diff --git a/home/niri/default.nix b/home/niri/default.nix
index 7524576..674be92 100644
--- a/home/niri/default.nix
+++ b/home/niri/default.nix
@@ -260,9 +260,10 @@ in {
             XF86AudioMute        { spawn "${wpctl}" "set-mute" "@DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@" "toggle"; }
             XF86AudioMicMute     { spawn "${wpctl}" "set-mute" "@DEFAULT_AUDIO_SOURCE@" "toggle"; }
 
-            // Horizontal mouse scroll controls volume
-            WheelScrollRight cooldown-ms=10 { spawn "${wpctl}" "set-volume" "@DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@" "1%+" "--limit" "1.0"; }
-            WheelScrollLeft  cooldown-ms=10 { spawn "${wpctl}" "set-volume" "@DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@" "1%-"; }
+            // Ctrl + horizontal mouse scroll controls volume
+            // (unmodified WheelScroll binds capture the whole wheel in niri and break normal scrolling)
+            Ctrl+Alt+WheelScrollRight cooldown-ms=10 { spawn "${wpctl}" "set-volume" "@DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@" "1%+" "--limit" "1.0"; }
+            Ctrl+Alt+WheelScrollLeft  cooldown-ms=10 { spawn "${wpctl}" "set-volume" "@DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@" "1%-"; }
 
             // Mod + horizontal scroll moves between windows (columns) left/right
             Mod+WheelScrollRight cooldown-ms=200 { focus-column-right; }