diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/preview/RecordingCursor.ts b/apps/desktop/src/preview/RecordingCursor.ts
index 5b9fb3c13bc37..29f1865de291f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/preview/RecordingCursor.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/preview/RecordingCursor.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ import {
   type RecordingKeyPress,
 } from "./RecordingInput.ts";
 
+// Modal dialogs, popovers and fullscreen elements paint above any z-index, so the cursors live in
+// the top layer as manual popovers and move back to its front whenever the page adds to it.
+const POPOVER_RESET =
+  "all:initial;margin:0;padding:0;border:0;background:transparent;overflow:visible;inset:auto;animation:none;transition:none;";
+
 /** Draw in guest coordinates; Chromium's native cursor ignores webview CSS placement/scale. Hide it to avoid duplicates. */
 export function installRecordingCursor(
   document: Document,
@@ -20,22 +25,43 @@ export function installRecordingCursor(
 ) {
   const style = document.createElement("style");
   style.textContent =
-    "html, html * { cursor: none !important; } @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) { [data-t3code-recording-agent-cursor] { transition: none !important; } }";
+    "html, html * { cursor: none !important; } [data-t3code-recording-cursor]::backdrop, [data-t3code-recording-agent-cursor]::backdrop { display: none !important; } @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) { [data-t3code-recording-agent-cursor] { transition: none !important; } }";
   const cursor = document.createElement("div");
   cursor.setAttribute("aria-hidden", "true");
   cursor.setAttribute("data-t3code-recording-cursor", "");
+  cursor.popover = "manual";
   cursor.style.cssText =
+    POPOVER_RESET +
     "position:fixed;left:0;top:0;width:16px;height:24px;pointer-events:none;z-index:2147483647;display:none;";
   cursor.innerHTML =
     '<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="24" viewBox="0 0 16 24"><path d="M1 1v18l4-4 4 8 3-1.5-4-8H15Z" fill="black" stroke="white" stroke-width="1.5" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg>';
   const agentCursor = document.createElement("div");
   agentCursor.setAttribute("aria-hidden", "true");
   agentCursor.setAttribute("data-t3code-recording-agent-cursor", "");
+  agentCursor.popover = "manual";
   agentCursor.style.cssText =
+    POPOVER_RESET +
     "position:fixed;left:0;top:0;width:20px;height:20px;pointer-events:none;z-index:2147483647;display:none;filter:drop-shadow(0 1px 2px #0003);transition:transform 150ms ease-out,opacity 150ms ease-out;";
   agentCursor.innerHTML =
     '<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="var(--recording-cursor-background,white)" stroke="var(--recording-cursor-primary,#2563eb)" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" style="transform:translate(-2px,-2px)"><path d="M4.037 4.688a.495.495 0 0 1 .651-.651l16 6.5a.5.5 0 0 1-.063.947l-6.124 1.58a2 2 0 0 0-1.438 1.435l-1.579 6.126a.5.5 0 0 1-.947.063z"/></svg>';
   document.documentElement.append(style, cursor, agentCursor);
+  const cursors = [cursor, agentCursor];
+  const raise = () => {
+    for (const element of cursors) {
+      if (!element.isConnected || typeof element.showPopover !== "function") continue;
+      if (element.matches(":popover-open")) element.hidePopover();
+      element.showPopover();
+    }
+  };
+  raise();
+  const dialogObserver = new MutationObserver(raise);
+  dialogObserver.observe(document, { subtree: true, attributes: true, attributeFilter: ["open"] });
+  const toggle = (event: Event) => {
+    if (cursors.some((element) => element === event.target)) return;
+    if ("newState" in event && event.newState === "open") raise();
+  };
+  document.addEventListener("toggle", toggle, true);
+  document.addEventListener("fullscreenchange", raise);
   let controller: "human" | "agent" | "none" = "none";
   let humanPoint: { readonly x: number; readonly y: number } | null = null;
   const drawHuman = () => {
@@ -182,6 +208,9 @@ export function installRecordingCursor(
       window.removeEventListener("keyup", keyUp, true);
       window.removeEventListener("pointerout", leave, true);
       window.removeEventListener("blur", hide);
+      dialogObserver.disconnect();
+      document.removeEventListener("toggle", toggle, true);
+      document.removeEventListener("fullscreenchange", raise);
       cancelPendingPointer();
       window.clearTimeout(agentTimer);
       cursor.remove();