diff --git a/src/components/design-system/CalendarHeatmap.tsx b/src/components/design-system/CalendarHeatmap.tsx
index 173176c..831ffee 100644
--- a/src/components/design-system/CalendarHeatmap.tsx
+++ b/src/components/design-system/CalendarHeatmap.tsx
@@ -44,11 +44,18 @@ export function CalendarHeatmap({
   const latestDate =
     allDays.findLast((day) => day.state !== "future")?.date ??
     allDays.at(-1)?.date;
-  // A date selected in the editor must stay visible even outside the current window.
-  const anchor =
-    controlledDate && allDays.some((day) => day.date === controlledDate)
-      ? controlledDate
-      : latestDate;
+  // Inspecting a square changes selection, not the window. Only an external
+  // date outside the visible preset needs a new anchor to bring it into view.
+  const [windowAnchor, setWindowAnchor] = useState({ latestDate, date: latestDate });
+  let anchor = windowAnchor.latestDate === latestDate ? windowAnchor.date : latestDate;
+  if (months !== "custom" && anchor && controlledDate &&
+      allDays.some(day => day.date === controlledDate) &&
+      !visibleCalendarDays(allDays, months, anchor).some(day => day.date === controlledDate)) {
+    anchor = controlledDate;
+  }
+  if (windowAnchor.latestDate !== latestDate || windowAnchor.date !== anchor) {
+    setWindowAnchor({ latestDate, date: anchor });
+  }
   const [localSelectedDate, setLocalSelectedDate] = useState(anchor);
   const selectedDate = controlledDate ?? localSelectedDate;
   function setSelectedDate(date: string) {
diff --git a/src/components/design-system/accessibility.test.tsx b/src/components/design-system/accessibility.test.tsx
index 92042f3..c8e5008 100644
--- a/src/components/design-system/accessibility.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/design-system/accessibility.test.tsx
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ test("calendar associates exact keyboard guidance and preserves focus when selec
   expect(selected.tabIndex).toBe(0);
 });
 
-test("calendar focuses the accepted date after a controlled month window changes", async () => {
+test("calendar focuses the accepted date when selection crosses a month boundary", async () => {
   function Calendar() {
     const [date, setDate] = useState("2026-09-01");
     return <CalendarHeatmap days={demoCalendar(3, 8)} unit="glasses" label="Water history" selectedDate={date} onSelectDate={setDate} />;
@@ -105,6 +105,55 @@ test("rejected calendar clicks and repeated arrows do not leave stale focus requ
   expect(rejected.getAttribute("aria-pressed")).toBe("true");
 });
 
+test("selecting tracked, empty, unscheduled and future dates never changes the displayed timeline", async () => {
+  const days = demoCalendar(3, 8).map((day, index) => ({ ...day,
+    state: day.state === "future" ? day.state : index % 2 === 0 ? "not-due" as const : "due" as const,
+    value: index % 3 === 0 ? 0 : day.value,
+  }));
+  function Calendar() {
+    const [date, setDate] = useState<string>();
+    return <CalendarHeatmap days={days} unit="pages" label="Reading history" selectedDate={date} onSelectDate={setDate} />;
+  }
+  await act(async () => root.render(<Calendar />));
+  const timeline = () => ({
+    dates: [...container.querySelectorAll(".ds-day")].map(day => day.getAttribute("aria-label")?.slice(0, 10)),
+    months: [...container.querySelectorAll(".ds-calendar-month-label")].map(month => month.textContent),
+    range: container.querySelector(".ds-calendar-range-label")?.textContent,
+    weeks: (container.querySelector(".ds-calendar") as HTMLElement).style.getPropertyValue("--calendar-weeks"),
+  });
+  for (const preset of [12, 6, 4, 3, "Custom"]) {
+    await act(async () => button(typeof preset === "number" ? `${preset}m` : preset).click());
+    const before = timeline();
+    for (const index of [1, 0, 8, 7, before.dates.length - 1]) {
+      const date = before.dates[index]!;
+      await act(async () => container.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>(`.ds-day[aria-label^="${date}:"]`)!.click());
+      expect(timeline()).toEqual(before);
+      expect(container.querySelector('.ds-day[aria-pressed="true"]')?.getAttribute("aria-label")).toStartWith(`${date}:`);
+    }
+    for (const key of ["ArrowLeft", "Home", "End"]) {
+      const selected = container.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('.ds-day[aria-pressed="true"]')!;
+      await act(async () => selected.dispatchEvent(new dom.KeyboardEvent("keydown", { key, bubbles: true }) as unknown as KeyboardEvent));
+      expect(timeline()).toEqual(before);
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+test("an external editor date outside the window remains reachable without moving focus", async () => {
+  let setDate!: (date: string) => void;
+  function Calendar() {
+    const [date, update] = useState("2026-09-04");
+    setDate = update;
+    return <><input aria-label="Editor date" /><CalendarHeatmap days={demoCalendar(3, 8)} unit="pages" label="Reading history" selectedDate={date} onSelectDate={update} /></>;
+  }
+  await act(async () => root.render(<Calendar />));
+  await act(async () => button("3m").click());
+  const editor = container.querySelector<HTMLInputElement>('input[aria-label="Editor date"]')!;
+  editor.focus();
+  await act(async () => setDate("2026-03-04"));
+  expect(container.querySelector('.ds-day[aria-pressed="true"]')?.getAttribute("aria-label")).toStartWith("2026-03-04:");
+  expect(document.activeElement).toBe(editor);
+});
+
 test("editor controls expose their explanatory hints", async () => {
   await act(async () => root.render(<EditingWorkbench />));
   expect(description(container.querySelector("input[readonly]")!)).toContain("Method is fixed");