diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.test.ts
index 73d7e46e25..3531adb08b 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import {
   MACOS_TAHOE_DARWIN_MAJOR,
   TITLEBAR_CONTROL_OFFSET_X,
   TITLEBAR_CONTROL_SIZE,
-  TITLEBAR_DRAG_HANDLE_WIDTH,
   TITLEBAR_EDGE_INSET,
   TITLEBAR_FALLBACK_WINDOW_BUTTON_X,
   TITLEBAR_ICON_SIZE,
@@ -23,10 +22,6 @@ describe('titlebar sizing', () => {
     expect(titlebarIconSizeCss()).toBe('13.9px')
   })
 
-  it('reserves a fixed native drag target beside titlebar tabs', () => {
-    expect(TITLEBAR_DRAG_HANDLE_WIDTH).toBe(48)
-  })
-
   it('reserves width from abutting hit targets only', () => {
     expect(titlebarToolsWidthCss(4)).toBe('calc(4 * var(--titlebar-control-size))')
   })
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.test.tsx
index 2bb454aacc..5ba031eea2 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.test.tsx
@@ -59,53 +59,81 @@ afterEach(() => {
 })
 
 describe('TreeGroup', () => {
-  it('keeps a fixed native drag handle beside crowded top-edge tabs', () => {
+  // Titlebar geometry (#112964): tabs sharing the native titlebar band are all
+  // `no-drag`, so once the list overflows they can cover every draggable pixel.
+  // A window must keep a drag target that no tab can occupy — a fixed-width
+  // handle OUTSIDE the scrolling tablist. When the tabs instead drop below the
+  // window controls, the free band above them stays the (flexible) handle.
+  describe('top-edge window drag handle', () => {
     const paneIds = ['terminal', 'terminal-2', 'terminal-3', 'terminal-4', 'terminal-5']
 
-    const disposers = paneIds.map(id =>
-      registry.register({
-        area: 'panes',
-        data: { placement: 'main' },
-        id,
-        render: () => <div>{id}</div>,
-        title: id
+    function mountCrowdedStrip(titlebarWidth: number) {
+      const disposers = paneIds.map(id =>
+        registry.register({
+          area: 'panes',
+          data: { placement: 'main' },
+          id,
+          render: () => <div>{id}</div>,
+          title: id
+        })
+      )
+
+      disposePane = () => disposers.forEach(dispose => dispose())
+      vi.stubGlobal('CSS', { escape: (value: string) => value })
+      vi.stubGlobal(
+        'ResizeObserver',
+        class {
+          observe() {}
+          unobserve() {}
+          disconnect() {}
+        }
+      )
+      // jsdom has no layout: give usePanelTitlebar real chrome rects so it
+      // picks the tabs-in-titlebar layout (wide) or below-controls (narrow).
+      vi.spyOn(HTMLElement.prototype, 'getBoundingClientRect').mockImplementation(function (this: HTMLElement) {
+        if (this.matches('[data-titlebar-cluster="left"]')) {
+          return { left: 0, right: 100 } as DOMRect
+        }
+
+        if (this.matches('[data-titlebar-cluster="right"]')) {
+          return { left: titlebarWidth - 100, right: titlebarWidth } as DOMRect
+        }
+
+        return { left: 0, right: titlebarWidth, width: titlebarWidth } as DOMRect
       })
-    )
+      const leftControls = globalThis.document.createElement('div')
+      leftControls.dataset.titlebarCluster = 'left'
+      const rightControls = globalThis.document.createElement('div')
+      rightControls.dataset.titlebarCluster = 'right'
+      globalThis.document.body.append(leftControls, rightControls)
 
-    disposePane = () => disposers.forEach(dispose => dispose())
-    vi.stubGlobal('CSS', { escape: (value: string) => value })
-    vi.stubGlobal(
-      'ResizeObserver',
-      class {
-        observe() {}
-        unobserve() {}
-        disconnect() {}
-      }
-    )
-    vi.spyOn(HTMLElement.prototype, 'getBoundingClientRect').mockImplementation(function () {
-      if (this.matches('[data-titlebar-cluster="left"]')) {
-        return { left: 0, right: 100 } as DOMRect
-      }
+      render(<TreeGroup leftEdge node={{ ...terminalGroup(false), panes: paneIds }} rightEdge topEdge />)
 
-      if (this.matches('[data-titlebar-cluster="right"]')) {
-        return { left: 700, right: 800 } as DOMRect
-      }
+      const zone = container!.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-tree-group]')!
+      expect(zone.querySelectorAll('[data-tree-tab]').length).toBe(paneIds.length)
 
-      return { left: 0, right: 800, width: 800 } as DOMRect
+      return {
+        handles: [...zone.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>('[data-window-drag-handle]')],
+        strip: zone.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-zone-tabstrip]')!
+      }
+    }
+
+    it('keeps a fixed drag handle outside the tablist when tabs share the titlebar', () => {
+      const { handles, strip } = mountCrowdedStrip(800)
+      const fixed = handles.filter(handle => !handle.closest('[role="tablist"]') && handle.style.width !== '')
+
+      expect(fixed.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+      expect(fixed[0]!.className).toContain('shrink-0')
+      // The strip itself still spans the band, so the handle is ADDITIONAL to it.
+      expect(strip.className).toContain('flex-1')
     })
-    const leftControls = globalThis.document.createElement('div')
-    leftControls.dataset.titlebarCluster = 'left'
-    const rightControls = globalThis.document.createElement('div')
-    rightControls.dataset.titlebarCluster = 'right'
-    globalThis.document.body.append(leftControls, rightControls)
 
-    render(<TreeGroup leftEdge node={{ ...terminalGroup(false), panes: paneIds }} rightEdge topEdge />)
+    it('leaves the whole free band draggable when tabs drop below the controls', () => {
+      const { handles, strip } = mountCrowdedStrip(300)
 
-    const handle = container!.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-window-drag-handle]')!
-    expect(container!.querySelectorAll('[data-tree-tab]').length).toBe(paneIds.length)
-    expect(handle).toBeTruthy()
-    expect(handle.style.width).not.toBe('')
-    expect(handle.className).toContain('shrink-0')
+      expect(strip.className).toContain('bottom-0')
+      expect(handles.some(handle => handle.className.includes('flex-1') && handle.style.width === '')).toBe(true)
+    })
   })
 
   it('keeps a top-edge strip inside its panel and yields native drag while moving a pane', () => {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx
index 43e8811e13..0fe36b7dc0 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/pane-shell/tree/renderer/tree-group.tsx
@@ -696,17 +696,22 @@ export function TreeGroup({
               </PaneTabStrip>
             </ZoneMenu>
           ) : null}
+          {/* Tabs sharing the titlebar band are all `no-drag` and the strip's
+              list scrolls, so a crowded strip can cover every draggable pixel
+              (#112964). Keep one fixed handle OUTSIDE the list. When the tabs
+              drop below the controls the band above them is free — the handle
+              stays flexible and the whole row moves the window. */}
           {topEdge && (
             <div
               aria-hidden="true"
               className={cn(
                 'self-start [-webkit-app-region:drag]',
-                headerVisible ? 'shrink-0' : 'min-w-0 flex-1'
+                headerVisible && tabsInTitlebar ? 'shrink-0' : 'min-w-0 flex-1'
               )}
               data-window-drag-handle=""
               style={{
                 height: TITLEBAR_HEIGHT,
-                width: headerVisible ? TITLEBAR_DRAG_HANDLE_WIDTH : undefined
+                width: headerVisible && tabsInTitlebar ? TITLEBAR_DRAG_HANDLE_WIDTH : undefined
               }}
             />
           )}