diff --git a/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolPicker.tsx b/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolPicker.tsx
index 0d2b587c3f..5f7f6bb34f 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolPicker.tsx
+++ b/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolPicker.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ interface ToolRow {
 }
 
 /** One button for the active timeline tool; its menu switches tools or selects clips around the playhead. */
-export function TimelineToolPicker() {
+export function TimelineToolPicker({ showSelectAroundPlayhead = true }) {
   const activeTool = usePlayerStore((s) => s.activeTool);
   const store = () => usePlayerStore.getState();
   const rows: ToolRow[] = [
@@ -41,21 +41,25 @@ export function TimelineToolPicker() {
       active: activeTool === "razor",
       run: () => store().setActiveTool("razor"),
     },
-    {
-      label: "Select leftward",
-      shortcut: "[",
-      icon: <ArrowLineLeft size={16} aria-hidden="true" />,
-      active: false,
-      run: () => store().selectLeftward(),
-    },
-    {
-      label: "Select rightward",
-      shortcut: "]",
-      icon: <ArrowLineRight size={16} aria-hidden="true" />,
-      active: false,
-      run: () => store().selectRightward(),
-    },
   ];
+  if (showSelectAroundPlayhead) {
+    rows.push(
+      {
+        label: "Select leftward",
+        shortcut: "[",
+        icon: <ArrowLineLeft size={16} aria-hidden="true" />,
+        active: false,
+        run: () => store().selectLeftward(),
+      },
+      {
+        label: "Select rightward",
+        shortcut: "]",
+        icon: <ArrowLineRight size={16} aria-hidden="true" />,
+        active: false,
+        run: () => store().selectRightward(),
+      },
+    );
+  }
   const current = rows.find((row) => row.active) ?? rows[0];
   return (
     <Menu
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolbar.test.tsx b/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolbar.test.tsx
index 61fefe2cd2..f67cce7c2c 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolbar.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolbar.test.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { usePlayerStore } from "../player/store/playerStore";
 import { makeSelection } from "../hooks/domSelectionTestHarness";
 import { useAudioMetersVisible } from "../utils/audioMeterVisibility";
 import { readStudioUiPreferences } from "../utils/studioUiPreferences";
+import { dispatchPlainKey, type HotkeyCallbacks } from "../hooks/appHotkeysDispatch";
 import { AudioMeterStrip } from "./nle/AudioMeterStrip";
 import { TimelineToolbar } from "./TimelineToolbar";
 
@@ -295,6 +296,67 @@ describe("TimelineToolbar history", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("TimelineToolbar tool menu", () => {
+  async function openMenuRows(props: Partial<React.ComponentProps<typeof TimelineToolbar>>) {
+    const { host, root } = renderToolbar(undefined, props);
+    const trigger = host.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('button[aria-label^="Timeline tool:"]')!;
+    await act(async () => {
+      trigger.click();
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+    });
+    const rows = [...document.querySelectorAll('[role="menuitem"] > span:first-child')].map(
+      (label) => label.textContent,
+    );
+    act(() => root.unmount());
+    return rows;
+  }
+
+  it("lists Select, Split, Select leftward and Select rightward by default", async () => {
+    expect(await openMenuRows({})).toEqual([
+      "Select",
+      "Split",
+      "Select leftward",
+      "Select rightward",
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("lists only Select and Split when the host hides select around the playhead", async () => {
+    expect(await openMenuRows({ showSelectAroundPlayhead: false })).toEqual(["Select", "Split"]);
+  });
+
+  it.each([true, false])("[ and ] select around the playhead with the rows shown: %s", (shown) => {
+    usePlayerStore.setState({
+      currentTime: 4,
+      elements: [0, 4, 7].map((start, track) => ({
+        id: `c${start}`,
+        key: `c${start}`,
+        tag: "div",
+        start,
+        duration: 2,
+        track,
+      })),
+    });
+    const { root } = renderToolbar(undefined, { showSelectAroundPlayhead: shown });
+    const press = (key: string) =>
+      act(() =>
+        dispatchPlainKey(new KeyboardEvent("keydown", { key }), key, {} as HotkeyCallbacks),
+      );
+    try {
+      press("[");
+      expect([...usePlayerStore.getState().selectedElementIds]).toEqual(["c0"]);
+      press("]");
+      expect([...usePlayerStore.getState().selectedElementIds].sort()).toEqual(["c4", "c7"]);
+    } finally {
+      act(() => root.unmount());
+      usePlayerStore.setState({
+        elements: [],
+        selectedElementId: null,
+        selectedElementIds: new Set(),
+      });
+    }
+  });
+});
+
 describe("TimelineToolbar add beat", () => {
   it("shows Add beat by default, as Studio does", () => {
     const { host, root } = renderToolbar();
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolbar.tsx b/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolbar.tsx
index 1e3b71a70a..b4a532a2e2 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolbar.tsx
+++ b/packages/studio/src/components/TimelineToolbar.tsx
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ export interface TimelineToolbarProps {
   onSplitElement?: (element: TimelineElement, splitTime: number) => void;
   history?: TimelineHistoryButtonsProps;
   showHistory?: boolean;
+  showSelectAroundPlayhead?: boolean;
   showAddBeat?: boolean;
   /** Hides Add keyframe and auto-record, and turns off auto-record and the K shortcut with them. */
   showKeyframes?: boolean;
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ export function TimelineToolbar({
   onSplitElement,
   history,
   showHistory = true,
+  showSelectAroundPlayhead = true,
   showAddBeat = true,
   showKeyframes = true,
 }: TimelineToolbarProps) {
@@ -216,7 +218,7 @@ export function TimelineToolbar({
       <div className="flex items-center justify-between px-2 py-0.5">
         <div className="flex items-center gap-0.5">
           {showHistory && <TimelineHistoryButtons {...history} />}
-          <TimelineToolPicker />
+          <TimelineToolPicker showSelectAroundPlayhead={showSelectAroundPlayhead} />
           {/* Divider: tool-mode | editing-actions */}
           <div aria-hidden="true" className="mx-1 h-4 w-px bg-neutral-800" />
           <Tooltip label={timelineSnapEnabled ? "Snapping on (N)" : "Snapping off (N)"}>
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/hooks/useAppHotkeys.test.ts b/packages/studio/src/hooks/useAppHotkeys.test.ts
index b8cf15f2a5..b98b83b2f0 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/hooks/useAppHotkeys.test.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/hooks/useAppHotkeys.test.ts
@@ -65,13 +65,14 @@ describe("dispatchPlainKey — select leftward / rightward", () => {
     { ...bgmElement, id: "early", key: "early", start: 0, track: 0 },
     { ...bgmElement, id: "at", key: "at", start: 4, track: 1 },
     { ...bgmElement, id: "late", key: "late", start: 7, track: 2 },
+    { ...bgmElement, id: "gone", key: "gone", start: 0, duration: 2, track: 3 },
   ];
   beforeEach(() => usePlayerStore.setState({ elements: clips, currentTime: 4 }));
 
-  it("[ selects every clip starting before the playhead, on every track", () => {
+  it("[ selects every clip that started before the playhead, crossing clips included", () => {
     const event = press("[");
     dispatchPlainKey(event, "[", callbacks());
-    expect([...usePlayerStore.getState().selectedElementIds]).toEqual(["early"]);
+    expect([...usePlayerStore.getState().selectedElementIds].sort()).toEqual(["early", "gone"]);
     expect(usePlayerStore.getState().selectedElementId).toBe("early");
     expect(event.defaultPrevented).toBe(true);
   });
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ describe("dispatchPlainKey — select leftward / rightward", () => {
       expect([...usePlayerStore.getState().selectedElementIds].sort()).toEqual([
         "at",
         "early",
+        "gone",
         "late",
       ]);
     } finally {
@@ -98,11 +100,11 @@ describe("dispatchPlainKey — select leftward / rightward", () => {
     expect(usePlayerStore.getState().activeKeyframePct).toBeNull();
   });
 
-  it("] selects every clip starting at or after the playhead, on every track", () => {
+  it("] selects every clip still running at or after the playhead, crossing clips included", () => {
     dispatchPlainKey(press("]"), "]", callbacks());
     const { selectedElementIds, selectedElementId } = usePlayerStore.getState();
-    expect([...selectedElementIds].sort()).toEqual(["at", "late"]);
-    expect(selectedElementId).toBe("at");
+    expect([...selectedElementIds].sort()).toEqual(["at", "early", "late"]);
+    expect(selectedElementId).toBe("early");
   });
 
   it("selects nothing when no clip is on that side", () => {
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/player/components/studioShortcuts.ts b/packages/studio/src/player/components/studioShortcuts.ts
index bd2dfde062..94334f302d 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/player/components/studioShortcuts.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/player/components/studioShortcuts.ts
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_SHORTCUT_SECTIONS: readonly ShortcutSection[] = [
       { key: hintKey(STUDIO_PLAIN_KEYS.split), label: "Split clip at playhead" },
       { key: "⇧Click", label: "Razor tool: split all tracks" },
       { key: "[", label: "Select clips starting before the playhead" },
-      { key: "]", label: "Select clips starting at or after the playhead" },
+      { key: "]", label: "Select clips running at or after the playhead" },
       { key: "⌘G", label: "Group elements" },
       { key: "⌘⇧G", label: "Ungroup" },
       { key: "Del", label: "Delete selected element (no keyframe selected)" },
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.ts b/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.ts
index 5296c96f6b..70187afbe9 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/player/store/playerStore.ts
@@ -257,10 +257,10 @@ interface BeatHistoryEntry {
 /** Selects like the marquee: the primary first, so its resets run, then the whole set. */
 function selectAroundPlayhead(
   state: PlayerState,
-  keep: (start: number, playhead: number) => boolean,
+  keep: (el: TimelineElement, playhead: number) => boolean,
 ): void {
   const playhead = state.isPlaying ? liveTime.latest() : state.currentTime;
-  const ids = state.elements.filter((el) => keep(el.start, playhead)).map((el) => el.key ?? el.id);
+  const ids = state.elements.filter((el) => keep(el, playhead)).map((el) => el.key ?? el.id);
   state.setSelectedElementId(ids[0] ?? null);
   state.setSelectedElementIds(new Set(ids));
 }
@@ -289,8 +289,8 @@ export const usePlayerStore = create<PlayerState>((set, get) => ({
 
   activeTool: "select",
   setActiveTool: (tool) => set({ activeTool: tool }),
-  selectLeftward: () => selectAroundPlayhead(get(), (start, playhead) => start < playhead),
-  selectRightward: () => selectAroundPlayhead(get(), (start, playhead) => start >= playhead),
+  selectLeftward: () => selectAroundPlayhead(get(), (el, t) => el.start < t),
+  selectRightward: () => selectAroundPlayhead(get(), (el, t) => el.start + el.duration > t),
 
   ...createKeyframeSlice(set, () => ({
     timelineProjectId: get().timelineProjectId,