diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.test.ts
index 3531adb08b..73d7e46e25 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ 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,
@@ -22,6 +23,10 @@ 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/app/shell/titlebar.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.ts
index e23ed4a381..1d58896d59 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/titlebar.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import type { HermesConnection } from '@/global'
 
 export const TITLEBAR_HEIGHT = 34
+/** Permanent native drag target beside a top-edge tab strip. */
+export const TITLEBAR_DRAG_HANDLE_WIDTH = 48
 export const MACOS_TRAFFIC_LIGHTS_HEIGHT = 14
 /** Titlebar tool hit target (both axes). */
 export const TITLEBAR_CONTROL_SIZE = 24
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 663d771625..2bb454aacc 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
@@ -53,10 +53,61 @@ afterEach(() => {
   root = null
   container = null
   disposePane = null
+  globalThis.document.querySelectorAll('[data-titlebar-cluster]').forEach(element => element.remove())
+  vi.restoreAllMocks()
   vi.unstubAllGlobals()
 })
 
 describe('TreeGroup', () => {
+  it('keeps a fixed native drag handle beside crowded top-edge tabs', () => {
+    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
+      })
+    )
+
+    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
+      }
+
+      if (this.matches('[data-titlebar-cluster="right"]')) {
+        return { left: 700, right: 800 } as DOMRect
+      }
+
+      return { left: 0, right: 800, width: 800 } 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)
+
+    render(<TreeGroup leftEdge node={{ ...terminalGroup(false), panes: paneIds }} rightEdge topEdge />)
+
+    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')
+  })
+
   it('keeps a top-edge strip inside its panel and yields native drag while moving a pane', () => {
     disposePane = registry.register({
       area: 'panes',
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 469f129df5..43e8811e13 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
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react'
 import { type CSSProperties, Fragment, type ReactNode, type RefObject, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 
-import { TITLEBAR_HEIGHT } from '@/app/shell/titlebar'
+import { TITLEBAR_DRAG_HANDLE_WIDTH, TITLEBAR_HEIGHT } from '@/app/shell/titlebar'
 import { ActionsContextMenu, type MenuKit, renderActionItem } from '@/components/ui/actions-menu'
 import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import { DecodeText } from '@/components/ui/decode-text'
@@ -696,11 +696,18 @@ export function TreeGroup({
               </PaneTabStrip>
             </ZoneMenu>
           ) : null}
-          {topEdge && (!headerVisible || tabsBelowControls) && (
+          {topEdge && (
             <div
-              className="min-w-0 flex-1 self-start [-webkit-app-region:drag]"
+              aria-hidden="true"
+              className={cn(
+                'self-start [-webkit-app-region:drag]',
+                headerVisible ? 'shrink-0' : 'min-w-0 flex-1'
+              )}
               data-window-drag-handle=""
-              style={{ height: TITLEBAR_HEIGHT }}
+              style={{
+                height: TITLEBAR_HEIGHT,
+                width: headerVisible ? TITLEBAR_DRAG_HANDLE_WIDTH : undefined
+              }}
             />
           )}
           {topEdge && (