diff --git a/shell/Commons/Style.qml b/shell/Commons/Style.qml
index 2c70eaa4..e0d506a1 100644
--- a/shell/Commons/Style.qml
+++ b/shell/Commons/Style.qml
@@ -8,10 +8,13 @@ import Quickshell.Io
 // rounding, gap to screen edges, state affordances, spacing, typography
 // scale, and bar dimensions.
 //
-// `cornerRadius` mirrors Hyprland's `decoration:rounding`, and `gapsOut`
-// mirrors `general:gaps_out`. Themes and user Hyprland config own those
-// values; the shell picks them up by re-running `hyprctl getoption` on
-// startup and after theme IPC applies a theme.
+// `cornerRadius` mirrors Hyprland's `decoration:rounding`. `gapsOut` is
+// half of Hyprland's `general:gaps_out` — Hyprland's value works well as
+// a window-to-window gap but feels too cavernous when used as the
+// distance from a panel/notification to the screen edge, so the shell
+// halves it. Themes and user Hyprland config own those values; the
+// shell picks them up by re-running `hyprctl getoption` on startup and
+// after theme IPC applies a theme.
 //
 // Typography, spacing, and bar size come from theme/shell.toml.
 // `[font] base-size` is the rem root; every `Style.font.<token>` derives
@@ -24,7 +27,7 @@ QtObject {
   id: root
 
   property int cornerRadius: 0
-  property int gapsOut: 10
+  property int gapsOut: 5
 
   // ---------------------------------------------------------- state tokens
   //
@@ -349,7 +352,7 @@ QtObject {
       var css = String(json.css || "")
       var parts = css.match(/-?\d+(?:\.\d+)?/g) || []
       var n = parts.length > 0 ? Number(parts[0]) : Number(json.int)
-      if (isFinite(n) && n >= 0) gapsOut = Math.round(n)
+      if (isFinite(n) && n >= 0) gapsOut = Math.max(0, Math.round(n / 2))
     } catch (e) {
       // hyprctl missing / Hyprland not running — leave the previous value.
     }
diff --git a/shell/plugins/notifications/Service.qml b/shell/plugins/notifications/Service.qml
index 091428f9..e7c22687 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/notifications/Service.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/notifications/Service.qml
@@ -802,10 +802,10 @@ Item {
         right: service.barPosition !== "left"
       }
       margins {
-        top:    service.barPosition === "top"    ? service.liveBarSize + Math.round(Style.gapsOut / 2) : Math.round(Style.gapsOut / 2)
-        bottom: service.barPosition === "bottom" ? service.barClearance                               : Style.gapsOut
-        left:   service.barPosition === "left"   ? service.barClearance                               : Style.gapsOut
-        right:  service.barPosition === "right"  ? service.barClearance                               : Math.round(Style.gapsOut / 2)
+        top:    service.barPosition === "top"    ? service.barClearance : Style.gapsOut
+        bottom: service.barPosition === "bottom" ? service.barClearance : Style.gapsOut
+        left:   service.barPosition === "left"   ? service.barClearance : Style.gapsOut
+        right:  service.barPosition === "right"  ? service.barClearance : Style.gapsOut
       }
 
       implicitWidth: popupColumn.implicitWidth