diff --git a/Sources/Bonsplit/Internal/Styling/TabBarColors.swift b/Sources/Bonsplit/Internal/Styling/TabBarColors.swift
index 854d9a83..08704972 100644
--- a/Sources/Bonsplit/Internal/Styling/TabBarColors.swift
+++ b/Sources/Bonsplit/Internal/Styling/TabBarColors.swift
@@ -168,11 +168,7 @@ enum TabBarColors {
             return activeTabBackground
         }
         if appearance.usesSharedBackdrop {
-            let semanticBackground = semanticTabBarBackgroundColor(for: appearance) ?? custom
-            let overlayColor = semanticBackground.isBonsplitLightColor
-                ? NSColor.black.withAlphaComponent(0.06)
-                : NSColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.08)
-            return Color(nsColor: overlayColor)
+            return .clear
         }
         let adjusted = custom.isBonsplitLightColor
             ? custom.bonsplitDarken(by: 0.065)
diff --git a/Sources/Bonsplit/Internal/Views/TabBarView.swift b/Sources/Bonsplit/Internal/Views/TabBarView.swift
index b4aa5ec2..c96a3eee 100644
--- a/Sources/Bonsplit/Internal/Views/TabBarView.swift
+++ b/Sources/Bonsplit/Internal/Views/TabBarView.swift
@@ -97,6 +97,25 @@ public enum BonsplitTabItemHitRegionRegistry {
     }
 }
 
+enum BonsplitTabItemHitTesting {
+    static let horizontalSlop: CGFloat = 2
+    static let verticalSlop: CGFloat = 6
+
+    static func containsTabLaneHit(
+        localPoint: NSPoint,
+        tabFrames: [CGRect],
+        bounds: NSRect
+    ) -> Bool {
+        guard bounds.insetBy(dx: 0, dy: -verticalSlop).contains(localPoint) else {
+            return false
+        }
+        return tabFrames.contains { frame in
+            localPoint.x >= frame.minX - horizontalSlop
+                && localPoint.x <= frame.maxX + horizontalSlop
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 private struct TabItemHitRegionView: NSViewRepresentable {
     func makeNSView(context: Context) -> RegionNSView {
         RegionNSView()
@@ -150,7 +169,12 @@ private struct TabItemHitRegionView: NSViewRepresentable {
         }
 
         nonisolated func containsBonsplitTabItemHit(localPoint: NSPoint) -> Bool {
-            hitBounds.insetBy(dx: -2, dy: -2).contains(localPoint)
+            hitBounds
+                .insetBy(
+                    dx: -BonsplitTabItemHitTesting.horizontalSlop,
+                    dy: -BonsplitTabItemHitTesting.verticalSlop
+                )
+                .contains(localPoint)
         }
 
         override func hitTest(_ point: NSPoint) -> NSView? {
@@ -2464,8 +2488,11 @@ private struct TabBarDragAndHoverView: NSViewRepresentable {
         }
 
         nonisolated func containsBonsplitTabItemHit(localPoint: NSPoint) -> Bool {
-            let paddedFrames = tabFrames.map { $0.insetBy(dx: -2, dy: -2) }
-            return paddedFrames.contains { $0.contains(localPoint) }
+            BonsplitTabItemHitTesting.containsTabLaneHit(
+                localPoint: localPoint,
+                tabFrames: tabFrames,
+                bounds: bounds
+            )
         }
 
         override func updateTrackingAreas() {
diff --git a/Tests/BonsplitTests/BonsplitTests.swift b/Tests/BonsplitTests/BonsplitTests.swift
index 69a3bdff..3b7eb7a6 100644
--- a/Tests/BonsplitTests/BonsplitTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/BonsplitTests/BonsplitTests.swift
@@ -1264,6 +1264,28 @@ final class BonsplitTests: XCTestCase {
         XCTAssertLessThan(hoverAlpha, 0.12)
     }
 
+    func testSharedBackdropActiveTabBackgroundIsClear() {
+        let appearance = BonsplitConfiguration.Appearance(
+            chromeColors: .init(
+                backgroundHex: "#272822",
+                tabBarBackgroundHex: "#00000000",
+                splitButtonBackdropHex: "#00000000",
+                paneBackgroundHex: "#00000000"
+            ),
+            usesSharedBackdrop: true
+        )
+        let active = NSColor(TabBarColors.activeTabBackground(for: appearance)).usingColorSpace(.sRGB)!
+
+        var alpha: CGFloat = 1
+        active.getRed(nil, green: nil, blue: nil, alpha: &alpha)
+
+        XCTAssertLessThan(
+            alpha,
+            0.01,
+            "Shared-backdrop selected tabs should rely on the active indicator instead of a hover-like fill"
+        )
+    }
+
     func testSplitActionPressedStateUsesHigherContrast() {
         let appearance = BonsplitConfiguration.Appearance(
             chromeColors: .init(backgroundHex: "#272822")
@@ -1714,6 +1736,15 @@ final class BonsplitTests: XCTestCase {
             "A short-titled tab must own the full configured visible tab width so minimal-mode drags do not become window drags"
         )
 
+        let topEdgeTabPoint = hostingView.convert(
+            NSPoint(x: appearance.tabMinWidth - 20, y: appearance.tabBarHeight + 3),
+            to: nil
+        )
+        XCTAssertTrue(
+            BonsplitTabItemHitRegionRegistry.containsWindowPoint(topEdgeTabPoint, in: window),
+            "A tab's horizontal lane must own near-titlebar-edge drags so minimal-mode top-edge tab drags do not become window drags"
+        )
+
         let emptyChromePoint = hostingView.convert(
             NSPoint(x: appearance.tabMinWidth + 30, y: verticalCenter),
             to: nil
@@ -1722,6 +1753,15 @@ final class BonsplitTests: XCTestCase {
             BonsplitTabItemHitRegionRegistry.containsWindowPoint(emptyChromePoint, in: window),
             "Empty tab-strip chrome after the configured tab remains available for app-window dragging"
         )
+
+        let topEdgeEmptyChromePoint = hostingView.convert(
+            NSPoint(x: appearance.tabMinWidth + 30, y: appearance.tabBarHeight + 3),
+            to: nil
+        )
+        XCTAssertFalse(
+            BonsplitTabItemHitRegionRegistry.containsWindowPoint(topEdgeEmptyChromePoint, in: window),
+            "Near-titlebar-edge empty chrome after the tab should remain available for app-window dragging"
+        )
     }
 
     @MainActor