diff --git a/packages/pen-core/src/__tests__/strip-redundant-section-fills.test.ts b/packages/pen-core/src/__tests__/strip-redundant-section-fills.test.ts
index a3c7c42b9..22fddf076 100644
--- a/packages/pen-core/src/__tests__/strip-redundant-section-fills.test.ts
+++ b/packages/pen-core/src/__tests__/strip-redundant-section-fills.test.ts
@@ -287,6 +287,58 @@ describe('stripRedundantSectionFills', () => {
     expect((section as PenNode & { fill?: unknown }).fill).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
+  it('strips a misrolled section wrapper (search-bar role with a nested input child)', () => {
+    // Real repro: MiniMax-M2.7 emits Search Bar(role=search-bar)
+    // > Search Input Container(role=input,fill=$color-surface). The OUTER
+    // wrapper labeled 'search-bar' is actually a section, not the atom —
+    // its safe-light hedge fill should still be stripped because the inner
+    // child carries the real component fill.
+    const innerInput = frame({
+      id: 'search-input',
+      name: 'Search Input Container',
+      role: 'input',
+      fill: solidFill('#FFFFFF'),
+    });
+    const wrapper = frame({
+      id: 'search-bar-wrapper',
+      name: 'Search Bar',
+      role: 'search-bar',
+      fill: solidFill('#F8FAFC'), // a safe-light hedge
+      children: [innerInput],
+    });
+    const root = frame({
+      id: 'root-frame',
+      fill: solidFill('#FFF8F0'),
+      children: [wrapper],
+    });
+    const changed = stripRedundantSectionFills(root);
+    expect(changed).toBe(true);
+    expect((wrapper as PenNode & { fill?: unknown }).fill).toBeUndefined();
+    // Inner input keeps its fill — it's the actual atom.
+    expect((innerInput as PenNode & { fill?: unknown }).fill).toEqual(solidFill('#FFFFFF'));
+  });
+
+  it('preserves a real search-bar atom with no inner-component children (not a wrapper)', () => {
+    // Counter-case: a search bar that is the actual atom (no nested input/
+    // search-bar/etc child) — its fill is intentional and must be kept.
+    const realSearchBar = frame({
+      id: 'real-search',
+      name: 'Search Bar',
+      role: 'search-bar',
+      fill: solidFill('#F1F5F9'),
+      children: [
+        frame({ id: 'icon', type: 'frame' }), // no role / no fill
+      ],
+    });
+    const root = frame({
+      id: 'root',
+      fill: solidFill('#FFFFFF'),
+      children: [realSearchBar],
+    });
+    stripRedundantSectionFills(root);
+    expect((realSearchBar as PenNode & { fill?: unknown }).fill).toEqual(solidFill('#F1F5F9'));
+  });
+
   it('reproduces the M2.7 health-tracker case', () => {
     // Direct repro of the actual failure: root #1a1a2e, six section roots
     // all hardcoded #0A0A0A, including one real card. The six section
diff --git a/packages/pen-core/src/layout/strip-redundant-section-fills.ts b/packages/pen-core/src/layout/strip-redundant-section-fills.ts
index e4119b8ee..270b4f215 100644
--- a/packages/pen-core/src/layout/strip-redundant-section-fills.ts
+++ b/packages/pen-core/src/layout/strip-redundant-section-fills.ts
@@ -97,13 +97,47 @@ const STRUCTURAL_ROLES = new Set([
 function isSectionLevelFrame(node: PenNode): boolean {
   const role = (node as PenNode & { role?: string }).role;
   if (!role) return true; // unrolled section root
-  if (PROTECTED_ROLES.has(role)) return false;
+  if (PROTECTED_ROLES.has(role)) {
+    // A protected-role frame at section depth that ALSO contains a
+    // descendant of the SAME role (or a stand-alone fill-bearing child
+    // that visibly carries the component's true surface) is almost
+    // certainly a sub-agent-misrolled wrapper, NOT the real atom — e.g.
+    // sub-agent emits Search Bar(role=search-bar) > Search Input
+    // Container(role=input). The outer "search-bar" is just a section
+    // wrapper. Treat as section-level so its hedge fill can be stripped.
+    if (hasNestedFilledComponent(node, role)) return true;
+    return false;
+  }
   if (STRUCTURAL_ROLES.has(role)) return true;
   // Unknown role: be conservative, treat as protected so we don't clobber
   // future role additions.
   return false;
 }
 
+/**
+ * True when a frame's children contain another node that carries either
+ * the same component role or a sibling component role with its own solid
+ * fill — the parent is then effectively a wrapper around the real atom.
+ */
+function hasNestedFilledComponent(node: PenNode, parentRole: string): boolean {
+  if (!('children' in node) || !Array.isArray(node.children)) return false;
+  for (const child of node.children) {
+    const childRole = (child as PenNode & { role?: string }).role;
+    if (!childRole) continue;
+    // Same role nested again ('search-bar' inside 'search-bar') — wrapper.
+    if (childRole === parentRole) return true;
+    // Component-bearing role with its own fill ('input' / 'card' / 'button'
+    // / 'badge' inside another component) — also a wrapper pattern.
+    if (
+      (PROTECTED_ROLES.has(childRole) || STRUCTURAL_ROLES.has(childRole)) &&
+      getFirstSolidColor(child)
+    ) {
+      return true;
+    }
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
 /**
  * Hex tints that sub-agents reach for when they want a "safe dark"
  * background without knowing the real design background color. Any of