diff --git a/server/app/static/common.js b/server/app/static/common.js
index 27ec4da..fc6bbe3 100644
--- a/server/app/static/common.js
+++ b/server/app/static/common.js
@@ -59,7 +59,13 @@
 })();
 
 function showStatus(ok, message) {
-  var el = document.getElementById('result');
+  // While a <dialog> is open, its own .dialog-result container gets the
+  // message instead of the page-level #result -- otherwise it lands
+  // behind the dialog's backdrop, invisible until the dialog closes
+  // (e.g. the widget config dialogs on the Layout tab, see
+  // frame_layout.js). Falls back to #result for everything else.
+  var openDialog = document.querySelector('dialog[open]');
+  var el = (openDialog && openDialog.querySelector('.dialog-result')) || document.getElementById('result');
   if (!el) return;
   el.innerHTML = '<div class="status ' + (ok ? 'ok' : 'err') + '"></div>';
   el.firstChild.textContent = message;
diff --git a/server/app/static/frame_layout.js b/server/app/static/frame_layout.js
index a6078a8..bc33c8a 100644
--- a/server/app/static/frame_layout.js
+++ b/server/app/static/frame_layout.js
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ async function openWidgetDialog(widget) {
   const dialogEl = document.getElementById('widget-dialog');
   const bodyEl = document.getElementById('widget-dialog-body');
   bodyEl.innerHTML = '<p class="sub">Loading...</p>';
+  dialogEl.querySelector('.dialog-result').innerHTML = ''; // clear any message left over from a previous dialog
   openDialogWidgetType = widget.widget_type;
   dialogEl.showModal();
   try {
diff --git a/server/app/static/theme.css b/server/app/static/theme.css
index a3ce890..641b4dc 100644
--- a/server/app/static/theme.css
+++ b/server/app/static/theme.css
@@ -402,6 +402,13 @@ button.secondary:hover { background: var(--surface-alt); }
   background: var(--surface);
   color: var(--text);
   box-shadow: var(--shadow-hover);
+  /* #widget-dialog-body scrolls on its own (min-height: 0 is what lets a
+     flex child actually shrink/scroll instead of forcing the dialog
+     past max-height) so .dialog-result stays pinned as a visible footer
+     regardless of scroll position -- otherwise a save message can land
+     off-screen below a long form with no visible feedback at all. */
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
 }
 #widget-dialog::backdrop { background: var(--overlay); }
 #widget-dialog-close {
@@ -414,8 +421,11 @@ button.secondary:hover { background: var(--surface-alt); }
   z-index: 1;
 }
 .dialog-title { margin: 0 40px 16px 0; font-size: 18px; }
+#widget-dialog-body { overflow-y: auto; min-height: 0; }
 #widget-dialog-body .card { box-shadow: none; }
 #widget-dialog-body .card:first-child { margin-top: 0; }
+.dialog-result { flex: none; }
+.dialog-result:not(:empty) { margin-top: 16px; padding-top: 16px; border-top: 1px solid var(--border); }
 
 code {
   background: var(--surface-alt);
diff --git a/server/app/templates/frame_layout.html b/server/app/templates/frame_layout.html
index 6998fd0..132a410 100644
--- a/server/app/templates/frame_layout.html
+++ b/server/app/templates/frame_layout.html
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
   <dialog id="widget-dialog">
     <button type="button" id="widget-dialog-close" class="icon-btn" aria-label="Close" title="Close">&times;</button>
     <div id="widget-dialog-body"><p class="sub">Loading...</p></div>
+    <div class="dialog-result"></div>
   </dialog>
 
   <div id="result"></div>