diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 52647e1..8ae0baf 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -141,6 +141,9 @@ preferred position controls where the hidden/kept boundary lands:
   (`kAXPressAction`, then `kAXShowMenuAction`), and `resume()`s ~0.1s later. The
   menu is its own window anchored at the item's on-screen spot, so it survives
   re-hiding.
+- `press` first calls `onWillPress`, which `AppDelegate` wires to close the
+  popover. Without it the panel stays open on top of the menu that opens and can
+  leave menus (e.g. Spotlight) stranded behind it.
 - **Cannot reveal a single icon.** The spacer hides a contiguous block to its
   left, so a press can only reveal the whole block. Isolating one item would
   need either per-item ordering control (not available) or covering the icons
diff --git a/Sources/SimpleTopBar/App.swift b/Sources/SimpleTopBar/App.swift
index 5131ba3..97a5f50 100644
--- a/Sources/SimpleTopBar/App.swift
+++ b/Sources/SimpleTopBar/App.swift
@@ -132,6 +132,14 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
             )
         )
         self.popover = popover
+
+        // Selecting a tray item must dismiss our panel, otherwise it stays on
+        // top of the menu that opens (and can strand menus behind it).
+        Task { @MainActor [weak self] in
+            MenuBarItemManager.shared.onWillPress = {
+                self?.popover?.performClose(nil)
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     @objc private func togglePopover() {
diff --git a/Sources/SimpleTopBar/MenuBarItems.swift b/Sources/SimpleTopBar/MenuBarItems.swift
index 75f9337..8ba4450 100644
--- a/Sources/SimpleTopBar/MenuBarItems.swift
+++ b/Sources/SimpleTopBar/MenuBarItems.swift
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ final class MenuBarItemManager: ObservableObject {
 
     private var observers: [NSObjectProtocol] = []
 
+    /// Called just before pressing an item so the owner can close its panel.
+    var onWillPress: (() -> Void)?
+
     private init() {}
 
     func start() {
@@ -113,6 +116,10 @@ final class MenuBarItemManager: ObservableObject {
     /// hide again shortly after. The reveal is momentary rather than lasting the
     /// whole time the panel is open.
     func press(_ item: MenuBarItem) {
+        // Close our own panel first, otherwise it stays open on top of the
+        // menu that is about to appear (and can leave menus behind it).
+        onWillPress?()
+
         let hider = MenuBarHider.shared
         let needsReveal = hider.isHiding
         guard needsReveal else {
diff --git a/build-app.sh b/build-app.sh
index fe4abe4..82a81a9 100755
--- a/build-app.sh
+++ b/build-app.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 cd "$(dirname "$0")"
 
-VERSION="${1:-0.4.2}"
+VERSION="${1:-0.4.3}"
 
 swift build -c release