diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/virtual-session-list.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/virtual-session-list.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3dec464df1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/virtual-session-list.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+import { cleanup, render } from '@testing-library/react'
+import type * as React from 'react'
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import type { SidebarListRow } from '@/lib/session-date-groups'
+
+import { VirtualSessionList } from './virtual-session-list'
+
+const virtualizer = {
+  getTotalSize: () => 68,
+  getVirtualItems: () => [
+    { end: 26, index: 0, start: 0 },
+    { end: 68, index: 1, start: 26 }
+  ],
+  measureElement: vi.fn()
+}
+
+vi.mock('@dnd-kit/sortable', () => ({ useSortable: vi.fn() }))
+vi.mock('@dnd-kit/utilities', () => ({ CSS: { Transform: { toString: vi.fn() } } }))
+vi.mock('@tanstack/react-virtual', () => ({ useVirtualizer: () => virtualizer }))
+
+vi.mock('@/i18n', () => ({
+  useI18n: () => ({
+    t: {
+      sidebar: {
+        dateDivider: {
+          earlierThisMonth: 'Earlier this month',
+          lastMonth: 'Last month',
+          lastWeek: 'Last week',
+          older: 'Older',
+          today: 'Today',
+          yesterday: 'Yesterday'
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  })
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./chrome', () => ({
+  SidebarDateDivider: ({ label, ...props }: { label: string } & React.ComponentProps<'div'>) => (
+    <div data-testid={`divider-${label}`} {...props} />
+  )
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./session-row', () => ({ SidebarSessionRow: () => null }))
+
+afterEach(cleanup)
+
+const rows: SidebarListRow[] = [
+  { key: 'today', kind: 'divider', label: 'Today' },
+  { key: 'older', kind: 'divider', label: 'Older' }
+]
+
+const noop = () => {}
+
+describe('VirtualSessionList', () => {
+  it('positions measured rows independently within a total-size spacer', () => {
+    const { getByTestId } = render(
+      <VirtualSessionList
+        activeSessionId={null}
+        onArchiveSession={noop}
+        onDeleteSession={noop}
+        onResumeSession={noop}
+        onTogglePin={noop}
+        pinned={false}
+        rows={rows}
+        sortable={false}
+      />
+    )
+
+    const firstItem = getByTestId('divider-Today').parentElement
+    const secondItem = getByTestId('divider-Older').parentElement
+    const spacer = firstItem?.parentElement
+
+    expect(firstItem?.dataset.index).toBe('0')
+    expect(firstItem?.style.position).toBe('absolute')
+    expect(firstItem?.style.transform).toBe('translateY(0px)')
+    expect(secondItem?.dataset.index).toBe('1')
+    expect(secondItem?.style.transform).toBe('translateY(26px)')
+    expect(spacer?.className).toBe('relative')
+    expect(spacer?.style.height).toBe('68px')
+    expect(spacer?.style.paddingTop).toBe('')
+    expect(spacer?.style.paddingBottom).toBe('')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/virtual-session-list.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/virtual-session-list.tsx
index f99edb5f02..2a10fd9a3f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/virtual-session-list.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/virtual-session-list.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { useSortable } from '@dnd-kit/sortable'
 import { CSS } from '@dnd-kit/utilities'
 import { useVirtualizer } from '@tanstack/react-virtual'
 import type * as React from 'react'
-import { type FC, useCallback, useRef } from 'react'
+import { type FC, useRef } from 'react'
 
 import type { SessionInfo } from '@/hermes'
 import { useI18n } from '@/i18n'
@@ -88,8 +88,6 @@ export const VirtualSessionList: FC<VirtualSessionListProps> = ({
 
   const virtualItems = virtualizer.getVirtualItems()
   const totalSize = virtualizer.getTotalSize()
-  const paddingTop = virtualItems[0]?.start ?? 0
-  const paddingBottom = Math.max(0, totalSize - (virtualItems[virtualItems.length - 1]?.end ?? 0))
 
   const rows = virtualItems.map(virtualItem => {
     const row = listRows[virtualItem.index]
@@ -98,16 +96,23 @@ export const VirtualSessionList: FC<VirtualSessionListProps> = ({
       return null
     }
 
+    const itemStyle: React.CSSProperties = {
+      left: 0,
+      position: 'absolute',
+      top: 0,
+      transform: `translateY(${virtualItem.start}px)`,
+      width: '100%'
+    }
+
     // Dividers are non-sortable, self-measured rows interleaved with sessions.
     if (row.kind === 'divider') {
       return (
-        <SidebarDateDivider
-          action={dividerAction}
-          data-index={virtualItem.index}
-          key={row.key}
-          label={'label' in row ? row.label : sessionBucketLabel(row.bucket, dividerLabels)}
-          ref={virtualizer.measureElement}
-        />
+        <div data-index={virtualItem.index} key={row.key} ref={virtualizer.measureElement} style={itemStyle}>
+          <SidebarDateDivider
+            action={dividerAction}
+            label={'label' in row ? row.label : sessionBucketLabel(row.bucket, dividerLabels)}
+          />
+        </div>
       )
     }
 
@@ -129,21 +134,13 @@ export const VirtualSessionList: FC<VirtualSessionListProps> = ({
     }
 
     return reorderable ? (
-      <VirtualSortableRow
-        index={virtualItem.index}
-        key={session.id}
-        measureRef={virtualizer.measureElement}
-        rowProps={commonProps}
-        session={session}
-      />
+      <div data-index={virtualItem.index} key={session.id} ref={virtualizer.measureElement} style={itemStyle}>
+        <VirtualSortableRow rowProps={commonProps} session={session} />
+      </div>
     ) : (
-      <SidebarSessionRow
-        {...commonProps}
-        data-index={virtualItem.index}
-        key={session.id}
-        ref={virtualizer.measureElement}
-        session={session}
-      />
+      <div data-index={virtualItem.index} key={session.id} ref={virtualizer.measureElement} style={itemStyle}>
+        <SidebarSessionRow {...commonProps} session={session} />
+      </div>
     )
   })
 
@@ -164,41 +161,25 @@ export const VirtualSessionList: FC<VirtualSessionListProps> = ({
       )}
       ref={scrollerRef}
     >
-      <div className="grid gap-px" style={{ paddingBottom: `${paddingBottom}px`, paddingTop: `${paddingTop}px` }}>
-        {rows}
-      </div>
+      <div className="relative" style={{ height: `${totalSize}px` }}>{rows}</div>
     </div>
   )
 }
 
 interface VirtualSortableRowProps {
-  index: number
-  measureRef: (node: Element | null) => void
   rowProps: SessionRowCommonProps
   session: SessionInfo
 }
 
-function VirtualSortableRow({ index, measureRef, rowProps, session }: VirtualSortableRowProps) {
+function VirtualSortableRow({ rowProps, session }: VirtualSortableRowProps) {
   const { attributes, isDragging, listeners, setNodeRef, transform, transition } = useSortable({ id: session.id })
 
-  // Merge dnd-kit's setNodeRef with the virtualizer's measureElement so
-  // the row participates in both DnD hit-testing and TanStack height
-  // measurement.
-  const refMerged = useCallback(
-    (node: HTMLDivElement | null) => {
-      setNodeRef(node)
-      measureRef(node)
-    },
-    [measureRef, setNodeRef]
-  )
-
   return (
     <SidebarSessionRow
       {...rowProps}
-      data-index={index}
       dragging={isDragging}
       dragHandleProps={{ ...attributes, ...listeners }}
-      ref={refMerged}
+      ref={setNodeRef}
       reorderable
       session={session}
       style={{ transform: CSS.Transform.toString(transform), transition }}