diff --git a/src/web-ui/src/app/components/SceneBar/SceneBar.scss b/src/web-ui/src/app/components/SceneBar/SceneBar.scss
index f815e9ef6..871fff0ad 100644
--- a/src/web-ui/src/app/components/SceneBar/SceneBar.scss
+++ b/src/web-ui/src/app/components/SceneBar/SceneBar.scss
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@
 }
 
 .bitfun-scene-tab {
+  // Measured by SceneTab and overridden per-tab; 0 until first measurement.
+  --bitfun-scene-tab-close-shift: 0px;
   position: relative;
   display: flex;
   align-items: center;
@@ -136,6 +138,15 @@
   &:active {
     transform: scale(0.985);
     background: var(--bf-appearance-token-element-bg-medium);
+
+    // Counter the whole-tab scale drift for the absolutely-positioned close
+    // button so press/release stays under the cursor. The drift (distance
+    // from the tab center × 0.015) is measured by SceneTab and exposed as
+    // --bitfun-scene-tab-close-shift. The transform transition below keeps
+    // this in sync with the tab's 120ms scale.
+    .bitfun-scene-tab__close {
+      transform: translateY(-50%) translateX(var(--bitfun-scene-tab-close-shift));
+    }
   }
 
   &:focus-visible {
@@ -152,6 +163,12 @@
     &:active {
       transform: none;
       background: transparent;
+
+      // No tab-scale drift here (transform is none), so keep the close
+      // button at its base position instead of applying the compensation.
+      .bitfun-scene-tab__close {
+        transform: translateY(-50%);
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -237,9 +254,12 @@
     transform: translateY(-50%);
     cursor: pointer;
     flex-shrink: 0;
-    transition: opacity $motion-fast $easing-standard,
-                color $motion-fast $easing-standard,
-                background $motion-fast $easing-standard;
+    transition:
+      // Sync the scale-drift compensation with the tab's 120ms press scale.
+      transform 120ms cubic-bezier(0.23, 1, 0.32, 1),
+      opacity $motion-fast $easing-standard,
+      color $motion-fast $easing-standard,
+      background $motion-fast $easing-standard;
 
     &:hover {
       color: var(--bf-appearance-token-color-accent-500);
@@ -278,6 +298,13 @@
     background: var(--bf-appearance-token-element-bg-medium);
     opacity: 1;
   }
+
+  // Keep the close button at its hovered position while pressed: the global
+  // motion baseline drops buttons 1px on :active.
+  .bitfun-scene-tab__close:active {
+    translate: 0 -1px;
+    scale: 0.985;
+  }
 }
 
 [data-bf-appearance='bitfun-slate'] .bitfun-scene-tab__icon {
@@ -349,4 +376,10 @@
     transition: none;
     transform: none;
   }
+
+  // No tab-scale drift under reduced motion either (transform is none), so
+  // keep the close button at its base position instead of the compensation.
+  .bitfun-scene-tab:active .bitfun-scene-tab__close {
+    transform: translateY(-50%);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/web-ui/src/app/components/SceneBar/SceneTab.tsx b/src/web-ui/src/app/components/SceneBar/SceneTab.tsx
index 72d825841..29a02bf28 100644
--- a/src/web-ui/src/app/components/SceneBar/SceneTab.tsx
+++ b/src/web-ui/src/app/components/SceneBar/SceneTab.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  * Optional action (e.g. new session) shown inside __content when onActionClick is provided.
  */
 
-import React, { useCallback } from 'react';
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { Plus, X } from 'lucide-react';
 import { Tooltip } from '@/component-library';
 import type { SceneTab as SceneTabType, SceneTabDef } from './types';
@@ -36,6 +36,26 @@ const SceneTab: React.FC<SceneTabProps> = ({
   onClose,
 }) => {
   const { Icon, label, pinned } = def;
+  const tabRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+
+  // Expose the close button's scale drift as a CSS var so SceneBar.scss can
+  // counter it while the tab's 120ms press scale is playing. The close button
+  // is absolutely positioned (right: 6px, 18px wide → center 15px from the
+  // right edge); scaling the whole tab 0.985 around its center drifts that
+  // point left by 0.015 × (width/2 − 15) px, which would make the mouseup
+  // miss the button. Without this the click bubbles to the tab and activates
+  // it instead of closing.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const el = tabRef.current;
+    if (!el) return;
+    const updateShift = () => {
+      el.style.setProperty('--bitfun-scene-tab-close-shift', `${0.015 * (el.offsetWidth / 2 - 15)}px`);
+    };
+    updateShift();
+    const observer = new ResizeObserver(updateShift);
+    observer.observe(el);
+    return () => observer.disconnect();
+  }, []);
 
   const handleClick = useCallback((e: React.MouseEvent) => {
     e.stopPropagation();
@@ -80,6 +100,7 @@ const SceneTab: React.FC<SceneTabProps> = ({
 
   return (
     <div
+      ref={tabRef}
       role="tab"
       aria-selected={isActive}
       tabIndex={isActive ? 0 : -1}