diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 05a2dd1..e2e21e3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 CC = clang
 TARGET = clayterm.wasm
 SRC = src/module.c
+CLAY_GROW_PATCH = patches/clay-grow-minDimensions.patch
 
 CFLAGS = --target=wasm32 -nostdlib -O2 \
          -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections \
@@ -47,7 +48,12 @@ all: $(TARGET) wasm.ts
 
 DEPS = $(wildcard src/*.c src/*.h)
 
-$(TARGET): $(DEPS)
+# Fix GROW element minDimensions so they compress to the parent content box instead of
+# expanding beyond the terminal boundary. Idempotent; reverted by `make clean`.
+# Drop once the fix ships in upstream clay.
+$(TARGET): $(DEPS) $(CLAY_GROW_PATCH)
+	@grep -q "GROW elements resolve against the parent content box" clay/clay.h || git -C clay apply ../$(CLAY_GROW_PATCH)
+	@grep -q "GROW elements resolve against the parent content box" clay/clay.h || { echo "ERROR: failed to apply $(CLAY_GROW_PATCH) to clay/clay.h" >&2; exit 1; }
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(SRC)
 
 wasm.ts: $(TARGET)
@@ -55,5 +61,6 @@ wasm.ts: $(TARGET)
 
 clean:
 	rm -f $(TARGET) wasm.ts
+	-git -C clay checkout -- clay.h
 
 .PHONY: all clean
diff --git a/patches/clay-grow-minDimensions.patch b/patches/clay-grow-minDimensions.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2ac0da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/clay-grow-minDimensions.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+diff --git a/clay.h b/clay.h
+index 7c967bb..5421621 100644
+--- a/clay.h
++++ b/clay.h
+@@ -1921,7 +1921,14 @@ void Clay__CloseElement(void) {
+             layoutConfig->sizing.width.size.minMax.max = CLAY__MAXFLOAT;
+         }
+         openLayoutElement->dimensions.width = CLAY__MIN(CLAY__MAX(openLayoutElement->dimensions.width, layoutConfig->sizing.width.size.minMax.min), layoutConfig->sizing.width.size.minMax.max);
+-        openLayoutElement->minDimensions.width = CLAY__MIN(CLAY__MAX(openLayoutElement->minDimensions.width, layoutConfig->sizing.width.size.minMax.min), layoutConfig->sizing.width.size.minMax.max);
++        // GROW elements resolve against the parent content box and must be compressible to their
++        // configured min (default 0). Content-derived minDimensions would prevent this compression,
++        // so for GROW we use only the user-configured min, not the content-derived value.
++        if (layoutConfig->sizing.width.type == CLAY__SIZING_TYPE_GROW) {
++            openLayoutElement->minDimensions.width = layoutConfig->sizing.width.size.minMax.min;
++        } else {
++            openLayoutElement->minDimensions.width = CLAY__MIN(CLAY__MAX(openLayoutElement->minDimensions.width, layoutConfig->sizing.width.size.minMax.min), layoutConfig->sizing.width.size.minMax.max);
++        }
+     } else {
+         openLayoutElement->dimensions.width = 0;
+     }
+@@ -1932,7 +1939,12 @@ void Clay__CloseElement(void) {
+             layoutConfig->sizing.height.size.minMax.max = CLAY__MAXFLOAT;
+         }
+         openLayoutElement->dimensions.height = CLAY__MIN(CLAY__MAX(openLayoutElement->dimensions.height, layoutConfig->sizing.height.size.minMax.min), layoutConfig->sizing.height.size.minMax.max);
+-        openLayoutElement->minDimensions.height = CLAY__MIN(CLAY__MAX(openLayoutElement->minDimensions.height, layoutConfig->sizing.height.size.minMax.min), layoutConfig->sizing.height.size.minMax.max);
++        // Same rationale as width: GROW elements use the configured min, not content-derived.
++        if (layoutConfig->sizing.height.type == CLAY__SIZING_TYPE_GROW) {
++            openLayoutElement->minDimensions.height = layoutConfig->sizing.height.size.minMax.min;
++        } else {
++            openLayoutElement->minDimensions.height = CLAY__MIN(CLAY__MAX(openLayoutElement->minDimensions.height, layoutConfig->sizing.height.size.minMax.min), layoutConfig->sizing.height.size.minMax.max);
++        }
+     } else {
+         openLayoutElement->dimensions.height = 0;
+     }
diff --git a/specs/renderer-spec.md b/specs/renderer-spec.md
index 398e78a..2289a99 100644
--- a/specs/renderer-spec.md
+++ b/specs/renderer-spec.md
@@ -477,10 +477,16 @@ These functions produce sizing-axis values for use in element layout
 configuration:
 
 ```
-grow(): SizingAxis
+grow(min?: number, max?: number): SizingAxis
 ```
 
 The element expands to fill available space in the parent along this axis.
+Available space is computed from the **parent's content box** — the parent's
+dimension minus its padding — at every nesting level, regardless of whether the
+parent's own size was computed from `fixed()`, `grow()`, or any other mode. A
+`grow()` element's minimum size is its configured `min` (default 0), not the
+natural size of its content; this ensures it can always be compressed to fit the
+parent content box when necessary.
 
 ```
 fixed(value: number): SizingAxis