diff --git a/delphi-backend/Source/PM.Bridge.pas b/delphi-backend/Source/PM.Bridge.pas
index 61d9029..387dea7 100644
--- a/delphi-backend/Source/PM.Bridge.pas
+++ b/delphi-backend/Source/PM.Bridge.pas
@@ -125,6 +125,10 @@ type
     procedure PrepareNid;
     procedure ShowTrayMenu;
     procedure ShowFirstTimeBalloon;
+    // Tray balloon (gated by the "Show tray notifications" setting). Used
+    // for messages the user must see while the window is hidden — e.g. an
+    // autofill blocked by an elevated target.
+    procedure ShowBalloon(const ATitle, AText: string; AWarning: Boolean = False);
     function FindFMXAppWindow: HWND;
   public
     constructor Create(AMainForm: TForm);
@@ -614,30 +618,36 @@ begin
   end;
 end;
 
-procedure TPMBridge.ShowFirstTimeBalloon;
+procedure TPMBridge.ShowBalloon(const ATitle, AText: string;
+  AWarning: Boolean = False);
 var
   LBalloon: TNotifyIconData;
-const
-  BALLOON_TITLE = 'Password Manager';
-  BALLOON_TEXT  = 'Still running in the tray — click the icon to restore, ' +
-                  'right-click for menu.';
 begin
+  // Gated by the "Show tray notifications" user setting.
+  if not FShowNotifications then Exit;
   // Build a separate TNotifyIconData with NIF_INFO set, NIM_MODIFY on the
-  // same uID. szInfo/szInfoTitle carry the balloon content. NIIF_INFO
-  // gives the system info icon — no scary warning glyph.
+  // same uID. szInfo/szInfoTitle carry the balloon content.
   FillChar(LBalloon, SizeOf(LBalloon), 0);
   LBalloon.cbSize := SizeOf(LBalloon);
   LBalloon.Wnd    := FMsgWindow;
   LBalloon.uID    := 1;
   LBalloon.uFlags := NIF_INFO;
-  Move(PChar(BALLOON_TITLE)^, LBalloon.szInfoTitle[0],
-       Min(Length(BALLOON_TITLE), High(LBalloon.szInfoTitle)) * SizeOf(Char));
-  Move(PChar(BALLOON_TEXT)^, LBalloon.szInfo[0],
-       Min(Length(BALLOON_TEXT), High(LBalloon.szInfo)) * SizeOf(Char));
-  LBalloon.dwInfoFlags := NIIF_INFO;
+  Move(PChar(ATitle)^, LBalloon.szInfoTitle[0],
+       Min(Length(ATitle), High(LBalloon.szInfoTitle)) * SizeOf(Char));
+  Move(PChar(AText)^, LBalloon.szInfo[0],
+       Min(Length(AText), High(LBalloon.szInfo)) * SizeOf(Char));
+  if AWarning then LBalloon.dwInfoFlags := NIIF_WARNING
+  else             LBalloon.dwInfoFlags := NIIF_INFO;
   Shell_NotifyIcon(NIM_MODIFY, @LBalloon);
 end;
 
+procedure TPMBridge.ShowFirstTimeBalloon;
+begin
+  ShowBalloon('Password Manager',
+    'Still running in the tray — click the icon to restore, ' +
+    'right-click for menu.');
+end;
+
 procedure TPMBridge.RestoreFromTray;
 var
   LFormHwnd, LAppHwnd: HWND;
@@ -1010,6 +1020,36 @@ begin
   end;
 end;
 
+// Inject KEYUP for any modifier still physically held after the wait timed
+// out. Typing with Ctrl+Shift down turns every password letter into a
+// Ctrl+Shift+<letter> chord — which not only types garbage but FIRES OUR OWN
+// global hotkeys (a password containing 'a' triggered Ctrl+Shift+A = the
+// new-entry modal mid-fill). The user's keys stay physically down but the OS
+// modifier state clears until they release and press again.
+procedure ForceReleaseModifiers;
+const
+  MODS: array[0..4] of Word = (VK_CONTROL, VK_SHIFT, VK_MENU, VK_LWIN, VK_RWIN);
+var
+  LInputs: array[0..4] of TInput;
+  I, N: Integer;
+begin
+  N := 0;
+  for I := 0 to High(MODS) do
+    if (GetAsyncKeyState(MODS[I]) and $8000) <> 0 then
+    begin
+      FillChar(LInputs[N], SizeOf(TInput), 0);
+      LInputs[N].Itype := INPUT_KEYBOARD;
+      LInputs[N].ki.wVk := MODS[I];
+      LInputs[N].ki.dwFlags := KEYEVENTF_KEYUP;
+      Inc(N);
+    end;
+  if N > 0 then
+  begin
+    SendInput(N, @LInputs[0], SizeOf(TInput));
+    Sleep(30);
+  end;
+end;
+
 // Build (and immediately send) a key-down+up pair for each char in AText
 // using KEYEVENTF_UNICODE. Returns nothing — best-effort.
 procedure SendUnicodeString(const AText: string);
@@ -1231,6 +1271,7 @@ begin
     ForceForegroundWindow(ATargetHWND);
 
   WaitForModifierRelease(1000);
+  ForceReleaseModifiers;   // timeout hit with keys still down → clean state
   Sleep(FocusSettleDelayMs);
 
   // Never type into our own window: if the target refused the foreground,
diff --git a/delphi-backend/UMainForm.pas b/delphi-backend/UMainForm.pas
index d75a1ae..55f4e90 100644
--- a/delphi-backend/UMainForm.pas
+++ b/delphi-backend/UMainForm.pas
@@ -1486,6 +1486,14 @@ begin
   WebBrowser.ExecuteJavaScript(
     'if(window.Bridge&&typeof Bridge.onAutofillResult==="function")' +
     'Bridge.onAutofillResult(' + BoolToStr(LFillOk, True).ToLower + ')');
+  // Window hidden (tray) → the in-app failure toast is invisible; surface
+  // the block via a tray balloon instead (gated by the tray-notifications
+  // setting inside ShowBalloon).
+  if (not LFillOk) and
+     ((not Self.Visible) or IsIconic(WindowHandleToPlatform(Self.Handle).Wnd)) then
+    FBridge.ShowBalloon('Autofill blocked',
+      'The target window runs as administrator — Windows silently blocks ' +
+      'simulated keystrokes. Copy the password instead.', True);
 
   // Hide-after (Ctrl+Shift+Q from tray): SendInput is done, the target
   // already has focus — now we can safely tray ourselves without