diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/main/index.ts b/apps/desktop/src/main/index.ts
index 3fae852f9a..09fa2c5fe3 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/main/index.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/main/index.ts
@@ -113,6 +113,14 @@ if (!gotTheLock) {
       return shell.openExternal(url);
     });
 
+    // IPC: toggle immersive mode — hides the macOS traffic lights so full-screen
+    // modals (create-workspace, onboarding) can place UI in the top-left corner
+    // without fighting the native window controls' hit-test.
+    ipcMain.handle("window:setImmersive", (_event, immersive: boolean) => {
+      if (process.platform !== "darwin") return;
+      mainWindow?.setWindowButtonVisibility(!immersive);
+    });
+
     createWindow();
 
     setupAutoUpdater(() => mainWindow);
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/preload/index.d.ts b/apps/desktop/src/preload/index.d.ts
index d15c31f37f..04b3e7878b 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/preload/index.d.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/preload/index.d.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ interface DesktopAPI {
   onAuthToken: (callback: (token: string) => void) => () => void;
   /** Open a URL in the default browser. */
   openExternal: (url: string) => Promise<void>;
+  /** Hide macOS traffic lights for full-screen modals; restore when false. */
+  setImmersiveMode: (immersive: boolean) => Promise<void>;
 }
 
 interface UpdaterAPI {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/preload/index.ts b/apps/desktop/src/preload/index.ts
index 470e4ac585..2bf34acced 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/preload/index.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/preload/index.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ const desktopAPI = {
   },
   /** Open a URL in the default browser */
   openExternal: (url: string) => ipcRenderer.invoke("shell:openExternal", url),
+  /** Toggle immersive mode — hide macOS traffic lights for full-screen modals */
+  setImmersiveMode: (immersive: boolean) =>
+    ipcRenderer.invoke("window:setImmersive", immersive),
 };
 
 const updaterAPI = {
diff --git a/packages/views/modals/create-workspace.tsx b/packages/views/modals/create-workspace.tsx
index 4eb33a1cbd..860f5379e7 100644
--- a/packages/views/modals/create-workspace.tsx
+++ b/packages/views/modals/create-workspace.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import { useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { useNavigation } from "../navigation";
+import { useImmersiveMode } from "../platform";
 import { toast } from "sonner";
 import { ArrowLeft } from "lucide-react";
 import { Input } from "@multica/ui/components/ui/input";
@@ -24,6 +25,11 @@ import {
 } from "../workspace/slug";
 
 export function CreateWorkspaceModal({ onClose }: { onClose: () => void }) {
+  // This modal is full-screen, so it covers the app titlebar. On macOS desktop
+  // we hide the traffic lights for its lifetime so the Back button in the top-
+  // left corner isn't stolen by the native controls' hit-test. No-op elsewhere.
+  useImmersiveMode();
+
   const router = useNavigation();
   const createWorkspace = useCreateWorkspace();
   const [name, setName] = useState("");
@@ -87,10 +93,20 @@ export function CreateWorkspaceModal({ onClose }: { onClose: () => void }) {
         showCloseButton={false}
         className="inset-0 flex h-full w-full max-w-none sm:max-w-none translate-0 flex-col items-center justify-center rounded-none bg-background ring-0 shadow-none"
       >
+        {/* Top drag region — restores window-drag ability that the full-screen
+            modal would otherwise swallow. Transparent; web browsers ignore the
+            -webkit-app-region property, so this is safe cross-platform. */}
+        <div
+          aria-hidden
+          className="absolute inset-x-0 top-0 h-10"
+          style={{ WebkitAppRegion: "drag" } as React.CSSProperties}
+        />
+
         <Button
           variant="ghost"
           size="sm"
-          className="absolute top-6 left-6 text-muted-foreground"
+          className="absolute top-12 left-12 text-muted-foreground"
+          style={{ WebkitAppRegion: "no-drag" } as React.CSSProperties}
           onClick={onClose}
         >
           <ArrowLeft className="h-4 w-4" />
diff --git a/packages/views/package.json b/packages/views/package.json
index 0328fb509e..6f29a1ad98 100644
--- a/packages/views/package.json
+++ b/packages/views/package.json
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@
     "./search": "./search/index.ts",
     "./chat": "./chat/index.ts",
     "./settings": "./settings/index.ts",
-    "./onboarding": "./onboarding/index.ts"
+    "./onboarding": "./onboarding/index.ts",
+    "./platform": "./platform/index.ts"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@base-ui/react": "^1.3.0",
diff --git a/packages/views/platform/index.ts b/packages/views/platform/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2822f4952f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/views/platform/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export { useImmersiveMode } from "./use-immersive-mode";
diff --git a/packages/views/platform/use-immersive-mode.ts b/packages/views/platform/use-immersive-mode.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b0fd39feda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/views/platform/use-immersive-mode.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { useEffect } from "react";
+
+type ImmersiveCapableAPI = {
+  setImmersiveMode?: (immersive: boolean) => Promise<void> | void;
+};
+
+function getDesktopAPI(): ImmersiveCapableAPI | undefined {
+  if (typeof window === "undefined") return undefined;
+  return (window as unknown as { desktopAPI?: ImmersiveCapableAPI }).desktopAPI;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Enter "immersive" mode for the lifetime of the component that calls it.
+ *
+ * On macOS desktop this hides the traffic-light window controls so full-screen
+ * modals (create-workspace, onboarding, etc.) can place UI in the top-left
+ * corner without fighting the native controls' hit-test. On web or non-macOS
+ * desktop this is a no-op.
+ */
+export function useImmersiveMode(): void {
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const api = getDesktopAPI();
+    api?.setImmersiveMode?.(true);
+    return () => {
+      api?.setImmersiveMode?.(false);
+    };
+  }, []);
+}