diff --git a/crates/egui/src/containers/area.rs b/crates/egui/src/containers/area.rs
index 33e3fae9783..07f9b3a06ab 100644
--- a/crates/egui/src/containers/area.rs
+++ b/crates/egui/src/containers/area.rs
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ impl Area {
         self
     }
 
-    /// Constrains this area to the screen bounds.
+    /// Constrains this area to [`Context::screen_rect`]?
     #[inline]
     pub fn constrain(mut self, constrain: bool) -> Self {
         self.constrain = constrain;
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ pub(crate) struct Prepared {
     move_response: Response,
     enabled: bool,
     constrain: bool,
-    constrain_rect: Option<Rect>,
+    constrain_rect: Rect,
 
     /// We always make windows invisible the first frame to hide "first-frame-jitters".
     ///
@@ -349,6 +349,8 @@ impl Area {
             fade_in,
         } = self;
 
+        let constrain_rect = constrain_rect.unwrap_or_else(|| ctx.screen_rect());
+
         let layer_id = LayerId::new(order, id);
 
         let state = AreaState::load(ctx, id).map(|mut state| {
@@ -373,7 +375,6 @@ impl Area {
             }
 
             if constrain {
-                let constrain_rect = constrain_rect.unwrap_or_else(|| ctx.screen_rect());
                 size = size.at_most(constrain_rect.size());
             }
 
@@ -396,9 +397,11 @@ impl Area {
         }
 
         if let Some((anchor, offset)) = anchor {
-            let screen = ctx.available_rect();
             state.set_left_top_pos(
-                anchor.align_size_within_rect(state.size, screen).left_top() + offset,
+                anchor
+                    .align_size_within_rect(state.size, constrain_rect)
+                    .left_top()
+                    + offset,
             );
         }
 
@@ -478,29 +481,14 @@ impl Prepared {
         self.constrain
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn constrain_rect(&self) -> Option<Rect> {
+    pub(crate) fn constrain_rect(&self) -> Rect {
         self.constrain_rect
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn content_ui(&self, ctx: &Context) -> Ui {
-        let screen_rect = ctx.screen_rect();
-
-        let constrain_rect = if let Some(constrain_rect) = self.constrain_rect {
-            constrain_rect.intersect(screen_rect) // protect against infinite bounds
-        } else {
-            let central_area = ctx.available_rect();
-
-            let is_within_central_area = central_area.contains_rect(self.state.rect().shrink(1.0));
-            if is_within_central_area {
-                central_area // let's try to not cover side panels
-            } else {
-                screen_rect
-            }
-        };
-
         let max_rect = Rect::from_min_size(self.state.left_top_pos(), self.state.size);
 
-        let clip_rect = constrain_rect; // Don't paint outside our bounds
+        let clip_rect = self.constrain_rect; // Don't paint outside our bounds
 
         let mut ui = Ui::new(
             ctx.clone(),
@@ -563,6 +551,8 @@ fn automatic_area_position(ctx: &Context) -> Pos2 {
     });
     existing.sort_by_key(|r| r.left().round() as i32);
 
+    // NOTE: for the benefit of the egui demo, we position the windows so they don't
+    // cover the side panels, which means we use `available_rect` here instead of `constrain_rect` or `screen_rect`.
     let available_rect = ctx.available_rect();
 
     let spacing = 16.0;
diff --git a/crates/egui/src/containers/window.rs b/crates/egui/src/containers/window.rs
index cc6cea3f9e3..2a9b676638b 100644
--- a/crates/egui/src/containers/window.rs
+++ b/crates/egui/src/containers/window.rs
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ impl<'open> Window<'open> {
         self
     }
 
-    /// Constrains this window to the screen bounds.
+    /// Constrains this window to [`Context::screen_rect`].
     ///
     /// To change the area to constrain to, use [`Self::constrain_to`].
     ///
@@ -471,11 +471,10 @@ impl<'open> Window<'open> {
         };
 
         {
-            // Prevent window from becoming larger than the constraint rect and/or screen rect.
-            let screen_rect = ctx.screen_rect();
-            let max_rect = area.constrain_rect().unwrap_or(screen_rect);
-            let max_width = max_rect.width();
-            let max_height = max_rect.height() - title_bar_height;
+            // Prevent window from becoming larger than the constrain rect.
+            let constrain_rect = area.constrain_rect();
+            let max_width = constrain_rect.width();
+            let max_height = constrain_rect.height() - title_bar_height;
             resize.max_size.x = resize.max_size.x.min(max_width);
             resize.max_size.y = resize.max_size.y.min(max_height);
         }
diff --git a/crates/egui/src/context.rs b/crates/egui/src/context.rs
index 9884de41fff..9471349999c 100644
--- a/crates/egui/src/context.rs
+++ b/crates/egui/src/context.rs
@@ -1776,23 +1776,7 @@ impl Context {
     // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     /// Constrain the position of a window/area so it fits within the provided boundary.
-    ///
-    /// If area is `None`, will constrain to [`Self::available_rect`].
-    pub(crate) fn constrain_window_rect_to_area(&self, window: Rect, area: Option<Rect>) -> Rect {
-        let mut area = area.unwrap_or_else(|| self.available_rect());
-
-        if window.width() > area.width() {
-            // Allow overlapping side bars.
-            // This is important for small screens, e.g. mobiles running the web demo.
-            let screen_rect = self.screen_rect();
-            (area.min.x, area.max.x) = (screen_rect.min.x, screen_rect.max.x);
-        }
-        if window.height() > area.height() {
-            // Allow overlapping top/bottom bars:
-            let screen_rect = self.screen_rect();
-            (area.min.y, area.max.y) = (screen_rect.min.y, screen_rect.max.y);
-        }
-
+    pub(crate) fn constrain_window_rect_to_area(&self, window: Rect, area: Rect) -> Rect {
         let mut pos = window.min;
 
         // Constrain to screen, unless window is too large to fit: