diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx
index f89245e535..c6c4ea58ab 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/ChannelPane.tsx
@@ -651,7 +651,8 @@ export const ChannelPane = React.memo(function ChannelPane({
             </div>
           ) : (
             <div
-              className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 z-10"
+              className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 z-40"
+              data-testid="channel-composer-overlay"
               ref={composerWrapperRef}
             >
               <div className="pointer-events-auto">
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/timelineItems.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/timelineItems.test.mjs
index 58ea21722b..54b6319f9d 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/timelineItems.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/timelineItems.test.mjs
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@ import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import test from "node:test";
 
 import { KIND_SYSTEM_MESSAGE } from "@/shared/constants/kinds";
-import { buildTimelineItems, getTimelineItemKey } from "./timelineItems.ts";
+import {
+  buildTimelineDayGroups,
+  buildTimelineItems,
+  getTimelineItemKey,
+} from "./timelineItems.ts";
 
 function dayAt(year, month, day, hour = 12) {
   return Math.floor(
@@ -100,3 +104,42 @@ test("getTimelineItemKey: keys are unique across the stream", () => {
   const keys = items.map(getTimelineItemKey);
   assert.equal(new Set(keys).size, keys.length);
 });
+
+test("buildTimelineDayGroups: moves non-day rows under their day section", () => {
+  const entries = [
+    entry({ id: "d1a", createdAt: dayAt(2026, 6, 12) }),
+    entry({ id: "d1b", createdAt: dayAt(2026, 6, 12, 13) }),
+    entry({ id: "d2a", createdAt: dayAt(2026, 6, 13) }),
+    entry({ id: "d2b", createdAt: dayAt(2026, 6, 13, 13) }),
+  ];
+  const { items } = buildTimelineItems(entries, "d2b");
+
+  const groups = buildTimelineDayGroups(items);
+
+  assert.equal(groups.length, 2);
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    groups.map((group) => group.items.map((item) => item.kind)),
+    [
+      ["message", "message"],
+      ["message", "unread-divider", "message"],
+    ],
+  );
+  assert.ok(groups.every((group) => group.headingTimestamp !== null));
+});
+
+test("buildTimelineDayGroups: preserves leading rows without a day divider", () => {
+  const leadingRows = [
+    { kind: "unread-divider", key: "unread-a" },
+    { kind: "message", key: "a", entry: entry({ id: "a" }) },
+  ];
+
+  const groups = buildTimelineDayGroups(leadingRows);
+
+  assert.deepEqual(groups, [
+    {
+      key: "day-undated",
+      headingTimestamp: null,
+      items: leadingRows,
+    },
+  ]);
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/timelineItems.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/timelineItems.ts
index bb20ac2163..a4cacd2b84 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/timelineItems.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/timelineItems.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ export type TimelineItemsResult = {
   items: TimelineItem[];
 };
 
+export type TimelineNonDayItem = Exclude<TimelineItem, { kind: "day-divider" }>;
+
+export type TimelineDayGroup = {
+  key: string;
+  headingTimestamp: number | null;
+  items: TimelineNonDayItem[];
+};
+
 /** Stable per-item key, unique across the flattened stream. */
 export function getTimelineItemKey(item: TimelineItem): string {
   return item.key;
@@ -84,3 +92,35 @@ export function buildTimelineItems(
 
   return { items };
 }
+
+export function buildTimelineDayGroups(
+  items: readonly TimelineItem[],
+): TimelineDayGroup[] {
+  const groups: TimelineDayGroup[] = [];
+  let currentGroup: TimelineDayGroup | null = null;
+
+  for (const item of items) {
+    if (item.kind === "day-divider") {
+      currentGroup = {
+        key: item.key,
+        headingTimestamp: item.headingTimestamp,
+        items: [],
+      };
+      groups.push(currentGroup);
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    if (!currentGroup) {
+      currentGroup = {
+        key: "day-undated",
+        headingTimestamp: null,
+        items: [],
+      };
+      groups.push(currentGroup);
+    }
+
+    currentGroup.items.push(item);
+  }
+
+  return groups;
+}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/DayDivider.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/DayDivider.tsx
index e5007a709b..8dff4b7a06 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/DayDivider.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/DayDivider.tsx
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@ export function DayDivider({ label }: { label: string }) {
   return (
     <section
       aria-label={label}
-      className="sticky top-(--buzz-channel-content-top-padding,5.75rem) z-[5] flex justify-center before:absolute before:inset-x-0 before:top-1/2 before:h-px before:-translate-y-1/2 before:bg-border/35 before:content-['']"
+      className="pointer-events-none sticky top-(--buzz-channel-content-top-padding,5.75rem) z-20 flex justify-center"
       data-testid="message-timeline-day-divider"
       data-day-label={label}
     >
-      <p className="relative z-10 shrink-0 rounded-full border border-border/70 bg-background/95 px-2.5 py-1 text-2xs font-medium tracking-[0.02em] text-muted-foreground/70 shadow-xs backdrop-blur-sm">
+      <p className="relative z-10 shrink-0 rounded-full border border-border/70 bg-background px-2.5 py-1 text-2xs font-medium tracking-[0.02em] text-muted-foreground/70">
         {label}
       </p>
     </section>
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageThreadPanel.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageThreadPanel.tsx
index a146c76cea..6df725a259 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageThreadPanel.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageThreadPanel.tsx
@@ -797,7 +797,7 @@ export function MessageThreadPanel({
   const threadFooter = (
     <>
       {!isAtBottom ? (
-        <div className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 bottom-36 z-20 flex justify-center px-4">
+        <div className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 bottom-36 z-50 flex justify-center px-4">
           <Button
             className="pointer-events-auto h-7 min-h-7 gap-1.5 rounded-full border-border/50 bg-background/85 px-2.5 text-2xs font-medium text-muted-foreground shadow-xs backdrop-blur-sm hover:bg-muted/70 hover:text-foreground [&_svg]:size-4"
             data-testid="thread-scroll-to-latest"
@@ -815,7 +815,8 @@ export function MessageThreadPanel({
       ) : null}
 
       <div
-        className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 z-10"
+        className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 z-40"
+        data-testid="thread-composer-overlay"
         ref={threadComposerWrapperRef}
       >
         <div className="pointer-events-auto">
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageTimeline.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageTimeline.tsx
index 7e69faaaec..ebb5b1ec0f 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageTimeline.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageTimeline.tsx
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ const MessageTimelineBase = React.forwardRef<
         {showUnreadPill ? (
           <div
             className={cn(
-              "pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 z-20 flex translate-y-3 justify-center px-4",
+              "pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 z-30 flex translate-y-3 justify-center px-4",
               channelChrome.top,
             )}
           >
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ const MessageTimelineBase = React.forwardRef<
         isRenderedTimelineBehindHistoryPrepend(deferredMessages, messages) ? (
           <div
             className={cn(
-              "pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 z-20 flex translate-y-3 justify-center px-4",
+              "pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 z-30 flex translate-y-3 justify-center px-4",
               channelChrome.top,
             )}
             data-testid="message-timeline-fetching-older"
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ const MessageTimelineBase = React.forwardRef<
         {!isAtBottom ? (
           <div
             className={cn(
-              "pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 z-20 flex justify-center px-4",
+              "pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 z-50 flex justify-center px-4",
               hasComposerOverlay ? "bottom-36" : "bottom-4",
             )}
           >
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/TimelineMessageList.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/TimelineMessageList.tsx
index deb66e5467..c94f9475a3 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/TimelineMessageList.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/TimelineMessageList.tsx
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ import * as React from "react";
 import { formatDayHeading } from "@/features/messages/lib/dateFormatters";
 import { timelineRowReserveStyle } from "@/features/messages/lib/rowHeightEstimate";
 import {
+  buildTimelineDayGroups,
   buildTimelineItems,
   getTimelineItemKey,
-  type TimelineItem,
+  type TimelineNonDayItem,
 } from "@/features/messages/lib/timelineItems";
 import { buildMainTimelineEntries } from "@/features/messages/lib/threadPanel";
 import type { MainTimelineEntry } from "@/features/messages/lib/threadPanel";
@@ -163,14 +164,14 @@ export const TimelineMessageList = React.memo(function TimelineMessageList({
     () => buildTimelineItems(entries, firstUnreadMessageId),
     [entries, firstUnreadMessageId],
   );
+  const dayGroups = React.useMemo(
+    () => buildTimelineDayGroups(itemsResult.items),
+    [itemsResult.items],
+  );
 
   const renderItem = React.useCallback(
-    (item: TimelineItem) => {
+    (item: TimelineNonDayItem) => {
       switch (item.kind) {
-        case "day-divider":
-          // Heading is resolved at render time (not baked into the item) so
-          // "Today"/"Yesterday" track the wall clock, not build time.
-          return <DayDivider label={formatDayHeading(item.headingTimestamp)} />;
         case "unread-divider":
           return <UnreadDivider />;
         case "system":
@@ -245,14 +246,34 @@ export const TimelineMessageList = React.memo(function TimelineMessageList({
 
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-col">
-      {itemsResult.items.map((item) => (
-        <div
-          className="timeline-row-cv"
-          key={getTimelineItemKey(item)}
-          style={timelineRowReserveStyle(item)}
+      {dayGroups.map((group) => (
+        <section
+          className={cn(
+            "relative flex flex-col",
+            group.headingTimestamp !== null &&
+              "before:absolute before:inset-x-0 before:top-4 before:h-px before:bg-border/35 before:content-['']",
+          )}
+          data-day-label={
+            group.headingTimestamp === null
+              ? undefined
+              : formatDayHeading(group.headingTimestamp)
+          }
+          data-testid="message-timeline-day-group"
+          key={group.key}
         >
-          {renderItem(item)}
-        </div>
+          {group.headingTimestamp === null ? null : (
+            <DayDivider label={formatDayHeading(group.headingTimestamp)} />
+          )}
+          {group.items.map((item) => (
+            <div
+              className="timeline-row-cv"
+              key={getTimelineItemKey(item)}
+              style={timelineRowReserveStyle(item)}
+            >
+              {renderItem(item)}
+            </div>
+          ))}
+        </section>
       ))}
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/channels.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/channels.spec.ts
index 7d6423fea4..032d2ede91 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/channels.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/channels.spec.ts
@@ -931,6 +931,117 @@ test("channel with messages shows content", async ({ page }) => {
   );
 });
 
+test("channel date divider keeps the date sticky while the separator rule scrolls", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  await page.goto("/");
+
+  await page.getByTestId("channel-engineering").click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("engineering");
+  await waitForMockLiveSubscription(page, "engineering");
+
+  await page.evaluate(() => {
+    const firstDay = 1_700_000_000;
+    for (let day = 0; day < 2; day += 1) {
+      for (let index = 0; index < 14; index += 1) {
+        window.__BUZZ_E2E_EMIT_MOCK_MESSAGE__?.({
+          channelName: "engineering",
+          content: `date handoff day ${day + 1} row ${index + 1}\nsecond line for scroll height`,
+          createdAt: firstDay + day * 86_400 + index,
+          pubkey:
+            "953d3363262e86b770419834c53d2446409db6d918a57f8f339d495d54ab001f",
+        });
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("message-timeline-day-group")).toHaveCount(2);
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("message-timeline-day-divider")).toHaveCount(2);
+
+  const timeline = page.getByTestId("message-timeline");
+  await timeline.evaluate((element) => {
+    const firstGroup = element.querySelector<HTMLElement>(
+      '[data-testid="message-timeline-day-group"]',
+    );
+    if (!firstGroup) {
+      throw new Error("missing first day group");
+    }
+    element.scrollTop = firstGroup.offsetTop + 180;
+    element.dispatchEvent(new Event("scroll", { bubbles: true }));
+  });
+  await page.waitForTimeout(50);
+
+  const metrics = await timeline.evaluate((element) => {
+    const firstGroup = element.querySelector<HTMLElement>(
+      '[data-testid="message-timeline-day-group"]',
+    );
+    const firstDivider = firstGroup?.querySelector<HTMLElement>(
+      '[data-testid="message-timeline-day-divider"]',
+    );
+    const firstDividerPill = firstDivider?.querySelector<HTMLElement>("p");
+    if (!firstGroup || !firstDivider || !firstDividerPill) {
+      throw new Error("missing day group or divider");
+    }
+
+    const groupRect = firstGroup.getBoundingClientRect();
+    const dividerRect = firstDivider.getBoundingClientRect();
+    const groupBefore = getComputedStyle(firstGroup, "::before");
+    const dividerBefore = getComputedStyle(firstDivider, "::before");
+
+    return {
+      dividerBeforeContent: dividerBefore.content,
+      dividerPillBackground: getComputedStyle(firstDividerPill).backgroundColor,
+      dividerPillShadow: getComputedStyle(firstDividerPill).boxShadow,
+      dividerPosition: getComputedStyle(firstDivider).position,
+      dividerTop: dividerRect.top,
+      dividerZIndex: getComputedStyle(firstDivider).zIndex,
+      groupBeforeContent: groupBefore.content,
+      groupBeforePosition: groupBefore.position,
+      groupTop: groupRect.top,
+      ruleTop: groupRect.top + Number.parseFloat(groupBefore.top),
+    };
+  });
+
+  expect(metrics.dividerPosition).toBe("sticky");
+  expect(Number.parseInt(metrics.dividerZIndex, 10)).toBeGreaterThan(10);
+  await expect
+    .poll(async () => {
+      const headerZIndex = await page
+        .getByTestId("chat-header")
+        .evaluate(
+          (element) =>
+            getComputedStyle(element.parentElement ?? element).zIndex,
+        );
+      return Number.parseInt(headerZIndex, 10);
+    })
+    .toBeGreaterThan(Number.parseInt(metrics.dividerZIndex, 10));
+  await expect
+    .poll(async () => {
+      const sharedBackdropZIndex = await page
+        .getByTestId("channel-shared-header-backdrop")
+        .evaluate((element) => getComputedStyle(element).zIndex);
+      return Number.parseInt(sharedBackdropZIndex, 10);
+    })
+    .toBeGreaterThan(Number.parseInt(metrics.dividerZIndex, 10));
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("channel-composer-overlay")).toBeVisible();
+  await expect
+    .poll(async () => {
+      const composerOverlayZIndex = await page
+        .getByTestId("channel-composer-overlay")
+        .evaluate((element) => getComputedStyle(element).zIndex);
+      return Number.parseInt(composerOverlayZIndex, 10);
+    })
+    .toBeGreaterThan(Number.parseInt(metrics.dividerZIndex, 10));
+  expect(metrics.dividerPillBackground).not.toBe("rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)");
+  expect(metrics.dividerPillBackground).not.toBe("transparent");
+  expect(metrics.dividerPillShadow).toBe("none");
+  expect(metrics.dividerBeforeContent).toBe("none");
+  expect(metrics.groupBeforePosition).toBe("absolute");
+  expect(metrics.groupBeforeContent).not.toBe("none");
+  expect(metrics.groupTop).toBeLessThan(metrics.dividerTop - 8);
+  expect(metrics.ruleTop).toBeLessThan(metrics.dividerTop - 8);
+});
+
 test("shows and clears activity indicators for active channel agents", async ({
   page,
 }) => {