diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
index 1b034cf9e9c..afc1e36ee53 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
@@ -2870,7 +2870,12 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
     rootComp: HTMLElement | null,
   ) => {
     for (let node = from; node && node !== rootComp; node = node.parentElement)
-      if (isStylableElement(node) && node.hasAttribute("data-start") && !visibleAt(node, time))
+      if (
+        isStylableElement(node) &&
+        node.hasAttribute("data-start") &&
+        !isDiscoveryStamped(node) &&
+        !visibleAt(node, time)
+      )
         return false;
     return true;
   };
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/timeline.test.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/timeline.test.ts
index 94da4663c00..f14d868cb4d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/timeline.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/timeline.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { DEFAULT_IMAGE_TIMELINE_DURATION_SECONDS } from "@hyperframes/parsers/media-duration";
 import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from "vitest";
-import { collectRuntimeTimelinePayload } from "./timeline";
+import { collectRuntimeTimelinePayload, runtimeElementWindow } from "./timeline";
+import { createRuntimeStartTimeResolver } from "./startResolver";
 
 type TimelineTestWindow = Window & {
   __timelines?: Record<string, { duration: () => number }>;
@@ -1111,3 +1112,25 @@ describe("collectRuntimeTimelinePayload", () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+describe("runtimeElementWindow", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = "";
+  });
+
+  // A root with no data-duration and a 2 s timeline under a 6 s video went black from 2 s.
+  it("ends a nested scene with its timeline, but never the root", () => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = `<div id="main" data-composition-id="main" data-start="0">
+      <div id="scene" data-composition-id="scene" data-start="0"></div></div>`;
+    const timelineRegistry = { main: { duration: () => 2 }, scene: { duration: () => 2 } };
+    const options = { timelineRegistry, resolver: createRuntimeStartTimeResolver({}) };
+    expect(runtimeElementWindow(document.getElementById("main")!, options)).toEqual({
+      start: 0,
+      end: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
+    });
+    expect(runtimeElementWindow(document.getElementById("scene")!, options)).toEqual({
+      start: 0,
+      end: 2,
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/timeline.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/timeline.ts
index 648eb8a0216..87628702e72 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/timeline.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/timeline.ts
@@ -66,9 +66,10 @@ export function runtimeElementWindow(
       duration = liveDuration;
     }
   }
+  const isRoot = rawNode === findRootCompositionElement(rawNode.ownerDocument);
   return {
     start,
-    end: duration != null && duration > 0 ? start + duration : Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
+    end: !isRoot && duration != null && duration > 0 ? start + duration : Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/producer/src/services/coreRuntimeBrowser.test.ts b/packages/producer/src/services/coreRuntimeBrowser.test.ts
index c232674262c..2202318ce9a 100644
--- a/packages/producer/src/services/coreRuntimeBrowser.test.ts
+++ b/packages/producer/src/services/coreRuntimeBrowser.test.ts
@@ -491,6 +491,62 @@ describe("core runtime browser contract", () => {
     30_000,
   );
 
+  it("keeps a root with no data-duration on screen after its GSAP timeline ends", async () => {
+    const filmPage = await browser.newPage();
+    try {
+      await filmPage.setViewport({ width: 320, height: 180 });
+      await filmPage.setContent(`<!doctype html>
+        <style>html, body { margin: 0; background: rgb(0, 0, 0); }</style>
+        <div data-composition-id="root" data-width="320" data-height="180"
+          style="position:relative;width:320px;height:180px;background:rgb(255,0,0)">
+          <audio data-start="0" data-duration="6"></audio>
+        </div>`);
+      await filmPage.addScriptTag({
+        path: resolve(import.meta.dirname, "../../../core/node_modules/gsap/dist/gsap.min.js"),
+      });
+      await filmPage.addScriptTag({
+        content:
+          "window.__timelines = { root: gsap.timeline({ paused: true }).to({}, { duration: 2 }) };",
+      });
+      await filmPage.addScriptTag({ content: readFileSync(RUNTIME_PATH, "utf8") });
+      await filmPage.waitForFunction(() => window.__playerReady && window.__renderReady);
+      const shown = await filmPage.evaluate(() => {
+        window.__player!.renderSeek!(4);
+        return window.__player!.getDuration();
+      });
+      expect(shown).toBeGreaterThan(4);
+      expect(await redPixels(filmPage)).toBe(320 * 180);
+    } finally {
+      await filmPage.close();
+    }
+  }, 30_000);
+
+  // In a frame the runtime stamps GSAP targets with the timeline's length at bind, for Studio's
+  // timeline list; video metadata can make the composition longer afterwards.
+  it("keeps a clip inside a discovery-stamped wrapper on screen past the stamp's end", async () => {
+    const hostPage = await browser.newPage();
+    try {
+      await hostPage.setViewport({ width: 320, height: 180 });
+      await hostPage.setContent(`<style>html, body { margin: 0; } iframe { border: 0; }</style>
+        <iframe width="320" height="180" srcdoc="<style>html, body { margin: 0; background: rgb(0, 0, 0); }</style>
+          <div data-composition-id='root' data-duration='6' data-width='320' data-height='180'
+            style='position:relative;width:320px;height:180px'>
+            <div id='wrap' data-start='0' data-duration='2' data-hf-autostamped='1'
+              style='position:absolute;inset:0'>
+              <div class='clip' data-start='0' data-duration='6'
+                style='position:absolute;inset:0;background:rgb(255,0,0)'></div>
+            </div>
+          </div>"></iframe>`);
+      const frame = (await (await hostPage.waitForSelector("iframe"))!.contentFrame())!;
+      await frame.addScriptTag({ content: readFileSync(RUNTIME_PATH, "utf8") });
+      await frame.waitForFunction(() => window.__playerReady && window.__renderReady);
+      await frame.evaluate(() => window.__player!.seek(4));
+      expect(await redPixels(hostPage)).toBe(320 * 180);
+    } finally {
+      await hostPage.close();
+    }
+  }, 30_000);
+
   it("paints nothing of a hidden scene, even a child or SVG shape set visible inline", async () => {
     const filmPage = await openFilm(
       `<div class="clip" data-start="2" data-duration="1" style="position:absolute;inset:0">