diff --git a/packages/app/src/index.css b/packages/app/src/index.css
index a9b3b592a..2f1aa408c 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/index.css
+++ b/packages/app/src/index.css
@@ -389,3 +389,10 @@
     display: none;
   }
 }
+
+/* Done-dot crossfade: when a running row transitions to done, the 7px ink
+   circle fades in over 150ms instead of appearing instantly. Softens the
+   running→done handoff so the eye reads continuity, not a hard swap. */
+[data-slot="thought-rail-dot"][data-state="done"] {
+  transition: opacity 150ms ease-out;
+}
diff --git a/packages/app/src/pages/session/timeline/travelling-dot.test.ts b/packages/app/src/pages/session/timeline/travelling-dot.test.ts
index 00df88075..80f857fde 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/pages/session/timeline/travelling-dot.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/pages/session/timeline/travelling-dot.test.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@ describe("bottom-anchored harmonic dot", () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe("done-dot crossfade", () => {
+  test("done-dot has an opacity transition (fade-in on completion)", () => {
+    // The done-dot should fade in smoothly rather than appearing instantly.
+    // Look for a CSS rule with transition containing "opacity" on the done state.
+    expect(indexCss).toMatch(/thought-rail-dot[^}]*done[^}]*transition[^}]*opacity/)
+  })
+})
+
 describe("timeline entrance animation", () => {
   test("timeline-enter keyframe uses blur + rise + opacity", () => {
     expect(polishCss).toMatch(/timeline-enter[\s\S]*opacity:\s*0/)
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-dot.tsx b/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-dot.tsx
index 89db5a565..268d34f0e 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-dot.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-dot.tsx
@@ -25,12 +25,16 @@ import {
   INNER_R,
   CIRCLE_DONUT_PATH,
   SMIL,
+  smilBeginOffset,
 } from "./harmonic-geometry"
 
 export function HarmonicDot(props: {
   class?: string
   style?: ComponentProps<"svg">["style"]
 }) {
+  // Phase-lock: compute once at creation so SMIL picks up the global morph
+  // phase instead of restarting from the ring on every remount.
+  const begin = smilBeginOffset()
   return (
     <svg
       data-component="harmonic-dot"
@@ -57,6 +61,7 @@ export function HarmonicDot(props: {
           values={SMIL.innerRadius}
           keyTimes={SMIL.keyTimes}
           dur={SMIL.dur}
+          begin={begin}
           repeatCount="indefinite"
           calcMode="linear"
         />
@@ -73,6 +78,7 @@ export function HarmonicDot(props: {
           values={SMIL.values}
           keyTimes={SMIL.keyTimes}
           dur={SMIL.dur}
+          begin={begin}
           repeatCount="indefinite"
           calcMode="linear"
         />
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-geometry.test.ts b/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-geometry.test.ts
index 5e58756f1..27424a997 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-geometry.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-geometry.test.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import {
   harmonicRadius,
   harmonicPath,
   buildSmil,
+  smilBeginOffset,
 } from "./harmonic-geometry"
 
 describe("constants", () => {
@@ -240,3 +241,36 @@ describe("SMIL keyframes", () => {
     }
   })
 })
+
+describe("smilBeginOffset (phase-lock)", () => {
+  test("returns a negative ms string matching -(now % CYCLE_MS)", () => {
+    const before = Date.now()
+    const result = smilBeginOffset()
+    const after = Date.now()
+    // Must be a string of the form "-<digits>ms"
+    expect(result).toMatch(/^-\d+ms$/)
+    // The numeric value should be within [before % CYCLE_MS, after % CYCLE_MS] ± 50ms
+    const offsetMs = parseInt(result.slice(1, -2), 10) // strip leading "-" and trailing "ms"
+    const expectedLow = before % CYCLE_MS
+    const expectedHigh = after % CYCLE_MS
+    // Handle the wraparound case where the modulus crosses the cycle boundary
+    if (expectedHigh >= expectedLow) {
+      expect(offsetMs).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(expectedLow - 50)
+      expect(offsetMs).toBeLessThanOrEqual(expectedHigh + 50)
+    } else {
+      // Wraparound: either offsetMs is near the end of the cycle or near the start
+      const inRange =
+        (offsetMs >= expectedLow - 50) || (offsetMs <= expectedHigh + 50)
+      expect(inRange).toBe(true)
+    }
+  })
+
+  test("offset is always less than CYCLE_MS", () => {
+    for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+      const result = smilBeginOffset()
+      const offsetMs = parseInt(result.slice(1, -2), 10)
+      expect(offsetMs).toBeLessThan(CYCLE_MS)
+      expect(offsetMs).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0)
+    }
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-geometry.ts b/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-geometry.ts
index 24abf7696..13c463600 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-geometry.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/amicode/harmonic-geometry.ts
@@ -344,3 +344,15 @@ export const MORPH_CADENCE_MS = CYCLE_MS
 export function smilKeyTimes(): string {
   return SMIL.keyTimes
 }
+
+/**
+ * Compute a SMIL `begin` offset that phase-locks the animation to a global
+ * modular clock. Every mount of HarmonicDot calls this once; the returned
+ * string (e.g. "-4200ms") makes the browser start the SMIL timeline as if
+ * it had been running since wall-clock t=0 mod CYCLE_MS. Two dots mounting
+ * at different times agree on the current shape because they share the same
+ * epoch.
+ */
+export function smilBeginOffset(): string {
+  return `-${Date.now() % CYCLE_MS}ms`
+}