diff --git a/sharingan/src/commonMain/kotlin/dev/sharingan/ui/SharinganScreen.kt b/sharingan/src/commonMain/kotlin/dev/sharingan/ui/SharinganScreen.kt
index a581884..f615b43 100644
--- a/sharingan/src/commonMain/kotlin/dev/sharingan/ui/SharinganScreen.kt
+++ b/sharingan/src/commonMain/kotlin/dev/sharingan/ui/SharinganScreen.kt
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@ package dev.sharingan.ui
 import androidx.compose.foundation.isSystemInDarkTheme
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Box
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.WindowInsets
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.WindowInsetsSides
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.consumeWindowInsets
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.only
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.safeDrawing
 import androidx.compose.material3.Scaffold
@@ -17,6 +19,7 @@ import androidx.compose.runtime.mutableStateOf
 import androidx.compose.runtime.remember
 import androidx.compose.runtime.saveable.rememberSaveable
 import androidx.compose.runtime.setValue
+import androidx.compose.runtime.staticCompositionLocalOf
 import androidx.compose.ui.Alignment
 import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
 import androidx.compose.ui.platform.LocalLayoutDirection
@@ -27,6 +30,15 @@ import dev.sharingan.SharinganEvent
 import dev.sharingan.SharinganStore
 import kotlinx.coroutines.delay
 
+// Sheet hosts (iOS page sheet) already sit below the status bar, so the top
+// safe-area inset would be paid twice (#42). Full-screen/embedded hosts still
+// need it. internal -> not part of the checked public API surface.
+internal val LocalStripTopInset = staticCompositionLocalOf { false }
+
+internal fun sharinganContentInsets(safeDrawing: WindowInsets, stripTop: Boolean): WindowInsets =
+    if (stripTop) safeDrawing.only(WindowInsetsSides.Horizontal + WindowInsetsSides.Bottom)
+    else safeDrawing
+
 /**
  * The Sharingan log browser: home (three protocol tabs), event detail, and
  * the share sheet — the whole flow from the design, in one composable.
@@ -147,7 +159,7 @@ internal fun SharinganScreenContent(
         Scaffold(
             modifier = modifier,
             containerColor = colors.bg,
-            contentWindowInsets = WindowInsets.safeDrawing,
+            contentWindowInsets = sharinganContentInsets(WindowInsets.safeDrawing, LocalStripTopInset.current),
         ) { innerPadding ->
             Box(
                 Modifier
diff --git a/sharingan/src/commonTest/kotlin/dev/sharingan/ui/ScreenInsetsTest.kt b/sharingan/src/commonTest/kotlin/dev/sharingan/ui/ScreenInsetsTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa6c272
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sharingan/src/commonTest/kotlin/dev/sharingan/ui/ScreenInsetsTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package dev.sharingan.ui
+
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.WindowInsets
+import androidx.compose.ui.unit.Density
+import androidx.compose.ui.unit.LayoutDirection
+import kotlin.test.Test
+import kotlin.test.assertEquals
+
+internal class ScreenInsetsTest {
+
+    @Test
+    fun `Given strip=true When content insets built Then top side absent`() {
+        val density = Density(1f)
+        val source = WindowInsets(left = 7, top = 13, right = 17, bottom = 23)
+
+        val stripped = sharinganContentInsets(source, stripTop = true)
+
+        assertEquals(0, stripped.getTop(density))
+        assertEquals(7, stripped.getLeft(density, LayoutDirection.Ltr))
+        assertEquals(17, stripped.getRight(density, LayoutDirection.Ltr))
+        assertEquals(23, stripped.getBottom(density))
+        assertEquals(13, sharinganContentInsets(source, stripTop = false).getTop(density))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/sharingan/src/iosMain/kotlin/dev/sharingan/SharinganViewController.kt b/sharingan/src/iosMain/kotlin/dev/sharingan/SharinganViewController.kt
index 99836ac..ffa64da 100644
--- a/sharingan/src/iosMain/kotlin/dev/sharingan/SharinganViewController.kt
+++ b/sharingan/src/iosMain/kotlin/dev/sharingan/SharinganViewController.kt
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package dev.sharingan
 
+import androidx.compose.runtime.CompositionLocalProvider
 import androidx.compose.ui.window.ComposeUIViewController
 import dev.sharingan.internal.topmostViewController
+import dev.sharingan.ui.LocalStripTopInset
 import dev.sharingan.ui.SharinganScreen
 import kotlin.experimental.ExperimentalObjCName
 import kotlin.native.ObjCName
@@ -13,9 +15,11 @@ import platform.darwin.dispatch_async
 import platform.darwin.dispatch_get_main_queue
 
 /**
- * The Sharingan log browser as a `UIViewController` — embed or present it
- * however your app likes (sheet, push, debug menu). For the common case,
- * call [presentSharingan] instead.
+ * The Sharingan log browser as a `UIViewController` — embed or push it
+ * however your app likes (full-screen, navigation stack, debug menu). For
+ * sheet presentation use [presentSharingan], which compensates for a
+ * Compose Multiplatform inset quirk (#42); presenting this raw controller
+ * as your own page sheet shows a phantom top gap.
  *
  * A host app whose Info.plist lacks `CADisableMinimumFrameDurationOnPhone`
  * must never crash (Compose Multiplatform 1.11 aborts on a strict plist
@@ -23,11 +27,19 @@ import platform.darwin.dispatch_get_main_queue
  */
 @ObjCName("SharinganViewController", swiftName = "SharinganViewController")
 @OptIn(ExperimentalObjCName::class)
-public fun SharinganViewController(): UIViewController = ComposeUIViewController(configure = {
-    enforceStrictPlistSanityCheck = false
-}) {
-    SharinganScreen()
-}
+public fun SharinganViewController(): UIViewController = composeVc(stripTopInset = false)
+
+// internal — presentSharingan() uses this; strips the phantom top inset (#42):
+// a page sheet already sits below the status bar, but CMP 1.11 reads insets
+// from the UIWindow, so safeDrawing would pay the top inset twice.
+internal fun sharinganSheetViewController(): UIViewController = composeVc(stripTopInset = true)
+
+private fun composeVc(stripTopInset: Boolean): UIViewController =
+    ComposeUIViewController(configure = { enforceStrictPlistSanityCheck = false }) {
+        CompositionLocalProvider(LocalStripTopInset provides stripTopInset) {
+            SharinganScreen()
+        }
+    }
 
 /**
  * Presents the log browser over the topmost view controller of the key
@@ -58,6 +70,6 @@ public fun presentSharingan(animated: Boolean = true) {
         // Guard: UIKit silently swallows a present() while another
         // presentation/dismissal is already in flight; make the no-op explicit.
         if (top.isBeingDismissed() || top.isBeingPresented()) return@dispatch_async
-        top.presentViewController(SharinganViewController(), animated = animated, completion = null)
+        top.presentViewController(sharinganSheetViewController(), animated = animated, completion = null)
     }
 }