diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/CommandHQ/CommandHqDetail.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/CommandHQ/CommandHqDetail.tsx
index c9bfca0b..d87488b9 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/CommandHQ/CommandHqDetail.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/CommandHQ/CommandHqDetail.tsx
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ function EmptyState() {
  * which matters because this ships on every deploy whether the copy is ready or not.
  */
 const NewCommanderGuide = () => (
-  <div className="shrink-0 overflow-y-auto border-b border-border px-5 py-4">
+  <div className="shrink-0 border-b border-border px-5 py-4">
     <div className="mx-auto flex max-w-2xl flex-col gap-4">
       {NEW_COMMANDER_GUIDE.map((section) => (
         <section key={section.title}>
@@ -302,8 +302,19 @@ function NewCommander({
           and not to the component left that radio hidden inside a commander — the one place it exists for. */}
       {/* Before the first message, the pane explains itself. `EmbeddableChat`'s own empty state is "Send a
           message to start", which is true and tells a first-time user nothing about what to send. */}
+      {/*
+        One scroll region for the whole pre-start pane, rather than three `shrink-0` siblings.
+      
+        They stacked to whatever height they wanted and nothing could scroll: the guide carried its own
+        `overflow-y-auto`, which never engaged, because `shrink-0` had already given it its full natural
+        height. Fine at 100%, and the panel system is zoomable — at 120% the setup ran off the bottom of
+        the panel with no way to reach it.
+      
+        So the scroller is here, where the height is actually constrained, and the composer below keeps
+        `shrink-0` so it stays reachable at the bottom whatever the zoom.
+      */}
       {chat.messages.length === 0 && (
-        <>
+        <div className="flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col overflow-y-auto">
           <CommanderSetup name={name} onName={setName} cwd={cwd} onPickDirectory={() => setPickerOpen(true)} />
           <StartCommanderButton
             ready={ready}
@@ -324,7 +335,7 @@ function NewCommander({
             }
           />
           <NewCommanderGuide />
-        </>
+        </div>
       )}
       {/* Disabled until both are chosen. The composer is where somebody would otherwise type first and
           discover the requirement afterwards, having already written what they meant to say. */}
@@ -338,7 +349,7 @@ function NewCommander({
             ? { reason: !name.trim() ? 'Name it first…' : 'Choose a working directory first…' }
             : false
         }
-        className="min-h-0 flex-1"
+        className={chat.messages.length === 0 ? 'shrink-0' : 'min-h-0 flex-1'}
       />
       <DirPickerModal open={pickerOpen} onClose={() => setPickerOpen(false)} onSelect={setCwd} />
     </div>