diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue b/apps/desktop/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue
index 3be0e067f..792b402b5 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { ref, computed, nextTick, watch, provide, onMounted, onUnmounted, type Component } from "vue";
+import { ref, computed, nextTick, watch, provide, onMounted, onUnmounted, type Component, type CSSProperties } from "vue";
 import { useI18n } from "vue-i18n";
 import { Search, X, ListFilter, Crosshair, Server, Database, FolderTree, Table2, Eye, RotateCcw } from "@lucide/vue";
 import { useConnectionStore } from "@/stores/connectionStore";
@@ -218,16 +218,32 @@ const stickyNode = computed<FlatTreeNode | null>(() => {
 
   const topIndex = Math.min(Math.floor(stickyScrollTop.value / SIDEBAR_TREE_ROW_HEIGHT), len - 1);
   // Walk UP from the topmost visible row to the nearest database-level ancestor.
-  // If the topmost row is itself a database node (it hasn't scrolled past the
-  // viewport yet), return null so the overlay doesn't duplicate the real row.
+  // Show the overlay as soon as that database row starts crossing the top edge,
+  // instead of waiting for it to fully scroll out by one row.
   for (let i = topIndex; i >= 0; i--) {
     const item = nodes[i];
     if (!DATABASE_LEVEL_TYPES.has(item.type)) continue;
-    return i === topIndex ? null : item;
+    const rowTop = i * SIDEBAR_TREE_ROW_HEIGHT;
+    return stickyScrollTop.value > rowTop ? item : null;
   }
   return null;
 });
 
+const stickyHeaderStyle = computed<CSSProperties>(() => {
+  const node = stickyNode.value;
+  if (!node) return {};
+  const nodes = flatNodes.value;
+  const currentIndex = nodes.findIndex((item) => item.id === node.id);
+  if (currentIndex < 0) return {};
+  const nextDatabaseIndex = nodes.findIndex((item, index) => index > currentIndex && DATABASE_LEVEL_TYPES.has(item.type));
+  if (nextDatabaseIndex < 0) return {};
+  const distanceToNext = nextDatabaseIndex * SIDEBAR_TREE_ROW_HEIGHT - stickyScrollTop.value;
+  if (distanceToNext >= SIDEBAR_TREE_ROW_HEIGHT) return {};
+  return {
+    transform: `translateY(${Math.min(0, distanceToNext - SIDEBAR_TREE_ROW_HEIGHT)}px)`,
+  };
+});
+
 // Reset tracking when the tree rebuilds (connect/disconnect/collapse) so a
 // stale scrollTop doesn't keep the overlay mounted after a structural change.
 watch(flatNodes, () => {
@@ -657,28 +673,29 @@ defineExpose({ focusSearch, createNewGroup });
         />
       </div>
     </div>
-    <div v-if="stickyNode" class="sticky-database-header relative z-[5] border-b border-border/60">
-      <TreeItem :node="stickyNode.node" :depth="stickyNode.depth" :drag-disabled="true" @search-toggle="onSearchToggle" />
+    <div v-if="flatNodes.length > 0 && useVirtualTree" class="connection-tree-scroll-shell relative min-h-0 flex-1">
+      <RecycleScroller
+        ref="treeScrollerRef"
+        class="sidebar-tree connection-tree-scroller h-full overflow-y-auto"
+        :class="sidebarTreeOverflowClass"
+        @click="clearSidebarSelection"
+        :items="flatNodes"
+        :item-size="SIDEBAR_TREE_ROW_HEIGHT"
+        :buffer="SIDEBAR_TREE_SCROLL_BUFFER"
+        :prerender="SIDEBAR_TREE_PRERENDER_COUNT"
+        :skip-hover="true"
+        key-field="id"
+        type-field="type"
+        flow-mode
+      >
+        <template #default="{ item }">
+          <TreeItem :node="item.node" :depth="item.depth" :drag-disabled="isFiltering" :pending-rename="pendingRenameGroupId === item.node.id" :highlighted="highlightedNodeId === item.node.id" @search-toggle="onSearchToggle" @rename-started="pendingRenameGroupId = null" />
+        </template>
+      </RecycleScroller>
+      <div v-if="stickyNode" class="sticky-database-header pointer-events-auto absolute inset-x-0 top-0 z-[5] border-b border-border/60" :style="stickyHeaderStyle">
+        <TreeItem :node="stickyNode.node" :depth="stickyNode.depth" :drag-disabled="true" @search-toggle="onSearchToggle" />
+      </div>
     </div>
-    <RecycleScroller
-      v-if="flatNodes.length > 0 && useVirtualTree"
-      ref="treeScrollerRef"
-      class="sidebar-tree connection-tree-scroller min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-y-auto"
-      :class="sidebarTreeOverflowClass"
-      @click="clearSidebarSelection"
-      :items="flatNodes"
-      :item-size="SIDEBAR_TREE_ROW_HEIGHT"
-      :buffer="SIDEBAR_TREE_SCROLL_BUFFER"
-      :prerender="SIDEBAR_TREE_PRERENDER_COUNT"
-      :skip-hover="true"
-      key-field="id"
-      type-field="type"
-      flow-mode
-    >
-      <template #default="{ item }">
-        <TreeItem :node="item.node" :depth="item.depth" :drag-disabled="isFiltering" :pending-rename="pendingRenameGroupId === item.node.id" :highlighted="highlightedNodeId === item.node.id" @search-toggle="onSearchToggle" @rename-started="pendingRenameGroupId = null" />
-      </template>
-    </RecycleScroller>
     <div v-else-if="flatNodes.length > 0" ref="plainTreeScrollerRef" class="sidebar-tree min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-y-auto" :class="sidebarTreeOverflowClass" @click="clearSidebarSelection">
       <TreeItem
         v-for="item in flatNodes"