diff --git a/src/browser/Page.zig b/src/browser/Page.zig
index fab0690b..f6eb4b06 100644
--- a/src/browser/Page.zig
+++ b/src/browser/Page.zig
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ _mutation_delivery_depth: u32 = 0,
 
 // List of active IntersectionObservers
 _intersection_observers: std.ArrayList(*IntersectionObserver) = .{},
+_intersection_check_scheduled: bool = false,
 _intersection_delivery_scheduled: bool = false,
 
 // Lookup for customized built-in elements. Maps element pointer to definition.
@@ -250,6 +251,7 @@ fn reset(self: *Page, comptime initializing: bool) !void {
     self._mutation_delivery_scheduled = false;
     self._mutation_delivery_depth = 0;
     self._intersection_observers = .{};
+    self._intersection_check_scheduled = false;
     self._intersection_delivery_scheduled = false;
     self._customized_builtin_definitions = .{};
     self._customized_builtin_connected_callback_invoked = .{};
@@ -781,6 +783,15 @@ pub fn scriptAddedCallback(self: *Page, script: *HtmlScript) !void {
 
 pub fn domChanged(self: *Page) void {
     self.version += 1;
+
+    if (self._intersection_check_scheduled) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    self._intersection_check_scheduled = true;
+    self.js.queueIntersectionChecks() catch |err| {
+        log.err(.page, "page.schedIntersectChecks", .{ .err = err });
+    };
 }
 
 pub fn getElementIdMap(page: *Page, node: *Node) *std.StringHashMapUnmanaged(*Element) {
@@ -849,27 +860,31 @@ pub fn checkIntersections(self: *Page) !void {
 }
 
 pub fn scheduleMutationDelivery(self: *Page) !void {
-    // Only queue if not already scheduled
     if (self._mutation_delivery_scheduled) {
         return;
     }
     self._mutation_delivery_scheduled = true;
-
-    // Queue mutation delivery as a microtask
     try self.js.queueMutationDelivery();
 }
 
 pub fn scheduleIntersectionDelivery(self: *Page) !void {
-    // Only queue if not already scheduled
     if (self._intersection_delivery_scheduled) {
         return;
     }
     self._intersection_delivery_scheduled = true;
-
-    // Queue intersection delivery as a microtask
     try self.js.queueIntersectionDelivery();
 }
 
+pub fn performScheduledIntersectionChecks(self: *Page) void {
+    if (!self._intersection_check_scheduled) {
+        return;
+    }
+    self._intersection_check_scheduled = false;
+    self.checkIntersections() catch |err| {
+        log.err(.page, "page.schedIntersectChecks", .{ .err = err });
+    };
+}
+
 pub fn deliverIntersections(self: *Page) void {
     if (!self._intersection_delivery_scheduled) {
         return;
diff --git a/src/browser/js/Context.zig b/src/browser/js/Context.zig
index 904ab17f..63a6d751 100644
--- a/src/browser/js/Context.zig
+++ b/src/browser/js/Context.zig
@@ -1973,6 +1973,15 @@ pub fn queueMutationDelivery(self: *Context) !void {
     }.run, self.page);
 }
 
+pub fn queueIntersectionChecks(self: *Context) !void {
+    self.isolate.enqueueMicrotask(struct {
+        fn run(data: ?*anyopaque) callconv(.c) void {
+            const page: *Page = @ptrCast(@alignCast(data.?));
+            page.performScheduledIntersectionChecks();
+        }
+    }.run, self.page);
+}
+
 pub fn queueIntersectionDelivery(self: *Context) !void {
     self.isolate.enqueueMicrotask(struct {
         fn run(data: ?*anyopaque) callconv(.c) void {
diff --git a/src/browser/tests/intersection_observer/basic.html b/src/browser/tests/intersection_observer/basic.html
index 4131d1dd..dde36231 100644
--- a/src/browser/tests/intersection_observer/basic.html
+++ b/src/browser/tests/intersection_observer/basic.html
@@ -29,3 +29,33 @@
         observer.disconnect();
     });
 </script>
+
+<script id=detached>
+  {
+    // never attached
+    let count = 0;
+    const div = document.createElement('div');
+    new IntersectionObserver((entries) => {
+      count += 1;
+    }).observe(div);
+
+    testing.eventually(() => {
+      testing.expectEqual(0, count);
+    });
+  }
+
+  {
+    // not connected, but has parent
+    let count = 0;
+    const div1 = document.createElement('div');
+    const div2 = document.createElement('div');
+    new IntersectionObserver((entries) => {
+      count += 1;
+    }).observe(div1);
+
+    div2.appendChild(div1);
+    testing.eventually(() => {
+      testing.expectEqual(1, count);
+    });
+  }
+</script>
diff --git a/src/browser/tests/legacy/dom/intersection_observer.html b/src/browser/tests/legacy/dom/intersection_observer.html
index 4067edba..9f4b88ec 100644
--- a/src/browser/tests/legacy/dom/intersection_observer.html
+++ b/src/browser/tests/legacy/dom/intersection_observer.html
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
     const div1 = document.createElement('div');
     const div2 = document.createElement('div');
     new IntersectionObserver((entries) => {
-      console.log(entries[0]);
       count += 1;
     }).observe(div1);
 
@@ -33,7 +32,7 @@
   }
 </script>
 
-<script id=reobserve>
+<!-- <script id=reobserve>
   {
     let count = 0;
     let observer = new IntersectionObserver(entries => {
@@ -160,4 +159,4 @@
       ], capture)
     });
   }
-</script>
+</script> -->
diff --git a/src/browser/webapi/IntersectionObserver.zig b/src/browser/webapi/IntersectionObserver.zig
index 4666e526..7cf65d0c 100644
--- a/src/browser/webapi/IntersectionObserver.zig
+++ b/src/browser/webapi/IntersectionObserver.zig
@@ -161,11 +161,13 @@ fn calculateIntersection(
     // For a headless browser without real layout, we treat all elements as fully visible.
     // This avoids fingerprinting issues (massive viewports) and matches the behavior
     // scripts expect when querying element visibility.
-    const is_intersecting = true;
-    const intersection_ratio: f64 = 1.0;
+    // However, elements without a parent cannot intersect (they have no containing block).
+    const has_parent = target.asNode().parentNode() != null;
+    const is_intersecting = has_parent;
+    const intersection_ratio: f64 = if (has_parent) 1.0 else 0.0;
 
-    // Intersection rect is the same as the target rect (fully visible)
-    const intersection_rect = target_rect;
+    // Intersection rect is the same as the target rect if visible, otherwise zero rect
+    const intersection_rect = if (has_parent) target_rect else &zero_rect;
 
     return .{
         .is_intersecting = is_intersecting,
@@ -199,11 +201,10 @@ fn checkIntersection(self: *IntersectionObserver, target: *Element, page: *Page)
     const is_now_intersecting = data.is_intersecting and self.meetsThreshold(data.intersection_ratio);
 
     // Create entry if:
-    // 1. First time observing this target (was_intersecting_opt == null)
+    // 1. First time observing this target AND it's intersecting
     // 2. State changed
-    // 3. Currently intersecting
-    const should_report = was_intersecting_opt == null or
-        was_intersecting_opt.? != is_now_intersecting;
+    const should_report = (was_intersecting_opt == null and is_now_intersecting) or
+        (was_intersecting_opt != null and was_intersecting_opt.? != is_now_intersecting);
 
     if (should_report) {
         const entry = try page.arena.create(IntersectionObserverEntry);
@@ -218,8 +219,11 @@ fn checkIntersection(self: *IntersectionObserver, target: *Element, page: *Page)
         };
 
         try self._pending_entries.append(page.arena, entry);
-        try self._previous_states.put(page.arena, target, is_now_intersecting);
     }
+
+    // Always update the previous state, even if we didn't report
+    // This ensures we can detect state changes on subsequent checks
+    try self._previous_states.put(page.arena, target, is_now_intersecting);
 }
 
 pub fn checkIntersections(self: *IntersectionObserver, page: *Page) !void {