diff --git a/src/uix/eidos/components/splitter/splitter.css b/src/uix/eidos/components/splitter/splitter.css
index d3e7fa7b5..a4a1ec446 100644
--- a/src/uix/eidos/components/splitter/splitter.css
+++ b/src/uix/eidos/components/splitter/splitter.css
@@ -49,7 +49,10 @@
 [data-splitter-resize-trigger] {
 	position: relative;
 	flex: 0 0 auto;
-	background: var(--splitter-handle-bg, var(--color-border-subtle));
+	/* LONGHAND: `background:` resets `background-image`, and this rule (0,1,0)
+	 * outweighs the `:where()` (0,0,0) of `archetypes.css` — the state-layer
+	 * veil would never paint on the handle. */
+	background-color: var(--splitter-handle-bg, var(--color-border-subtle));
 	transition: background var(--splitter-transition-duration, var(--duration-fast))
 		var(--splitter-transition-ease, var(--ease-default));
 }
@@ -64,10 +67,10 @@
 	cursor: row-resize;
 }
 
-[data-splitter-resize-trigger]:hover,
-[data-splitter-resize-trigger][data-state='hover'] {
-	background: var(--splitter-handle-bg-hover, var(--color-border-default));
-}
+/* The neutral hover is the system's veil (§38): the handle carries
+ * `archetype: 'trigger'`, so `archetypes.css` paints it. The bespoke rule that
+ * used to live here declared its own colour and, being the shorthand, was also
+ * what kept the veil from ever painting. */
 
 [data-splitter-resize-trigger]:focus-visible {
 	outline: var(--focus-ring-width) solid var(--focus-ring-color);