diff --git a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeChannelGutters.HorizontalRouting.cs b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeChannelGutters.HorizontalRouting.cs
index ca4b9b99b..28d298bee 100644
--- a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeChannelGutters.HorizontalRouting.cs
+++ b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeChannelGutters.HorizontalRouting.cs
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ internal static class ElkEdgeHorizontalRoutingGutters
         var minClearance = serviceNodes.Length > 0
             ? Math.Min(serviceNodes.Average(n => n.Width), serviceNodes.Average(n => n.Height)) / 2d
             : 50d;
+        // Use layout-wide clearance if available (scales with NodeSpacing).
+        var overrideClearance = ElkLayoutClearance.Current;
+        if (overrideClearance > 0d)
+        {
+            minClearance = overrideClearance;
+        }
 
         // Scan routed edges for horizontal segments with under-node or alongside violations.
         var gutterRequirements = new Dictionary<double, double>(); // gutterY → requiredShift
diff --git a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgePostProcessor.UnderNode.cs b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgePostProcessor.UnderNode.cs
index 4142750e2..87f2bb344 100644
--- a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgePostProcessor.UnderNode.cs
+++ b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgePostProcessor.UnderNode.cs
@@ -318,6 +318,13 @@ internal static partial class ElkEdgePostProcessor
 
     private static double ResolveMinLineClearance(IReadOnlyCollection<ElkPositionedNode> nodes)
     {
+        // Use the layout-wide clearance if set (scales with NodeSpacing).
+        var overrideClearance = ElkLayoutClearance.Current;
+        if (overrideClearance > 0d)
+        {
+            return overrideClearance;
+        }
+
         var serviceNodes = nodes.Where(node => node.Kind is not "Start" and not "End").ToArray();
         return serviceNodes.Length > 0
             ? Math.Min(serviceNodes.Average(node => node.Width), serviceNodes.Average(node => node.Height)) / 2d
diff --git a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.LocalRepair.ObstacleSkirt.cs b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.LocalRepair.ObstacleSkirt.cs
index 470a0000c..c93a66e49 100644
--- a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.LocalRepair.ObstacleSkirt.cs
+++ b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.LocalRepair.ObstacleSkirt.cs
@@ -158,6 +158,12 @@ internal static partial class ElkEdgeRouterIterative
 
     private static double ResolveMinLineClearance(IReadOnlyCollection<ElkPositionedNode> nodes)
     {
+        var overrideClearance = ElkLayoutClearance.Current;
+        if (overrideClearance > 0d)
+        {
+            return overrideClearance;
+        }
+
         var serviceNodes = nodes.Where(node => node.Kind is not "Start" and not "End").ToArray();
         return serviceNodes.Length > 0
             ? Math.Min(serviceNodes.Average(node => node.Width), serviceNodes.Average(node => node.Height)) / 2d
diff --git a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.cs b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.cs
index d0d5e82ac..8ae2f3d11 100644
--- a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.cs
+++ b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.cs
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ internal static partial class ElkEdgeRouterIterative
             ? Math.Min(serviceNodes.Average(n => n.Width), serviceNodes.Average(n => n.Height)) / 2d
             : 50d;
         // Scale clearance with NodeSpacing: wider spacing should produce wider
-        // routing corridors. Use the larger of node-size-based clearance and
-        // spacing-proportional clearance so the pipeline adapts to any spacing.
+        // routing corridors so edges don't visually hug node boundaries.
         var minLineClearance = Math.Max(nodeSizeClearance, layoutOptions.NodeSpacing * 1.2d);
+        using var clearanceScope = ElkLayoutClearance.Set(minLineClearance);
         var diagnostics = ElkLayoutDiagnostics.Current;
 
         var validSolutions = new List<CandidateSolution>();
diff --git a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRoutingScoring.cs b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRoutingScoring.cs
index 778b9ca91..3f06e7940 100644
--- a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRoutingScoring.cs
+++ b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRoutingScoring.cs
@@ -233,6 +233,12 @@ internal static partial class ElkEdgeRoutingScoring
 
     private static double ResolveMinLineClearance(IReadOnlyCollection<ElkPositionedNode> nodes)
     {
+        var overrideClearance = ElkLayoutClearance.Current;
+        if (overrideClearance > 0d)
+        {
+            return overrideClearance;
+        }
+
         var serviceNodes = nodes.Where(n => n.Kind is not "Start" and not "End").ToArray();
         return serviceNodes.Length > 0
             ? Math.Min(serviceNodes.Average(n => n.Width), serviceNodes.Average(n => n.Height)) / 2d
diff --git a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkLayoutClearance.cs b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkLayoutClearance.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1452aba74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkLayoutClearance.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+namespace StellaOps.ElkSharp;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Layout-wide minimum line clearance, computed once from NodeSpacing at
+/// the optimization entry point and available to all scoring/post-processing
+/// helpers via <see cref="Current"/>. This avoids threading a parameter
+/// through 15+ static call sites.
+/// </summary>
+internal static class ElkLayoutClearance
+{
+    [ThreadStatic]
+    private static double _current;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the layout-wide minimum line clearance. Returns 0 if not set
+    /// (callers fall back to node-size-based clearance).
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static double Current => _current;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Sets the layout-wide clearance for the duration of a layout operation.
+    /// Call at the start of optimization with the NodeSpacing-aware value.
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static IDisposable Set(double minLineClearance)
+    {
+        var previous = _current;
+        _current = minLineClearance;
+        return new ClearanceScope(previous);
+    }
+
+    private sealed class ClearanceScope(double previous) : IDisposable
+    {
+        public void Dispose() => _current = previous;
+    }
+}