diff --git a/client/src/views/player/Player.css b/client/src/views/player/Player.css
index ab8be56..421805d 100644
--- a/client/src/views/player/Player.css
+++ b/client/src/views/player/Player.css
@@ -16,6 +16,15 @@
   object-fit: contain;
 }
 
+/* Toggled alongside .bottomBar.minimal (see Player.ts's scheduleControlsHide/
+   showControls) - a mouse cursor left sitting over the video is the same
+   kind of clutter the bar itself was, once there's nothing left under it
+   to interact with. Any pointermove/pointerdown anywhere in .playerWrap
+   already calls showControls(), so the cursor reappears the instant the
+   mouse moves again - same convention as any other video player's
+   auto-hiding controls. */
+.playerWrap.cursorHidden { cursor: none; }
+
 /* Two stacked rows, both part of the same top gradient overlay: the action
    bar (title/members/next/settings/leave) and, below it, the presence
    avatars - see .presenceOverlay in styles/presence.css. Stacking them in
diff --git a/client/src/views/player/Player.ts b/client/src/views/player/Player.ts
index 269e62d..d5b80f8 100644
--- a/client/src/views/player/Player.ts
+++ b/client/src/views/player/Player.ts
@@ -530,7 +530,11 @@ function renderVideoPlayer(root: HTMLElement, partyId: string, party: PartyPubli
    * sitting on the bar itself, and re-arms on every discrete playback
    * event too (onDriverStateChanged above), not just raw pointer
    * activity - resuming from pause has to restart the countdown, not
-   * leave the bar stuck open forever.
+   * leave the bar stuck open forever. .playerWrap also gets
+   * .cursorHidden alongside .minimal (see Player.css) - asked for
+   * directly too: a mouse cursor left sitting over the video is exactly
+   * the same kind of clutter the bar itself was, once there's nothing
+   * left under it to interact with.
    */
   function clearControlsHideTimer() {
     if (controlsHideTimer) {
@@ -544,11 +548,13 @@ function renderVideoPlayer(root: HTMLElement, partyId: string, party: PartyPubli
     controlsHideTimer = window.setTimeout(() => {
       if (activeDriver.paused || isPointerOverBottomBar) return;
       bottomBar.classList.add('minimal');
+      playerWrap.classList.add('cursorHidden');
     }, CONTROLS_HIDE_DELAY_MS);
   }
 
   function showControls() {
     bottomBar.classList.remove('minimal');
+    playerWrap.classList.remove('cursorHidden');
     scheduleControlsHide();
   }