diff --git a/ryoku/shell/CHANGELOG.md b/ryoku/shell/CHANGELOG.md
index 5f08410cf..50f2a5e0e 100644
--- a/ryoku/shell/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/ryoku/shell/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 # Changelog: ryoku/shell/
 
 ## Unreleased
+- **Clicking an expanded Controls drawer no longer closes the panel.** Opening the
+  Brightness or Volume drawer grew the panel, but clicks on the newly grown part
+  still counted as clicks outside it. The whole drawer now takes clicks, and the
+  settings popup stays inside the panel when it is centred.
 - **Windows reach the Shima dock again.** Under the Shima bar style the frame and
   the dock both reserved the dock's band, which left a dock-tall gap between
   windows and the dock. The frame's reservation is now the only one there.
diff --git a/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/ControlsBar.qml b/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/ControlsBar.qml
index 200d4f22f..825d9737d 100644
--- a/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/ControlsBar.qml
+++ b/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/ControlsBar.qml
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ Item {
     required property real s
     required property var screen
     required property bool active
+    // the panel's window can reach past its card, so the card bounds the settings popup
+    property Item card: null
     signal session(string action)
     signal openExtensions()
     signal requestClose()
@@ -169,25 +171,26 @@ Item {
 
     ControlsSettingsPopup {
         id: settings
+        readonly property Item bounds: root.card ?? host
         parent: root
         x: {
-            if (!host)
+            if (!bounds)
                 return 0;
-            const origin = root.mapToItem(host, 0, 0);
-            return Math.max(0, Math.min(host.width - width, origin.x + root.width - width)) - origin.x;
+            const origin = root.mapToItem(bounds, 0, 0);
+            return Math.max(0, Math.min(bounds.width - width, origin.x + root.width - width)) - origin.x;
         }
         y: {
-            if (!host)
+            if (!bounds)
                 return 0;
-            const origin = root.mapToItem(host, 0, 0);
+            const origin = root.mapToItem(bounds, 0, 0);
             const preferred = origin.y - height - Tokens.s2 * root.s;
-            return Math.max(0, Math.min(host.height - height, preferred)) - origin.y;
+            return Math.max(0, Math.min(bounds.height - height, preferred)) - origin.y;
         }
         s: root.s
         active: root.active
         // keep the popup wholly above the bar so it never covers the gear that closes
         // it, measured on every open because the bar settles after the popup exists
-        onAboutToShow: maxHeight = host ? Math.max(1, root.mapToItem(host, 0, 0).y - Tokens.s2 * root.s) : hostHeight
+        onAboutToShow: maxHeight = bounds ? Math.max(1, root.mapToItem(bounds, 0, 0).y - Tokens.s2 * root.s) : hostHeight
         onOpenExtensions: root.openExtensions()
         onRequestClose: root.requestClose()
     }
diff --git a/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/ControlsBoard.qml b/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/ControlsBoard.qml
index e96a56ee6..818263b09 100644
--- a/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/ControlsBoard.qml
+++ b/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/ControlsBoard.qml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Item {
     required property var screen
     required property bool active
     property string page: "controls"
+    property Item card: null
     signal requestClose()
 
     readonly property string currentPage: ["wifi", "bluetooth"].indexOf(page) >= 0 ? page : "controls"
@@ -136,6 +137,7 @@ Item {
             height: implicitHeight
             s: root.s
             screen: root.screen
+            card: root.card
             active: root.overviewActive
             onSession: action => root.session(action)
             onOpenExtensions: root.showPage("plugins")
diff --git a/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/Sidebar.qml b/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/Sidebar.qml
index fa986009f..bc12d77b2 100644
--- a/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/Sidebar.qml
+++ b/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/Sidebar.qml
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ Scope {
     }
 
     // The dismiss surface never animates. Only the small corner buffer redraws.
+    // Since it does not redraw, a mask edited after its first frame never reaches
+    // the compositor, so its hole is the panel's whole column, which stays fixed
+    // while an inline drawer or section grows the panel inside it.
     PanelWindow {
         id: dismiss
         screen: root.screen
@@ -99,9 +102,9 @@ Scope {
             Region {
                 intersection: Intersection.Subtract
                 x: root.panelX
-                y: root.panelY
+                y: root.roomY
                 width: root.wantedWidth
-                height: root.wantedHeight
+                height: root.availableHeight
             }
             Region { intersection: Intersection.Subtract; width: dismiss.width; height: root.clearances.top }
             Region { intersection: Intersection.Subtract; y: dismiss.height - root.clearances.bottom; width: dismiss.width; height: root.clearances.bottom }
@@ -125,17 +128,33 @@ Scope {
         exclusionMode: ExclusionMode.Ignore
         exclusiveZone: 0
         anchors { top: true; left: true }
-        margins.top: root.panelY
+        margins.top: root.roomY
         margins.left: root.panelX
         implicitWidth: root.wantedWidth
-        implicitHeight: root.wantedHeight
+        implicitHeight: root.availableHeight
         WlrLayershell.layer: WlrLayer.Overlay
         WlrLayershell.namespace: "ryoku-sidebar-left"
         WlrLayershell.keyboardFocus: root.active ? WlrKeyboardFocus.Exclusive : WlrKeyboardFocus.None
 
+        // The dismiss hole spans the whole column, so a press in its clear part
+        // above or below the panel has to dismiss here instead.
+        MouseArea {
+            anchors.fill: parent
+            acceptedButtons: Qt.LeftButton | Qt.RightButton | Qt.MiddleButton
+            onPressed: mouse => {
+                if (mouse.y >= surface.y && mouse.y < surface.y + surface.height) {
+                    mouse.accepted = false;
+                    return;
+                }
+                Qt.callLater(() => SidebarState.close(root.screen));
+            }
+        }
+
         FocusScope {
             id: surface
-            anchors.fill: parent
+            y: root.panelY - root.roomY
+            width: parent.width
+            height: root.wantedHeight
             opacity: root.reveal
             scale: 0.985 + root.reveal * 0.015
             transformOrigin: root.panelTransformOrigin
diff --git a/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/SidebarChrome.qml b/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/SidebarChrome.qml
index 9727a7992..c74ea5c38 100644
--- a/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/SidebarChrome.qml
+++ b/ryoku/shell/quickshell/shell/modules/sidebar/SidebarChrome.qml
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ Item {
         ControlsBoard {
             s: root.s
             screen: root.screen
+            card: root
             active: root.active && root.page !== "plugins"
             page: root.page
             onRequestClose: root.closeRequested()