diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0eb778f..31c7baa 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ The launcher opens without a window animation; Settings is constructed only when
 
 Right-click the launcher background for Settings and Quit. Actions include favorites, resetting usage ranking, revealing applications in Finder, quitting them, and uninstalling them.
 
+The Actions surface crops the launcher’s full-size background at its own position, keeping the glows continuous without showing the results underneath.
+
 ### Global shortcuts and launch at login
 
 In Settings, choose a **Global shortcut destination**: **Applications**, **Conjure Emoji**, or **Conjure Translate**. Choose **Record Shortcut…** and press a combination containing Command, Option, or Control. For example, select **Conjure Emoji** and record Command-Shift-Space to open the emoji picker directly. **Clear** disables only the selected destination's shortcut. No shortcuts are assigned by default; existing launcher bindings are preserved.
diff --git a/Sources/Conjure/ApplicationActionsController.swift b/Sources/Conjure/ApplicationActionsController.swift
index 0bde349..69ec1fc 100644
--- a/Sources/Conjure/ApplicationActionsController.swift
+++ b/Sources/Conjure/ApplicationActionsController.swift
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import ConjureKit
 @MainActor
 final class ApplicationActionsController: NSViewController, NSSearchFieldDelegate {
     private let search = ActionsSearchField()
+    private let background = LauncherBackground(frame: .zero)
     private let entries = [
         ActionEntry(title: "Open", symbol: "arrow.up.forward.app", color: SunsetPalette.text),
         ActionEntry(title: "Favorite", symbol: "star", color: SunsetPalette.text),
@@ -49,11 +50,10 @@ final class ApplicationActionsController: NSViewController, NSSearchFieldDelegat
         view.layer?.shadowOffset = NSSize(width: 0, height: -4)
         let content = NSVisualEffectView()
         content.material = .hudWindow
-        content.blendingMode = .withinWindow
+        content.blendingMode = .behindWindow
         content.state = .active
         roundMaterialCorners(content, radius: 18)
         content.layer?.borderWidth = 0.5
-        let background = LauncherBackground(frame: .zero)
         background.setAccessibilityElement(false)
         content.addSubview(background)
         applicationLabel.textColor = SunsetPalette.secondaryText
@@ -108,10 +108,6 @@ final class ApplicationActionsController: NSViewController, NSSearchFieldDelegat
             content.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.trailingAnchor),
             content.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.topAnchor),
             content.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.bottomAnchor),
-            background.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: content.leadingAnchor),
-            background.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: content.trailingAnchor),
-            background.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: content.topAnchor),
-            background.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: content.bottomAnchor),
             applicationLabel.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: content.leadingAnchor, constant: 16),
             applicationLabel.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: content.trailingAnchor, constant: -16),
             applicationLabel.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: content.topAnchor, constant: 14),
@@ -164,6 +160,13 @@ final class ApplicationActionsController: NSViewController, NSSearchFieldDelegat
             view.alphaValue = 0
             view.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
             host.addSubview(view)
+            // Crop the window-sized background; filtering must not rescale its glows.
+            NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
+                background.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: host.leadingAnchor),
+                background.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: host.trailingAnchor),
+                background.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: host.topAnchor),
+                background.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: host.bottomAnchor)
+            ])
             NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
                 view.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: pill.trailingAnchor),
                 view.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: pill.bottomAnchor)
diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 524ea20..b530959 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -2,5 +2,12 @@
     - the window should scroll with the current selection
 - [x] make escape close the window that was opened, be it the application launcher, the emoji picker, or something else.
     - clicking the "back" chevron should still take you back to the application launcher view though (as it does today).
+- [ ] remove window open/fade in/transition animation when opening conjure from keybindings
+    - this is already the case for the application launcher window.
+    - evidently not the case for the emoji picker (though it should be ubiquitous)
 - [ ] add a notes app inspired by raycast notes
+    - support multiple different notes
+    - support switching between notes
+    - highlight markdown syntax
+    - allow images
 - [ ] improve on the conjure translation command
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Tests/ConjureKitTests/ActionsBackgroundTests.swift b/Tests/ConjureKitTests/ActionsBackgroundTests.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..038a7a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/ConjureKitTests/ActionsBackgroundTests.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import AppKit
+import ConjureKit
+import Testing
+@testable import Conjure
+
+@Test @MainActor func actionsBackgroundKeepsWindowCoordinates() throws {
+    _ = NSApplication.shared
+    let window = NSWindow(contentRect: NSRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 750, height: 480),
+                          styleMask: [.borderless], backing: .buffered, defer: false)
+    let host = try #require(window.contentView)
+    let anchor = NSView(frame: NSRect(x: 700, y: 20, width: 30, height: 30))
+    host.addSubview(anchor)
+    let actions = ApplicationActionsController()
+    defer { actions.close(animated: false) }
+    func descendants(_ view: NSView) -> [NSView] { [view] + view.subviews.flatMap(descendants) }
+    for width in [750.0, 900.0] {
+        window.setContentSize(NSSize(width: width, height: 480))
+        actions.showEmoji(named: "Smile", relativeTo: anchor)
+        let background = try #require(descendants(host).compactMap { $0 as? LauncherBackground }.first)
+        let search = try #require(descendants(actions.view).compactMap { $0 as? NSSearchField }.first)
+        for query in ["", "Copy Emoji", "no matching action"] {
+            search.stringValue = query
+            actions.controlTextDidChange(Notification(name: NSControl.textDidChangeNotification, object: search))
+            host.layoutSubtreeIfNeeded()
+            let rect = background.convert(background.bounds, to: host)
+            #expect(rect == host.bounds)
+            #expect(background.bounds.size != actions.view.bounds.size)
+        }
+        actions.close(animated: false)
+    }
+}