diff --git a/static/ui.js b/static/ui.js
index 3827d926..db17b3ca 100644
--- a/static/ui.js
+++ b/static/ui.js
@@ -4674,12 +4674,28 @@ function clearMessageRenderCache(){
   _sessionHtmlCacheSid=null;
 }
 
-function _scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll){
+function _captureMessageScrollSnapshot(){
+  const el=$('messages');
+  if(!el) return null;
+  return {top:el.scrollTop};
+}
+function _restoreMessageScrollSnapshot(snapshot){
+  const el=$('messages');
+  if(!el||!snapshot) return;
+  const maxTop=Math.max(0,el.scrollHeight-el.clientHeight);
+  _programmaticScroll=true;
+  el.scrollTop=Math.max(0,Math.min(Number(snapshot.top)||0,maxTop));
+  _lastScrollTop=el.scrollTop;
+  requestAnimationFrame(()=>{ setTimeout(()=>{_programmaticScroll=false;},0); });
+}
+function _scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll, scrollSnapshot){
   // Terminal stream renders can happen after S.activeStreamId is cleared.
   // In that case, preserveScroll asks the normal pin-state helper to decide:
-  // pinned users stay at bottom; users who manually scrolled up stay put.
+  // pinned users stay at bottom; users who manually scrolled up get their
+  // pre-render scrollTop restored after the DOM replacement.
   if(preserveScroll){
-    scrollIfPinned();
+    if(_scrollPinned) scrollIfPinned();
+    else _restoreMessageScrollSnapshot(scrollSnapshot);
     return;
   }
   if(S.activeStreamId){
@@ -4691,6 +4707,7 @@ function _scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll){
 
 function renderMessages(options){
   const preserveScroll=!!(options&&options.preserveScroll);
+  const scrollSnapshot=preserveScroll?_captureMessageScrollSnapshot():null;
   const inner=$('msgInner');
   const sid=S.session?S.session.session_id:null;
   const msgCount=S.messages.length;
@@ -4716,7 +4733,7 @@ function renderMessages(options){
       _sessionHtmlCacheSid=sid;
       _wireMessageWindowLoadEarlierButton();
       if(typeof _applySessionNavigationPrefs==='function') _applySessionNavigationPrefs();
-      _scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll);
+      _scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll, scrollSnapshot);
       requestAnimationFrame(()=>{highlightCode();addCopyButtons();loadDiffInline();loadCsvInline();loadExcalidrawInline();loadPdfInline();loadHtmlInline();renderMermaidBlocks();renderKatexBlocks();});
       requestAnimationFrame(()=>{highlightCode();addCopyButtons();initTreeViews();loadPdfInline();loadHtmlInline();renderMermaidBlocks();renderKatexBlocks();});
       if(typeof _initMediaPlaybackObserver==='function') _initMediaPlaybackObserver();
@@ -5256,7 +5273,7 @@ function renderMessages(options){
   // Only force-scroll when not actively streaming — mid-stream re-renders
   // (tool completion, session switch) must not override the user's scroll position.
   // scrollIfPinned() respects _scrollPinned, so it's a no-op if user scrolled up.
-  _scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll);
+  _scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll, scrollSnapshot);
   // Apply syntax highlighting after DOM is built
   requestAnimationFrame(()=>{highlightCode();addCopyButtons();loadDiffInline();loadCsvInline();loadExcalidrawInline();loadPdfInline();loadHtmlInline();renderMermaidBlocks();renderKatexBlocks();});
   requestAnimationFrame(()=>{highlightCode();addCopyButtons();initTreeViews();loadPdfInline();loadHtmlInline();renderMermaidBlocks();renderKatexBlocks();}); 
diff --git a/tests/test_issue1690_scroll_completion.py b/tests/test_issue1690_scroll_completion.py
index 21c202f9..66233b65 100644
--- a/tests/test_issue1690_scroll_completion.py
+++ b/tests/test_issue1690_scroll_completion.py
@@ -54,8 +54,9 @@ def test_render_messages_preserve_scroll_option_uses_user_pin_state_not_stream_l
 
     assert "function renderMessages(options)" in render_body
     assert "const preserveScroll=!!(options&&options.preserveScroll);" in render_body
-    assert "_scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll);" in render_body
-    assert "if(preserveScroll){\n    scrollIfPinned();\n    return;\n  }" in scroll_helper
+    assert "_scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll, scrollSnapshot);" in render_body
+    assert "const scrollSnapshot=preserveScroll?_captureMessageScrollSnapshot():null" in render_body
+    assert "if(preserveScroll){\n    if(_scrollPinned) scrollIfPinned();\n    else _restoreMessageScrollSnapshot(scrollSnapshot);\n    return;\n  }" in scroll_helper
     assert "if(S.activeStreamId){\n    scrollIfPinned();\n    return;\n  }" in scroll_helper
 
 
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ def test_cached_render_path_uses_same_scroll_policy_as_fresh_render():
     render_body = _function_body(UI_JS, "renderMessages")
     cached_branch = render_body[render_body.index("if(sid&&sid!==_sessionHtmlCacheSid") : render_body.index("const compressionState=")]
 
-    assert "_scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll);" in cached_branch
+    assert "_scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll, scrollSnapshot);" in cached_branch
     assert "if(S.activeStreamId){scrollIfPinned();}else{scrollToBottom();}" not in cached_branch
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_issue677.py b/tests/test_issue677.py
index 09554e12..ff5dfbf6 100644
--- a/tests/test_issue677.py
+++ b/tests/test_issue677.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class TestScrollPinningFix:
             "unconditional scrollToBottom() overrides user scroll position (#677)"
         )
         # scrollIfPinned must be called through the renderMessages scroll policy (stream path)
-        assert "_scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll);" in rm_body
+        assert "_scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll, scrollSnapshot);" in rm_body
         assert "scrollIfPinned()" in helper_body, (
             "renderMessages() must call scrollIfPinned() during streaming (#677)"
         )
diff --git a/tests/test_issue734_message_windowing.py b/tests/test_issue734_message_windowing.py
index f93e2f6b..992c5046 100644
--- a/tests/test_issue734_message_windowing.py
+++ b/tests/test_issue734_message_windowing.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def test_load_earlier_expands_local_window_before_server_pagination_and_preserve
 
 
 def test_windowed_render_keeps_streaming_and_tool_activity_anchored_to_rendered_messages():
-    assert "_scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll);" in UI_JS
+    assert "_scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll, scrollSnapshot);" in UI_JS
     assert "const assistantIdxs=[...assistantSegments.keys()].sort((a,b)=>a-b);" in UI_JS
     assert "if(aIdx<assistantIdxs[0]) continue;" in UI_JS
     assert "const renderedAssistantIdxs=[...assistantSegments.keys()].sort((a,b)=>a-b);" in UI_JS
diff --git a/tests/test_tars_scroll_reset_regressions.py b/tests/test_tars_scroll_reset_regressions.py
index b05fa4e8..a37abf2e 100644
--- a/tests/test_tars_scroll_reset_regressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_tars_scroll_reset_regressions.py
@@ -84,3 +84,22 @@ def test_user_scroll_cancels_delayed_bottom_settling():
     assert "e.deltaY<0" in record
     assert "_cancelBottomSettle();" in record
     assert "_scrollPinned=false" in record
+
+
+def test_preserve_scroll_restores_unpinned_viewport_after_dom_rebuild():
+    render = _function_body(UI_JS, "function renderMessages")
+    after_render = _function_body(UI_JS, "function _scrollAfterMessageRender")
+    restore = _function_body(UI_JS, "function _restoreMessageScrollSnapshot")
+
+    snapshot_idx = render.index("const scrollSnapshot=preserveScroll?_captureMessageScrollSnapshot():null")
+    inner_idx = render.index("const inner=$('msgInner')")
+    final_scroll_idx = render.rindex("_scrollAfterMessageRender(preserveScroll, scrollSnapshot)")
+
+    assert snapshot_idx < inner_idx < final_scroll_idx, (
+        "renderMessages({preserveScroll:true}) must capture #messages.scrollTop before "
+        "replacing transcript DOM, then pass that snapshot to the post-render scroll helper"
+    )
+    assert "if(_scrollPinned) scrollIfPinned()" in after_render
+    assert "else _restoreMessageScrollSnapshot(scrollSnapshot)" in after_render
+    assert "el.scrollTop=Math.max(0,Math.min(Number(snapshot.top)||0,maxTop))" in restore
+    assert "_programmaticScroll=true" in restore