diff --git a/packages/studio/src/player/components/useTimelineMarqueeSelection.ts b/packages/studio/src/player/components/useTimelineMarqueeSelection.ts
index d61e06bb7..520865677 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/player/components/useTimelineMarqueeSelection.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/player/components/useTimelineMarqueeSelection.ts
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ export function useTimelineMarqueeSelection({
       setMarqueeRect(null);
 
       if (!active.started) {
-        usePlayerStore.getState().setSelection([]);
+        usePlayerStore.getState().clearSelection();
         return true;
       }
 
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.test.ts b/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.test.ts
index 0338dd60e..abf415cbe 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.test.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.test.ts
@@ -249,6 +249,18 @@ describe("usePlayerStore", () => {
       expect(state.selectedElementId).toBe("el-3");
     });
 
+    it("re-selecting a current member keeps the multi-selection and moves the anchor", () => {
+      const store = usePlayerStore.getState();
+      store.setSelection(["el-1", "el-2", "el-3"], "el-1");
+      // A DOM->selection sync echo during a group drag re-selects the grabbed
+      // member; this must NOT collapse the set to that single element.
+      store.setSelectedElementId("el-2");
+
+      const state = usePlayerStore.getState();
+      expect([...state.selectedElementIds]).toEqual(["el-1", "el-2", "el-3"]);
+      expect(state.selectedElementId).toBe("el-2");
+    });
+
     it("clearing single selection empties the set", () => {
       const store = usePlayerStore.getState();
       store.setSelection(["el-1", "el-2"], "el-2");
@@ -275,19 +287,12 @@ describe("usePlayerStore", () => {
       expect(state.selectedElementId).toBe("el-2");
     });
 
-    it("clearSelection and clearSelectedElementIds empty the set and anchor", () => {
+    it("clearSelection empties the set and the anchor", () => {
       const store = usePlayerStore.getState();
       store.setSelection(["el-1", "el-2"], "el-2");
       store.clearSelection();
 
-      let state = usePlayerStore.getState();
-      expect([...state.selectedElementIds]).toEqual([]);
-      expect(state.selectedElementId).toBeNull();
-
-      store.setSelection(["el-3"], "el-3");
-      store.clearSelectedElementIds();
-
-      state = usePlayerStore.getState();
+      const state = usePlayerStore.getState();
       expect([...state.selectedElementIds]).toEqual([]);
       expect(state.selectedElementId).toBeNull();
     });
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.ts b/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.ts
index b3b884d44..24ec3a258 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.ts
@@ -146,7 +146,6 @@ interface PlayerState {
   addSelectedElementId: (id: string) => void;
   toggleSelectedElementId: (id: string) => void;
   clearSelection: () => void;
-  clearSelectedElementIds: () => void;
 
   /** Keyframe data per element id, populated from parsed GSAP animations. */
   keyframeCache: Map<string, KeyframeCacheEntry>;
@@ -300,7 +299,6 @@ export const usePlayerStore = create<PlayerState>((set, get) => ({
       return resolveElementSelection(next, s.selectedElementId);
     }),
   clearSelection: () => set({ selectedElementId: null, selectedElementIds: new Set() }),
-  clearSelectedElementIds: () => set({ selectedElementId: null, selectedElementIds: new Set() }),
 
   keyframeCache: new Map(),
   setKeyframeCache: (elementId, data) =>
@@ -412,20 +410,30 @@ export const usePlayerStore = create<PlayerState>((set, get) => ({
   setBeatDragging: (dragging) => set({ beatDragging: dragging }),
   setElements: (elements) => set({ elements }),
   setSelectedElementId: (id) =>
-    set((s) =>
+    set((s) => {
+      // Re-selecting an element that is already part of an active multi-selection
+      // (e.g. a DOM->selection sync echo while a group drag re-patches the preview)
+      // updates the anchor WITHOUT collapsing the set. A genuinely new element
+      // (not currently in the set) replaces the whole selection with itself.
+      const keepSet = id != null && s.selectedElementIds.size > 1 && s.selectedElementIds.has(id);
+      const selectedElementIds = keepSet
+        ? s.selectedElementIds
+        : id
+          ? new Set([id])
+          : new Set<string>();
       // Selecting a different element drops any active keyframe selection — otherwise
       // a stale activeKeyframePct from a prior diamond click would force the next drag
       // to "modify" a keyframe on the new element. A diamond click sets the pct AFTER
       // calling setSelectedElementId, so this never clobbers a genuine keyframe select.
-      id !== s.selectedElementId
+      return id !== s.selectedElementId
         ? {
             selectedElementId: id,
-            selectedElementIds: id ? new Set([id]) : new Set(),
+            selectedElementIds,
             activeKeyframePct: null,
             motionPathArmed: false,
           }
-        : { selectedElementId: id, selectedElementIds: id ? new Set([id]) : new Set() },
-    ),
+        : { selectedElementId: id, selectedElementIds };
+    }),
   updateElement: (elementId, updates) =>
     set((state) => ({
       elements: state.elements.map((el) =>