diff --git a/CodenameOne/src/com/codename1/components/InteractionDialog.java b/CodenameOne/src/com/codename1/components/InteractionDialog.java
index cbd2ebf2fd..dbedbc3ceb 100644
--- a/CodenameOne/src/com/codename1/components/InteractionDialog.java
+++ b/CodenameOne/src/com/codename1/components/InteractionDialog.java
@@ -839,23 +839,48 @@ private void showPopupDialogImpl(Rectangle rect, boolean bias) {
                     }
                 }
             }
-            if (rect.getY() + rect.getHeight() < availableHeight / 2) {
+            // Pick the side of the rect (above vs. below) the popup goes
+            // on. The original logic chose purely by which half of the
+            // screen the rect sat in, which placed the popup ON TOP of
+            // the rect whenever it straddled the midline -- the symptom
+            // in #5028 (popup covers target) and #5029 (CSSBorder.Arrow
+            // can't pick a consistent direction so the tip renders on
+            // the wrong edge). Prefer whichever side fits the popup's
+            // preferred height, falling back to the larger side. The
+            // historical "over the rect" branches are kept as a last
+            // resort for the degenerate case where neither side has any
+            // room at all.
+            int spaceAbove = Math.max(0, rect.getY());
+            int spaceBelow = Math.max(0, availableHeight - rect.getY() - rect.getHeight());
+            boolean placeBelow;
+            if (spaceBelow >= prefHeight) {
+                placeBelow = true;
+            } else if (spaceAbove >= prefHeight) {
+                placeBelow = false;
+            } else if (spaceBelow >= spaceAbove) {
+                placeBelow = spaceBelow > 0;
+            } else {
+                placeBelow = false;
+            }
+            if (placeBelow && spaceBelow > 0) {
                 // popup downwards
                 y = rect.getY() + rect.getHeight();
-                int height = Math.min(prefHeight, Math.max(0, availableHeight - y));
+                int height = Math.min(prefHeight, spaceBelow);
                 padOrientation(contentPaneStyle, TOP, 1);
                 show(Math.max(0, y), Math.max(0, availableHeight - height - y),
                         Math.max(0, x), Math.max(0, availableWidth - width - x));
                 padOrientation(contentPaneStyle, TOP, -1);
-            } else if (rect.getY() > availableHeight / 2) {
+            } else if (!placeBelow && spaceAbove > 0) {
                 // popup upwards
-                int height = Math.min(prefHeight, rect.getY());
+                int height = Math.min(prefHeight, spaceAbove);
                 y = rect.getY() - height;
                 padOrientation(contentPaneStyle, BOTTOM, 1);
                 show(y, Math.max(0, availableHeight - rect.getY()), x, Math.max(0, availableWidth - width - x));
                 padOrientation(contentPaneStyle, BOTTOM, -1);
             } else if (rect.getY() < availableHeight / 2) {
-                // popup over aligned with top of rect, but inset a few mm
+                // popup over aligned with top of rect, but inset a few
+                // mm. Fallback for the truly degenerate case where the
+                // rect fills the viewport top-to-bottom.
                 y = rect.getY() + CN.convertToPixels(3);
 
                 int height = Math.min(prefHeight, availableHeight - y);
diff --git a/maven/core-unittests/src/test/java/com/codename1/components/InteractionDialogTest.java b/maven/core-unittests/src/test/java/com/codename1/components/InteractionDialogTest.java
index d0aa56acc3..2e6d387ddd 100644
--- a/maven/core-unittests/src/test/java/com/codename1/components/InteractionDialogTest.java
+++ b/maven/core-unittests/src/test/java/com/codename1/components/InteractionDialogTest.java
@@ -97,6 +97,83 @@ void formModeUsesFormLayeredPane() {
         dialog.dispose();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void showPopupDialogStraddlingMidlineDoesNotOverlapTarget() {
+        // Regression for #5028: when the anchor rect straddles the
+        // vertical midline, the legacy placement logic fell through to a
+        // "popup over aligned with top of rect" branch that drew the
+        // popup ON TOP of the target (covering the Close button in the
+        // reporter's screenshot). The fix prefers above / below based on
+        // available space; the popup must end up entirely outside the
+        // target rect.
+        implementation.setDisplaySize(1080, 1920);
+        implementation.setPortrait(true);
+        Form form = new Form(new BorderLayout());
+        implementation.setCurrentForm(form);
+        InteractionDialog dialog = new InteractionDialog();
+        dialog.setAnimateShow(false);
+        dialog.addComponent(new Label("Popup body content"));
+
+        // 60px target straddling the midline at y=960.
+        int targetHeight = 60;
+        int targetY = 1920 / 2 - targetHeight / 2;
+        Rectangle anchor = new Rectangle(490, targetY, 100, targetHeight);
+        dialog.showPopupDialog(anchor);
+
+        int dlgTop = dialog.getAbsoluteY();
+        int dlgBottom = dlgTop + dialog.getHeight();
+        int targetBottom = targetY + targetHeight;
+        assertTrue(dialog.getHeight() > 0, "popup must have non-zero height");
+        boolean overlaps = dlgTop < targetBottom && dlgBottom > targetY;
+        assertFalse(overlaps,
+                "#5028: popup [" + dlgTop + ".." + dlgBottom
+                        + ") overlaps anchor [" + targetY + ".." + targetBottom
+                        + ") -- expected the popup to land entirely above or below the rect");
+
+        dialog.dispose();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void showPopupDialogArrowDirectionConsistentWithPlacement() {
+        // Regression for #5029: with the popup ending up overlapping the
+        // target (the #5028 bug), CSSBorder.Arrow could not pick a
+        // consistent direction (cabsY straddles trackY..trackY+h) so the
+        // arrow tip rendered on the wrong edge. The arrow logic needs the
+        // popup to be either fully above or fully below the target; this
+        // test mirrors the reporter's geometry (target halfway down a
+        // tall column) and pins that invariant.
+        implementation.setDisplaySize(1080, 1920);
+        implementation.setPortrait(true);
+        Form form = new Form(new BorderLayout());
+        implementation.setCurrentForm(form);
+        InteractionDialog dialog = new InteractionDialog();
+        dialog.setAnimateShow(false);
+        dialog.addComponent(new Label("Popup body content"));
+
+        // Target lives at y = available/2 - 1 (rect.getY() < availableHeight/2,
+        // rect.bottom > availableHeight/2). This is the exact case that
+        // used to hit the buggy "popup over aligned with top of rect"
+        // branch before the fix.
+        Rectangle anchor = new Rectangle(490, 1920 / 2 - 1, 100, 80);
+        dialog.showPopupDialog(anchor);
+
+        int dlgTop = dialog.getAbsoluteY();
+        int dlgBottom = dlgTop + dialog.getHeight();
+        int targetTop = anchor.getY();
+        int targetBottom = targetTop + anchor.getHeight();
+
+        boolean popupBelowTarget = dlgTop >= targetBottom;
+        boolean popupAboveTarget = dlgBottom <= targetTop;
+        assertTrue(popupBelowTarget || popupAboveTarget,
+                "#5029: popup at [" + dlgTop + ".." + dlgBottom
+                        + ") is neither fully above nor fully below target ["
+                        + targetTop + ".." + targetBottom
+                        + ") -- CSSBorder.Arrow has no consistent direction"
+                        + " to point at the target");
+
+        dialog.dispose();
+    }
+
     @Test
     void showPopupDialogLandscapeFullWidthRectGetsVisibleSize() {
         // Regression for #4991: in landscape, when the anchor rect spans the