diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/status-bar/PetStatusSegment.layout.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/status-bar/PetStatusSegment.layout.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e213100816e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/status-bar/PetStatusSegment.layout.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { join } from 'node:path'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+describe('PetStatusSegment layout', () => {
+  it('does not reserve fixed right padding on the pet menu trigger', () => {
+    const source = readFileSync(join(__dirname, 'PetStatusSegment.tsx'), 'utf8')
+
+    // Why: the old pr-[6.5rem] reserved ~104px of empty space after the label and
+    // shoved neighboring status-bar segments left; unit-guard so CI catches a
+    // reintroduction without needing Electron Playwright.
+    expect(source).not.toMatch(/pr-\[\d+(?:\.\d+)?rem\]/)
+    expect(source).toMatch(/className="group inline-flex items-center cursor-pointer pl-1 py-0\.5"/)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/status-bar/PetStatusSegment.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/status-bar/PetStatusSegment.tsx
index 48cd2f0292b..8cf2b1b5dcf 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/status-bar/PetStatusSegment.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/status-bar/PetStatusSegment.tsx
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ function PetStatusSegmentInner(): React.JSX.Element {
       <DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
         <button
           type="button"
-          className="group inline-flex items-center cursor-pointer pl-1 pr-[6.5rem] py-0.5"
+          className="group inline-flex items-center cursor-pointer pl-1 py-0.5"
           aria-label={translate(
             'auto.components.status.bar.PetStatusSegment.aec479308a',
             'Pet menu'
diff --git a/tests/e2e/pet-status-segment-layout.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/pet-status-segment-layout.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b7d575117e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/pet-status-segment-layout.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import type { Page, TestInfo } from '@stablyai/playwright-test'
+import { expect, test } from './helpers/orca-app'
+import { waitForSessionReady } from './helpers/store'
+
+// Why: post-fix trailing overhang is ~0px; 16px is subpixel headroom that still
+// fails the old pr-[6.5rem] (~104px) reservation.
+const MAX_TRAILING_CHROME_PX = 16
+const VIEWPORTS = [
+  { name: 'desktop', size: { width: 1440, height: 900 } },
+  { name: 'mobile', size: { width: 390, height: 844 } }
+] as const
+
+async function enableExperimentalPet(page: Page): Promise<void> {
+  await page.evaluate(async () => {
+    const store = window.__store
+    if (!store) {
+      throw new Error('window.__store is not available')
+    }
+    // Why: updateSettings swallows errors; throw so a failed persist fails loudly.
+    await store.getState().updateSettingsOrThrow({ experimentalPet: true })
+  })
+  await expect
+    .poll(
+      async () =>
+        page.evaluate(() => window.__store?.getState().settings?.experimentalPet === true),
+      { message: 'experimentalPet did not become true after updateSettingsOrThrow' }
+    )
+    .toBe(true)
+}
+
+async function assertPetTriggerFitsLabel(page: Page): Promise<void> {
+  const trigger = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Pet menu' })
+  // Why: only the label span is a direct child; avoid matching nested menu spans
+  // if the open state ever leaks into the measurement.
+  const label = trigger.locator(':scope > span')
+
+  await expect(trigger).toBeVisible()
+  await expect(label).toBeVisible()
+  // Why: measure trailing overhang (trigger right − label right), not total width
+  // delta — the regression is empty space *after* the label (the old pr-[6.5rem]).
+  await expect
+    .poll(
+      async () => {
+        const [triggerBox, labelBox] = await Promise.all([
+          trigger.boundingBox(),
+          label.boundingBox()
+        ])
+        if (!triggerBox || !labelBox) {
+          return Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY
+        }
+        return triggerBox.x + triggerBox.width - (labelBox.x + labelBox.width)
+      },
+      { message: 'pet menu trigger still reserves trailing space after its label' }
+    )
+    .toBeLessThanOrEqual(MAX_TRAILING_CHROME_PX)
+}
+
+async function attachTriggerScreenshot(
+  page: Page,
+  testInfo: TestInfo,
+  name: string
+): Promise<void> {
+  const trigger = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Pet menu' })
+  const screenshotPath = testInfo.outputPath(`pet-status-trigger-${name}.png`)
+  await trigger.screenshot({ path: screenshotPath })
+  await testInfo.attach(`pet-status-trigger-${name}`, {
+    path: screenshotPath,
+    contentType: 'image/png'
+  })
+}
+
+test.describe('Pet status segment layout', () => {
+  test('does not reserve empty space after its label', async ({ orcaPage }, testInfo) => {
+    await waitForSessionReady(orcaPage)
+    await enableExperimentalPet(orcaPage)
+
+    for (const { name, size } of VIEWPORTS) {
+      await orcaPage.setViewportSize(size)
+      await assertPetTriggerFitsLabel(orcaPage)
+      await attachTriggerScreenshot(orcaPage, testInfo, name)
+    }
+  })
+})