diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/HelpPopover.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/HelpPopover.svelte
index f6ff984f..2b96fd97 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/HelpPopover.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/HelpPopover.svelte
@@ -77,10 +77,10 @@ const placementClass: Record<Placement, string> = {
 		aria-expanded={open}
 		aria-controls={popoverId}
 		onclick={toggle}
-		class="flex h-[44px] w-[44px] items-center justify-center"
+		class="group flex h-[44px] w-[44px] items-center justify-center rounded-full focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand-navy"
 	>
 		<span
-			class="flex h-5 w-5 items-center justify-center rounded-full border border-line bg-muted font-sans text-[10px] font-bold text-ink-3 transition-colors hover:border-brand-navy hover:text-brand-navy"
+			class="flex h-5 w-5 items-center justify-center rounded-full border border-line bg-muted font-sans text-[10px] font-bold text-ink-3 transition-colors group-hover:border-brand-navy group-hover:text-brand-navy"
 		>
 			?
 		</span>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/HelpPopover.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/components/HelpPopover.svelte.spec.ts
index e2cccf52..fe6800fe 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/HelpPopover.svelte.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/HelpPopover.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -66,6 +66,28 @@ describe('HelpPopover — open / close interactions', () => {
 	});
 });
 
+describe('HelpPopover — hover-target', () => {
+	it('hover styles propagate from 44px button group to inner span, not from span itself', () => {
+		const { container } = renderPopover();
+		const btn = container.querySelector('button[aria-expanded]')!;
+		const span = btn.querySelector('span')!;
+		const btnClasses = btn.className.split(/\s+/);
+		const spanClasses = span.className.split(/\s+/);
+		expect(btnClasses).toContain('group');
+		expect(spanClasses).not.toContain('hover:border-brand-navy');
+		expect(spanClasses).toContain('group-hover:border-brand-navy');
+		expect(spanClasses).not.toContain('hover:text-brand-navy');
+		expect(spanClasses).toContain('group-hover:text-brand-navy');
+	});
+
+	it('outer button has focus-visible ring for keyboard users', () => {
+		const { container } = renderPopover();
+		const btn = container.querySelector('button[aria-expanded]')!;
+		expect(btn.className).toContain('focus-visible:ring-2');
+		expect(btn.className).toContain('focus-visible:ring-brand-navy');
+	});
+});
+
 describe('HelpPopover — aria wiring', () => {
 	it('trigger aria-controls matches popover element id', async () => {
 		renderPopover();