diff --git a/packages/tui/src/routes/session/index.tsx b/packages/tui/src/routes/session/index.tsx
index 4edc4c53fa0..d61de794f4c 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/routes/session/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/routes/session/index.tsx
@@ -282,11 +282,13 @@ export function Session(props: { verticalTabsWidth: number }) {
   const sessionTabs = useSessionTabs()
   const [awayFromBottom, setAwayFromBottom] = createSignal(false)
   const [latestHovered, setLatestHovered] = createSignal(false)
+  let ensureAllRowsPending: (() => void)[] | undefined
   createEffect(() => {
     if (!awayFromBottom()) setLatestHovered(false)
   })
 
   const clearMessageNavigation = () => {
+    ensureAllRowsPending?.splice(0)
     setNavigationSlack(0)
     setNavigationMessage(undefined)
   }
@@ -295,7 +297,9 @@ export function Session(props: { verticalTabsWidth: number }) {
     on(
       () => [dimensions().width, dimensions().height, props.verticalTabsWidth] as const,
       (_, previous) => {
-        if (previous) clearMessageNavigation()
+        if (!previous) return
+        clearMessageNavigation()
+        if (scroll && !scroll.isDestroyed) updateAwayFromBottom()
       },
     ),
   )
@@ -355,6 +359,7 @@ export function Session(props: { verticalTabsWidth: number }) {
   onCleanup(() => {
     if (awayTimer) clearTimeout(awayTimer)
     if (!scroll || scroll.isDestroyed) return
+    scroll.verticalScrollBar.off("change", updateAwayFromBottom)
     saveScrollAnchor()
   })
   const [prompt, setPrompt] = createSignal<PromptRef>()
@@ -377,8 +382,8 @@ export function Session(props: { verticalTabsWidth: number }) {
   }
 
   // Tail-first transcript mounting: only the newest rows mount when the session opens. Older rows
-  // mount on demand near the top, keeping inactive tabs cheap to tear down. Until the first chunk
-  // pins the count, the hidden span derives from the row count, so streaming appends remain visible.
+  // mount on demand near the top, keeping inactive tabs cheap to tear down. While the reader stays
+  // at the bottom the hidden span follows appends; leaving the bottom pins it to preserve the viewport.
   const [hiddenRows, setHiddenRows] = createSignal<number>()
   const [visibleRowsEnd, setVisibleRowsEnd] = createSignal<number>()
   const hidden = createMemo(() => Math.max(0, Math.min(hiddenRows() ?? Infinity, rows.length - TRANSCRIPT_TAIL_ROWS)))
@@ -403,11 +408,12 @@ export function Session(props: { verticalTabsWidth: number }) {
     if (current === 0) return prependHistory(scrollBy)
     revealingOlderRows = true
     const before = scroll.scrollHeight
+    scroll.stickyScroll = false
     setHiddenRows(Math.max(0, current - TRANSCRIPT_BACKFILL_CHUNK))
     afterLayout(() => {
-      revealingOlderRows = false
       scroll.scrollBy(scroll.scrollHeight - before + scrollBy)
-      updateAwayFromBottom()
+      scroll.stickyScroll = !navigationMessage()
+      revealingOlderRows = false
     })
     return true
   }
@@ -434,23 +440,40 @@ export function Session(props: { verticalTabsWidth: number }) {
   }
   /** Message navigation needs the full transcript mounted before walking or jumping. */
   const ensureAllRows = (continuation: () => void) => {
-    if (hidden() === 0 && visibleEnd() === rows.length) return continuation()
+    if (!ensureAllRowsPending && hidden() === 0 && visibleEnd() === rows.length) return continuation()
+    if (ensureAllRowsPending) {
+      ensureAllRowsPending.push(continuation)
+      return
+    }
+    const pending = [continuation]
+    ensureAllRowsPending = pending
     setHiddenRows(0)
     setVisibleRowsEnd(undefined)
-    afterLayout(continuation)
+    afterLayout(() => {
+      if (ensureAllRowsPending === pending) ensureAllRowsPending = undefined
+      pending.forEach((continuation) => continuation())
+      updateAwayFromBottom()
+    })
   }
 
   function isAwayFromBottom() {
+    if (revealingOlderRows || revealingNewerRows || ensureAllRowsPending || navigationMessage()) return true
     if (visibleEnd() < rows.length) return true
     return scroll.scrollTop < Math.max(0, scroll.scrollHeight - scroll.viewport.height) - 1
   }
   function updateAwayFromBottom() {
+    const preserveWindow = revealingOlderRows || revealingNewerRows || !!ensureAllRowsPending
+    if (isAwayFromBottom()) setHiddenRows((current) => current ?? hidden())
     if (awayTimer) clearTimeout(awayTimer)
     awayTimer = setTimeout(() => {
       awayTimer = undefined
       if (!scroll || scroll.isDestroyed) return
-      const away = isAwayFromBottom()
+      const away = preserveWindow || isAwayFromBottom()
       setAwayFromBottom(away)
+      if (!away) {
+        if (!renderer.getSelection()) setHiddenRows(undefined)
+        scroll.stickyScroll = true
+      }
       saveScrollAnchor()
     })
   }
@@ -575,6 +598,7 @@ export function Session(props: { verticalTabsWidth: number }) {
   const alignMessage = (messageID: string, top: number) => {
     scroll.stickyScroll = false
     setNavigationMessage(messageID)
+    updateAwayFromBottom()
     setNavigationSlack(
       messageNavigationSlack({
         top,
@@ -624,6 +648,7 @@ export function Session(props: { verticalTabsWidth: number }) {
 
   function toBottom() {
     clearMessageNavigation()
+    ensureAllRowsPending = undefined
     if (awayTimer) clearTimeout(awayTimer)
     awayTimer = undefined
     setAwayFromBottom(false)
@@ -712,7 +737,6 @@ export function Session(props: { verticalTabsWidth: number }) {
           }
           ensureAllRows(() => {
             scroll.scrollTo(0)
-            updateAwayFromBottom()
           })
         }
         first()
@@ -1193,7 +1217,10 @@ export function Session(props: { verticalTabsWidth: number }) {
           <Show when={session()}>
             <box flexGrow={1} minHeight={0} position="relative">
               <scrollbox
-                ref={(r) => (scroll = r)}
+                ref={(r) => {
+                  scroll = r
+                  scroll.verticalScrollBar.on("change", updateAwayFromBottom)
+                }}
                 viewportOptions={{
                   paddingRight: showScrollbar() ? 1 : 0,
                 }}