diff --git a/src/graphics/draw/UIRenderer.cpp b/src/graphics/draw/UIRenderer.cpp
index 9fb1ed140..4a16ef774 100644
--- a/src/graphics/draw/UIRenderer.cpp
+++ b/src/graphics/draw/UIRenderer.cpp
@@ -1423,9 +1423,9 @@ void UIRenderer::drawNavigationBar(OLEDDisplay *display, OLEDDisplayUiState *sta
     const int totalWidth = (pageEnd - pageStart) * iconSize + (pageEnd - pageStart - 1) * spacing;
     const int xStart = (SCREEN_WIDTH - totalWidth) / 2;
 
-    // Suppress nav overlay while canned-message freetext composer is active.
-    const bool hideForFreeText = (cannedMessageModule && cannedMessageModule->isFreeTextUIActive());
-    bool navBarVisible = !hideForFreeText && (millis() - lastFrameChangeTime <= ICON_DISPLAY_DURATION_MS);
+    // Suppress nav overlay while canned-message text compose UI is active (freetext + emote picker).
+    const bool hideForTextCompose = (cannedMessageModule && cannedMessageModule->isFreeTextUIActive());
+    bool navBarVisible = !hideForTextCompose && (millis() - lastFrameChangeTime <= ICON_DISPLAY_DURATION_MS);
     int y = navBarVisible ? (SCREEN_HEIGHT - iconSize - 1) : SCREEN_HEIGHT;
 
 #if defined(USE_EINK)
diff --git a/src/modules/CannedMessageModule.h b/src/modules/CannedMessageModule.h
index ebc562b56..7dbef9645 100644
--- a/src/modules/CannedMessageModule.h
+++ b/src/modules/CannedMessageModule.h
@@ -74,7 +74,11 @@ class CannedMessageModule : public SinglePortModule, public Observable<const UIF
     bool shouldDraw();
     bool hasMessages();
     void resetSearch();
-    bool isFreeTextUIActive() const { return runState == CANNED_MESSAGE_RUN_STATE_FREETEXT; }
+    // Treat both freetext compose and emote picker as "text compose UI" for global overlays.
+    bool isFreeTextUIActive() const
+    {
+        return runState == CANNED_MESSAGE_RUN_STATE_FREETEXT || runState == CANNED_MESSAGE_RUN_STATE_EMOTE_PICKER;
+    }
     void updateDestinationSelectionList();
     void drawDestinationSelectionScreen(OLEDDisplay *display, OLEDDisplayUiState *state, int16_t x, int16_t y);
     bool isCharInputAllowed() const;
diff --git a/src/modules/FreeTextModule.cpp b/src/modules/FreeTextModule.cpp
index 6acfc1416..32b6a4fe4 100644
--- a/src/modules/FreeTextModule.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/FreeTextModule.cpp
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ struct EmotePickerLayout {
     int totalRows = 0;
 };
 
-// Grid layout
+// Grid Emote layout
 EmotePickerLayout buildEmotePickerLayout(OLEDDisplay *display, int numEmotes, int originY)
 {
     EmotePickerLayout layout;
@@ -462,10 +462,9 @@ EmotePickerLayout buildEmotePickerLayout(OLEDDisplay *display, int numEmotes, in
     }
 
     const int headerFontHeight = FONT_HEIGHT_SMALL;
-    const int headerMargin = 2;
-    const int cellPadX = 2;
-    const int cellPadY = 2;
-    const int reservedScrollbarWidth = 8;
+    const int headerMargin = 0;
+    const int cellGap = 1;
+    const int scrollbarWidth = 6;
     static int cachedNumEmotes = -1;
     static int cachedMaxEmoteWidth = 1;
     static int cachedMaxEmoteHeight = 1;
@@ -478,18 +477,25 @@ EmotePickerLayout buildEmotePickerLayout(OLEDDisplay *display, int numEmotes, in
             cachedMaxEmoteHeight = std::max(cachedMaxEmoteHeight, graphics::emotes[i].height);
         }
     }
-
-    layout.cellWidth = cachedMaxEmoteWidth + (cellPadX * 2) + 2;
-    layout.cellHeight = cachedMaxEmoteHeight + (cellPadY * 2) + 2;
+    layout.cellWidth = cachedMaxEmoteWidth + cellGap;
+    layout.cellHeight = cachedMaxEmoteHeight + cellGap;
     layout.listTop = originY + headerFontHeight + headerMargin;
 
-    const int listHeight = std::max(0, display->getHeight() - layout.listTop - 2);
-    layout.contentWidth = std::max(1, display->getWidth() - reservedScrollbarWidth);
+    const int listHeight = std::max(0, display->getHeight() - layout.listTop);
+    const int fullWidth = display->getWidth();
+    layout.contentWidth = std::max(1, fullWidth);
     layout.columns = std::max(1, layout.contentWidth / std::max(1, layout.cellWidth));
     layout.columns = std::min(layout.columns, numEmotes);
-    layout.visibleRows = std::max(1, listHeight / std::max(1, layout.cellHeight));
+    layout.visibleRows = std::max(1, (listHeight + cellGap) / std::max(1, layout.cellHeight));
     layout.totalRows = (numEmotes + layout.columns - 1) / layout.columns;
 
+    if (layout.totalRows > layout.visibleRows) {
+        layout.contentWidth = std::max(1, fullWidth - scrollbarWidth);
+        layout.columns = std::max(1, layout.contentWidth / std::max(1, layout.cellWidth));
+        layout.columns = std::min(layout.columns, numEmotes);
+        layout.totalRows = (numEmotes + layout.columns - 1) / layout.columns;
+    }
+
     return layout;
 }
 } // namespace
@@ -1149,9 +1155,9 @@ int CannedMessageModule::handleEmotePickerInput(const InputEvent *event)
     int columns = std::max(1, layout.columns);
 
     bool moveLeft = (event->inputEvent == INPUT_BROKER_LEFT);
-    bool moveRight = (event->inputEvent == INPUT_BROKER_RIGHT);
+    bool moveRight = (event->inputEvent == INPUT_BROKER_RIGHT || event->inputEvent == INPUT_BROKER_USER_PRESS);
     bool moveUp = (event->inputEvent == INPUT_BROKER_UP || event->inputEvent == INPUT_BROKER_ALT_PRESS);
-    bool moveDown = (event->inputEvent == INPUT_BROKER_DOWN || event->inputEvent == INPUT_BROKER_USER_PRESS);
+    bool moveDown = (event->inputEvent == INPUT_BROKER_DOWN);
     bool isSelect = isSelectEvent(event);
     if (runState == CANNED_MESSAGE_RUN_STATE_EMOTE_PICKER) {
         if (event->inputEvent == INPUT_BROKER_SELECT) {
@@ -1558,7 +1564,7 @@ void CannedMessageModule::drawEmotePickerScreen(OLEDDisplay *display, OLEDDispla
     }
 
     if (layout.totalRows > layout.visibleRows) {
-        int scrollbarHeight = layout.visibleRows * layout.cellHeight;
+        int scrollbarHeight = std::max(1, (layout.visibleRows * layout.cellHeight) - 1);
         int scrollTrackX = displayWidth - 6;
         display->drawRect(scrollTrackX, layout.listTop, 4, scrollbarHeight);
         int scrollBarLen = std::max(6, (scrollbarHeight * layout.visibleRows) / layout.totalRows);