diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/text.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/text.rs
index b6eaca3c9..9702bd8b7 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/text.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/text.rs
@@ -178,6 +178,9 @@ fn captions(app: &mut FilmcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, rect: Rect) {
     let q = app.ui.caption_search.to_lowercase();
     let mut child = ui.new_child(egui::UiBuilder::new().max_rect(list.shrink(4.0)).id_salt("caption-list"));
     let current = track.caption_at(ph).map(|c| c.id);
+    if current.is_none() {
+        ui.data_mut(|d| d.remove::<u64>(egui::Id::new("caption-follow")));
+    }
     egui::ScrollArea::vertical().auto_shrink([false, false]).id_salt("caption-scroll").show(&mut child, |ui| {
         ui.set_width(list.width() - 12.0);
         let mut shown = 0;
@@ -266,6 +269,13 @@ fn captions(app: &mut FilmcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, rect: Rect) {
             let row = fr.response.rect;
             if current == Some(c.id) {
                 ui.painter().rect_stroke(row, 3.0, Stroke::new(1.0, t.accent), StrokeKind::Inside);
+                // the list follows the playhead: each caption it reaches is brought to the middle
+                // once, but never while a field is being edited
+                let follow = egui::Id::new("caption-follow");
+                if ui.data(|d| d.get_temp::<u64>(follow)) != Some(c.id.0) && ui.memory(|m| m.focused().is_none()) {
+                    ui.scroll_to_rect(row, Some(egui::Align::Center));
+                    ui.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(follow, c.id.0));
+                }
             }
             app.auto.add(&format!("text.captions.{}.row", c.id.0), row, &c.text);
             ui.add_space(2.0);
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/caption_list_follow_ui.rs b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/caption_list_follow_ui.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..310a4182a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/caption_list_follow_ui.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+//! The Text panel's Captions list keeps the caption under the playhead in view as the playhead
+//! moves, so it stays lined up with the Timeline. The real `FilmcraftApp` under `egui_kittest`
+//! with the demo project.
+
+use std::sync::mpsc::{Sender, channel};
+
+use egui::{Rect, pos2};
+use egui_kittest::Harness;
+use filmcraft_engine::Session;
+use filmcraft_ui_egui::FilmcraftApp;
+use filmcraft_ui_egui::control::ControlRequest;
+use serde_json::{Value, json};
+
+struct Driver {
+    harness: Harness<'static, FilmcraftApp>,
+    tx: Sender<ControlRequest>,
+}
+
+impl Driver {
+    /// The demo project with snapping off, so drags land where the pointer goes; frames 1/60 s
+    /// apart, as on a display.
+    fn demo() -> Self {
+        let mut session = Session::default();
+        session.execute("file.openDemoProject", json!({})).expect("demo project");
+        session.execute("sequence.snap", json!({"on": false})).expect("snapping off");
+        let (tx, rx) = channel();
+        let app = FilmcraftApp::new(session).with_control(rx);
+        let harness = Harness::builder().with_size(egui::vec2(1600.0, 980.0)).with_step_dt(1.0 / 60.0).with_max_steps(10_000).build_eframe(move |_cc| app);
+        let mut d = Driver { harness, tx };
+        d.frames(4);
+        d.ok("ui.elements", json!({"prefix": "timeline.clip."}));
+        d
+    }
+
+    fn frames(&mut self, n: usize) {
+        for _ in 0..n {
+            let ctx = self.harness.ctx.clone();
+            let mut raw = std::mem::take(self.harness.input_mut());
+            eframe::App::raw_input_hook(self.harness.state_mut(), &ctx, &mut raw);
+            *self.harness.input_mut() = raw;
+            self.harness.step();
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn ok(&mut self, method: &str, params: Value) -> Value {
+        let (req, reply) = ControlRequest::new(method, params.clone());
+        self.tx.send(req).expect("control channel");
+        for _ in 0..600 {
+            self.frames(1);
+            if let Ok(v) = reply.try_recv() {
+                assert_eq!(v["ok"], json!(true), "{method} {params} failed: {v}");
+                return v["result"].clone();
+            }
+        }
+        panic!("no reply to {method} {params}");
+    }
+
+    fn exec(&mut self, command: &str, params: Value) -> Value {
+        self.ok("engine.execute", json!({"command": command, "params": params}))
+    }
+
+    fn rect(&mut self, id: &str) -> Option<Rect> {
+        self.frames(2);
+        let els = self.ok("ui.elements", json!({"prefix": id}));
+        let el = els.as_array()?.iter().find(|e| e["id"] == id)?.clone();
+        let r: Vec<f32> = el["rect"].as_array()?.iter().filter_map(|v| v.as_f64().map(|v| v as f32)).collect();
+        Some(Rect::from_min_size(pos2(*r.first()?, *r.get(1)?), egui::vec2(*r.get(2)?, *r.get(3)?)))
+    }
+}
+
+/// The Captions list keeps the caption under the playhead in view as the playhead moves on.
+#[test]
+fn captions_list_follows_the_playhead() {
+    let mut d = Driver::demo();
+    let mut last = 0;
+    for i in 0..30 {
+        last = d.exec("captions.add", json!({"seconds": i as f64, "durationSeconds": 0.5, "text": format!("word {i}")}))["caption"].as_u64().expect("id");
+    }
+    d.ok("ui.panel.show", json!({"panel": "Text"}));
+    d.ok("ui.click", json!({"id": "text.tab.Captions"}));
+    d.exec("playhead.set", json!({"seconds": 0.0}));
+    let top = d.rect("text.captions.search").expect("search").max.y;
+    let bottom = d.rect("text.captions.style.font").expect("style strip").min.y;
+    let row = format!("text.captions.{last}.row");
+    let before = d.rect(&row).expect("last row");
+    assert!(before.center().y > bottom, "the last caption starts out of view: {before:?} below {bottom}");
+    d.exec("playhead.set", json!({"seconds": 29.2}));
+    d.frames(30);
+    let after = d.rect(&row).expect("last row");
+    assert!(after.center().y > top && after.center().y < bottom, "the playhead's caption is in view: {after:?} in {top}..{bottom}");
+}
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/main.rs b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/main.rs
index 88587dde3..57bfabdf0 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/main.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/main.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 mod audio51_ui;
 mod audio_fx_editor_ui;
 mod caption_copy_paste_ui;
+mod caption_list_follow_ui;
 mod caption_option_drag_ui;
 mod caption_properties_ui;
 mod caption_razor_ui;
diff --git a/docs/captions.md b/docs/captions.md
index b1000588e..e4212fe7d 100644
--- a/docs/captions.md
+++ b/docs/captions.md
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ also splits captions.
   split / merge / delete / export buttons, the list of segments with editable in/out timecodes
   and text (committed when the field loses focus; Arabic and Hebrew show in reading order and are
   edited in logical order while the field has focus), and the track style strip (size, colour, box,
-  alignment, position). Automation ids: `text.tab.Captions`, `text.captions.add|split|merge|delete|export|search|track`,
+  alignment, position). The list keeps the caption under the playhead in view (centred as the
+  playhead reaches it, not while a field is being edited). Automation ids: `text.tab.Captions`, `text.captions.add|split|merge|delete|export|search|track`,
   `text.captions.<id>.in|out|text|goto|row`, `text.captions.style.*`.
 
 ## Burn-in