diff --git a/e2e/support/open-search.ts b/e2e/support/open-search.ts
index 24e9ca4..3cf4d07 100644
--- a/e2e/support/open-search.ts
+++ b/e2e/support/open-search.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ import { Locator, Page } from '@playwright/test';
  * type has to open it first — the way a user does, or with the `/` shortcut. Returns the field.
  */
 export async function openSearch(page: Page): Promise<Locator> {
-  await page.getByRole('tab', { name: 'Search' }).click();
+  // Clicking the active tab folds it closed, so only click when it is not already open.
+  const tab = page.getByRole('tab', { name: 'Search' });
+  if ((await tab.getAttribute('aria-selected')) !== 'true') {
+    await tab.click();
+  }
   return page.getByPlaceholder('Search stars, planets, exoplanets…');
 }
diff --git a/src/app/features/galaxy-system/galaxy-system-scene.component.ts b/src/app/features/galaxy-system/galaxy-system-scene.component.ts
index 6d09c30..4004f33 100644
--- a/src/app/features/galaxy-system/galaxy-system-scene.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/galaxy-system/galaxy-system-scene.component.ts
@@ -648,14 +648,20 @@ export class GalaxySystemSceneComponent implements AfterViewInit, OnDestroy {
   /** Refreshes the readout panel for whichever scale the view is currently at. */
   /**
    * Shows or hides the layers that hold still between frames: the label layer and the system
-   * view's orbits and grid. The galaxy grids, deep-sky shell and skybox are crossfaded every
-   * frame instead, so their toggles live in `updateGalacticCrossfade`.
+   * view's orbits and grid. The galaxy grids and deep-sky shell are crossfaded every frame
+   * instead, so their toggles live in `updateGalacticCrossfade`. The skybox is both: the
+   * crossfade rewrites its intensity while the galaxy is up, but the crossfade is parked in
+   * system view, where the sky is still on screen — so it is also set here, once, on toggle.
    */
   private applyDisplay(display: HudDisplay): void {
     if (this.labelOverlay) {
       this.labelOverlay.domElement.style.display = display.labels ? '' : 'none';
     }
     this.systemRenderer?.setLayerVisibility({ orbits: display.orbits, grid: display.grid });
+    // The effect that calls this fires once at construction, before the engine has a scene.
+    if (this.engine.isInitialized) {
+      this.engine.getScene().backgroundIntensity = display.sky ? 1 - this.galacticStrength : 0;
+    }
   }
 
   private updateHud(camera: THREE.PerspectiveCamera): void {
diff --git a/src/app/features/hud/hud-dock.component.ts b/src/app/features/hud/hud-dock.component.ts
index 7ad9a09..ad27185 100644
--- a/src/app/features/hud/hud-dock.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/hud/hud-dock.component.ts
@@ -38,9 +38,11 @@ const TAB_LABELS: Record<DockTab, string> = { search: 'Search', readout: 'Readou
 
 /** Tailwind's `sm` breakpoint: below it the dock is a bare tab strip and its panel is a sheet. */
 const WIDE_VIEWPORT = '(min-width: 640px)';
+/** One live query, read on every pointer-down, rather than a new MediaQueryList per read. */
+const wideViewportQuery = typeof window !== 'undefined' && typeof window.matchMedia === 'function' ? window.matchMedia(WIDE_VIEWPORT) : null;
 
 function isWideViewport(): boolean {
-  return typeof window === 'undefined' || typeof window.matchMedia !== 'function' ? true : window.matchMedia(WIDE_VIEWPORT).matches;
+  return wideViewportQuery?.matches ?? true;
 }
 
 /**