diff --git a/src/renderer/components/AnalysisPrioritySection.tsx b/src/renderer/components/AnalysisPrioritySection.tsx
index b426bb58..e9487705 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/AnalysisPrioritySection.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/AnalysisPrioritySection.tsx
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ export function AnalysisPrioritySection({
 
   if (!isEditing) {
     return (
-      <div className="px-6 py-4 border-t border-gray-100 dark:border-gray-700/50 bg-gray-50 dark:bg-gray-800/50">
+      <div
+        data-testid="analysis-priority-section"
+        className="flex-shrink-0 px-6 py-4 border-t border-gray-100 dark:border-gray-700/50 bg-gray-50 dark:bg-gray-800/50"
+      >
         <div className="flex items-center gap-3 text-sm">
           <span
             className={`font-medium ${
@@ -87,7 +90,10 @@ export function AnalysisPrioritySection({
   }
 
   return (
-    <div className="px-6 py-4 border-t border-gray-100 dark:border-gray-700/50 bg-gray-50 dark:bg-gray-800/50">
+    <div
+      data-testid="analysis-priority-section"
+      className="flex-shrink-0 px-6 py-4 border-t border-gray-100 dark:border-gray-700/50 bg-gray-50 dark:bg-gray-800/50"
+    >
       <div className="flex flex-col gap-3">
         <div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-sm">
           <span className="text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400 text-xs font-medium">
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/EmailDetail.tsx b/src/renderer/components/EmailDetail.tsx
index 58b9c283..14606681 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/EmailDetail.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/EmailDetail.tsx
@@ -822,7 +822,7 @@ function ThreadMessage({
   // White card for rich HTML emails in dark mode, dark card otherwise
   return (
     <div
-      className={`group/msg ${
+      className={`group/msg flex-1 ${
         useWhiteCard
           ? `bg-white rounded-lg${isFocused ? " ring-1 ring-blue-300 dark:ring-blue-500" : ""}`
           : `relative before:absolute before:left-[-6px] before:top-0 before:bottom-0 before:rounded-full bg-gray-50/50 dark:bg-gray-800/30 ${
@@ -3586,7 +3586,11 @@ function EmailDetailInner({ isFullView = false }: EmailDetailProps) {
       )}
 
       {/* Single scroll container for entire thread */}
-      <div ref={scrollContainerRef} className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto">
+      <div
+        ref={scrollContainerRef}
+        data-testid="email-detail-scroll"
+        className="flex-1 min-h-0 overflow-y-auto flex flex-col"
+      >
         {/* Thread header */}
         <div className="px-6 pt-6 pb-4 border-b border-gray-100 dark:border-gray-700/50">
           <div className="flex items-start justify-between">
@@ -3812,9 +3816,13 @@ function EmailDetailInner({ isFullView = false }: EmailDetailProps) {
         )}
 
         {/* Thread messages - single scroll, no nested scrolls */}
-        <div className="px-6">
-          {threadEmails.map((email) => (
-            <div key={email.id} data-email-id={email.id}>
+        <div data-testid="email-thread-messages" className="px-6 flex-1 flex flex-col">
+          {threadEmails.map((email, index) => (
+            <div
+              key={email.id}
+              data-email-id={email.id}
+              className={index === threadEmails.length - 1 ? "flex-1 flex flex-col" : undefined}
+            >
               <ThreadMessage
                 email={email}
                 isExpanded={expandedMessagesRef.current.has(email.id)}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/email-detail-layout.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/email-detail-layout.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..be6ac028
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/email-detail-layout.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+import { test, expect, type ElectronApplication, type Page } from "@playwright/test";
+import { closeApp, launchElectronApp } from "./launch-helpers";
+
+async function openEmail(page: Page, subject: string) {
+  const email = page.locator("button").filter({ hasText: subject }).first();
+  await expect(email).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10000 });
+  await email.click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("email-detail-scroll")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5000 });
+}
+
+test.describe("Email detail layout", () => {
+  test.describe.configure({ mode: "serial" });
+
+  let electronApp: ElectronApplication;
+  let page: Page;
+
+  test.beforeAll(async ({}, testInfo) => {
+    const launched = await launchElectronApp({ workerIndex: testInfo.workerIndex });
+    electronApp = launched.app;
+    page = launched.page;
+    await page.locator("[data-thread-id]").first().waitFor({ timeout: 10000 });
+  });
+
+  test.afterAll(async () => {
+    if (electronApp) await closeApp(electronApp);
+  });
+
+  test("a short email fills the pane and keeps classification at the bottom", async () => {
+    await openEmail(page, "CI workflow failed on main");
+
+    const scroller = page.getByTestId("email-detail-scroll");
+    const messages = page.getByTestId("email-thread-messages");
+    const message = page.locator('[data-email-id="demo-006"] .group\\/msg');
+    const analysis = page.getByTestId("analysis-priority-section");
+
+    await expect(analysis).toBeVisible();
+
+    const [scrollerBox, messagesBox, messageBox, analysisBox] = await Promise.all([
+      scroller.boundingBox(),
+      messages.boundingBox(),
+      message.boundingBox(),
+      analysis.boundingBox(),
+    ]);
+
+    expect(scrollerBox).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(messagesBox).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(messageBox).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(analysisBox).not.toBeNull();
+
+    const scrollerBottom = scrollerBox!.y + scrollerBox!.height;
+    const analysisBottom = analysisBox!.y + analysisBox!.height;
+    const messageBottom = messageBox!.y + messageBox!.height;
+
+    expect(Math.abs(scrollerBottom - analysisBottom)).toBeLessThanOrEqual(1);
+    expect(Math.abs(messageBottom - analysisBox!.y)).toBeLessThanOrEqual(1);
+    expect(messagesBox!.height).toBeGreaterThan(messageBox!.height - 1);
+    await expect
+      .poll(() => scroller.evaluate((element) => element.scrollHeight))
+      .toBe(await scroller.evaluate((element) => element.clientHeight));
+  });
+
+  test("a long email still scrolls to the classification row", async () => {
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Back" }).click();
+    await openEmail(page, "Weekly Product Update");
+
+    const scroller = page.getByTestId("email-detail-scroll");
+    const analysis = page.getByTestId("analysis-priority-section");
+    const iframe = page.locator('iframe[title="Email content"]').first();
+
+    await expect(iframe).toBeVisible();
+    await expect.poll(async () => (await iframe.boundingBox())?.height ?? 0).toBeGreaterThan(400);
+
+    const dimensions = await scroller.evaluate((element) => ({
+      clientHeight: element.clientHeight,
+      scrollHeight: element.scrollHeight,
+    }));
+    expect(dimensions.scrollHeight).toBeGreaterThan(dimensions.clientHeight);
+
+    await expect
+      .poll(() =>
+        scroller.evaluate((element) => {
+          element.scrollTop = element.scrollHeight;
+          const analysisSection = element.querySelector(
+            '[data-testid="analysis-priority-section"]',
+          );
+          if (!analysisSection) return Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
+          const scrollerBox = element.getBoundingClientRect();
+          const analysisBox = analysisSection.getBoundingClientRect();
+          return Math.abs(scrollerBox.bottom - analysisBox.bottom);
+        }),
+      )
+      .toBeLessThanOrEqual(1);
+    await expect(analysis).toBeVisible();
+  });
+});