
@@ -819,6 +819,8 @@ inventory::submit!(crate::command::CommandRegistration {
         "EXPORTSTEP",
         "EXPORTSTL",
         "EXTERNALREFERENCES",
+        "EXTERNALREFERENCESCLOSE",
+        "ERSTATE",
         "POINTCLOUDMANAGER",
         "POINTCLOUDMANAGERCLOSE",
         "EXTRIM",
diff --git a/src/ui/ribbon/draw_panel.rs b/src/ui/ribbon/draw_panel.rs
index a140ac1d4..daf71a345 100644
--- a/src/ui/ribbon/draw_panel.rs
+++ b/src/ui/ribbon/draw_panel.rs
@@ -311,7 +311,8 @@ pub(super) fn group_title<'a>(
     if panel.id != REFERENCE_PANEL_ID {
         return title_button;
     }
-    // The corner arrow opens the External References palette.
+    // The corner arrow opens the External References palette, or closes it
+    // when it is open.
     let launcher = tooltip(
         // A right arrow turned to point into the corner.
         button(
@@ -323,10 +324,7 @@ pub(super) fn group_title<'a>(
                     color: Some(theme.palette().background.base.text),
                 }),
         )
-        .on_press(Message::RibbonToolClick {
-            tool_id: "EXTERNALREFERENCES".to_string(),
-            event: crate::modules::ModuleEvent::Command("EXTERNALREFERENCES".to_string()),
-        })
+        .on_press(Message::ToggleXrefManager)
         .style(move |theme: &Theme, status| tool_btn_style(theme, false, status))
         .padding([0, 3]),
         make_tip(format!(