diff --git a/.changeset/two-swans-heal.md b/.changeset/two-swans-heal.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..02c1f9dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/two-swans-heal.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@tanstack/virtual-core': patch
+---
+
+fix(virtual-core): preserve auto alignment for visible items when scrolling
diff --git a/packages/virtual-core/src/index.ts b/packages/virtual-core/src/index.ts
index efbf1e54..fb7bb5e6 100644
--- a/packages/virtual-core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/virtual-core/src/index.ts
@@ -1032,9 +1032,7 @@ export class Virtualizer<
       } else if (item.start <= scrollOffset + this.options.scrollPaddingStart) {
         align = 'start'
       } else {
-        // Item is already visible, return current position with concrete alignment
-        // to avoid infinite retry loop if measurements change
-        return [scrollOffset, 'start'] as const
+        return [scrollOffset, align] as const
       }
     }