1 files changed, 35 insertions, 8 deletions

diff --git a/src/pardes.zig b/src/pardes.zig
index c14154e5..0219d474 100644
--- a/src/pardes.zig
+++ b/src/pardes.zig
@@ -1203,9 +1203,10 @@ pub const Pardes = struct {
             const free = p.freeSlot() orelse return;
             const nt = p.newShell(free, "") catch return;
             nt.greet = true;
-            const f = p.layoutFindTerm(p.active).?;
+            const src = p.splitParent(p.active);
+            const f = p.layoutFindTerm(src).?;
             p.layoutInsert(f.col, f.idx + 1, free);
-            p.splitBelow(p.active, nt);
+            p.splitBelow(src, nt);
             p.active = free;
             return;
         }
@@ -3973,6 +3974,26 @@ pub const Pardes = struct {
         if (p.panes[sib]) |s| s.vweight += @as(f32, @floatFromInt(@max(1, p.rects[id].h)));
     }
 
+    /// The parent a new pane splits from must be tall enough that splitBelow
+    /// leaves the NEW pane at least 2 body rows (the parent keeps tag+1 row,
+    /// the new pane needs tag+2). A too-short choice is swapped for a
+    /// qualifying pane (same column first, keeping the split local), else the
+    /// tallest pane anywhere.
+    fn splitParent(p: *Pardes, want: usize) usize {
+        const need = 2 * BOX_H + 3;
+        if (p.rects[want].h >= need) return want;
+        if (p.layoutFindTerm(want)) |f| for (0..p.col_n[f.col]) |k| {
+            if (p.rects[p.col_terms[f.col][k]].h >= need) return p.col_terms[f.col][k];
+        };
+        var tallest = want;
+        for (0..p.ncol) |c| for (0..p.col_n[c]) |k| {
+            const pid = p.col_terms[c][k];
+            if (p.rects[pid].h >= need) return pid;
+            if (p.rects[pid].h > p.rects[tallest].h) tallest = pid;
+        };
+        return tallest;
+    }
+
     /// Open a window BELOW `src` (acme-style) without rebalancing the column:
     /// shrink ONLY src to its content height (cursor row kept visible) and hand
     /// the freed rows to `nw` — together they fill src's old slot and the other
@@ -4039,8 +4060,12 @@ pub const Pardes = struct {
         const nt = p.newShell(free, dir) catch return null;
         nt.greet = false;
         const rc = if (p.ncol > 0) p.ncol - 1 else 0;
-        if (p.col_n[rc] > 0) p.splitBelow(p.col_terms[rc][p.col_n[rc] - 1], nt);
-        p.layoutInsert(rc, p.col_n[rc], free);
+        if (p.col_n[rc] > 0) {
+            const src = p.splitParent(p.col_terms[rc][p.col_n[rc] - 1]);
+            const f = p.layoutFindTerm(src).?;
+            p.splitBelow(src, nt);
+            p.layoutInsert(f.col, f.idx + 1, free);
+        } else p.layoutInsert(rc, p.col_n[rc], free);
         return free;
     }
 
@@ -4225,9 +4250,10 @@ pub const Pardes = struct {
                     const free = p.freeSlot() orelse return;
                     const nt = p.newShell(free, dir) catch return;
                     nt.greet = true;
-                    const f = p.layoutFindTerm(id).?;
+                    const src = p.splitParent(id);
+                    const f = p.layoutFindTerm(src).?;
                     p.layoutInsert(f.col, f.idx + 1, free);
-                    p.splitBelow(id, nt);
+                    p.splitBelow(src, nt);
                     p.active = free;
                 },
                 .file => |target| {
@@ -4359,9 +4385,10 @@ pub const Pardes = struct {
             };
         };
         if (src_id) |sid| {
-            const sf = p.layoutFindTerm(sid).?;
+            const src = p.splitParent(sid);
+            const sf = p.layoutFindTerm(src).?;
             p.layoutInsert(sf.col, sf.idx + 1, free);
-            p.splitBelow(sid, nt);
+            p.splitBelow(src, nt);
             p.active = free;
         } else {
             p.stackDocLeft(free, nt);