@@ -91,9 +91,11 @@ interface RenderLanesOptions {
   snapGuide?: { time: number; type: "beat" | "clip-edge" | "playhead" } | null;
   withoutSelectHandler?: boolean;
   pps?: number;
+  rowsVirtualized?: boolean;
 }
 
 const lanePps = (options: RenderLanesOptions) => options.pps ?? 100;
+const lanesVirtualized = (options: RenderLanesOptions) => options.rowsVirtualized ?? false;
 
 const selectHandlerFor = (
   options: RenderLanesOptions,
@@ -139,7 +141,7 @@ function renderLanes(options: RenderLanesOptions = {}): {
           rowHeights={rowHeights}
           rowGeometry={getTimelineRowGeometry(rowHeights)}
           virtualRows={displayTrackOrder.map((_, index) => ({ index, rowKey: index }))}
-          rowsVirtualized={false}
+          rowsVirtualized={lanesVirtualized(next)}
           focusedTargetId={null}
           logicalRows={buildTimelineLogicalRows({
             tracks,
@@ -334,6 +336,29 @@ describe("TimelineLanes disclosure target", () => {
     act(() => view.root.unmount());
   });
 
+  // At fit zoom a long track skips the clips hidden under its neighbours, and
+  // the keyframed one among them holds the lanes the caret names.
+  it("keeps the caret's target when the keyframed clip is a skipped sliver", () => {
+    const clips = Array.from({ length: 20 }, (_, i) => ({
+      ...element(`c${i}`, TRACK_A),
+      start: i * 0.5,
+      duration: 0.5,
+    }));
+    const view = renderLanes({
+      elements: clips,
+      animations: new Map([["c2", [positionTween("c2")]]]),
+      expandedClipIds: clips.map((clip) => clip.id),
+      pps: 1,
+      rowsVirtualized: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(view.host.querySelector('[data-el-id="c1"]')).toBeNull();
+    expect(view.host.querySelector('[data-el-id="c2"]')).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(ariaControlsTarget(view.host)).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(ariaControlsTargets(view.host).every(Boolean)).toBe(true);
+    act(() => view.root.unmount());
+  });
+
   it("still resolves the caret's aria-controls while the layer is collapsed", () => {
     const view = renderLanes({ animations: ANIMATIONS, expandedClipIds: [] });
     const target = ariaControlsTarget(view.host);
 
@@ -220,6 +220,14 @@ export function TimelineLanes({
           if (!logicalRow) return null;
           const rowHeight = rowGeometry.getRowHeight(row);
           const els = tracks.find(([t]) => t === trackNum)?.[1] ?? [];
+          // Only the selected/most-keyframed clip owns expanded lanes on a shared track.
+          const keyframeClip = resolveTrackKeyframeClip(
+            els,
+            laneCounts,
+            selectedElementId,
+            selectedElementIds,
+          );
+          const keyframeClipKey = keyframeClip?.key ?? keyframeClip?.id;
           const renderElements = rowsVirtualized
             ? withoutHiddenSlivers(
                 queryTimelineClipIndex(
@@ -234,6 +242,8 @@ export function TimelineLanes({
                   const key = getTimelineElementIdentity(el);
                   return (
                     pinnedClipIdentities.has(key) ||
+                    // It holds the lanes the header caret's aria-controls names.
+                    key === keyframeClipKey ||
                     selectedElementId === key ||
                     selectedElementIds.has(key) ||
                     hoveredClip === key ||
@@ -269,14 +279,6 @@ export function TimelineLanes({
           });
           const isTrackHidden = els.length > 0 && els.every((element) => element.hidden === true);
           const isAudioTrack = els.length > 0 && els.some(isAudioTimelineElement);
-          // Only the selected/most-keyframed clip owns expanded lanes on a shared track.
-          const keyframeClip = resolveTrackKeyframeClip(
-            els,
-            laneCounts,
-            selectedElementId,
-            selectedElementIds,
-          );
-          const keyframeClipKey = keyframeClip?.key ?? keyframeClip?.id;
           const rowExpanded = isTrackRowExpanded(els, expandedClipIds);
           // How tall a clip BAR is drawn. An expanded row is mostly lanes, and a
           // clip left to fill it painted its waveform straight over them — so the