diff --git a/src/ui/control-bar.ts b/src/ui/control-bar.ts
index 300b8ba..341fa80 100644
--- a/src/ui/control-bar.ts
+++ b/src/ui/control-bar.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * Diablo II v1.13c 800x600 Bottom Control Panel (`Panel\800CtrlPnl7.dc6`).
  *
  * Houses:
- * - Experience Bar (x=256, y=552, w=120, h=4) with tick notches & hover readout
+ * - Experience Bar (x=256, y=560, w=120, h=4) with tick notches & hover readout
  * - Stamina Bar (x=273, y=573, w=102, h=18) with run drain & walk/stand recovery
  * - Walk / Run Toggle Button (`Panel\runbutton.dc6` at x=255, y=572, w=16, h=20, hotkey `R`)
  * - Central Mini-Panel Toggle (`Panel\menubutton.dc6` at x=393, y=562, w=15, h=24) &
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ export interface ControlBarState {
   readonly unspentSkillPoints: number
 }
 
-export const EXP_BAR_BOUNDS = { x: 256, y: 552, width: 120, height: 5 } as const
+export const EXP_BAR_BOUNDS = { x: 256, y: 560, width: 120, height: 4 } as const
+export const EXP_BAR_HOVER_BOUNDS = { x: 256, y: 558, width: 120, height: 8 } as const
 export const STAMINA_BAR_BOUNDS = { x: 273, y: 573, width: 102, height: 18 } as const
 export const RUN_BTN_BOUNDS = { x: 255, y: 572, width: 16, height: 20 } as const
 export const MENU_TOGGLE_BOUNDS = { x: 393, y: 562, width: 15, height: 24 } as const
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ export class ControlBarHud {
       this.hoveredElement = MINIPANEL_ITEMS[idx]!.action
       return
     }
-    if (this.inRect(logicalX, logicalY, EXP_BAR_BOUNDS)) {
+    if (this.inRect(logicalX, logicalY, EXP_BAR_HOVER_BOUNDS)) {
       this.hoveredElement = 'exp'
     } else if (this.inRect(logicalX, logicalY, STAMINA_BAR_BOUNDS)) {
       this.hoveredElement = 'stamina'
@@ -136,13 +137,19 @@ export class ControlBarHud {
       ctx.fillRect(0, 545, 800, 55)
     }
 
-    // 2. Experience Bar (`x=256, y=552, w=120, h=4`)
+    // 2. Experience Bar (`x=256, y=560, w=120, h=4`)
     const xpSpan = Math.max(1, state.nextLevelXp - state.currentLevelXp)
     const xpRatio = Math.max(0, Math.min(1, (state.xp - state.currentLevelXp) / xpSpan))
     ctx.fillStyle = '#070605'
     ctx.fillRect(EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.x, EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.y, EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.width, EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.height)
     ctx.fillStyle = '#d8d0a8'
-    ctx.fillRect(EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.x, EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.y, Math.round(EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.width * xpRatio), EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.height - 1)
+    ctx.fillRect(EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.x, EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.y, Math.round(EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.width * xpRatio), EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.height)
+
+    // Tick notches (10 segments, 12px each per D2 800x600 specification)
+    ctx.fillStyle = '#1e1812'
+    for (let i = 1; i < 10; i++) {
+      ctx.fillRect(EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.x + i * 12, EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.y, 1, EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.height)
+    }
 
     // 3. Stamina Bar (`x=273, y=573, w=102, h=18`)
     const stamRatio = Math.max(0, Math.min(1, state.stamina / Math.max(1, state.maxStamina)))
diff --git a/tests/ui-hud.test.ts b/tests/ui-hud.test.ts
index 9908424..e1de876 100644
--- a/tests/ui-hud.test.ts
+++ b/tests/ui-hud.test.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ import { parseColoredText, parseFontTblMetrics, D2_COLOR_HEX } from '../src/ui/f
 import { GlobesHud, LIFE_GLOBE_BOUNDS, MANA_GLOBE_BOUNDS } from '../src/ui/globes.ts'
 import { BeltHud, BELT_COLS, BELT_ROWS, BELT_BASE_X } from '../src/ui/belt.ts'
 import { SkillHotkeysHud, LEFT_SKILL_BOUNDS, RIGHT_SKILL_BOUNDS } from '../src/ui/hotkeys.ts'
+import {
+  ControlBarHud,
+  EXP_BAR_BOUNDS,
+  EXP_BAR_HOVER_BOUNDS,
+  STAMINA_BAR_BOUNDS,
+} from '../src/ui/control-bar.ts'
 import {
   InventoryPanel,
   INV_PANEL_ORIGIN,
@@ -76,6 +82,55 @@ describe('Diablo II v1.13c UI / HUD (Issue #27)', () => {
     expect(LIFE_GLOBE_BOUNDS).toEqual({ x: 28, y: 515, width: 80, height: 80 })
     expect(MANA_GLOBE_BOUNDS).toEqual({ x: 692, y: 515, width: 80, height: 80 })
     expect(BELT_BASE_X).toBe(423)
+
+    // Experience Bar (Issue #146: groove at x=256, y=560, w=120, h=4 in 800CtrlPnl7)
+    expect(EXP_BAR_BOUNDS).toEqual({ x: 256, y: 560, width: 120, height: 4 })
+    expect(EXP_BAR_HOVER_BOUNDS).toEqual({ x: 256, y: 558, width: 120, height: 8 })
+    expect(STAMINA_BAR_BOUNDS).toEqual({ x: 273, y: 573, width: 102, height: 18 })
+  })
+
+  it('aligns Experience Bar to authentic 1.13c groove and handles hover hit-testing (Issue #146)', () => {
+    expect(EXP_BAR_BOUNDS).toEqual({ x: 256, y: 560, width: 120, height: 4 })
+    expect(EXP_BAR_HOVER_BOUNDS).toEqual({ x: 256, y: 558, width: 120, height: 8 })
+
+    // 10 segments of 12px width = 120px total width
+    expect(EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.width).toBe(120)
+    const segmentWidth = EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.width / 10
+    expect(segmentWidth).toBe(12)
+
+    // 9 divider ticks at x = 256 + i * 12 (i = 1..9)
+    const tickXs = Array.from({ length: 9 }, (_, i) => EXP_BAR_BOUNDS.x + (i + 1) * 12)
+    expect(tickXs).toEqual([268, 280, 292, 304, 316, 328, 340, 352, 364])
+
+    const bar = new ControlBarHud()
+
+    // Test start of groove (256, 560)
+    bar.handleMouseMove(256, 560)
+    expect(bar.hoveredElement).toBe('exp')
+
+    // Test throughout the groove
+    bar.handleMouseMove(256 + 60, 562)
+    expect(bar.hoveredElement).toBe('exp')
+
+    // Test end of groove (376, 563)
+    bar.handleMouseMove(256 + 120, 563)
+    expect(bar.hoveredElement).toBe('exp')
+
+    // Test padded hover bounds: y = 558 and y = 566
+    bar.handleMouseMove(256, 558)
+    expect(bar.hoveredElement).toBe('exp')
+    bar.handleMouseMove(376, 566)
+    expect(bar.hoveredElement).toBe('exp')
+
+    // Outside bounds
+    bar.handleMouseMove(255, 560)
+    expect(bar.hoveredElement).toBeNull()
+    bar.handleMouseMove(377, 560)
+    expect(bar.hoveredElement).toBeNull()
+    bar.handleMouseMove(300, 557)
+    expect(bar.hoveredElement).toBeNull()
+    bar.handleMouseMove(300, 567)
+    expect(bar.hoveredElement).toBeNull()
   })
 
   it('computes vertical bottom-up liquid clipping for Life & Mana globes', () => {