diff --git a/packages/navigation_rail_m3e/lib/src/rail_item_button_m3e.dart b/packages/navigation_rail_m3e/lib/src/rail_item_button_m3e.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b421285
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/navigation_rail_m3e/lib/src/rail_item_button_m3e.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,169 @@
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:icon_button_m3e/icon_button_m3e.dart';
+import 'package:navigation_rail_m3e/navigation_rail_m3e.dart';
+
+/// Internal button used by the NavigationRail item that can look like
+/// an IconButton (collapsed) or a text button (expanded) without
+/// switching widget types. This avoids animation hitches when the
+/// rail animates between collapsed and expanded.
+class RailItemButtonM3E extends StatelessWidget {
+  const RailItemButtonM3E({
+    super.key,
+    required this.icon,
+    this.selectedIcon,
+    required this.isSelected,
+    required this.onPressed,
+    required this.expanded,
+    required this.labelBehavior,
+    required this.label,
+    this.semanticLabel,
+    this.suppressInk = false,
+    this.badgeCount,
+  });
+
+  final Widget icon;
+  final Widget? selectedIcon;
+  final bool isSelected;
+  final VoidCallback onPressed;
+  final bool expanded;
+  final NavigationRailM3ELabelBehavior labelBehavior;
+  final String label;
+  final String? semanticLabel;
+  final bool suppressInk;
+  final int? badgeCount;
+
+  @override
+  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    final theme = Theme.of(context).extension<NavigationRailM3ETheme>() ??
+        const NavigationRailM3ETheme();
+    final tokens = NavigationRailTokensAdapter(context);
+
+    final double height = expanded ? theme.itemHeight : theme.itemHeight;
+    final bool selected = isSelected;
+
+    // Colors and shape per state.
+    final Color fg =
+        selected ? tokens.activeIconAndLabel : tokens.inactiveIconAndLabel;
+    final Color bg =
+        expanded && selected ? tokens.activeIndicatorColor : Colors.transparent;
+    final ShapeBorder shape =
+        expanded ? tokens.indicatorShapeFull : const RoundedRectangleBorder();
+
+    // Content
+    final Widget effectiveIcon =
+        selected && selectedIcon != null ? selectedIcon! : icon;
+
+    Widget content;
+    if (expanded) {
+      final textExpended = Flexible(
+        child: DefaultTextStyle.merge(
+          maxLines: 1,
+          overflow: TextOverflow.ellipsis,
+          child: Text(label, semanticsLabel: semanticLabel ?? label),
+        ),
+      );
+
+      content = Row(
+        children: [
+          Expanded(
+            child: Row(
+              mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
+              children: [
+                IconTheme.merge(
+                  data: IconThemeData(color: fg, size: theme.iconSize),
+                  child: effectiveIcon,
+                ),
+                SizedBox(width: theme.iconLabelGap),
+                textExpended,
+              ],
+            ),
+          ),
+          Padding(
+            padding: EdgeInsets.only(left: theme.iconLabelGap),
+            child: RailBadgeM3E(count: badgeCount),
+          ),
+        ],
+      );
+    } else {
+      final textCollapsed = Flexible(
+        child: DefaultTextStyle.merge(
+          style: Theme.of(context).textTheme.labelMedium!,
+          maxLines: 1,
+          overflow: TextOverflow.ellipsis,
+          child: Text(label, semanticsLabel: semanticLabel ?? label),
+        ),
+      );
+
+      content = Column(
+        children: [
+          IconButtonM3E(
+            icon: IconTheme.merge(
+              data: IconThemeData(color: fg, size: theme.iconSize),
+              child: effectiveIcon,
+            ),
+            width: IconButtonM3EWidth.wide,
+            badgeValue: badgeCount,
+            onPressed: onPressed,
+            variant: isSelected
+                ? IconButtonM3EVariant.tonal
+                : IconButtonM3EVariant.standard,
+            shape: IconButtonM3EShapeVariant.round,
+          ),
+          if (labelBehavior == NavigationRailM3ELabelBehavior.alwaysShow ||
+              (isSelected == true &&
+                  labelBehavior != NavigationRailM3ELabelBehavior.alwaysHide))
+            textCollapsed,
+        ],
+      );
+    }
+
+    final Material material = Material(
+      color: bg,
+      shape: shape,
+      clipBehavior: Clip.antiAlias,
+      child: InkWell(
+        onTap: onPressed,
+        splashFactory: expanded ? null : NoSplash.splashFactory,
+        hoverColor: expanded ? null : Colors.transparent,
+        highlightColor: expanded ? null : Colors.transparent,
+        child: Padding(
+          // Horizontal padding similar to ButtonM3E sm; for collapsed, none.
+          padding: expanded
+              ? EdgeInsetsDirectional.only(
+                  start: theme.indicatorLeading,
+                  end: theme.indicatorTrailing,
+                )
+              : EdgeInsets.zero,
+          child: Align(
+            alignment: expanded ? Alignment.centerLeft : Alignment.center,
+            child: IconTheme.merge(
+              data: IconThemeData(color: fg, size: theme.iconSize),
+              child: content,
+            ),
+          ),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+
+    final Widget sized = ConstrainedBox(
+      constraints: BoxConstraints(minHeight: height),
+      child: material,
+    );
+
+    // Tooltip semantics for collapsed state.
+    final Widget withTooltip = expanded
+        ? sized
+        : Tooltip(
+            message: semanticLabel ?? label,
+            preferBelow: false,
+            child: sized,
+          );
+
+    return Semantics(
+      button: true,
+      selected: selected,
+      label: expanded ? null : (semanticLabel ?? label),
+      child: withTooltip,
+    );
+  }
+}