diff --git a/crates/trawler/src/main.rs b/crates/trawler/src/main.rs
index 0737b7d..ede533f 100644
--- a/crates/trawler/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/trawler/src/main.rs
@@ -1721,20 +1721,26 @@ const MUTED_COLOR: u32 = 0x9a9a9a;
 /// Default text color, set on the root element and also baked into each
 /// paragraph `TextRun` (runs carry explicit colors — they don't inherit).
 const BODY_TEXT_COLOR: u32 = 0xffffff;
-/// Height of the bullet column's box. Row *content* heights floor at the
-/// real `window.line_height()` instead (see the row-building code) so an
-/// empty block's row doesn't change height when the editor focuses it —
-/// this constant only positions the bullet, and [`BULLET_OPTICAL_NUDGE`]
-/// is tuned against it.
-const ROW_MIN_HEIGHT: f32 = 22.0;
-/// Downward nudge applied to the bullet column so its dot centers on the
-/// text's x-height rather than the geometric center of its `ROW_MIN_HEIGHT`
-/// box. Text line metrics reserve more space above the glyphs (ascent) than
-/// below (descent), so a box centered by height alone lands the bullet near
-/// the x-height *top*, reading as visibly high next to the text. Pixel
-/// measurement against the default row font put exact x-height-center at
-/// 3.5px; tuned down slightly from there by eye.
-const BULLET_OPTICAL_NUDGE: f32 = 2.4;
+// --- outline layout knobs -------------------------------------------------
+// The tunables that set the outline's density and rhythm. Everything else
+// derives: row heights, the editor's measurement, and caret geometry all
+// follow the inherited line height, and the bullet column centers on it.
+
+/// Line height for all app text, as a multiple of font size. GPUI's
+/// default is phi (1.618, ≈26px at 16px text); this is deliberately
+/// tighter.
+const LINE_HEIGHT: f32 = 1.3;
+/// Horizontal gap between the bullet column and the block's text.
+const BULLET_TEXT_GAP: f32 = 8.0;
+/// Horizontal indent added per outline depth level.
+const INDENT_PER_LEVEL: f32 = 32.0;
+/// Left padding before a root-level (depth 0) row's bullet.
+const OUTLINE_LEFT_PAD: f32 = 8.0;
+/// Vertical nudge applied to the bullet column (whose box spans one line
+/// height, dot centered), available if the dot ever needs to sit off the
+/// line box's geometric center. Tuned by eye; zero at the current line
+/// height.
+const BULLET_OPTICAL_NUDGE: f32 = 0.0;
 /// Approximate height of the header bar (`.p_2()` padding plus one line of
 /// text) — generous on purpose. Used to keep the calendar's click-away
 /// backdrop out of the header entirely; see `calendar_backdrop`'s doc for
@@ -2702,6 +2708,7 @@ impl Render for TrawlerApp {
             .on_action(cx.listener(Self::toggle_fold_focused))
             .bg(rgb(0x1e1e1e))
             .text_color(rgb(BODY_TEXT_COLOR))
+            .line_height(relative(LINE_HEIGHT))
             // The app-wide UI font, bundled and registered in `main` —
             // cascades to everything (including `BlockEditor`, which lays
             // out with `window.text_style()`) except the explicit
@@ -2828,13 +2835,13 @@ impl Render for TrawlerApp {
                             let mut row = div()
                                 .id(ix)
                                 .w_full()
-                                .pl(px(16.0 * *depth as f32 + 8.0))
+                                .pl(px(INDENT_PER_LEVEL * *depth as f32 + OUTLINE_LEFT_PAD))
                                 .pr_2()
                                 .py_1()
                                 .flex()
                                 .flex_row()
                                 .items_start()
-                                .gap_1();
+                                .gap(px(BULLET_TEXT_GAP));
                             if is_query {
                                 // A query block otherwise looks exactly
                                 // like a plain outline row containing
@@ -2856,15 +2863,15 @@ impl Render for TrawlerApp {
                             // children stay discoverable. Every block —
                             // including an empty leaf, whose Markdown view
                             // otherwise renders zero children — keeps a
-                            // visible bullet. The column height matches
-                            // ROW_MIN_HEIGHT so the dot centers on the
-                            // row's first text line, not the whole
-                            // (possibly multi-line) row.
+                            // visible bullet. The column spans one line
+                            // height so the dot centers on the row's first
+                            // text line, not the whole (possibly
+                            // multi-line) row.
                             let dot = div().size(px(6.0)).rounded_full().bg(rgb(MUTED_COLOR));
                             let mut bullet = div()
                                 .id(("bullet", ix))
                                 .w(px(14.0))
-                                .h(px(ROW_MIN_HEIGHT))
+                                .h(line_height)
                                 .mt(px(BULLET_OPTICAL_NUDGE))
                                 .flex()
                                 .items_center()
@@ -2973,7 +2980,8 @@ impl Render for TrawlerApp {
                                     // the indented region itself.
                                     //
                                     div()
-                                        .ml(px(16.0 * (*depth as f32 + 1.0) + 8.0))
+                                        .ml(px(INDENT_PER_LEVEL * (*depth as f32 + 1.0)
+                                            + OUTLINE_LEFT_PAD))
                                         .mr_2()
                                         .mb_2()
                                         .bg(rgb(QUERY_BG))