diff --git a/internal/ui/message_items.go b/internal/ui/message_items.go
index c5446bd1..a7340673 100644
--- a/internal/ui/message_items.go
+++ b/internal/ui/message_items.go
@@ -172,10 +172,17 @@ func (s *StreamingMessageItem) Render(width int) string {
 
 // Height returns the number of lines.
 func (s *StreamingMessageItem) Height() int {
-	if s.cachedRender == "" {
+	// For reasoning blocks, cachedRender is never populated (rendering is
+	// width-independent and includes a live timer). Fall back to Render(0)
+	// so callers always get the correct height.
+	rendered := s.cachedRender
+	if rendered == "" {
+		rendered = s.Render(0)
+	}
+	if rendered == "" {
 		return 0
 	}
-	return strings.Count(s.cachedRender, "\n") + 1
+	return strings.Count(rendered, "\n") + 1
 }
 
 // AppendChunk adds a content chunk and invalidates the render cache.
diff --git a/internal/ui/scrolllist.go b/internal/ui/scrolllist.go
index 627ececc..bdf070c7 100644
--- a/internal/ui/scrolllist.go
+++ b/internal/ui/scrolllist.go
@@ -284,6 +284,10 @@ func (s *ScrollList) selectLine(itemIdx, lineIdx int) {
 // getItemAndLineAtY converts a viewport-relative Y coordinate to item index
 // and line index within that item. Accounts for scroll offset and item gaps.
 // Returns (-1, -1) if Y is outside the viewport or beyond all items.
+//
+// IMPORTANT: Uses Render()+line counting (not Height()) to compute item height,
+// because Height() on some MessageItem implementations (e.g. StreamingMessageItem
+// for reasoning blocks) may return 0 when the render cache is empty.
 func (s *ScrollList) getItemAndLineAtY(y int) (itemIdx, lineIdx int) {
 	if y < 0 || y >= s.height || len(s.items) == 0 {
 		return -1, -1
@@ -292,7 +296,8 @@ func (s *ScrollList) getItemAndLineAtY(y int) (itemIdx, lineIdx int) {
 	currentY := 0
 	for idx := s.offsetIdx; idx < len(s.items); idx++ {
 		item := s.items[idx]
-		itemHeight := item.Height()
+		// Compute height the same way View() does: render, then count lines.
+		itemHeight := s.renderedHeight(item)
 
 		// Account for partial visibility of the first item.
 		startLine := 0
@@ -667,6 +672,18 @@ func (s *ScrollList) clampOffset() {
 	}
 }
 
+// renderedHeight returns the height of a message item in lines by actually
+// rendering it. This is the single source of truth for item height — it
+// matches exactly what View() produces, unlike item.Height() which may
+// return stale/zero values for uncached items (e.g. reasoning blocks).
+func (s *ScrollList) renderedHeight(item MessageItem) int {
+	rendered := item.Render(s.width)
+	if rendered == "" {
+		return 0
+	}
+	return strings.Count(rendered, "\n") + 1
+}
+
 // abs returns the absolute value of x.
 func abs(x int) int {
 	if x < 0 {