diff --git a/src/island.rs b/src/island.rs
index d5ebfd5..0d66172 100644
--- a/src/island.rs
+++ b/src/island.rs
@@ -388,7 +388,8 @@ pub fn pill_face(monitor: &str, small: f32) -> Rectangle {
     let h = c::pill::height();
 
     let player = shown(&media, island.selected.as_deref());
-    let width = mix(c::pill::width(), small_width_for(player.is_some(), &art.path), small);
+    let small_w = small_width_for(player.is_some(), &art.path);
+    let width = mix(c::pill::width(), small_w, small);
 
     let live = player.is_some() && focused_monitor().as_deref().is_none_or(|name| name == monitor);
     let spectrum = live.then(Spectrum::read);
@@ -398,21 +399,27 @@ pub fn pill_face(monitor: &str, small: f32) -> Rectangle {
         amane::request_frame();
     }
 
-    let face = if small < 0.5 {
+    /*
+     * the pill's face fades out, then the small one in: they swap halfway, or with nothing
+     * playing as soon as the shape gets too narrow for the words, so these never vanish while seen
+     */
+    let turn = if player.is_some() { 0.5 } else { ((c::pill::width() - idle_room()) / (c::pill::width() - small_w).max(1.0)).clamp(0.05, 0.5) };
+
+    let face = if small < turn {
         let big = match player {
             Some(player) => compact(player, playing(player, &island), &art.path, levels, width),
             None => idle_face(width),
         };
 
-        veiled(big, width, h, h / 2.0, 1.0 - 2.0 * small, &colors)
+        veiled(big, width, h, h / 2.0, 1.0 - small / turn, &colors)
     } else {
         let little: Box<dyn Widget> = match player {
             Some(_) if !art.path.is_empty() => Box::new(cover(&art.path, h - 10.0, 1.5, false)),
             Some(player) => Box::new(pill_levels(playing(player, &island), levels)),
-            None => Box::new(icon(Glyph::Note, 15.0, theme::now().accent)),
+            None => Box::new(icon(Glyph::Note, IDLE_NOTE, theme::now().accent)),
         };
 
-        veiled(Rectangle::new().width(width).height(h).align_child(Center, Center).child(Stack::new(vec![little])), width, h, h / 2.0, 2.0 * small - 1.0, &colors)
+        veiled(Rectangle::new().width(width).height(h).align_child(Center, Center).child(Stack::new(vec![little])), width, h, h / 2.0, (small - turn) / (1.0 - turn), &colors)
     };
 
     surface::shell(width, h, h / 2.0, &colors, 0.0, face)
@@ -668,12 +675,30 @@ fn idle(colors: &[Color; 3]) -> Rectangle {
     surface::shell(c::pill::width(), c::pill::height(), c::pill::height() / 2.0, colors, 0.0, idle_face(c::pill::width()))
 }
 
+/*
+ * a note and "Nothing playing", centred. the words only where they fit with half the
+ * pill's height to spare at each end, else the note alone: an elided text takes the whole
+ * width, which put the note against the rim, and a pill narrower than the words did too
+ */
 fn idle_face(width: f32) -> Rectangle {
-    Rectangle::new()
-        .width(width)
-        .height(c::pill::height())
-        .align_child(Center, Center)
-        .child(Row::new(children![icon(Glyph::Note, 15.0, theme::now().accent), Text::new("Nothing playing").size(text::body()).color(theme::now().dim).elide()]).gap(8.0).align(Center))
+    let note = icon(Glyph::Note, IDLE_NOTE, theme::now().accent);
+    let row = if idle_room() <= width { Row::new(children![note, idle_words()]) } else { Row::new(children![note]) };
+
+    Rectangle::new().width(width).height(c::pill::height()).align_child(Center, Center).child(row.gap(8.0).align(Center))
+}
+
+const IDLE_NOTE: f32 = 15.0;
+
+fn idle_words() -> Text {
+    Text::new("Nothing playing").size(text::body()).color(theme::now().dim)
+}
+
+// the width the note and the words need, with half the pill's height to spare at each end
+fn idle_room() -> f32 {
+    match idle_words().width() {
+        amane::Size::Fixed(words) => IDLE_NOTE + 8.0 + words + c::pill::height(),
+        amane::Size::Parent => f32::MAX,
+    }
 }
 
 // the pill, `width` wide: cover, title, the player's live levels