diff --git a/internal/editor/state.go b/internal/editor/state.go
index 8fbadaf..9a177be 100644
--- a/internal/editor/state.go
+++ b/internal/editor/state.go
@@ -1857,6 +1857,10 @@ func markDirty() {
 }
 
 // EditorLayout computes the element tree for the editor page.
+// FindBarHeight is the find bar's height; buildFindBar and EditorLayout
+// (which shrinks the text area to make room) both use it.
+const FindBarHeight = ui.Dp(40)
+
 // buildFindBar lays out the in-file search bar: [input][counter][prev][next]
 // [close], full screen width, directly below the margin-free top bar (the
 // bars merge, so this one does too; inner content keeps the margin). The
@@ -1866,7 +1870,7 @@ func markDirty() {
 func buildFindBar(screenWidth ui.Dp) ui.Element {
 	margin := ui.Dp(10)
 	gap := ui.Dp(8)
-	h := ui.Dp(40)
+	h := FindBarHeight
 	topY := ui.Dp(32) // top bar height (see EditorLayout)
 
 	// Right-hand button column: prev, next, close.
@@ -1988,7 +1992,12 @@ func EditorLayout(screenWidth, screenHeight ui.Dp, wordWrap bool) []ui.Element {
 	}
 
 	// --- Editor text area ---
+	// While the find bar is open it sits in [32, 32+FindBarHeight); shrink the
+	// text area from the top so the first visible line is not covered.
 	editorY := statusBarRegion.Y + statusBarRegion.H
+	if TheState.Editor.Find.Visible {
+		editorY += FindBarHeight
+	}
 	editorH := bottomBarRegion.Y - editorY
 	editorRegion := ui.Region{
 		X: margin, Y: editorY,
diff --git a/internal/test/e2e/find_test.go b/internal/test/e2e/find_test.go
index 05b015b..fcacd1b 100644
--- a/internal/test/e2e/find_test.go
+++ b/internal/test/e2e/find_test.go
@@ -80,6 +80,12 @@ func TestRealFile_FindBarAndNavigation(t *testing.T) {
 	if focus.(string) != "find_bar" {
 		t.Fatalf("focus %q, want find_bar", focus)
 	}
+	// The text area must shrink from the top while the find bar is open so
+	// the first line is not covered: region top = top bar (32) + FindBarHeight.
+	reg, _ := h.Inspect(func(st *editor.State) any { return st.EditorRegion })
+	if got := reg.(ui.Region); got.Y != ui.Dp(32)+editor.FindBarHeight {
+		t.Fatalf("editor region top %d, want %d (find bar must not cover text)", int(got.Y), int(ui.Dp(32)+editor.FindBarHeight))
+	}
 
 	// Type the query through the same channel main uses.
 	h.Logic().FindQueryChan() <- "NEEDLE" // case-insensitive