diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/status.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/status.rs
index 88d1be3d..8f105484 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/status.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/status.rs
@@ -22,16 +22,19 @@ pub fn status_bar(app: &mut SlideApp, ui: &mut Ui) {
         // Left to right: slide counter, language, status message. Each starts at its usual column, or
         // after the one before it when that runs long ("Slide 100 of 120", "… (not checked)").
         let sr = p.text(pos2(rect.min.x + 14.0, rect.center().y), Align2::LEFT_CENTER, &left, theme::font(12.0), t.text_dim);
+        // Where the controls on the right begin; nothing on the left paints or clicks past it.
+        let right_x = rect.max.x - 560.0;
         // The selection's proofing language; a click opens Review › Language.
         let (lang, no_proof) = crate::dialogs::selected_language(app);
         let name = crate::squiggles::lang_name(&lang) + if no_proof { " (not checked)" } else { "" };
         let lx = (rect.min.x + 120.0).max(sr.max.x + 16.0);
-        let lr = p.text(pos2(lx, rect.center().y), Align2::LEFT_CENTER, &name, theme::font(12.0), t.text_dim);
-        if ui.interact(lr.expand(3.0), ui.id().with("status_lang"), Sense::click()).on_hover_text("Language").clicked() {
+        let lclip = Rect::from_min_max(pos2(lx - 3.0, rect.min.y), pos2(right_x.max(lx - 3.0), rect.max.y));
+        let lr = p.with_clip_rect(lclip).text(pos2(lx, rect.center().y), Align2::LEFT_CENTER, &name, theme::font(12.0), t.text_dim);
+        let hit = lr.expand(3.0).intersect(lclip);
+        if hit.is_positive() && ui.interact(hit, ui.id().with("status_lang"), Sense::click()).on_hover_text("Language").clicked() {
             app.dialog = Some(crate::dialogs::Dialog::new("language"));
         }
         // Transient status message, clipped before the controls on the right.
-        let right_x = rect.max.x - 560.0;
         if let Some(msg) = app.fresh_status() {
             let mx = (rect.min.x + 290.0).max(lr.max.x + 16.0);
             let clip = Rect::from_min_max(pos2(mx, rect.min.y), pos2(right_x.max(mx), rect.max.y));