diff --git a/native_bridge/src/FxGuiServer.cpp b/native_bridge/src/FxGuiServer.cpp
index e7f2afe..b9f525d 100644
--- a/native_bridge/src/FxGuiServer.cpp
+++ b/native_bridge/src/FxGuiServer.cpp
@@ -514,11 +514,21 @@ void runHttpServer(HWND hwnd, std::atomic<bool>& stop) {
             if (sroot) std::free(sroot);
             // Embedded mode: the native window NEVER comes on-screen — it stays
             // parked off-screen at -20000,-20000 (GDI capture + synthetic input
-            // work regardless of position). The panel rect is still recorded
-            // for the (disabled) real-input fallback and to keep the API
-            // contract; /hide hid the window, so re-show it off-screen so
+            // work regardless of position). The panel rect sizes the host
+            // window + plugin view so the capture frame matches the embed panel
+            // (layout bug); /hide hid the window, so re-show it off-screen so
             // /frame keeps capturing.
-            (void)rectOk;
+            if (rectOk) {
+                const int cw = g_embedRect.right - g_embedRect.left;
+                const int ch = g_embedRect.bottom - g_embedRect.top;
+                RECT cur = {};
+                GetWindowRect(hwnd, &cur);
+                // Skip when already the right size: frontend re-POSTs /show
+                // every ~500ms; re-laying-out the plugin view every tick is
+                // wasteful (WM_FXGUI_RESIZE -> checkSizeConstraint/onSize).
+                if (cur.right - cur.left != cw || cur.bottom - cur.top != ch)
+                    fxGuiRequestResize(hwnd, cw, ch);
+            }
             if (!IsWindowVisible(hwnd))
                 SetWindowPos(hwnd, HWND_NOTOPMOST, -20000, -20000, 0, 0,
                              SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOACTIVATE | SWP_SHOWWINDOW);
diff --git a/native_bridge/verify_gui_fix.py b/native_bridge/verify_gui_fix.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ff8c2d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/native_bridge/verify_gui_fix.py
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+"""Verify GUI fix: /show resizes host window to panel rect, stays offscreen, not topmost."""
+import ctypes, time, subprocess, os, threading, json
+from ctypes import wintypes
+import urllib.request
+
+EXE = r"C:\Users\locpham\SonicForgeStudio\native_bridge\build\Release\fx_vst_bridge.exe"
+JOB = r"C:\Users\locpham\AppData\Local\Temp\test_gui_WaveObserver.vst3.json"
+CLASS = b"SonicForge_FX_GUI_Class"
+
+user32 = ctypes.WinDLL("user32", use_last_error=True)
+user32.GetWindowRect.argtypes = [wintypes.HWND, ctypes.POINTER(wintypes.RECT)]
+user32.IsWindowVisible.restype = ctypes.c_int
+user32.GetWindowLongW.restype = ctypes.c_long
+user32.GetWindowLongW.argtypes = [wintypes.HWND, ctypes.c_int]
+user32.GetWindowThreadProcessId.argtypes = [wintypes.HWND, ctypes.POINTER(wintypes.DWORD)]
+user32.GetClassNameA.argtypes = [wintypes.HWND, ctypes.c_char_p, ctypes.c_int]
+GWL_EXSTYLE = -20
+
+def find_own_windows(pid):
+    out = []
+    WNDENUMPROC = ctypes.WINFUNCTYPE(ctypes.c_bool, wintypes.HWND, wintypes.LPARAM)
+    @WNDENUMPROC
+    def cb(hwnd, lp):
+        t = wintypes.DWORD()
+        user32.GetWindowThreadProcessId(hwnd, ctypes.byref(t))
+        if t.value == pid: out.append(hwnd)
+        return True
+    user32.EnumWindows(cb, 0)
+    return out
+
+def http(method, url, body=None):
+    req = urllib.request.Request(url, method=method,
+                                 data=body.encode() if body else None,
+                                 headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"})
+    with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=10) as r:
+        return r.read()
+
+proc = subprocess.Popen([EXE, "--fx-gui", JOB], stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+                        stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, text=True,
+                        env=dict(os.environ, SF_PARENT_PID=str(os.getpid())),
+                        creationflags=subprocess.CREATE_NO_WINDOW)
+lines = []
+def reader():
+    for line in proc.stdout: lines.append(line.rstrip())
+threading.Thread(target=reader, daemon=True).start()
+
+def rect_str(h):
+    r = wintypes.RECT(); user32.GetWindowRect(h, ctypes.byref(r))
+    ex = user32.GetWindowLongW(h, GWL_EXSTYLE)
+    return "L%d T%d R%d B%d W%d H%d vis=%d ex=0x%X topmost=%d" % (
+        r.left, r.top, r.right, r.bottom, r.right-r.left, r.bottom-r.top,
+        user32.IsWindowVisible(h), ex, bool(ex & 0x8))
+
+try:
+    port = None
+    t0 = time.time()
+    while time.time() - t0 < 20:
+        for l in lines:
+            if l.startswith("SF_FXGUI_PORT="):
+                port = int(l.split("=", 1)[1]); break
+        if port: break
+        time.sleep(0.1)
+    base = f"http://127.0.0.1:{port}"
+    t0 = time.time()
+    while time.time() - t0 < 25:
+        if any("editor open" in l for l in lines): break
+        time.sleep(0.2)
+    hwnd = None
+    for h in find_own_windows(proc.pid):
+        buf = ctypes.create_string_buffer(256)
+        user32.GetClassNameA(h, buf, 256)
+        if buf.value == CLASS:
+            hwnd = h; break
+    assert hwnd, "fx-gui window not found in own process"
+    print("fx-gui hwnd:", hwnd)
+    print("before /show:", rect_str(hwnd))
+    # /show with panel rect -> resize host window to panel, stay offscreen, no topmost
+    http("POST", base + "/show", json.dumps({"rect": {"x": 300, "y": 200, "w": 640, "h": 480}}))
+    time.sleep(1.0)
+    print("after  /show:", rect_str(hwnd))
+    r = wintypes.RECT(); user32.GetWindowRect(hwnd, ctypes.byref(r))
+    w, h = r.right-r.left, r.bottom-r.top
+    assert r.left == -20000 and r.top == -20000, "window not offscreen!"
+    assert not (user32.GetWindowLongW(hwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE) & 0x8), "window topmost!"
+    assert (w, h) != (800, 600), "host window still default 800x600 — resize not applied"
+    print("RESIZE applied: host window now %dx%d (was default 800x600)" % (w, h))
+    fr = http("GET", base + "/frame")
+    print("frame size after /show+resize:", len(fr))
+    assert len(fr) > 1000, "capture broken after /show"
+    print("ALL CHECKS PASSED")
+finally:
+    proc.terminate()
+    try: proc.wait(timeout=5)
+    except Exception: proc.kill()
+    print("cleanup done")
diff --git a/src-tauri/binaries/daw_vst_bridge-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.exe b/src-tauri/binaries/daw_vst_bridge-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.exe
index 0497d94..34cf129 100644
Binary files a/src-tauri/binaries/daw_vst_bridge-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.exe and b/src-tauri/binaries/daw_vst_bridge-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.exe differ
diff --git a/src-tauri/binaries/daw_vst_bridge.exe b/src-tauri/binaries/daw_vst_bridge.exe
index 0497d94..34cf129 100644
Binary files a/src-tauri/binaries/daw_vst_bridge.exe and b/src-tauri/binaries/daw_vst_bridge.exe differ
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 ab5eb05..1c8300c 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 ab5eb05..1c8300c 100644
Binary files a/src-tauri/binaries/fx_vst_bridge.exe and b/src-tauri/binaries/fx_vst_bridge.exe differ