diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/dom/EditorStyleInjector.test.ts b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/dom/EditorStyleInjector.test.ts
index fd1ae02e1e..48826151b1 100644
--- a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/dom/EditorStyleInjector.test.ts
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/dom/EditorStyleInjector.test.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ describe('ensureEditorNativeSelectionStyles', () => {
     expect(css).toContain('.superdoc-layout *::selection');
     expect(css).toContain('.superdoc-layout *::-moz-selection');
     expect(css).toContain('background: transparent');
+    expect(css).toContain('.superdoc-layout .superdoc-header-editor-host *::selection');
+    expect(css).toContain('.superdoc-layout .superdoc-footer-editor-host *::selection');
+    expect(css).toContain('color: HighlightText');
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/dom/EditorStyleInjector.ts b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/dom/EditorStyleInjector.ts
index b3733f7ee1..05c07bcb33 100644
--- a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/dom/EditorStyleInjector.ts
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/core/presentation-editor/dom/EditorStyleInjector.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,23 @@ const NATIVE_SELECTION_STYLES = `
 .superdoc-layout *::-moz-selection {
   background: transparent;
 }
+
+/* Keep native selection visible inside live header/footer editors.
+ * Unlike the main document surface, header/footer editing uses a visible
+ * ProseMirror host. If we suppress native selection there, users can end up
+ * with no obvious selection feedback when the custom overlay is subtle or
+ * still syncing to the current drag gesture. */
+.superdoc-layout .superdoc-header-editor-host *::selection,
+.superdoc-layout .superdoc-footer-editor-host *::selection {
+  background: Highlight;
+  color: HighlightText;
+}
+
+.superdoc-layout .superdoc-header-editor-host *::-moz-selection,
+.superdoc-layout .superdoc-footer-editor-host *::-moz-selection {
+  background: Highlight;
+  color: HighlightText;
+}
 `;
 
 let nativeSelectionStylesInjected = false;
diff --git a/tests/behavior/tests/headers/header-footer-selection-overlay.spec.ts b/tests/behavior/tests/headers/header-footer-selection-overlay.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..49ea916249
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/behavior/tests/headers/header-footer-selection-overlay.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import type { Locator, Page } from '@playwright/test';
+import { expect, test } from '../../fixtures/superdoc.js';
+
+const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const DOC_PATH = path.resolve(__dirname, '../../test-data/pagination/longer-header.docx');
+const MOD_KEY = process.platform === 'darwin' ? 'Meta' : 'Control';
+
+test.use({ config: { showSelection: true } });
+
+test.skip(!fs.existsSync(DOC_PATH), 'Test document not available — run pnpm corpus:pull');
+
+async function enterHeaderFooterEditMode(
+  page: Page,
+  surfaceSelector: string,
+  editorHostSelector: string,
+): Promise<Locator> {
+  const surface = page.locator(surfaceSelector).first();
+  await surface.scrollIntoViewIfNeeded();
+  await surface.waitFor({ state: 'visible', timeout: 15_000 });
+
+  const box = await surface.boundingBox();
+  expect(box).toBeTruthy();
+  await page.mouse.dblclick(box!.x + box!.width / 2, box!.y + box!.height / 2);
+
+  const editorHost = page.locator(editorHostSelector).first();
+  await editorHost.waitFor({ state: 'visible', timeout: 10_000 });
+
+  const pm = editorHost.locator('.ProseMirror');
+  await pm.click();
+
+  return pm;
+}
+
+async function assertSelectionOverlayRenders(
+  page: Page,
+  editor: Locator,
+  expectedSelectionText: string,
+): Promise<void> {
+  await editor.click();
+  await page.keyboard.press(`${MOD_KEY}+A`);
+
+  await expect
+    .poll(async () => page.evaluate(() => document.getSelection()?.toString().trim() ?? ''))
+    .toBe(expectedSelectionText);
+
+  await expect.poll(async () => page.locator('.presentation-editor__selection-rect').count()).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+
+  const selectionRect = page.locator('.presentation-editor__selection-rect');
+  await expect(selectionRect.first()).toBeVisible();
+}
+
+test('layout engine renders selection rectangles while editing a header', async ({ superdoc }) => {
+  await superdoc.loadDocument(DOC_PATH);
+  await superdoc.waitForStable();
+
+  const editor = await enterHeaderFooterEditMode(
+    superdoc.page,
+    '.superdoc-page-header',
+    '.superdoc-header-editor-host',
+  );
+
+  await assertSelectionOverlayRenders(superdoc.page, editor, 'Generic content header');
+});
+
+test('layout engine renders selection rectangles while editing a footer', async ({ superdoc }) => {
+  await superdoc.loadDocument(DOC_PATH);
+  await superdoc.waitForStable();
+
+  const editor = await enterHeaderFooterEditMode(
+    superdoc.page,
+    '.superdoc-page-footer',
+    '.superdoc-footer-editor-host',
+  );
+
+  await assertSelectionOverlayRenders(superdoc.page, editor, 'Footer');
+});