diff --git a/.config/scripts/control-center.sh b/.config/scripts/control-center.sh
index 7929139..b66e562 100755
--- a/.config/scripts/control-center.sh
+++ b/.config/scripts/control-center.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 set -uo pipefail
 
 RASI="$HOME/.config/rofi/control.rasi"
+# 1 = close the panel entirely, 0 = fall back to the main list
+CC_EXIT=0
 menu() {  # menu <prompt> [rofi args...]
     local prompt="$1"; shift
     rofi -dmenu -i -theme "$RASI" -p "$prompt" "$@"
@@ -212,6 +214,8 @@ power_menu() {
         "󰒲  Suspend" \
         "󰜉  Reboot" \
         "󰐥  Shut down" | menu "Power")
+    [ -z "$choice" ] && return          # escape here goes back to the panel
+    CC_EXIT=1
     case "$choice" in
       *Lock)      lock_screen ;;
       *"Log out") bspc quit ;;
@@ -256,6 +260,8 @@ shot_menu() {
         "󰩭  Region" \
         "󰹑  Full screen" \
         "󰆊  Region, delayed 3s" | menu "Screenshot")
+    [ -z "$choice" ] && return
+    CC_EXIT=1
     case "$choice" in
       *Region)        flameshot gui ;;
       *"Full screen") flameshot full -c -p "$HOME/pictures" 2>/dev/null || flameshot full -c ;;
@@ -281,6 +287,7 @@ main_menu() {
         "󰠹  Particles      $(particles_status)" \
         "󰍹  Bar            $(bar_status)" \
         "󰐥  Power" | menu "Control")
+    [ -z "$choice" ] && { CC_EXIT=1; return; }
     case "$choice" in
       󰖩*) wifi_menu ;;
       󰂯*) bt_menu ;;
@@ -290,8 +297,8 @@ main_menu() {
       󰖂*) vpn_menu ;;
       󰍺*) display_menu ;;
       󰂚*) notif_menu ;;
-      󰅍*) sh "$HOME/.config/scripts/rofi-menus/clipboard-manager.sh" ;;
-      󰞅*) sh "$HOME/.config/scripts/rofi-menus/rofimoji.sh" ;;
+      󰅍*) CC_EXIT=1; sh "$HOME/.config/scripts/rofi-menus/clipboard-manager.sh" ;;
+      󰞅*) CC_EXIT=1; sh "$HOME/.config/scripts/rofi-menus/rofimoji.sh" ;;
       󰹑*) shot_menu ;;
       󰸉*) sh "$HOME/.config/scripts/set-wallpaper.sh" >/dev/null 2>&1
           notify "Wallpaper" "Shuffled" ;;
@@ -303,4 +310,6 @@ main_menu() {
     esac
 }
 
-main_menu
+while [ "$CC_EXIT" -eq 0 ]; do
+    main_menu
+done