diff --git a/quickshell/Services/CompositorService.qml b/quickshell/Services/CompositorService.qml
index 94b78b5e2..e819f967d 100644
--- a/quickshell/Services/CompositorService.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Services/CompositorService.qml
@@ -346,17 +346,18 @@ Singleton {
             return screen.devicePixelRatio || 1;
         }
 
-        const randrScale = randrScales[screen.name];
-        if (randrScale !== undefined && randrScale > 0)
-            return fractionalScale(randrScale);
-
-        if (WlrOutputService.wlrOutputAvailable && screen) {
+        // Live wlr-output state outranks the one-shot randr snapshot so scale changes propagate
+        if (WlrOutputService.wlrOutputAvailable) {
             const wlrOutput = WlrOutputService.getOutput(screen.name);
             if (wlrOutput?.enabled && wlrOutput.scale !== undefined && wlrOutput.scale > 0) {
                 return fractionalScale(wlrOutput.scale);
             }
         }
 
+        const randrScale = randrScales[screen.name];
+        if (randrScale !== undefined && randrScale > 0)
+            return fractionalScale(randrScale);
+
         if (isNiri && screen) {
             const niriScale = NiriService.displayScales[screen.name];
             if (niriScale !== undefined)