diff --git a/core/src/components/UnifiedSearch/UnifiedSearchModal.vue b/core/src/components/UnifiedSearch/UnifiedSearchModal.vue
index c28d02cfcefd4..a1a36a78e69e7 100644
--- a/core/src/components/UnifiedSearch/UnifiedSearchModal.vue
+++ b/core/src/components/UnifiedSearch/UnifiedSearchModal.vue
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@
 					ref="resultsContainer"
 					class="unified-search-modal__results"
 					:class="{ 'unified-search-modal__results--held': heldHeight !== null }"
-					:style="heldHeight !== null ? { blockSize: `${heldHeight}px`, boxSizing: 'border-box' } : undefined">
+					:style="heldHeight !== null ? { minBlockSize: `${heldHeight}px`, boxSizing: 'border-box' } : undefined">
 					<h3 class="hidden-visually">
 						{{ t('core', 'Results') }}
 					</h3>
@@ -1807,20 +1807,30 @@ export default defineComponent({
 		min-height: 0;
 		overflow: hidden auto;
 
-		// The placeholders deliberately overfill, so the bottom fades out over the cut.
+		// The reserved height is a floor, not a size. Column layout so the placeholders can
+		// take what the results leave.
 		&--held {
+			display: flex;
+			flex-direction: column;
 			flex-grow: 0;
-			overflow: clip;
-			// Capped, so a short box does not spend a third of itself fading.
-			mask-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #000 calc(100% - min(2lh, 25%)), transparent);
+
+			> *:not(.search-result-skeleton) {
+				flex: none;
+			}
 		}
 		// Adjust padding to match container but keep the scrollbar on the very end
 		padding-inline: calc(var(--default-grid-baseline) * 4);
 		padding-block: 0 calc(var(--default-grid-baseline) * 4);
 
-		// Matches the gap a category title keeps above itself.
 		.search-result-skeleton {
+			// Matches the gap a category title keeps above itself.
 			margin-block-start: 14px;
+			// The placeholders deliberately overfill, so the bottom fades out over the cut.
+			flex: 1 1 0;
+			min-block-size: 0;
+			overflow: clip;
+			// Capped, so a short box does not spend a third of itself fading.
+			mask-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, #000 calc(100% - min(2lh, 25%)), transparent);
 		}
 
 		.result {
@@ -1891,7 +1901,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
 
 // Ensure modal is accessible on small devices
 @media only screen and (max-height: 400px) {
-	.unified-search-modal__results:not(.unified-search-modal__results--held) {
+	.unified-search-modal__results {
 		overflow: unset;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/core/src/tests/components/UnifiedSearchModal.spec.ts b/core/src/tests/components/UnifiedSearchModal.spec.ts
index 604f1a5e10c39..1c6597b671778 100644
--- a/core/src/tests/components/UnifiedSearchModal.spec.ts
+++ b/core/src/tests/components/UnifiedSearchModal.spec.ts
@@ -1267,13 +1267,35 @@ describe('UnifiedSearchModal loading skeleton', () => {
 		expect(wrapper.vm.skeletonRows * 60).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(300)
 	})
 
+	// isBusy stays true until the last provider answers, so the box carries real results meanwhile.
+	it('reserves the height as a floor, so landed results are never cut off', async () => {
+		const wrapper = await withResults()
+		measureResultsAt(wrapper, 300)
+		wrapper.vm.searchQuery = 'querying'
+		await wrapper.vm.$nextTick()
+		wrapper.vm.find('querying')
+
+		searchStates.value = {
+			files: loaded([{ resourceUrl: '/a' }, { resourceUrl: '/b' }, { resourceUrl: '/c' }]),
+			talk: { status: 'loading', entries: [], cursor: null, hasMore: false, loadMoreFailed: false },
+		}
+		await wrapper.vm.$nextTick()
+
+		expect(wrapper.vm.isBusy).toBe(true)
+		expect(wrapper.vm.hasVisibleResults).toBe(true)
+
+		const style = wrapper.find('.unified-search-modal__results').attributes('style')
+		expect(style).toContain('min-block-size: 300px')
+		expect(style).not.toMatch(/(^|[^-])block-size: 300px/)
+	})
+
 	it('holds the same height through repeated keystrokes rather than creeping taller', async () => {
 		const wrapper = await withResults()
 		const box = wrapper.vm.$refs.resultsContainer as HTMLElement
 		// Stand in for the browser: report the padding on top of whatever height is set.
 		const padding = 16
 		vi.spyOn(box, 'getBoundingClientRect').mockImplementation(() => ({
-			height: (parseFloat(box.style.blockSize) || 300) + (box.style.boxSizing === 'border-box' ? 0 : padding),
+			height: (parseFloat(box.style.minBlockSize) || 300) + (box.style.boxSizing === 'border-box' ? 0 : padding),
 		}) as DOMRect)
 
 		wrapper.vm.searchQuery = 'q1'