diff --git a/src/diag.rs b/src/diag.rs
index cc2ea7e..0db0b2e 100644
--- a/src/diag.rs
+++ b/src/diag.rs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ use serde_json::Value;
 use unicode_width::UnicodeWidthChar;
 
 use crate::buffer::Buffer;
-use crate::cell::{CellCoord, CellGrid, Color, Style, UnderlineStyle};
+use crate::cell::{CellCoord, CellGrid, Color, Glyph, Style, UnderlineStyle};
 use crate::overlay::merge_styles;
 use crate::view::{View, Viewport};
 
@@ -572,17 +572,47 @@ impl View for DiagnosticView {
             }
         }
 
-        // Paint the column-0 markers last so a marker is visible even
-        // when an underline span also touches column 0 (bg and
-        // underline merge independently).
-        if max_cols > 0 {
-            for (row_offset, severity) in line_markers {
-                let cell = cells.at(CellCoord::new(
-                    cell_origin.row + row_offset,
-                    cell_origin.col,
-                ));
-                cell.style = merge_styles(cell.style, marker_style_for(severity));
-            }
+        // Paint the per-line severity markers last so one is visible even
+        // when an underline span also touches the same cell.
+        paint_line_markers(
+            cells,
+            cell_origin,
+            viewport.gutter_w,
+            max_cols,
+            &line_markers,
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+/// Paint one severity marker per diagnostic line (UX gutter sub-arc 2).
+///
+/// When the window reserves a gutter (`gutter_w > 0`), draw the severity
+/// *sign glyph* in the gutter's leading column (`cell_origin.col -
+/// gutter_w`, i.e. window column 0), colored by severity. Without a gutter,
+/// fall back to the legacy column-0 *background* marker on the line's first
+/// text cell — the "fake gutter" that predates a real gutter column.
+fn paint_line_markers(
+    cells: &mut CellGrid<'_>,
+    cell_origin: CellCoord,
+    gutter_w: u32,
+    max_cols: u32,
+    line_markers: &std::collections::HashMap<u32, DiagnosticSeverity>,
+) {
+    for (&row_offset, &severity) in line_markers {
+        let row = cell_origin.row + row_offset;
+        if gutter_w > 0 {
+            let cell = cells.at(CellCoord::new(
+                row,
+                cell_origin.col.saturating_sub(gutter_w),
+            ));
+            cell.glyph = Glyph::Char(severity.gutter_glyph());
+            cell.style = Style {
+                fg: severity.underline_color(),
+                ..Style::default()
+            };
+        } else if max_cols > 0 {
+            let cell = cells.at(CellCoord::new(row, cell_origin.col));
+            cell.style = merge_styles(cell.style, marker_style_for(severity));
         }
     }
 }
@@ -968,6 +998,7 @@ mod tests {
                 buffer_end: buf.len(),
                 cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
                 cell_size: CellSize::new(1, 10),
+                gutter_w: 0,
             },
             &mut grid,
         );
@@ -1031,6 +1062,7 @@ mod tests {
                 buffer_end: buf.len(),
                 cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
                 cell_size: CellSize::new(3, 10),
+                gutter_w: 0,
             },
             &mut grid,
         );
@@ -1054,6 +1086,80 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(grid.get(CellCoord::new(2, 0)).style.bg, Color::Default);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn gutter_sign_replaces_the_column_marker_when_a_gutter_is_reserved() {
+        use crate::cell::{Cell, CellSize, Glyph, UnderlineStyle};
+
+        let store = make_shared_store();
+        {
+            let mut guard = store.lock().expect("diag store");
+            guard.set(
+                "file:///a",
+                vec![
+                    // Line 0: Hint + Error overlap → the sign shows Error.
+                    diag(0, DiagnosticSeverity::Hint, "h"),
+                    diag(0, DiagnosticSeverity::Error, "e"),
+                    // Line 1: zero-width Warning (invisible to underline).
+                    Diagnostic {
+                        start_line: 1,
+                        start_col: 2,
+                        end_line: 1,
+                        end_col: 2,
+                        severity: DiagnosticSeverity::Warning,
+                        message: "w".to_owned(),
+                        source: None,
+                        code: None,
+                    },
+                ],
+            );
+        }
+
+        let mut buf = Buffer::new(crate::buffer::BufferId::next(), "test.c");
+        buf.apply_edit(crate::buffer::EditOp::Insert {
+            pos: 0,
+            bytes: b"hello\nworld\nclean\n",
+        })
+        .expect("seed buffer");
+
+        // A 2-cell gutter: text is shifted to column 2, signs land at
+        // window column 0 (`cell_origin.col - gutter_w`).
+        let mut view = DiagnosticView::new("file:///a", store);
+        let mut backing = vec![Cell::default(); 30];
+        let mut grid = CellGrid {
+            cells: &mut backing,
+            stride: 10,
+            size: CellSize::new(3, 10),
+        };
+        view.render(
+            &buf,
+            Viewport {
+                buffer_start: 0,
+                buffer_end: buf.len(),
+                cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 2),
+                cell_size: CellSize::new(3, 8),
+                gutter_w: 2,
+            },
+            &mut grid,
+        );
+
+        // Line 0: Error sign glyph 'E' in red at the gutter's leading col.
+        assert_eq!(grid.get(CellCoord::new(0, 0)).glyph, Glyph::Char('E'));
+        assert_eq!(grid.get(CellCoord::new(0, 0)).style.fg, Color::Indexed(1));
+        // Line 1: Warning sign 'W' in yellow.
+        assert_eq!(grid.get(CellCoord::new(1, 0)).glyph, Glyph::Char('W'));
+        assert_eq!(grid.get(CellCoord::new(1, 0)).style.fg, Color::Indexed(3));
+        // The legacy background marker on the first *text* cell is NOT
+        // painted when a gutter carries the sign instead.
+        assert_eq!(grid.get(CellCoord::new(0, 2)).style.bg, Color::Default);
+        // The squiggle still lands in the shifted text area (col 2 + 2).
+        assert_eq!(
+            grid.get(CellCoord::new(1, 4)).style.underline,
+            UnderlineStyle::Curly
+        );
+        // Line 2: clean — no sign glyph.
+        assert_eq!(grid.get(CellCoord::new(2, 0)).glyph, Glyph::Char(' '));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn end_of_line_zero_width_error_squiggles_the_cell_past_eol() {
         // The missing-comma shape: rust-analyzer anchors "expected
@@ -1099,6 +1205,7 @@ mod tests {
                 buffer_end: buf.len(),
                 cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
                 cell_size: CellSize::new(2, 10),
+                gutter_w: 0,
             },
             &mut grid,
         );
diff --git a/src/editor.rs b/src/editor.rs
index 41108c9..cdf4ce7 100644
--- a/src/editor.rs
+++ b/src/editor.rs
@@ -1635,16 +1635,20 @@ pub fn paint_frame(
             buffer_end: buf.len(),
             cell_origin: CellCoord::new(rect.origin.row, rect.origin.col + gutter_w),
             cell_size: crate::cell::CellSize::new(inner_rows, rect.size.cols - gutter_w),
+            gutter_w,
         };
-        // Composition (T M2.9): base text_view paints first, then
-        // each overlay in attach order. See [`crate::view::View`].
+        // Composition (T M2.9): base text_view paints first, then the
+        // gutter numbers — before the overlays, so a diagnostic overlay
+        // can draw its severity sign into the gutter's leading column
+        // without the gutter's own blank pass erasing it — then each
+        // overlay in attach order. See [`crate::view::View`].
         window.text_view.render(buf, viewport, grid);
-        for overlay in &mut window.overlays {
-            overlay.render(buf, viewport, grid);
-        }
         if gutter_w > 0 {
             paint_line_number_gutter(grid, window, &rect, inner_rows, gutter_w);
         }
+        for overlay in &mut window.overlays {
+            overlay.render(buf, viewport, grid);
+        }
         paint_local_selection(grid, buf, window, &rect, inner_rows, gutter_w);
         // Mode line for this window. Painted last so the line
         // itself is always visible regardless of overlay activity.
@@ -4839,6 +4843,7 @@ mod tests {
             buffer_end: buf.len(),
             cell_origin: rect.origin,
             cell_size: CellSize::new(rect.size.rows, rect.size.cols),
+            gutter_w: 0,
         };
         let mut grid = CellGrid {
             cells: &mut backing,
@@ -4972,6 +4977,7 @@ mod tests {
                 buffer_end: buf.len(),
                 cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
                 cell_size: CellSize::new(24, 80),
+                gutter_w: 0,
             };
 
             // Two no-op overlays: probe the dispatch cost only.
diff --git a/src/highlight.rs b/src/highlight.rs
index 3f06e89..bce8c71 100644
--- a/src/highlight.rs
+++ b/src/highlight.rs
@@ -861,6 +861,7 @@ mod tests {
             buffer_end: u64::MAX,
             cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
             cell_size: CellSize::new(1, 20),
+            gutter_w: 0,
         };
         let registry = state.core.borrow().registry.clone();
         let reg = registry.borrow();
@@ -957,6 +958,7 @@ mod tests {
             buffer_end: u64::MAX,
             cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
             cell_size: CellSize::new(1, 20),
+            gutter_w: 0,
         };
         let registry = state.core.borrow().registry.clone();
         let reg = registry.borrow();
@@ -1075,6 +1077,7 @@ mod tests {
             buffer_end: u64::MAX,
             cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
             cell_size: CellSize::new(1, 20),
+            gutter_w: 0,
         };
         let registry = state.core.borrow().registry.clone();
         let reg = registry.borrow();
diff --git a/src/overlay.rs b/src/overlay.rs
index 8b96fdc..c079bb2 100644
--- a/src/overlay.rs
+++ b/src/overlay.rs
@@ -431,6 +431,7 @@ mod tests {
             buffer_end: u64::MAX,
             cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
             cell_size: CellSize::new(rows, cols),
+            gutter_w: 0,
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/search.rs b/src/search.rs
index 2fbffa7..1e486ec 100644
--- a/src/search.rs
+++ b/src/search.rs
@@ -590,6 +590,7 @@ mod tests {
                 buffer_end: buf.len(),
                 cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
                 cell_size: CellSize::new(1, 10),
+                gutter_w: 0,
             },
             &mut grid,
         );
@@ -617,6 +618,7 @@ mod tests {
                 buffer_end: buf.len(),
                 cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
                 cell_size: CellSize::new(1, 10),
+                gutter_w: 0,
             },
             &mut grid2,
         );
@@ -657,6 +659,7 @@ mod tests {
                 buffer_end: buf.len(),
                 cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
                 cell_size: CellSize::new(rows, cols),
+                gutter_w: 0,
             },
             &mut grid,
         );
diff --git a/src/text_view.rs b/src/text_view.rs
index b552ae4..7f22daa 100644
--- a/src/text_view.rs
+++ b/src/text_view.rs
@@ -564,6 +564,7 @@ mod tests {
                 buffer_end: buf.len(),
                 cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
                 cell_size: CellSize::new(1, 16),
+                gutter_w: 0,
             },
             &mut grid,
         );
@@ -591,6 +592,7 @@ mod tests {
                 buffer_end: buf.len(),
                 cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
                 cell_size: CellSize::new(1, 16),
+                gutter_w: 0,
             },
             &mut grid,
         );
@@ -621,6 +623,7 @@ mod tests {
                 buffer_end: buf.len(),
                 cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
                 cell_size: CellSize::new(5, 5),
+                gutter_w: 0,
             },
             &mut grid,
         );
@@ -652,6 +655,7 @@ mod tests {
                 buffer_end: buf.len(),
                 cell_origin: CellCoord::new(0, 0),
                 cell_size: CellSize::new(1, 5),
+                gutter_w: 0,
             },
             &mut grid,
         );
diff --git a/src/view.rs b/src/view.rs
index 3f81367..139c599 100644
--- a/src/view.rs
+++ b/src/view.rs
@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ pub struct Viewport {
     pub cell_origin: CellCoord,
     /// Number of cells the viewport occupies.
     pub cell_size: CellSize,
+    /// Width of the line-number gutter reserved to the *left* of
+    /// `cell_origin` (UX gutter arc). `0` when no gutter. Overlays that
+    /// want to draw in the gutter (e.g. the diagnostic sign) reach it at
+    /// `cell_origin.col - gutter_w`; overlays that only touch the text area
+    /// ignore it (the origin is already shifted past the gutter).
+    pub gutter_w: u32,
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/tests/m4_acceptance.rs b/tests/m4_acceptance.rs
index 9e1dfd9..bfa07d4 100644
--- a/tests/m4_acceptance.rs
+++ b/tests/m4_acceptance.rs
@@ -495,6 +495,7 @@ fn render_active_window_to_grid(
         buffer_end: buf.len(),
         cell_origin: rect.origin,
         cell_size: CellSize::new(rect.size.rows, rect.size.cols),
+        gutter_w: 0,
     };
     let mut grid = CellGrid {
         cells: &mut backing,