diff --git a/components/TranscriptPanel.tsx b/components/TranscriptPanel.tsx
index 766c704..b5243a5 100644
--- a/components/TranscriptPanel.tsx
+++ b/components/TranscriptPanel.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   ArrowDown,
   ArrowUp,
   ArrowUpFromLine,
+  ChevronLast,
   Eye,
   EyeOff,
   Merge,
@@ -571,7 +572,9 @@ export default function TranscriptPanel() {
           title="Scroll with the playhead"
           className="absolute bottom-5 left-1/2 z-20 flex -translate-x-1/2 cursor-pointer items-center gap-1.5 rounded-full border border-zinc-200 bg-white/95 px-3 py-1.5 text-xs font-medium text-zinc-700 backdrop-blur-sm transition hover:bg-zinc-50 dark:border-zinc-700 dark:bg-zinc-800/95 dark:text-zinc-200 dark:hover:bg-zinc-700"
         >
-          {followDirection === "up" ? <ArrowUp size={13} /> : <ArrowDown size={13} />}
+          {followDirection === "up" && <ArrowUp size={13} />}
+          {followDirection === "down" && <ArrowDown size={13} />}
+          {followDirection === null && <ChevronLast size={13} />}
           Follow playhead
         </button>
       )}
diff --git a/hooks/useTranscriptPlayheadFollow.ts b/hooks/useTranscriptPlayheadFollow.ts
index af0762b..88b0f5a 100644
--- a/hooks/useTranscriptPlayheadFollow.ts
+++ b/hooks/useTranscriptPlayheadFollow.ts
@@ -12,12 +12,21 @@ import { findActiveWordId } from "@/lib/transcript";
 
 /** Matches the transcript panel's floating header (`h-10` / `pt-10` / `scroll-pt-10`). */
 const HEADER_H = 40;
+/** Comfort band at the edges of the readable pane. The playhead is only
+ *  re-centred once it drifts out of the band, so ordinary word-to-word
+ *  progress reads without the text sliding under the eye every few hundred ms.
+ *  Kept a little taller than the panel's bottom gradient (`h-20`). */
+const EDGE_PAD = 84;
 
-export type FollowDirection = "up" | "down";
+export type FollowDirection = "up" | "down" | null;
 
 /**
- * Keep the active transcript word in view during playback, but pause when the
- * user scrolls it offscreen. Exposes a Follow control until they resume.
+ * Keep the active transcript word in view during playback, and get out of the
+ * way the moment the user scrolls. Any deliberate scroll pauses following —
+ * waiting for the playhead to leave the pane first means small scrolls get
+ * yanked back on the next word, which reads as the panel fighting the user.
+ * Following resumes on the Follow control, on a word click, or when playback
+ * catches back up to whatever the user scrolled to.
  */
 export function useTranscriptPlayheadFollow({
   scrollRef,
@@ -34,12 +43,12 @@ export function useTranscriptPlayheadFollow({
   /** Set by wheel/touch/rail before the matching scroll event. */
   const userScrollGestureRef = useRef(false);
   const userScrollGestureTimerRef = useRef(0);
+  /** The playhead has left the pane since following was paused — until it
+   *  does, "back in view" means nothing and must not resume following. */
+  const leftViewRef = useRef(false);
   const [followPlayhead, setFollowPlayhead] = useState(true);
-  /** Playhead outside the readable viewport — gates the Follow control. */
-  const [playheadOffscreen, setPlayheadOffscreen] = useState(false);
-  /** Which way to jump to the playhead when unfollowed. */
-  const [followDirection, setFollowDirection] =
-    useState<FollowDirection>("down");
+  /** Which way to jump to the playhead when unfollowed; null when it is on screen. */
+  const [followDirection, setFollowDirection] = useState<FollowDirection>(null);
 
   /** Measure whether the active word sits above/below the readable pane. */
   const measurePlayheadAnchor = useCallback(() => {
@@ -47,13 +56,12 @@ export function useTranscriptPlayheadFollow({
     if (!scroller) return { offscreen: false as const };
     const { words, currentTime } = useEditorStore.getState();
     const activeId = findActiveWordId(words, currentTime);
-    if (activeId < 0) {
-      setPlayheadOffscreen(false);
-      return { offscreen: false as const };
-    }
-    const el = containerRef.current?.querySelector(`[data-wid="${activeId}"]`);
+    const el =
+      activeId < 0
+        ? null
+        : containerRef.current?.querySelector(`[data-wid="${activeId}"]`);
     if (!el) {
-      setPlayheadOffscreen(false);
+      setFollowDirection(null);
       return { offscreen: false as const };
     }
     const wordRect = el.getBoundingClientRect();
@@ -61,20 +69,20 @@ export function useTranscriptPlayheadFollow({
     const viewTop = scrollerRect.top + HEADER_H;
     const viewBottom = scrollerRect.bottom;
     if (wordRect.bottom < viewTop) {
-      setPlayheadOffscreen(true);
+      leftViewRef.current = true;
       setFollowDirection("up");
       return { offscreen: true as const, direction: "up" as const };
     }
     if (wordRect.top > viewBottom) {
-      setPlayheadOffscreen(true);
+      leftViewRef.current = true;
       setFollowDirection("down");
       return { offscreen: true as const, direction: "down" as const };
     }
-    setPlayheadOffscreen(false);
+    setFollowDirection(null);
     return { offscreen: false as const };
   }, [scrollRef, containerRef]);
 
-  /** Rail / gesture hint — actual unfollow waits until scroll leaves the word. */
+  /** Rail / wheel / touch hint, so the next scroll event is known to be theirs. */
   const markUserScrollGesture = useCallback(() => {
     const scroller = scrollRef.current;
     if (!scroller || scroller.scrollHeight <= scroller.clientHeight + 1) return;
@@ -88,26 +96,25 @@ export function useTranscriptPlayheadFollow({
 
   const resumeFollowPlayhead = useCallback(() => {
     followPlayheadRef.current = true;
+    leftViewRef.current = false;
     setFollowPlayhead(true);
-    setPlayheadOffscreen(false);
+    setFollowDirection(null);
   }, []);
 
-  // User scroll pauses follow only once the active word actually leaves view.
-  // Wheel over a non-scrollable pane is ignored (no Follow chip).
+  // Any user scroll pauses following immediately — wherever they land is where
+  // they want to be. Wheel over a non-scrollable pane never arms the gesture.
   useEffect(() => {
     const scroller = scrollRef.current;
     if (!scroller) return;
     const onGesture = () => markUserScrollGesture();
     const onScroll = () => {
       if (!playing) return;
-      const { offscreen } = measurePlayheadAnchor();
-      if (userScrollGestureRef.current && offscreen) {
+      if (userScrollGestureRef.current && followPlayheadRef.current) {
         followPlayheadRef.current = false;
+        leftViewRef.current = false;
         setFollowPlayhead(false);
-        return;
       }
-      // Scrolled back onto the playhead (or programmatic nearest kept it in view).
-      if (!offscreen && !followPlayheadRef.current) resumeFollowPlayhead();
+      measurePlayheadAnchor();
     };
     scroller.addEventListener("wheel", onGesture, { passive: true });
     scroller.addEventListener("touchmove", onGesture, { passive: true });
@@ -122,27 +129,41 @@ export function useTranscriptPlayheadFollow({
     scrollRef,
     markUserScrollGesture,
     measurePlayheadAnchor,
-    resumeFollowPlayhead,
     playing,
   ]);
 
-  // Keep the active word in view during playback while following.
+  // Keep the active word inside the comfort band during playback.
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!playing || !followPlayhead || activeWordId < 0) return;
+    const scroller = scrollRef.current;
     const el = containerRef.current?.querySelector(
       `[data-wid="${activeWordId}"]`
     );
-    el?.scrollIntoView({ block: "center" });
-  }, [activeWordId, playing, followPlayhead, containerRef]);
+    if (!scroller || !el) return;
+    const wordRect = el.getBoundingClientRect();
+    const scrollerRect = scroller.getBoundingClientRect();
+    const viewTop = scrollerRect.top + HEADER_H;
+    const viewBottom = scrollerRect.bottom;
+    if (wordRect.top >= viewTop + EDGE_PAD && wordRect.bottom <= viewBottom - EDGE_PAD)
+      return;
+    const wordCentre = wordRect.top + wordRect.height / 2;
+    const paneCentre = (viewTop + viewBottom) / 2;
+    scroller.scrollTo({
+      top: scroller.scrollTop + wordCentre - paneCentre,
+      behavior: "smooth",
+    });
+  }, [activeWordId, playing, followPlayhead, scrollRef, containerRef]);
 
-  // Refresh offscreen/direction as the playhead advances while unfollowed.
+  // While unfollowed, track where the playhead sits so the control points the
+  // right way, and hand following back once playback catches up to the reader.
   // Measured in a frame callback so layout has settled for the newly active
   // word (and so the state update stays out of the render pass).
   useEffect(() => {
     if (followPlayhead || !playing || activeWordId < 0) return;
     const raf = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
       const { offscreen } = measurePlayheadAnchor();
-      if (!offscreen) resumeFollowPlayhead();
+      if (!offscreen && leftViewRef.current && !userScrollGestureRef.current)
+        resumeFollowPlayhead();
     });
     return () => cancelAnimationFrame(raf);
   }, [
@@ -153,11 +174,8 @@ export function useTranscriptPlayheadFollow({
     resumeFollowPlayhead,
   ]);
 
-  const showFollowControl =
-    !followPlayhead && playheadOffscreen && playing;
-
   return {
-    showFollowControl,
+    showFollowControl: !followPlayhead && playing,
     followDirection,
     resumeFollowPlayhead,
     markUserScrollGesture,