diff --git a/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/register.mjs b/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/register.mjs
index 789cbdc23..ded6689ea 100644
--- a/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/register.mjs
+++ b/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/register.mjs
@@ -20,6 +20,17 @@ export { ANIMATED, picturesOf, sizesOf, viewOf } from './views.mjs';
 export const PANE_ID = 'ruview-live';
 export const COMMAND = 'ruview';
 const TICK_MS = 5000;
+/** Body rows each view asks for when the pane sits inline above the prompt. */
+export const VIEW_ROWS = Object.freeze({ overview: 16, waterfall: 30, radar: 26 });
+
+/**
+ * The open request: a dialog (focus + closeOnEscape + holdToasts) takes the
+ * keyboard, so the view keys work at once; `rows` sizes the inline pane to
+ * the view instead of a third of the screen (the dock ignores it).
+ */
+export const openArgsOf = (mode) => ({
+  id: PANE_ID, title: 'RuView', focus: true, closeOnEscape: true, holdToasts: true, rows: VIEW_ROWS[mode] ?? VIEW_ROWS.overview,
+});
 /** Animation frame period: ~12 fps, well inside blit's 60 shown a second. */
 export const FRAME_MS = 80;
 
@@ -138,15 +149,17 @@ export function register(on, options = {}) {
   function setMode(next) {
     if (!MODES.includes(next) || next === mode) return;
     mode = next;
-    if (isOpen && host) { stop(); startPolling(); } else host?.invalidate();
+    if (isOpen && host) {
+      // Each open sets the size anew: re-request rows for this view, keeping the keys.
+      void host.open(openArgsOf(mode)).catch(() => undefined);
+      stop();
+      startPolling();
+    } else host?.invalidate();
   }
 
   async function open(initialMode) {
     if (MODES.includes(initialMode)) mode = initialMode;
-    // Ask for the keyboard so the view keys (1/2/3, r, c) work at once; the
-    // surface grants it only over an empty prompt. No closeOnEscape: Escape
-    // hands the keys back without closing the pane.
-    await host.open({ id: PANE_ID, title: 'RuView', focus: true });
+    await host.open(openArgsOf(mode));
     stop();
     startPolling();
   }
@@ -180,8 +193,8 @@ export function register(on, options = {}) {
     if (arg === 'refresh') { await refresh(); return { text: statusOf(model) }; }
     if (MODES.includes(arg)) {
       if (isOpen) {
-        setMode(arg);
-        await host.open({ id: PANE_ID, title: 'RuView', focus: true }).catch(() => undefined);
+        if (arg === mode) await host.open(openArgsOf(mode)).catch(() => undefined);
+        else setMode(arg);
       } else await open(arg);
       return { text: `RuView pane: ${arg} view.` };
     }
diff --git a/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/views.mjs b/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/views.mjs
index 510ebf4a5..2a35713cf 100644
--- a/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/views.mjs
+++ b/harness/ruview/mod/hooks/views.mjs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export const ANIMATED = Object.freeze(['shimmer', 'waterfall', 'fan', 'pulse']);
 /** Picture sizes that fit the pane body. */
 export function sizesOf(columns = 80, rows = 30) {
   const width = Math.max(24, Math.min(128, columns - 6));
-  const height = Math.max(6, Math.min(26, rows - 12));
+  const height = Math.max(6, Math.min(26, rows - 15)); // the header, tabs, card chrome and footer take ~15 rows
   return { width, height };
 }
 
diff --git a/harness/ruview/test/mod-showcase.test.mjs b/harness/ruview/test/mod-showcase.test.mjs
index fb1346d6b..a1546375b 100644
--- a/harness/ruview/test/mod-showcase.test.mjs
+++ b/harness/ruview/test/mod-showcase.test.mjs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 import test from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import {
-  ANIMATED, Braille, colormap, commandsOf, DEFAULT, drain, Grid, lineChart, modelOf, phaseOf, picturesOf, pingOf, pulse,
+  ANIMATED, Braille, colormap, openArgsOf, VIEW_ROWS, commandsOf, DEFAULT, drain, Grid, lineChart, modelOf, phaseOf, picturesOf, pingOf, pulse,
   radarFan, rgb, settingsOf, shimmer, shownFrames, spectrumOf, spectrumWith, toBase64, viewOf, waterfall,
 } from '../mod/hooks/register.mjs';
 
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ test('radar view: fan, pulse and charts, with the honesty labels', () => {
 });
 
 test('spectrum requests, merging across captures, and live commands', () => {
-  assert.deepEqual(spectrumOf(120, 34), { bins: 114, frames: 44 });
+  assert.deepEqual(spectrumOf(120, 34), { bins: 114, frames: 38 });
   assert.deepEqual(spectrumOf(10, 5), { bins: 24, frames: 12 });
   const c = commandsOf(settingsOf({ radarHost: 'kit.local' }), { live: true, spectrum: { bins: 64, frames: 48 } });
   assert.deepEqual(c.capture, ['esp32', '--seconds', '2', '--udp-port', '5005', '--json', '--spectrum', '--spectrum-bins', '64', '--spectrum-frames', '48']);
@@ -167,3 +167,12 @@ test('an unfocused pane says how to give it the keys; a focused one does not', (
   assert.match(JSON.stringify(viewOf(UI, model, { ...base, focused: false })), /ctrl\+x tab to use the keys/);
   assert.doesNotMatch(JSON.stringify(viewOf(UI, model, { ...base, focused: true })), /ctrl\+x tab/);
 });
+
+test('the pane opens as a dialog that takes the keys, sized to the view', () => {
+  for (const mode of ['overview', 'waterfall', 'radar']) {
+    const a = openArgsOf(mode);
+    assert.deepEqual([a.id, a.focus, a.closeOnEscape, a.holdToasts], ['ruview-live', true, true, true], 'focus + closeOnEscape + holdToasts = a dialog that takes the keys');
+    assert.equal(a.rows, VIEW_ROWS[mode]);
+  }
+  assert.ok(VIEW_ROWS.waterfall > VIEW_ROWS.overview, 'the live views ask for more room');
+});