diff --git a/tl/src/tl/events.cljs b/tl/src/tl/events.cljs
index 9a63411..c0e31ed 100644
--- a/tl/src/tl/events.cljs
+++ b/tl/src/tl/events.cljs
@@ -71,14 +71,22 @@
 (rf/reg-event-db ::set-zoom  (fn [db [_ z]] (assoc-in db [:view :zoom] z)))
 (rf/reg-event-db ::set-row-h (fn [db [_ h]] (assoc-in db [:view :row-h] h)))
 
-(rf/reg-event-db ::expand   (fn [db [_ gid]] (update-in db [:view :stack] conj gid)))
-(rf/reg-event-db ::collapse (fn [db _] (update-in db [:view :stack]
-                                                  (fn [s] (if (> (count s) 1) (pop s) s)))))
-(rf/reg-event-db ::pop-to
-                 (fn [db [_ gid]]
-                   (update-in db [:view :stack]
-                              (fn [s] (let [i (first (keep-indexed #(when (= gid %2) %1) s))]
-                                        (if i (subvec s 0 (inc i)) s))))))
+;; moving around the timeline stack: pause and seek the video to the context
+;; we land in, at its remembered playhead (0 = that context's start).
+(defn- enter-ctx
+  [db stack-fn]
+  (let [db   (update-in db [:view :stack] stack-fn)
+        ctx  (peek (get-in db [:view :stack]))
+        segs (scene/content-segments (:scene db) ctx)
+        sf   (scene/local->source segs (scene/playhead (:view db) ctx))]
+    {:db db :player/pause true :player/seek (when sf (/ sf (:fps db)))}))
+
+(rf/reg-event-fx ::expand   (fn [{:keys [db]} [_ gid]] (enter-ctx db #(conj % gid))))
+(rf/reg-event-fx ::collapse (fn [{:keys [db]} _] (enter-ctx db #(if (> (count %) 1) (pop %) %))))
+(rf/reg-event-fx ::pop-to
+                 (fn [{:keys [db]} [_ gid]]
+                   (enter-ctx db (fn [s] (let [i (first (keep-indexed #(when (= gid %2) %1) s))]
+                                           (if i (subvec s 0 (inc i)) s))))))
 
 ;; --- authoring ------------------------------------------------------------
 ;; The draft is just a normal annotation group, flagged :draft (:new while
diff --git a/tl/src/tl/views.cljs b/tl/src/tl/views.cljs
index 732316e..d69b2b9 100644
--- a/tl/src/tl/views.cljs
+++ b/tl/src/tl/views.cljs
@@ -23,15 +23,19 @@
     (set! (.-currentTime @video-el) (/ source-frame fps))))
 
 (defn- seg-at
-  "Index of the segment whose local range contains `local` (0 if none)."
+  "Index of the segment whose LOCAL range contains `local` (0 if none)."
   [segs local]
   (or (first (keep-indexed (fn [i {[c d] :local}] (when (<= c local d) i)) segs)) 0))
 
-(defn- stop-play! []
-  (when @raf (js/cancelAnimationFrame @raf) (reset! raf nil))
-  (reset! play nil)
-  (when-let [v @video-el] (.pause v))
-  (rf/dispatch [::events/set-playing false]))
+(defn- seg-at-src
+  "Index of the segment whose SOURCE range contains source frame `sf` (0 if none)."
+  [segs sf]
+  (or (first (keep-indexed (fn [i {[a b] :src}] (when (<= a sf b) i)) segs)) 0))
+
+;; The <video> element is the source of truth for play/pause. Its :on-play /
+;; :on-pause (below) engage/disengage this segment-aware tick, so the native
+;; controls and the toolbar button behave identically. `play` holds the frozen
+;; context being driven; context changes pause + reseek (see ::expand etc).
 
 (defn- play-tick []
   (when-let [{:keys [ctx segs fps idx]} @play]
@@ -44,25 +48,34 @@
               (when (> (js/Math.abs (- sf ns)) 1.5)              ; only seek at a real discontinuity
                 (seek-video! fps ns))
               (rf/dispatch [::events/set-playhead ctx nl]))
-          (stop-play!))
+          (.pause v))                                            ; end → pause event disengages
         (rf/dispatch [::events/set-playhead ctx (+ ls (- sf ss))])))
     (when @play (reset! raf (js/requestAnimationFrame play-tick)))))
 
-(defn- start-play! []
-  (let [ctx  @(rf/subscribe [::subs/context])
-        segs @(rf/subscribe [::subs/segments])
+(defn- engage-play!
+  "Drive the playhead from the (already-playing) video, in the current context,
+   from wherever currentTime is. Idempotent."
+  []
+  (let [segs @(rf/subscribe [::subs/segments])
+        ctx  @(rf/subscribe [::subs/context])
         fps  @(rf/subscribe [::subs/fps])
-        ph   @(rf/subscribe [::subs/playhead])]
-    (when (and @video-el (seq segs))
-      (let [idx (seg-at segs ph)
-            {[ss _] :src [ls _] :local} (nth segs idx)]
-        (reset! play {:ctx ctx :segs segs :fps fps :idx idx})
-        (seek-video! fps (+ ss (- ph ls)))                       ; start from the playhead's source
-        (.play @video-el)
-        (rf/dispatch [::events/set-playing true])
-        (reset! raf (js/requestAnimationFrame play-tick))))))
+        v    @video-el]
+    (when (and v (seq segs) (not @play))
+      (reset! play {:ctx ctx :segs segs :fps fps :idx (seg-at-src segs (* (.-currentTime v) fps))})
+      (rf/dispatch [::events/set-playing true])
+      (reset! raf (js/requestAnimationFrame play-tick)))))
 
-(defn- toggle-play! [] (if @play (stop-play!) (start-play!)))
+(defn- disengage! []
+  (when @raf (js/cancelAnimationFrame @raf) (reset! raf nil))
+  (reset! play nil)
+  (rf/dispatch [::events/set-playing false]))
+
+(defn- toggle-play! []
+  (when-let [v @video-el] (if (.-paused v) (.play v) (.pause v))))
+
+;; effects the stack events use to keep the player on the current context
+(rf/reg-fx :player/pause (fn [_]    (when-let [v @video-el] (.pause v))))
+(rf/reg-fx :player/seek  (fn [secs] (when (and @video-el secs) (set! (.-currentTime @video-el) secs))))
 
 (defn- goto! [local]
   "Move the playhead to local frame `local` and seek the video to match."
@@ -76,6 +89,8 @@
 (defn video-monitor []
   [:video {:src @(rf/subscribe [::subs/clip-url]) :controls true :preload "auto"
            :plays-inline true :webkit-playsinline "true"
+           :on-play  (fn [_] (engage-play!))
+           :on-pause (fn [_] (disengage!))
            :ref (fn [n] (when n (reset! video-el n)))}])
 
 (defn- clip-label