diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/list-session-scroll.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/list-session-scroll.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..de399bc3d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/list-session-scroll.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,259 @@
+import { AssistantRuntimeProvider, type ThreadMessage, useExternalStoreRuntime } from '@assistant-ui/react'
+import { act, render } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import { setActiveProfile } from '@/store/profile'
+import { getThreadScrollPosition, saveThreadScrollPosition, THREAD_SCROLL_BOTTOM } from '@/store/thread-scroll'
+
+import { stubThreadEnvironment, stubThreadViewportSize } from '../test-utils'
+
+import { Thread } from '.'
+
+// A ResizeObserver that stores instances so the test can verify the wiring.
+const resizeObservers = new Set<TestResizeObserver>()
+
+class TestResizeObserver {
+  private target: Element | null = null
+
+  constructor(private readonly callback: ResizeObserverCallback) {
+    resizeObservers.add(this)
+  }
+
+  observe(target: Element) {
+    this.target = target
+  }
+
+  unobserve() {}
+
+  disconnect() {
+    resizeObservers.delete(this)
+  }
+
+  trigger(_height: number) {
+    if (!this.target) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    this.callback(
+      [
+        {
+          contentRect: { height: Number(_height) } as DOMRectReadOnly,
+          target: this.target
+        } as ResizeObserverEntry
+      ],
+      this as unknown as ResizeObserver
+    )
+  }
+}
+
+stubThreadEnvironment()
+// stubThreadEnvironment internally calls stubResizeObserver() which installs
+// an InertResizeObserver. Re-apply our test double so the component's own
+// ResizeObserver on the content element is exercised.
+vi.stubGlobal('ResizeObserver', TestResizeObserver)
+stubThreadViewportSize()
+
+const SCROLL_H = 5000
+const CLIENT_H = 600
+let scrollHeightValue = SCROLL_H
+
+Object.defineProperty(HTMLElement.prototype, 'scrollHeight', {
+  configurable: true,
+  get() {
+    return scrollHeightValue
+  }
+})
+Object.defineProperty(HTMLElement.prototype, 'clientHeight', {
+  configurable: true,
+  get() {
+    return CLIENT_H
+  }
+})
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  resizeObservers.clear()
+  scrollHeightValue = SCROLL_H
+  window.localStorage.clear()
+  setActiveProfile('default')
+})
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  resizeObservers.clear()
+})
+
+const VIEWPORT_SLOT = 'aui_thread-viewport'
+
+function viewportEl(container: HTMLElement): HTMLElement {
+  const el = container.querySelector(`[data-slot="${VIEWPORT_SLOT}"]`) as HTMLElement | null
+  expect(el).toBeTruthy()
+
+  return el!
+}
+
+async function settleScroll(ticks = 3) {
+  await act(async () => {
+    for (let tick = 0; tick < ticks; tick += 1) {
+      await new Promise<void>(resolve => window.setTimeout(resolve, 0))
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+const createdAt = new Date('2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Z')
+
+function sessionMessages(key: string, turns = 1): ThreadMessage[] {
+  return Array.from({ length: turns }, (_, index) => [
+    {
+      id: `u-${key}-${index}`,
+      role: 'user',
+      content: [{ type: 'text', text: `message ${index} in ${key}` }],
+      attachments: [],
+      createdAt,
+      metadata: { custom: {} }
+    } as ThreadMessage,
+    {
+      id: `a-${key}-${index}`,
+      role: 'assistant',
+      content: [{ type: 'text', text: `response ${index} in ${key}` }],
+      status: { type: 'complete', reason: 'stop' },
+      createdAt,
+      metadata: { unstable_state: null, unstable_annotations: [], unstable_data: [], steps: [], custom: {} }
+    } as ThreadMessage
+  ]).flat()
+}
+
+interface ScrollHarnessProps {
+  messages: ThreadMessage[]
+  sessionKey: string | null
+}
+
+function ScrollHarness({ messages, sessionKey }: ScrollHarnessProps) {
+  const runtime = useExternalStoreRuntime<ThreadMessage>({
+    isRunning: false,
+    messages,
+    onNew: async () => {}
+  })
+
+  return (
+    <AssistantRuntimeProvider runtime={runtime}>
+      <Thread sessionKey={sessionKey} />
+    </AssistantRuntimeProvider>
+  )
+}
+
+describe('list session-scroll restore', () => {
+  it('pins to the bottom for an unknown session', async () => {
+    const { container } = render(<ScrollHarness messages={sessionMessages('a')} sessionKey="a" />)
+    const vp = viewportEl(container)
+
+    await settleScroll()
+
+    expect(vp.scrollTop).toBe(SCROLL_H - CLIENT_H)
+    expect(getThreadScrollPosition('a')).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+
+  it('pins to the bottom for a warm session already saved as bottom', async () => {
+    saveThreadScrollPosition('a', THREAD_SCROLL_BOTTOM)
+
+    const { container } = render(<ScrollHarness messages={sessionMessages('a')} sessionKey="a" />)
+    const vp = viewportEl(container)
+
+    await settleScroll()
+
+    expect(vp.scrollTop).toBe(SCROLL_H - CLIENT_H)
+  })
+
+  it('restores a reading offset on return after switching away', async () => {
+    saveThreadScrollPosition('a', { fromBottom: 800, kind: 'offset' })
+
+    const { container, rerender } = render(<ScrollHarness messages={sessionMessages('a')} sessionKey="a" />)
+    const vp = viewportEl(container)
+
+    await settleScroll()
+
+    expect(vp.scrollTop).toBe(SCROLL_H - 800 - CLIENT_H)
+
+    rerender(<ScrollHarness messages={sessionMessages('b')} sessionKey="b" />)
+    const vpB = viewportEl(container)
+
+    await settleScroll()
+
+    expect(vpB.scrollTop).toBe(SCROLL_H - CLIENT_H)
+
+    rerender(<ScrollHarness messages={sessionMessages('a')} sessionKey="a" />)
+    const vpA = viewportEl(container)
+
+    await settleScroll()
+
+    expect(vpA.scrollTop).toBe(SCROLL_H - 800 - CLIENT_H)
+  })
+
+  it('waits for first content on a cold switch with empty transcript', async () => {
+    saveThreadScrollPosition('b', { fromBottom: 240, kind: 'offset' })
+
+    const { container, rerender } = render(<ScrollHarness messages={[]} sessionKey="b" />)
+    viewportEl(container)
+
+    await settleScroll()
+
+    rerender(<ScrollHarness messages={sessionMessages('b')} sessionKey="b" />)
+    const vp = viewportEl(container)
+
+    await settleScroll()
+
+    expect(vp.scrollTop).toBe(SCROLL_H - 240 - CLIENT_H)
+  })
+
+  it('keeps a clamped cold offset parked until the transcript is tall enough', async () => {
+    saveThreadScrollPosition('b', { fromBottom: 800, kind: 'offset' })
+    scrollHeightValue = CLIENT_H
+
+    const { container, rerender } = render(<ScrollHarness messages={[]} sessionKey="b" />)
+    const vp = viewportEl(container)
+
+    await settleScroll()
+
+    scrollHeightValue = 1000
+    rerender(<ScrollHarness messages={sessionMessages('b')} sessionKey="b" />)
+    await settleScroll(20)
+
+    expect(vp.scrollTop).toBe(0)
+
+    rerender(<ScrollHarness messages={sessionMessages('b', 2)} sessionKey="b" />)
+    await settleScroll()
+
+    expect(vp.scrollTop).toBe(0)
+
+    scrollHeightValue = 2000
+    rerender(<ScrollHarness messages={sessionMessages('b', 3)} sessionKey="b" />)
+    await settleScroll()
+
+    expect(vp.scrollTop).toBe(2000 - CLIENT_H - 800)
+  })
+
+  it('height-only relayout updates the scroll state without a scroll event', async () => {
+    const { container, rerender } = render(<ScrollHarness messages={sessionMessages('a')} sessionKey="a" />)
+    const vp = viewportEl(container)
+
+    await settleScroll()
+
+    expect(resizeObservers.size).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(1)
+
+    vp.scrollTop = SCROLL_H - CLIENT_H - 350
+    scrollHeightValue = SCROLL_H + 200
+
+    for (const obs of resizeObservers) {
+      obs.trigger(scrollHeightValue)
+    }
+
+    rerender(<ScrollHarness messages={sessionMessages('b')} sessionKey="b" />)
+    viewportEl(container)
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      await new Promise<void>(resolve => window.setTimeout(resolve, 0))
+    })
+
+    const saved = getThreadScrollPosition('a')
+    expect(saved?.kind).toBe('offset')
+    expect(saved && saved.kind === 'offset' ? saved.fromBottom : 0).toBe(550)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/list.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/list.tsx
index 78122b2a1a..cc407eb467 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/list.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/thread/list.tsx
@@ -853,7 +853,7 @@ const ThreadMessageListInner: FC<ThreadMessageListProps> = ({
           // anchorBeforePrepend skips while unsettled, so the parked offset
           // can't be overwritten by a mid-load anchor measurement. The restore
           // effect flips settled once it consumes the parked value.
-          restoreFromBottomRef.current = target.fromBottom
+          restoreFromBottomRef.current = target.fromBottom + node.clientHeight
         } else {
           loadSettledRef.current = true
         }
@@ -896,9 +896,10 @@ const ThreadMessageListInner: FC<ThreadMessageListProps> = ({
 
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
     const el = scrollRef.current
+    const restoreFromBottom = restoreFromBottomRef.current
 
-    if (el && restoreFromBottomRef.current != null) {
-      el.scrollTop = el.scrollHeight - restoreFromBottomRef.current
+    if (el && restoreFromBottom != null && el.scrollHeight >= restoreFromBottom) {
+      el.scrollTop = el.scrollHeight - restoreFromBottom
       restoreFromBottomRef.current = null
       // Consuming a parked offset (clamped-exit) means the view just landed at
       // its real reading position — the load is settled from here on.