diff --git a/muxplex/frontend/app.js b/muxplex/frontend/app.js
index e693798..7c08a9c 100644
--- a/muxplex/frontend/app.js
+++ b/muxplex/frontend/app.js
@@ -1103,6 +1103,13 @@ function saveDisplaySettings(settings) {
  * @param {Element} grid - The session grid element
  */
 function applyFitLayout(grid) {
+  // Clear stale layout from previous calls (prevents interference on page reload and
+  // when returning from a session where the grid was display:none during measurement)
+  grid.style.removeProperty('grid-template-rows');
+  grid.querySelectorAll('.session-tile').forEach(function(t) {
+    t.style.removeProperty('height');
+  });
+
   var count = grid.querySelectorAll('.session-tile').length;
   if (count === 0) return;
 
diff --git a/muxplex/frontend/style.css b/muxplex/frontend/style.css
index ca9c3f0..57cf1b8 100644
--- a/muxplex/frontend/style.css
+++ b/muxplex/frontend/style.css
@@ -1382,19 +1382,12 @@ body {
   overflow: hidden;
 }
 
-/* In fit mode, tile body uses flex to anchor content at the bottom (like a real terminal) */
-.session-grid--fit .tile-body {
-  display: flex;
-  flex-direction: column;
-  justify-content: flex-end;   /* content anchored to bottom */
-}
-
-/* In fit mode, pre participates in flex layout (not absolute-positioned) */
-.session-grid--fit .tile-body pre {
-  position: static;            /* remove absolute positioning — flex layout controls position */
-  max-height: 100%;            /* don't overflow the tile body */
-  overflow: hidden;            /* clip excess content at the top */
-}
+/* In fit mode, tile body and pre use the base CSS:
+   .tile-body { position: relative; overflow: hidden; }
+   .tile-body pre { position: absolute; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0; }
+   The pre's natural height from 80 lines of content exceeds the tile height, so it
+   overflows from bottom:0 upward, and tile-body clips excess at the top — showing
+   the bottom-most content (the prompt area) just like a real terminal. */
 
 /* ============================================================
    Responsive overlay sidebar at <960px
diff --git a/muxplex/frontend/tests/test_app.mjs b/muxplex/frontend/tests/test_app.mjs
index 514a401..c83fab2 100644
--- a/muxplex/frontend/tests/test_app.mjs
+++ b/muxplex/frontend/tests/test_app.mjs
@@ -2234,17 +2234,70 @@ test('buildTileHTML shows up to 80 lines in fit mode', () => {
   );
 });
 
-test('CSS style.css uses flex layout (not scrollbar hack) for fit mode content anchoring', () => {
+test('CSS style.css uses base position:absolute bottom:0 for fit mode content anchoring (no flex override)', () => {
   const source = fs.readFileSync(new URL('../style.css', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
-  // New approach: flex + justify-content:flex-end anchors content to bottom without JS scrollTop hacks
+  // Reverted approach: base CSS position:absolute + bottom:0 anchors content to bottom.
+  // The flex + justify-content:flex-end approach failed because <pre> filled 100% of parent,
+  // making flex-end a no-op (content started at top, excess clipped at bottom).
+  // The fit-mode tile-body flex override must be REMOVED.
   assert.ok(
-    source.includes('.session-grid--fit .tile-body'),
-    'style.css must have .session-grid--fit .tile-body rule for flex layout'
+    !source.includes('.session-grid--fit .tile-body {'),
+    'style.css must NOT have .session-grid--fit .tile-body flex override — base position:absolute handles anchoring'
   );
+  // The pre static-positioning override must also be removed
   assert.ok(
-    source.includes('justify-content: flex-end') || source.includes('justify-content:flex-end'),
-    'style.css must use justify-content: flex-end to anchor fit mode content at bottom'
+    !source.includes('.session-grid--fit .tile-body pre {'),
+    'style.css must NOT have .session-grid--fit .tile-body pre override — base position:absolute + bottom:0 is correct'
+  );
+  // Base .tile-body pre must still use position:absolute + bottom:0
+  assert.ok(
+    source.includes('position: absolute') && source.includes('bottom: 0'),
+    'base .tile-body pre must retain position:absolute and bottom:0 for content anchoring'
   );
-  // Old scrollbar-hiding hack is no longer needed with flex approach
-  // (scrollbar-width: none was only needed when overflow-y:scroll was used for scrollTop positioning)
+});
+
+// --- Fit view Bug 1: applyFitLayout clears stale layout before recalculating ---
+
+test('applyFitLayout clears stale grid-template-rows and tile heights before recalculating', () => {
+  const removedGridProps = [];
+  const removedTileProps = [];
+
+  const mockTile = {
+    style: { removeProperty: (prop) => removedTileProps.push(prop) },
+  };
+
+  const mockGrid = {
+    style: {
+      removeProperty: (prop) => removedGridProps.push(prop),
+      gridTemplateColumns: '',
+      gridTemplateRows: 'repeat(2, 1fr)',  // stale value from previous call
+    },
+    querySelectorAll: (sel) => {
+      if (sel === '.session-tile') return [mockTile];
+      return [];
+    },
+    clientWidth: 800,
+    parentElement: { clientHeight: 600 },
+  };
+
+  const origGetComputedStyle = globalThis.getComputedStyle;
+  globalThis.getComputedStyle = () => ({
+    paddingTop: '16px', paddingBottom: '16px',
+    paddingLeft: '16px', paddingRight: '16px',
+    gap: '8px',
+  });
+
+  app.applyFitLayout(mockGrid);
+
+  assert.ok(
+    removedGridProps.includes('grid-template-rows'),
+    'applyFitLayout must removeProperty("grid-template-rows") before recalculating to prevent stale layout interference'
+  );
+  assert.ok(
+    removedTileProps.includes('height'),
+    'applyFitLayout must removeProperty("height") from each tile before recalculating'
+  );
+
+  if (origGetComputedStyle) globalThis.getComputedStyle = origGetComputedStyle;
+  else delete globalThis.getComputedStyle;
 });
diff --git a/muxplex/tests/test_frontend_css.py b/muxplex/tests/test_frontend_css.py
index 1ab7158..78164e9 100644
--- a/muxplex/tests/test_frontend_css.py
+++ b/muxplex/tests/test_frontend_css.py
@@ -1744,41 +1744,35 @@ def test_view_uses_dvh_fallback() -> None:
     )
 
 
-def test_fit_view_tile_body_uses_flex_end() -> None:
-    """Fit mode tile-body must use flex + justify-content: flex-end for bottom anchoring.
+def test_fit_view_no_tile_body_flex_override() -> None:
+    """Bug fix: .session-grid--fit .tile-body must NOT have a flex override.
 
-    Bug: .tile-body pre had position:absolute + scrollTop=scrollHeight hack.
-    The scrollTop hack resets every 2s when innerHTML is rebuilt by the poll cycle,
-    and has no effect when content doesn't overflow.
-    Fix: make tile-body a flex container with justify-content:flex-end so the pre
-    naturally anchors to the bottom without JS.
+    The flex + justify-content:flex-end approach failed because the <pre> with
+    max-height:100% fills the parent entirely, making flex-end a no-op. Content
+    started at the top and excess was clipped at the bottom — the opposite of what
+    we want.
+
+    Fix: delete the .session-grid--fit .tile-body rule entirely. The base CSS
+    position:absolute + bottom:0 on the <pre> anchors content to the bottom.
     """
     css = read_css()
-    assert ".session-grid--fit .tile-body" in css, (
-        "Missing .session-grid--fit .tile-body rule — needed for flex-end bottom anchoring"
-    )
-    block = _extract_rule_block(css, ".session-grid--fit .tile-body {")
-    assert "display: flex" in block or "display:flex" in block, (
-        ".session-grid--fit .tile-body must use display: flex"
-    )
-    assert "justify-content: flex-end" in block or "justify-content:flex-end" in block, (
-        ".session-grid--fit .tile-body must use justify-content: flex-end to anchor content to bottom"
+    assert ".session-grid--fit .tile-body {" not in css, (
+        ".session-grid--fit .tile-body must be removed — flex-end approach does not work "
+        "when <pre> fills 100% of the parent. Use base position:absolute + bottom:0."
     )
 
 
-def test_fit_view_pre_is_static() -> None:
-    """Fit mode pre must use position:static (not absolute) for flex layout.
+def test_fit_view_no_pre_static_override() -> None:
+    """Bug fix: .session-grid--fit .tile-body pre must NOT override position to static.
 
-    Bug: .tile-body pre uses position:absolute which takes it out of flex flow.
-    In fit mode, we need position:static so flex layout controls the pre's position.
-    The parent .tile-body is a flex column with justify-content:flex-end, so the
-    pre will naturally sit at the bottom.
+    The position:static override removed the pre from absolute positioning, breaking
+    the bottom anchoring. Base CSS already has position:absolute + bottom:0 which
+    anchors content to the bottom of the tile.
+
+    Fix: delete the .session-grid--fit .tile-body pre rule entirely.
     """
     css = read_css()
-    assert ".session-grid--fit .tile-body pre" in css, (
-        "Missing .session-grid--fit .tile-body pre rule"
-    )
-    block = _extract_rule_block(css, ".session-grid--fit .tile-body pre {")
-    assert "position: static" in block or "position:static" in block, (
-        ".session-grid--fit .tile-body pre must have position: static to participate in flex layout"
+    assert ".session-grid--fit .tile-body pre {" not in css, (
+        ".session-grid--fit .tile-body pre override must be removed — revert to base "
+        "position:absolute + bottom:0 for correct bottom anchoring."
     )