diff --git a/src/ui.cpp b/src/ui.cpp
index 3a11d5b..e098a24 100644
--- a/src/ui.cpp
+++ b/src/ui.cpp
@@ -753,6 +753,8 @@ void on_layout_drag_end(GtkGestureDrag*, double, double, gpointer user) {
 
 // --- column (cell) resize drag -----------------------------------------------
 
+// The two cells' widths here are *plot* widths (a cell's rect without the first cell's y gutter): the
+// 96 px floor and the plotter's 64 px floor both apply to them, and the weights share them out.
 void layout_col_apply(App& app, int plot, double offset_px) {
   RowSet& rs = *app.rows;
   const int fr = rs.figure_row_of(plot);
@@ -792,8 +794,18 @@ bool layout_col_drag_begin(App& app, int plot) {
   const plot::FigureLayout& fl = app.rows->figure().layout();
   const double scale =
       app.area != nullptr && app.area->device_scale() > 0.0f ? app.area->device_scale() : 1.0;
-  app.layout_col_drag_left0 = static_cast<double>(fl.cells[static_cast<std::size_t>(plot - 1)].w) / scale;
-  app.layout_col_drag_right0 = static_cast<double>(fl.cells[static_cast<std::size_t>(plot)].w) / scale;
+  // The weights share out *plot* widths, so the pair is measured as plots: a cell's rect minus the y
+  // gutter (axis strip + title column) that only the first cell of a row has. The left cell of the pair
+  // is the first one when `plot - 1` starts the row; the right cell never has a gutter, and neither does
+  // a non-first left cell (its plot's strips read 0).
+  const auto plot_width = [&](int cell) {
+    const RowSet::Row& r = app.rows->row(cell);
+    const double gutter =
+        r.plot != nullptr ? double(r.plot->layout().y_axis_width + r.plot->layout().y_title_width) : 0.0;
+    return std::max(0.0, double(fl.cells[static_cast<std::size_t>(cell)].w) - gutter);
+  };
+  app.layout_col_drag_left0 = plot_width(plot - 1) / scale;
+  app.layout_col_drag_right0 = plot_width(plot) / scale;
   app.layout_col_drag_start = app.rows->cell_weights(fr);
   app.layout_col_drag_start.resize(static_cast<std::size_t>(app.rows->cells_in_row(fr)), 1.0f);
   return true;
diff --git a/src/ui_app.hpp b/src/ui_app.hpp
index d64141c..be333a9 100644
--- a/src/ui_app.hpp
+++ b/src/ui_app.hpp
@@ -208,9 +208,10 @@ struct App {
   /// began, so the beginning has to be kept -- reading the weights while dragging would compound.
   int layout_drag_row = -1;
   std::vector<float> layout_drag_start;
-  /// Column drag state: which plot (right-hand cell), the two starting widths in logical px,
-  /// and the cell weights snapshot at drag begin (`layout_col_apply()` redistributes the pair's
-  /// weight sum from these, so a drag stays relative to where it started).
+  /// Column drag state: which plot (right-hand cell), the two starting *plot* widths in logical px
+  /// (a cell's rect minus the y gutter only the first cell of a row has), and the cell weights
+  /// snapshot at drag begin (`layout_col_apply()` redistributes the pair's weight sum from these, so
+  /// a drag stays relative to where it started).
   int layout_col_drag_plot = -1;
   double layout_col_drag_left0 = 0.0;
   double layout_col_drag_right0 = 0.0;
diff --git a/src/ui_probe.cpp b/src/ui_probe.cpp
index 46ed21c..91381cb 100644
--- a/src/ui_probe.cpp
+++ b/src/ui_probe.cpp
@@ -4203,7 +4203,16 @@ gboolean split_probe_step(gpointer user) {
         const double scale2 = (a->area != nullptr && a->area->device_scale() > 0.0f)
                                    ? static_cast<double>(a->area->device_scale()) : 1.0;
         const int plot1 = rs.first_plot_of_row(0) + 1;
+        // The cells compared are *plot* widths (`axes.w` plus the right gutter, i.e. the cell rect without
+        // the y gutter that only the first cell has): the weights apply to those, so the divider follows the
+        // pointer only when the drag is measured the same way. The rect widths carry the gutter and are
+        // reported separately (`rect=`), they are not what is checked.
         const auto width = [&](int cell) {
+          (void)rs.figure().layout();  // non-const: re-lays the figure and every plot out on the weights
+          const plot::PlotLayout& pl = rs.row(cell).plot->layout();
+          return static_cast<double>(pl.axes.w + pl.right_gutter) / scale2;
+        };
+        const auto rect_width = [&](int cell) {
           return static_cast<double>(rs.figure().layout().cells[static_cast<std::size_t>(cell)].w) / scale2;
         };
         // One drag of `dx` logical px from the arrangement the figure is in now, then the widths read
@@ -4253,16 +4262,18 @@ gboolean split_probe_step(gpointer user) {
                                     w0_max >= kMinCellPx - 1.0 && w1_max >= kMinCellPx - 1.0) ? 1 : 0;
         const int ok = left_gt && left_grew && follows_80 && sum_80 && relative && right_floor &&
                        left_floor && sum_ext && both_above_min ? 1 : 0;
+        // What the rect carries over the plot: the first cell's y gutter (the second has none).
+        const double gutter0 = rect_width(0) - width(0);
         // Leave the drag ended, as the gesture's end does.
         a->layout_col_drag_plot = -1;
         a->layout_col_drag_start.clear();
         std::fprintf(stderr,
                      "[split-probe] col-drag        ok=%d left_gt_right=%d follows_80=%d relative=%d "
                      "sum_80=%d right_floor=%d left_floor=%d sum_ext=%d both_above_min=%d "
-                     "tile=%d d80=[%.1f,%.1f]->[%.1f,%.1f] ext=[%.1f,%.1f|%.1f,%.1f]\n",
+                     "tile=%d d80=[%.1f,%.1f]->[%.1f,%.1f] ext=[%.1f,%.1f|%.1f,%.1f] gutter0=%.1f\n",
                      ok, left_gt, follows_80, relative, sum_80, right_floor, left_floor, sum_ext,
                      both_above_min, split_probe_tile(*a), d80.l0, d80.r0, d80.l, d80.r, w0_max,
-                     w1_min, w0_min, w1_max);
+                     w1_min, w0_min, w1_max, gutter0);
       }
       split_probe_next(*a);
       break;