diff --git a/crates/egui/src/containers/scroll_area.rs b/crates/egui/src/containers/scroll_area.rs
index a9753b04bec..aa084f65014 100644
--- a/crates/egui/src/containers/scroll_area.rs
+++ b/crates/egui/src/containers/scroll_area.rs
@@ -1241,25 +1241,55 @@ impl Prepared {
                 continue;
             }
 
+            let interact_id = id.with(d);
+
             // Margin on either side of the scroll bar:
             let inner_margin = show_factor * scroll_style.bar_inner_margin;
             let outer_margin = show_factor * scroll_style.bar_outer_margin;
 
+            // bottom of a horizontal scroll (d==0).
+            // right of a vertical scroll (d==1).
+            let mut max_cross = outer_rect.max[1 - d] - outer_margin;
+
+            if ui.clip_rect().max[1 - d] - outer_margin < max_cross {
+                // Move the scrollbar so it is visible. This is needed in some cases.
+                // For instance:
+                // * When we have a vertical-only scroll area in a top level panel,
+                //   and that panel is not wide enough for the contents.
+                // * When one ScrollArea is nested inside another, and the outer
+                //   is scrolled so that the scroll-bars of the inner ScrollArea (us)
+                //   is outside the clip rectangle.
+                // Really this should use the tighter clip_rect that ignores clip_rect_margin, but we don't store that.
+                // clip_rect_margin is quite a hack. It would be nice to get rid of it.
+                max_cross = ui.clip_rect().max[1 - d] - outer_margin;
+            }
+
+            let full_width = scroll_style.bar_width;
+
+            // The bounding rect of a fully visible bar.
+            // When we hover this area, we should show the full bar:
+            let max_bar_rect = if d == 0 {
+                outer_rect.with_min_y(max_cross - full_width)
+            } else {
+                outer_rect.with_min_x(max_cross - full_width)
+            };
+
+            let sense = if scroll_source.scroll_bar && ui.is_enabled() {
+                Sense::click_and_drag()
+            } else {
+                Sense::hover()
+            };
+
+            // We always sense interaction with the full width, even if we antimate it growing/shrinking.
+            // This is to present a more consistent target for our hit test code,
+            // and to avoid producing jitter in "thin widget" heuristics there.
+            // Also: it make sense to detect any hover where the scroll bar _will_ be.
+            let response = ui.interact(max_bar_rect, interact_id, sense);
+
             // top/bottom of a horizontal scroll (d==0).
             // left/rigth of a vertical scroll (d==1).
-            let mut cross = if scroll_style.floating {
-                // The bounding rect of a fully visible bar.
-                // When we hover this area, we should show the full bar:
-                let max_bar_rect = if d == 0 {
-                    outer_rect.with_min_y(outer_rect.max.y - outer_margin - scroll_style.bar_width)
-                } else {
-                    outer_rect.with_min_x(outer_rect.max.x - outer_margin - scroll_style.bar_width)
-                };
-
-                let is_hovering_bar_area = is_hovering_outer_rect
-                    && ui.rect_contains_pointer(max_bar_rect)
-                    && !is_dragging_background
-                    || state.scroll_bar_interaction[d];
+            let cross = if scroll_style.floating {
+                let is_hovering_bar_area = response.hovered() || state.scroll_bar_interaction[d];
 
                 let is_hovering_bar_area_t = ui
                     .ctx()
@@ -1267,44 +1297,21 @@ impl Prepared {
 
                 let width = show_factor
                     * lerp(
-                        scroll_style.floating_width..=scroll_style.bar_width,
+                        scroll_style.floating_width..=full_width,
                         is_hovering_bar_area_t,
                     );
 
-                let max_cross = outer_rect.max[1 - d] - outer_margin;
                 let min_cross = max_cross - width;
                 Rangef::new(min_cross, max_cross)
             } else {
                 let min_cross = inner_rect.max[1 - d] + inner_margin;
-                let max_cross = outer_rect.max[1 - d] - outer_margin;
                 Rangef::new(min_cross, max_cross)
             };
 
-            if ui.clip_rect().max[1 - d] < cross.max + outer_margin {
-                // Move the scrollbar so it is visible. This is needed in some cases.
-                // For instance:
-                // * When we have a vertical-only scroll area in a top level panel,
-                //   and that panel is not wide enough for the contents.
-                // * When one ScrollArea is nested inside another, and the outer
-                //   is scrolled so that the scroll-bars of the inner ScrollArea (us)
-                //   is outside the clip rectangle.
-                // Really this should use the tighter clip_rect that ignores clip_rect_margin, but we don't store that.
-                // clip_rect_margin is quite a hack. It would be nice to get rid of it.
-                let width = cross.max - cross.min;
-                cross.max = ui.clip_rect().max[1 - d] - outer_margin;
-                cross.min = cross.max - width;
-            }
-
             let outer_scroll_bar_rect = if d == 0 {
-                Rect::from_min_max(
-                    pos2(scroll_bar_rect.left(), cross.min),
-                    pos2(scroll_bar_rect.right(), cross.max),
-                )
+                Rect::from_x_y_ranges(scroll_bar_rect.x_range(), cross)
             } else {
-                Rect::from_min_max(
-                    pos2(cross.min, scroll_bar_rect.top()),
-                    pos2(cross.max, scroll_bar_rect.bottom()),
-                )
+                Rect::from_x_y_ranges(cross, scroll_bar_rect.y_range())
             };
 
             let from_content = |content| {
@@ -1344,14 +1351,6 @@ impl Prepared {
 
             let handle_rect = calculate_handle_rect(d, &state.offset);
 
-            let interact_id = id.with(d);
-            let sense = if scroll_source.scroll_bar && ui.is_enabled() {
-                Sense::click_and_drag()
-            } else {
-                Sense::hover()
-            };
-            let response = ui.interact(outer_scroll_bar_rect, interact_id, sense);
-
             state.scroll_bar_interaction[d] = response.hovered() || response.dragged();
 
             if let Some(pointer_pos) = response.interact_pointer_pos() {