diff --git a/superset-frontend/packages/superset-ui-core/src/components/Icons/AntdEnhanced.tsx b/superset-frontend/packages/superset-ui-core/src/components/Icons/AntdEnhanced.tsx
index b41f38597ae..0f9c0a33244 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/packages/superset-ui-core/src/components/Icons/AntdEnhanced.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/packages/superset-ui-core/src/components/Icons/AntdEnhanced.tsx
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ import {
   PlusSquareOutlined,
   PlusOutlined,
   ProfileOutlined,
+  PushpinOutlined,
   QuestionCircleOutlined,
   ReloadOutlined,
   RightOutlined,
@@ -263,6 +264,7 @@ const AntdIcons = {
   PlusSquareOutlined,
   PlusOutlined,
   ProfileOutlined,
+  PushpinOutlined,
   ReloadOutlined,
   QuestionCircleOutlined,
   RightOutlined,
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/TableExploreTree/TreeNodeRenderer.tsx b/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/TableExploreTree/TreeNodeRenderer.tsx
index 44eeb19d464..9f1b9fec345 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/TableExploreTree/TreeNodeRenderer.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/TableExploreTree/TreeNodeRenderer.tsx
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ const TreeNodeRenderer: React.FC<TreeNodeRendererProps> = ({
           <IconButton
             icon={
               <Tooltip title={t('Pin to the result panel')}>
-                <Icons.FolderAddOutlined iconSize="xl" />
+                <Icons.PushpinOutlined iconSize="xl" />
               </Tooltip>
             }
             onClick={e => {
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/TableExploreTree/index.tsx b/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/TableExploreTree/index.tsx
index 5bc2cf75f87..cb71b54e2b3 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/TableExploreTree/index.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/SqlLab/components/TableExploreTree/index.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import {
   useMemo,
 } from 'react';
 import { useSelector, useDispatch, shallowEqual } from 'react-redux';
-import { styled, t } from '@apache-superset/core';
+import { styled, css, t, useTheme } from '@apache-superset/core';
 import AutoSizer from 'react-virtualized-auto-sizer';
 // Due to performance issues with the virtual list in the existing Ant Design (antd)-based tree view,
 // it has been replaced with react-arborist solution.
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ const ROW_HEIGHT = 28;
 
 const TableExploreTree: React.FC<Props> = ({ queryEditorId }) => {
   const dispatch = useDispatch();
+  const theme = useTheme();
   const treeRef = useRef<TreeApi<TreeNodeData>>(null);
   const tables = useSelector(
     ({ sqlLab }: SqlLabRootState) => sqlLab.tables,
@@ -236,31 +237,38 @@ const TableExploreTree: React.FC<Props> = ({ queryEditorId }) => {
 
   return (
     <>
-      <PanelToolbar
-        viewId={ViewContribution.LeftSidebar}
-        defaultPrimaryActions={
-          <>
-            <Button
-              color="primary"
-              variant="text"
-              icon={<Icons.MinusSquareOutlined />}
-              onClick={() => {
-                treeRef.current?.closeAll();
-                setManuallyOpenedNodes({});
-              }}
-              tooltip={t('Collapse all')}
-            />
-            <Button
-              color="primary"
-              variant="text"
-              icon={<Icons.ReloadOutlined />}
-              onClick={() => refetch()}
-              loading={isFetching}
-              tooltip={t('Force refresh schema list')}
-            />
-          </>
-        }
-      />
+      {/* Negative margin to align toolbar icons with other elements on the screen */}
+      <div
+        css={css`
+          margin-left: -${theme.sizeUnit * 2}px;
+        `}
+      >
+        <PanelToolbar
+          viewId={ViewContribution.LeftSidebar}
+          defaultPrimaryActions={
+            <>
+              <Button
+                color="primary"
+                variant="text"
+                icon={<Icons.MinusSquareOutlined />}
+                onClick={() => {
+                  treeRef.current?.closeAll();
+                  setManuallyOpenedNodes({});
+                }}
+                tooltip={t('Collapse all')}
+              />
+              <Button
+                color="primary"
+                variant="text"
+                icon={<Icons.ReloadOutlined />}
+                onClick={() => refetch()}
+                loading={isFetching}
+                tooltip={t('Force refresh schema list')}
+              />
+            </>
+          }
+        />
+      </div>
       <Input
         allowClear
         type="text"
@@ -268,6 +276,9 @@ const TableExploreTree: React.FC<Props> = ({ queryEditorId }) => {
         placeholder={t('Enter a part of the object name')}
         onChange={handleSearchChange}
         value={searchTerm}
+        css={css`
+          margin-bottom: 2px;
+        `}
       />
       {errorPayload && (
         <ErrorMessageWithStackTrace error={errorPayload} source="crud" />
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/components/PanelToolbar/index.tsx b/superset-frontend/src/components/PanelToolbar/index.tsx
index 7f88197811b..18144ae253a 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/components/PanelToolbar/index.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/components/PanelToolbar/index.tsx
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ const PanelToolbar = ({
   const toolbarStyles = css`
     display: flex;
     align-items: center;
-    gap: ${theme.sizeUnit * 2}px;
+    gap: ${theme.sizeUnit}px;
 
     & .ant-divider {
       height: ${theme.sizeUnit * 6}px;
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/core/editors/AceEditorProvider.tsx b/superset-frontend/src/core/editors/AceEditorProvider.tsx
index 6e18e3e0f36..c52d0f93332 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/core/editors/AceEditorProvider.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/core/editors/AceEditorProvider.tsx
@@ -251,18 +251,6 @@ const AceEditorProvider = forwardRef<EditorHandle, EditorProps>(
     // Track if event listeners have been registered to prevent duplicates
     const listenersRegisteredRef = useRef(false);
 
-    // Notify when ready (only once)
-    useEffect(() => {
-      if (
-        onReady &&
-        aceEditorRef.current?.editor &&
-        !onReadyCalledRef.current
-      ) {
-        onReadyCalledRef.current = true;
-        onReady(handle);
-      }
-    }, [onReady, handle]);
-
     // Handle editor load
     const onEditorLoad = useCallback(
       (editor: AceEditor['editor']) => {
@@ -306,10 +294,16 @@ const AceEditorProvider = forwardRef<EditorHandle, EditorProps>(
           });
         }
 
+        // Notify when ready (only once) - must be done here after editor is loaded
+        if (onReady && !onReadyCalledRef.current) {
+          onReadyCalledRef.current = true;
+          onReady(handle);
+        }
+
         // Focus the editor
         editor.focus();
       },
-      [hotkeys, handle],
+      [hotkeys, handle, onReady],
     );
 
     // Handle blur
diff --git a/superset/sqllab/utils.py b/superset/sqllab/utils.py
index 5f179beccda..73576fdb749 100644
--- a/superset/sqllab/utils.py
+++ b/superset/sqllab/utils.py
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ def bootstrap_sqllab_data(user_id: int | None) -> dict[str, Any]:
         }
         databases[database.id]["backend"] = database.backend
         databases[database.id]["allow_multi_catalog"] = database.allow_multi_catalog
+        databases[database.id]["allows_virtual_table_explore"] = (
+            database.allows_virtual_table_explore
+        )
 
     # These are unnecessary if sqllab backend persistence is disabled
     if is_feature_enabled("SQLLAB_BACKEND_PERSISTENCE"):