diff --git a/desktop/playwright.config.ts b/desktop/playwright.config.ts
index 40dd5dd1b..56ea51952 100644
--- a/desktop/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/desktop/playwright.config.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
         "**/persona-model-combobox-screenshots.spec.ts",
         "**/drafts-screenshots.spec.ts",
         "**/inbox-refactor-screenshots.spec.ts",
+        "**/dm-label-spacing-screenshots.spec.ts",
         "**/buzz-theme-screenshots.spec.ts",
         "**/channel-sort.spec.ts",
         "**/identity-lost.spec.ts",
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/home/ui/InboxListPane.tsx b/desktop/src/features/home/ui/InboxListPane.tsx
index 20db0b515..f917e1172 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/home/ui/InboxListPane.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/home/ui/InboxListPane.tsx
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ function InboxLabel({
     <div
       className={cn(
         MESSAGE_MARKDOWN_CLASS,
-        "mt-0 flex min-w-0 items-center gap-1.5 text-2xs leading-3 group-hover/inbox-item:pr-[6.75rem] group-focus-within/inbox-item:pr-[6.75rem]",
+        "mt-0 flex min-h-(--inline-chip-min-height) min-w-0 items-center gap-1.5 text-2xs leading-3 group-hover/inbox-item:pr-[6.75rem] group-focus-within/inbox-item:pr-[6.75rem]",
         isActionRequired && !isDone
           ? "font-medium text-amber-600/80 dark:text-amber-300/80"
           : isDone
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/dm-label-spacing-screenshots.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/dm-label-spacing-screenshots.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e55681cca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/dm-label-spacing-screenshots.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,185 @@
+/**
+ * Screenshots for the "DM from x" inbox label vertical-spacing fix.
+ *
+ * Channel rows render a #channel chip in the context line; DM rows render
+ * plain text. Without a shared min-height the DM line is shorter, so the
+ * rows visibly misalign. These shots document the row stack with all three
+ * label variants adjacent.
+ *
+ * Run: pnpm build:e2e && pnpm exec playwright test --project=smoke \
+ *        tests/e2e/dm-label-spacing-screenshots.spec.ts
+ * Output: test-results/dm-label-spacing/
+ */
+import { expect, test } from "@playwright/test";
+
+import { waitForAnimations } from "../helpers/animations";
+import { installMockBridge, TEST_IDENTITIES } from "../helpers/bridge";
+
+const SHOTS = "test-results/dm-label-spacing";
+
+const GENERAL_CHANNEL_ID = "9a1657ac-f7aa-5db0-b632-d8bbeb6dfb50";
+const DM_CHANNEL_ID = "f48efb06-0c93-5025-aac9-2e646bb6bfa8";
+
+type MockFeedWindow = Window & {
+  __BUZZ_E2E_EMIT_MOCK_MESSAGE__?: (input: {
+    channelName: string;
+    content: string;
+    createdAt?: number;
+    id?: string;
+    pubkey?: string;
+  }) => {
+    content: string;
+    created_at: number;
+    id: string;
+    kind: number;
+    pubkey: string;
+    tags: string[][];
+  };
+  __BUZZ_E2E_PUSH_MOCK_FEED_ITEM__?: (item: {
+    category: "mention" | "needs_action" | "activity" | "agent_activity";
+    channel_id: string | null;
+    channel_name: string;
+    channel_type?: string | null;
+    content: string;
+    created_at: number;
+    id: string;
+    kind: number;
+    pubkey: string;
+    tags: string[][];
+  }) => void;
+};
+
+test.describe("dm label spacing screenshots", () => {
+  test.use({ viewport: { width: 1280, height: 900 } });
+
+  test("inbox rows with channel chips and DM labels align", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    await installMockBridge(page, { mode: "mock" });
+
+    await page.goto("/", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
+    await expect(page.getByTestId("home-inbox-list")).toBeVisible({
+      timeout: 10_000,
+    });
+    await page.waitForFunction(() => {
+      const win = window as MockFeedWindow;
+      return (
+        typeof win.__BUZZ_E2E_EMIT_MOCK_MESSAGE__ === "function" &&
+        typeof win.__BUZZ_E2E_PUSH_MOCK_FEED_ITEM__ === "function"
+      );
+    });
+
+    await page.evaluate(
+      ({ alice, charlie, dmChannelId, generalChannelId }) => {
+        const win = window as MockFeedWindow;
+        const emitMessage = win.__BUZZ_E2E_EMIT_MOCK_MESSAGE__;
+        const pushFeedItem = win.__BUZZ_E2E_PUSH_MOCK_FEED_ITEM__;
+        if (!emitMessage || !pushFeedItem) {
+          throw new Error("Mock bridge helpers are not installed.");
+        }
+
+        const base = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
+        const seed = (input: {
+          category: "mention" | "activity";
+          channelId: string;
+          channelName: string;
+          channelType: string | null;
+          content: string;
+          id: string;
+          offset: number;
+          pubkey: string;
+        }) => {
+          const event = emitMessage({
+            channelName: input.channelName,
+            content: input.content,
+            createdAt: base + input.offset,
+            id: input.id,
+            pubkey: input.pubkey,
+          });
+          pushFeedItem({
+            category: input.category,
+            channel_id: input.channelId,
+            channel_name: input.channelName,
+            channel_type: input.channelType,
+            content: event.content,
+            created_at: event.created_at,
+            id: event.id,
+            kind: event.kind,
+            pubkey: event.pubkey,
+            tags: event.tags,
+          });
+        };
+
+        seed({
+          category: "mention",
+          channelId: generalChannelId,
+          channelName: "general",
+          channelType: "stream",
+          content: "Can you take a look at the release checklist?",
+          id: "shot-spacing-mention",
+          offset: 3,
+          pubkey: charlie,
+        });
+        seed({
+          category: "activity",
+          channelId: dmChannelId,
+          channelName: "alice-tyler",
+          channelType: "dm",
+          content: "also should I be doing tests on these before approving?",
+          id: "shot-spacing-dm",
+          offset: 2,
+          pubkey: alice,
+        });
+        seed({
+          category: "activity",
+          channelId: generalChannelId,
+          channelName: "general",
+          channelType: "stream",
+          content: "ah speaking of I have a fix for this page.",
+          id: "shot-spacing-thread",
+          offset: 1,
+          pubkey: charlie,
+        });
+      },
+      {
+        alice: TEST_IDENTITIES.alice.pubkey,
+        charlie: TEST_IDENTITIES.charlie.pubkey,
+        dmChannelId: DM_CHANNEL_ID,
+        generalChannelId: GENERAL_CHANNEL_ID,
+      },
+    );
+
+    const mentionRow = page.getByTestId("home-inbox-item-shot-spacing-mention");
+    const dmRow = page.getByTestId("home-inbox-item-shot-spacing-dm");
+    await expect(mentionRow).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(dmRow).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(dmRow).toContainText("DM from alice");
+    await expect(mentionRow).toContainText("Mentioned in");
+    await waitForAnimations(page);
+
+    // The claim under test: the context line under the sender name has the
+    // same height whether it holds a #channel chip or plain "DM from x" text.
+    const labelHeights = await page.evaluate(() => {
+      const measure = (id: string) => {
+        const row = document.querySelector(`[data-testid="${id}"]`);
+        const label = row?.querySelector(".message-markdown");
+        return label ? label.getBoundingClientRect().height : null;
+      };
+      return {
+        dm: measure("home-inbox-item-shot-spacing-dm"),
+        mention: measure("home-inbox-item-shot-spacing-mention"),
+      };
+    });
+    console.log("label heights:", JSON.stringify(labelHeights));
+
+    await page.screenshot({ path: `${SHOTS}/inbox-row-stack.png` });
+    await page
+      .getByTestId("home-inbox-list")
+      .screenshot({ path: `${SHOTS}/inbox-list-only.png` });
+
+    expect(labelHeights.dm).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(labelHeights.mention).not.toBeNull();
+    // Regression guard: chip rows and plain-text DM rows share a height.
+    expect(labelHeights.dm).toBe(labelHeights.mention);
+  });
+});