diff --git a/src/components/ai-edition/EditClipModal.test.tsx b/src/components/ai-edition/EditClipModal.test.tsx
index b8a42069e..f8d5c271d 100644
--- a/src/components/ai-edition/EditClipModal.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ai-edition/EditClipModal.test.tsx
@@ -130,6 +130,79 @@ describe("EditClipModal trim duration readout (#558)", () => {
 	});
 });
 
+describe("EditClipModal in a short window (#1005)", () => {
+	// The actions used to sit at the end of the scrolling body. In a window too short for the
+	// card, Apply was clipped out of view, and a click where it should have been landed on the
+	// backdrop, which closed the dialog and dropped the new trim and crop without a word.
+	function renderWithSpies() {
+		const onClose = vi.fn();
+		const onApply = vi.fn();
+		renderWithI18n(
+			<EditClipModal
+				open
+				onClose={onClose}
+				clip={CLIP}
+				assetMeta={ASSET}
+				videoSources={[]}
+				onApply={onApply}
+			/>,
+		);
+		return { onClose, onApply };
+	}
+
+	function clickBackdrop() {
+		const backdrop = document.querySelector('[class*="modalBackdrop"]');
+		if (!backdrop) throw new Error("no modal backdrop rendered");
+		fireEvent.click(backdrop);
+	}
+
+	it("keeps the actions out of the scrolling body", () => {
+		renderWithSpies();
+		const apply = screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Apply" });
+
+		expect(apply.closest('[class*="modalBody"]')).toBeNull();
+		expect(apply.closest('[class*="modalFoot"]')).not.toBeNull();
+	});
+
+	it("closes on a backdrop click while there is nothing to lose", () => {
+		const { onClose } = renderWithSpies();
+
+		clickBackdrop();
+
+		expect(onClose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+	});
+
+	it.each([
+		[
+			"a trim",
+			() => {
+				fireEvent.pointerDown(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Adjust clip start" }), {
+					clientX: 0,
+				});
+				act(() => {
+					window.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent("pointermove", { clientX: 100 }));
+					window.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent("pointerup"));
+				});
+			},
+		],
+		["a crop", () => fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "1:1" }))],
+	])("keeps %s through a backdrop click, and drops it on Escape or Cancel", (_, edit) => {
+		const { onClose, onApply } = renderWithSpies();
+		edit();
+
+		clickBackdrop();
+		expect(onClose).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Apply" })).toBeEnabled();
+
+		// Those two say "discard"; a click beside the card does not.
+		fireEvent.keyDown(document, { key: "Escape" });
+		expect(onClose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+		fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Cancel" }));
+		expect(onClose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+		expect(onApply).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+	});
+});
+
 describe("EditClipModal crop from the keyboard", () => {
 	it("moves the crop with the arrows and resizes it with Shift + the arrows", () => {
 		const onApply = vi.fn();
diff --git a/src/components/ai-edition/Modals.tsx b/src/components/ai-edition/Modals.tsx
index dfe2f20a7..bc5833e53 100644
--- a/src/components/ai-edition/Modals.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ai-edition/Modals.tsx
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@ export function ModalShell({
 	open,
 	onClose,
 	closeOnEscape = true,
+	closeOnBackdrop = true,
 	title,
 	subtitle,
 	wide,
+	footer,
 	children,
 }: BaseModalProps & {
 	title: string;
@@ -47,6 +49,12 @@ export function ModalShell({
 	/** Off for a dialog that handles Escape itself — two listeners both fire for one
 	 *  keypress, and this one's `onClose` wins whatever order they registered in. */
 	closeOnEscape?: boolean;
+	/** Off while a stray click beside the card would throw away an edit not yet applied.
+	 *  Escape, Cancel and the close button still discard it: that is what they mean. */
+	closeOnBackdrop?: boolean;
+	/** The dialog's actions, kept out of the scrolling body so a short window never hides
+	 *  them: a click where an unseen Apply sat used to land on the backdrop. */
+	footer?: ReactNode;
 	children: ReactNode;
 }) {
 	const tc = useScopedT("common");
@@ -78,7 +86,11 @@ export function ModalShell({
 			aria-modal="true"
 			aria-labelledby="modal-title"
 		>
-			<div className={styles.modalBackdrop} aria-hidden onClick={onClose} />
+			<div
+				className={styles.modalBackdrop}
+				aria-hidden
+				onClick={closeOnBackdrop ? onClose : undefined}
+			/>
 			<div className={`${styles.modalCard} ${wide ? styles.wide : ""}`}>
 				<header className={styles.modalHead}>
 					<div>
@@ -96,6 +108,7 @@ export function ModalShell({
 					</button>
 				</header>
 				<div className={styles.modalBody}>{children}</div>
+				{footer ? <footer className={styles.modalFoot}>{footer}</footer> : null}
 			</div>
 		</div>
 	);
@@ -918,9 +931,48 @@ export function EditClipModal({
 		<ModalShell
 			open={open}
 			onClose={onClose}
+			closeOnBackdrop={!hasChanges}
 			title={t("editClipDialog.title")}
 			subtitle={assetMeta?.label ?? undefined}
 			wide
+			footer={
+				<div
+					style={{
+						display: "flex",
+						justifyContent: "space-between",
+						alignItems: "center",
+						paddingTop: 10,
+						borderTop: "1px solid var(--border-soft)",
+					}}
+				>
+					<button
+						type="button"
+						className={`${styles.btn} ${styles.btnSecondary}`}
+						onClick={handleReset}
+						disabled={!hasChanges}
+					>
+						{t("editClipDialog.reset")}
+					</button>
+					<div style={{ display: "flex", gap: 8 }}>
+						<button
+							type="button"
+							className={`${styles.btn} ${styles.btnSecondary}`}
+							onClick={onClose}
+						>
+							{tc("actions.cancel")}
+						</button>
+						<button
+							type="button"
+							className={`${styles.btn} ${styles.btnPrimary}`}
+							onClick={handleApply}
+							disabled={!hasChanges}
+						>
+							<Pencil size={14} />
+							{t("editClipDialog.apply")}
+						</button>
+					</div>
+				</div>
+			}
 		>
 			<div ref={cropFrameRef} style={previewBoxStyle(videoAspectRatio)}>
 				{cropPreviewSource ? (
@@ -1088,45 +1140,6 @@ export function EditClipModal({
 					</div>
 				</div>
 			</div>
-
-			<div
-				style={{
-					display: "flex",
-					justifyContent: "space-between",
-					alignItems: "center",
-					paddingTop: 10,
-					marginTop: 10,
-					flexShrink: 0,
-					borderTop: "1px solid var(--border-soft)",
-				}}
-			>
-				<button
-					type="button"
-					className={`${styles.btn} ${styles.btnSecondary}`}
-					onClick={handleReset}
-					disabled={!hasChanges}
-				>
-					{t("editClipDialog.reset")}
-				</button>
-				<div style={{ display: "flex", gap: 8 }}>
-					<button
-						type="button"
-						className={`${styles.btn} ${styles.btnSecondary}`}
-						onClick={onClose}
-					>
-						{tc("actions.cancel")}
-					</button>
-					<button
-						type="button"
-						className={`${styles.btn} ${styles.btnPrimary}`}
-						onClick={handleApply}
-						disabled={!hasChanges}
-					>
-						<Pencil size={14} />
-						{t("editClipDialog.apply")}
-					</button>
-				</div>
-			</div>
 		</ModalShell>
 	);
 }
diff --git a/src/components/ai-edition/NewEditorShell.module.css b/src/components/ai-edition/NewEditorShell.module.css
index 30b3c0947..bbeeaacef 100644
--- a/src/components/ai-edition/NewEditorShell.module.css
+++ b/src/components/ai-edition/NewEditorShell.module.css
@@ -2132,6 +2132,11 @@ textarea.control {
 	gap: 20px;
 	overflow: auto;
 }
+/* A sibling of the body, not inside it: when the card hits its max-height only the body
+   shrinks and scrolls (a scroll container's flex minimum is 0, this one's is its content). */
+.modalFoot {
+	padding: 0 24px 24px;
+}
 
 .btn {
 	height: 34px;