diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Reports.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/Reports.tsx
index 047fffec..7464dbde 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Reports.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Reports.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import {
 } from '@hugeicons/core-free-icons'
 import { getDashboardSummary, getReports, API_BASE } from '../api'
 import { formatDateLong, isWithinDateRange, type DateRange } from '../utils/date'
-import { usePreferredExportFormat } from '../hooks/usePreferredExportFormat'
 
 type Report = {
   id: string
@@ -73,7 +72,10 @@ export default function Reports() {
   const [selectedDateRange, setSelectedDateRange] = useState<DateRange>('all')
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true)
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null)
-  const { preferred, savePreference } = usePreferredExportFormat()
+  const [preferredFormat, setPreferredFormat] = useState<string | null>(null)
+  const latestReadyReport = [...reports]
+    .filter((report) => report.status === 'ready')
+    .sort((a, b) => new Date(b.generated_at).getTime() - new Date(a.generated_at).getTime())[0]
 
   const fetchReports = () => {
     setLoading(true)
@@ -93,6 +95,8 @@ export default function Reports() {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     fetchReports()
+    const pref = localStorage.getItem('secuscan:preferred-export-format')
+    if (pref) setPreferredFormat(pref)
   }, [])
 
   const filteredReports = reports.filter((report) =>
@@ -118,6 +122,18 @@ export default function Reports() {
         </div>
 
         <div className="flex items-center gap-6">
+          <button
+            onClick={() => {
+              if (!latestReadyReport) return
+              window.open(`${API_BASE}/task/${latestReadyReport.task_id}/report/pdf`, '_blank')
+            }}
+            aria-label="Download latest ready report PDF"
+            title={latestReadyReport ? 'Download latest ready report PDF' : 'No ready report available'}
+            disabled={!latestReadyReport}
+            className="bg-charcoal border-4 border-black p-4 text-silver-bright shadow-[6px_6px_0px_0px_rgba(0,0,0,1)] hover:shadow-none hover:translate-x-1 hover:translate-y-1 transition-all disabled:opacity-30 disabled:cursor-not-allowed"
+          >
+            <ReportIcon icon={Download01Icon} className="block" aria-hidden="true" />
+          </button>
           <button
             onClick={fetchReports}
             className="bg-charcoal border-4 border-black p-4 text-silver-bright shadow-[6px_6px_0px_0px_rgba(0,0,0,1)] hover:shadow-none hover:translate-x-1 hover:translate-y-1 transition-all"
@@ -345,28 +361,35 @@ export default function Reports() {
                             >
                               <ReportIcon icon={ScanEyeIcon} size={18} aria-hidden="true"/>
                             </button>
-                            {[...exportFormats].sort((a, b) =>
-                              a === preferred ? -1 : b === preferred ? 1 : 0
-                            ).map((format) => (
-                              <button
-                                key={format}
-                                onClick={() => {
-                                  if (report.status !== 'generating') {
-                                    savePreference(format)
+                            {(() => {
+                              const ordered = preferredFormat
+                                ? [preferredFormat, ...exportFormats.filter((f) => f !== preferredFormat)]
+                                : exportFormats
+
+                              return ordered.map((format) => (
+                                <button
+                                  key={format}
+                                  onClick={() => {
+                                    if (report.status === 'generating') return
+                                    // Persist preferred export format for future sessions/tests
+                                    try {
+                                      localStorage.setItem('secuscan:preferred-export-format', format)
+                                    } catch {}
+                                    setPreferredFormat(format)
                                     window.open(`${API_BASE}/task/${report.task_id}/report/${format}`, '_blank')
-                                  }
-                                }}
-                                disabled={report.status === 'generating'}
-                                className={`border-4 border-black px-3 py-2 text-[9px] font-black uppercase tracking-widest transition-all disabled:opacity-30 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:group-hover:text-silver/20 disabled:group-hover:bg-charcoal-dark ${
-                                  format === preferred
-                                    ? 'bg-rag-amber text-black group-hover:bg-rag-amber'
-                                    : 'bg-charcoal-dark text-silver/20 group-hover:text-silver-bright group-hover:bg-black'
-                                }`}
-                                title={report.status === 'generating' ? 'Export unavailable while report is generating' : `Download ${format.toUpperCase()}${format === preferred ? ' (preferred)' : ''}`}
-                              >
-                                {format}
-                              </button>
-                            ))}
+                                  }}
+                                  disabled={report.status === 'generating'}
+                                  className={`border-4 border-black px-3 py-2 text-[9px] font-black uppercase tracking-widest transition-all disabled:opacity-30 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:group-hover:text-silver/20 disabled:group-hover:bg-charcoal-dark ${
+                                    format === preferredFormat
+                                      ? 'bg-rag-amber border-black text-black shadow-[4px_4px_0px_0px_rgba(0,0,0,1)]'
+                                      : 'bg-charcoal-dark text-silver/20 group-hover:text-silver-bright group-hover:bg-black'
+                                  }`}
+                                  title={report.status === 'generating' ? 'Export unavailable while report is generating' : `Download ${format.toUpperCase()}`}
+                                >
+                                  {format}
+                                </button>
+                              ))
+                            })()}
                           </div>
                         </div>
                       </div>
diff --git a/frontend/testing/unit/pages/Reports.test.tsx b/frontend/testing/unit/pages/Reports.test.tsx
index 3da4ecd5..3b3ec230 100644
--- a/frontend/testing/unit/pages/Reports.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/testing/unit/pages/Reports.test.tsx
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ const readyReport = {
   generated_at: '2026-05-14T10:00:00Z', status: 'ready',
   findings: 7, assets: 3, pages: 12,
 }
+const newerReadyReport = {
+  id: 'report-4', task_id: 'task-jkl-012',
+  name: 'Security Scan — docs.example.com', type: 'technical',
+  generated_at: '2026-05-14T11:30:00Z', status: 'ready',
+  findings: 2, assets: 1, pages: 4,
+}
 const generatingReport = {
   id: 'report-2', task_id: 'task-def-456',
   name: 'Security Scan — staging.example.com', type: 'executive',
@@ -168,6 +174,39 @@ describe('Reports — export buttons on a ready report', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('Reports — header export button', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.mocked(getDashboardSummary).mockResolvedValue(emptySummary)
+    openSpy.mockClear()
+  })
+
+  it('opens the newest ready report PDF from the header button', async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup()
+    vi.mocked(getReports).mockResolvedValue({ reports: [readyReport, generatingReport, newerReadyReport, failedReport] })
+
+    renderReports()
+
+    await user.click(await screen.findByRole('button', { name: /download latest ready report pdf/i }))
+
+    expect(openSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.stringContaining('/task/' + newerReadyReport.task_id + '/report/pdf'), '_blank')
+    expect(openSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining('/task/latest/report/pdf'), expect.anything())
+  })
+
+  it('disables the header export button when there is no ready report', async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup()
+    vi.mocked(getReports).mockResolvedValue({ reports: [generatingReport, failedReport] })
+
+    renderReports()
+
+    const button = await screen.findByRole('button', { name: /download latest ready report pdf/i })
+    expect(button).toBeDisabled()
+
+    await user.click(button)
+    expect(openSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+})
+
 // ── Export buttons — generating report ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 describe('Reports — export buttons on a generating report', () => {