diff --git a/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-block-handle.svelte b/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-block-handle.svelte
index 37b205fb3..1b0f2cf3e 100644
--- a/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-block-handle.svelte
+++ b/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-block-handle.svelte
@@ -154,8 +154,11 @@
 	}
 
 	$effect(() => {
-		const content = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-words-content]');
-		if (!content) return;
+		const found = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-words-content]');
+		if (!found) return;
+		// Narrowed once at the top; TS doesn't carry the narrowing into
+		// the closure below, so we re-bind to a non-null `content`.
+		const content: HTMLElement = found;
 
 		// Listen at the document level (not on `content`) so the cursor
 		// crossing into the grip — which lives OUTSIDE the content box,
diff --git a/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-block-inserter.svelte b/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-block-inserter.svelte
index 806fa9528..c8a245ae3 100644
--- a/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-block-inserter.svelte
+++ b/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-block-inserter.svelte
@@ -114,8 +114,11 @@
 	}
 
 	$effect(() => {
-		const content = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-words-content]');
-		if (!content) return;
+		const found = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-words-content]');
+		if (!found) return;
+		// Narrowed once at the top; TS doesn't carry the narrowing into
+		// the closures below, so we re-bind to a non-null `content`.
+		const content: HTMLElement = found;
 
 		// Track movement on the document, not on `content`, so the "+"
 		// button (which lives in the left margin OUTSIDE the content