diff --git a/packages/studio/src/hooks/domSelectionTimelineMirror.ts b/packages/studio/src/hooks/domSelectionTimelineMirror.ts
index 2a28b998d..f67577925 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/hooks/domSelectionTimelineMirror.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/hooks/domSelectionTimelineMirror.ts
@@ -48,20 +48,26 @@ export function announceTimelineSelection(
     );
   const members = group.map(timelineIdFor).filter((id): id is string => Boolean(id));
   const anchor = timelineIdFor(primary);
+  const publishedMembers = new Set(members);
+  if (anchor) publishedMembers.add(anchor);
+  const timelineAnchor = anchor ?? members[0] ?? null;
   // A member with no timeline row of its own resolves to null and is dropped here,
   // so a group can announce fewer ids than it has — or none, which reads back as an
   // empty selection and takes the canvas selection with it.
   logSelect("announce", {
     group: group.length,
-    published: members.length,
+    published: publishedMembers.size,
     anchor,
-    anchorPublished: anchor != null && members.includes(anchor),
+    anchorPublished: anchor != null && publishedMembers.has(anchor),
   });
+  // A canvas target can be editable without owning a timeline row. Preserve that
+  // canvas-only selection when the timeline has nothing truthful to represent.
+  if (!timelineAnchor) return;
   // A late async primary that already belongs to the live set must preserve the
   // group. A fresh single click does not belong to it, so publish the singleton
   // first; otherwise `preserveSet` clears the set and sync wipes the canvas.
-  if (group.length > 1 || !anchor || !getTimelineSelectionSet().has(anchor)) {
-    setTimelineSelectionSet(new Set(members));
+  if (group.length > 1 || !getTimelineSelectionSet().has(timelineAnchor)) {
+    setTimelineSelectionSet(publishedMembers);
   }
-  setSelectedTimelineElementId(anchor, { preserveSet: true });
+  setSelectedTimelineElementId(timelineAnchor, { preserveSet: true });
 }
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/hooks/useDomSelection.test.ts b/packages/studio/src/hooks/useDomSelection.test.ts
index 1590117a5..4b407c35e 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/hooks/useDomSelection.test.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/hooks/useDomSelection.test.ts
@@ -144,6 +144,33 @@ describe("useDomSelection marquee", () => {
     });
     harness.cleanup();
   });
+
+  it("uses a surviving group member as the timeline anchor when the canvas primary has no row", () => {
+    const canvasOnly = document.createElement("div");
+    canvasOnly.id = "canvas-only";
+    const card = document.createElement("div");
+    card.id = "card";
+    document.body.append(canvasOnly, card);
+    const harness = renderHarness(
+      { activeCompPath: "index.html", projectId: "project-1", refreshKey: 0 },
+      { timelineElements: [timelineElement("card")] },
+    );
+
+    act(() =>
+      harness
+        .current()
+        .applyMarqueeSelection(
+          [makeSelection("Canvas only", canvasOnly), makeSelection("Card", card)],
+          false,
+        ),
+    );
+
+    expect(harness.timeline.setTimelineSelectionSet).toHaveBeenCalledWith(new Set(["card"]));
+    expect(harness.timeline.setSelectedTimelineElementId).toHaveBeenCalledWith("card", {
+      preserveSet: true,
+    });
+    harness.cleanup();
+  });
 });
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/hooks/useDomSelection.ts b/packages/studio/src/hooks/useDomSelection.ts
index 1c7bbb9ee..115d54fca 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/hooks/useDomSelection.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/hooks/useDomSelection.ts
@@ -482,10 +482,12 @@ export function useDomSelection({
     [activeCompPath, announceTimelineSelection, buildDomSelectionFromTarget, previewIframeRef],
   );
 
-  refreshDomEditGroupSelectionsFromPreviewRef.current = refreshDomEditGroupSelectionsFromPreview;
-
   // ── Effects ──
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    refreshDomEditGroupSelectionsFromPreviewRef.current = refreshDomEditGroupSelectionsFromPreview;
+  }, [refreshDomEditGroupSelectionsFromPreview]);
+
   // Clear hover unconditionally on composition/project/preview change
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-syntax
   useEffect(() => {