diff --git a/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-analyzer-project-source.ts b/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-analyzer-project-source.ts
index 878ce9fb..edaf642e 100644
--- a/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-analyzer-project-source.ts
+++ b/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-analyzer-project-source.ts
@@ -410,8 +410,12 @@ function projectManagementPaneGapRows(projectSamples) {
     const maxGapPx = maxNumber(severeGaps.map((item) => item.bottomGapPx));
     const maxGapRatio = maxNumber(severeGaps.map((item) => item.bottomGapRatio));
     const multiPane = severeGaps.length >= 2;
-    const singleExtreme = maxGapPx >= 240 && maxGapRatio >= 0.45;
-    if (!multiPane && !singleExtreme) continue;
+    const singlePrimaryPaneExtreme = severeGaps.some((item) =>
+      item.name !== "task-tree"
+      && Number(item.bottomGapPx ?? 0) >= 240
+      && Number(item.bottomGapRatio ?? 0) >= 0.45
+    );
+    if (!multiPane && !singlePrimaryPaneExtreme) continue;
     const selectedTaskRefHash = sample?.projectManagement?.selectedTaskRef?.hash ?? null;
     const isMdtodo = sample?.projectManagement?.pageKind === "project-management-mdtodo";
     const isInitialEmptyDetail = isMdtodo && !selectedTaskRefHash;
diff --git a/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-sampling-source.test.ts b/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-sampling-source.test.ts
index 229028d2..c72f3596 100644
--- a/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-sampling-source.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/src/hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-sampling-source.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   MDTODO_TASK_TREE_PANE_CONTENT_SELECTOR,
   nodeWebObserveRunnerSamplingSource,
 } from "./hwlab-node-web-observe-runner-sampling-source";
+import { nodeWebObserveAnalyzerProjectSource } from "./hwlab-node-web-observe-analyzer-project-source";
 
 test("MDTODO task tree pane gap treats the pinned facts footer as content", async () => {
   assert.match(
@@ -47,3 +48,48 @@ test("MDTODO task tree pane gap treats the pinned facts footer as content", asyn
   ]);
   assert.equal(exitCode, 0, stderr);
 });
+
+test("MDTODO pane gap ignores a naturally short task tree but keeps primary pane regressions", () => {
+  const projectManagementPaneGapRows = new Function(
+    "maxNumber",
+    "projectManagementSampleRef",
+    `${nodeWebObserveAnalyzerProjectSource()}; return projectManagementPaneGapRows;`,
+  )(
+    (values: unknown[]) => Math.max(0, ...values.map((value) => Number(value ?? 0))),
+    (sample: Record<string, unknown>) => ({ seq: sample.seq ?? null }),
+  ) as (samples: unknown[]) => { actionable: unknown[]; ignored: unknown[] };
+
+  const pane = (name: string, bottomGapPx: number, bottomGapRatio: number) => ({
+    name,
+    visible: true,
+    widthPx: 300,
+    heightPx: 600,
+    bottomGapPx,
+    bottomGapRatio,
+    contentNodeCount: 4,
+  });
+  const sample = (paneGaps: unknown[]) => ({
+    seq: 1,
+    projectManagement: {
+      pageKind: "project-management-mdtodo",
+      selectedTaskRef: { hash: "sha256:opaque" },
+      paneGaps,
+    },
+  });
+
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    projectManagementPaneGapRows([sample([pane("task-tree", 391, 0.618)])]),
+    { actionable: [], ignored: [], valuesRedacted: true },
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    projectManagementPaneGapRows([sample([pane("task-detail", 391, 0.618)])]).actionable.length,
+    1,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    projectManagementPaneGapRows([sample([
+      pane("task-tree", 240, 0.4),
+      pane("task-detail", 180, 0.3),
+    ])]).actionable.length,
+    1,
+  );
+});