diff --git a/src/styles/hexChromeDensity.test.ts b/src/styles/hexChromeDensity.test.ts
index ceee59ce..be32194d 100644
--- a/src/styles/hexChromeDensity.test.ts
+++ b/src/styles/hexChromeDensity.test.ts
@@ -275,3 +275,10 @@ describe('hex ascii cell diff', () => {
     )
   })
 })
+
+describe('hex wrap-controls hide', () => {
+  it('hides Hex wrap-controls strip toward capture path-to-grid chrome', () => {
+    expect(hexView).toMatch(/\.hex-wrap-controls\s*\{[\s\S]*?display:\s*none/)
+    expect(css).toMatch(/\.hex-compare-view \.hex-wrap-controls\s*\{[\s\S]*?display:\s*none/)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/styles/main.css b/src/styles/main.css
index cc490c29..c091051a 100644
--- a/src/styles/main.css
+++ b/src/styles/main.css
@@ -2182,6 +2182,7 @@ html[data-show-path-bars='0'] .path-pair-bar {
 
 /* Hex wrap/controls + byte rows at capture CSS scale */
 .hex-compare-view .hex-wrap-controls {
+  display: none !important;
   gap: 4px 6px !important;
   min-height: 20px !important;
   padding: 2px 4px !important;
diff --git a/src/views/HexCompareView.vue b/src/views/HexCompareView.vue
index 089a89d9..e2b6bcae 100644
--- a/src/views/HexCompareView.vue
+++ b/src/views/HexCompareView.vue
@@ -944,6 +944,15 @@ async function runHexSave(): Promise<void> {
             test-id="hex-right-path-footer"
           />
         </div>
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          class="hex-run-diff"
+          data-testid="run-hex-compare"
+          :disabled="loading"
+          @click="runHexCompare()"
+        >
+          {{ $t('ui.runDiff') }}
+        </button>
       </section>
       <section
         class="hex-wrap-controls"
@@ -974,14 +983,6 @@ async function runHexSave(): Promise<void> {
         <strong data-testid="hex-diff-ranges">{{
           $t('status.ranges', { count: diffRangeCount })
         }}</strong>
-        <button
-          type="button"
-          data-testid="run-hex-compare"
-          :disabled="loading"
-          @click="runHexCompare()"
-        >
-          {{ $t('ui.runDiff') }}
-        </button>
         <div
           class="hex-offset-chrome"
           data-testid="hex-offset-chrome"
@@ -1511,8 +1512,20 @@ h2 {
   line-height: 16px;
 }
 
+.hex-run-diff {
+  height: 18px;
+  min-height: 18px;
+  margin: 2px 0 0;
+  padding: 0 8px;
+  border: 1px solid #a0a0a0;
+  border-radius: 0;
+  background: #f0f0f0;
+  font-size: 11px;
+  line-height: 16px;
+}
+
 .hex-wrap-controls {
-  display: grid;
+  display: none;
   grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr) auto;
   align-items: end;
   gap: 4px 6px;