diff --git a/src/renderer/src/App.tsx b/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
index 896045aa8f5..82558dc9354 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
@@ -961,26 +961,7 @@ function App(): React.JSX.Element {
               filesystem watchers + cached directory trees survive across
               open/close toggles. Unmount on the tasks view since that
               surface is intentionally distraction-free. */}
-          {showRightSidebarControls ? (
-            workspaceActive ? (
-              /* Why: in workspace view the right sidebar must start at the
-                 tab row, not the window edge, so the 8px drag strip that
-                 runs across the top of the center column continues uninterrupted
-                 over the right sidebar. Wrapping adds a matching 8px drag
-                 surface above and shrinks the sidebar to fill the remainder. */
-              <div className="flex min-h-0 flex-col shrink-0">
-                <div
-                  className="h-2 shrink-0 bg-card"
-                  style={{ WebkitAppRegion: 'drag' } as React.CSSProperties}
-                />
-                <div className="flex min-h-0 flex-1">
-                  <RightSidebar />
-                </div>
-              </div>
-            ) : (
-              <RightSidebar />
-            )
-          ) : null}
+          {showRightSidebarControls ? <RightSidebar /> : null}
         </div>
         <StatusBar />
         {/* Why: NewWorkspaceComposerCard renders Radix <Tooltip>s that crash
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/BrowserTab.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/BrowserTab.tsx
index 1b2ad8ff420..8c2e62b752a 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/BrowserTab.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/BrowserTab.tsx
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ export default function BrowserTab({
           ref={setNodeRef}
           {...attributes}
           {...listeners}
-          className={`group relative flex items-center h-full px-1.5 text-xs cursor-pointer select-none shrink-0 border-t ${hasTabsToRight ? 'border-r' : ''} border-border bg-card ${getDropIndicatorClasses(dropIndicator ?? null)} ${
+          className={`group relative flex items-center h-full px-1.5 text-xs cursor-pointer select-none shrink-0 outline-none focus:outline-none focus-visible:outline-none border-t ${hasTabsToRight ? 'border-r' : ''} border-border bg-card ${getDropIndicatorClasses(dropIndicator ?? null)} ${
             isActive ? 'text-foreground' : 'text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground'
           }`}
           onPointerDown={(e) => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/EditorFileTab.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/EditorFileTab.tsx
index e8b2d63281d..9095dbbdef3 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/EditorFileTab.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/EditorFileTab.tsx
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ export default function EditorFileTab({
           ref={setNodeRef}
           {...attributes}
           {...listeners}
-          className={`group relative flex items-center h-full px-1.5 text-xs cursor-pointer select-none shrink-0 border-t ${hasTabsToRight ? 'border-r' : ''} border-border bg-card ${getDropIndicatorClasses(dropIndicator ?? null)} ${
+          className={`group relative flex items-center h-full px-1.5 text-xs cursor-pointer select-none shrink-0 outline-none focus:outline-none focus-visible:outline-none border-t ${hasTabsToRight ? 'border-r' : ''} border-border bg-card ${getDropIndicatorClasses(dropIndicator ?? null)} ${
             isActive ? 'text-foreground' : 'text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground'
           }`}
           onPointerDown={(e) => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/SortableTab.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/SortableTab.tsx
index 4dbaa3ea953..38193421ce6 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/SortableTab.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/SortableTab.tsx
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ export default function SortableTab({
           // tab still reads as "selected + has activity". The wash is
           // rendered as an absolutely-positioned child below so the ::after
           // pseudo-element stays free for the drop indicator.
-          className={`group relative flex items-center h-full px-1.5 text-xs cursor-pointer select-none shrink-0 border-t ${hasTabsToRight ? 'border-r' : ''} border-border bg-card ${getDropIndicatorClasses(dropIndicator ?? null)} ${
+          className={`group relative flex items-center h-full px-1.5 text-xs cursor-pointer select-none shrink-0 outline-none focus:outline-none focus-visible:outline-none border-t ${hasTabsToRight ? 'border-r' : ''} border-border bg-card ${getDropIndicatorClasses(dropIndicator ?? null)} ${
             isActive ? 'text-foreground' : 'text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground'
           }`}
           onDoubleClick={(e) => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/TabBar.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/TabBar.tsx
index cd170bb998d..29bebfcfe3b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/TabBar.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/TabBar.tsx
@@ -337,11 +337,13 @@ function TabBarInner({
             "+" button remains window-draggable. */}
         <div
           ref={tabStripRef}
-          // Why: `border-r` on the strip itself guarantees a visible vertical
-          // separator between the last tab and the "+" button even when the
-          // strip is scrolled. Each tab's own right border is clipped by
-          // overflow-x-auto once tabs overflow, so relying on the per-tab
-          // border alone leaves no boundary on the trailing edge.
+          // Why: only `border-r` on the strip — the trailing edge must stay
+          // visible even when tabs overflow-scroll past the last tab. The
+          // left edge is instead painted by the FIRST tab's own `border-l`
+          // (see per-tab components) so its rendering is identical to every
+          // between-tab separator. A strip-level `border-l` would render at
+          // a different box than the tab's own `border-t`, producing a
+          // heavier-looking L-corner at the leftmost tab when inactive.
           className="terminal-tab-strip flex items-stretch overflow-x-auto overflow-y-hidden border-r border-border"
           style={{ WebkitAppRegion: 'no-drag' } as React.CSSProperties}
         >
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/drop-indicator.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/drop-indicator.ts
index 64d7725085c..a755015eea0 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/drop-indicator.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-bar/drop-indicator.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ export function getDropIndicatorClasses(dropIndicator: DropIndicator): string {
 // positioned with z-10 so it overlays the tab chrome without shifting layout
 // and without conflicting with drop-indicator pseudo-elements during a drag.
 // `-top-px` pulls it onto the tab's own 1px top border so the blue bar
-// REPLACES the faint gray line rather than stacking below it.
+// REPLACES the faint gray line rather than stacking below it. Horizontal
+// inset is 0 (not -1px): negative insets on the last tab bleed into the
+// strip's scrollWidth, so clicking between active tabs flips the strip
+// between "fits exactly" and "overflows by 1px", which jitters every tab by
+// 1px because the browser preserves scrollLeft near the end.
 export const ACTIVE_TAB_INDICATOR_CLASSES =
   'pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 -top-px h-px bg-[#1e3d9c] z-10'
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-group/TabGroupPanel.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-group/TabGroupPanel.tsx
index 0c3fa0cc43e..d8888e1603c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-group/TabGroupPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-group/TabGroupPanel.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export default function TabGroupPanel({
   isWorktreeActive,
   isFocused,
   hasSplitGroups,
+  touchesRightEdge,
   reserveClosedExplorerToggleSpace,
   reserveCollapsedSidebarHeaderSpace,
   isTabDragActive = false,
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ export default function TabGroupPanel({
   isWorktreeActive: boolean
   isFocused: boolean
   hasSplitGroups: boolean
+  touchesRightEdge: boolean
   reserveClosedExplorerToggleSpace: boolean
   reserveCollapsedSidebarHeaderSpace: boolean
   isTabDragActive?: boolean
@@ -176,8 +178,27 @@ export default function TabGroupPanel({
 
   return (
     <div
+      // Why: vertical borders are always `border-border` so the focus
+      // highlight doesn't introduce a near-white strip next to the split
+      // resize handle (--accent is ~#f5f5f5 in light mode, which reads as a
+      // visible gap between the dragger and the tab row). Only the bottom
+      // border changes color on focus, which is enough to cue the focused
+      // group without painting a bright line along the vertical edges.
+      // Why: unfocused split groups dim very subtly so the focused group
+      // reads as "selected" without making the unfocused content look
+      // washed out or hard to read. Only applied when `hasSplitGroups`
+      // because a lone group has nothing to contrast against.
       className={`group/tab-group flex flex-col flex-1 min-w-0 min-h-0 overflow-hidden${
-        hasSplitGroups ? ` border-x border-b ${isFocused ? 'border-accent' : 'border-border'}` : ''
+        hasSplitGroups
+          ? // Why: drop only the RIGHT border on the rightmost group. The right
+            // sidebar paints its own `borderLeft` that already extends full
+            // height, so painting our own border-r in that spot stacks a
+            // second 1px line next to it — reading as a 2px-thick bar below
+            // the 8px drag strip (where the sidebar border continues alone
+            // above). The left edge has no such double-up, so the left
+            // border is always kept.
+            ` border-l ${touchesRightEdge ? '' : 'border-r'} border-border border-b ${isFocused ? 'border-b-accent' : 'opacity-95'}`
+          : ''
       }`}
       onPointerDown={commands.focusGroup}
       // Why: keyboard and assistive-tech users can move focus into an unfocused
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-group/TabGroupSplitLayout.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-group/TabGroupSplitLayout.tsx
index 124718fd543..3277b689fd2 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/tab-group/TabGroupSplitLayout.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/tab-group/TabGroupSplitLayout.tsx
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ function SplitNode({
         // "focused", Cmd/Ctrl+W and split shortcuts can hit the wrong worktree.
         isFocused={isWorktreeActive && node.groupId === focusedGroupId}
         hasSplitGroups={hasSplitGroups}
+        touchesRightEdge={touchesRightEdge}
         reserveClosedExplorerToggleSpace={touchesTopEdge && touchesRightEdge}
         reserveCollapsedSidebarHeaderSpace={touchesTopEdge && touchesLeftEdge}
         isTabDragActive={isTabDragActive}
@@ -198,6 +199,7 @@ export default function TabGroupSplitLayout({
   isWorktreeActive: boolean
 }): React.JSX.Element {
   const dragSplit = useTabDragSplit({ worktreeId, enabled: isWorktreeActive })
+  const hasSplits = layout.type === 'split'
 
   return (
     <DndContext
@@ -219,10 +221,16 @@ export default function TabGroupSplitLayout({
           each pane — so vertical split resize handles don't extend into the
           window-drag region at the top. Only the split layout's own panes
           own the resize handles, while this strip keeps the whole top of the
-          center column draggable regardless of how the splits are arranged. */}
+          center column draggable regardless of how the splits are arranged.
+          Why conditional `border-l`: when splits exist, the leftmost pane
+          paints its own `border-l` starting at y=8. Mirroring that border
+          on the drag strip extends the seam up to y=0 so the left-sidebar /
+          center-column line reaches the top of the window, matching the
+          full-height right-sidebar seam. Without splits the pane has no
+          `border-l`, so we skip it here too to avoid a dangling 8px stub. */}
       <div className="flex flex-col flex-1 min-w-0 min-h-0 overflow-hidden">
         <div
-          className="h-2 shrink-0 bg-card"
+          className={`h-2 shrink-0 bg-card${hasSplits ? ' border-l border-border' : ''}`}
           style={{ WebkitAppRegion: 'drag' } as React.CSSProperties}
         />
         <div className="flex flex-1 min-w-0 min-h-0 overflow-hidden">
@@ -232,7 +240,7 @@ export default function TabGroupSplitLayout({
             worktreeId={worktreeId}
             focusedGroupId={focusedGroupId}
             isWorktreeActive={isWorktreeActive}
-            hasSplitGroups={layout.type === 'split'}
+            hasSplitGroups={hasSplits}
             touchesTopEdge={true}
             touchesRightEdge={true}
             touchesLeftEdge={true}