diff --git a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating_portal/static/src/scss/fp_portal_stepper.scss b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating_portal/static/src/scss/fp_portal_stepper.scss
index b9f23b8c..4b611253 100644
--- a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating_portal/static/src/scss/fp_portal_stepper.scss
+++ b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating_portal/static/src/scss/fp_portal_stepper.scss
@@ -8,7 +8,19 @@
 .o_fp_stepper {
     display: flex;
     align-items: center;
-    margin-bottom: .35rem;
+    // Bottom space for the absolutely-positioned labels below each circle.
+    // ~2.2rem covers two short lines (title + time_label).
+    margin-bottom: 2.4rem;
+
+    // Each unit holds one circle + its label. The label is absolutely
+    // positioned (see .o_fp_step_label below) so its horizontal centre
+    // lines up with the circle's centre even when text is wider than 24px.
+    .o_fp_step_unit {
+        position: relative;
+        flex-shrink: 0;
+        width: 24px;
+        height: 24px;
+    }
 
     .o_fp_step_circle {
         width: 24px;
@@ -20,7 +32,6 @@
         font-family: $fp-font;
         font-size: .65rem;
         font-weight: 700;
-        flex-shrink: 0;
         background: $fp-card-bg;
         border: 1.5px solid $fp-card-border;
         color: $fp-muted-light;
@@ -58,6 +69,40 @@
         &.o_fp_step_line_done { background: $fp-teal; }
         &.o_fp_step_line_warn { background: $fp-amber; }
     }
+
+    // Label centred on its circle via absolute positioning. Wider text
+    // ("Inspected") overflows equally left + right instead of pushing
+    // the column or sitting in a separate flex slot.
+    .o_fp_step_label {
+        position: absolute;
+        top: calc(100% + .45rem);
+        left: 50%;
+        transform: translateX(-50%);
+        text-align: center;
+        white-space: nowrap;
+        font-size: .68rem;
+
+        .o_fp_step_label_title {
+            color: $fp-muted-light;
+            font-weight: 500;
+        }
+        .o_fp_step_label_time {
+            color: $fp-disabled;
+            font-size: .6rem;
+        }
+        &.o_fp_step_label_done {
+            .o_fp_step_label_title { color: $fp-text-body; }
+            .o_fp_step_label_time { color: $fp-muted-light; }
+        }
+        &.o_fp_step_label_active {
+            .o_fp_step_label_title { color: $fp-teal; font-weight: 700; }
+            .o_fp_step_label_time { color: $fp-teal; }
+        }
+        &.o_fp_step_label_active_warn {
+            .o_fp_step_label_title { color: $fp-amber-text; font-weight: 700; }
+            .o_fp_step_label_time { color: $fp-amber-text; }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 // Pulsing glow for the active step indicator. Kept subtle - the ring
@@ -83,34 +128,5 @@
     }
 }
 
-// Step labels row below the stepper
-.o_fp_step_labels {
-    display: flex;
-    justify-content: space-between;
-    font-size: .68rem;
-
-    .o_fp_step_label {
-        text-align: center;
-        flex: 1;
-        .o_fp_step_label_title {
-            color: $fp-muted-light;
-            font-weight: 500;
-        }
-        .o_fp_step_label_time {
-            color: $fp-disabled;
-            font-size: .6rem;
-        }
-        &.o_fp_step_label_done {
-            .o_fp_step_label_title { color: $fp-text-body; }
-            .o_fp_step_label_time { color: $fp-muted-light; }
-        }
-        &.o_fp_step_label_active {
-            .o_fp_step_label_title { color: $fp-teal; font-weight: 700; }
-            .o_fp_step_label_time { color: $fp-teal; }
-        }
-        &.o_fp_step_label_active_warn {
-            .o_fp_step_label_title { color: $fp-amber-text; font-weight: 700; }
-            .o_fp_step_label_time { color: $fp-amber-text; }
-        }
-    }
-}
+// Legacy .o_fp_step_labels container removed — labels are now nested
+// inside each .o_fp_step_unit (see above) so they centre on their circle.
diff --git a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating_portal/views/fp_portal_macros.xml b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating_portal/views/fp_portal_macros.xml
index 3cc7364d..872cba17 100644
--- a/fusion_plating/fusion_plating_portal/views/fp_portal_macros.xml
+++ b/fusion_plating/fusion_plating_portal/views/fp_portal_macros.xml
@@ -27,17 +27,29 @@
         <t t-set="active_state" t-value="active_state or 'normal'"/>
         <div class="o_fp_stepper">
             <t t-foreach="steps" t-as="step">
-                <!-- circle -->
-                <div t-attf-class="o_fp_step_circle #{
-                    'o_fp_step_done' if step['status'] == 'done' else
-                    (('o_fp_step_active_warn' if active_state == 'warn' else 'o_fp_step_active') if step['status'] == 'active' else '')
-                }">
-                    <t t-if="step['status'] == 'done'">✓</t>
-                    <t t-elif="step['status'] in ('active', 'pending')">
-                        <t t-out="step_index + 1"/>
-                    </t>
+                <!-- Unit = circle + its label stacked. Label is absolutely
+                     positioned below the circle (in SCSS) so its horizontal
+                     centre lines up with the circle no matter how wide the
+                     text is — fixes the column-vs-edge distribution
+                     mismatch we had with a separate labels row. -->
+                <div class="o_fp_step_unit">
+                    <div t-attf-class="o_fp_step_circle #{
+                        'o_fp_step_done' if step['status'] == 'done' else
+                        (('o_fp_step_active_warn' if active_state == 'warn' else 'o_fp_step_active') if step['status'] == 'active' else '')
+                    }">
+                        <t t-if="step['status'] == 'done'">✓</t>
+                        <t t-elif="step['status'] in ('active', 'pending')">
+                            <t t-out="step_index + 1"/>
+                        </t>
+                    </div>
+                    <div t-attf-class="o_fp_step_label #{
+                        'o_fp_step_label_done' if step['status'] == 'done' else
+                        (('o_fp_step_label_active_warn' if active_state == 'warn' else 'o_fp_step_label_active') if step['status'] == 'active' else '')
+                    }">
+                        <div class="o_fp_step_label_title" t-out="step['label']"/>
+                        <div class="o_fp_step_label_time" t-out="step.get('time_label') or ''"/>
+                    </div>
                 </div>
-                <!-- connecting line (omit after last circle) -->
                 <t t-if="not step_last">
                     <div t-attf-class="o_fp_step_line #{
                         'o_fp_step_line_done' if step['status'] == 'done' else
@@ -46,18 +58,6 @@
                 </t>
             </t>
         </div>
-        <!-- Labels under -->
-        <div class="o_fp_step_labels">
-            <t t-foreach="steps" t-as="step">
-                <div t-attf-class="o_fp_step_label #{
-                    'o_fp_step_label_done' if step['status'] == 'done' else
-                    (('o_fp_step_label_active_warn' if active_state == 'warn' else 'o_fp_step_label_active') if step['status'] == 'active' else '')
-                }">
-                    <div class="o_fp_step_label_title" t-out="step['label']"/>
-                    <div class="o_fp_step_label_time" t-out="step.get('time_label') or ''"/>
-                </div>
-            </t>
-        </div>
     </template>
 
     <!-- ================================================================== -->