diff --git a/src/app/components/message/content/EventContent.tsx b/src/app/components/message/content/EventContent.tsx
index 4a129aeb..343ecd8c 100644
--- a/src/app/components/message/content/EventContent.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/message/content/EventContent.tsx
@@ -33,36 +33,36 @@ export function EventContent({ time, iconSrc, content, railStart, railEnd }: Eve
   );
 
   // Sysline = thin one-line state-event row that lives ON the rail.
+  // Same 3-track grid as message rows (StreamRoot) — track 1 timestamp,
+  // track 2 dot column, track 3 body — so the dot's X aligns with the
+  // dots above and below it.
   return (
     <div
       className={classNames(layoutCss.StreamRoot({ compact }), layoutCss.StreamSysline)}
       ref={rootRef}
     >
-      <div
-        className={classNames(layoutCss.StreamTimeColumn, layoutCss.StreamSyslineTimeColumn)}
-        ref={timeRef}
-      >
+      <div className={layoutCss.StreamTimeColumn} ref={timeRef}>
         {time}
       </div>
-      <span
-        className={classNames(
-          layoutCss.StreamRail,
-          railStart && railEnd && layoutCss.StreamRailSingle,
-          railStart && !railEnd && layoutCss.StreamSyslineRailStart,
-          railEnd && !railStart && layoutCss.StreamSyslineRailEnd
-        )}
-        aria-hidden
-        ref={railRef}
-      />
-      <span
-        className={classNames(layoutCss.StreamDotHalo, layoutCss.StreamSyslineDotHalo)}
-        aria-hidden
-        ref={dotRef}
-      >
+      <span className={layoutCss.StreamDotColumn} aria-hidden>
         <span
-          className={layoutCss.StreamDotFill}
-          style={{ backgroundColor: color.Surface.OnContainer, opacity: 0.42 }}
+          className={classNames(
+            layoutCss.StreamRail,
+            railStart && railEnd && layoutCss.StreamRailSingle,
+            railStart && !railEnd && layoutCss.StreamSyslineRailStart,
+            railEnd && !railStart && layoutCss.StreamSyslineRailEnd
+          )}
+          ref={railRef}
         />
+        <span
+          className={classNames(layoutCss.StreamDotHalo, layoutCss.StreamSyslineDotHalo)}
+          ref={dotRef}
+        >
+          <span
+            className={layoutCss.StreamDotFill}
+            style={{ backgroundColor: color.Surface.OnContainer, opacity: 0.42 }}
+          />
+        </span>
       </span>
       <Box gap="200" alignItems="Center" style={{ minWidth: 0 }} ref={bodyRef}>
         <Icon style={{ opacity: 0.5, flexShrink: 0 }} size="50" src={iconSrc} />
diff --git a/src/app/components/message/layout/Stream.tsx b/src/app/components/message/layout/Stream.tsx
index 85a77548..d1fd67a8 100644
--- a/src/app/components/message/layout/Stream.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/message/layout/Stream.tsx
@@ -4,23 +4,28 @@ import { as } from 'folds';
 import * as css from './layout.css';
 import { useStreamLayoutDebug } from './streamDebug';
 import { ScreenSize, useScreenSizeContext } from '../../../hooks/useScreenSize';
+import { Time } from '../Time';
 
 // Stream rows use a fixed `S400` gap so the rail-bridge offsets in
 // layout.css.ts (StreamRailBridgeY = S400) match the gap between rows.
 export const STREAM_MESSAGE_SPACING = '400' as const;
 
+// Sample timestamp used by the day-divider's invisible track-1 placeholder.
+// Any ts works — `<Time compact />` formats with the locale's hh:mm or HH:mm,
+// and tabular-nums makes every formatted timestamp the same width within a
+// chat. The auto-sized grid column then matches the surrounding message rows.
+const DAY_DIVIDER_PLACEHOLDER_TS = 0;
+
 // Stream layout — DM redesign (docs/plans/dm_1x1_redesign.md §6.5b).
 //
-// Visual structure:
-//   ┌──┬─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
-//   │  │  bubble (asymmetric radius)                     │
-//   │● │  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
-//   │  │  │ time · sender · e2ee chip (header line)  │   │
-//   │  │  │ message body                             │   │
-//   │  │  └──────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
-//   └──┴─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
-//    rail+dot  bubble (time absolutely-positioned to the
-//                      LEFT of the bubble, on the rail-time column)
+// Visual structure (3-track CSS grid, see StreamRoot in layout.css.ts):
+//   ┌─G─┬─time─┬─G─┬─dot─┬─G─┬───── bubble (1fr) ─────────┐
+//
+// All three gaps come from one `--vojo-stream-gap` custom property — a
+// single recipe variant per breakpoint. The browser auto-sizes the time
+// track to the rendered timestamp width, so 24h "16:58" and AM/PM
+// "11:30 PM" both produce a symmetric layout with equal gaps; the dot
+// and bubble simply shift right when the format is wider.
 
 export type StreamLayoutProps = {
   time?: ReactNode;
@@ -46,9 +51,8 @@ export type StreamDayDividerProps = {
 
 export const StreamDayDivider = as<'div', StreamDayDividerProps>(
   ({ className, label, ...props }, ref) => {
-    // Must match the `compact` value of message rows above/below — desktop
-    // marginLeft on the row root cascades to abs children only when both
-    // rows resolve to the same variant.
+    // Must match the `compact` variant of message rows above/below so the
+    // shared `--vojo-stream-gap` resolves to the same value in both grids.
     const compact = useScreenSizeContext() === ScreenSize.Mobile;
     return (
       <div
@@ -58,10 +62,21 @@ export const StreamDayDivider = as<'div', StreamDayDividerProps>(
         aria-label={typeof label === 'string' ? label : undefined}
         ref={ref}
       >
-        <span className={css.StreamRail} aria-hidden />
-        <span className={css.StreamDayDot} aria-hidden />
-        {/* `─── label ───` line emanates right from the day-marker dot; the
-            rail-time column on the left is intentionally empty. */}
+        {/* Track 1: invisible <Time> placeholder so the auto-track sizes
+            to the same width as adjacent message rows — keeps the rail
+            and day-dot at a consistent X across the timeline. */}
+        <span
+          className={classNames(css.StreamHeaderTime, css.StreamDayTimePlaceholder)}
+          aria-hidden
+        >
+          <Time ts={DAY_DIVIDER_PLACEHOLDER_TS} compact />
+        </span>
+        {/* Track 2: dot column, holds the rail line + the larger day-dot. */}
+        <span className={css.StreamDotColumn} aria-hidden>
+          <span className={css.StreamRail} />
+          <span className={css.StreamDayDot} />
+        </span>
+        {/* Track 3: `─── label ───` line. */}
         <div className={css.StreamDayLineWrap} aria-hidden>
           <span className={css.StreamDayLineSegment} />
           <span className={css.StreamDayLabel}>{label}</span>
@@ -120,16 +135,29 @@ export const StreamLayout = as<'div', StreamLayoutProps>(
         {...props}
         ref={rootRef}
       >
-        <span
-          className={classNames(
-            css.StreamRail,
-            railStart && railEnd && css.StreamRailSingle,
-            railStart && !railEnd && css.StreamRailStart,
-            railEnd && !railStart && css.StreamRailEnd
-          )}
-          aria-hidden
-          ref={railRef}
-        />
+        <span className={css.StreamHeaderTime} ref={timeRef}>
+          {time}
+        </span>
+        <span className={css.StreamDotColumn} aria-hidden>
+          <span
+            className={classNames(
+              css.StreamRail,
+              railStart && railEnd && css.StreamRailSingle,
+              railStart && !railEnd && css.StreamRailStart,
+              railEnd && !railStart && css.StreamRailEnd
+            )}
+            ref={railRef}
+          />
+          <span
+            className={classNames(css.StreamDotHalo, css.StreamHeaderDotHalo)}
+            ref={dotRef}
+          >
+            <span
+              className={css.StreamDotFill}
+              style={{ backgroundColor: dotColor, opacity: dotOpacity }}
+            />
+          </span>
+        </span>
         <div className={css.StreamColumn}>
           <div
             className={css.StreamBubble({
@@ -139,19 +167,6 @@ export const StreamLayout = as<'div', StreamLayoutProps>(
             })}
             ref={bubbleRef}
           >
-            <span className={css.StreamHeaderTime} ref={timeRef}>
-              {time}
-            </span>
-            <span
-              className={classNames(css.StreamDotHalo, css.StreamHeaderDotHalo)}
-              aria-hidden
-              ref={dotRef}
-            >
-              <span
-                className={css.StreamDotFill}
-                style={{ backgroundColor: dotColor, opacity: dotOpacity }}
-              />
-            </span>
             {header && (
               <div className={css.StreamBubbleHeader} ref={headerRef}>
                 {header}
diff --git a/src/app/components/message/layout/layout.css.ts b/src/app/components/message/layout/layout.css.ts
index 13295339..8001899d 100644
--- a/src/app/components/message/layout/layout.css.ts
+++ b/src/app/components/message/layout/layout.css.ts
@@ -139,13 +139,47 @@ export const UsernameBold = style({
 });
 
 // Stream layout (DM redesign — see docs/plans/dm_1x1_redesign.md §6.5b).
-// Desktop = 64px rail. Mobile shrinks the rail and the time-rail gap via
-// CSS-var overrides on StreamRoot/StreamDayRoot's `compact` variant so the
-// timestamp text hugs the left edge of the screen.
-const StreamRailWidthDesktop = toRem(64);
-const StreamRailWidthMobile = toRem(48);
-const RailWidthVar = createVar();
-const StreamRailCenterX = RailWidthVar;
+//
+// Symmetric three-gap layout, expressed as a 3-track CSS grid:
+//
+//   ┌─G─┬─time─┬─G─┬─dot─┬─G─┬───── bubble (1fr) ─────────┐
+//   row                                                    row
+//   left                                                  right
+//
+// where G = `column-gap` = `padding-left` of the row root. Both inset
+// values come from the same custom property, so the gap from the row's
+// left edge to the timestamp text equals the gap between time and dot
+// equals the gap between dot and bubble — symmetric by construction, no
+// per-side magic constants.
+//
+// Track 1 is `auto`, so the browser sizes it to the rendered timestamp
+// width — no JS measurement, no locale branching. 24h "16:58" auto-sizes
+// to ~33 px and the whole row block contracts left; AM/PM "11:30 PM"
+// auto-sizes to ~52 px and the block expands right. Both keep the same
+// `G` gaps; the dot and bubble shift together as one unit.
+//
+// Two gap dimensions, set per-breakpoint via the `compact` recipe
+// variant on the row roots:
+//
+//   - StreamRowPadVar  → screen→time gap (the row's `padding-left`)
+//   - StreamRowGapVar  → time→dot and dot→bubble gaps (the `column-gap`)
+//
+// Splitting these lets the inter-element gaps tighten on desktop and
+// loosen on mobile without disturbing the screen-edge anchor (which the
+// user dialled in earlier and asked to keep).
+//
+// Mobile: pad = S100 (minimal screen-edge anchor); gap = 2 × S100 = S200
+// (the user asked to double the inter-element gap on native).
+// Desktop: pad = S500 (≈ 0.5 cm PageNav clearance, unchanged); gap =
+// S500 / 1.1 ≈ 18.2 px (the user asked to shrink the desktop inter-element
+// gap by 1.1× — keeps the layout tighter without dropping a whole token).
+const StreamRowPadVar = createVar();
+const StreamRowGapVar = createVar();
+const StreamRowPadMobile = config.space.S100;
+const StreamRowPadDesktop = config.space.S500;
+const StreamRowGapMobile = config.space.S200;
+const StreamRowGapDesktop = `calc(${config.space.S500} / 1.1)`;
+
 const StreamDotSize = toRem(9);
 const StreamSyslineDotSize = toRem(6);
 // Slightly larger than message dots so day markers read as the visual
@@ -155,76 +189,46 @@ const StreamRailLineWidth = '1px';
 const StreamBubbleBorderWidth = '1px';
 const StreamTimeLineHeight = toRem(13);
 const StreamRailBridgeY = config.space.S400;
-// Dot/timestamp Y must match the bubble-header text baseline:
-// row paddingTop (S100) + bubble.borderTop (1px) + bubble.paddingTop (S200)
-// + half of header line (T200 / 2). All three abs-positioned children land
-// on the same baseline, regardless of bubble height.
-const StreamMessageDotCenterY = `calc(${config.space.S100} + ${StreamBubbleBorderWidth} + ${config.space.S200} + (${config.lineHeight.T200} / 2))`;
-const StreamMessageRailEndHeight = `calc(${StreamRailBridgeY} + ${StreamMessageDotCenterY})`;
-const StreamRailLineLeft = `calc(${StreamRailCenterX} - (${StreamRailLineWidth} / 2))`;
-const StreamDotLeft = `calc(${StreamRailCenterX} - (${StreamDotSize} / 2))`;
-const StreamDayDotLeft = `calc(${StreamRailCenterX} - (${StreamDayDotSize} / 2))`;
-const StreamBubbleColumnStartX = `calc(${StreamRailCenterX} + ${config.space.S500})`;
-// abs-positioned children resolve against the bubble's padding box, NOT
-// content box — so paddingLeft (S300) does NOT enter this calc. Earlier
-// revisions added it and offset every header item 12 px to the left.
-const StreamBubblePaddingBoxLeftX = `calc(${StreamBubbleColumnStartX} + ${StreamBubbleBorderWidth})`;
-const StreamHeaderRailCenterX = `calc(${StreamRailCenterX} - (${StreamBubblePaddingBoxLeftX}))`;
 
-const StreamRailGutter = config.space.S500;
-
-// Distance between timestamp text-right-edge and the rail center. Mobile
-// is tighter so "23:59" stays inside the viewport with ~4 px breathing
-// room from the screen edge.
-const StreamTimeRailGapDesktop = toRem(14);
-const StreamTimeRailGapMobile = toRem(8);
-const TimeRailGapVar = createVar();
-const StreamTimeRailGap = TimeRailGapVar;
-
-// Width buffer for the timestamp element. Constraining the box to the
-// rail-column width (~64 px) breaks `paddingRight` as a text-shift knob:
-// once paddingRight pushes content-box below text width, Chromium stops
-// shifting the rendered right edge. 140 px keeps content-box > text width
-// at every reasonable paddingRight; element overflows LEFT into empty row
-// margin.
-const StreamTimeBoxWidth = toRem(140);
-
-// Desktop nudge — shifts the whole row right so content clears PageNav.
-// Applied as marginLeft on the row root; abs rail / dot children inherit
-// the shift via the containing block, no per-child calc.
-const StreamRowDesktopOffset = toRem(38);
-
-// Shared by StreamRoot and StreamDayRoot — desktop default + compact-mobile
-// override use the same two vars.
-const StreamRowVarsDesktop = {
-  [RailWidthVar]: StreamRailWidthDesktop,
-  [TimeRailGapVar]: StreamTimeRailGapDesktop,
-};
-const StreamRowVarsMobile = {
-  [RailWidthVar]: StreamRailWidthMobile,
-  [TimeRailGapVar]: StreamTimeRailGapMobile,
-};
+// Vertical centre of the bubble's header text from the row's content-area
+// top. = bubble.borderTop (1) + bubble.paddingTop (S200) + line.T200 / 2.
+// Used to push the timestamp and the dot down in their grid cells so
+// they read on the same baseline as the Username component inside the
+// bubble. Rail-end's height also adds `S100` back to account for the
+// rail's negative `top` offset (it starts above the row outer edge).
+const StreamHeaderInnerCenterY = `calc(${StreamBubbleBorderWidth} + ${config.space.S200} + (${config.lineHeight.T200} / 2))`;
 
 export const StreamRoot = recipe({
   base: {
-    vars: StreamRowVarsDesktop,
     position: 'relative',
     display: 'grid',
-    gridTemplateColumns: `${RailWidthVar} 1fr`,
+    // Three tracks: time (auto = formatted-timestamp width) | dot column
+    // (auto = dot diameter) | bubble (1fr). The grid auto-sizes track 1
+    // to the rendered timestamp width — locale-agnostic, no JS measure.
+    gridTemplateColumns: 'auto auto 1fr',
+    columnGap: StreamRowGapVar,
+    paddingLeft: StreamRowPadVar,
     alignItems: 'flex-start',
-    columnGap: StreamRailGutter,
     paddingTop: config.space.S100,
     paddingBottom: config.space.S100,
     paddingRight: config.space.S400,
   },
   variants: {
     compact: {
-      false: { marginLeft: StreamRowDesktopOffset },
-      // Negate MessageBase's S400/S200 horizontal padding so the row spans
-      // edge-to-edge — gives the timestamp text its couple-mm-from-screen-
-      // edge anchor and lets the bubble stretch all the way to the right.
+      false: {
+        vars: {
+          [StreamRowPadVar]: StreamRowPadDesktop,
+          [StreamRowGapVar]: StreamRowGapDesktop,
+        },
+      },
+      // Mobile: cancel MessageBase's S400/S200 horizontal padding so the
+      // row spans edge-to-edge, then padding-left alone provides the
+      // minimal screen→time anchor inside the row.
       true: {
-        vars: StreamRowVarsMobile,
+        vars: {
+          [StreamRowPadVar]: StreamRowPadMobile,
+          [StreamRowGapVar]: StreamRowGapMobile,
+        },
         marginLeft: `calc(-1 * ${config.space.S400})`,
         marginRight: `calc(-1 * ${config.space.S200})`,
         paddingRight: 0,
@@ -234,20 +238,11 @@ export const StreamRoot = recipe({
   defaultVariants: { compact: false },
 });
 
+// Sysline timestamp. Now a regular grid item in track 1 — sized to its
+// content width like the message-row timestamp, just inheriting the
+// row's `align-items: center` so the single-line sysline reads on a
+// shared centreline with the rest of the row.
 export const StreamTimeColumn = style({
-  textAlign: 'right',
-  // Right anchor at `rail.center − StreamTimeRailGap`. Slightly larger than
-  // StreamRailGutter (the rail↔bubble gap) so the PERCEIVED text-edge↔dot
-  // distance matches the dot↔bubble distance — see StreamTimeRailGap comment.
-  paddingRight: StreamTimeRailGap,
-  // Width-buffer + right-anchor on the rail-time column. Grid track 1 is
-  // 64 px (= StreamRailWidth); element width 140 px overflows LEFT, with
-  // justifySelf: end pinning the element right edge to track 1's right edge
-  // (= rail.center). See StreamTimeBoxWidth comment for why this buffer is
-  // required for paddingRight to act as a working text-shift knob.
-  width: StreamTimeBoxWidth,
-  justifySelf: 'end',
-  paddingTop: 0,
   fontSize: toRem(11),
   fontVariantNumeric: 'tabular-nums',
   color: color.Surface.OnContainer,
@@ -264,27 +259,48 @@ globalStyle(`${StreamTimeColumn} time`, {
   lineHeight: StreamTimeLineHeight,
 });
 
-// Per-row rail segment. Top/bottom extend ±S400 past the row so consecutive
-// rails join visually across MessageBase's marginTop. Background is opaque
-// (not alpha) so any segment overlap can't compound into darker patches.
+// DotColumn — grid track 2. Always StreamDotSize wide regardless of row
+// type so message / sysline / day-divider rows all hit the same vertical
+// X for the rail line — otherwise the rail would visibly kink at row
+// boundaries with different dot sizes. Stretches to row content height
+// so the rail abs-child can extend through the row.
+export const StreamDotColumn = style({
+  position: 'relative',
+  alignSelf: 'stretch',
+  width: StreamDotSize,
+});
+
+// Per-row rail segment. Lives inside DotColumn and is horizontally
+// centred on the dot column (= the dot's centre). Top/bottom extend
+// `bridge + row.paddingTop/Bottom` past the DotColumn bounds so consecutive
+// rails meet across the row's vertical padding plus MessageBase's marginTop.
+// DotColumn stretches to the row content area, so its top/bottom = row
+// content top/bottom; we extend past those to reach row outer ± bridge.
 export const StreamRail = style({
   position: 'absolute',
-  top: `calc(-1 * ${StreamRailBridgeY})`,
-  bottom: `calc(-1 * ${StreamRailBridgeY})`,
-  left: StreamRailLineLeft,
+  top: `calc(-1 * (${StreamRailBridgeY} + ${config.space.S100}))`,
+  bottom: `calc(-1 * (${StreamRailBridgeY} + ${config.space.S100}))`,
+  left: '50%',
+  transform: 'translateX(-50%)',
   width: StreamRailLineWidth,
   background: color.Surface.ContainerLine,
   pointerEvents: 'none',
   zIndex: 0,
 });
 
+// Rail-end / rail-start variants — stop the rail at the dot rather than
+// extending past it. `StreamHeaderInnerCenterY` is the Y from DotColumn
+// top to the dot centre (DotColumn top = row content top = excludes
+// row.paddingTop); subtract the dot radius so the rail meets the dot edge.
 export const StreamRailEnd = style({
   bottom: 'auto',
-  height: StreamMessageRailEndHeight,
+  // Top stays at the negative bridge offset; height takes the rail down
+  // to the dot's centre line.
+  height: `calc(${StreamRailBridgeY} + ${config.space.S100} + ${StreamHeaderInnerCenterY})`,
 });
 
 export const StreamRailStart = style({
-  top: StreamMessageDotCenterY,
+  top: StreamHeaderInnerCenterY,
 });
 
 export const StreamRailSingle = style({
@@ -294,40 +310,65 @@ export const StreamRailSingle = style({
 // Two-layer span: outer Halo paints a solid bg disk + ring that masks the
 // rail line behind the dot regardless of opacity; inner Fill carries the
 // author colour and the read-state opacity.
+//
+// Halo is a regular in-flow grid-cell child (no `position: absolute`)
+// that sits in DotColumn. Its block-axis position inside the column is
+// controlled per-row-type by composed classes below (Header* for message
+// rows, Sysline* for syslines). `display: block` is REQUIRED — the
+// rendered element is a `<span>`, and `width` / `height` / `margin-top`
+// are silently ignored on inline-display elements (so the dot would
+// collapse to zero size without it). Sysline / day-row variants override
+// to `position: absolute`, which auto-blockifies; message rows rely on
+// this declaration.
 export const StreamDotHalo = style({
-  position: 'absolute',
+  display: 'block',
   width: StreamDotSize,
   height: StreamDotSize,
   borderRadius: '50%',
-  left: StreamDotLeft,
   background: color.Surface.Container,
   boxShadow: `0 0 0 3px ${color.Surface.Container}`,
   pointerEvents: 'none',
-  flexShrink: 0,
+  position: 'relative',
   zIndex: 2,
 });
 
+// Sysline dot — smaller, abs-positioned at DotColumn centre so it
+// vertically centres on the sysline row regardless of DotColumn height.
 export const StreamSyslineDotHalo = style({
+  position: 'absolute',
+  top: '50%',
+  left: '50%',
+  transform: 'translate(-50%, -50%)',
   width: StreamSyslineDotSize,
   height: StreamSyslineDotSize,
-  left: `calc(${StreamRailCenterX} - (${StreamSyslineDotSize} / 2))`,
-  top: '50%',
-  transform: 'translateY(-50%)',
 });
 
+// Sysline rail-end / rail-start — sysline DotColumn doesn't stretch, so
+// the rail extends from the dot centre by bridge + half DotColumn height.
+// We can't read DotColumn height at compile time, but `50%` of the rail's
+// own absolute-positioned containing block (= DotColumn) gives the same
+// effect.
+// Sysline rail-end / rail-start variants. The rail's containing block is
+// DotColumn (which stretches via `align-self: stretch` regardless of the
+// parent's `align-items`). Heights/tops are measured from DotColumn's
+// padding-edge top — `top: -(bridge + S100)` lifts the rail's top-zero
+// position by `bridge + paddingTop` past the row outer edge, so the
+// terminating end must add `S100` back when capping at the dot centre
+// (which is at `50%` of DotColumn under `align-items: center`).
 export const StreamSyslineRailEnd = style({
   bottom: 'auto',
-  height: `calc(${StreamRailBridgeY} + 50%)`,
+  height: `calc(${StreamRailBridgeY} + ${config.space.S100} + 50%)`,
 });
 
 export const StreamSyslineRailStart = style({
   top: '50%',
 });
 
+// Message-row dot in DotColumn. Pushes the dot down by the same Y the
+// bubble's header text occupies, so the dot centres on the Username line.
+// Set as marginTop because Halo is in-flow.
 export const StreamHeaderDotHalo = style({
-  top: `calc(${config.space.S200} + (${config.lineHeight.T200} / 2))`,
-  left: `calc(${StreamHeaderRailCenterX} - (${StreamDotSize} / 2))`,
-  transform: 'translateY(-50%)',
+  marginTop: `calc(${StreamHeaderInnerCenterY} - (${StreamDotSize} / 2))`,
 });
 
 export const StreamDotFill = style({
@@ -339,12 +380,12 @@ export const StreamDotFill = style({
   transition: 'opacity 220ms ease, filter 220ms ease',
 });
 
-// Wrapper for grid column 2 — holds the bubble and the reactions row stacked.
+// Wrapper for grid track 3 — holds the bubble and the reactions row stacked.
 // `min-width: 0` lets fit-content bubbles shrink below their content's natural
 // size when the grid track is narrower than the bubble (otherwise they'd
 // overflow).
 export const StreamColumn = style({
-  gridColumn: 2,
+  gridColumn: 3,
   minWidth: 0,
   display: 'flex',
   flexDirection: 'column',
@@ -441,23 +482,11 @@ export const StreamBubbleHeader = style({
   flexWrap: 'nowrap',
 });
 
+// Message-row timestamp — grid item in track 1, content-sized. Pushed
+// down by the same Y as StreamHeaderDotHalo so timestamp / dot / Username
+// share one baseline.
 export const StreamHeaderTime = style({
-  position: 'absolute',
-  // Same vertical anchor as StreamHeaderDotHalo — time, dot, nickname
-  // share one baseline.
-  top: `calc(${config.space.S200} + (${config.lineHeight.T200} / 2))`,
-  // Element right edge anchored at rail.center; element overflows LEFT
-  // into the empty row margin. The visible rail-time column is the right
-  // ~64px slice of this 140px box.
-  left: `calc(${StreamHeaderRailCenterX} - ${StreamTimeBoxWidth})`,
-  width: StreamTimeBoxWidth,
-  // Time-side gap is StreamTimeRailGap, slightly wider than StreamRailGutter
-  // (the bubble-side gap) so the perceived spacing reads equal — see
-  // StreamTimeRailGap comment.
-  paddingRight: StreamTimeRailGap,
-  transform: 'translateY(-50%)',
-  boxSizing: 'border-box',
-  textAlign: 'right',
+  paddingTop: `calc(${StreamHeaderInnerCenterY} - (${StreamTimeLineHeight} / 2))`,
   fontSize: toRem(11),
   lineHeight: StreamTimeLineHeight,
   fontVariantNumeric: 'tabular-nums',
@@ -475,17 +504,17 @@ globalStyle(`${StreamHeaderTime} time`, {
   lineHeight: StreamTimeLineHeight,
 });
 
-// Sysline — thin one-line state-event row inside Stream layout. Same rail
-// geometry as message rows so dots align, but no bubble: just iconSrc + body
-// in faint mono so membership / topic / pin events read as system breadcrumbs.
+// Sysline — thin single-line state-event row inside Stream layout.
+// Composes with StreamRoot so the time / dot / content tracks line up
+// vertically with message rows above and below. Override align-items to
+// center because the sysline content is one line tall and reads best
+// vertically centred.
 export const StreamSysline = style({
+  alignItems: 'center',
   paddingTop: toRem(2),
   paddingBottom: toRem(2),
 });
 
-export const StreamSyslineTimeColumn = style({
-  alignSelf: 'center',
-});
 
 export const StreamSyslineBody = style({
   fontSize: toRem(11.5),
@@ -499,22 +528,36 @@ export const StreamSyslineBody = style({
   minWidth: 0,
 });
 
-// Day divider row — paints its own rail segment so the rail flows
-// continuously through the day boundary. All children are abs-positioned
-// against this root, no grid items.
+// Day divider row — uses the SAME 3-track grid as message rows so its
+// dot and rail land on the exact same X as the dots/rails above and below
+// it (otherwise the rail would visibly kink at the day boundary). Track 1
+// holds an invisible `<Time>` placeholder rendered by Stream.tsx so the
+// `auto` track sizes to the same width as the surrounding message rows.
 export const StreamDayRoot = recipe({
   base: {
-    vars: StreamRowVarsDesktop,
+    position: 'relative',
+    display: 'grid',
+    gridTemplateColumns: 'auto auto 1fr',
+    columnGap: StreamRowGapVar,
+    paddingLeft: StreamRowPadVar,
+    alignItems: 'center',
     paddingTop: toRem(10),
     paddingBottom: toRem(10),
     paddingRight: config.space.S400,
-    position: 'relative',
   },
   variants: {
     compact: {
-      false: { marginLeft: StreamRowDesktopOffset },
+      false: {
+        vars: {
+          [StreamRowPadVar]: StreamRowPadDesktop,
+          [StreamRowGapVar]: StreamRowGapDesktop,
+        },
+      },
       true: {
-        vars: StreamRowVarsMobile,
+        vars: {
+          [StreamRowPadVar]: StreamRowPadMobile,
+          [StreamRowGapVar]: StreamRowGapMobile,
+        },
         marginLeft: `calc(-1 * ${config.space.S400})`,
         marginRight: `calc(-1 * ${config.space.S200})`,
         paddingRight: 0,
@@ -524,6 +567,17 @@ export const StreamDayRoot = recipe({
   defaultVariants: { compact: false },
 });
 
+// Off-screen placeholder timestamp inside the day divider's track 1 —
+// invisible, but takes the same auto-width as the live timestamps in
+// surrounding message rows so the grid columns align. Override the
+// header time's paddingTop because the placeholder needs no header-line
+// alignment (the day divider is already vertically centred on the row).
+export const StreamDayTimePlaceholder = style({
+  visibility: 'hidden',
+  pointerEvents: 'none',
+  paddingTop: 0,
+});
+
 export const StreamDayLabel = style({
   fontSize: toRem(11),
   textTransform: 'uppercase',
@@ -537,33 +591,32 @@ export const StreamDayLabel = style({
     '"JetBrains Mono Variable", ui-monospace, SFMono-Regular, Menlo, Monaco, Consolas, monospace',
 });
 
+// Day-divider dot — abs-positioned in DotColumn so it centres on the
+// (StreamDotSize-wide) column regardless of its own larger size; the
+// extra 3.1 px (= dayDot 12.1 - StreamDot 9) overflows symmetrically into
+// the columnGap on each side.
 export const StreamDayDot = style({
   position: 'absolute',
   top: '50%',
-  left: StreamDayDotLeft,
+  left: '50%',
+  transform: 'translate(-50%, -50%)',
   width: StreamDayDotSize,
   height: StreamDayDotSize,
   borderRadius: '50%',
   background: color.Primary.MainHover,
   boxShadow: `0 0 0 4px ${color.Surface.Container}`,
   pointerEvents: 'none',
-  transform: 'translateY(-50%)',
   zIndex: 2,
 });
 
-// `─── Сегодня ───` line — flex row with two flex:1 hairlines and the
-// label centered between them. Starts past the dot's right edge so the dot
-// reads as the anchor.
+// `─── Сегодня ───` line — grid item in track 3. Flex row with two flex:1
+// hairlines and the label centered between them. The dot's overflow into
+// the columnGap means the leftmost line segment naturally starts past
+// the dot's right edge.
 export const StreamDayLineWrap = style({
-  position: 'absolute',
-  top: '50%',
-  left: `calc(${StreamRailCenterX} + (${StreamDayDotSize} / 2) + ${toRem(4)})`,
-  right: config.space.S400,
-  transform: 'translateY(-50%)',
   display: 'flex',
   alignItems: 'center',
   gap: config.space.S300,
-  zIndex: 0,
 });
 
 export const StreamDayLineSegment = style({