diff --git a/ui/src/components/OperationPanel.jsx b/ui/src/components/OperationPanel.jsx
index 4ae9ce6..110b112 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/OperationPanel.jsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/OperationPanel.jsx
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ function groupDigits(raw) {
   return `${neg ? '-' : ''}${grouped}${dot === -1 ? '' : `.${frac}`}`
 }
 
-function LedgerInput({ value, active, onChange, onFocus, suffix }) {
+function LedgerInput({ value, active, held, onChange, onFocus, suffix }) {
   const ref     = useRef(null)
   const caret   = useRef(null)
   const display = groupDigits(value)
@@ -328,9 +328,12 @@ function LedgerInput({ value, active, onChange, onFocus, suffix }) {
           onChange(el.value.replace(/,/g, ''))
         }}
         onFocus={onFocus} placeholder="—"
-        className={`border rounded py-0.5 text-xs w-24 text-right font-mono tabular-nums
+        title={held ? 'Held by the Absorbed by setting — type here to set it yourself' : undefined}
+        className={`border rounded py-0.5 text-xs w-24 text-right font-mono tabular-nums transition-colors
           ${suffix ? 'pl-2 pr-5' : 'px-2'}
-          ${active ? 'border-blue-400 bg-blue-50/40 text-gray-800' : 'border-gray-200 bg-white text-gray-700'}`} />
+          ${active ? 'border-blue-400 bg-blue-50/40 text-gray-800'
+            : held ? 'border-gray-100 bg-gray-50 text-gray-400'
+                   : 'border-gray-200 bg-white text-gray-700'}`} />
       {suffix && (
         <span className="absolute right-1.5 text-gray-400 pointer-events-none"
               style={{ fontSize: '10px' }}>{suffix}</span>
@@ -549,6 +552,14 @@ function ScaleLedger({ currentTotals, scaleInputs, setScaleInputs, scalePlug, se
   })()
   const showRunning = !!valueCol && (lines.length + exclLines.length) > 1
 
+  // Which measure the plug holds still. Only meaningful while dollars are the
+  // sole input -- that is the one case where price and volume are both unknown
+  // and the toggle is answering for them. 'price' means price absorbs the
+  // change, so qty holds; 'volume' means qty absorbs it, so price holds.
+  const heldKey = (valueCol && unitsCol && dollarsOnly)
+    ? (scalePlug === 'price' ? 'units' : 'price')
+    : null
+
   const numCell = 'text-right font-mono tabular-nums whitespace-nowrap px-2'
   const rule    = <td className="p-0"><div className="border-t border-gray-300 my-1" /></td>
 
@@ -559,9 +570,13 @@ function ScaleLedger({ currentTotals, scaleInputs, setScaleInputs, scalePlug, se
           <tr className="text-gray-600" style={{ fontSize: '10px' }}>
             <th className="text-left font-normal pb-1 pr-3"></th>
             {measures.map(m => (
-              <th key={m.key} className="text-right font-normal pb-1 px-2 whitespace-nowrap">
+              <th key={m.key}
+                className={`text-right font-normal pb-1 px-2 whitespace-nowrap
+                  ${m.key === heldKey ? 'text-gray-400' : ''}`}>
                 {m.label}
-                {m.hint && <span className="text-gray-500"> · {m.hint}</span>}
+                {m.key === heldKey
+                  ? <span className="text-gray-400"> · holds</span>
+                  : m.hint && <span className="text-gray-500"> · {m.hint}</span>}
               </th>
             ))}
             {showRunning && (
@@ -676,6 +691,7 @@ function ScaleLedger({ currentTotals, scaleInputs, setScaleInputs, scalePlug, se
                     <LedgerInput
                       value={shown[m.key]?.[field] ?? ''}
                       active={active}
+                      held={m.key === heldKey}
                       onChange={(raw) => setEdit(m.key, field, raw)}
                       onFocus={() => focusRow(m.key, field)}
                       suffix={field === 'pct' ? '%' : null}
@@ -716,10 +732,7 @@ function ScaleLedger({ currentTotals, scaleInputs, setScaleInputs, scalePlug, se
         <div className="flex flex-col gap-2 mt-3 pt-3 border-t border-gray-100">
 
           {valueCol && unitsCol && dollarsOnly && (
-            <Field label="Absorbed by"
-              hint={scalePlug === 'price'
-                ? `${unitsCol} holds; price moves to reach the number.`
-                : `Price holds; ${unitsCol} scales with the dollars.`}>
+            <Field label="Absorbed by">
               <Segmented
                 value={scalePlug}
                 onChange={setScalePlug}