diff --git a/docs/decisions/0016-shell-layout-replacement-seams.rst b/docs/decisions/0016-shell-layout-replacement-seams.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fefeb6b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/decisions/0016-shell-layout-replacement-seams.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+###################################
+Shell layout replacement seams
+###################################
+
+Status
+======
+
+Proposed
+
+
+Context
+=======
+
+The shell's header and footer both compose multiple slots into a single
+visible region.  Operators occasionally need to swap one of these regions out
+wholesale (for example, replacing the default footer with a fully custom
+brand footer), without touching the dozens of inner slots that make up the
+default composition.
+
+The header was already structured to support this.  ``Header.tsx`` is a thin
+shell containing only top-level slots, and the desktop and mobile layouts are
+registered as default widgets on those slots in ``shell/header/app.tsx``::
+
+    {
+      slotId: 'org.openedx.frontend.slot.header.desktop.v1',
+      id: 'org.openedx.frontend.widget.header.desktopLayout.v1',
+      op: WidgetOperationTypes.APPEND,
+      component: DesktopLayout,
+    }
+
+Replacing the entire desktop header is a single ``WidgetOperationTypes.REPLACE``
+against ``desktopLayout.v1`` (or a ``LayoutOperationTypes.REPLACE`` against
+the slot itself, depending on the operator's intent).
+
+The footer did not follow this pattern.  ``Footer.tsx`` composed a
+``<footer>`` element, a four-column flex container, and a ``<PoweredBy>``
+component inline, with the inner slots (``desktopTop.v1``,
+``desktopLeftLinks.v1``, etc.) embedded directly in that JSX.  None of the
+structural HTML lived inside a ``<Slot>``, so no slot operation could
+replace it.  The closest target, ``desktopTop.v1``, hardcoded a
+``RevealLinks`` layout that wrapped its widgets in a Collapsible, hiding any
+full-footer-replacement widget behind a "more" toggle.  The other inner
+slots were too narrow to host a wholesale replacement and carried their own
+hardcoded layouts.
+
+
+Decision
+========
+
+Top-level shell regions ("header", "footer") are exposed as bare ``<Slot>``
+elements with no surrounding markup.  The default visual composition of each
+region lives in a layout widget registered as the slot's default widget,
+following the header's existing pattern.
+
+The footer is restructured to match.  ``Footer.tsx`` becomes a single
+``<Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktop.v1" />``.  The previous
+JSX (the ``<footer>`` element, the column composition, ``<PoweredBy>``)
+moves verbatim into a new ``DesktopFooterLayout`` component, registered as
+the default widget for that slot in ``shell/footer/app.tsx``.
+
+All existing inner slot ids and default widget ids are preserved.  Plugins
+that target ``desktopCenterLinks.v1``, ``desktopLeftLinks.v1``,
+``desktopLegalNotices.v1``, ``desktopRightLinks.v1``, the four
+``desktopCenterLink{1..4}.v1`` sub-slots, or ``desktopTop.v1`` continue to
+work without modification.
+
+After this change, replacing the whole footer is symmetric with replacing
+the whole header: a single ``WidgetOperationTypes.REPLACE`` targeting
+``org.openedx.frontend.widget.footer.desktopLayout.v1``, or a
+``LayoutOperationTypes.REPLACE`` targeting
+``org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktop.v1``.
+
+This formalizes a pattern that future top-level shell regions should follow.
+A shell region that callers might want to replace wholesale belongs in its
+own top-level slot, with the default composition in a layout widget; the
+component that frontend-base re-exports from its public surface should be
+the bare ``<Slot>`` shell.
+
+
+Consequences
+============
+
+Default-deployment behavior is unchanged.  The DOM tree for a default
+footer is identical aside from one extra ``<Slot>`` rendering pass that
+resolves to the layout widget.
+
+The public surface gains one new slot id
+(``org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktop.v1``) and one new widget id
+(``org.openedx.frontend.widget.footer.desktopLayout.v1``), both following
+the reverse-DNS-versioned convention from ADR 0009.  Adding them is purely
+additive.
+
+The ``.desktop`` qualifier on the new slot id reserves space for a sibling
+``.mobile.v1`` layout if a future change splits the footer the way the
+header is split.  The current single responsive layout is preserved as-is.
+
+A small follow-up that is intentionally out of scope: wrapping
+``<PoweredBy>`` in its own slot so operators can remove just that piece
+without replacing the entire layout.  This is straightforward to add later
+without breaking the contract established here.
+
+
+References
+==========
+
+- :doc:`ADR 0009: Slot Naming and Life Cycle <0009-slot-naming-and-lifecycle>`
+- :doc:`ADR 0011: Slot layouts instead of a wrapping operation <0011-no-slot-wrapping-operation>`
diff --git a/shell/footer/DesktopFooterLayout.tsx b/shell/footer/DesktopFooterLayout.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8b76005f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/footer/DesktopFooterLayout.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import { Slot } from '../../runtime';
+import CenterLinks from './CenterLinks';
+import LeftLinks from './LeftLinks';
+import LegalNotices from './LegalNotices';
+import PoweredBy from './PoweredBy';
+import RevealLinks from './RevealLinks';
+import RightLinks from './RightLinks';
+
+export default function DesktopFooterLayout() {
+  return (
+    <footer className="d-flex flex-column align-items-stretch">
+      <Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktopTop.v1" layout={RevealLinks} />
+      <div className="py-3 px-3 d-flex gap-5 justify-content-between align-items-stretch">
+        <div className="flex-basis-0 d-flex align-items-start">
+          <div className="d-flex gap-3 align-items-center">
+            <Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktopLeftLinks.v1" layout={LeftLinks} />
+          </div>
+        </div>
+        <div className="flex-grow-1 flex-basis-0 d-flex justify-content-center">
+          <div className="d-flex flex-column justify-content-between gap-5">
+            <Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktopCenterLinks.v1" layout={CenterLinks} />
+            <Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktopLegalNotices.v1" layout={LegalNotices} />
+          </div>
+        </div>
+        <div className="flex-basis-0 d-flex justify-content-end">
+          <div className="d-flex flex-column justify-content-between">
+            <Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktopRightLinks.v1" layout={RightLinks} />
+            <PoweredBy />
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </footer>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/shell/footer/Footer.test.tsx b/shell/footer/Footer.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1eb390b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/footer/Footer.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+import '@testing-library/jest-dom';
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { MemoryRouter } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { LayoutOperationTypes, WidgetOperationTypes } from '../../runtime';
+import { getSiteConfig, setSiteConfig } from '../../runtime/config';
+import { IntlProvider } from '../../runtime/i18n';
+import { initializeMockApp } from '../../runtime/testing';
+import footerApp from './app';
+import Footer from './Footer';
+
+function renderFooter() {
+  return render(
+    <IntlProvider locale="en">
+      <MemoryRouter>
+        <Footer />
+      </MemoryRouter>
+    </IntlProvider>
+  );
+}
+
+describe('Footer', () => {
+  let baseSiteConfig: ReturnType<typeof getSiteConfig>;
+
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    initializeMockApp();
+    baseSiteConfig = getSiteConfig();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    setSiteConfig({ ...baseSiteConfig, apps: [] });
+  });
+
+  it('renders the default desktop footer layout', () => {
+    setSiteConfig({ ...baseSiteConfig, apps: [footerApp] });
+
+    const { container } = renderFooter();
+
+    expect(container.querySelector('footer')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByRole('img', { name: /powered by/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('replaces the entire footer when desktopLayout.v1 widget is replaced', () => {
+    setSiteConfig({
+      ...baseSiteConfig,
+      apps: [
+        footerApp,
+        {
+          appId: 'test-app',
+          slots: [
+            {
+              slotId: 'org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktop.v1',
+              id: 'test-app.customFooter',
+              relatedId: 'org.openedx.frontend.widget.footer.desktopLayout.v1',
+              op: WidgetOperationTypes.REPLACE,
+              element: <div>Custom Footer Replacement</div>,
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    const { container } = renderFooter();
+
+    expect(screen.getByText('Custom Footer Replacement')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(container.querySelector('footer')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('img', { name: /powered by/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('replaces the entire footer when the desktop slot layout is replaced', () => {
+    function CustomFooterLayout() {
+      return <div>Custom Layout Replacement</div>;
+    }
+
+    setSiteConfig({
+      ...baseSiteConfig,
+      apps: [
+        footerApp,
+        {
+          appId: 'test-app',
+          slots: [
+            {
+              slotId: 'org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktop.v1',
+              op: LayoutOperationTypes.REPLACE,
+              component: CustomFooterLayout,
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    const { container } = renderFooter();
+
+    expect(screen.getByText('Custom Layout Replacement')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(container.querySelector('footer')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('img', { name: /powered by/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/shell/footer/Footer.tsx b/shell/footer/Footer.tsx
index 0d5ecf9d..be21d957 100644
--- a/shell/footer/Footer.tsx
+++ b/shell/footer/Footer.tsx
@@ -1,34 +1,5 @@
 import { Slot } from '../../runtime';
-import CenterLinks from './CenterLinks';
-import LeftLinks from './LeftLinks';
-import LegalNotices from './LegalNotices';
-import PoweredBy from './PoweredBy';
-import RevealLinks from './RevealLinks';
-import RightLinks from './RightLinks';
 
 export default function Footer() {
-  return (
-    <footer className="d-flex flex-column align-items-stretch">
-      <Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktopTop.v1" layout={RevealLinks} />
-      <div className="py-3 px-3 d-flex gap-5 justify-content-between align-items-stretch">
-        <div className="flex-basis-0 d-flex align-items-start">
-          <div className="d-flex gap-3 align-items-center">
-            <Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktopLeftLinks.v1" layout={LeftLinks} />
-          </div>
-        </div>
-        <div className="flex-grow-1 flex-basis-0 d-flex justify-content-center">
-          <div className="d-flex flex-column justify-content-between gap-5">
-            <Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktopCenterLinks.v1" layout={CenterLinks} />
-            <Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktopLegalNotices.v1" layout={LegalNotices} />
-          </div>
-        </div>
-        <div className="flex-basis-0 d-flex justify-content-end">
-          <div className="d-flex flex-column justify-content-between">
-            <Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktopRightLinks.v1" layout={RightLinks} />
-            <PoweredBy />
-          </div>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-    </footer>
-  );
+  return <Slot id="org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktop.v1" />;
 }
diff --git a/shell/footer/app.tsx b/shell/footer/app.tsx
index 9b3481cb..fd316f49 100644
--- a/shell/footer/app.tsx
+++ b/shell/footer/app.tsx
@@ -2,12 +2,21 @@ import { Slot, WidgetOperationTypes } from '../../runtime';
 import { App } from '../../types';
 import Logo from '../Logo';
 import CopyrightNotice from './CopyrightNotice';
+import DesktopFooterLayout from './DesktopFooterLayout';
 import LabeledLinkColumn from './LabeledLinkColumn';
 import LanguageMenu from './LanguageMenu';
 
 const app: App = {
   appId: 'org.openedx.frontend.app.footer',
   slots: [
+    // Layout
+    {
+      slotId: 'org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktop.v1',
+      id: 'org.openedx.frontend.widget.footer.desktopLayout.v1',
+      op: WidgetOperationTypes.APPEND,
+      component: DesktopFooterLayout,
+    },
+
     // Center links
     {
       slotId: 'org.openedx.frontend.slot.footer.desktopCenterLinks.v1',