diff --git a/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/config/Appearance.qml b/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/config/Appearance.qml
index 77711e4..a1e01ba 100644
--- a/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/config/Appearance.qml
+++ b/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/config/Appearance.qml
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@ QtObject {
     // with "…" (ActiveWindow.qml and MediaPlayer.qml).
     readonly property int activeWindowMaxChars: 50
     readonly property int mediaMaxChars: 40
+    // Tighter limits for narrow screens (the laptop's eDP-1 is 1440 logical
+    // px wide), where the full-length labels nearly run into the centre
+    // clock/weather group. Bar.qml switches when it's narrower than
+    // compactBarWidth.
+    readonly property int compactBarWidth: 1600
+    readonly property int activeWindowMaxCharsCompact: 32
+    readonly property int mediaMaxCharsCompact: 28
 
     // Counts code points rather than UTF-16 units so emoji / some CJK
     // aren't split in half at the cut.
diff --git a/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/ActiveWindow.qml b/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/ActiveWindow.qml
index 943e7be..339ff81 100644
--- a/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/ActiveWindow.qml
+++ b/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/ActiveWindow.qml
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@ import Quickshell.Hyprland
 import "../../config"
 
 Text {
+    property bool compact: false
     font.family: Appearance.fontFamily
     font.pixelSize: Appearance.fontSizeSmall
     color: Colors.muted
-    text: Hyprland.activeToplevel ? Appearance.truncate(Hyprland.activeToplevel.title, Appearance.activeWindowMaxChars) : ""
+    text: Hyprland.activeToplevel ? Appearance.truncate(Hyprland.activeToplevel.title, compact ? Appearance.activeWindowMaxCharsCompact : Appearance.activeWindowMaxChars) : ""
 }
diff --git a/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/Bar.qml b/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/Bar.qml
index dd8c2ed..8598067 100644
--- a/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/Bar.qml
+++ b/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/Bar.qml
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ PanelWindow {
     exclusiveZone: implicitHeight
     color: "transparent"
 
+    // Narrow screen (laptop): shorten the left-side free-text labels so they
+    // don't crowd the centre group.
+    readonly property bool compact: width < Appearance.compactBarWidth
+
     WlrLayershell.layer: WlrLayer.Top
     WlrLayershell.namespace: "quickshell:bar"
 
@@ -32,8 +36,8 @@ PanelWindow {
         }
         spacing: Appearance.spacing
         Workspaces { screen: bar.screen }
-        MediaPlayer { barWindow: bar }
-        ActiveWindow {}
+        MediaPlayer { barWindow: bar; compact: bar.compact }
+        ActiveWindow { compact: bar.compact }
     }
 
     RowLayout {
diff --git a/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/MediaPlayer.qml b/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/MediaPlayer.qml
index 162f493..4ec3540 100644
--- a/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/MediaPlayer.qml
+++ b/dotfiles/.config/quickshell/modules/bar/MediaPlayer.qml
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ Item {
     // to the bar so it sits flush under it rather than under this label's
     // (shorter) text box.
     required property var barWindow
+    // Set by Bar.qml on narrow screens — shortens the label.
+    property bool compact: false
 
     // Last player seen playing. Becomes null by itself if that player's
     // process exits and Quickshell destroys the object.
@@ -121,7 +123,7 @@ Item {
                         return ""
                     const title = root.player.trackTitle || root.player.identity
                     const artist = root.player.trackArtist
-                    return Appearance.truncate(artist ? artist + " — " + title : title, Appearance.mediaMaxChars)
+                    return Appearance.truncate(artist ? artist + " — " + title : title, root.compact ? Appearance.mediaMaxCharsCompact : Appearance.mediaMaxChars)
                 }
             }
         }