diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/editor/components/code-block/code-block-view.test.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/editor/components/code-block/code-block-view.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0048b45c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/editor/components/code-block/code-block-view.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi } from "vitest";
+import { render } from "@testing-library/react";
+
+// Covers the read-only render branch (PR #278): the language <Select> renders
+// only when `editor.isEditable`; in read-only the copy button still shows.
+// Mocks mirror the #146 structural harness (footnote-views.structure.test.tsx),
+// except Select becomes a detectable node so we can assert its presence/absence.
+vi.mock("@tiptap/react", () => ({
+  NodeViewWrapper: ({ children }: any) => <div>{children}</div>,
+  NodeViewContent: (props: any) => <div data-node-view-content="" {...props} />,
+}));
+vi.mock("react-i18next", () => ({
+  useTranslation: () => ({ t: (key: string) => key }),
+}));
+vi.mock("@mantine/core", () => ({
+  Group: ({ children }: any) => <div>{children}</div>,
+  Select: () => <div data-testid="language-select" />,
+  Tooltip: ({ children }: any) => <>{children}</>,
+  ActionIcon: ({ children, onClick }: any) => (
+    <button data-testid="copy-button" onClick={onClick}>
+      {children}
+    </button>
+  ),
+}));
+vi.mock("@/components/common/copy-button", () => ({
+  CopyButton: ({ children }: any) => children({ copied: false, copy: () => {} }),
+}));
+vi.mock("@tabler/icons-react", () => ({
+  IconCheck: () => null,
+  IconCopy: () => null,
+}));
+vi.mock("@/features/editor/components/code-block/mermaid-view.tsx", () => ({
+  default: () => null,
+}));
+
+import CodeBlockView from "./code-block-view";
+
+const makeProps = (isEditable: boolean) =>
+  ({
+    node: { attrs: { language: "javascript" }, textContent: "", nodeSize: 1 },
+    editor: {
+      state: { selection: { from: 0, to: 0 } },
+      isEditable,
+      commands: {},
+      on: vi.fn(),
+      off: vi.fn(),
+    },
+    extension: {
+      options: { lowlight: { listLanguages: () => ["javascript", "python"] } },
+    },
+    getPos: () => 0,
+    updateAttributes: () => {},
+    deleteNode: () => {},
+  }) as any;
+
+describe("CodeBlockView language selector visibility (#278)", () => {
+  it("renders the language selector when the editor is editable", () => {
+    const { queryByTestId } = render(<CodeBlockView {...makeProps(true)} />);
+    expect(queryByTestId("language-select")).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(queryByTestId("copy-button")).not.toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("hides the language selector in read-only but keeps the copy button", () => {
+    const { queryByTestId } = render(<CodeBlockView {...makeProps(false)} />);
+    expect(queryByTestId("language-select")).toBeNull();
+    expect(queryByTestId("copy-button")).not.toBeNull();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/editor/components/code-block/code-block-view.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/editor/components/code-block/code-block-view.tsx
index 39b35229..3f06d9f9 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/features/editor/components/code-block/code-block-view.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/editor/components/code-block/code-block-view.tsx
@@ -67,11 +67,7 @@ export default function CodeBlockView(props: NodeViewProps) {
         <NodeViewContent as="code" className={`language-${language}`} />
       </pre>
 
-      <Group
-        justify="flex-end"
-        contentEditable={false}
-        className={classes.menuGroup}
-      >
+      <Group contentEditable={false} className={classes.menuGroup}>
         {/* In read-only (published) there is no language selector at all —
             only the copy button. When editable the selector is hidden until
             the block is hovered/focused (or its dropdown is open) via the