diff --git a/frontend/src/components/VirtualFeed.tsx b/frontend/src/components/VirtualFeed.tsx
index 95e6849b..0410c45f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/VirtualFeed.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/VirtualFeed.tsx
@@ -1,14 +1,8 @@
-import { useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
-import { useVirtualizer } from "@tanstack/react-virtual";
 import type { Video } from "../lib/api";
 import { FEED_VIEW_SPEC, type FeedView } from "../lib/feedView";
 import VideoCard from "./VideoCard";
+import VirtualGrid from "./VirtualGrid";
 
-// Column sizing mirrors the CSS the feed used before virtualization
-// (grid-cols-[repeat(auto-fill,minmax(260px,1fr))] with a gap-4 / 1rem gutter). The per-view
-// minimum column width lives with the rest of the view matrix in lib/feedView.ts.
-const GRID_GAP = 16;
-const LIST_GAP = 4;
 // Estimated row heights before measurement; real heights are measured per-row so these only affect
 // the very first paint and the scrollbar's initial guess. Taken from measuring each mode in the
 // browser rather than guessed — a bad estimate makes the scrollbar jump as you scroll in.
@@ -24,35 +18,6 @@ const ROW_EST: Record<FeedView, number> = {
   tiles: 132,
 };
 
-/** Columns that fit `width`, or 1 for the single-column views. */
-function columnsFor(view: FeedView, width: number): number {
-  const { minCol } = FEED_VIEW_SPEC[view];
-  if (minCol == null) return 1;
-  return Math.max(1, Math.floor((width + GRID_GAP) / (minCol + GRID_GAP)));
-}
-// Start fetching the next page this many rows before the end scrolls into view
-// (keeps the old IntersectionObserver's generous prefetch feel).
-const PREFETCH_ROWS = 4;
-
-function chunk<T>(arr: T[], size: number): T[][] {
-  if (size <= 1) return arr.map((x) => [x]);
-  const out: T[][] = [];
-  for (let i = 0; i < arr.length; i += size) out.push(arr.slice(i, i + size));
-  return out;
-}
-
-// The feed scrolls inside the app's <main overflow-y-auto>, not the window, so the
-// virtualizer needs that element. Walk up to the nearest scrollable ancestor.
-function getScrollParent(node: HTMLElement | null): HTMLElement {
-  let el = node?.parentElement ?? null;
-  while (el) {
-    const oy = getComputedStyle(el).overflowY;
-    if (oy === "auto" || oy === "scroll") return el;
-    el = el.parentElement;
-  }
-  return document.documentElement;
-}
-
 export interface VirtualFeedProps {
   items: Video[];
   view: FeedView;
@@ -65,6 +30,9 @@ export interface VirtualFeedProps {
   fetchNextPage: () => void;
 }
 
+// The feed's videos on the shared VirtualGrid engine — this wrapper only maps a FeedView to the
+// grid's layout spec and renders a VideoCard per item. All the virtualization mechanics (measure,
+// chunk, place, infinite-scroll) live in VirtualGrid.
 export default function VirtualFeed({
   items,
   view,
@@ -76,123 +44,31 @@ export default function VirtualFeed({
   isFetchingNextPage,
   fetchNextPage,
 }: VirtualFeedProps) {
-  const listRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
-  const [scrollEl, setScrollEl] = useState<HTMLElement | null>(null);
-  const { minCol, maxCol } = FEED_VIEW_SPEC[view];
-  const singleCol = minCol == null;
-  const [colCount, setColCount] = useState(singleCol ? 1 : 4);
-  // Distance from the scroll element's content top to where this list starts (the
-  // feed toolbar sits above it inside the same scroll area).
-  const [scrollMargin, setScrollMargin] = useState(0);
-  // How wide ONE row/card actually renders. The one-line row drops columns as this shrinks, and it
-  // has to be the real width, not the viewport: the nav rail (56 slim / ~230 pinned) and the filter
-  // panel (~80 tab / ~256 pinned) move it by ~430px between them. A viewport breakpoint got this
-  // wrong — at 1280 with both pinned every column still showed while the row had 762px for 766px of
-  // them, which squeezed the title to nothing. This is measured here anyway, for colCount.
-  const [itemWidth, setItemWidth] = useState(0);
-
-  useLayoutEffect(() => {
-    if (listRef.current) setScrollEl(getScrollParent(listRef.current));
-  }, []);
-
-  // Re-measure the column count and start offset on container/scroll-area resize.
-  useLayoutEffect(() => {
-    const node = listRef.current;
-    if (!node) return;
-    const measure = () => {
-      if (scrollEl) {
-        const m =
-          node.getBoundingClientRect().top -
-          scrollEl.getBoundingClientRect().top +
-          scrollEl.scrollTop;
-        setScrollMargin(m);
-      }
-      const w = node.clientWidth;
-      const cols = columnsFor(view, w);
-      setColCount(cols);
-      const { minCol: min, maxCol: max } = FEED_VIEW_SPEC[view];
-      setItemWidth(
-        min == null ? Math.min(w, max ?? w) : Math.floor((w - GRID_GAP * (cols - 1)) / cols)
-      );
-    };
-    measure();
-    const ro = new ResizeObserver(measure);
-    ro.observe(node);
-    if (scrollEl) ro.observe(scrollEl);
-    return () => ro.disconnect();
-  }, [scrollEl, view]);
-
-  const rows = useMemo(() => chunk(items, colCount), [items, colCount]);
-
-  const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
-    count: rows.length,
-    getScrollElement: () => scrollEl,
-    estimateSize: () => ROW_EST[view],
-    overscan: 4,
-    gap: singleCol ? LIST_GAP : GRID_GAP,
-    scrollMargin,
-  });
-
-  const virtualRows = virtualizer.getVirtualItems();
-
-  // Infinite-scroll trigger: once the last rendered row is within PREFETCH_ROWS of
-  // the end, pull the next keyset page.
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const last = virtualRows[virtualRows.length - 1];
-    if (!last) return;
-    if (last.index >= rows.length - 1 - PREFETCH_ROWS && hasNextPage && !isFetchingNextPage) {
-      fetchNextPage();
-    }
-  }, [virtualRows, rows.length, hasNextPage, isFetchingNextPage, fetchNextPage]);
-
+  const { minCol, maxCol, thumb } = FEED_VIEW_SPEC[view];
   return (
-    <div ref={listRef} style={{ height: virtualizer.getTotalSize(), position: "relative" }}>
-      {virtualRows.map((vr) => {
-        const row = rows[vr.index];
-        if (!row) return null;
-        return (
-          <div
-            key={vr.key}
-            data-index={vr.index}
-            ref={virtualizer.measureElement}
-            style={{
-              position: "absolute",
-              top: 0,
-              left: 0,
-              width: "100%",
-              transform: `translateY(${vr.start - virtualizer.options.scrollMargin}px)`,
-            }}
-          >
-            {/* One branch for both shapes: the single-column views just chunk to colCount 1 and
-                get their reading-width cap instead of grid columns. */}
-            <div
-              className={singleCol ? "mx-auto pb-1" : "grid gap-4"}
-              style={
-                singleCol
-                  ? { maxWidth: maxCol ?? undefined }
-                  : { gridTemplateColumns: `repeat(${colCount}, minmax(0, 1fr))` }
-              }
-            >
-              {row.map((v) => (
-                <VideoCard
-                  key={v.id}
-                  video={v}
-                  view={view}
-                  // Only the one-line row reads its own width (it stands columns down as it
-                  // narrows). Everything else takes a stable 0, so a resize — which changes
-                  // itemWidth every frame — doesn't blow past VideoCard's memo for views that
-                  // wouldn't do anything with it.
-                  width={FEED_VIEW_SPEC[view].thumb ? 0 : itemWidth}
-                  onState={onState}
-                  onToggleSave={onToggleSave}
-                  onResetState={onResetState}
-                  onOpen={onOpen}
-                />
-              ))}
-            </div>
-          </div>
-        );
-      })}
-    </div>
+    <VirtualGrid
+      items={items}
+      getKey={(v) => v.id}
+      minCol={minCol}
+      maxCol={maxCol}
+      rowEst={ROW_EST[view]}
+      hasNextPage={hasNextPage}
+      isFetchingNextPage={isFetchingNextPage}
+      fetchNextPage={fetchNextPage}
+      renderItem={(v, itemWidth) => (
+        <VideoCard
+          video={v}
+          view={view}
+          // Only the one-line row (thumb:false) reads its own width — it stands columns down as it
+          // narrows. Everything else takes a stable 0, so a resize (which changes itemWidth every
+          // frame) doesn't blow past VideoCard's memo for views that wouldn't do anything with it.
+          width={thumb ? 0 : itemWidth}
+          onState={onState}
+          onToggleSave={onToggleSave}
+          onResetState={onResetState}
+          onOpen={onOpen}
+        />
+      )}
+    />
   );
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/VirtualGrid.tsx b/frontend/src/components/VirtualGrid.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8a875bc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/VirtualGrid.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+import { Fragment, useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState, type ReactNode } from "react";
+import { useVirtualizer } from "@tanstack/react-virtual";
+
+// The virtualization engine, lifted out of VirtualFeed so any long client- or server-side list can
+// reuse it (the feed's video grid, the channel manager's card/row views). It owns ONLY the layout
+// mechanics — measure the container, derive the column count, chunk into rows, virtualize, and place
+// each row absolutely — and knows nothing about what an item is. The caller supplies `renderItem`.
+//
+// Column sizing mirrors the CSS the feed used before virtualization
+// (grid-cols-[repeat(auto-fill,minmax(260px,1fr))] with a gap-4 / 1rem gutter).
+const GRID_GAP = 16;
+const LIST_GAP = 4;
+// Start fetching the next page this many rows before the end scrolls into view
+// (keeps the old IntersectionObserver's generous prefetch feel).
+const PREFETCH_ROWS = 4;
+
+/** Columns that fit `width`, or 1 for the single-column layout (`minCol == null`). */
+function columnsFor(minCol: number | null, width: number): number {
+  if (minCol == null) return 1;
+  return Math.max(1, Math.floor((width + GRID_GAP) / (minCol + GRID_GAP)));
+}
+
+function chunk<T>(arr: T[], size: number): T[][] {
+  if (size <= 1) return arr.map((x) => [x]);
+  const out: T[][] = [];
+  for (let i = 0; i < arr.length; i += size) out.push(arr.slice(i, i + size));
+  return out;
+}
+
+// The list scrolls inside an <main overflow-y-auto> (the page scroller), not the window, so the
+// virtualizer needs that element. Walk up to the nearest scrollable ancestor.
+function getScrollParent(node: HTMLElement | null): HTMLElement {
+  let el = node?.parentElement ?? null;
+  while (el) {
+    const oy = getComputedStyle(el).overflowY;
+    if (oy === "auto" || oy === "scroll") return el;
+    el = el.parentElement;
+  }
+  return document.documentElement;
+}
+
+export interface VirtualGridProps<T> {
+  items: T[];
+  getKey: (item: T) => string;
+  /** Narrowest grid column in px, or null for ONE full-width column. The column count is derived
+   * from this and the container width, so every multi-column layout reflows for free. */
+  minCol: number | null;
+  /** Single-column layout only: the reading-width cap in px (null = fill). */
+  maxCol?: number | null;
+  /** Estimated row height before measurement; real heights are measured per-row, so this only
+   * affects the very first paint and the scrollbar's initial guess. Measure it, don't guess — a
+   * bad estimate makes the scrollbar jump as you scroll in. */
+  rowEst: number;
+  /** Renders one item. `itemWidth` is the measured px width of one cell — for width-derived
+   * layouts (e.g. a one-line row that drops columns as it narrows); ignore it otherwise, and to
+   * protect a memo'd item from re-rendering on every resize frame, pass a stable value down. */
+  renderItem: (item: T, itemWidth: number) => ReactNode;
+  /** Infinite scroll — omit all three for a finite client-side list. */
+  hasNextPage?: boolean;
+  isFetchingNextPage?: boolean;
+  fetchNextPage?: () => void;
+}
+
+export default function VirtualGrid<T>({
+  items,
+  getKey,
+  minCol,
+  maxCol = null,
+  rowEst,
+  renderItem,
+  hasNextPage = false,
+  isFetchingNextPage = false,
+  fetchNextPage,
+}: VirtualGridProps<T>) {
+  const listRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+  const [scrollEl, setScrollEl] = useState<HTMLElement | null>(null);
+  const singleCol = minCol == null;
+  const [colCount, setColCount] = useState(singleCol ? 1 : 4);
+  // Distance from the scroll element's content top to where this list starts (a toolbar sits above
+  // it inside the same scroll area).
+  const [scrollMargin, setScrollMargin] = useState(0);
+  // How wide ONE row/card actually renders. It has to be the real container width, not the
+  // viewport: side rails/panels move it independently of the window, and a viewport breakpoint got
+  // this wrong before. This is measured here anyway, for colCount.
+  const [itemWidth, setItemWidth] = useState(0);
+
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    if (listRef.current) setScrollEl(getScrollParent(listRef.current));
+  }, []);
+
+  // Re-measure the column count and start offset on container/scroll-area resize.
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    const node = listRef.current;
+    if (!node) return;
+    const measure = () => {
+      if (scrollEl) {
+        const m =
+          node.getBoundingClientRect().top -
+          scrollEl.getBoundingClientRect().top +
+          scrollEl.scrollTop;
+        setScrollMargin(m);
+      }
+      const w = node.clientWidth;
+      const cols = columnsFor(minCol, w);
+      setColCount(cols);
+      setItemWidth(
+        minCol == null ? Math.min(w, maxCol ?? w) : Math.floor((w - GRID_GAP * (cols - 1)) / cols)
+      );
+    };
+    measure();
+    const ro = new ResizeObserver(measure);
+    ro.observe(node);
+    if (scrollEl) ro.observe(scrollEl);
+    return () => ro.disconnect();
+  }, [scrollEl, minCol, maxCol]);
+
+  const rows = useMemo(() => chunk(items, colCount), [items, colCount]);
+
+  const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
+    count: rows.length,
+    getScrollElement: () => scrollEl,
+    estimateSize: () => rowEst,
+    overscan: 4,
+    gap: singleCol ? LIST_GAP : GRID_GAP,
+    scrollMargin,
+  });
+
+  const virtualRows = virtualizer.getVirtualItems();
+
+  // Infinite-scroll trigger: once the last rendered row is within PREFETCH_ROWS of the end, pull
+  // the next page. A no-op for finite lists (no fetchNextPage / hasNextPage false).
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!fetchNextPage) return;
+    const last = virtualRows[virtualRows.length - 1];
+    if (!last) return;
+    if (last.index >= rows.length - 1 - PREFETCH_ROWS && hasNextPage && !isFetchingNextPage) {
+      fetchNextPage();
+    }
+  }, [virtualRows, rows.length, hasNextPage, isFetchingNextPage, fetchNextPage]);
+
+  return (
+    <div ref={listRef} style={{ height: virtualizer.getTotalSize(), position: "relative" }}>
+      {virtualRows.map((vr) => {
+        const row = rows[vr.index];
+        if (!row) return null;
+        return (
+          <div
+            key={vr.key}
+            data-index={vr.index}
+            ref={virtualizer.measureElement}
+            style={{
+              position: "absolute",
+              top: 0,
+              left: 0,
+              width: "100%",
+              transform: `translateY(${vr.start - virtualizer.options.scrollMargin}px)`,
+            }}
+          >
+            {/* One branch for both shapes: the single-column layout chunks to colCount 1 and gets
+                its reading-width cap instead of grid columns. */}
+            <div
+              className={singleCol ? "mx-auto pb-1" : "grid gap-4"}
+              style={
+                singleCol
+                  ? { maxWidth: maxCol ?? undefined }
+                  : { gridTemplateColumns: `repeat(${colCount}, minmax(0, 1fr))` }
+              }
+            >
+              {/* A transparent Fragment carries React's key so the rendered item stays the DIRECT
+                  grid/column child — some cards rely on that (e.g. `h-full` stretch, actions pinned
+                  to the bottom edge), which a wrapper element would silently break. */}
+              {row.map((item) => (
+                <Fragment key={getKey(item)}>{renderItem(item, itemWidth)}</Fragment>
+              ))}
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        );
+      })}
+    </div>
+  );
+}