diff --git a/src/web/public/app.js b/src/web/public/app.js
index 24b7be3e..584007a5 100644
--- a/src/web/public/app.js
+++ b/src/web/public/app.js
@@ -5785,8 +5785,10 @@ class CodemanApp {
    *
    * A group or case box left with nothing showing hides with its header, its
    * count shows the rows left showing (a kept row included), and the grouped
-   * tree's roving stop and posinset follow the visible items. A collapsed group's rows are not in the DOM at all,
-   * which is why the rail search also expands the projection (_projectTabGroups).
+   * tree's roving stop and posinset follow the visible items. A collapsed
+   * group's rows are not in the DOM at all, which is why the rail search also
+   * expands the projection (_projectTabGroups). Rows that appear or disappear
+   * move the rows below them, so the connector lines are redrawn then.
    */
   _applyTabListFilter() {
     const container = this.$('sessionTabs');
@@ -5806,13 +5808,23 @@ class CodemanApp {
     }));
     const result = window.CodemanTabSearch?.filter(rows, query);
     if (!result) return;
+    // Whether anything appeared or disappeared: the rows below it then moved.
+    let moved = false;
     // State headings count the whole group, so they step aside while a filter
     // is narrowing the rows under them (styles.css, .tabs-filtering).
-    container.classList.toggle('tabs-filtering', result.active);
-    for (const row of rows) row.key.classList.toggle('tab-filtered-out', result.hidden.has(row.key));
+    if (container.classList.contains('tabs-filtering') !== result.active) {
+      container.classList.toggle('tabs-filtering', result.active);
+      moved = true;
+    }
+    const setFilteredOut = (el, out) => {
+      if (el.classList.contains('tab-filtered-out') === out) return;
+      el.classList.toggle('tab-filtered-out', out);
+      moved = true;
+    };
+    for (const row of rows) setFilteredOut(row.key, result.hidden.has(row.key));
     for (const section of container.querySelectorAll('.tab-layout-group, .tab-cluster')) {
       const shown = result.counts.get(section) ?? 0;
-      section.classList.toggle('tab-filtered-out', result.active && shown === 0);
+      setFilteredOut(section, result.active && shown === 0);
       const count = section.querySelector('.tab-layout-group-count, .tab-cluster-count');
       if (!count) continue;
       if (count.dataset.total === undefined) count.dataset.total = count.textContent;
@@ -5820,8 +5832,21 @@ class CodemanApp {
       if (count.textContent !== text) count.textContent = text;
     }
     const empty = document.getElementById('tabRailSearchEmpty');
-    if (empty) empty.hidden = !(rail && result.active && result.matchCount === 0);
-    if (container.getAttribute('role') === 'tree') {
+    const emptyHidden = !(rail && result.active && result.matchCount === 0);
+    if (empty && empty.hidden !== emptyHidden) {
+      empty.hidden = emptyHidden;
+      moved = true;
+    }
+    // Lineage and subagent/ultracode connectors are anchored to row positions.
+    // A render redraws them itself, but a keystroke in either box only toggles
+    // classes here, so the rows it moved would leave the lines pointing at where
+    // they were. Only when something moved: an unchanged re-apply at every
+    // render tail stays free, and the call coalesces with a render's own.
+    if (moved) this.updateConnectionLines?.();
+    // Both render paths already set posinset and the roving stop over an
+    // unfiltered tree, so this second pass only runs while a search hides
+    // something or right after one changed what shows.
+    if ((moved || result.active) && container.getAttribute('role') === 'tree') {
       const items = this._applyTabTreePositions(container);
       const stop = container.querySelector('[role="treeitem"][tabindex="0"]');
       if (items.length && !items.includes(stop)) {
diff --git a/test/tab-rail-search.browser.test.ts b/test/tab-rail-search.browser.test.ts
index 436a160e..f2ee4380 100644
--- a/test/tab-rail-search.browser.test.ts
+++ b/test/tab-rail-search.browser.test.ts
@@ -103,7 +103,9 @@ describe('vertical rail session search in Chromium', () => {
       app.renderSubagentTabBadge = () => '';
       app.cancelHideSubagentDropdown = () => undefined;
       app.updateTabOverflowMode = () => undefined;
-      app.updateConnectionLines = () => undefined;
+      app.updateConnectionLines = () => {
+        w.__redraws++;
+      };
       app._applyTabEntrances = () => undefined;
       app._scrollActiveTabIntoView = () => undefined;
       app.isSessionSidebarActive = () => false;
@@ -153,6 +155,7 @@ describe('vertical rail session search in Chromium', () => {
       app._fullRenderSessionTabs();
       w.__activation = null;
       w.__closed = [];
+      w.__redraws = 0;
     }, LAYOUT);
   });
 
@@ -225,6 +228,25 @@ describe('vertical rail session search in Chromium', () => {
     expect(await page.evaluate(() => (window as any).__closed)).toEqual(['panels', 'help', 'session-manager']);
   });
 
+  it('redraws the connector lines when a keystroke moves the rows', async () => {
+    const search = page.getByRole('searchbox', { name: 'Search sessions' });
+    const notesTop = () =>
+      page.evaluate(() => document.querySelector('#sessionTabs [data-id="notes"]')!.getBoundingClientRect().top);
+    // The first keystroke opens the collapsed Planning group, a render that
+    // redraws on its own. The next one only toggles classes.
+    await search.fill('e');
+    expect(await paintedRows()).toEqual(['review', 'notes']);
+    const before = await notesTop();
+    await page.evaluate(() => {
+      (window as any).__redraws = 0;
+    });
+
+    await search.fill('es');
+    expect(await paintedRows()).toEqual(['notes']);
+    expect(await notesTop()).toBeLessThan(before);
+    expect(await page.evaluate(() => (window as any).__redraws)).toBe(1);
+  });
+
   it('walks only the matches with the arrow keys', async () => {
     await page.getByRole('searchbox', { name: 'Search sessions' }).fill('a');
     // 'a' matches Alpha API, Roadmap, API Review and Dashboard, not Notes.
diff --git a/test/tab-rail-search.test.ts b/test/tab-rail-search.test.ts
index b5c9ccec..cf42a78d 100644
--- a/test/tab-rail-search.test.ts
+++ b/test/tab-rail-search.test.ts
@@ -606,6 +606,65 @@ describe('Escape in the search box', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('connector lines follow the rows a search moves', () => {
+  it('redraws on a rail keystroke that hides or reveals rows, and only then', () => {
+    const app = makeApp({ tabLayout: null });
+    app._fullRenderSessionTabs();
+    const redraw = vi.fn();
+    app.updateConnectionLines = redraw;
+    const full = vi.spyOn(app, '_fullRenderSessionTabs');
+
+    app.setTabRailSearch('road');
+    // The keystroke path: no render, which would have redrawn them itself.
+    expect(full).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(redraw).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    // Same rows showing: nothing moved, nothing to redraw.
+    app.setTabRailSearch('roa');
+    expect(redraw).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    app.setTabRailSearch('');
+    expect(redraw).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    // The re-apply every render tail runs costs nothing when nothing changed.
+    app._applyTabListFilter();
+    expect(redraw).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('redraws on a grouped rail when a group empties, and when the empty note shows', () => {
+    const app = makeApp();
+    app._fullRenderSessionTabs();
+    const redraw = vi.fn();
+    app.updateConnectionLines = redraw;
+    const full = vi.spyOn(app, '_fullRenderSessionTabs');
+
+    app.setTabRailSearch('notes');
+    expect(full).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    // Only the Ungrouped section (no group id) is left showing.
+    expect(visibleGroups()).toEqual(['']);
+    expect(redraw).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    // Nothing matches: the rows were already gone, but the note pushes the list down.
+    app.setTabRailSearch('notesz');
+    expect(emptyNote().hidden).toBe(false);
+    expect(redraw).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('redraws on a sidebar filter keystroke too', () => {
+    const app = makeApp({ tabLayout: null });
+    document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-tab-orientation', 'horizontal');
+    app.isSessionSidebarActive = () => true;
+    app._fullRenderSessionTabs();
+    const redraw = vi.fn();
+    app.updateConnectionLines = redraw;
+
+    app.applySidebarFilter('/srv/api');
+    expect(visibleRows()).toEqual(['roadmap']);
+    expect(redraw).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    app.applySidebarFilter('/srv/api');
+    expect(redraw).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});
+
 // ─── Markup + zh-CN ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 describe('markup and zh-CN', () => {