diff --git a/frontend/src/app/tools/data-import/components/DataImportClient.tsx b/frontend/src/app/tools/data-import/components/DataImportClient.tsx
index 570075442..b53553f73 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/tools/data-import/components/DataImportClient.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/tools/data-import/components/DataImportClient.tsx
@@ -298,7 +298,10 @@ export function DataImportClient() {
                                         <>
                                             <Upload className="mx-auto mb-4 h-6 w-6 text-re-text-tertiary" strokeWidth={1.75} aria-hidden="true" />
                                             <div className="mb-1 text-ui font-medium text-re-text-primary">
-                                                Drag &amp; drop your CSV here, or click to browse
+                                                Upload a CSV to get started
+                                            </div>
+                                            <div className="mb-1 text-small text-re-text-secondary">
+                                                Drag and drop your CSV here, or click to browse
                                             </div>
                                             <div className="text-small text-re-text-tertiary">
                                                 Supports .csv files up to 5MB
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/tools/drill-simulator/components/DrillSimulatorClient.tsx b/frontend/src/app/tools/drill-simulator/components/DrillSimulatorClient.tsx
index 1b8987f29..4180431ca 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/tools/drill-simulator/components/DrillSimulatorClient.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/tools/drill-simulator/components/DrillSimulatorClient.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import {
 } from 'lucide-react';
 import { toast } from '@/components/ui/use-toast';
 import {
-    parseCSV, validateRecords, generateSampleCSV, generateCsvTemplate, getScoreColor,
+    parseCSV, validateRecords, generateCsvTemplate, getScoreColor,
     getSeverityColor, getSeverityBadgeColor,
     type ValidationResult,
 } from '../lib/record-validator';
@@ -182,13 +182,6 @@ export function DrillSimulatorClient() {
         }
     };
 
-    const handleLoadSampleData = async () => {
-        const csv = generateSampleCSV();
-        const blob = new Blob([csv], { type: 'text/csv' });
-        const file = new File([blob], 'sample-records.csv', { type: 'text/csv' });
-        setState({ ...state, uploadedFile: file });
-    };
-
     const handleDownloadTemplate = () => {
         const csv = generateCsvTemplate();
         const blob = new Blob([csv], { type: 'text/csv' });
@@ -379,12 +372,12 @@ STATUS: ${
                     className="mx-auto mb-4 text-re-text-tertiary"
                 />
                 <h3 className="mb-2 text-subheading text-re-text-primary">
-                    {state.uploadedFile ? state.uploadedFile.name : 'Drop your file here'}
+                    {state.uploadedFile ? state.uploadedFile.name : 'Upload a CSV to get started'}
                 </h3>
                 <p className="text-ui text-re-text-secondary">
                     {state.uploadedFile
                         ? `${(state.uploadedFile.size / 1024).toFixed(0)} KB`
-                        : 'or click to browse'}
+                        : 'Drop your file here or click to browse'}
                 </p>
                 <p className="mt-2 text-small text-re-text-muted">
                     CSV, TSV, or XLSX • Max 10MB
@@ -427,9 +420,10 @@ STATUS: ${
                 <Button
                     size="lg"
                     variant="secondary"
-                    onClick={handleLoadSampleData}
+                    onClick={() => fileInputRef.current?.click()}
+                    leadingIcon={<Upload size={18} strokeWidth={1.75} aria-hidden="true" />}
                 >
-                    Load Sample Data
+                    Upload CSV
                 </Button>
             </div>
         </motion.div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/tools/drill-simulator/lib/record-validator.ts b/frontend/src/app/tools/drill-simulator/lib/record-validator.ts
index 31658811c..65921da05 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/tools/drill-simulator/lib/record-validator.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/tools/drill-simulator/lib/record-validator.ts
@@ -910,74 +910,6 @@ export function generateCsvTemplate(): string {
   return `${CSV_TEMPLATE_HEADERS}\n`;
 }
 
-export function generateSampleCSV(): string {
-  const lines = [
-    'Event Type,Product,Lot Code,GTIN,Facility GLN,Source GLN,Destination GLN,Timestamp,Quantity,Unit of Measure,Reference Document',
-  ];
-
-  // Harvest/Create
-  lines.push(
-    'Create,Romaine Lettuce: Head,LOT-2024-001,0123456789012,1234567890128,1234567890128,3456789012345,2024-01-15T08:30:00Z,500,cases,FARM-001-DOC'
-  );
-
-  // First transformation
-  lines.push(
-    'Transform,Romaine Lettuce: Packaged,LOT-2024-001,0123456789029,3456789012345,,3456789012345,2024-01-15T12:00:00Z,480,cases,PKG-2024-001'
-  );
-
-  // Ship from packer
-  lines.push(
-    'Ship,Romaine Lettuce: Packaged,LOT-2024-001,0123456789029,3456789012345,3456789012345,5678901234567,2024-01-16T14:00:00Z,480,cases,BOL-2024-001'
-  );
-
-  // Receive at distributor
-  lines.push(
-    'Receive,Romaine Lettuce: Packaged,LOT-2024-001,0123456789029,5678901234567,3456789012345,5678901234567,2024-01-17T08:30:00Z,475,cases,RCV-2024-001'
-  );
-
-  // Ship from distributor
-  lines.push(
-    'Ship,Romaine Lettuce: Packaged,LOT-2024-001,0123456789029,5678901234567,5678901234567,7890123456789,2024-01-18T10:00:00Z,450,cases,BOL-2024-002'
-  );
-
-  // Receive at retailer
-  lines.push(
-    'Receive,Romaine Lettuce: Packaged,LOT-2024-001,0123456789029,7890123456789,5678901234567,7890123456789,2024-01-18T15:30:00Z,450,cases,RCV-2024-002'
-  );
-
-  // Different lot - intentionally missing some KDEs
-  lines.push('Create,Spinach: Bulk,LOT-2024-002,,1234567890135,1234567890135,3456789012352,2024-01-15T07:00:00Z,800,cases,');
-
-  lines.push('Ship,Spinach: Bulk,LOT-2024-002,,3456789012352,3456789012352,5678901234574,2024-01-16T16:00:00Z,800,,BOL-2024-003');
-
-  lines.push('Receive,Spinach: Bulk,LOT-2024-002,,5678901234574,3456789012352,5678901234574,2024-01-17T09:00:00Z,800,cases,');
-
-  // Third lot with time gap
-  lines.push(
-    'Create,Tomatoes: Vine Ripe,LOT-2024-003,0123456789036,1234567890142,1234567890142,3456789012359,2024-01-10T06:00:00Z,1200,cases,FARM-003'
-  );
-
-  lines.push(
-    'Ship,Tomatoes: Vine Ripe,LOT-2024-003,0123456789036,3456789012359,3456789012359,5678901234581,2024-01-10T14:00:00Z,1200,cases,BOL-2024-004'
-  );
-
-  // Large gap here - 3 days
-  lines.push(
-    'Receive,Tomatoes: Vine Ripe,LOT-2024-003,0123456789036,5678901234581,3456789012359,5678901234581,2024-01-13T10:30:00Z,1150,cases,RCV-2024-003'
-  );
-
-  // Fourth lot with unmatched ship (no receive)
-  lines.push(
-    'Create,Cucumbers,LOT-2024-004,0123456789043,1234567890159,1234567890159,3456789012366,2024-01-14T08:00:00Z,600,cases,FARM-004'
-  );
-
-  lines.push(
-    'Ship,Cucumbers,LOT-2024-004,0123456789043,3456789012366,3456789012366,5678901234598,2024-01-15T12:00:00Z,600,cases,BOL-2024-005'
-  );
-
-  return lines.join('\n');
-}
-
 /**
  * Design-system colour helpers.
  *
diff --git a/scripts/copy-lint/baseline.json b/scripts/copy-lint/baseline.json
index 224e3d54c..0e83c3c6b 100644
--- a/scripts/copy-lint/baseline.json
+++ b/scripts/copy-lint/baseline.json
@@ -118,9 +118,6 @@
   "frontend/src/app/sysadmin/page.tsx": {
     "dash-placeholder": 3
   },
-  "frontend/src/app/tools/drill-simulator/components/DrillSimulatorClient.tsx": {
-    "sample-demo": 1
-  },
   "frontend/src/app/tools/export/page.tsx": {
     "empty-render": 2
   },