diff --git a/desktop/electron/e2e/author-nav-overflow.spec.ts b/desktop/electron/e2e/author-nav-overflow.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..12bc8460
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/electron/e2e/author-nav-overflow.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import { test, expect, _electron as electron, type ElectronApplication, type Page } from '@playwright/test';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import os from 'node:os';
+
+/// Regression: an OVERFLOWING Author workspace tree must SCROLL, not crush —
+/// `.author-nav-sec.grow` without `overflow-y: auto` let the flex column
+/// compress direct-child file rows below their content height (root-level
+/// files rendered 11px tall while rows inside dir wrappers kept 26px).
+/// Seed a workspace with enough files to overflow the nav section and assert
+/// every row keeps its full height and the section scrolls instead.
+
+const MAIN_ENTRY = path.resolve(__dirname, '..', 'out', 'main.cjs');
+const DIST_DIR = path.resolve(__dirname, '..', '..', 'dist');
+const CI_FLAGS = ['--no-sandbox', '--disable-gpu', '--password-store=basic'];
+
+let app: ElectronApplication;
+let page: Page;
+let userDataDir = '';
+let tmpWorkspace = '';
+
+test.beforeAll(async () => {
+  userDataDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'tp-e2e-authornav-'));
+  tmpWorkspace = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'tp-e2e-ws-'));
+  // 60 root files + one dir with children: comfortably overflows the nav.
+  for (let i = 0; i < 60; i += 1) {
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpWorkspace, `file-${String(i).padStart(2, '0')}.md`), `# file ${i}\n`);
+  }
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmpWorkspace, 'sub'));
+  for (let i = 0; i < 5; i += 1) {
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpWorkspace, 'sub', `inner-${i}.md`), `# inner ${i}\n`);
+  }
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(userDataDir, 'migration'), { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    path.join(userDataDir, 'migration', 'state-v1.json'),
+    JSON.stringify({
+      version: 1,
+      exportedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+      data: { 'termipod.author.workspace': tmpWorkspace },
+    }),
+  );
+
+  app = await electron.launch({
+    args: [...CI_FLAGS, `--user-data-dir=${userDataDir}`, MAIN_ENTRY],
+    env: { ...process.env, TERMIPOD_DIST: DIST_DIR, TERMIPOD_E2E: '1' },
+  });
+  page = await app.firstWindow();
+  await page.waitForLoadState('domcontentloaded');
+});
+
+test.afterAll(async () => {
+  await app?.close();
+  if (userDataDir !== '') fs.rmSync(userDataDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  if (tmpWorkspace !== '') fs.rmSync(tmpWorkspace, { recursive: true, force: true });
+});
+
+test('an overflowing author tree scrolls; rows keep their full height', async () => {
+  test.setTimeout(60_000);
+  const hubDialog = page.getByRole('dialog', { name: 'Add a hub' });
+  await hubDialog.waitFor({ state: 'visible', timeout: 10_000 }).catch(() => undefined);
+  if (await hubDialog.isVisible().catch(() => false)) {
+    await hubDialog.getByRole('button', { name: 'Close' }).click();
+    await expect(hubDialog).toHaveCount(0);
+  }
+  await page.locator('[data-job="author"]').click();
+  await expect(page.locator('.author-nav-item').first()).toBeVisible({ timeout: 20_000 });
+
+  const r = await page.evaluate(() => {
+    const sec = document.querySelector('.author-nav-sec.grow');
+    const heights = [...document.querySelectorAll('.author-nav-item')].map((el) => (el as HTMLElement).offsetHeight);
+    return {
+      rows: heights.length,
+      minH: Math.min(...heights),
+      maxH: Math.max(...heights),
+      scrolls: sec !== null && sec.scrollHeight > sec.clientHeight,
+    };
+  });
+  expect(r.rows).toBeGreaterThan(50);
+  // No crushed rows: every row is within a couple px of the tallest (borders).
+  expect(r.maxH - r.minH).toBeLessThanOrEqual(2);
+  expect(r.minH).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(20);
+  expect(r.scrolls).toBe(true);
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/styles/partials/09-canvas-tail.css b/desktop/src/styles/partials/09-canvas-tail.css
index 50718171..e8e3c1db 100644
--- a/desktop/src/styles/partials/09-canvas-tail.css
+++ b/desktop/src/styles/partials/09-canvas-tail.css
@@ -1030,6 +1030,13 @@
 .author-nav-sec.grow {
   flex: 1;
   min-height: 0;
+  /* The section SCROLLS when the tree overflows — without this the flex
+     children (direct-child file rows) crush below their content height
+     (11px rows) instead of scrolling. */
+  overflow-y: auto;
+}
+.author-nav-sec.grow > * {
+  flex-shrink: 0;
 }
 .author-nav-head {
   display: flex;