diff --git a/src/browser/hooks/useAutoScroll.ts b/src/browser/hooks/useAutoScroll.ts
index 1c3b98795..8c6c59475 100644
--- a/src/browser/hooks/useAutoScroll.ts
+++ b/src/browser/hooks/useAutoScroll.ts
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ export function useAutoScroll() {
   const autoScrollRef = useRef<boolean>(true);
   // Track the ResizeObserver so we can disconnect it when the element unmounts
   const observerRef = useRef<ResizeObserver | null>(null);
+  // Track pending RAF to coalesce rapid resize events
+  const rafIdRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
 
   // Sync ref with state to ensure callbacks always have latest value
   autoScrollRef.current = autoScroll;
-  // Track pending RAF to coalesce rapid resize events
-  const rafIdRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
 
   // Callback ref for the inner content wrapper - sets up ResizeObserver when element mounts.
   // ResizeObserver fires when the content size changes (Shiki highlighting, Mermaid, images, etc.),
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ export function useAutoScroll() {
       // Skip if auto-scroll is disabled (user scrolled up)
       if (!autoScrollRef.current || !contentRef.current) return;
 
-      // Defer layout read to next frame to avoid forcing synchronous layout
-      // during React's commit phase (which can cause 50-85ms layout thrashing)
-      if (rafIdRef.current !== null) return; // Coalesce rapid calls
-      rafIdRef.current = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      // Coalesce all resize events in a frame into one scroll operation.
+      // Without this, rapid resize events (Shiki highlighting, etc.) cause
+      // multiple scrolls per frame with slightly different scrollHeight values.
+      rafIdRef.current ??= requestAnimationFrame(() => {
         rafIdRef.current = null;
         if (autoScrollRef.current && contentRef.current) {
           contentRef.current.scrollTop = contentRef.current.scrollHeight;
diff --git a/src/browser/stories/App.bash.stories.tsx b/src/browser/stories/App.bash.stories.tsx
index d9c05c58b..4a6dbe906 100644
--- a/src/browser/stories/App.bash.stories.tsx
+++ b/src/browser/stories/App.bash.stories.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ import {
   createBashBackgroundTerminateTool,
 } from "./mockFactory";
 import { setupSimpleChatStory } from "./storyHelpers";
-import { blurActiveElement, waitForChatInputAutofocusDone } from "./storyPlayHelpers.js";
+import {
+  blurActiveElement,
+  waitForChatInputAutofocusDone,
+  waitForChatMessagesLoaded,
+} from "./storyPlayHelpers.js";
 import { userEvent, waitFor } from "@storybook/test";
 
 /**
@@ -25,16 +29,8 @@ import { userEvent, waitFor } from "@storybook/test";
  * Waits for messages to load, then clicks on the ▶ expand icons to expand tool details.
  */
 async function expandAllBashTools(canvasElement: HTMLElement) {
-  // Wait for messages to finish loading (non-racy: uses actual loading state)
-  await waitFor(
-    () => {
-      const messageWindow = canvasElement.querySelector('[data-testid="message-window"]');
-      if (!messageWindow || messageWindow.getAttribute("data-loaded") !== "true") {
-        throw new Error("Messages not loaded yet");
-      }
-    },
-    { timeout: 5000 }
-  );
+  // Wait for messages to finish loading
+  await waitForChatMessagesLoaded(canvasElement);
 
   // Now find and expand all tool icons (scoped to the message window so we don't click unrelated ▶)
   const messageWindow = canvasElement.querySelector('[data-testid="message-window"]');
@@ -64,6 +60,9 @@ async function expandAllBashTools(canvasElement: HTMLElement) {
     }
   }
 
+  // One RAF to let any pending coalesced scroll complete after tool expansion
+  await new Promise((r) => requestAnimationFrame(r));
+
   // Avoid leaving focus on a tool header.
   await waitForChatInputAutofocusDone(canvasElement);
   blurActiveElement();
diff --git a/src/browser/stories/App.markdown.stories.tsx b/src/browser/stories/App.markdown.stories.tsx
index 0f21864df..2215f7d90 100644
--- a/src/browser/stories/App.markdown.stories.tsx
+++ b/src/browser/stories/App.markdown.stories.tsx
@@ -5,18 +5,7 @@
 import { appMeta, AppWithMocks, type AppStory } from "./meta.js";
 import { STABLE_TIMESTAMP, createUserMessage, createAssistantMessage } from "./mockFactory";
 import { expect, waitFor } from "@storybook/test";
-
-async function waitForChatMessagesLoaded(canvasElement: HTMLElement): Promise<void> {
-  await waitFor(
-    () => {
-      const messageWindow = canvasElement.querySelector('[data-testid="message-window"]');
-      if (!messageWindow || messageWindow.getAttribute("data-loaded") !== "true") {
-        throw new Error("Messages not loaded yet");
-      }
-    },
-    { timeout: 5000 }
-  );
-}
+import { waitForChatMessagesLoaded } from "./storyPlayHelpers";
 
 import { setupSimpleChatStory } from "./storyHelpers";
 
@@ -273,14 +262,6 @@ export const CodeBlocks: AppStory = {
       { timeout: 5000 }
     );
 
-    // Scroll to bottom and wait a frame for ResizeObserver to settle.
-    // Shiki highlighting can trigger useAutoScroll's ResizeObserver, causing scroll jitter.
-    const scrollContainer = canvasElement.querySelector('[data-testid="message-window"]');
-    if (scrollContainer) {
-      scrollContainer.scrollTop = scrollContainer.scrollHeight;
-      await new Promise((r) => requestAnimationFrame(r));
-    }
-
     const url = "https://github.com/coder/mux/pull/new/chat-autocomplete-b24r";
     const container = await waitFor(
       () => {
diff --git a/src/browser/stories/storyPlayHelpers.ts b/src/browser/stories/storyPlayHelpers.ts
index 123e37471..ec93b139c 100644
--- a/src/browser/stories/storyPlayHelpers.ts
+++ b/src/browser/stories/storyPlayHelpers.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,26 @@
 import { waitFor } from "@storybook/test";
 
+/**
+ * Wait for chat messages to finish loading.
+ *
+ * Waits for data-loaded="true" on the message window, then one RAF
+ * to let any pending coalesced scroll from useAutoScroll complete.
+ */
+export async function waitForChatMessagesLoaded(canvasElement: HTMLElement): Promise<void> {
+  await waitFor(
+    () => {
+      const messageWindow = canvasElement.querySelector('[data-testid="message-window"]');
+      if (!messageWindow || messageWindow.getAttribute("data-loaded") !== "true") {
+        throw new Error("Messages not loaded yet");
+      }
+    },
+    { timeout: 5000 }
+  );
+
+  // One RAF to let any pending coalesced scroll complete
+  await new Promise((r) => requestAnimationFrame(r));
+}
+
 export async function waitForChatInputAutofocusDone(canvasElement: HTMLElement): Promise<void> {
   await waitFor(
     () => {