diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/picker.test.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/picker.test.ts
index e454a101c6..2d69808ac7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/picker.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/picker.test.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ beforeAll(() => {
   }
 });
 
+function ancestorsOf(el: Element): Element[] {
+  const chain: Element[] = [];
+  for (let at = el.parentElement; at; at = at.parentElement) chain.push(at);
+  return chain;
+}
+
 function createMockPostMessage() {
   return vi.fn();
 }
@@ -150,6 +156,42 @@ describe("createPickerModule", () => {
       }
     });
 
+    it("picks inside a mounted section whose root sets pointer-events:none", () => {
+      const picker = createPickerModule({ postMessage: createMockPostMessage() });
+      picker.installPickerApi();
+      // The mount rescopes the section's own root rule onto its inner root.
+      document.head.innerHTML =
+        '<style>[data-composition-id="intro"] > [data-hf-inner-root] { pointer-events: none }' +
+        " .vignette { pointer-events: none }</style>";
+      document.body.innerHTML = `<div data-composition-id="intro" data-composition-src="intro.html">
+        <div data-hf-inner-root="true"><div class="card"><code id="code">tl.to()</code></div>
+        <div class="vignette" id="vignette"></div></div></div>`;
+      const code = document.getElementById("code")!;
+      // Paint order under the point, top first; like a browser, drop what has pointer-events:none.
+      const painted = [document.getElementById("vignette")!, code, code.parentElement!];
+      const originalElementsFromPoint = document.elementsFromPoint;
+      Object.defineProperty(document, "elementsFromPoint", {
+        configurable: true,
+        value: vi.fn(() =>
+          [...painted, ...ancestorsOf(code.parentElement!)].filter(
+            (el) => getComputedStyle(el).pointerEvents !== "none",
+          ),
+        ),
+      });
+
+      const api = (window as any).__HF_PICKER_API;
+      try {
+        expect(api.getCandidatesAtPoint(10, 10)[0]?.selector).toBe("#code");
+        expect(api.pickAtPoint(10, 10)?.selector).toBe("#code");
+        expect(document.head.querySelectorAll("style")).toHaveLength(1);
+      } finally {
+        Object.defineProperty(document, "elementsFromPoint", {
+          configurable: true,
+          value: originalElementsFromPoint,
+        });
+      }
+    });
+
     it("pickAtPoint returns null for invalid coords", () => {
       const picker = createPickerModule({ postMessage: createMockPostMessage() });
       picker.installPickerApi();
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/picker.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/picker.ts
index c995ca263e..53fb81565a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/picker.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/picker.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,23 @@ const PICKER_BLOCK_SELECTOR = [
   "[data-hyper-shader-loading]",
 ].join(",");
 
+// A composition root's pointer-events:none is about playback, not editing: it inherits into the whole section
+// and hides it from the hit test. Roots take pointer events again while the picker looks; an element that
+// sets pointer-events:none itself (a vignette, a cursor) still passes through.
+const PICKABLE_ROOTS_CSS =
+  "[data-composition-id],[data-hf-inner-root]{pointer-events:auto!important}";
+
+function withPickableCompositionRoots<T>(run: () => T): T {
+  const style = document.createElement("style");
+  style.textContent = PICKABLE_ROOTS_CSS;
+  (document.head ?? document.documentElement).appendChild(style);
+  try {
+    return run();
+  } finally {
+    style.remove();
+  }
+}
+
 export type PickerModule = {
   enablePickMode: () => void;
   disablePickMode: () => void;
@@ -183,14 +200,20 @@ export function createPickerModule(deps: PickerModuleDeps): PickerModule {
     clientY: number,
     limit?: number,
   ): RuntimePickerElementInfo[] {
-    return getPickCandidatesFromPoint(clientX, clientY, limit).map(extractElementInfo);
+    return withPickableCompositionRoots(() =>
+      getPickCandidatesFromPoint(clientX, clientY, limit),
+    ).map(extractElementInfo);
   }
 
   function onPickMouseMove(event: MouseEvent): void {
     if (!pickModeActive) return;
-    const candidates = getPickCandidatesFromPoint(event.clientX, event.clientY, 1);
-    const target = candidates[0] ?? (isElementNode(event.target) ? event.target : null);
-    if (!isPickableElement(target)) return;
+    const target = withPickableCompositionRoots(() => {
+      const hit =
+        getPickCandidatesFromPoint(event.clientX, event.clientY, 1)[0] ??
+        (isElementNode(event.target) ? event.target : null);
+      return isPickableElement(hit) ? hit : null;
+    });
+    if (!target) return;
     if (pickModeHighlightEl === target) return;
     if (pickModeHighlightEl) {
       pickModeHighlightEl.classList.remove("__hf-pick-highlight");