diff --git a/templates/reader.templ b/templates/reader.templ
index 14ea006..d308407 100644
--- a/templates/reader.templ
+++ b/templates/reader.templ
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ templ Reader(user User, metadata ReaderMetadata) {
 							type="button"
 							class="flex-1 py-1 text-xs border rounded hover:opacity-80"
 							style="border-color: var(--border);"
-							@click="selectionPopover.noteOpen = false"
+							@click="hideSelectionPopover()"
 						>Cancel</button>
 					</div>
 				</div>
diff --git a/templates/reader_templ.go b/templates/reader_templ.go
index 1f40f7b..7c35c4e 100644
--- a/templates/reader_templ.go
+++ b/templates/reader_templ.go
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func Reader(user User, metadata ReaderMetadata) templ.Component {
 		if templ_7745c5c3_Err != nil {
 			return templ_7745c5c3_Err
 		}
-		templ_7745c5c3_Err = templruntime.WriteString(templ_7745c5c3_Buffer, 8, "</div><!-- Selection popover (highlights) --><div id=\"selection-popover\" x-show=\"selectionPopover.open\" x-transition:enter=\"transition ease-out duration-150\" x-transition:enter-start=\"opacity-0 scale-95\" x-transition:enter-end=\"opacity-100 scale-100\" x-transition:leave=\"transition ease-in duration-100\" x-transition:leave-start=\"opacity-100 scale-100\" x-transition:leave-end=\"opacity-0 scale-95\" :style=\"'left:' + selectionPopover.x + 'px; top:' + selectionPopover.y + 'px'\" class=\"reader-popover\" role=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Highlight selection\" @pointerdown.stop><div class=\"flex items-center gap-2\"><template x-for=\"c in highlightColors\" :key=\"c\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"color-dot\" :class=\"selectionPopover.color === c ? 'selected' : ''\" :style=\"'background-color:' + c\" :title=\"selectionPopover.mode === 'create' ? 'Highlight' : 'Set color'\" :aria-label=\"'Highlight color ' + c\" @click=\"selectionPopover.noteOpen\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t? (selectionPopover.mode === 'create'\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t? (selectionPopover.color = c)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t: (selectionPopover.color = c, saveHighlightChanges(true)))\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t: (selectionPopover.mode === 'create'\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t? createHighlight(c)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t: (selectionPopover.color = c, saveHighlightChanges()))\"></button></template><div class=\"w-px h-5 reader-sep\"></div><button type=\"button\" class=\"reader-popover-btn\" title=\"Note\" @click=\"selectionPopover.noteOpen = true\"><svg class=\"reader-icon\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M 4 13 L 4 16 L 7 16 L 14.5 8.5 L 11.5 5.5 L 4 13 M 12.5 4.5 L 15.5 7.5\"></path></svg></button> <button type=\"button\" class=\"reader-popover-btn\" title=\"Copy text\" @click=\"copySelectionText()\"><svg class=\"reader-icon\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M 6 6 V 3 H 16 V 13 H 13 M 3 6 H 13 V 16 H 3 Z\"></path></svg></button><template x-if=\"selectionPopover.mode === 'edit'\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"reader-popover-btn danger\" title=\"Delete highlight\" @click=\"deleteHighlightById(selectionPopover.id)\"><svg class=\"reader-icon\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M 5 6 H 15 L 14 17 H 6 Z M 8 6 V 4 H 12 V 6 M 4 6 H 16\"></path></svg></button></template></div><div x-show=\"selectionPopover.noteOpen\" class=\"mt-2\"><textarea x-model=\"selectionPopover.note\" rows=\"3\" class=\"reader-note-input\" placeholder=\"Note…\"></textarea><div class=\"flex gap-2 mt-1\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"flex-1 py-1 text-xs bg-blue-600 text-white rounded hover:bg-blue-700\" @click=\"selectionPopover.mode === 'create' ? createHighlight(selectionPopover.color) : saveHighlightChanges()\" x-text=\"selectionPopover.mode === 'create' ? 'Highlight with note' : 'Save note'\">Save</button> <button type=\"button\" class=\"flex-1 py-1 text-xs border rounded hover:opacity-80\" style=\"border-color: var(--border);\" @click=\"selectionPopover.noteOpen = false\">Cancel</button></div></div></div><!-- Annotations drawer (right): highlights / notes / bookmarks --><div id=\"annotations-drawer\" x-show=\"bookmarksOpen\" x-transition:enter=\"transition-transform duration-200 ease-out\" x-transition:enter-start=\"translate-x-full\" x-transition:enter-end=\"translate-x-0\" x-transition:leave=\"transition-transform duration-150 ease-in\" x-transition:leave-start=\"translate-x-0\" x-transition:leave-end=\"translate-x-full\" class=\"reader-drawer right\" role=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Annotations\">")
+		templ_7745c5c3_Err = templruntime.WriteString(templ_7745c5c3_Buffer, 8, "</div><!-- Selection popover (highlights) --><div id=\"selection-popover\" x-show=\"selectionPopover.open\" x-transition:enter=\"transition ease-out duration-150\" x-transition:enter-start=\"opacity-0 scale-95\" x-transition:enter-end=\"opacity-100 scale-100\" x-transition:leave=\"transition ease-in duration-100\" x-transition:leave-start=\"opacity-100 scale-100\" x-transition:leave-end=\"opacity-0 scale-95\" :style=\"'left:' + selectionPopover.x + 'px; top:' + selectionPopover.y + 'px'\" class=\"reader-popover\" role=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Highlight selection\" @pointerdown.stop><div class=\"flex items-center gap-2\"><template x-for=\"c in highlightColors\" :key=\"c\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"color-dot\" :class=\"selectionPopover.color === c ? 'selected' : ''\" :style=\"'background-color:' + c\" :title=\"selectionPopover.mode === 'create' ? 'Highlight' : 'Set color'\" :aria-label=\"'Highlight color ' + c\" @click=\"selectionPopover.noteOpen\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t? (selectionPopover.mode === 'create'\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t? (selectionPopover.color = c)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t: (selectionPopover.color = c, saveHighlightChanges(true)))\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t: (selectionPopover.mode === 'create'\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t? createHighlight(c)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t: (selectionPopover.color = c, saveHighlightChanges()))\"></button></template><div class=\"w-px h-5 reader-sep\"></div><button type=\"button\" class=\"reader-popover-btn\" title=\"Note\" @click=\"selectionPopover.noteOpen = true\"><svg class=\"reader-icon\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M 4 13 L 4 16 L 7 16 L 14.5 8.5 L 11.5 5.5 L 4 13 M 12.5 4.5 L 15.5 7.5\"></path></svg></button> <button type=\"button\" class=\"reader-popover-btn\" title=\"Copy text\" @click=\"copySelectionText()\"><svg class=\"reader-icon\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M 6 6 V 3 H 16 V 13 H 13 M 3 6 H 13 V 16 H 3 Z\"></path></svg></button><template x-if=\"selectionPopover.mode === 'edit'\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"reader-popover-btn danger\" title=\"Delete highlight\" @click=\"deleteHighlightById(selectionPopover.id)\"><svg class=\"reader-icon\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M 5 6 H 15 L 14 17 H 6 Z M 8 6 V 4 H 12 V 6 M 4 6 H 16\"></path></svg></button></template></div><div x-show=\"selectionPopover.noteOpen\" class=\"mt-2\"><textarea x-model=\"selectionPopover.note\" rows=\"3\" class=\"reader-note-input\" placeholder=\"Note…\"></textarea><div class=\"flex gap-2 mt-1\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"flex-1 py-1 text-xs bg-blue-600 text-white rounded hover:bg-blue-700\" @click=\"selectionPopover.mode === 'create' ? createHighlight(selectionPopover.color) : saveHighlightChanges()\" x-text=\"selectionPopover.mode === 'create' ? 'Highlight with note' : 'Save note'\">Save</button> <button type=\"button\" class=\"flex-1 py-1 text-xs border rounded hover:opacity-80\" style=\"border-color: var(--border);\" @click=\"hideSelectionPopover()\">Cancel</button></div></div></div><!-- Annotations drawer (right): highlights / notes / bookmarks --><div id=\"annotations-drawer\" x-show=\"bookmarksOpen\" x-transition:enter=\"transition-transform duration-200 ease-out\" x-transition:enter-start=\"translate-x-full\" x-transition:enter-end=\"translate-x-0\" x-transition:leave=\"transition-transform duration-150 ease-in\" x-transition:leave-start=\"translate-x-0\" x-transition:leave-end=\"translate-x-full\" class=\"reader-drawer right\" role=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Annotations\">")
 		if templ_7745c5c3_Err != nil {
 			return templ_7745c5c3_Err
 		}
diff --git a/web/src/reader/reader.ts b/web/src/reader/reader.ts
index a934fcd..3fc8d7c 100644
--- a/web/src/reader/reader.ts
+++ b/web/src/reader/reader.ts
@@ -1758,9 +1758,9 @@ document.addEventListener("alpine:init", () => {
             id: p.id,
           });
         }
-        // Color tweaks made while the note editor is open keep the
-        // editor open — only the explicit save/close paths collapse it.
-        if (!keepNoteOpen) p.noteOpen = false;
+        // Explicit saves (the Save button) close the whole popover; color
+        // tweaks made while the note editor is open keep everything open.
+        if (!keepNoteOpen) this.hideSelectionPopover();
       } catch (_e) {
         /* ignore highlight errors */
       }