diff --git a/.vscode/tasks.json b/.vscode/tasks.json
index 2a82bf3..756c0a6 100644
--- a/.vscode/tasks.json
+++ b/.vscode/tasks.json
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
                 "build",
                 "${workspaceFolder}/EmoTracker.sln",
                 "/property:GenerateFullPaths=true",
-                "/consoleloggerparameters:NoSummary"
+                "/consoleloggerparameters:NoSummary",
+                "/p:EmoTrackerRegularBuild=1"
             ],
             "problemMatcher": "$msCompile",
             "group": {
@@ -29,8 +30,10 @@
                 "--configuration",
                 "Debug",
                 "/property:GenerateFullPaths=true",
-                "/consoleloggerparameters:NoSummary"
+                "/consoleloggerparameters:NoSummary",
+                "/p:EmoTrackerRegularBuild=1"
             ],
+
             "problemMatcher": "$msCompile"
         },
         {
@@ -45,8 +48,10 @@
                 "--configuration",
                 "Release",
                 "/property:GenerateFullPaths=true",
-                "/consoleloggerparameters:NoSummary"
+                "/consoleloggerparameters:NoSummary",
+                "/p:EmoTrackerRegularBuild=1"
             ],
+
             "problemMatcher": "$msCompile"
         },
         {
@@ -59,8 +64,10 @@
                 "--configuration",
                 "Release",
                 "/property:GenerateFullPaths=true",
-                "/consoleloggerparameters:NoSummary"
+                "/consoleloggerparameters:NoSummary",
+                "/p:EmoTrackerRegularBuild=1"
             ],
+
             "problemMatcher": "$msCompile"
         },
         {
diff --git a/EmoTracker.SourceGenerators/EmoTracker.SourceGenerators.csproj b/EmoTracker.SourceGenerators/EmoTracker.SourceGenerators.csproj
index 6168791..b649810 100644
--- a/EmoTracker.SourceGenerators/EmoTracker.SourceGenerators.csproj
+++ b/EmoTracker.SourceGenerators/EmoTracker.SourceGenerators.csproj
@@ -23,6 +23,24 @@
     <NoWarn>$(NoWarn);RS2008</NoWarn>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
+  <!--
+    The Avalonia VS Code Language Server (AvaloniaUI.VSCodeServer.dll) builds this
+    project in-process, loads EmoTracker.SourceGenerators.dll as a Roslyn analyzer,
+    and keeps a file lock on it for the entire VS Code session. This prevents
+    regular builds from copying an updated DLL to the same location.
+
+    Fix: when building via VS Code tasks (which pass /p:EmoTrackerRegularBuild=1),
+    redirect the output to a separate "-build" directory so regular builds and the
+    language server write to different paths and never contend on the same file.
+
+    The consuming project (EmoTracker.Data) resolves the analyzer path via
+    $(TargetPath) which follows $(OutputPath), so both the generator and its
+    consumer use the correct path within the same build invocation.
+  -->
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(EmoTrackerRegularBuild)' == '1'">
+    <OutputPath>bin\$(Configuration)-build\$(TargetFramework)\</OutputPath>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+
   <ItemGroup>
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp" Version="4.11.0" PrivateAssets="all" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Analyzers" Version="3.11.0" PrivateAssets="all" />
diff --git a/EmoTracker.UI/Converters/VisibilityConverters.cs b/EmoTracker.UI/Converters/VisibilityConverters.cs
index a2c5b4b..11d19a5 100644
--- a/EmoTracker.UI/Converters/VisibilityConverters.cs
+++ b/EmoTracker.UI/Converters/VisibilityConverters.cs
@@ -61,6 +61,22 @@ public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, Cultu
             => throw new NotSupportedException();
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns <c>0.0</c> (zero height) when the value is null or empty; otherwise returns
+    /// <c>Double.PositiveInfinity</c> (no maximum). Use for MaxHeight bindings on badge overlays
+    /// that should have zero layout footprint when there is no badge text, preventing the
+    /// invisible badge from inflating the parent container's measured height while keeping
+    /// data bindings active (avoiding the blank-text flash that <c>IsVisible</c> can cause).
+    /// </summary>
+    public class NonEmptyStringToMaxHeightConverter : Singleton<NonEmptyStringToMaxHeightConverter>, IValueConverter
+    {
+        public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
+            => value is string s && s.Length > 0 ? double.PositiveInfinity : 0.0;
+
+        public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
+            => throw new NotSupportedException();
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Returns <c>true</c> when the integer/uint value is non-zero.
     /// </summary>
diff --git a/EmoTracker/UI/TrackableItemControl.axaml b/EmoTracker/UI/TrackableItemControl.axaml
index 355b732..e6d5c6f 100644
--- a/EmoTracker/UI/TrackableItemControl.axaml
+++ b/EmoTracker/UI/TrackableItemControl.axaml
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
                         <Grid VerticalAlignment="Bottom"
                               HorizontalAlignment="Right"
                               MaxWidth="{Binding IconWidth, RelativeSource={RelativeSource AncestorType=local:TrackableItemControl}}"
+                              MaxHeight="{Binding BadgeText, Converter={x:Static converters:NonEmptyStringToMaxHeightConverter.Instance}, FallbackValue=0}"
                               Opacity="{Binding BadgeText, Converter={x:Static converters:NonEmptyStringToOpacityConverter.Instance}, FallbackValue=0}"
                               IsHitTestVisible="{Binding BadgeText, Converter={x:Static converters:NonEmptyStringToBoolConverter.Instance}, FallbackValue=False}">
                             <TextBlock Text="{Binding BadgeText}"