diff --git a/apps/electron-backend-e2e/src/window-controls.e2e.ts b/apps/electron-backend-e2e/src/window-controls.e2e.ts
index fba81345f..da90fec62 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend-e2e/src/window-controls.e2e.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend-e2e/src/window-controls.e2e.ts
@@ -217,10 +217,37 @@ test.describe('macOS traffic lights', () => {
             const lights = await app.electronApp.evaluate(({ BrowserWindow }) =>
                 BrowserWindow.getAllWindows()[0]?.getWindowButtonPosition()
             );
-            // The buttons are about 14pt tall; keep a visible gap below them.
-            expect(linkBox?.y ?? 0).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(
-                (lights?.y ?? 0) + 14 + 16
+            expect(lights, 'native window button position').toBeTruthy();
+            const lightsY = lights?.y ?? Number.NaN;
+            // The buttons are about 14pt tall; keep a visible gap below them,
+            // measured in window pixels (CSS pixels times the zoom factor).
+            const linkTopInWindowPixels = async (): Promise<number> => {
+                const [box, zoom] = await Promise.all([
+                    firstLink.boundingBox(),
+                    page.evaluate(() => window.outerWidth / window.innerWidth),
+                ]);
+                return (box?.y ?? Number.NaN) * zoom;
+            };
+            expect(await linkTopInWindowPixels()).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(
+                lightsY + 14 + 16
             );
+
+            // App zoom scales CSS pixels but not the native buttons: at the
+            // smallest zoom the inset must still clear them.
+            for (let step = 0; step < 8; step++) {
+                await page.evaluate(() =>
+                    window.electron.adjustZoomLevel('out')
+                );
+            }
+            await expect
+                .poll(() =>
+                    page.evaluate(() => window.outerWidth / window.innerWidth)
+                )
+                .toBeLessThan(0.6);
+            await expect
+                .poll(linkTopInWindowPixels)
+                .toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(lightsY + 14 + 8);
+            await page.evaluate(() => window.electron.adjustZoomLevel('reset'));
         } finally {
             await closeElectronApp(app);
         }
diff --git a/docs/architecture/workspace-shell.md b/docs/architecture/workspace-shell.md
index 6eafed5a5..31eaaec18 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/workspace-shell.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/workspace-shell.md
@@ -330,7 +330,11 @@ The Electron window hides the native title bar on all desktop platforms
    sit in the 56 px header band above the rail, so the macOS rail
    (`.app-rail.is-macos`) starts its first link at 56 px: level with the
    content area and the dashboard hero, with its hover surface clear of the
-   lights. `window-controls.e2e.ts` checks both on macOS.
+   lights. App zoom scales CSS pixels but not the lights, so the rail
+   publishes the page zoom factor (`outerWidth / innerWidth`, refreshed on
+   `resize`) as `--rail-zoom-factor` and keeps at least 48 window pixels when
+   zoomed out. `window-controls.e2e.ts` checks the alignment and the gap at
+   default and minimum zoom on macOS.
 2. Windows and Linux use renderer-drawn window controls
    (`app-window-controls`, `libs/ui/components/src/lib/window-controls/`).
    `frame` is intentionally left untouched so native resize borders and
diff --git a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.html b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.html
index 04dadb780..13e259f50 100644
--- a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.html
+++ b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.html
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 <!-- No brand mark: it linked to the page the first workspace link opens.
      The page's Back lives in the header's leading slot. -->
-<aside class="app-rail" [class.is-macos]="isMacOS()">
+<aside
+    class="app-rail"
+    [class.is-macos]="isMacOS()"
+    [style.--rail-zoom-factor]="isMacOS() ? zoomFactor() : null"
+>
     <app-workspace-shell-rail-links [links]="workspaceLinks()" />
 
     @if (primaryContextLinks().length > 0) {
diff --git a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.scss b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.scss
index cad7c1cf6..31c6b985a 100644
--- a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.scss
+++ b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.scss
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@
     // The traffic lights sit in the header band (56px, see the shell grid).
     // The first link starts below that band, where the content area and the
     // dashboard hero start, so its hover surface never touches the lights.
+    // App zoom scales CSS pixels but not the lights: zoomed out, the inset
+    // keeps 48 window pixels (lights' bottom plus a gap) instead.
     &.is-macos {
-        padding-top: 56px;
+        padding-top: max(56px, calc(48px / var(--rail-zoom-factor, 1)));
     }
 
     &::-webkit-scrollbar {
diff --git a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.spec.ts b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.spec.ts
index 212bbf2b5..efd193052 100644
--- a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.spec.ts
+++ b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.spec.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,48 @@ describe('WorkspaceShellRailComponent', () => {
         ).not.toBeNull();
     });
 
+    describe('macOS zoom inset', () => {
+        const setWindowWidths = (outer: number, inner: number) => {
+            Object.defineProperty(window, 'outerWidth', {
+                configurable: true,
+                value: outer,
+            });
+            Object.defineProperty(window, 'innerWidth', {
+                configurable: true,
+                value: inner,
+            });
+        };
+        const zoomVar = () =>
+            (
+                fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.app-rail') as HTMLElement
+            ).style.getPropertyValue('--rail-zoom-factor');
+
+        afterEach(() => setWindowWidths(1024, 1024));
+
+        it('publishes the page zoom factor on macOS and follows resize', () => {
+            setWindowWidths(1200, 1200);
+            fixture.componentRef.setInput('isMacOS', true);
+            fixture.detectChanges();
+            TestBed.tick();
+            fixture.detectChanges();
+            expect(zoomVar()).toBe('1');
+
+            // Zoomed out to 50%: the viewport holds twice the CSS pixels.
+            setWindowWidths(1200, 2400);
+            window.dispatchEvent(new Event('resize'));
+            fixture.detectChanges();
+            expect(zoomVar()).toBe('0.5');
+        });
+
+        it('leaves the inset alone off macOS', () => {
+            setWindowWidths(1200, 2400);
+            fixture.detectChanges();
+            TestBed.tick();
+            fixture.detectChanges();
+            expect(zoomVar()).toBe('');
+        });
+    });
+
     it('has no brand mark duplicating the first workspace link', () => {
         fixture.detectChanges();
 
diff --git a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.ts b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.ts
index 980d29bf0..95343f6e9 100644
--- a/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.ts
+++ b/libs/workspace/shell/feature/src/lib/workspace-shell/components/workspace-shell-rail/workspace-shell-rail.component.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,12 @@
-import { ChangeDetectionStrategy, Component, input } from '@angular/core';
+import { DOCUMENT } from '@angular/common';
+import {
+    ChangeDetectionStrategy,
+    Component,
+    effect,
+    inject,
+    input,
+    signal,
+} from '@angular/core';
 import { MatIcon } from '@angular/material/icon';
 import { MatTooltip } from '@angular/material/tooltip';
 import { RouterLink } from '@angular/router';
@@ -32,4 +40,29 @@ export class WorkspaceShellRailComponent {
     >(null);
     readonly railProviderClass = input('rail-context-region');
     readonly isSettingsRoute = input(false);
+
+    /**
+     * The page zoom factor. App zoom (`webFrame.setZoomLevel`) scales CSS
+     * pixels but not the native traffic lights, so the macOS top inset is
+     * kept in window pixels when zoomed out. Chromium reports the window in
+     * window pixels and the viewport in CSS pixels, and fires `resize` when
+     * the zoom changes.
+     */
+    protected readonly zoomFactor = signal(1);
+
+    constructor() {
+        const view = inject(DOCUMENT).defaultView;
+        effect((onCleanup) => {
+            if (!this.isMacOS() || !view) return;
+            const update = () =>
+                this.zoomFactor.set(
+                    view.innerWidth > 0 && view.outerWidth > 0
+                        ? view.outerWidth / view.innerWidth
+                        : 1
+                );
+            update();
+            view.addEventListener('resize', update);
+            onCleanup(() => view.removeEventListener('resize', update));
+        });
+    }
 }