diff --git a/src/components/messaging/NewConversationModal.tsx b/src/components/messaging/NewConversationModal.tsx
index 3d7fd1d66..d699da0af 100644
--- a/src/components/messaging/NewConversationModal.tsx
+++ b/src/components/messaging/NewConversationModal.tsx
@@ -155,14 +155,18 @@ export default function NewConversationModal({
 
   return (
     <div
-      className="fixed inset-0 z-modal bg-black/50 flex items-center justify-center p-4"
+      className="fixed inset-0 z-modal bg-black/50 flex items-center justify-center p-0 md:p-4"
       onClick={e => {
         if (e.target === e.currentTarget) {
           onClose();
         }
       }}
     >
-      <div className="w-full max-w-md overflow-hidden rounded-md border border-subtle bg-surface-page animate-in fade-in zoom-in-95 duration-200">
+      {/* Full-screen below md: a centered card left the bottom search rows
+          sharing screen space with the fixed mobile nav / Ask Cat FAB corner
+          on short phones — a full-bleed sheet removes that shared corridor
+          entirely instead of relying on winning a z-index fight every time. */}
+      <div className="flex h-full w-full flex-col overflow-hidden bg-surface-page animate-in fade-in duration-200 md:h-auto md:w-full md:max-w-md md:zoom-in-95 md:rounded-md md:border md:border-subtle">
         {/* Header */}
         <div className="p-4 border-b border-subtle flex items-center justify-between">
           <h3 className="text-lg font-semibold text-fg-primary">New Message</h3>
@@ -196,8 +200,10 @@ export default function NewConversationModal({
           </div>
         )}
 
-        {/* Results */}
-        <div className="max-h-[50vh] overflow-y-auto">
+        {/* Results — fills the remaining sheet height below md so a long
+            list scrolls within itself; safe-area padding keeps the last row
+            clear of a device's home-indicator/gesture-bar inset. */}
+        <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto pb-[env(safe-area-inset-bottom)] md:max-h-[50vh] md:flex-none md:pb-0">
           {loading && !creatingId ? (
             <div className="flex items-center justify-center py-12">
               <Loader2 className="w-6 h-6 animate-spin text-fg-tertiary" />