diff --git a/src/ui/scrollbar.rs b/src/ui/scrollbar.rs
index 89e1b75f..26a74e48 100644
--- a/src/ui/scrollbar.rs
+++ b/src/ui/scrollbar.rs
@@ -33,10 +33,9 @@ pub(crate) fn with_vertical_scrollbar(
                 .right_0()
                 .bottom_0()
                 // No `scrollbar_show` override: it falls back to
-                // `cx.theme().scrollbar_show`, which `apply_theme` derives from
-                // `should_auto_hide_scrollbars()` — the OS "show scroll bars"
-                // preference. Pinning it here would take that choice away from
-                // everyone who asked for always-visible bars.
+                // `cx.theme().scrollbar_show`, which `apply_theme` pins to
+                // `Scrolling` for every list in the app. Overriding it here
+                // would be one list disagreeing with the rest.
                 .child(Scrollbar::vertical(handle).id(id)),
         )
         .into_any_element()
diff --git a/src/ui/theme.rs b/src/ui/theme.rs
index fb71d0fa..a30ce26e 100644
--- a/src/ui/theme.rs
+++ b/src/ui/theme.rs
@@ -578,7 +578,6 @@ pub(crate) fn apply_theme(mut window: Option<&mut Window>, cx: &mut App) {
     let surfaces = theme.surfaces();
     let sem = theme.semantics();
     let active = theme.active_palette(config.theme_legible_palette);
-    let auto_hide_scrollbars = cx.should_auto_hide_scrollbars();
 
     let backdrop = config.window_backdrop;
 
@@ -769,11 +768,14 @@ pub(crate) fn apply_theme(mut window: Option<&mut Window>, cx: &mut App) {
     t.tokens.scrollbar_thumb = scrollbar_thumb.into();
     t.tokens.scrollbar_thumb_hover = scrollbar_thumb_hover.into();
 
-    t.scrollbar_show = if auto_hide_scrollbars {
-        ScrollbarShow::Scrolling
-    } else {
-        ScrollbarShow::Always
-    };
+    // Not `should_auto_hide_scrollbars()`. That preference answers a question
+    // about *legacy* scrollbars — the ones that take a gutter out of the layout
+    // — and macOS says "don't hide them" for anyone with a mouse plugged in.
+    // Ours are overlay bars painted on top of the content, so honouring it
+    // parked an opaque bar over the switcher's tab column for the whole time
+    // the panel was open, with nothing to fade it out. Every list in the app
+    // gets the same bar, so it fades everywhere or nowhere.
+    t.scrollbar_show = ScrollbarShow::Scrolling;
 
     t.radius = px(8.);