diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/chat.abort-persistence.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/chat.abort-persistence.test.ts
index 991bea77e1f2..1d6d61638057 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/chat.abort-persistence.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/chat.abort-persistence.test.ts
@@ -248,7 +248,11 @@ afterEach(async () => {
   transcriptFixtures.clear();
   const dirs = [...fixtureDirs];
   fixtureDirs.clear();
-  await Promise.all(dirs.map((dir) => fs.rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true })));
+  // Abort persistence can still be flushing SQLite sidecar files when cleanup
+  // starts; retries absorb the ENOTEMPTY window instead of failing the test.
+  await Promise.all(
+    dirs.map((dir) => fs.rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true, maxRetries: 5, retryDelay: 100 })),
+  );
 });
 
 describe("chat abort transcript persistence", () => {
diff --git a/ui/src/components/board/board-view-sizing.test.ts b/ui/src/components/board/board-view-sizing.test.ts
index acc37acac06b..29b51616b1e2 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/board/board-view-sizing.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/components/board/board-view-sizing.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import { effectiveBoardWidgetRows } from "../../lib/board/grid.ts";
+import {
+  boardChromeRowPx,
+  effectiveBoardWidgetRows,
+  exactBoardWidgetHeightPx,
+} from "../../lib/board/grid.ts";
 // Side-effect import: test-support only type-imports the component, so the
 // custom element must be registered here for mount() to render anything.
 import "./board-view.ts";
@@ -29,6 +33,46 @@ describe("board widget sizing", () => {
     expect(effectiveBoardWidgetRows(card, 150, 0)).toBe(3);
   });
 
+  it("hugs auto cards to their exact content height inside the quantized cell", () => {
+    const card = boardWidget({ sizeH: 6 });
+    // Card inset adds 12px per edge; frameless/full-bleed report bare content.
+    expect(exactBoardWidgetHeightPx(card, 300)).toBe(324);
+    expect(exactBoardWidgetHeightPx({ ...card, presentation: "frameless" }, 300)).toBe(300);
+    // Short content hugs below the 2-row cell minimum: the cell keeps its
+    // minimum span, only the card shrinks.
+    expect(exactBoardWidgetHeightPx(card, 60)).toBe(84);
+    // At the 20-row cap the card fills the cell exactly and the body clips.
+    expect(exactBoardWidgetHeightPx(card, 10_000)).toBe(20 * 56 + 19 * 12);
+    // Coarse-pointer layouts keep the 38px bar in flow, joining the height.
+    expect(exactBoardWidgetHeightPx(card, 300, 38)).toBe(362);
+    expect(exactBoardWidgetHeightPx({ ...card, heightMode: "fixed" }, 300)).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(exactBoardWidgetHeightPx(card, undefined)).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(exactBoardWidgetHeightPx({ ...card, contentKind: "mcp-app" }, 300)).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("pins the exact reported height on the card and re-fills while dragging", async () => {
+    const view = await mount();
+    const cell = view.querySelector("openclaw-board-widget-cell");
+    const frame = cell?.querySelector("iframe");
+    window.dispatchEvent(
+      new MessageEvent("message", {
+        source: frame?.contentWindow ?? null,
+        data: { type: "openclaw:widget-size", height: 300 },
+      }),
+    );
+    const widget = boardWidget();
+    const expected = exactBoardWidgetHeightPx(widget, 300, boardChromeRowPx());
+    const section = () => cell?.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".board-widget");
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(section()?.getAttribute("style")).toContain(`height: ${expected}px`);
+      expect(section()?.getAttribute("style")).toContain("align-self: start");
+    });
+    // Gestures manipulate the quantized cell, so the card fills it again.
+    Reflect.set(cell ?? {}, "dragging", true);
+    await cell?.updateComplete;
+    expect(section()?.getAttribute("style")).not.toContain("align-self");
+  });
+
   it("pins preset resizing and toggles height mode from the menu", async () => {
     const applyOps = vi.fn(async () => undefined);
     const view = await mount({ callbacks: callbacks({ applyOps }) });
diff --git a/ui/src/components/board/board-view.browser.test.ts b/ui/src/components/board/board-view.browser.test.ts
index 6e8e5cb1387c..31bdd279ce6d 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/board/board-view.browser.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/components/board/board-view.browser.test.ts
@@ -133,19 +133,80 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasBrowserLayout)("openclaw-board-view browser layout", () => {
 
     widget!.focus();
     expect(getComputedStyle(bar!).visibility).toBe("visible");
-    // The revealed strip must not steal clicks from widget content under it;
-    // only real controls (drag handle, kebab) stay interactive.
-    expect(getComputedStyle(bar!).pointerEvents).toBe("none");
-    const handle = bar!.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".board-widget__drag-handle");
-    const trigger = bar!.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".board-widget__menu-trigger");
-    expect(getComputedStyle(handle!).pointerEvents).toBe("auto");
-    expect(getComputedStyle(trigger!).pointerEvents).toBe("auto");
+    // Chrome is a compact top-left pill, not a full-width strip: it must not
+    // stretch across the card, so widget-owned top-right actions stay clear.
+    const barBounds = bar!.getBoundingClientRect();
+    const widgetBounds = widget!.getBoundingClientRect();
+    expect(barBounds.width).toBeLessThan(widgetBounds.width * 0.75);
+    expect(barBounds.left - widgetBounds.left).toBeLessThan(widgetBounds.right - barBounds.right);
 
     sink.focus();
     expect(widget!.matches(":focus-within")).toBe(false);
     await vi.waitFor(() => expectChromeHidden(widget!, bar!));
   });
 
+  it("reserves the top-right action corner even for narrow long-titled widgets", async () => {
+    const view = await mount();
+    view.snapshot = {
+      ...structuredClone(source),
+      widgets: [
+        {
+          ...source.widgets[0]!,
+          sizeW: 6,
+          title: "An extremely long widget title that wants the whole bar",
+          grantState: "granted",
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+    await view.updateComplete;
+    const cell = view.querySelector("openclaw-board-widget-cell");
+    await cell?.updateComplete;
+    const widget = view.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-test-id="board-widget"]');
+    const bar = widget!.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".board-widget__bar");
+    widget!.focus();
+    expect(getComputedStyle(bar!).visibility).toBe("visible");
+    // The interactive pill reserves a widget-owned right-hand region and none
+    // of its children may overflow the capped box into that corner.
+    const widgetBounds = widget!.getBoundingClientRect();
+    expect(widgetBounds.right - bar!.getBoundingClientRect().right).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(88);
+    for (const child of bar!.children) {
+      expect(child.getBoundingClientRect().right).toBeLessThanOrEqual(
+        bar!.getBoundingClientRect().right + 1,
+      );
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("strips the pill to move + menu on widgets too narrow for the reservation", async () => {
+    const view = await mount();
+    view.snapshot = {
+      ...structuredClone(source),
+      widgets: [
+        {
+          ...source.widgets[0]!,
+          sizeW: 3,
+          title: "An extremely long widget title that wants the whole bar",
+          grantState: "granted",
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+    await view.updateComplete;
+    const cell = view.querySelector("openclaw-board-widget-cell");
+    await cell?.updateComplete;
+    const widget = view.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-test-id="board-widget"]');
+    const bar = widget!.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".board-widget__bar");
+    widget!.focus();
+    expect(getComputedStyle(bar!).visibility).toBe("visible");
+    // Below the 184px container threshold the display-only pieces disappear so
+    // the pill is the irreducible move + menu pair and the rest of the card
+    // stays widget-owned.
+    expect(widget!.getBoundingClientRect().width).toBeLessThan(184);
+    const title = bar!.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".board-widget__title");
+    const kind = bar!.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".board-widget__kind");
+    expect(getComputedStyle(title!).display).toBe("none");
+    expect(getComputedStyle(kind!).display).toBe("none");
+    expect(bar!.getBoundingClientRect().width).toBeLessThanOrEqual(76);
+  });
+
   it("keeps widget chrome visible while its menu is open", async () => {
     const view = await mount();
     const sink = focusSink();
@@ -272,11 +333,9 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasBrowserLayout)("openclaw-board-view browser layout", () => {
         data: { type: "openclaw:widget-size", height: 300 },
       }),
     );
-    await vi.waitFor(() =>
-      expect(Math.round(first.getBoundingClientRect().height)).toBe(
-        BOARD_GRID_ROW_HEIGHT * 5 + BOARD_GRID_GAP * 4,
-      ),
-    );
+    // The card hugs its exact content height (300px + 2x12px card inset); the
+    // ceil-to-row slack stays outside the card as grid background.
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(Math.round(first.getBoundingClientRect().height)).toBe(324));
     expect(second.getBoundingClientRect().top).toBeGreaterThan(secondTopBefore);
 
     const cardBody = first.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".board-widget__body");
diff --git a/ui/src/components/board/board-view.ts b/ui/src/components/board/board-view.ts
index 41c420832b24..feacca37b996 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/board/board-view.ts
+++ b/ui/src/components/board/board-view.ts
@@ -259,14 +259,10 @@ class OpenClawBoardView extends OpenClawLightDomElement {
       if (!widget || widget.contentKind !== "html") {
         return;
       }
-      const chromeRowPx = boardChromeRowPx();
-      const previousRows = effectiveBoardWidgetRows(
-        widget,
-        this.contentHeights.get(name),
-        chromeRowPx,
-      );
-      this.contentHeights.set(name, height);
-      if (effectiveBoardWidgetRows(widget, height, chromeRowPx) !== previousRows) {
+      // Any pixel change matters: the cell renders the exact reported height,
+      // not just the quantized row span.
+      if (this.contentHeights.get(name) !== height) {
+        this.contentHeights.set(name, height);
         this.requestUpdate();
       }
     },
@@ -654,6 +650,7 @@ class OpenClawBoardView extends OpenClawLightDomElement {
               <openclaw-board-widget-cell
                 .widget=${widget}
                 .rect=${rect}
+                .contentHeightPx=${this.contentHeights.get(widget.name)}
                 .tabs=${tabs}
                 .sessionKey=${sessionKey}
                 .widgetFrameUrl=${this.widgetFrameUrl}
diff --git a/ui/src/components/board/board-widget-cell.ts b/ui/src/components/board/board-widget-cell.ts
index 9846105fa65a..d2950c2870da 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/board/board-widget-cell.ts
+++ b/ui/src/components/board/board-widget-cell.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@ import { applicationContext, type ApplicationContext } from "../../app/context.t
 import { ensureCustomElementDefined } from "../../app/lazy-custom-element.ts";
 import { t } from "../../i18n/index.ts";
 import type { BoardGridDirection, BoardGridRect } from "../../lib/board/grid.ts";
-import { toCssPlacement } from "../../lib/board/grid.ts";
+import {
+  boardChromeRowPx,
+  exactBoardWidgetHeightPx,
+  toCssPlacement,
+} from "../../lib/board/grid.ts";
 import type { BoardWidgetAppViewState } from "../../lib/board/provider.ts";
 import type { BoardTab } from "../../lib/board/types.ts";
 import type {
@@ -64,6 +68,7 @@ class OpenClawBoardWidgetCell extends OpenClawLightDomElement {
 
   @property({ attribute: false }) widget?: BoardViewWidget;
   @property({ attribute: false }) rect?: BoardGridRect;
+  @property({ attribute: false }) contentHeightPx?: number;
   @property({ attribute: false }) tabs: readonly BoardTab[] = [];
   @property({ attribute: false }) sessionKey = "";
   @property({ attribute: false }) widgetFrameUrl?: BoardWidgetFrameUrl;
@@ -390,10 +395,17 @@ class OpenClawBoardWidgetCell extends OpenClawLightDomElement {
       bodyScrollable || widget.contentKind === "mcp-app" || widget.contentKind === "plugin";
     const presentation =
       widget.contentKind === "html" ? (widget.presentation ?? "card") : undefined;
+    // While a move/resize gesture runs, the card fills its (preview) cell so
+    // the user manipulates the quantized rect they will actually commit.
+    const exactHeightPx = this.dragging
+      ? undefined
+      : exactBoardWidgetHeightPx(widget, this.contentHeightPx, boardChromeRowPx());
+    const exactHeightStyle =
+      exactHeightPx === undefined ? "" : ` height: ${exactHeightPx}px; align-self: start;`;
     return html`
       <section
         class=${`board-widget ${this.dragging ? "board-widget--dragging" : ""} ${presentation ? `board-widget--${presentation}` : ""}`}
-        style=${toCssPlacement(rect)}
+        style=${`${toCssPlacement(rect)}${exactHeightStyle}`}
         role="listitem"
         tabindex=${this.focusTabIndex}
         aria-posinset=${this.positionInSet}
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/board/grid.ts b/ui/src/lib/board/grid.ts
index afa86dbdf0cc..34377a033430 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/board/grid.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/board/grid.ts
@@ -216,11 +216,11 @@ export function boardChromeRowPx(): number {
     : 0;
 }
 
-export function effectiveBoardWidgetRows(
+function autoBoardWidgetHeightPx(
   widget: BoardWidgetSizingInput,
   contentHeightPx: number | undefined,
-  chromeRowPx = 0,
-): number {
+  chromeRowPx: number,
+): number | undefined {
   // Absent heightMode means auto BY DESIGN, including widgets pinned before
   // the contract existed: retroactive content-fitting is the product goal, and
   // one menu click re-pins. Only an explicit "fixed" preserves stored height.
@@ -231,18 +231,57 @@ export function effectiveBoardWidgetRows(
     !Number.isFinite(contentHeightPx) ||
     contentHeightPx <= 0
   ) {
-    return widget.sizeH;
+    return undefined;
   }
-  const requiredHeight =
+  return (
     contentHeightPx +
     chromeRowPx +
-    ((widget.presentation ?? "card") === "card" ? BOARD_WIDGET_FRAME_INSET * 2 : 0);
+    ((widget.presentation ?? "card") === "card" ? BOARD_WIDGET_FRAME_INSET * 2 : 0)
+  );
+}
+
+function boardRowSpanPx(rows: number): number {
+  return rows * BOARD_GRID_ROW_HEIGHT + (rows - 1) * BOARD_GRID_GAP;
+}
+
+export function effectiveBoardWidgetRows(
+  widget: BoardWidgetSizingInput,
+  contentHeightPx: number | undefined,
+  chromeRowPx = 0,
+): number {
+  const requiredHeight = autoBoardWidgetHeightPx(widget, contentHeightPx, chromeRowPx);
+  if (requiredHeight === undefined) {
+    return widget.sizeH;
+  }
   const rows = Math.ceil(
     (requiredHeight + BOARD_GRID_GAP) / (BOARD_GRID_ROW_HEIGHT + BOARD_GRID_GAP),
   );
   return Math.min(BOARD_WIDGET_AUTO_MAX_ROWS, Math.max(BOARD_WIDGET_AUTO_MIN_ROWS, rows));
 }
 
+/**
+ * Exact card height for auto-sized HTML widgets. The grid cell stays quantized
+ * to rows (`effectiveBoardWidgetRows`), but the card hugs its content so the
+ * ceil-to-row slack lands outside the card as background spacing instead of
+ * dead space inside it. Undefined means "fill the cell" (fixed/non-HTML).
+ */
+export function exactBoardWidgetHeightPx(
+  widget: BoardWidgetSizingInput,
+  contentHeightPx: number | undefined,
+  chromeRowPx = 0,
+): number | undefined {
+  const requiredHeight = autoBoardWidgetHeightPx(widget, contentHeightPx, chromeRowPx);
+  if (requiredHeight === undefined) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  // Never exceed the quantized cell: at the row cap the content is taller than
+  // the cell, so the card fills the cell and the body scrolls/clips as before.
+  return Math.min(
+    requiredHeight,
+    boardRowSpanPx(effectiveBoardWidgetRows(widget, contentHeightPx, chromeRowPx)),
+  );
+}
+
 /** Structural sizing inputs so pure grid math stays free of view-type imports. */
 type BoardWidgetSizingInput = {
   contentKind: string;
diff --git a/ui/src/styles/board.css b/ui/src/styles/board.css
index 3eda4d70035c..e3ea767a6f25 100644
--- a/ui/src/styles/board.css
+++ b/ui/src/styles/board.css
@@ -743,49 +743,94 @@ openclaw-workboard-mini-widget {
 
 @media (hover: hover) and (pointer: fine) {
   /* Focus keeps keyboard actions reachable; menu-open and dragging keep chrome
-     pinned when interaction leaves the card bounds. */
+     pinned when interaction leaves the card bounds. Inline-size containment
+     lets the pill drop to its minimal form on narrow cards; grid tracks set
+     the card's width, so containment changes no layout. */
   .board-widget {
+    container-type: inline-size;
     grid-template-rows: minmax(0, 1fr);
   }
 
+  /* Chrome is a compact top-left pill, not a full-width strip: widgets put
+     their own actions top-right, so that corner must stay visible and
+     clickable even while host chrome is revealed. The 30px pill height is
+     overlay-only; coarse pointers keep the base 38px in-flow grid row that
+     BOARD_WIDGET_TOUCH_BAR_PX mirrors. */
   .board-widget__bar {
     backdrop-filter: blur(6px);
     background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--board-surface) 92%, transparent);
-    border-radius: 11px 11px 0 0;
-    height: 38px;
-    left: 0;
+    border: 1px solid var(--board-line);
+    border-radius: 999px;
+    box-shadow: 0 4px 14px rgb(0 0 0 / 18%);
+    height: 30px;
+    left: 7px;
+    /* Reserve a widget-owned top-right action region: the interactive pill may
+       never stretch across the card, or it re-intercepts the exact corner this
+       chrome exists to keep clickable. The 88px floor keeps the drag handle and
+       menu usable on very narrow widgets; below 184px the container query strips
+       the pill to that irreducible pair so the reservation stays maximal. */
+    max-width: max(88px, calc(100% - 96px));
     opacity: 0;
+    padding: 0 5px;
     position: absolute;
-    right: 0;
-    top: 0;
+    top: 7px;
     transition:
-      opacity 120ms ease,
-      visibility 0s linear 120ms;
+      opacity 100ms ease,
+      visibility 0s linear 100ms;
     visibility: hidden;
     z-index: 5;
-    /* The overlay strip must not steal clicks from widget content underneath:
-       only real controls stay interactive, everything else passes through. */
-    pointer-events: none;
   }
 
-  /* Capabilities chip stays interactive for its granted-permissions tooltip;
-     the kind badge and title are display-only and pass clicks through. */
+  .board-widget__bar > .board-widget__title {
+    max-width: 200px;
+  }
+
+  /* Every flexible child must shrink inside the capped pill; content that
+     overflowed the box would carry pointer events into the reserved corner. */
   .board-widget__bar > .board-widget__drag-handle,
-  .board-widget__bar > .board-widget__capabilities,
   .board-widget__bar > .board-widget__menu {
-    pointer-events: auto;
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+  }
+
+  .board-widget__bar > .board-widget__kind,
+  .board-widget__bar > .board-widget__capabilities {
+    min-width: 0;
+    overflow: hidden;
+  }
+
+  /* Below 184px the 96px reservation and the 88px pill cannot coexist, so the
+     pill sheds its display-only pieces and keeps just move + menu — the two
+     controls without which a widget cannot be managed. The card's aria-label
+     and the drag handle tooltip still carry the title. */
+  @container (max-width: 184px) {
+    .board-widget__bar > .board-widget__title,
+    .board-widget__bar > .board-widget__kind,
+    .board-widget__bar > .board-widget__capabilities {
+      display: none;
+    }
   }
 
   .board-widget__resize-handle {
     opacity: 0;
     transition:
-      opacity 120ms ease,
-      visibility 0s linear 120ms;
+      opacity 100ms ease,
+      visibility 0s linear 100ms;
     visibility: hidden;
   }
 
+  /* Hover-intent: the pointer must rest on the card briefly before chrome
+     appears, so quick clicks into widget content never race the overlay.
+     Delay-only overrides keep the base fade, and reduced-motion's
+     transition: none stays authoritative because no transition-property is
+     redeclared here. */
   .board-widget:hover .board-widget__bar,
-  .board-widget:hover .board-widget__resize-handle,
+  .board-widget:hover .board-widget__resize-handle {
+    opacity: 1;
+    transition-delay: 350ms;
+    visibility: visible;
+  }
+
+  /* Keyboard focus, an open menu, and active drags need chrome immediately. */
   .board-widget:focus-within .board-widget__bar,
   .board-widget:focus-within .board-widget__resize-handle,
   .board-widget--dragging .board-widget__bar,
@@ -793,9 +838,6 @@ openclaw-workboard-mini-widget {
   .board-widget:has(.board-widget__menu[open]) .board-widget__bar,
   .board-widget:has(.board-widget__menu[open]) .board-widget__resize-handle {
     opacity: 1;
-    /* Delay-only override: reveal flips visibility immediately while the base
-       shorthand keeps the fade, and reduced-motion's transition: none stays
-       authoritative because no transition-property is redeclared here. */
     transition-delay: 0s;
     visibility: visible;
   }