diff --git a/web/src/reader/reader.ts b/web/src/reader/reader.ts
index 0b72449d..92fa7b22 100644
--- a/web/src/reader/reader.ts
+++ b/web/src/reader/reader.ts
@@ -1747,11 +1747,13 @@ document.addEventListener("alpine:init", () => {
       const first = ctx.rects[0];
       const last = ctx.rects[ctx.rects.length - 1];
       if (!first || !last) return;
-      // Start dot at the first rect's LEFT-MIDDLE, end dot at the last
-      // rect's RIGHT-MIDDLE — the range boundary points.
+      // Start dot floating ABOVE the first rect's top-left corner, end
+      // dot above the last rect's top-right corner — the teardrop tip
+      // points down at the boundary so the highlighted text underneath
+      // stays readable (user request: the handle covered the text).
       const pts: Array<{ which: "start" | "end"; fx: number; fy: number }> = [
-        { which: "start", fx: first[0], fy: first[1] + first[3] / 2 },
-        { which: "end", fx: last[0] + last[2], fy: last[1] + last[3] / 2 },
+        { which: "start", fx: first[0], fy: first[1] },
+        { which: "end", fx: last[0] + last[2], fy: last[1] },
       ];
       for (const pt of pts) {
         let dot = layer.querySelector<HTMLDivElement>(
@@ -1790,8 +1792,10 @@ document.addEventListener("alpine:init", () => {
           layer.appendChild(dot);
         }
         const host = map.toHost(pt.fx, pt.fy);
+        // The teardrop's rotated tip is its bottom point: hang the box
+        // ABOVE the boundary corner.
         dot.style.left = `${host.x - 13}px`;
-        dot.style.top = `${host.y - 13}px`;
+        dot.style.top = `${host.y - 22}px`;
       }
     },
     /** Line boxes (page fractions) of a contiguous char-table span:
@@ -1846,15 +1850,27 @@ document.addEventListener("alpine:init", () => {
       if (!ctx) return;
       const map = this.pdfPageMapping(ctx.index);
       if (!map) return;
-      const { fx, fy } = map.toFraction(clientX, clientY);
+      const { fx } = map.toFraction(clientX, clientY);
       const chars = ctx.chars;
       if (!chars.length) return;
+      // The boundary stays on its OWN line: candidates are the chars in
+      // the boundary rect's line band, and the finger's X picks the
+      // glyph (vertical finger movement is ignored — cross-line changes
+      // go through re-selection). A whole-table Euclidean scan here
+      // re-anchored onto the line ABOVE when the finger floated above
+      // the text (lifted handles).
+      const boundary =
+        which === "start" ? ctx.rects[0] : ctx.rects[ctx.rects.length - 1];
+      const bandTop = boundary[1] - 0.002;
+      const bandBottom = boundary[1] + boundary[3] + 0.002;
       let best = 0;
       let bestD = Infinity;
       for (let i = 0; i < chars.length; i++) {
-        const cx = (chars[i].x0 + chars[i].x1) / 2;
-        const cy = (chars[i].y0 + chars[i].y1) / 2;
-        const d = (cx - fx) * (cx - fx) + (cy - fy) * (cy - fy);
+        const c = chars[i];
+        const cy = (c.y0 + c.y1) / 2;
+        if (cy < bandTop || cy > bandBottom) continue;
+        const cx = (c.x0 + c.x1) / 2;
+        const d = (cx - fx) * (cx - fx);
         if (d < bestD) {
           bestD = d;
           best = i;