diff --git a/doc/API.md b/doc/API.md
index a768851d1..62d46004f 100644
--- a/doc/API.md
+++ b/doc/API.md
@@ -4288,7 +4288,7 @@ Subclasses should override to perform additional cleanup.
 drop(e): void;
 ```
 
-Defined in: [dd-droppable.ts:143](https://github.com/adumesny/gridstack.js/blob/master/src/dd-droppable.ts#L143)
+Defined in: [dd-droppable.ts:146](https://github.com/adumesny/gridstack.js/blob/master/src/dd-droppable.ts#L146)
 
 item is being dropped on us - called by the drag mouseup handler - this calls the client drop event
 
diff --git a/src/dd-draggable.ts b/src/dd-draggable.ts
index 8db34274b..1cf2bcf2f 100644
--- a/src/dd-draggable.ts
+++ b/src/dd-draggable.ts
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ export class DDDraggable extends DDBaseImplement implements HTMLElementExtendOpt
   /** @internal starts or continues auto-scroll when the dragged helper is clipped by the scroll container.
    * Takes the grid's own element to find the scroll container so external/sidebar drags work too (#2074). */
    public updateScrollPosition(gridEl: HTMLElement): void {
-    this._autoScrollContainer ??= Utils.getScrollElement(gridEl);
+    this._autoScrollContainer = Utils.getScrollElement(gridEl); // always use latest active grid
     const clipping = this._getClipping(this.helper, this._autoScrollContainer);
     if (clipping === 0) {
       this._stopScrolling();
@@ -419,11 +419,12 @@ export class DDDraggable extends DDBaseImplement implements HTMLElementExtendOpt
     }
   }
 
-  /** @internal compute how many pixels the element is clipped: negative = above, positive = below, 0 = fully visible */
+  /** @internal compute how many pixels the element is clipped: negative = above, positive = below, 0 = fully inside OR outside (stop scrolling) */
   protected _getClipping(el: HTMLElement, scrollEl: HTMLElement): number {
     const elRect = el.getBoundingClientRect();
     const scrollRect = scrollEl.getBoundingClientRect();
     const viewportH = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight;
+    if (elRect.bottom < scrollRect.top || elRect.top > scrollRect.bottom) return 0; // fully outside
     const clippedBelow = elRect.bottom - Math.min(scrollRect.bottom, viewportH);
     const clippedAbove = elRect.top - Math.max(scrollRect.top, 0);
     if (clippedAbove < 0) return clippedAbove;
diff --git a/src/dd-droppable.ts b/src/dd-droppable.ts
index 8a65b0620..e6c2987e7 100644
--- a/src/dd-droppable.ts
+++ b/src/dd-droppable.ts
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ export class DDDroppable extends DDBaseImplement implements HTMLElementExtendOpt
 
   /** @internal called when the cursor enters our area - prepare for a possible drop and track leaving */
   protected _mouseEnter(e: MouseEvent): void {
-    // console.log(`${count++} Enter ${this.el.id || (this.el as GridHTMLElement).gridstack.opts.id}`); // TEST
+    // console.log(`${count++} Enter ${this.el.id}`); // TEST
     if (!DDManager.dragElement) return;
     // During touch drag operations, ignore real browser-generated mouseenter events (isTrusted:true) vs our simulated ones (isTrusted:false).
     // The browser can fire spurious mouseenter events when we dispatch simulated mousemove events.
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ export class DDDroppable extends DDBaseImplement implements HTMLElementExtendOpt
     if (!this._canDrop(DDManager.dragElement.el)) return;
     e.preventDefault();
     e.stopPropagation();
+    DDManager.dragElement._stopScrolling();
 
     // make sure when we enter this, that the last one gets a leave FIRST to correctly cleanup as we don't always do
     if (DDManager.dropElement && DDManager.dropElement !== this) {
@@ -109,10 +110,12 @@ export class DDDroppable extends DDBaseImplement implements HTMLElementExtendOpt
 
   /** @internal called when the item is leaving our area, stop tracking if we had moving item */
   protected _mouseLeave(e: MouseEvent, calledByEnter = false): void {
-    // console.log(`${count++} Leave ${this.el.id || (this.el as GridHTMLElement).gridstack.opts.id}`); // TEST
+    // console.log(`${count++} Leave ${this.el.id}`); // TEST
     if (!DDManager.dragElement || DDManager.dropElement !== this) return;
     e.preventDefault();
     e.stopPropagation();
+    // stop the old grid's auto-scroll only when entering a new grid; if leaving to empty space keep scrolling until mouseup
+    if (calledByEnter) DDManager.dragElement._stopScrolling();
 
     const ev = Utils.initEvent<DragEvent>(e, { target: this.el, type: 'dropout' });
     if (this.option.out) {
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index e5e0f3f21..a5bab118b 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ export class Utils {
   static getScrollElement(el?: HTMLElement): HTMLElement {
     if (!el) return document.scrollingElement as HTMLElement || document.documentElement; // IE support
     const overflowY = getComputedStyle(el).overflowY;
-    if (overflowY === 'auto' || overflowY === 'scroll') {
+    if ((overflowY === 'auto' || overflowY === 'scroll') && el.scrollHeight > el.clientHeight) {
       return el;
     } else {
       return Utils.getScrollElement(el.parentElement);