diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/appearance.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/appearance.rs
index 66d6ab232..33379e752 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/appearance.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/appearance.rs
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ impl ItemTarget {
     /// targets don't share, and any other target, stands for itself in every target.
     pub(crate) fn per_target(self, s: &Session, ids: &[NodeId]) -> Vec<Option<ItemTarget>> {
         let ItemTarget::Item { index, explicit, aligned: true } = self else { return vec![Some(self); ids.len()] };
-        let Some(st) = s.active() else { return vec![Some(self); ids.len()] };
+        let Some(st) = s.active().filter(|_| ids.len() >= 2) else { return vec![Some(self); ids.len()] };
         let k = self.anchor(s, ids);
         let mut order = ids.to_vec();
         order.swap(0, k);
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/effectcmd.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/effectcmd.rs
index 7ae1b72cc..25a5ff004 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/effectcmd.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/effectcmd.rs
@@ -219,8 +219,9 @@ pub(crate) fn apply(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
         index = fx.len() - 1;
         true
     })?;
-    // The item the effect landed on in the first object (the active item applies where it fits).
-    let first = ids.first().and_then(|id| s.doc().ok()?.doc.node(*id));
+    // The item the effect landed on in the object whose row the item is (the first selected object
+    // for the active item, which applies where it fits).
+    let first = ids.get(item.anchor(s, &ids)).and_then(|id| s.doc().ok()?.doc.node(*id));
     let landed = first.and_then(|n| item.effects_item(&n.appearance, C).ok().flatten());
     Ok(json!({ "ids": ids_json(&ids), "index": index, "item": landed }))
 }
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests/appearance.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests/appearance.rs
index d18de9e30..e36871188 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests/appearance.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests/appearance.rs
@@ -501,6 +501,16 @@ fn edits_change_the_active_row_of_the_first_selected_object() {
     assert!(matches!(fill_paint(&na, 0), Paint::Gradient(_)), "so does a's equal fill");
     assert_eq!(fill_paint(&nb, 0).color().unwrap().to_hex(), "#ff0000");
     assert!(!matches!(stroke(&nb, 2).paint, Paint::Gradient(_)) && !matches!(stroke(&na, 1).paint, Paint::Gradient(_)));
+    // The effect goes on the equal rows, and the reply names the active row of b.
+    run(&mut s, "appearance.setActiveItem", json!({"index": 2})); // b's stroke, a's row 1
+    let r = run(&mut s, "effect.apply", json!({"effect": "distort.twist"}));
+    assert_eq!(r["item"], 2);
+    let (na, nb) = (node(&s, a), node(&s, b));
+    assert_eq!((stroke(&nb, 2).effects.len(), stroke(&na, 1).effects.len()), (1, 1));
+    // With nothing selected an aligned item is an error, not a crash.
+    run(&mut s, "select.set", json!({"ids": []}));
+    let e = s.execute("effect.remove", &json!({"index": 0, "item": 0, "aligned": true})).unwrap_err().to_string();
+    assert!(!e.contains("internal error"), "{e}");
 }
 
 /// How many steps there are to undo and to redo, and whether the document has unsaved changes.