diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/header-footer/HeaderFooterSessionManager.ts b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/header-footer/HeaderFooterSessionManager.ts
index 43ff2361a5..627b6e860f 100644
--- a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/header-footer/HeaderFooterSessionManager.ts
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/header-footer/HeaderFooterSessionManager.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ import {
   type HeaderFooterConstraints,
 } from '@superdoc/layout-bridge';
 import { selectionToRects } from '@superdoc/layout-bridge';
+import { resolveCaretLineBox } from '../../../dom-observer/CaretLineAnchoring.js';
 import { deduplicateOverlappingRects } from '../../../dom-observer/DomSelectionGeometry.js';
 import { resolveSectionProjections } from '../../../document-api-adapters/helpers/sections-resolver.js';
 import { computeCaretLayoutRectGeometry as computeCaretLayoutRectGeometryFromHelper } from '../selection/CaretGeometry.js';
@@ -2236,12 +2237,13 @@ export class HeaderFooterSessionManager {
     }
 
     const localX = (pos <= entry.pmStart ? elementRect.left : elementRect.right) - pageRect.left;
+    const yRect = resolveCaretLineBox(entry.el) ?? elementRect;
     return {
       pageIndex: context.region.pageIndex,
       x: localX / zoom,
-      y: context.region.pageIndex * bodyPageHeight + (elementRect.top - pageRect.top) / zoom,
+      y: context.region.pageIndex * bodyPageHeight + (yRect.top - pageRect.top) / zoom,
       width: 1,
-      height: Math.max(1, elementRect.height / zoom),
+      height: Math.max(1, yRect.height / zoom),
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/tests/HeaderFooterSessionManager.test.ts b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/tests/HeaderFooterSessionManager.test.ts
index 8303da579b..233bd82f6b 100644
--- a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/tests/HeaderFooterSessionManager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/tests/HeaderFooterSessionManager.test.ts
@@ -2668,4 +2668,87 @@ describe('HeaderFooterSessionManager', () => {
       expect(duringUpdate.storyLayouts.headers[0]!.resolvedLayout!.pages[0]!.items[0]!.blockId).toBe('old-block');
     });
   });
+
+  describe('computeCaretRect — text-less surface entries', () => {
+    // Page rect is the origin, so page-local coords equal client coords and the
+    // only interesting term is `pageIndex * bodyPageHeight` = 1 * 800.
+    const PAGE_RECT = createRect(0, 0, 816, 1056);
+    const LINE_RECT = createRect(100, 200, 600, 18);
+    // A painted tab is `vertical-align: bottom` inside a `font-size: 0` line, so its
+    // own box starts below the line top. That 6px is the caret offset users saw.
+    const TAB_RECT = createRect(140, 206, 20, 18);
+
+    async function setupSurface(entryEl: HTMLElement, { wrapInLine = true } = {}): Promise<void> {
+      await setupWithZoom(1);
+
+      const pageElement = painterHost.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-page-index="1"]')!;
+      vi.spyOn(pageElement, 'getBoundingClientRect').mockReturnValue(PAGE_RECT);
+
+      const surface = document.createElement('div');
+      surface.className = 'superdoc-page-header';
+      pageElement.appendChild(surface);
+
+      vi.spyOn(entryEl, 'getBoundingClientRect').mockReturnValue(TAB_RECT);
+
+      if (wrapInLine) {
+        const line = document.createElement('div');
+        line.className = 'superdoc-line';
+        vi.spyOn(line, 'getBoundingClientRect').mockReturnValue(LINE_RECT);
+        line.appendChild(entryEl);
+        surface.appendChild(line);
+      } else {
+        surface.appendChild(entryEl);
+      }
+    }
+
+    function createEntryEl(className: string): HTMLElement {
+      const el = document.createElement('span');
+      if (className) {
+        el.className = className;
+      }
+      el.dataset.pmStart = '7';
+      el.dataset.pmEnd = '8';
+      return el;
+    }
+
+    it('anchors the caret to the line box for a tab entry, not the bottom-aligned tab box', async () => {
+      await setupSurface(createEntryEl('superdoc-tab'));
+
+      expect(manager.computeCaretRect(9)).toEqual({
+        pageIndex: 1,
+        // x still comes from the tab box: pos is past pmStart, so the caret sits at its right edge.
+        x: TAB_RECT.right,
+        y: 800 + LINE_RECT.top,
+        width: 1,
+        height: LINE_RECT.height,
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('anchors the caret to the line box for an empty SDT placeholder', async () => {
+      await setupSurface(createEntryEl('superdoc-empty-inline-sdt-placeholder'));
+
+      expect(manager.computeCaretRect(9)).toMatchObject({
+        y: 800 + LINE_RECT.top,
+        height: LINE_RECT.height,
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('keeps the element box for text-less entries that are not line-anchored', async () => {
+      await setupSurface(createEntryEl('superdoc-inline-image'));
+
+      expect(manager.computeCaretRect(9)).toMatchObject({
+        y: 800 + TAB_RECT.top,
+        height: TAB_RECT.height,
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('falls back to the element box when a tab entry has no enclosing line', async () => {
+      await setupSurface(createEntryEl('superdoc-tab'), { wrapInLine: false });
+
+      expect(manager.computeCaretRect(9)).toMatchObject({
+        y: 800 + TAB_RECT.top,
+        height: TAB_RECT.height,
+      });
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/dom-observer/CaretLineAnchoring.test.ts b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/dom-observer/CaretLineAnchoring.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ad236e7750
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/dom-observer/CaretLineAnchoring.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import { isEmptySdtPlaceholder, isLineAnchoredCaretElement, resolveCaretLineBox } from './CaretLineAnchoring.js';
+
+function createRect(top: number, height: number): DOMRect {
+  return {
+    top,
+    height,
+    bottom: top + height,
+    left: 0,
+    right: 0,
+    width: 0,
+    x: 0,
+    y: top,
+    toJSON: () => ({}),
+  } as DOMRect;
+}
+
+function paintInLine(className: string, lineRect = createRect(200, 18)): HTMLElement {
+  const line = document.createElement('div');
+  line.className = 'superdoc-line';
+  vi.spyOn(line, 'getBoundingClientRect').mockReturnValue(lineRect);
+
+  const el = document.createElement('span');
+  el.className = className;
+  line.appendChild(el);
+  document.body.appendChild(line);
+  return el;
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  document.body.innerHTML = '';
+  vi.restoreAllMocks();
+});
+
+describe('isEmptySdtPlaceholder', () => {
+  it.each([
+    'superdoc-empty-sdt-placeholder',
+    'superdoc-empty-inline-sdt-placeholder',
+    'superdoc-empty-block-sdt-placeholder',
+  ])('matches %s', (className) => {
+    expect(isEmptySdtPlaceholder(paintInLine(className))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('does not match a tab', () => {
+    expect(isEmptySdtPlaceholder(paintInLine('superdoc-tab'))).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('isLineAnchoredCaretElement', () => {
+  it('matches tabs and empty SDT placeholders', () => {
+    expect(isLineAnchoredCaretElement(paintInLine('superdoc-tab'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(isLineAnchoredCaretElement(paintInLine('superdoc-empty-inline-sdt-placeholder'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('does not match elements whose own box is the caret box', () => {
+    expect(isLineAnchoredCaretElement(paintInLine('superdoc-inline-image'))).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('resolveCaretLineBox', () => {
+  it('returns the enclosing line box for a tab', () => {
+    expect(resolveCaretLineBox(paintInLine('superdoc-tab'))).toMatchObject({ top: 200, height: 18 });
+  });
+
+  it('returns null for elements that are not line-anchored', () => {
+    expect(resolveCaretLineBox(paintInLine('superdoc-inline-image'))).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('returns null when the tab has no enclosing line', () => {
+    const orphan = document.createElement('span');
+    orphan.className = 'superdoc-tab';
+    document.body.appendChild(orphan);
+
+    expect(resolveCaretLineBox(orphan)).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('returns null for a degenerate line box so callers keep the element box', () => {
+    expect(resolveCaretLineBox(paintInLine('superdoc-tab', createRect(200, 0)))).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/dom-observer/CaretLineAnchoring.ts b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/dom-observer/CaretLineAnchoring.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ee7f1d0981
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/dom-observer/CaretLineAnchoring.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { DOM_CLASS_NAMES } from '@superdoc/dom-contract';
+
+const EMPTY_SDT_PLACEHOLDER_CLASSES = [
+  'superdoc-empty-sdt-placeholder',
+  'superdoc-empty-inline-sdt-placeholder',
+  'superdoc-empty-block-sdt-placeholder',
+];
+
+/** Placeholder painted for an SDT with no content. */
+export function isEmptySdtPlaceholder(el: HTMLElement): boolean {
+  return EMPTY_SDT_PLACEHOLDER_CLASSES.some((className) => el.classList.contains(className));
+}
+
+/**
+ * AIDEV-NOTE: A tab span is painted `vertical-align: bottom` (SD-3330) inside a `font-size: 0`
+ * line, so its own box starts below the line top. Every caret path must route through this —
+ * the header/footer path missed the body-only fix in #3677 and kept rendering the caret low.
+ */
+export function isLineAnchoredCaretElement(el: HTMLElement): boolean {
+  return isEmptySdtPlaceholder(el) || el.classList.contains('superdoc-tab');
+}
+
+/** The line box a caret should use, or null when the element's own box is correct. */
+export function resolveCaretLineBox(el: HTMLElement): DOMRect | null {
+  if (!isLineAnchoredCaretElement(el)) return null;
+
+  const lineRect = el.closest<HTMLElement>(`.${DOM_CLASS_NAMES.LINE}`)?.getBoundingClientRect();
+  if (!lineRect || !Number.isFinite(lineRect.top) || lineRect.height <= 0) return null;
+
+  return lineRect;
+}
diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/dom-observer/DomSelectionGeometry.ts b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/dom-observer/DomSelectionGeometry.ts
index d2d5a266a6..4248be610d 100644
--- a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/dom-observer/DomSelectionGeometry.ts
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/dom-observer/DomSelectionGeometry.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { Layout } from '@superdoc/contracts';
 import { DOM_CLASS_NAMES } from '@superdoc/dom-contract';
 
+import { isEmptySdtPlaceholder, resolveCaretLineBox } from './CaretLineAnchoring.js';
 import type { DomPositionIndex, DomPositionIndexEntry } from './DomPositionIndex.js';
 import { debugLog, getSelectionDebugConfig } from '../core/presentation-editor/selection/SelectionDebug.js';
 
@@ -647,14 +648,8 @@ export function computeDomCaretPageLocal(
 
     // For non-text elements (images, math), position caret at the right edge
     // when pos matches pmEnd (cursor after the element)
-    const isEmptySdtPlaceholder =
-      targetEl.classList.contains('superdoc-empty-sdt-placeholder') ||
-      targetEl.classList.contains('superdoc-empty-inline-sdt-placeholder') ||
-      targetEl.classList.contains('superdoc-empty-block-sdt-placeholder');
-    const atEnd = isEmptySdtPlaceholder ? pos > entry.pmEnd : pos >= entry.pmEnd;
-    const useLineTopForY = isEmptySdtPlaceholder || targetEl.classList.contains('superdoc-tab');
-    const lineEl = useLineTopForY ? (targetEl.closest('.superdoc-line') as HTMLElement | null) : null;
-    const yRect = lineEl?.getBoundingClientRect() ?? elRect;
+    const atEnd = isEmptySdtPlaceholder(targetEl) ? pos > entry.pmEnd : pos >= entry.pmEnd;
+    const yRect = resolveCaretLineBox(targetEl) ?? elRect;
     return {
       pageIndex: Number(page.dataset.pageIndex ?? '0'),
       x: ((atEnd ? elRect.right : elRect.left) - pageRect.left) / zoom,