diff --git a/native_bridge/src/FxGuiServer.cpp b/native_bridge/src/FxGuiServer.cpp
index b9f525d..ee8b602 100644
--- a/native_bridge/src/FxGuiServer.cpp
+++ b/native_bridge/src/FxGuiServer.cpp
@@ -270,14 +270,51 @@ uint64_t frameHash(HWND hwnd) {
 }
 
 void danceStart(HWND hwnd, HWND target, int x, int y) {
-    // Embedded mode: the native window NEVER comes on-screen — showing it
-    // topmost over the panel was the "floating always-on-top" bug. Real
-    // hardware input would require the window on-screen, so it is disabled;
-    // relayInput always uses synthetic PostMessage.
-    // ponytail: re-enable real input only with a proper sibling placement
-    // (owned window, WS_EX_NOACTIVATE, no WS_EX_TOPMOST) if a plugin rejects
-    // synthetic clicks.
-    (void)hwnd; (void)target; (void)x; (void)y;
+    // Real-input fallback (only entered when synthetic PostMessage was probed
+    // as rejected — iZotope/JUCE editors): hardware input needs the plugin
+    // window visible under the cursor. Anchored mode: place it exactly over
+    // the embed panel rect (borderless, WS_EX_NOACTIVATE so the DAW keeps
+    // focus, HWND_TOP NOT TOPMOST so it never floats over other apps — the
+    // "floating always-on-top" bug that got real input disabled in 4bb0db2).
+    if (g_embedRect.right > g_embedRect.left && g_embedRect.bottom > g_embedRect.top) {
+        const int cw = g_embedRect.right - g_embedRect.left;
+        const int ch = g_embedRect.bottom - g_embedRect.top;
+        LONG_PTR style = GetWindowLongPtrA(hwnd, GWL_STYLE);
+        if (style & (WS_CAPTION | WS_THICKFRAME | WS_SYSMENU |
+                     WS_MINIMIZEBOX | WS_MAXIMIZEBOX)) {
+            style &= ~(WS_CAPTION | WS_THICKFRAME | WS_SYSMENU |
+                       WS_MINIMIZEBOX | WS_MAXIMIZEBOX);
+            SetWindowLongPtrA(hwnd, GWL_STYLE, style);
+            SetWindowPos(hwnd, nullptr, 0, 0, 0, 0,
+                         SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOZORDER |
+                         SWP_NOACTIVATE | SWP_FRAMECHANGED);
+        }
+        SetWindowPos(hwnd, HWND_TOP, g_embedRect.left, g_embedRect.top,
+                     cw, ch, SWP_NOACTIVATE | SWP_SHOWWINDOW);
+        fxGuiRequestResize(hwnd, cw, ch);
+        Sleep(60);  // let the compositor repaint so the editor sees itself active
+        g_dance = true;
+        g_anchored = true;  // stays over the panel until /close (re-anchored by /show)
+        g_parkUntil = 0;
+        return;
+    }
+    if (g_dance) return;
+    // No rect known: shift the window so the clicked point sits under the
+    // cursor (cursor already over the embed panel inside the DAW).
+    POINT pt = { x, y };
+    ClientToScreen(target, &pt);   // screen pos of the clicked point (child offscreen)
+    POINT cur;
+    GetCursorPos(&cur);
+    RECT wr = {0};
+    GetWindowRect(hwnd, &wr);
+    const int nx = wr.left + (cur.x - pt.x);
+    const int ny = wr.top + (cur.y - pt.y);
+    GetCursorPos(&g_savedCursor);
+    SetWindowPos(hwnd, HWND_TOP, nx, ny, 0, 0,
+                 SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_SHOWWINDOW | SWP_NOACTIVATE);
+    Sleep(60);  // let the compositor repaint so the editor sees itself active
+    g_dance = true;
+    g_parkUntil = GetTickCount() + 3000;
 }
 
 void danceEnd(HWND hwnd) {
@@ -353,7 +390,8 @@ void relayInput(HWND hwnd, const json_object_s* o) {
             if (resp) {
                 g_miss = 0;  // PostMessage responded — keep it
             } else if (++g_miss >= 2) {
-                g_miss = 0;  // real-input mode disabled: window must stay off-screen
+                g_realInput = true;  // synthetic input rejected — go real hardware input
+                g_miss = 0;
             }
             g_preClickHash = 0;
         }
@@ -532,9 +570,13 @@ void runHttpServer(HWND hwnd, std::atomic<bool>& stop) {
             if (!IsWindowVisible(hwnd))
                 SetWindowPos(hwnd, HWND_NOTOPMOST, -20000, -20000, 0, 0,
                              SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOACTIVATE | SWP_SHOWWINDOW);
-            g_dance = false;
-            g_anchored = false;
-            g_parkUntil = 0;
+            if (!g_realInput) {
+                // Real-input active: the dance/anchor state is owned by the
+                // input relay — /show must not yank the window off-screen.
+                g_dance = false;
+                g_anchored = false;
+                g_parkUntil = 0;
+            }
             sendResponse(c, 200, "application/json", "{\"ok\":true}", 11);
         } else if (req.path == "/preset") {
             std::string b64;
diff --git a/native_bridge/src/RenderFxJob.cpp b/native_bridge/src/RenderFxJob.cpp
index 71d3c81..f1baf83 100644
--- a/native_bridge/src/RenderFxJob.cpp
+++ b/native_bridge/src/RenderFxJob.cpp
@@ -1725,7 +1725,7 @@ static int fxGuiCreateWindow(const std::string& name, bool offscreen,
     RegisterClassA(&wc);
     const int x = offscreen ? -20000 : CW_USEDEFAULT;
     const int y = offscreen ? -20000 : CW_USEDEFAULT;
-    const DWORD exStyle = offscreen ? WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW : 0;
+    const DWORD exStyle = offscreen ? (WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW | WS_EX_NOACTIVATE) : 0;
     // Borderless (WS_POPUP): GetWindowRect == client rect, so anchored
     // placement over the embed panel is exact. A captioned/bordered window
     // (WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW) put the client area ~31px lower/right of the
diff --git a/src-tauri/binaries/fx_vst_bridge-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.exe b/src-tauri/binaries/fx_vst_bridge-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.exe
index 1e8f180..dd8de9e 100644
Binary files a/src-tauri/binaries/fx_vst_bridge-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.exe and b/src-tauri/binaries/fx_vst_bridge-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.exe differ
diff --git a/src-tauri/binaries/fx_vst_bridge.exe b/src-tauri/binaries/fx_vst_bridge.exe
index dc76286..dd8de9e 100644
Binary files a/src-tauri/binaries/fx_vst_bridge.exe and b/src-tauri/binaries/fx_vst_bridge.exe differ