diff --git a/demo/e2e/native-ui.spec.ts b/demo/e2e/native-ui.spec.ts
index e525a9b57..d2d9398a6 100644
--- a/demo/e2e/native-ui.spec.ts
+++ b/demo/e2e/native-ui.spec.ts
@@ -3983,6 +3983,47 @@ for (const refusal of ['disabled', 'md'])
     await expect(trigger).toHaveAttribute('data-native-ui-vertical-bars-member', '');
   });
 
+for (const phase of ['click', 'presented']) {
+  test(`Vertical Bars popover keeps its anchor when disabled at ${phase}`, async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.setViewportSize({ width: 700, height: 900 });
+    await mockNative(page);
+    await page.goto('/main/index/popover');
+    await page.locator('ion-app').evaluate((app) => app.classList.add('ios-theme-vertical-bars'));
+    const trigger = page.locator('#native-popover-trigger');
+    await expect(trigger).toHaveAttribute('data-native-ui-vertical-bars-member', '');
+    await page.evaluate((phase) => {
+      const plugin = Capacitor.registerPlugin<NativeUIMock>('NativeUI');
+      Object.assign(plugin, { async prepareOverlay() {}, async presentOverlay() {}, async dismissOverlay() {} });
+      const button = document.querySelector<HTMLIonButtonElement>('#native-popover-trigger')!;
+      if (phase === 'click')
+        button.addEventListener(
+          'click',
+          () => {
+            button.disabled = true;
+          },
+          { capture: true, once: true },
+        );
+    }, phase);
+    const opened = page.waitForEvent('popup');
+    await activate(page, 'Open popover');
+    const relay = await opened;
+    await expect(relay.getByText('Toolbar popover', { exact: true })).toBeVisible();
+    if (phase === 'presented')
+      await trigger.evaluate((button: HTMLIonButtonElement) => {
+        button.disabled = true;
+      });
+    await expect(trigger).toHaveJSProperty('disabled', true);
+    await expect(trigger).toHaveAttribute('data-native-ui-projected', '');
+    await relay.getByRole('button', { name: 'Increment', exact: true }).click();
+    await expect(relay.getByText('Count: 1', { exact: true })).toBeVisible();
+    await relay.getByRole('button', { name: 'Close popover', exact: true }).click();
+    await expect.poll(() => relay.isClosed()).toBe(true);
+    await activate(page, 'Open popover');
+    await expect.poll(() => page.context().pages().length).toBe(1);
+    await expect(trigger).toHaveJSProperty('disabled', true);
+  });
+}
+
 for (const disabled of [false, true])
   test(`Vertical Bars popover handles anchor clicks during dismissal (${disabled ? 'disabled before replay' : 'reopens once'})`, async ({
     page,
@@ -4919,6 +4960,10 @@ test('horizontal tabs retain measured native width on Web handoff without feedin
   await page.locator('ion-app').evaluate((app) => app.classList.remove('ios-theme-vertical-bars'));
   await expect.poll(requestWidth).toBeCloseTo(original, 0);
   await expect.poll(async () => (await bar.boundingBox())!.width).toBeCloseTo(274, 0);
+  // Toolbar artwork can finish after the tab width is acknowledged. Wait for
+  // the complete handoff before checking that synchronization has settled.
+  await expect(page.locator('index-page ion-buttons[slot=start]')).toHaveAttribute('data-native-ui-projected', '');
+  await expect(page.locator('index-page ion-buttons[slot=end]')).toHaveAttribute('data-native-ui-projected', '');
   const updates = await page.evaluate(() => Capacitor.registerPlugin<NativeUIMock>('NativeUI').updates.length);
   await page.waitForTimeout(300);
   expect(await page.evaluate(() => Capacitor.registerPlugin<NativeUIMock>('NativeUI').updates.length)).toBe(updates);
diff --git a/packages/capacitor-native-ui/ios/Sources/NativeUIPlugin/Components/NativeUIVerticalBars.swift b/packages/capacitor-native-ui/ios/Sources/NativeUIPlugin/Components/NativeUIVerticalBars.swift
index 0b01de1cd..b3c7972f1 100644
--- a/packages/capacitor-native-ui/ios/Sources/NativeUIPlugin/Components/NativeUIVerticalBars.swift
+++ b/packages/capacitor-native-ui/ios/Sources/NativeUIPlugin/Components/NativeUIVerticalBars.swift
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ final class NativeUIVerticalBarsController: NativeUIVerticalBarsControlling {
 
     func presentPopover(anchor: String, host: NativeUIOverlayHost, completion: @escaping (Bool) -> Void) -> Bool {
         guard container.window != nil, model.popoverAnchor == nil,
-              model.groups.flatMap(\.items).contains(where: { $0.id == anchor && !$0.disabled }) else { return false }
+              model.groups.flatMap(\.items).contains(where: { $0.id == anchor }) else { return false }
         model.popoverHost = host
         model.popoverPresented = completion
         host.anchoredVisible = false
diff --git a/packages/capacitor-native-ui/ios/Tests/NativeUIPluginTests/NativeUISnapshotTests.swift b/packages/capacitor-native-ui/ios/Tests/NativeUIPluginTests/NativeUISnapshotTests.swift
index eaa5c73aa..777ee915b 100644
--- a/packages/capacitor-native-ui/ios/Tests/NativeUIPluginTests/NativeUISnapshotTests.swift
+++ b/packages/capacitor-native-ui/ios/Tests/NativeUIPluginTests/NativeUISnapshotTests.swift
@@ -410,27 +410,30 @@ final class NativeUISnapshotTests: XCTestCase {
 
     @MainActor func testDetachingRailSettlesPopoverPresentationAndDismissal() throws {
         guard #available(iOS 26.0, *) else { throw XCTSkip("Requires native Vertical Bars") }
-        let owner = UIViewController()
-        let window = UIWindow(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 700, height: 900))
-        window.rootViewController = owner
-        window.makeKeyAndVisible()
-        defer { window.isHidden = true }
-        let rail = NativeUIVerticalBarsController(activate: { _ in }, changed: { _, _, _, _, _ in 0 })
-        rail.attach(to: owner, in: owner.view)
-        rail.apply(try decode([control(["placement": "vertical-bars"])]).controls,
-                   rendering: NativeUIControlRendering(), edge: "right")
-        let host = NativeUIOverlayHost(configuration: WKWebViewConfiguration(), options: nil, event: { _ in })
-        var presentations: [Bool] = []
-        XCTAssertTrue(rail.presentPopover(anchor: "action", host: host) { presentations.append($0) })
-        host.anchoredVisible = true
-        var dismissals = 0
-        host.dismissPopover(animated: false) { dismissals += 1 }
-        rail.detach()
-        XCTAssertEqual(presentations, [false])
-        XCTAssertEqual(dismissals, 1)
-        XCTAssertFalse(host.anchoredVisible)
-        rail.detach()
-        XCTAssertEqual(dismissals, 1)
+        // Disabling a valid trigger after a tap must not invalidate its popover anchor.
+        for disabled in [false, true] {
+            let owner = UIViewController()
+            let window = UIWindow(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 700, height: 900))
+            window.rootViewController = owner
+            window.makeKeyAndVisible()
+            defer { window.isHidden = true }
+            let rail = NativeUIVerticalBarsController(activate: { _ in }, changed: { _, _, _, _, _ in 0 })
+            rail.attach(to: owner, in: owner.view)
+            rail.apply(try decode([control(["placement": "vertical-bars", "items": [item(["disabled": disabled])]])]).controls,
+                       rendering: NativeUIControlRendering(), edge: "right")
+            let host = NativeUIOverlayHost(configuration: WKWebViewConfiguration(), options: nil, event: { _ in })
+            var presentations: [Bool] = []
+            XCTAssertTrue(rail.presentPopover(anchor: "action", host: host) { presentations.append($0) })
+            host.anchoredVisible = true
+            var dismissals = 0
+            host.dismissPopover(animated: false) { dismissals += 1 }
+            rail.detach()
+            XCTAssertEqual(presentations, [false])
+            XCTAssertEqual(dismissals, 1)
+            XCTAssertFalse(host.anchoredVisible)
+            rail.detach()
+            XCTAssertEqual(dismissals, 1)
+        }
     }
 
     @MainActor func testStoppingPreparedPopoverRestoresWebViewAndAllowsNewSession() {
diff --git a/packages/capacitor-native-ui/src/native/overlays/popover.ts b/packages/capacitor-native-ui/src/native/overlays/popover.ts
index bbe905b5c..35ffdb758 100644
--- a/packages/capacitor-native-ui/src/native/overlays/popover.ts
+++ b/packages/capacitor-native-ui/src/native/overlays/popover.ts
@@ -10,14 +10,10 @@ export const popoverTrigger = (overlay: HTMLIonPopoverElement): Element | undefi
   return target?.closest?.('ion-button,ion-fab-button,ion-item') ?? target;
 };
 
-/** Only accepted native rail buttons can retain the page projection. */
+/** Anchoring is independent of click eligibility: handlers may disable the trigger after a valid tap. */
 export const verticalBarsPopoverAnchor = (overlay: HTMLIonPopoverElement): string | undefined => {
   const trigger = popoverTrigger(overlay);
-  if (
-    !trigger?.matches('ion-button[data-native-ui-vertical-bars-member]') ||
-    !trigger.closest('[data-native-ui-projected]') ||
-    (trigger as HTMLIonButtonElement).disabled
-  )
+  if (!trigger?.matches('ion-button[data-native-ui-vertical-bars-member]') || !trigger.closest('[data-native-ui-projected]'))
     return undefined;
   return projectionIds.get(trigger);
 };