diff --git a/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/V2PodsSidebar.scale.test.tsx b/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/V2PodsSidebar.scale.test.tsx
index ee51feb8d..b48f924ee 100644
--- a/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/V2PodsSidebar.scale.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/V2PodsSidebar.scale.test.tsx
@@ -304,6 +304,15 @@ describe('V2PodsSidebar — direction C', () => {
     expect(screen.getByPlaceholderText('Pod name')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  test('Create stays disabled until the pod has a name', () => {
+    renderSidebar(fleet);
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'New pod' }));
+    const submit = document.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('.v2-pods__create-submit');
+    expect(submit).toBeDisabled();
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByPlaceholderText('Pod name'), { target: { value: 'Launch' } });
+    expect(submit).toBeEnabled();
+  });
+
   test('the page variant renders the phone list with a Pods title', () => {
     renderSidebar(fleet, null, { variant: 'page' });
     expect(screen.getByRole('heading', { level: 1, name: 'Pods' })).toBeInTheDocument();
diff --git a/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/v2-layout-invariants.test.ts b/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/v2-layout-invariants.test.ts
index 750899d83..bdd439b98 100644
--- a/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/v2-layout-invariants.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/v2-layout-invariants.test.ts
@@ -341,6 +341,23 @@ describe('v2 layout invariants (CSS rule presence)', () => {
     expect(v2).not.toContain('.v2-pods__search-kbd::before');
   });
 
+  test('pod create actions beat the button reset and keep phone-sized targets', () => {
+    const shared = selectorRuleBody(v2, '.v2-root button.v2-pods__create-cancel,');
+    const cancel = ruleBody(v2, '.v2-root button.v2-pods__create-cancel');
+    const submit = lastRuleBody(v2, '.v2-root button.v2-pods__create-submit');
+    const disabled = ruleBody(v2, '.v2-root button.v2-pods__create-submit:disabled');
+    const phone = blockContaining(v2, '@media (max-width: 760px)', '.v2-root button.v2-pods__create-cancel,');
+
+    expect(shared).toContain('padding: 6px 9px');
+    expect(shared).toContain('font-size: 12px');
+    expect(cancel).toContain('color: var(--v2-text-tertiary)');
+    expect(submit).toContain('background: var(--v2-ink)');
+    expect(submit).toContain('color: #fff');
+    expect(disabled).toContain('background: var(--v2-border-strong)');
+    expect(phone).not.toBe('');
+    expect(ruleBody(v2, '.v2-root button.v2-pods__create-submit', { within: phone })).toContain('min-height: 40px');
+  });
+
   test('the selected pod keeps the sidebar’s one cobalt block treatment', () => {
     const selected = selectorRuleBody(v2, '.v2-root button.v2-pods__row--selected');
     expect(selected).toContain('background: var(--v2-accent)');
diff --git a/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/v2-type-floors.test.ts b/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/v2-type-floors.test.ts
index 30c331308..77094cc4c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/v2-type-floors.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/v2/__tests__/v2-type-floors.test.ts
@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ const ALLOWLIST: string[] = [
   '.v2-mention-item__sub', // 11.0px — no-mono-family
   '.v2-modal__error', // 11.0px — no-mono-family
   '.v2-modal__hint--muted', // 11.0px — no-mono-family
-  '.v2-pods__create-cancel, .v2-pods__create-submit', // 11.0px — no-mono-family
   '.v2-pods__create-error', // 11.0px — no-mono-family
   '.v2-pods__discover-meta', // 11.0px — no-mono-family
   '.v2-pods__item-icon', // 11.0px — no-mono-family
diff --git a/frontend/src/v2/v2.css b/frontend/src/v2/v2.css
index 8e13e7466..779f1cd7b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/v2/v2.css
+++ b/frontend/src/v2/v2.css
@@ -1051,28 +1051,35 @@ body.modern-ui.v2-canvas {
   gap: 8px;
 }
 
-.v2-pods__create-cancel,
-.v2-pods__create-submit {
+.v2-root button.v2-pods__create-cancel,
+.v2-root button.v2-pods__create-submit {
   padding: 6px 9px;
   border-radius: var(--v2-radius-sm);
-  font-size: 11px;
+  font-size: 12px;
   font-weight: 700;
 }
 
-.v2-pods__create-cancel {
+.v2-root button.v2-pods__create-cancel {
   color: var(--v2-text-tertiary);
 }
 
-.v2-pods__create-submit {
+.v2-root button.v2-pods__create-submit {
   background: var(--v2-ink);
   color: #fff;
 }
 
-.v2-pods__create-submit:disabled {
+.v2-root button.v2-pods__create-submit:disabled {
   background: var(--v2-border-strong);
   cursor: not-allowed;
 }
 
+@media (max-width: 760px) {
+  .v2-root button.v2-pods__create-cancel,
+  .v2-root button.v2-pods__create-submit {
+    min-height: 40px;
+  }
+}
+
 .v2-pods__filters {
   /* Fourth mechanism for this row (Sam's ruling 2026-08-23): every chip the
      SAME size, at least as roomy as the widest label. Content-sized chips