diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 129a3c78..1f6d5e58 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ callbacks and hot paths.
 - Never hard-code the app's name. The brand is a build-time `VITE_PLATFORM_*` variable, so user-facing copy interpolates `PLATFORM_NAME` from `@app/env`, and `PLATFORM_URL`, `PLATFORM_LOGO`, `PLATFORM_ABOUT` for the rest of it. Each is set by the deployment, so don't write a `"Flotilla"` fallback behind one either.
 - Svelte 5 runes (`$state`, `$derived`, `$effect`) only in UI components
 - TailwindCSS styling with css components customized by theme. See lib/components for examples.
+- A component class goes in `@layer components`, in its own file under `lib/components`. An unlayered rule beats a layered one whatever the specificity, so a class outside the layer can never be overridden by a utility in markup. The third-party overrides in `base.css` stay unlayered. The library defaults they beat are unlayered too.
 - Comments, naming, conditionals and single-use indirection are covered by the Cleanup Pass above.
 - Do not use `any`. If there are type errors related to `unknown`, they are likely because the upstream definition of the data is incorrect.
 - When dynamically building classes, use `cx` from `classnames` rather than embedded ternaries or svelte 4's old `class:` syntax.
diff --git a/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlock.svelte b/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlock.svelte
index 4958a9c8..20ff39d1 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlock.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlock.svelte
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
 </script>
 
 {#if isRoomOrRelay}
-  <ContentLinkUrl {url} class="link-content whitespace-nowrap" />
+  <ContentLinkUrl {url} class="link-content" />
 {:else if isAudio}
   <ContentLinkBlockAudio {url} {event} />
 {:else if isVideo}
@@ -130,6 +130,6 @@
       </div>
     </Link>
   {:catch}
-    <ContentLinkUrl {url} class="link-content link-content--wrap" />
+    <ContentLinkUrl {url} class="link-content whitespace-normal wrap-anywhere" />
   {/await}
 {/if}
diff --git a/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlockAudio.svelte b/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlockAudio.svelte
index f84db095..7c8e7617 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlockAudio.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlockAudio.svelte
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 </script>
 
 {#if failed}
-  <a href={url} class="link-content link-content--wrap">{displayUrl(url)}</a>
+  <a href={url} class="link-content whitespace-normal wrap-anywhere">{displayUrl(url)}</a>
 {:else if source}
   <audio controls src={source} preload="metadata" class="my-2 w-full max-w-xl" onerror={onError}
   ></audio>
diff --git a/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlockImage.svelte b/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlockImage.svelte
index 75124d86..271b2555 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlockImage.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/ContentLinkBlockImage.svelte
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
 </script>
 
 {#if hasError}
-  <a href={url} class="link-content link-content--wrap">
+  <a href={url} class="link-content whitespace-normal wrap-anywhere">
     <Icon icon={LinkRound} size={3} class="inline-block" />
     {displayUrl(url)}
   </a>
diff --git a/src/app/components/ContentLinkInline.svelte b/src/app/components/ContentLinkInline.svelte
index aeab3825..da76ddc8 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ContentLinkInline.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/ContentLinkInline.svelte
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@
   <!-- Use a real link so people can copy the href -->
   <a
     href={url}
-    class="link-content link-content--wrap"
+    class="link-content whitespace-normal wrap-anywhere"
     onclick={stopPropagation(preventDefault(expand))}>
     <Icon icon={LinkRound} size={3} class="inline-block" />
     {displayUrl(url)}
   </a>
 {:else}
-  <ContentLinkUrl {url} class="link-content link-content--wrap" />
+  <ContentLinkUrl {url} class="link-content whitespace-normal wrap-anywhere" />
 {/if}
diff --git a/src/app/components/InfoZapperError.svelte b/src/app/components/InfoZapperError.svelte
index 68f3190a..2bb65824 100644
--- a/src/app/components/InfoZapperError.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/InfoZapperError.svelte
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
       <ModalTitle>Unable to Zap</ModalTitle>
     </ModalHeader>
     <p>
-      Zapping <ProfileLink {pubkey} class="text-primary!" /> isn't possible right now because
+      Zapping <ProfileLink {pubkey} class="text-primary" /> isn't possible right now because
       {#if $zapper}
         their zap receiver isn't correctly set up.
       {:else}
diff --git a/src/app/components/ProfileLink.svelte b/src/app/components/ProfileLink.svelte
index 56aeee9d..b9cbd66d 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ProfileLink.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/ProfileLink.svelte
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@
   const openProfile = () => pushModal(ProfileDetail, {pubkey, url})
 </script>
 
-<Button
-  onclick={preventDefault(openProfile)}
-  class={cx(props.class, {"link-content bg-surface": !unstyled})}>
+<Button onclick={preventDefault(openProfile)} class={cx(props.class, {"link-content": !unstyled})}>
   @<ProfileName {pubkey} {url} />
 </Button>
diff --git a/src/app/components/RoomLink.svelte b/src/app/components/RoomLink.svelte
index e2d8034c..9eef418a 100644
--- a/src/app/components/RoomLink.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/RoomLink.svelte
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@
   const path = makeSpacePath(url, h)
 </script>
 
-<Link href={path} class={cx(props.class, {"link-content bg-surface": !unstyled})}>
+<Link href={path} class={cx(props.class, {"link-content": !unstyled})}>
   #<RoomName {h} {url} />
 </Link>
diff --git a/src/app/components/Zap.svelte b/src/app/components/Zap.svelte
index e4229501..0873625c 100644
--- a/src/app/components/Zap.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/Zap.svelte
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@
   <ModalBody>
     <ModalHeader>
       <ModalTitle>Send a Zap</ModalTitle>
-      <ModalSubtitle>To <ProfileLink {pubkey} class="text-primary!" /></ModalSubtitle>
+      <ModalSubtitle>To <ProfileLink {pubkey} class="text-primary" /></ModalSubtitle>
     </ModalHeader>
 
     {#if invoice}
diff --git a/src/lib/components/base.css b/src/lib/components/base.css
index 8cad7f9e..c8456715 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/base.css
+++ b/src/lib/components/base.css
@@ -189,7 +189,9 @@
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-   Keyboard-open adjustments
+   Keyboard-open adjustments — unlayered on purpose. Every element carrying
+   .hide-on-keyboard also carries display utilities (flex, md:hidden), and a
+   utility beats @layer components whatever the specificity.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 body.keyboard-open {
@@ -246,8 +248,14 @@ body.keyboard-open .room {
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-   Integrations — rewired onto the shared tokens (unlayered so they win over
-   third-party defaults)
+   Integrations — third-party class names rewired onto the shared tokens.
+
+   These stay unlayered. Every library here ships its own stylesheet outside any
+   cascade layer, and an unlayered rule beats a layered one whatever the
+   specificity, so a layered override would lose to the default it overrides.
+   @welshman/editor sets `.tiptap {min-height: 0}`, which beats a layered
+   `.note-editor .tiptap`. Our own classes go in @layer components, in the file
+   that owns them.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 /* tiptap editor */
@@ -388,25 +396,6 @@ body.keyboard-open .room {
   box-shadow: none;
 }
 
-/* link-content (tiptap pill) */
-.link-content {
-  @apply bg-surface-more text-content max-w-full overflow-hidden px-1 text-ellipsis whitespace-nowrap;
-  border-radius: 3px;
-}
-
-.link-content--wrap {
-  @apply whitespace-normal;
-  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
-}
-
-/* welshman/content */
-.welshman-content a {
-  @apply text-primary cursor-pointer underline underline-offset-2;
-}
-.welshman-content-error a {
-  @apply underline;
-}
-
 /* date picker. @svelte-plugins/datepicker renders its own markup, so these class
    names appear nowhere in src/ — don't delete them on a grep. */
 .picker {
@@ -431,12 +420,6 @@ body.keyboard-open .room {
 }
 
 /* tippy popover */
-.tippy-target {
-  @apply z-tooltip pointer-events-none fixed inset-0;
-}
-.tippy-target > * {
-  @apply pointer-events-auto;
-}
 .tippy-box {
   @apply rounded-3xl;
   box-shadow: var(--shadow-lg);
@@ -471,13 +454,3 @@ emoji-picker {
   overflow: visible;
   max-width: none;
 }
-
-/* content width for fixed elements (sidebar offsets) */
-.left-content {
-  left: var(--sail);
-}
-@media (min-width: 768px) {
-  .left-content {
-    left: calc(18.5rem + var(--sail));
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/lib/components/link.css b/src/lib/components/link.css
index 2e9ab54e..dc6c147f 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/link.css
+++ b/src/lib/components/link.css
@@ -1,9 +1,22 @@
 @layer components {
-  .link {
+  /* .welshman-content wraps rendered note content, whose links are raw anchors */
+  .link,
+  .welshman-content a {
     @apply text-primary cursor-pointer underline underline-offset-2;
 
     &:hover {
       @apply text-primary-bold;
     }
   }
+
+  /* an error toast colors its own text, so the link only needs the underline */
+  .welshman-content-error a {
+    @apply underline;
+  }
+
+  /* an inline pill for a link, mention or topic inside rendered content */
+  .link-content {
+    @apply bg-surface-more text-content max-w-full overflow-hidden px-1 text-ellipsis whitespace-nowrap;
+    border-radius: 3px;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/components/page.css b/src/lib/components/page.css
index 752faba3..e4917c18 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/page.css
+++ b/src/lib/components/page.css
@@ -10,4 +10,13 @@
       @apply p-2 sm:p-4;
     }
   }
+
+  /* left edge of the content column, for fixed elements the page cannot position */
+  .left-content {
+    left: var(--sail);
+
+    @media (min-width: 768px) {
+      left: calc(18.5rem + var(--sail));
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/components/room.css b/src/lib/components/room.css
index 22a1541b..3eefad3a 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/room.css
+++ b/src/lib/components/room.css
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@
   .room-pins__message {
     @apply text-primary-content text-sm leading-relaxed;
 
-    :where(.link-content, a, p, span, code) {
+    /* a pill draws its own background, so it keeps its own color */
+    :where(a, p, span, code):not(.link-content) {
       color: inherit;
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/components/theme.css b/src/lib/components/theme.css
index 8f1ada91..7ea5c179 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/theme.css
+++ b/src/lib/components/theme.css
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
    Design-system entry point (imported once, in src/routes/+layout.svelte).
 
      tailwindcss  — framework + our @theme token registration (via base.css)
-     base.css     — theme-independent structure (components, utilities, base)
+     base.css     — theme-independent structure (base, utilities, integrations)
      clay.css     — clay theme token values ([data-fl-theme="clay"] + dark)
      flat.css     — flat theme token values ([data-fl-theme="flat"] + dark)
      navy.css     — navy theme token values ([data-fl-theme="navy"] + dark)
diff --git a/src/lib/components/tooltip.css b/src/lib/components/tooltip.css
index d148aec6..15940f30 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/tooltip.css
+++ b/src/lib/components/tooltip.css
@@ -41,4 +41,13 @@
   .mobile .tip[data-tip]::before {
     display: none !important;
   }
+
+  /* the host tippy renders its popovers into; see getTippyTarget in lib/html.ts */
+  .tippy-target {
+    @apply z-tooltip pointer-events-none fixed inset-0;
+  }
+
+  .tippy-target > * {
+    @apply pointer-events-auto;
+  }
 }