diff --git a/src/App.css b/src/App.css
index 895443b..726cfd0 100644
--- a/src/App.css
+++ b/src/App.css
@@ -169,7 +169,6 @@ button { font: inherit; }
    ready states float as a small pill so they never push the lesson down. */
 .r-status { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.6rem; font-size: 0.85rem; padding: 0.45rem 0.6rem 0.45rem 0.9rem; border-radius: 999px; }
 .r-status.ready, .r-status.busy {
-  position: fixed; z-index: 35; right: max(1rem, env(safe-area-inset-right)); bottom: max(1rem, env(safe-area-inset-bottom));
   box-shadow: var(--shadow); border: 1px solid var(--line); background: var(--surface);
   animation: pill-in var(--medium) var(--ease) both;
 }
@@ -558,7 +557,7 @@ button { font: inherit; }
 }
 
 @media print {
-  .topbar, .sidebar, .nav-backdrop, .r-status, .lesson-nav, .reading-progress, .section-guide, .toaster { display: none !important; }
+  .topbar, .sidebar, .nav-backdrop, .r-status, .corner-stack, .lesson-nav, .reading-progress, .section-guide, .toaster { display: none !important; }
   .app { display: block; }
   body { background: #fff; }
   .app-main { max-width: none; padding: 0; }
diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 81406db..00bea60 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ export default function App() {
       <Sidebar open={navOpen} />
       {navOpen && <div className="nav-backdrop" aria-hidden="true" onClick={() => setNavOpen(false)} />}
       <main id="main" tabIndex={-1} className="app-main">
-        <RStatus />
+        <RStatus where="page" />
         <div ref={page} className={`page page-${pathname.split('/')[1] || 'home'}`}>
         <Routes key={restarts}>
           <Route path="/" element={<Home />} />
@@ -135,7 +135,11 @@ export default function App() {
         </div>
       </main>
       <Toaster />
-      <SiteGuide />
+      {/* One stack, so the helper and the R pill can never overlap, whatever their height. */}
+      <div className="corner-stack">
+        <SiteGuide />
+        <RStatus where="corner" />
+      </div>
       <Tour />
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/src/components/RStatus.tsx b/src/components/RStatus.tsx
index b344be5..dcb0161 100644
--- a/src/components/RStatus.tsx
+++ b/src/components/RStatus.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { onStatus, restartR, type RStatus as Status } from '../r/webrClient';
 
-export default function RStatus() {
+/**
+ * `where` splits the two homes: an error sits in the page ("page"), the ready
+ * and busy pill stacks under the helper in the corner ("corner").
+ */
+export default function RStatus({ where }: { where?: 'page' | 'corner' }) {
   const [status, setStatus] = useState<Status>({ phase: 'idle' });
   useEffect(() => onStatus(setStatus), []);
 
   // Nothing has started yet, so claim nothing: an amber "Starting R…" pill for
   // idle would be a lie on any page reached before the boot effect runs.
   if (status.phase === 'idle') return null;
+  if (where === (status.phase === 'error' ? 'corner' : 'page')) return null;
 
   if (status.phase === 'ready') {
     return <div className="r-status ready"><span>R is ready</span><button type="button" onClick={restartR} title="Use this if R stops responding">Restart R</button></div>;
diff --git a/src/components/SiteGuide.css b/src/components/SiteGuide.css
index c8997f8..9fc6f94 100644
--- a/src/components/SiteGuide.css
+++ b/src/components/SiteGuide.css
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /* The avatar helper in the bottom right corner. */
-.site-guide { position: fixed; right: max(1rem, env(safe-area-inset-right)); bottom: max(1rem, env(safe-area-inset-bottom)); z-index: 50; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: flex-end; gap: 0.6rem; }
+.corner-stack { position: fixed; right: max(1rem, env(safe-area-inset-right)); bottom: max(1rem, env(safe-area-inset-bottom)); z-index: 50; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: flex-end; gap: 0.6rem; }
+.site-guide { display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: flex-end; gap: 0.6rem; }
 .site-guide-button {
   display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.4rem; padding: 0.25rem 0.9rem 0.25rem 0.25rem; border-radius: 999px; cursor: pointer;
   border: 1.5px solid var(--brand); background: var(--surface); color: var(--brand-ink); font-weight: 700; box-shadow: var(--shadow-lg);
@@ -27,6 +28,4 @@
 @media print { .site-guide { display: none; } }
 .site-guide-compact .site-guide-label { display: none; }
 .site-guide-compact .site-guide-button { padding: 0.25rem; }
-/* The R status pill also sits bottom right: stand on top of it while it shows. */
-body:has(.r-status.ready, .r-status.busy) .site-guide { bottom: calc(max(1rem, env(safe-area-inset-bottom)) + 3.5rem); }
 .site-guide-tour { display: block; margin: 0.8rem 0 0; padding: 0; font: inherit; font-size: 0.88rem; background: none; border: 0; color: var(--brand-ink); text-decoration: underline; cursor: pointer; }