diff --git a/src/Workflow/__Libraries/StellaOps.Workflow.Renderer.Svg/WorkflowRenderSvgRenderer.cs b/src/Workflow/__Libraries/StellaOps.Workflow.Renderer.Svg/WorkflowRenderSvgRenderer.cs
index b4d518bae..b33340197 100644
--- a/src/Workflow/__Libraries/StellaOps.Workflow.Renderer.Svg/WorkflowRenderSvgRenderer.cs
+++ b/src/Workflow/__Libraries/StellaOps.Workflow.Renderer.Svg/WorkflowRenderSvgRenderer.cs
@@ -2052,7 +2052,7 @@ public sealed class WorkflowRenderSvgRenderer
             var dxIn = Math.Abs(curr.X - prev.X);
             var dyIn = Math.Abs(curr.Y - prev.Y);
             var segLen = dxIn + dyIn;
-            if (segLen < 24d && i < mutablePoints.Count - 1)
+            if (segLen < 30d && i < mutablePoints.Count - 1)
             {
                 var next = mutablePoints[i + 1];
                 if (dxIn < dyIn)
diff --git a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgePostProcessor.GatewayBoundary.cs b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgePostProcessor.GatewayBoundary.cs
index 1279d89ad..a7b6e9ab0 100644
--- a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgePostProcessor.GatewayBoundary.cs
+++ b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgePostProcessor.GatewayBoundary.cs
@@ -629,6 +629,46 @@ internal static partial class ElkEdgePostProcessor
         return true;
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Collapses the FIRST short dogleg found across all edges.
+    /// Returns the modified array or the original if none found.
+    /// Call repeatedly to collapse one dogleg at a time.
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static ElkRoutedEdge[] CollapseShortDoglegs(ElkRoutedEdge[] edges, ElkPositionedNode[] nodes)
+    {
+        if (edges.Length == 0) return edges;
+        for (var i = 0; i < edges.Length; i++)
+        {
+            var edge = edges[i];
+            var path = ExtractFullPath(edge);
+            if (path.Count < 4) continue;
+            var newPath = new List<ElkPoint>(path);
+            for (var j = 1; j < newPath.Count - 2; j++)
+            {
+                var prev = newPath[j - 1];
+                var curr = newPath[j];
+                var next = newPath[j + 1];
+                var seg1 = Math.Abs(curr.X - prev.X) + Math.Abs(curr.Y - prev.Y);
+                var seg2 = Math.Abs(next.X - curr.X) + Math.Abs(next.Y - curr.Y);
+                if (seg1 >= 30d || seg2 >= 30d || seg1 < 1d || seg2 < 1d) continue;
+                var s1V = Math.Abs(curr.X - prev.X) < 2d;
+                var s2H = Math.Abs(next.Y - curr.Y) < 2d;
+                var s1H = Math.Abs(curr.Y - prev.Y) < 2d;
+                var s2V = Math.Abs(next.X - curr.X) < 2d;
+                if ((s1V && s2H) || (s1H && s2V))
+                {
+                    newPath[j] = new ElkPoint { X = next.X, Y = prev.Y };
+                    newPath.RemoveAt(j + 1);
+                    var cleaned = RemoveCollinearPoints(newPath);
+                    var result = edges.ToArray();
+                    result[i] = BuildSingleSectionEdge(edge, cleaned);
+                    return result; // return after first collapse
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return edges;
+    }
+
     private static List<ElkPoint> RemoveCollinearPoints(List<ElkPoint> path)
     {
         if (path.Count < 3)
diff --git a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.WinnerRefinement.Hybrid.cs b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.WinnerRefinement.Hybrid.cs
index a04e17f16..db600fb73 100644
--- a/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.WinnerRefinement.Hybrid.cs
+++ b/src/__Libraries/StellaOps.ElkSharp/ElkEdgeRouterIterative.WinnerRefinement.Hybrid.cs
@@ -272,6 +272,32 @@ internal static partial class ElkEdgeRouterIterative
             }
         }
 
+        // Collapse short doglegs (two consecutive <30px segments forming an
+        // L-shape) into single bends. These create visible zigzag steps.
+        // Collapse short doglegs PER-EDGE: some collapses create entry-angle
+        // violations. Process one edge at a time and only keep safe ones.
+        for (var dei = 0; dei < current.Edges.Length; dei++)
+        {
+            var singleEdge = ElkEdgePostProcessor.CollapseShortDoglegs(
+                current.Edges, nodes);
+            if (ReferenceEquals(singleEdge, current.Edges))
+            {
+                break; // no more doglegs to collapse
+            }
+
+            var singleScore = ElkEdgeRoutingScoring.ComputeScore(singleEdge, nodes);
+            if (singleScore.EntryAngleViolations <= current.Score.EntryAngleViolations
+                && singleScore.NodeCrossings <= current.Score.NodeCrossings
+                && singleScore.SharedLaneViolations <= current.Score.SharedLaneViolations)
+            {
+                current = current with { Score = singleScore, Edges = singleEdge };
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                break; // can't collapse more without violations
+            }
+        }
+
         // Straighten short diagonal stubs at gateway boundary vertices.
         var straightened = ElkEdgePostProcessor.StraightenGatewayCornerDiagonals(current.Edges, nodes);
         if (!ReferenceEquals(straightened, current.Edges))