diff --git a/src/components/NowPlaying.svelte b/src/components/NowPlaying.svelte
index 8853812..b23b874 100644
--- a/src/components/NowPlaying.svelte
+++ b/src/components/NowPlaying.svelte
@@ -1566,6 +1566,18 @@
         z-index: 0;
         overflow: hidden;
         pointer-events: none;
+        /* NOT a typo, and never round it up to 1: group opacity forces the
+           img and the fade to FLATTEN into one surface before the panel's
+           rounded clip touches them. Without it the compositor may render
+           them as separate layers (a per-session choice — big overlay mounts
+           like the artwork viewer flip it), and then each layer's partial
+           edge coverage composites separately at the corner arcs and STACKS:
+           the corners grow a light rim of wash colour, brighter than fill
+           and gap both (measured 40-53 over a 24 fill — impossible for any
+           single-pass blend; the 2026-08-25 saga). Flattened, the arc is
+           antialiased once and the wash runs full-bleed to the very edge —
+           no inset, no mask, no visible cost (the 1% dim is nothing). */
+        opacity: 0.99;
     }
     .bleed img {
         width: 100%;