diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 05bb0af9..27b0b7a7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -194,6 +194,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   silences the edit cue); time-only moves and marquee selects stay
   silent, group edits rate-limit to one cue, and the blip never fires when
   the audio context isn't running. Tests: `tests/audio_mixer.test.js`.
+- **Follow-playhead is toggleable (Shift+L).** The playback auto-scroll
+  (view jumps once the cursor crosses 80% of the window) was unconditional;
+  it is now a registry command in both shortcut profiles, default ON, so an
+  author can pin the view on one passage and edit while the song plays on.
+  Editor pref only. Tests: `tests/follow_toggle.test.js`.
 - **Drum velocity is authorable.** Velocity always rendered (brightness/
   height) and imported from MIDI, but authoring wrote a hardcoded `v:100`
   with no way to change it. Now: **Alt+vertical-drag** on selected hits
diff --git a/screen.js b/screen.js
index 7ab6ebb4..4966ffd9 100644
--- a/screen.js
+++ b/screen.js
@@ -4193,6 +4193,7 @@ const EDITOR_SHORTCUT_COMMANDS = Object.freeze([
     { id: 'cycleViewMode', label: 'Cycle part view (String / Piano roll)', group: 'View', status: 'ready', keys: { feedback: '', eof: '' } },
     { id: 'showTabPreview', label: 'Preview part as tab (read-only, saved pack)', group: 'View', status: 'ready', keys: { feedback: '', eof: '' } },
     { id: 'toggleDrumDensity', label: 'Toggle drum row density (Full / Compact)', group: 'View', status: 'ready', keys: { feedback: '', eof: '' } },
+    { id: 'toggleFollow', label: 'Toggle follow playhead', group: 'View', status: 'ready', keys: { feedback: 'Shift+L', eof: 'Shift+L' } },
     { id: 'showShortcutHelp', label: 'Show shortcut help', group: 'View', status: 'ready', keys: { feedback: '?', eof: '?' } },
     { id: 'openCommandPalette', label: 'Open command palette', group: 'View', status: 'ready', keys: { feedback: 'Ctrl+K', eof: 'Ctrl+K' } },
     { id: 'importMidi', label: 'Import MIDI / keys', group: 'File', status: 'ready', keys: { feedback: '', eof: 'F6' } },
@@ -4314,6 +4315,7 @@ function _editorEofCommandForKeyPure(e, mode) {
     if (alt && key === 'b') return 'toggleLoopAB';
     if (shift && key === 'w') return 'toggleOnsetStrip';
     if (shift && key === 'a') return 'togglePartsView';
+    if (shift && key === 'l') return 'toggleFollow';
     if (shift && key === '?') return 'showShortcutHelp';
     if (ctrl && key === 'k') return 'openCommandPalette';
     if (sig === 'F6') return 'importMidi';
@@ -4429,6 +4431,7 @@ function _editorFeedbackCommandForKeyPure(e, mode) {
     if (alt && key === 'b') return 'toggleLoopAB';
     if (shift && key === 'w') return 'toggleOnsetStrip';
     if (shift && key === 'a') return 'togglePartsView';
+    if (shift && key === 'l') return 'toggleFollow';
     if (shift && key === '?') return 'showShortcutHelp';
     if (ctrl && key === 'k') return 'openCommandPalette';
     if (sig === 'PageUp') return 'prevBeat';
@@ -5356,6 +5359,7 @@ function _editorRunEofCommand(cmd) {
     case 'toggleOnsetStrip': return _editorToggleOnsetStrip();
     case 'togglePartsView': return _editorTogglePartsView();
     case 'toggleKeyHighlight': return _editorToggleKeyHighlight();
+    case 'toggleFollow': return _editorToggleFollow();
     case 'toggleDrumDensity': return _editorToggleDrumDensity();
     case 'showTabPreview': return _editorShowTabPreview();
     case 'cycleViewMode': return _editorCycleViewMode();
@@ -6634,11 +6638,15 @@ function playbackTick() {
         return; // stopPlayback() already cancelled rafId; don't re-schedule.
     }
 
-    // Auto-scroll to follow cursor
-    const cx = timeToX(S.cursorTime);
-    const w = canvas ? canvas.width / DPR : 800;
-    if (cx > w * 0.8) {
-        S.scrollX = _editorClampScrollX(S.cursorTime - (w * 0.3) / S.zoom);
+    // Auto-scroll to follow the playhead — unless follow is toggled off
+    // (Shift+L), which lets an author inspect/edit one spot while the
+    // song plays on.
+    {
+        const cx = timeToX(S.cursorTime);
+        const w = canvas ? canvas.width / DPR : 800;
+        const target = _followScrollTargetPure(
+            S.cursorTime, cx, w, S.zoom, editorFollowEnabled());
+        if (target !== null) S.scrollX = _editorClampScrollX(target);
     }
 
     updateTimeDisplay();
@@ -6646,6 +6654,33 @@ function playbackTick() {
     rafId = requestAnimationFrame(playbackTick);
 }
 
+/* @pure:follow-scroll:start */
+// Follow-playhead scroll policy: once the cursor crosses 80% of the view,
+// jump the window so the cursor sits at 30% — but only when follow is on.
+// Returns the UNCLAMPED scrollX target, or null for "don't move".
+function _followScrollTargetPure(cursorTime, cursorX, viewW, zoom, followOn) {
+    if (!followOn) return null;
+    if (!(cursorX > viewW * 0.8)) return null;
+    return cursorTime - (viewW * 0.3) / zoom;
+}
+/* @pure:follow-scroll:end */
+
+function editorFollowEnabled() {
+    // Default ON — follow is today's behavior; the pref only records an
+    // explicit opt-out.
+    try { return localStorage.getItem('editorFollow') !== '0'; }
+    catch (_) { return true; }
+}
+
+function _editorToggleFollow() {
+    const next = !editorFollowEnabled();
+    try { localStorage.setItem('editorFollow', next ? '1' : '0'); } catch (_) {}
+    setStatus(next
+        ? 'Follow on — the view tracks the playhead during playback (Shift+L)'
+        : 'Follow off — the view stays put while the song plays (Shift+L)');
+    return true;
+}
+
 function updatePlayIcon() {
     const icon = document.getElementById('editor-play-icon');
     if (!icon) return;
diff --git a/tests/follow_toggle.test.js b/tests/follow_toggle.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..43b462d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/follow_toggle.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+'use strict';
+/*
+ * Tests for the follow-playhead toggle (@pure:follow-scroll block): the
+ * playback auto-scroll is now gated on the follow pref (Shift+L), so an
+ * author can inspect one spot while the song plays on. The policy math
+ * (80% trigger, 30% landing) is unchanged from the shipped behavior —
+ * pinned here; the follow-off null return fails on main, where the
+ * scroll is unconditional.
+ *
+ * Run: node tests/follow_toggle.test.js
+ */
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+const assert = require('assert');
+
+const src = fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, '..', 'screen.js'), 'utf8');
+const m = src.match(/\/\* @pure:follow-scroll:start \*\/[\s\S]*?\/\* @pure:follow-scroll:end \*\//);
+if (!m) {
+    console.error('FAIL: @pure:follow-scroll block not found in screen.js');
+    process.exit(1);
+}
+const { _followScrollTargetPure } = new Function(
+    '"use strict";' + m[0] + '\nreturn { _followScrollTargetPure };'
+)();
+
+let pass = 0, fail = 0;
+function t(name, fn) {
+    try { fn(); pass++; console.log('  ok   ' + name); }
+    catch (e) { fail++; console.error('  FAIL ' + name + ': ' + e.message); }
+}
+
+t('follow on: cursor past 80% of the view jumps it to the 30% mark', () => {
+    // 800px view at zoom 100 px/s, cursor at 10 s drawn at x=700 (> 640).
+    const target = _followScrollTargetPure(10, 700, 800, 100, true);
+    assert.ok(Math.abs(target - (10 - 240 / 100)) < 1e-9, 'cursor lands at 30% of the view');
+});
+
+t('follow on: cursor inside the window leaves scroll alone', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(_followScrollTargetPure(10, 300, 800, 100, true), null);
+    assert.strictEqual(_followScrollTargetPure(10, 640, 800, 100, true), null, 'exactly at 80% does not trigger');
+});
+
+t('follow OFF: never scrolls, even past the trigger point', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(_followScrollTargetPure(10, 700, 800, 100, false), null);
+    assert.strictEqual(_followScrollTargetPure(999, 100000, 800, 100, false), null);
+});
+
+console.log(`\n${pass} passed, ${fail} failed`);
+if (fail) process.exit(1);