diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index d262b53..cd70293 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 2026-04-04 - 3.56.1 - fix(dees-input-dropdown)
+improve dropdown popup lifecycle with window layer overlay and animated visibility transitions
+
+- use a window layer to handle outside-click closing instead of document-level mousedown listeners
+- await popup show and search focus to keep popup initialization and overlay setup in sync
+- add guarded async hide logic with animated teardown and cleanup of scroll/resize listeners
+
 ## 2026-04-04 - 3.56.0 - feat(dees-input-dropdown)
 extract dropdown popup into a floating overlay component with search, keyboard navigation, and viewport repositioning
 
diff --git a/ts_web/00_commitinfo_data.ts b/ts_web/00_commitinfo_data.ts
index 6703402..fae9816 100644
--- a/ts_web/00_commitinfo_data.ts
+++ b/ts_web/00_commitinfo_data.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
  */
 export const commitinfo = {
   name: '@design.estate/dees-catalog',
-  version: '3.56.0',
+  version: '3.56.1',
   description: 'A comprehensive library that provides dynamic web components for building sophisticated and modern web applications using JavaScript and TypeScript.'
 }
diff --git a/ts_web/elements/00group-input/dees-input-dropdown/dees-input-dropdown-popup.ts b/ts_web/elements/00group-input/dees-input-dropdown/dees-input-dropdown-popup.ts
index f9210ff..3c71ad2 100644
--- a/ts_web/elements/00group-input/dees-input-dropdown/dees-input-dropdown-popup.ts
+++ b/ts_web/elements/00group-input/dees-input-dropdown/dees-input-dropdown-popup.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ import {
   cssManager,
   DeesElement,
 } from '@design.estate/dees-element';
+import * as domtools from '@design.estate/dees-domtools';
 import { zIndexRegistry } from '../../00zindex.js';
 import { cssGeistFontFamily } from '../../00fonts.js';
 import { themeDefaultStyles } from '../../00theme.js';
+import { DeesWindowLayer } from '../../00group-overlay/dees-windowlayer/dees-windowlayer.js';
 
 declare global {
   interface HTMLElementTagNameMap {
@@ -47,6 +49,12 @@ export class DeesInputDropdownPopup extends DeesElement {
   @state()
   accessor menuZIndex: number = 1000;
 
+  @state()
+  accessor visible: boolean = false;
+
+  private windowLayer: DeesWindowLayer | null = null;
+  private isDestroying: boolean = false;
+
   public static styles = [
     themeDefaultStyles,
     cssManager.defaultStyles,
@@ -182,7 +190,7 @@ export class DeesInputDropdownPopup extends DeesElement {
 
     return html`
       <div
-        class="selectionBox show ${this.opensToTop ? 'top' : 'bottom'}"
+        class="selectionBox ${this.visible ? 'show' : ''} ${this.opensToTop ? 'top' : 'bottom'}"
         style="${posStyle}; z-index: ${this.menuZIndex};"
       >
         ${this.enableSearch
@@ -233,30 +241,43 @@ export class DeesInputDropdownPopup extends DeesElement {
     }
   }
 
-  public show(): void {
+  public async show(): Promise<void> {
     this.filteredOptions = this.options;
     this.highlightedIndex = 0;
     this.searchValue = '';
 
+    // Create window layer (transparent, no blur)
+    this.windowLayer = await DeesWindowLayer.createAndShow();
+    this.windowLayer.addEventListener('click', () => {
+      this.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('close-request'));
+    });
+
+    // Set z-index above the window layer
     this.menuZIndex = zIndexRegistry.getNextZIndex();
     zIndexRegistry.register(this, this.menuZIndex);
     this.style.zIndex = this.menuZIndex.toString();
 
     document.body.appendChild(this);
 
-    // Add listeners
+    // Animate in on next frame
+    await domtools.plugins.smartdelay.delayFor(0);
+    this.visible = true;
+
+    // Add scroll/resize listeners for repositioning
     window.addEventListener('scroll', this.handleScrollOrResize, { capture: true, passive: true });
     window.addEventListener('resize', this.handleScrollOrResize, { passive: true });
-    setTimeout(() => {
-      document.addEventListener('mousedown', this.handleOutsideClick);
-    }, 0);
   }
 
-  public hide(): void {
-    // Remove listeners
+  public async hide(): Promise<void> {
+    // Guard against double-destruction
+    if (this.isDestroying) {
+      return;
+    }
+    this.isDestroying = true;
+
+    // Remove scroll/resize listeners
     window.removeEventListener('scroll', this.handleScrollOrResize, { capture: true } as EventListenerOptions);
     window.removeEventListener('resize', this.handleScrollOrResize);
-    document.removeEventListener('mousedown', this.handleOutsideClick);
 
     zIndexRegistry.unregister(this);
 
@@ -264,9 +285,21 @@ export class DeesInputDropdownPopup extends DeesElement {
     this.filteredOptions = this.options;
     this.highlightedIndex = 0;
 
+    // Don't await - let window layer cleanup happen in background for instant visual feedback
+    if (this.windowLayer) {
+      this.windowLayer.destroy();
+      this.windowLayer = null;
+    }
+
+    // Animate out via CSS transition
+    this.visible = false;
+    await domtools.plugins.smartdelay.delayFor(150);
+
     if (this.parentElement) {
       this.parentElement.removeChild(this);
     }
+
+    this.isDestroying = false;
   }
 
   public async focusSearchInput(): Promise<void> {
@@ -328,13 +361,6 @@ export class DeesInputDropdownPopup extends DeesElement {
     }
   };
 
-  private handleOutsideClick = (event: MouseEvent): void => {
-    const path = event.composedPath();
-    if (!path.includes(this) && (!this.ownerComponent || !path.includes(this.ownerComponent))) {
-      this.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('close-request'));
-    }
-  };
-
   private handleScrollOrResize = (): void => {
     this.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('reposition-request'));
   };
@@ -343,7 +369,6 @@ export class DeesInputDropdownPopup extends DeesElement {
     await super.disconnectedCallback();
     window.removeEventListener('scroll', this.handleScrollOrResize, { capture: true } as EventListenerOptions);
     window.removeEventListener('resize', this.handleScrollOrResize);
-    document.removeEventListener('mousedown', this.handleOutsideClick);
     zIndexRegistry.unregister(this);
   }
 }
diff --git a/ts_web/elements/00group-input/dees-input-dropdown/dees-input-dropdown.ts b/ts_web/elements/00group-input/dees-input-dropdown/dees-input-dropdown.ts
index 7af5ddb..23bef22 100644
--- a/ts_web/elements/00group-input/dees-input-dropdown/dees-input-dropdown.ts
+++ b/ts_web/elements/00group-input/dees-input-dropdown/dees-input-dropdown.ts
@@ -205,12 +205,12 @@ export class DeesInputDropdown extends DeesInputBase<DeesInputDropdown> {
     this.popupInstance.addEventListener('close-request', this.handleCloseRequest);
     this.popupInstance.addEventListener('reposition-request', this.handleRepositionRequest);
 
-    // Show popup (appends to document.body)
-    this.popupInstance.show();
+    // Show popup (creates window layer, appends to document.body)
+    await this.popupInstance.show();
 
     // Focus search input
     if (this.enableSearch) {
-      this.popupInstance.focusSearchInput();
+      await this.popupInstance.focusSearchInput();
     }
   }