diff --git a/tl/src/tl/views.cljs b/tl/src/tl/views.cljs
index 6050ea3..4d61caa 100644
--- a/tl/src/tl/views.cljs
+++ b/tl/src/tl/views.cljs
@@ -1032,8 +1032,15 @@
                           (rf/dispatch [::events/reparent (keyword src) (:id a)]))))}))
 
 (defn- annotation-card [a scene ctx segs nmap authed? open by-parent]
-  (r/with-let [over? (r/atom false) hov? (r/atom false)]
+  (r/with-let [over? (r/atom false) hov? (r/atom false) was-active? (atom false)]
   (let [active? @(rf/subscribe [::subs/annotation-active? (:id a)])
+        ;; playhead just ENTERED this annotation (same active? that drives the
+        ;; highlight) → scroll the pane to it, exactly like clicking its lane bar.
+        _ (when (and active? (not @was-active?))
+            (r/after-render
+             #(when-let [node (js/document.getElementById (str "ann-" (name (:id a))))]
+                (.scrollIntoView node #js {:block "center" :behavior "smooth"}))))
+        _ (reset! was-active? active?)
         dragging @(rf/subscribe [::subs/dragging-ann])
         drop-ok? (and dragging (not= dragging (:id a)))
         drag-props (merge (ann-drag-props a authed? over?)
@@ -1092,25 +1099,8 @@
                (for [k kids]
                  ^{:key (:id k)} [annotation-card k scene ctx segs nmap authed? open by-parent])))]))))
 
-;; Renders nothing: owns the active-annotation subscription and scrolls the active
-;; card into view, so `commentary` itself no longer re-renders on every crossing.
-(defn- commentary-scroll [el]
-  ;; Form-3 so the scroll runs in component-did-update — reliably after the DOM is
-  ;; committed on every active-annotation change — and via scrollIntoView, which
-  ;; (unlike offsetTop math) is correct even when the active card is nested.
-  (letfn [(scroll! [& _]
-            (let [active @(rf/subscribe [::subs/active-annotation])]
-              (when-let [c @el]
-                (when-let [node (and active (.querySelector c (str "#ann-" (name active))))]
-                  (.scrollIntoView node #js {:block "center" :behavior "smooth"})))))]
-    (r/create-class
-     {:display-name "commentary-scroll"
-      :component-did-mount  scroll!
-      :component-did-update scroll!
-      :reagent-render (fn [_] @(rf/subscribe [::subs/active-annotation]) nil)})))
-
 (defn commentary []
-  (let [el (atom nil) open (r/atom nil)]
+  (let [open (r/atom nil)]
     (fn []
       (let [anns   @(rf/subscribe [::subs/annotations])
             authed? @(rf/subscribe [::subs/authed?])
@@ -1118,8 +1108,7 @@
             ctx    @(rf/subscribe [::subs/context])
             segs   @(rf/subscribe [::subs/segments])
             nmap   (into {} (map (juxt :id identity)) @(rf/subscribe [::subs/notes]))]
-        [:div.commentary {:ref (fn [n] (reset! el n))}
-         [commentary-scroll el]
+        [:div.commentary
          ;; this context's own description (links resolve in its parent), with an
          ;; edit button — Edit drops into the parent timeline so marks are editable.
          (let [cg (get-in scene [:groups ctx])]