diff --git a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/IssueAssigneesRow.tsx b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/IssueAssigneesRow.tsx
index 4da5123814..7413044727 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/IssueAssigneesRow.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/IssueAssigneesRow.tsx
@@ -267,7 +267,9 @@ export function IssueAssigneesRow({
       {canSelfAssign && viewer ? (
         <Button
           className={cn(
-            "h-5 px-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground",
+            contextActions
+              ? "h-5 px-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground"
+              : "h-5 px-0 text-xs text-primary hover:bg-transparent hover:text-primary hover:underline",
             contextActions && PROJECT_CONTEXT_ACTION_BUTTON_CLASS,
           )}
           data-testid={`${testIdPrefix}-self-assign`}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectCommitDetailPanel.tsx b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectCommitDetailPanel.tsx
index f36e332650..eab88695eb 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectCommitDetailPanel.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectCommitDetailPanel.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Calendar, GitCommitHorizontal, Hash } from "lucide-react";
+import { Calendar, GitCommitHorizontal, Hash, UserRound } from "lucide-react";
 
 import type { Repository } from "@/features/projects/hooks";
 import { commitDiscussionQuery } from "@/features/projects/lib/discussionChannels";
@@ -48,86 +48,113 @@ export function ProjectCommitDetailPanel({
   project: Repository;
 }) {
   const shortHash = commit?.shortHash ?? commitHash.slice(0, 7);
-  const fileCount = diff?.files.length;
 
   return (
     <div
-      className={PROJECT_DETAIL_READING_COLUMN_CLASS}
+      className="flex w-full flex-1 flex-col overflow-hidden"
       data-project-detail-panel
       data-testid="project-commit-detail"
     >
-      <header className="space-y-2 px-6 pb-3 pt-5">
-        <h3 className="line-clamp-2 text-lg font-semibold leading-6 text-foreground">
-          {commit?.subject ?? shortHash}{" "}
-          <ShareLinkButton
-            className="ml-1 inline-flex h-7 w-7 align-text-bottom"
-            label="Copy commit link"
-            link={commitShareLink(project, commit?.hash ?? commitHash)}
-            testId="project-commit-copy-link"
-          />
-        </h3>
-        <p className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-1.5 gap-y-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-          <span>Committed</span>
-          {commit ? (
-            <span
-              className="shrink-0 whitespace-nowrap"
-              title={commitDateLabel(commit.timestamp)}
-            >
-              {commitDateLabel(commit.timestamp)}
-            </span>
-          ) : null}
-          <ProjectOriginReference
-            agentName={originAgentName}
-            channelId={originChannelId}
-          />
-        </p>
-      </header>
-      <ProjectDetailMetaList>
-        <ProjectDetailMetaRow icon={Hash} label="Commit">
-          <span className="inline-flex min-w-0 items-center gap-1 font-mono text-xs">
-            {shortHash}
-            <CopyCommitHashButton
-              className="h-6 w-6"
-              hash={commit?.hash ?? commitHash}
+      <div className={PROJECT_DETAIL_READING_COLUMN_CLASS}>
+        <header className="space-y-1 px-6 pb-3 pt-5">
+          <h3 className="line-clamp-2 text-lg font-semibold leading-6 text-foreground">
+            {commit?.subject ?? shortHash}{" "}
+            <ShareLinkButton
+              className="ml-0.5 inline-flex h-auto w-auto align-middle hover:bg-transparent"
+              label="Copy commit link"
+              link={commitShareLink(project, commit?.hash ?? commitHash)}
+              testId="project-commit-copy-link"
             />
-          </span>
-        </ProjectDetailMetaRow>
-        {commit ? (
-          <ProjectDetailMetaRow icon={Calendar} label="Date">
-            <span className="text-muted-foreground">
-              {commitDateLabel(commit.timestamp)}
+          </h3>
+          <p className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-1.5 gap-y-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+            <span>Committed</span>
+            {commit ? (
+              <span
+                className="shrink-0 whitespace-nowrap"
+                title={commitDateLabel(commit.timestamp)}
+              >
+                {commitDateLabel(commit.timestamp)}
+              </span>
+            ) : null}
+            {commit?.authorName ? (
+              <span className="min-w-0 truncate" title={commit.authorEmail}>
+                by <span className="text-foreground">{commit.authorName}</span>
+              </span>
+            ) : null}
+            <ProjectOriginReference
+              agentName={originAgentName}
+              channelId={originChannelId}
+            />
+          </p>
+        </header>
+        <ProjectDetailMetaList>
+          <ProjectDetailMetaRow icon={Hash} label="Commit">
+            <span className="inline-flex min-w-0 items-center gap-1 font-mono text-xs">
+              {shortHash}
+              <CopyCommitHashButton
+                className="h-6 w-6"
+                hash={commit?.hash ?? commitHash}
+              />
             </span>
           </ProjectDetailMetaRow>
+          {commit?.authorName ? (
+            <ProjectDetailMetaRow icon={UserRound} label="Author">
+              <span
+                className="min-w-0 truncate text-muted-foreground"
+                title={commit.authorEmail}
+              >
+                {commit.authorName}
+              </span>
+            </ProjectDetailMetaRow>
+          ) : null}
+          {commit ? (
+            <ProjectDetailMetaRow icon={Calendar} label="Date">
+              <span className="text-muted-foreground">
+                {commitDateLabel(commit.timestamp)}
+              </span>
+            </ProjectDetailMetaRow>
+          ) : null}
+          {diff ? (
+            <ProjectDetailMetaRow icon={GitCommitHorizontal} label="Changes">
+              <span className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
+                <span className="text-green-500">+{diff.additions}</span>
+                <span className="text-destructive">-{diff.deletions}</span>
+              </span>
+            </ProjectDetailMetaRow>
+          ) : null}
+        </ProjectDetailMetaList>
+        {diff?.commitBody ? (
+          <ProjectDetailSection defaultOpen title="Description">
+            <ProjectRichContent
+              content={diff.commitBody}
+              hardLineBreaks={false}
+            />
+          </ProjectDetailSection>
         ) : null}
-        {diff ? (
-          <ProjectDetailMetaRow icon={GitCommitHorizontal} label="Changes">
-            <span className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
-              <span className="text-green-500">+{diff.additions}</span>
-              <span className="text-destructive">-{diff.deletions}</span>
-            </span>
-          </ProjectDetailMetaRow>
-        ) : null}
-      </ProjectDetailMetaList>
-      {diff?.commitBody ? (
-        <ProjectDetailSection defaultOpen title="Description">
-          <ProjectRichContent
-            content={diff.commitBody}
-            hardLineBreaks={false}
-          />
-        </ProjectDetailSection>
-      ) : null}
-      <DiscussedInChannels
-        className="mx-6 mb-4"
-        entityLabel="this commit"
-        query={commitDiscussionQuery({
-          hash: commit?.hash ?? commitHash,
-          shortHash: commit?.shortHash,
-        })}
-        testId="commit-discussed-in"
-      />
-      <ProjectDetailSection count={fileCount} defaultOpen title="Files changed">
-        <div className="-mx-6">
+        <DiscussedInChannels
+          className="mx-6 mb-4"
+          entityLabel="this commit"
+          query={commitDiscussionQuery({
+            hash: commit?.hash ?? commitHash,
+            shortHash: commit?.shortHash,
+          })}
+          testId="commit-discussed-in"
+        />
+      </div>
+      <ProjectDetailSection
+        className="flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col"
+        contentClassName="flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col"
+        defaultOpen
+        headerClassName="mx-auto max-w-3xl"
+        title="Files changed"
+      >
+        {/* Full-bleed: cancel the section's inner padding so the file
+            tree + diff grid spans the whole content column, and let it
+            grow to the bottom of the scrollport when the page is short. */}
+        <div className="-mx-6 -mb-6 flex min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col">
           <ProjectDiffFilesPanel
+            className="min-h-0 flex-1"
+            fileTreeClassName="max-h-none"
             diff={diff}
             embedded
             error={diffError}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectDetailScreen.tsx b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectDetailScreen.tsx
index 8d15116710..9597a84a17 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectDetailScreen.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectDetailScreen.tsx
@@ -889,7 +889,10 @@ export function ProjectDetailScreen(props: ProjectDetailScreenProps) {
                 className="flex min-h-0 min-w-0 flex-1 flex-col overflow-x-hidden overflow-y-auto overscroll-y-none px-4 pb-4"
                 data-testid="project-detail-scroll"
               >
-                <div className="w-full space-y-3">
+                {/* min-h-full + flex chain lets the commit detail's diff pane
+                    grow to the bottom of the scrollport without forcing a
+                    taller page when content already overflows. */}
+                <div className="flex min-h-full w-full flex-col space-y-3">
                   <WorkspaceTabs
                     key={`${project.id}:${repository.id}:${tabsResetKey}`}
                     initialTab={
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectDetailSection.tsx b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectDetailSection.tsx
index 20271e035d..56dc0aec34 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectDetailSection.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectDetailSection.tsx
@@ -10,16 +10,25 @@ import { cn } from "@/shared/lib/cn";
  */
 export function ProjectDetailSection({
   children,
+  className,
+  contentClassName,
   count,
   defaultOpen = true,
+  headerClassName,
   onOpenChange,
   open: openProp,
   testId,
   title,
 }: {
   children: React.ReactNode;
+  /** Extra classes for the outer section, e.g. flex growth in fill layouts. */
+  className?: string;
+  /** Extra classes for the expanded content wrapper. */
+  contentClassName?: string;
   count?: number;
   defaultOpen?: boolean;
+  /** Extra classes for the header row, e.g. to align it with a reading column while the content is full-bleed. */
+  headerClassName?: string;
   onOpenChange?: (open: boolean) => void;
   open?: boolean;
   testId?: string;
@@ -35,12 +44,16 @@ export function ProjectDetailSection({
 
   return (
     <section
+      className={className}
       data-open={open ? "true" : "false"}
       data-testid={testId ?? "project-detail-section"}
     >
       <button
         aria-expanded={open}
-        className="flex min-h-10 w-full min-w-0 items-center gap-2 px-6 py-2 text-left text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-muted/20"
+        className={cn(
+          "flex min-h-10 w-full min-w-0 items-center gap-2 px-6 py-2 text-left text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-muted/20",
+          headerClassName,
+        )}
         onClick={() => setOpen(!open)}
         type="button"
       >
@@ -59,7 +72,9 @@ export function ProjectDetailSection({
           ) : null}
         </span>
       </button>
-      {open ? <div className="px-6 pb-6 pt-1">{children}</div> : null}
+      {open ? (
+        <div className={cn("px-6 pb-6 pt-1", contentClassName)}>{children}</div>
+      ) : null}
     </section>
   );
 }
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectPullRequestFilesChangedPanel.tsx b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectPullRequestFilesChangedPanel.tsx
index 105d20f10e..cd050e2f5a 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectPullRequestFilesChangedPanel.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectPullRequestFilesChangedPanel.tsx
@@ -755,8 +755,10 @@ export function ProjectPullRequestFilesChangedPanel({
 }
 
 export function ProjectDiffFilesPanel({
+  className,
   error,
   diff,
+  fileTreeClassName,
   isLoading,
   embedded = false,
   focusedAnchor,
@@ -764,6 +766,10 @@ export function ProjectDiffFilesPanel({
   inlineComments,
   subjectLabel,
 }: {
+  /** Extra classes for the file-tree/diff grid container. */
+  className?: string;
+  /** Overrides the file tree's default `max-h-96` cap, e.g. for full-height layouts. */
+  fileTreeClassName?: string;
   error: unknown;
   diff: ProjectRepoDiff | null | undefined;
   isLoading: boolean;
@@ -857,6 +863,7 @@ export function ProjectDiffFilesPanel({
       className={cn(
         "grid min-h-0 overflow-hidden lg:grid-cols-[17rem_minmax(0,1fr)]",
         outerBorderClass,
+        className,
       )}
       data-project-detail-panel={embedded ? undefined : true}
     >
@@ -876,7 +883,12 @@ export function ProjectDiffFilesPanel({
             />
           </label>
         </div>
-        <nav className="max-h-96 overflow-auto border-border/50 border-t py-1">
+        <nav
+          className={cn(
+            "max-h-96 overflow-auto border-border/50 border-t py-1",
+            fileTreeClassName,
+          )}
+        >
           <FileTreeItems
             node={fileTree}
             onSelect={setSelectedPath}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectReadmePanel.tsx b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectReadmePanel.tsx
index 68bf61a8d4..9bc89e5213 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectReadmePanel.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectReadmePanel.tsx
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ export function ReadmePanel({
     return (
       <section className="overflow-hidden">
         {header}
-        <div className="p-6 text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+        <div className="px-8 py-6 text-sm text-muted-foreground">
           {fileContent.error
             ? "Could not load this README. Try again after refreshing the repository."
             : gitDataState === "empty"
@@ -283,11 +283,13 @@ export function ReadmePanel({
   return (
     <section className="overflow-hidden">
       {header}
-      <div className="p-4">
+      <div className="min-w-0 px-8 py-6">
         {isMarkdown ? (
           <Markdown
+            blockCode
             className="text-sm"
             content={readmeContent}
+            hardLineBreaks={false}
             interactive={false}
           />
         ) : language ? (
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectWorkspaceTabs.tsx b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectWorkspaceTabs.tsx
index 16cd3f6e15..7dd573a6eb 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectWorkspaceTabs.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/projects/ui/ProjectWorkspaceTabs.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import {
-  BookOpen,
   CircleDot,
   Files as FilesIcon,
   GitCommitHorizontal,
@@ -350,9 +349,7 @@ export function WorkspaceTabs({
     [selectedPullRequestId],
   );
   const sectionHeader =
-    selectedTab === "overview" && readmeFile ? (
-      <ProjectSectionHeader icon={BookOpen} title="README" />
-    ) : selectedTab === "files" && files.length > 0 ? (
+    selectedTab === "files" && files.length > 0 ? (
       <ProjectSectionHeader icon={FilesIcon} title="Files" />
     ) : selectedTab === "activity" && !selectedCommitHash ? (
       <ProjectSectionHeader icon={GitCommitHorizontal} title="Commits" />
@@ -387,7 +384,7 @@ export function WorkspaceTabs({
 
   return (
     <Tabs
-      className="min-w-0 space-y-3"
+      className="flex min-w-0 flex-1 flex-col space-y-3"
       onValueChange={handleTabChange}
       value={selectedTab}
     >
@@ -422,7 +419,7 @@ export function WorkspaceTabs({
       {/* Project content follows the same borderless flow as work-item details.
           Inner panels retain standalone chrome, neutralized here. */}
       <div
-        className="-mx-4 [&_[data-project-detail-panel]]:rounded-none [&_[data-project-detail-panel]]:border-0"
+        className="-mx-4 flex flex-1 flex-col [&_[data-project-detail-panel]]:rounded-none [&_[data-project-detail-panel]]:border-0"
         data-testid="project-workspace-panel"
       >
         {sectionHeader}
@@ -444,7 +441,10 @@ export function WorkspaceTabs({
           />
         </TabsContent>
 
-        <TabsContent className="m-0" value="activity">
+        <TabsContent
+          className="m-0 min-h-0 flex-1 flex-col data-[state=active]:flex"
+          value="activity"
+        >
           {repositoryUnavailableState ??
             (selectedCommitHash ? (
               <ProjectCommitDetailPanel
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdown.tsx b/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdown.tsx
index ca34180d12..d6c906de71 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdown.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdown.tsx
@@ -1259,6 +1259,7 @@ function ImageMosaic({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode[] }) {
 export function createMarkdownComponents(
   interactive = true,
   mediaInset = false,
+  blockCode = false,
 ): Components {
   const listItemClassName = "[&_p]:inline";
   const listClassName = "space-y-1 pl-6 marker:text-muted-foreground/80";
@@ -1566,7 +1567,7 @@ export function createMarkdownComponents(
       return <p>{children}</p>;
     },
     pre: ({ children }) => {
-      if (!interactive) return <span>{children}</span>;
+      if (!interactive && !blockCode) return <span>{children}</span>;
       let language = "";
       React.Children.forEach(children, (child) => {
         if (
@@ -1701,9 +1702,9 @@ export function createMarkdownComponents(
 }
 
 /**
- * The component map only varies by the three boolean render flags, so at most
- * eight instances ever exist. Module-stable maps mean cached markdown element
- * trees (see ./markdown/nodeCache.ts) never embed per-mount closures.
+ * The component map only varies by the four boolean render flags, so at most
+ * sixteen instances ever exist. Module-stable maps mean cached markdown
+ * element trees (see ./markdown/nodeCache.ts) never embed per-mount closures.
  */
 const MARKDOWN_COMPONENT_SCHEMA_VERSION = "8";
 const markdownComponentsByVariant = new Map<string, MarkdownComponentSet>();
@@ -1721,12 +1722,13 @@ function getMarkdownComponents(
   interactive: boolean,
   leadingInlineContent: boolean,
   mediaInset: boolean,
+  blockCode: boolean,
 ): MarkdownComponentSet {
-  const variant = `${MARKDOWN_COMPONENT_SCHEMA_VERSION}:${interactive ? "i" : ""}${leadingInlineContent ? "l" : ""}${mediaInset ? "m" : ""}`;
+  const variant = `${MARKDOWN_COMPONENT_SCHEMA_VERSION}:${interactive ? "i" : ""}${leadingInlineContent ? "l" : ""}${mediaInset ? "m" : ""}${blockCode ? "c" : ""}`;
   let entry = markdownComponentsByVariant.get(variant);
   if (!entry) {
     entry = {
-      components: createMarkdownComponents(interactive, mediaInset),
+      components: createMarkdownComponents(interactive, mediaInset, blockCode),
       variant,
     };
     markdownComponentsByVariant.set(variant, entry);
@@ -1743,6 +1745,7 @@ function MarkdownInner({
   hardLineBreaks = true,
   imetaByUrl,
   interactive = true,
+  blockCode = false,
   agentMentionPubkeysByName,
   leadingInlineContent,
   mediaInset = false,
@@ -1857,6 +1860,7 @@ function MarkdownInner({
     interactive,
     hasLeadingInlineContent,
     mediaInset,
+    blockCode,
   );
   const markdownNode =
     configNudge === null
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdown/types.ts b/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdown/types.ts
index 2a0a40ff63..e0bef554b1 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdown/types.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdown/types.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ export type MarkdownProps = {
   hardLineBreaks?: boolean;
   imetaByUrl?: ImetaLookup;
   interactive?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Render fenced code as scrollable code blocks even when `interactive` is
+   * false. Non-interactive surfaces default to inlining code (compact
+   * previews); document surfaces like repository READMEs pass true so long
+   * lines scroll inside the block instead of stretching the layout.
+   */
+  blockCode?: boolean;
   agentMentionPubkeysByName?: Record<string, string>;
   mentionNames?: string[];
   mentionPubkeysByName?: Record<string, string>;
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdownUtils.ts b/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdownUtils.ts
index f0ce894c66..992341bacc 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdownUtils.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/ui/markdownUtils.ts
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ export function markdownPropsAreEqual(
     prev.customEmoji === next.customEmoji &&
     prev.hardLineBreaks === next.hardLineBreaks &&
     prev.interactive === next.interactive &&
+    prev.blockCode === next.blockCode &&
     prev.mediaInset === next.mediaInset &&
     shallowRecordEqual(
       prev.agentMentionPubkeysByName,