diff --git a/src/components/focus-active-link.tsx b/src/components/focus-active-link.tsx
index 94bc037854a3e..955be01d8c270 100644
--- a/src/components/focus-active-link.tsx
+++ b/src/components/focus-active-link.tsx
@@ -7,14 +7,38 @@ type Props = {
   activeLinkSelector: string;
 };
 
+// Helper to find the actual scrollable container
+function findScrollContainer(element: Element): Element | null {
+  let current: Element | null = element;
+  while (current) {
+    const {overflow, overflowY} = window.getComputedStyle(current);
+    if (
+      (overflow === 'auto' ||
+        overflow === 'scroll' ||
+        overflowY === 'auto' ||
+        overflowY === 'scroll') &&
+      current.scrollHeight > current.clientHeight
+    ) {
+      return current;
+    }
+    current = current.parentElement;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
 /** Make sure the active link is visible in the sidebar */
 export function ScrollActiveLink({activeLinkSelector}: Props) {
   useEffect(() => {
-    const sidebar = document.querySelector('[data-sidebar-link]')?.closest('aside');
-    if (!sidebar) {
-      const noOp = () => {};
-      return noOp;
+    const firstLink = document.querySelector('[data-sidebar-link]');
+    if (!firstLink) {
+      return undefined;
     }
+
+    const scrollContainer = findScrollContainer(firstLink);
+    if (!scrollContainer) {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+
     const onLinkClick = (e: Event) => {
       const target = e.target as HTMLElement;
       if (target.hasAttribute('data-sidebar-link')) {
@@ -22,7 +46,7 @@ export function ScrollActiveLink({activeLinkSelector}: Props) {
         sessionStorage.setItem('sidebar-link-position', top.toString());
       }
     };
-    sidebar.addEventListener('click', onLinkClick);
+    scrollContainer.addEventListener('click', onLinkClick);
     // track active link position on scroll as well
     const onSidebarScroll = debounce(() => {
       const activeLink = document.querySelector(activeLinkSelector);
@@ -32,28 +56,56 @@ export function ScrollActiveLink({activeLinkSelector}: Props) {
       }
     }, 50);
 
-    sidebar.addEventListener('scroll', onSidebarScroll);
+    scrollContainer.addEventListener('scroll', onSidebarScroll);
     return () => {
-      sidebar.removeEventListener('click', onLinkClick);
-      sidebar.removeEventListener('scroll', onSidebarScroll);
+      scrollContainer.removeEventListener('click', onLinkClick);
+      scrollContainer.removeEventListener('scroll', onSidebarScroll);
     };
   }, [activeLinkSelector]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    const activeLink = document.querySelector(activeLinkSelector);
-    const sidebar = activeLink?.closest('aside')!;
-    if (!activeLink || !sidebar) {
-      return;
-    }
-    const previousBoundingRectTop = sessionStorage.getItem('sidebar-link-position');
-    const currentBoundingRectTop = activeLink.getBoundingClientRect().top;
-    // scroll the sidebar to make sure the active link is visible & has the same position as when it was clicked
-    if (!previousBoundingRectTop) {
-      return;
-    }
-    const scrollX = 0;
-    const scrollY = sidebar.scrollTop + currentBoundingRectTop - +previousBoundingRectTop;
-    sidebar?.scrollTo(scrollX, scrollY);
+    // Use requestAnimationFrame to ensure DOM is fully rendered
+    const timeoutId = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      const activeLink = document.querySelector(activeLinkSelector);
+      if (!activeLink) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Find the actual scrollable container (could be .toc, .sidebar, or another element)
+      const scrollContainer = findScrollContainer(activeLink);
+      if (!scrollContainer) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const previousBoundingRectTop = sessionStorage.getItem('sidebar-link-position');
+      const currentBoundingRectTop = activeLink.getBoundingClientRect().top;
+
+      // If we have a stored position, restore it to maintain the same visual position
+      if (previousBoundingRectTop) {
+        const scrollX = 0;
+        const scrollY =
+          scrollContainer.scrollTop + currentBoundingRectTop - +previousBoundingRectTop;
+        scrollContainer.scrollTo(scrollX, scrollY);
+      } else {
+        // No stored position (direct navigation, refresh, etc.) - scroll active link into view
+        // Calculate the scroll position to center the active link in the scroll container
+        const containerRect = scrollContainer.getBoundingClientRect();
+        const linkRect = activeLink.getBoundingClientRect();
+        const containerCenter = containerRect.height / 2;
+        const linkCenter = linkRect.height / 2;
+        const scrollY =
+          scrollContainer.scrollTop +
+          (linkRect.top - containerRect.top) -
+          containerCenter +
+          linkCenter;
+        scrollContainer.scrollTo({
+          top: scrollY,
+          behavior: 'auto',
+        });
+      }
+    });
+
+    return () => cancelAnimationFrame(timeoutId);
   }, [activeLinkSelector]);
   // don't render anything, just exist as a client-side component for the useEffect.
   return null;