diff --git a/src/react/components/ui/anchored-surface.test.tsx b/src/react/components/ui/anchored-surface.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..080854162c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/react/components/ui/anchored-surface.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import { renderToString } from "react-dom/server";
+import { assert, assertEquals, assertStringIncludes } from "#veryfront/testing/assert";
+import { describe, it } from "#veryfront/testing/bdd";
+import { Popover, PopoverTrigger } from "./popover.tsx";
+import { DropdownMenu, DropdownMenuTrigger } from "./dropdown-menu.tsx";
+
+describe("anchored surfaces anchor to the trigger ref", () => {
+  it("Popover root renders no wrapper node", () => {
+    const html = renderToString(
+      <Popover>
+        <PopoverTrigger>Open</PopoverTrigger>
+      </Popover>,
+    );
+
+    // The trigger button is the outermost markup - no anchor <span> wrapper.
+    assert(
+      html.startsWith("<button"),
+      `expected trigger-first markup, got: ${html.slice(0, 60)}`,
+    );
+    assertEquals(html.includes("relative inline-block"), false);
+    assertStringIncludes(html, 'aria-haspopup="dialog"');
+  });
+
+  it("DropdownMenu root renders no wrapper node", () => {
+    const html = renderToString(
+      <DropdownMenu>
+        <DropdownMenuTrigger>Open</DropdownMenuTrigger>
+      </DropdownMenu>,
+    );
+
+    assert(
+      html.startsWith("<button"),
+      `expected trigger-first markup, got: ${html.slice(0, 60)}`,
+    );
+    assertEquals(html.includes("relative inline-block"), false);
+    assertStringIncludes(html, 'aria-haspopup="menu"');
+  });
+
+  it("asChild trigger keeps the child as the outermost node", () => {
+    const html = renderToString(
+      <Popover>
+        <PopoverTrigger asChild>
+          <a href="#open">Open</a>
+        </PopoverTrigger>
+      </Popover>,
+    );
+
+    assert(
+      html.startsWith("<a "),
+      `expected the slotted child as outermost markup, got: ${html.slice(0, 60)}`,
+    );
+    assertStringIncludes(html, 'aria-haspopup="dialog"');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/react/components/ui/anchored-surface.tsx b/src/react/components/ui/anchored-surface.tsx
index 42c78104f4..22172bd978 100644
--- a/src/react/components/ui/anchored-surface.tsx
+++ b/src/react/components/ui/anchored-surface.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  */
 import * as React from "react";
 import { cx as cn } from "./cva.ts";
-import { Slot } from "./slot.tsx";
+import { composeRefs, Slot } from "./slot.tsx";
 import { Floating } from "./floating.tsx";
 import { type DisclosureOptions, useDisclosure } from "./disclosure.ts";
 
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ export interface AnchoredState {
 /** Props for `AnchoredTrigger` (returned by the factory). */
 export interface AnchoredTriggerProps extends React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement> {
   asChild?: boolean;
+  /** Composed with the internal positioning-anchor ref. */
+  ref?: React.Ref<HTMLButtonElement>;
   /** `aria-haspopup` value -- `"dialog"` for Popover, `"menu"` for DropdownMenu. */
   haspopup: NonNullable<React.AriaAttributes["aria-haspopup"]>;
 }
@@ -44,8 +46,9 @@ export function createAnchoredSurfaceParts() {
   const Context = React.createContext<AnchoredState | null>(null);
 
   /**
-   * Anchor `<span>` + disclosure state + context provider.
-   * The span is the positioning anchor for `Floating`.
+   * Disclosure state + context provider. Renders no node of its own - the
+   * positioning anchor for `Floating` is the trigger element itself, carried
+   * on context as `anchorRef` and attached by `AnchoredTrigger`.
    */
   function AnchoredRoot(
     { children, open, defaultOpen, onOpenChange }: DisclosureOptions & {
@@ -56,20 +59,25 @@ export function createAnchoredSurfaceParts() {
     const anchorRef = React.useRef<HTMLElement | null>(null);
     const ctx = React.useMemo(() => ({ open: isOpen, setOpen, anchorRef }), [isOpen, setOpen]);
     return (
-      <span ref={anchorRef} className="relative inline-block">
-        <Context.Provider value={ctx}>
-          {children}
-        </Context.Provider>
-      </span>
+      <Context.Provider value={ctx}>
+        {children}
+      </Context.Provider>
     );
   }
 
   /**
    * Toggle trigger. Sets `aria-haspopup` and `aria-expanded`; toggles open on
-   * click. Skins differ only in the `haspopup` value they supply.
+   * click; carries the positioning-anchor ref (composed with any consumer
+   * `ref`, including through `asChild`). Skins differ only in the `haspopup`
+   * value they supply.
+   *
+   * `asChild` contract: the child must forward `ref` to its DOM node (every
+   * `ui` component does; refs pass as regular props on function components in
+   * React 19). A child that drops `ref` leaves the surface unanchored —
+   * `Floating` warns in that case instead of silently rendering nothing.
    */
   function AnchoredTrigger(
-    { children, asChild, onClick, haspopup, ...props }: AnchoredTriggerProps,
+    { children, asChild, onClick, haspopup, ref, ...props }: AnchoredTriggerProps,
   ): React.ReactElement {
     const ctx = React.useContext(Context);
     const Comp = asChild ? Slot : "button";
@@ -78,6 +86,10 @@ export function createAnchoredSurfaceParts() {
         {...(asChild ? {} : { type: "button" as const })}
         aria-haspopup={haspopup}
         aria-expanded={ctx?.open}
+        ref={composeRefs<HTMLButtonElement>(
+          ctx?.anchorRef as React.Ref<HTMLButtonElement> | undefined,
+          ref,
+        )}
         onClick={(e: React.MouseEvent<HTMLButtonElement>) => {
           onClick?.(e);
           // Guard ctx before reading ctx.open (trigger may render outside a Root).
diff --git a/src/react/components/ui/dropdown-menu.tsx b/src/react/components/ui/dropdown-menu.tsx
index 2ce335dcae..881d467f43 100644
--- a/src/react/components/ui/dropdown-menu.tsx
+++ b/src/react/components/ui/dropdown-menu.tsx
@@ -31,9 +31,15 @@ export function DropdownMenu(props: DropdownMenuProps): React.ReactElement {
   return <_Root {...props} />;
 }
 
-/** Trigger — toggles the menu. `asChild` merges onto the child element. */
+/**
+ * Trigger — toggles the menu; the positioning anchor. `asChild` merges onto
+ * the child element, which must forward `ref` to its DOM node.
+ */
 export function DropdownMenuTrigger(
-  props: React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement> & { asChild?: boolean },
+  props: React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement> & {
+    asChild?: boolean;
+    ref?: React.Ref<HTMLButtonElement>;
+  },
 ): React.ReactElement {
   return <_Trigger {...props} haspopup="menu" />;
 }
diff --git a/src/react/components/ui/floating.tsx b/src/react/components/ui/floating.tsx
index 240ebcc733..33756b249c 100644
--- a/src/react/components/ui/floating.tsx
+++ b/src/react/components/ui/floating.tsx
@@ -15,9 +15,12 @@ import * as React from "react";
 import { createPortal } from "react-dom";
 import { UI_SCOPE_SELECTOR } from "./design-tokens.ts";
 
+// Warn once per session, not per render, when a surface opens unanchored.
+let warnedMissingAnchor = false;
+
 /** Props accepted by `<Floating>`. */
 export interface FloatingProps extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {
-  /** Element the surface is positioned against (usually the trigger wrapper). */
+  /** Element the surface is positioned against (usually the trigger element). */
   anchorRef: React.RefObject<HTMLElement | null>;
   open: boolean;
   /** Horizontal edge to align to. */
@@ -57,6 +60,13 @@ export function Floating({
   React.useLayoutEffect(() => {
     if (!open) return;
     const update = () => {
+      if (anchorRef.current === null && !warnedMissingAnchor) {
+        warnedMissingAnchor = true;
+        console.warn(
+          "[ui] Floating surface opened without an anchor element. " +
+            "If the trigger uses asChild, its child must forward `ref` to a DOM node.",
+        );
+      }
       const a = anchorRef.current?.getBoundingClientRect();
       const c = ref.current;
       if (!a || !c) return;
diff --git a/src/react/components/ui/popover.tsx b/src/react/components/ui/popover.tsx
index 5e17696cc7..89883495e3 100644
--- a/src/react/components/ui/popover.tsx
+++ b/src/react/components/ui/popover.tsx
@@ -30,9 +30,15 @@ export function Popover(props: PopoverProps): React.ReactElement {
   return <_Root {...props} />;
 }
 
-/** Trigger — toggles the popover. `asChild` merges onto the child element. */
+/**
+ * Trigger — toggles the popover; the positioning anchor. `asChild` merges onto
+ * the child element, which must forward `ref` to its DOM node.
+ */
 export function PopoverTrigger(
-  props: React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement> & { asChild?: boolean },
+  props: React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement> & {
+    asChild?: boolean;
+    ref?: React.Ref<HTMLButtonElement>;
+  },
 ): React.ReactElement {
   return <_Trigger {...props} haspopup="dialog" />;
 }
diff --git a/src/react/components/ui/slot.tsx b/src/react/components/ui/slot.tsx
index b8628d72d2..0595ea7883 100644
--- a/src/react/components/ui/slot.tsx
+++ b/src/react/components/ui/slot.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import * as React from "react";
 type AnyProps = Record<string, unknown>;
 
 /** Compose multiple refs into one callback ref. */
-function composeRefs<T>(
+export function composeRefs<T>(
   ...refs: Array<React.Ref<T> | undefined>
 ): React.RefCallback<T> {
   return (node) => {