diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.subCompositionPlacement.test.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.subCompositionPlacement.test.ts
index db25959a12..2d1b5c90d7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.subCompositionPlacement.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.subCompositionPlacement.test.ts
@@ -199,6 +199,29 @@ describe("runtime sub-composition placement", () => {
     expect(window.__player?.getDuration()).toBe(9);
   });
 
+  it("keeps the scene in one root after a tween first renders, when the root's own timeline is empty", async () => {
+    const runFrames = stubFrames();
+    document.body.innerHTML =
+      `<div data-composition-id="main" data-root="true" data-duration="10">` +
+      `<div id="host" class="clip" data-composition-id="scene" data-start="1" data-duration="9">` +
+      `<div id="s"></div></div></div>`;
+    const scene = gsap
+      .timeline({ paused: true })
+      .fromTo("#s", { x: -100 }, { x: 0, duration: 0.5, ease: "none" }, 0.5)
+      .to({}, { duration: 9 }, 0);
+    const root = gsap.timeline({ paused: true });
+    window.__timelines = { main: root, scene } as unknown as Record<string, RuntimeTimelineLike>;
+    initSandboxRuntimeModular();
+    window.__player?.seek(1.2);
+    const bound = scene.parent;
+
+    window.__player?.seek(3);
+    await runFrames(6);
+
+    expect(scene.parent).toBe(bound);
+    expect(shownX()).toBe(0);
+  });
+
   it("binds a root timeline that registers after the runtime started on its children", async () => {
     const runFrames = stubFrames();
     loadWithoutRootTimeline(`<div id="r"></div>`);
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/timelineDuration.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/timelineDuration.ts
index ec8e94dfda..e273611c71 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/timelineDuration.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/timelineDuration.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,28 @@
 import { swallow } from "./diagnostics";
 import type { RuntimeTimelineLike } from "./types";
 
-/** A registered timeline's finite duration(); a partial, throwing or non-numeric entry reads as null. */
+type ChildTimeline = {
+  paused?: () => boolean;
+  startTime?: () => number;
+  totalDuration?: () => number;
+  timeScale?: () => number;
+};
+
+const pausedChildEnd = (child: ChildTimeline): number =>
+  child.paused?.() === true
+    ? (child.startTime?.() ?? 0) +
+      (child.totalDuration?.() ?? 0) / Math.abs(child.timeScale?.() || 1)
+    : 0;
+
+/** A timeline's finite length, counting paused child timelines; a partial or throwing entry reads as null. */
 export function readTimelineDurationSeconds(
-  timeline: Pick<RuntimeTimelineLike, "duration"> | null | undefined,
+  timeline: Pick<RuntimeTimelineLike, "duration" | "getChildren"> | null | undefined,
 ): number | null {
   try {
     if (typeof timeline?.duration !== "function") return null;
-    const seconds = Number(timeline.duration());
+    const held: unknown = timeline.getChildren?.(false, false, true);
+    const children = Array.isArray(held) ? (held as ChildTimeline[]) : [];
+    const seconds = Math.max(Number(timeline.duration()), ...children.map(pausedChildEnd));
     return Number.isFinite(seconds) ? seconds : null;
   } catch (err) {
     swallow("runtime.timelineDuration", err);