diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/ui/Textarea.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/ui/Textarea.svelte
index 0e007aff..8b35afea 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/ui/Textarea.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/ui/Textarea.svelte
@@ -1,15 +1,20 @@
 <script module lang="ts">
 	import { tv, type VariantProps } from "$lib/tv";
 
-	// exported so anything that swaps itself in for the field — MarkdownEditor's preview pane —
-	// can match its height and avoid resizing the box as you toggle between them.
+	// the field's resting height, exported so anything that swaps itself in for the field —
+	// MarkdownEditor's preview pane — can match it and avoid resizing the box as you toggle
+	// between them.
 	export const textareaMinHeight = "min-h-64";
 
 	export const textareaField = tv({
 		slots: {
-			root: `relative flex ${textareaMinHeight} items-start gap-1 rounded border bg-background-default transition-colors`,
+			root: "relative flex items-start gap-1 rounded border bg-background-default transition-colors",
+			// the floor has to live on the textarea, not the root: the resize handle only ever
+			// shrinks the textarea, so a min-height on the root would let the handle drag past the
+			// box's own minimum and leave dead space under the field. keep this in sync with
+			// textareaMinHeight above — it's 2px shorter because the root's border sits outside it.
 			textarea:
-				"min-h-24 flex-1 self-stretch bg-transparent py-2 text-sm leading-6 outline-none placeholder:text-foreground-placeholder read-only:resize-none disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:resize-none"
+				"min-h-[calc(16rem-2px)] flex-1 self-stretch bg-transparent py-2 text-sm leading-6 outline-none placeholder:text-foreground-placeholder read-only:resize-none disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:resize-none"
 		},
 		variants: {
 			error: {