diff --git a/frontend/js/player.js b/frontend/js/player.js
index 1f4ed46..ad8b6b0 100644
--- a/frontend/js/player.js
+++ b/frontend/js/player.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ App.player = App.player || {};
         historyPushed: false,
         idleTimer: null,
         originEl: null,
+        hudHovered: false,   // mouse resting on the controls (desktop)
         attemptToken: 0       // bumps on every open()/format switch to void stale async callbacks
     };
 
@@ -145,6 +146,11 @@ App.player = App.player || {};
         clearIdleTimer();
         cp.idleTimer = setTimeout(() => {
             cp.idleTimer = null;
+            // Never fade out from under a mouse resting on the controls.
+            if (cp.hudHovered) {
+                scheduleHudHide();
+                return;
+            }
             if (cp.container) cp.container.classList.add('cp-hud-idle');
         }, HUD_IDLE_MS);
     }
@@ -449,6 +455,64 @@ App.player = App.player || {};
         addCleanup(destroy);
     }
 
+    // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // Mouse presence (desktop): moving the mouse anywhere over the player
+    // brings the HUD back, and it stays up while the pointer rests on the
+    // controls. Touch input is deliberately excluded -- taps already wake the
+    // HUD, and a finger dragging for volume or a dismiss swipe shouldn't count
+    // as "the viewer went looking for the controls".
+    // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+    function bindHoverHud() {
+        const container = cp.container;
+        if (!container) return;
+        const isMouse = (event) => !event.pointerType || event.pointerType === 'mouse';
+
+        let lastWake = 0;
+        const onMove = (event) => {
+            if (!isMouse(event)) return;
+            // wakeHud() re-arms the idle timer; once every 150ms is plenty and
+            // keeps a fast mouse from churning timers on every pixel.
+            const now = (window.performance && performance.now()) ? performance.now() : Date.now();
+            if (now - lastWake < 150) return;
+            lastWake = now;
+            wakeHud();
+        };
+        const onEnterHud = (event) => {
+            if (!isMouse(event)) return;
+            cp.hudHovered = true;
+            wakeHud();
+        };
+        const onLeaveHud = (event) => {
+            if (!isMouse(event)) return;
+            cp.hudHovered = false;
+            scheduleHudHide();
+        };
+        const onLeaveContainer = (event) => {
+            if (!isMouse(event)) return;
+            cp.hudHovered = false;
+        };
+
+        container.addEventListener('pointermove', onMove);
+        container.addEventListener('pointerleave', onLeaveContainer);
+        // The bars, not .cp-hud itself: the HUD wrapper is pointer-events:none
+        // (so it never eats gestures over the video) and only its children are
+        // hit-testable.
+        const bars = [q('.cp-top-bar'), q('.cp-bottom-bar')].filter(Boolean);
+        bars.forEach((bar) => {
+            bar.addEventListener('pointerenter', onEnterHud);
+            bar.addEventListener('pointerleave', onLeaveHud);
+        });
+        addCleanup(() => {
+            cp.hudHovered = false;
+            container.removeEventListener('pointermove', onMove);
+            container.removeEventListener('pointerleave', onLeaveContainer);
+            bars.forEach((bar) => {
+                bar.removeEventListener('pointerenter', onEnterHud);
+                bar.removeEventListener('pointerleave', onLeaveHud);
+            });
+        });
+    }
+
     // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
     // Keyboard shortcuts (desktop)
     // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -840,6 +904,7 @@ App.player = App.player || {};
             });
         }
         bindGestures(cp.video);
+        bindHoverHud();
         bindKeyboard(cp.video);
         bindClose();
         bindBufferingIndicator(cp.video);