diff --git a/src/components/Header.tsx b/src/components/Header.tsx
index 937f994..f8ee1fb 100644
--- a/src/components/Header.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Header.tsx
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ export default function Header() {
 
   return (
     <div className="bb-header-rails relative">
+      <div className="bb-header-top-rail" aria-hidden />
       {/* TOP BAR */}
       <div className="max-w-container mx-auto px-4">
         <div className="bg-[#1a2535] border-b border-[#2a3a50] h-8 flex items-center justify-between">
diff --git a/src/styles/tailwind.css b/src/styles/tailwind.css
index 5a0c3d8..96a1013 100644
--- a/src/styles/tailwind.css
+++ b/src/styles/tailwind.css
@@ -1567,8 +1567,22 @@ h1, h2, h3 {
 }
 .bb-header-rails::before { left: max(12px, calc((100% - 1200px) / 2 + 12px)); }
 .bb-header-rails::after  { right: max(12px, calc((100% - 1200px) / 2 + 12px)); }
+/* Top horizontal connector — closes the bracket along the very top of
+   the site between the two vertical rails. */
+.bb-header-top-rail {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 0;
+  left: max(12px, calc((100% - 1200px) / 2 + 12px));
+  right: max(12px, calc((100% - 1200px) / 2 + 12px));
+  height: 2px;
+  background: #00ff9f;
+  box-shadow: 0 0 8px rgba(0, 255, 159, 0.7);
+  pointer-events: none;
+  z-index: 61;
+}
 @media (max-width: 768px) {
-  .bb-header-rails::before, .bb-header-rails::after { display: none; }
+  .bb-header-rails::before, .bb-header-rails::after,
+  .bb-header-top-rail { display: none; }
 }
 
 /* ─── Article body — NYT/WaPo-classy typography ──────────────────────────