diff --git a/ui/src/lib/panel/chat-view.svelte b/ui/src/lib/panel/chat-view.svelte
index bfeb00b..020dcd4 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/panel/chat-view.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/lib/panel/chat-view.svelte
@@ -79,20 +79,17 @@
     }
   }
 
+  // The scroller is column-reverse: its origin is the bottom, scrollTop is
+  // zero there and goes negative upward, and the browser keeps the view at
+  // the bottom while content grows - no matter how late markdown lands.
   function nearBottom(): boolean {
-    if (!scroller) {
-      return true;
-    }
-    const left =
-      scroller.scrollHeight - scroller.scrollTop - scroller.clientHeight;
-    return left < NEAR_BOTTOM_PX;
+    return !scroller || Math.abs(scroller.scrollTop) < NEAR_BOTTOM_PX;
   }
 
   function toBottom() {
     if (scroller) {
-      scroller.scrollTop = scroller.scrollHeight;
+      scroller.scrollTop = 0;
     }
-    // Whatever actually scrolls - this box, or a host's pane around it.
     end?.scrollIntoView({ block: "end" });
   }
 
@@ -211,7 +208,7 @@
 </script>
 
 <div
-  class="min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-y-auto overflow-x-hidden px-3 py-3 @md:px-6"
+  class="flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col-reverse overflow-y-auto overflow-x-hidden px-3 py-3 @md:px-6"
   onscroll={() => {
     if (Date.now() > settleUntil) {
       pinned = nearBottom();
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/panel/panel-bar.svelte b/ui/src/lib/panel/panel-bar.svelte
index c73f87e..cff778a 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/panel/panel-bar.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/lib/panel/panel-bar.svelte
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
   import KindMark from "$lib/shell/kind-mark.svelte";
   import { cn } from "$lib/utils";
   import type { ConversationIndex } from "./index.svelte";
-  import PanelIsland from "./panel-island.svelte";
 
   let {
     client,
@@ -35,7 +34,6 @@
 </script>
 
 <div class="flex items-center gap-1.5 border-b px-2 py-1.5">
-  <PanelIsland compact {index} {onOpen} />
   <Popover.Root bind:open={switcherOpen}>
     <Popover.Trigger>
       {#snippet child({ props })}
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/panel/panel-island.svelte b/ui/src/lib/panel/panel-island.svelte
deleted file mode 100644
index e7b94fe..0000000
--- a/ui/src/lib/panel/panel-island.svelte
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,70 +0,0 @@
-<script lang="ts">
-  import { cn } from "$lib/utils";
-  import type { ConversationIndex } from "./index.svelte";
-
-  let {
-    index,
-    onOpen,
-    compact = false,
-    class: className = "",
-  }: {
-    index: ConversationIndex;
-    onOpen: (id: string) => void;
-    compact?: boolean;
-    class?: string;
-  } = $props();
-
-  const waiting = $derived(index.open.filter((row) => row.pending_question));
-  const running = $derived(
-    index.open.filter((row) => row.running_turn && !row.pending_question)
-  );
-  const live = $derived(index.live.state);
-  const dot = $derived.by(() => {
-    if (live === "failed") {
-      return "bg-destructive";
-    }
-    if (live !== "open") {
-      return "bg-warn";
-    }
-    return running.length > 0 ? "bg-signal animate-pulse-dot" : "bg-ok";
-  });
-  const headline = $derived.by(() => {
-    if (live === "failed") {
-      return "offline";
-    }
-    if (live !== "open") {
-      return "connecting";
-    }
-    if (running.length === 0) {
-      return "idle";
-    }
-    return running.length === 1 ? "1 in motion" : `${running.length} in motion`;
-  });
-  const target = $derived(waiting[0] ?? running[0] ?? null);
-  const questions = $derived.by(() => {
-    if (compact) {
-      return String(waiting.length);
-    }
-    return waiting.length === 1 ? "1 question" : `${waiting.length} questions`;
-  });
-</script>
-
-<button
-  aria-label={target ? `Open ${target.title ?? target.kind}` : headline}
-  class={cn("island", compact && "gap-1.5 px-2.5", className)}
-  disabled={!target}
-  onclick={() => target && onOpen(target.id)}
-  title={index.live.detail ?? headline}
-  type="button"
->
-  <span class={cn("size-2 shrink-0 rounded-full", dot)}></span>
-  {#if !compact}
-    <span class="font-medium">{headline}</span>
-  {/if}
-  {#if waiting.length > 0}
-    {#if !compact}
-      <span class="island-sep"></span>
-    {/if}
-    <span class="font-medium text-attention-foreground">{questions}</span>
-  {/if}
-</button>
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/panel/panel-shell.svelte b/ui/src/lib/panel/panel-shell.svelte
index cb0ea0d..eb2f190 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/panel/panel-shell.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/lib/panel/panel-shell.svelte
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
   import ConversationView from "./conversation-view.svelte";
   import type { ConversationIndex } from "./index.svelte";
   import PanelBar from "./panel-bar.svelte";
-  import PanelIsland from "./panel-island.svelte";
 
   let {
     client,
@@ -43,15 +42,15 @@
 
 <!--
 impeccable direction contract (seed 071a8c77, mode operate, strip board × live activity, in Obsidian's skin)
-THESIS: the agent's front inside the vault, not a website in a pane. The island carries what is
-alive, the rail is the day's strips, the thread owns its column.
+THESIS: the agent's front inside the vault, not a website in a pane. The rail is the day's
+strips, the thread owns its column; what is alive shows on the strips themselves.
 OWN-WORLD: Obsidian's own variables through .beaver-root; strips with a state edge, hairline
 rules, tabular numerals; amber only for a question waiting; nothing decorative.
-STORY: the operator opens the tab and reads the island, picks today's strip, answers a question,
+STORY: the operator opens the tab, picks today's strip, answers a question,
 watches tools stream; beside a deep chat the sidedock shows the agent's activity, never a
 second copy of the note.
-FIRST VIEWPORT: narrow: island + switcher over the thread and the composer pinned low. Wide:
-the rail with the island on top, the thread to the right.
+FIRST VIEWPORT: narrow: the switcher over the thread and the composer pinned low. Wide:
+the rail on the left, the thread to the right.
 FORM: strip board × live activity; user-steered; seed key 071a8c77.
 FINISH: unreviewed and undocumented is unfinished; this build ends with the finish review,
 the verdict, and DESIGN.md
@@ -63,9 +62,6 @@ the verdict, and DESIGN.md
   <div class="flex min-h-0 flex-1">
     {#if wide}
       <aside class="flex w-80 shrink-0 flex-col border-r">
-        <div class="flex items-center gap-2 px-3 pt-3 pb-1">
-          <PanelIsland {index} onOpen={open} />
-        </div>
         <Rail {client} {index} onOpen={open} {onOpenFile} {selected} />
       </aside>
     {/if}