diff --git a/crates/project/src/comp.rs b/crates/project/src/comp.rs
index 5fc6b38a0..c0c401c82 100644
--- a/crates/project/src/comp.rs
+++ b/crates/project/src/comp.rs
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ impl Comp {
         if !self.layers.iter().any(|l| l.name == base) {
             return base.to_string();
         }
-        let stem = base.trim_end_matches(|c: char| c.is_ascii_digit()).trim_end();
+        let stem = crate::item::name_stem(base);
         // The suffixes in use, gathered in one pass: trying each candidate against every layer
         // made importing many layers of one name cubic.
         let taken: std::collections::HashSet<u64> = self
diff --git a/crates/project/src/item.rs b/crates/project/src/item.rs
index 4fcc06ab9..b055c60ba 100644
--- a/crates/project/src/item.rs
+++ b/crates/project/src/item.rs
@@ -8,12 +8,18 @@ use super::{Arc, BTreeMap, Deserialize, FrameRate, Label, Project, Serialize, Ti
 /// another layer of the same name. A number set off by a space is a counter and is replaced
 /// (`Red Solid 1` → `Red Solid 2`, `shot 2` → `shot 3`); digits that end a word belong to the
 /// name and stay (`v-b1.mp4` → `v-b1.mp4 2`, `clip2.mov` → `clip2.mov 2`).
-pub(crate) fn numbered_name(base: &str, taken: impl Fn(&str) -> bool) -> String {
+/// `base` without a trailing ` N`: digits are dropped only when a space separates them from a
+/// nonempty stem, so `v-b1.mp4` and `Layer1` keep theirs.
+pub(crate) fn name_stem(base: &str) -> &str {
     let head = base.trim_end_matches(|c: char| c.is_ascii_digit());
-    let stem = match head.strip_suffix(' ') {
+    match head.strip_suffix(' ') {
         Some(stem) if head.len() < base.len() && !stem.trim_end().is_empty() => stem.trim_end(),
         _ => base.trim_end(),
-    };
+    }
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn numbered_name(base: &str, taken: impl Fn(&str) -> bool) -> String {
+    let stem = name_stem(base);
     (2u64..).map(|k| format!("{stem} {k}")).find(|n| !taken(n)).unwrap_or_default()
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/project/src/tests.rs b/crates/project/src/tests.rs
index 89c01c42e..80ba3c771 100644
--- a/crates/project/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/project/src/tests.rs
@@ -154,6 +154,10 @@ fn unique_names_and_cycles() {
         d.layers.push(l);
     }
     assert_eq!(d.unique_layer_name("Red Solid 1"), "Red Solid 2");
+    // Digits that end a word stay in the stem.
+    let mut e = c.clone();
+    e.layers[0].name = "v-b1.mp4".into();
+    assert_eq!(e.unique_layer_name("v-b1.mp4"), "v-b1.mp4 2");
     assert!(p.comp_contains(cid, cid));
 }