diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/Cargo.toml b/crates/ui-egui/Cargo.toml
index 02de56a76..8e30081d7 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/Cargo.toml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ egui = { workspace = true, features = ["bytemuck", "default_fonts", "monochrome_
 # `default_fonts`: egui 0.37 makes its bundled faces opt-in, and a dependency's dev-features do not
 # reach our tests; `theme::install_fonts` starts from `FontDefinitions::default()`, which is empty
 # without them (production would lay out tofu, and the no-interface-fonts tests would bind nothing).
-bytemuck = "1"
+bytemuck = { version = "1", features = ["extern_crate_alloc"] }
 egui_extras = { workspace = true }
 image = { workspace = true }
 serde = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas.rs
index f1c62dfc0..e501273d5 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas.rs
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ use overlays::selected_anchor;
 use overlays::{HandleLook, draw_inside_overlay, draw_overlays, hover_highlight, ime_geometry, selection_overlay};
 pub use panes::Panes;
 pub(crate) use panes::{consolidate, tile, tiled_area};
-pub(crate) use raster::color_image;
 use raster::{changed_pixels, pixel_region, upload};
+pub(crate) use raster::{color_image, color_image_owned};
 use task_bar::task_bar;
 pub(crate) use task_bar::{has_colors, task_bar_rect};
 pub use tool_overlays::HiddenChars;
@@ -532,17 +532,22 @@ fn poll_worker(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, ui: &Ui, key_doc: usize) {
             app.canvas.fill_worker = crate::render_worker::Worker::spawn(ui.ctx().clone());
         }
     }
-    // Upload finished background renders.
+    // Upload finished background renders whenever they are not older than what is currently
+    // displayed on screen. This prevents canvas freezes during continuous edits (drags, arrow
+    // nudges, MCP command bursts) while ensuring obsolete out-of-order frames are dropped.
     if let Some(done) = app.canvas.worker.as_mut().and_then(|w| w.poll())
         && done.key.doc == key_doc
     {
-        upload(app, ui.ctx(), &done.img, done.key.pixel.is_some());
-        app.canvas.key = Some(done.key);
-        app.canvas.shown = Some((done.doc, done.opts));
-        app.perf.render_ms = done.ms;
-        app.canvas.last_ms = done.ms;
-        app.canvas.moved = done.moved > 0;
-        app.canvas.from_worker = true;
+        let not_older = app.canvas.key.as_ref().filter(|k| k.doc == done.key.doc).is_none_or(|k| done.key.revision >= k.revision);
+        if not_older {
+            upload(app, ui.ctx(), done.img, done.key.pixel.is_some());
+            app.canvas.key = Some(done.key);
+            app.canvas.shown = Some((done.doc, done.opts));
+            app.perf.render_ms = done.ms;
+            app.canvas.last_ms = done.ms;
+            app.canvas.moved = done.moved > 0;
+            app.canvas.from_worker = true;
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -652,7 +657,7 @@ fn draw_frame(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, ui: &Ui, frame: Frame) {
         _ => {
             let t0 = now_ms();
             let img = app.canvas.renderer.render(doc, w, h, view, &opts);
-            upload(app, ui.ctx(), &img, pixel.is_some());
+            upload(app, ui.ctx(), img, pixel.is_some());
             app.canvas.key = Some(key.clone());
             app.canvas.shown = Some((doc.clone(), opts.clone()));
             app.perf.render_ms = now_ms() - t0;
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/fill.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/fill.rs
index f68c17558..2f45f23ba 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/fill.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/fill.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use super::cursor::only_view_differs;
-use super::{Affine, CacheKey, Color32, Point, Pos2, Shape, VectorcraftApp, Xf, color_image, pos2, vec2};
+use super::{Affine, CacheKey, Color32, Point, Pos2, Shape, VectorcraftApp, Xf, color_image_owned, pos2, vec2};
 
 /// The fraction of the canvas's resolution, each way, that [`Fill`] is rendered at.
 const FILL_SCALE: f64 = 0.25;
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ pub(super) fn fill_uncovered(
     let opts = vectorcraft_render::RenderOptions { kept_images_only: true, image_mips: true, interacting: false, dragging: true, ..opts.clone() };
     let gaps = shown_frame(k, rect, xf).map_or_else(Vec::new, |shown| uncovered(shown, rect));
     if let Some(done) = done.filter(|d| usable(&d.key)) {
-        let color = color_image(&done.img);
+        let (fw, fh) = (done.img.width, done.img.height);
+        let color = color_image_owned(done.img);
         let tex = match app.canvas.fill.take() {
             Some(mut f) => {
                 f.tex.set(color, egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR);
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ pub(super) fn fill_uncovered(
             None => ctx.load_texture("canvas-fill", color, egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR),
         };
         let (_, _, view) = fill_view(&done.key);
-        app.canvas.fill = Some(Fill { key: done.key, view, size: (done.img.width, done.img.height), tex });
+        app.canvas.fill = Some(Fill { key: done.key, view, size: (fw, fh), tex });
     }
     let Some(worker) = app.canvas.fill_worker.as_mut().filter(|_| !gaps.is_empty()) else { return };
     if !app.canvas.fill.as_ref().is_some_and(|f| covers(&f.key)) && !worker.pending.as_ref().is_some_and(covers) {
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/raster.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/raster.rs
index a799bbe29..178a216ec 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/raster.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/raster.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,20 @@ pub(crate) fn color_image(img: &vectorcraft_render::Rendered) -> egui::ColorImag
     }
 }
 
+/// Convert an owned [`vectorcraft_render::Rendered`] raster directly into an [`egui::ColorImage`].
+/// Reuses the raster's heap allocation in place via zero-copy buffer casting when size and
+/// alignment permit, eliminating redundant multi-megabyte allocations on texture upload.
+pub(crate) fn color_image_owned(img: vectorcraft_render::Rendered) -> egui::ColorImage {
+    let size = [img.width as usize, img.height as usize];
+    let expected = size[0].saturating_mul(size[1]).saturating_mul(4);
+    if expected == img.pixels.len() {
+        let pixels: Vec<egui::Color32> = bytemuck::allocation::try_cast_vec(img.pixels).unwrap_or_else(|(_, v)| bytemuck::cast_slice(&v).to_vec());
+        egui::ColorImage::new(size, pixels)
+    } else {
+        egui::ColorImage::new(size, vec![egui::Color32::TRANSPARENT; size[0].saturating_mul(size[1])])
+    }
+}
+
 /// The pixels of the `w`×`h` frame through `view` to render again for `doc`, when only the document
 /// changed, or placed documents' bitmaps were made, since the frame shown (its key `key` but for
 /// the revision and [`CacheKey::placed`], and its render options `opts`), which this thread
@@ -68,9 +82,10 @@ fn in_steps(a: u32, b: u32, n: u32) -> (u32, u32) {
     (a, a + len)
 }
 
-/// Upload the art's raster; Pixel Preview's document pixels keep hard edges when magnified.
-pub(super) fn upload(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context, img: &vectorcraft_render::Rendered, pixel: bool) {
-    let color = color_image(img);
+/// Upload the art's raster directly into the canvas texture without reallocating or copying pixels;
+/// Pixel Preview's document pixels keep hard edges when magnified.
+pub(super) fn upload(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context, img: vectorcraft_render::Rendered, pixel: bool) {
+    let color = color_image_owned(img);
     let options = if pixel { egui::TextureOptions::NEAREST } else { egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR };
     match &mut app.canvas.texture {
         Some(tex) => tex.set(color, options),
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/tests.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/tests.rs
index 6345dff0c..836049278 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas/tests.rs
@@ -41,8 +41,10 @@ fn rendered_rasters_become_the_same_egui_images() {
     assert!(img.pixels.as_chunks::<4>().0.iter().any(|p| p[3] != 0 && p[3] != 255), "partly covered pixels");
     let egui = egui::ColorImage::from_rgba_premultiplied([97, 61], &img.pixels);
     assert_eq!(color_image(&img), egui);
+    assert_eq!(color_image_owned(img), egui);
     let short = vectorcraft_render::Rendered { width: 3, height: 2, pixels: vec![255; 5] };
     assert_eq!(color_image(&short), egui::ColorImage::new([3, 2], vec![egui::Color32::TRANSPARENT; 6]));
+    assert_eq!(color_image_owned(short), egui::ColorImage::new([3, 2], vec![egui::Color32::TRANSPARENT; 6]));
 }
 
 /// With VECTORCRAFT_SYSTEM_CURSORS set the glyphs aren't drawn and the system's cursors stand in: those of
@@ -8538,3 +8540,117 @@ fn hidden_artboards_leave_a_paper_canvas_without_edges() {
     app.run("view.artboards", json!({})).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(look(&mut app), (false, true));
 }
+
+/// Finished worker renders are uploaded whenever they are not older than what is currently
+/// displayed on screen. During continuous edit streams (drag previews, held arrow nudges, or
+/// command bursts) where the document revision advances every frame, intermediate worker frames
+/// are uploaded progressively to prevent the canvas from freezing. Obsolete frames older than what
+/// is already displayed are discarded.
+#[test]
+fn poll_worker_accepts_frames_not_older_than_displayed_and_discards_obsolete_frames() {
+    let mut app = VectorcraftApp::new(Session::new(), Default::default());
+    app.session.execute("file.new", &json!({"width": 400, "height": 300})).unwrap();
+    app.canvas.worker_started = true;
+    let ctx = egui::Context::default();
+    let raw = egui::RawInput { screen_rect: Some(egui::Rect::from_min_size(Pos2::ZERO, vec2(800.0, 600.0))), ..Default::default() };
+    let mut out = ctx.run_ui(raw.clone(), |ui| show(&mut app, ui));
+    out.textures_delta.clear();
+
+    let doc = app.session.active().unwrap().doc.clone();
+    let initial_key = app.canvas.key.clone().expect("first frame initializes key");
+    let key_doc = initial_key.doc;
+
+    // Displayed canvas texture is initially at revision 2.
+    let mut displayed_key = initial_key.clone();
+    displayed_key.revision = 2;
+    app.canvas.key = Some(displayed_key);
+
+    let (worker, _jobs, done_tx) = crate::render_worker::Worker::test_channel();
+    app.canvas.worker = Some(worker);
+
+    // Worker completes revision 5 (intermediate frame from an edit stream).
+    // It is newer than displayed revision 2: it MUST be accepted and uploaded.
+    let mut rev5_key = initial_key.clone();
+    rev5_key.revision = 5;
+    let img5 = vectorcraft_render::Rendered { width: 10, height: 10, pixels: vec![200; 400] };
+    done_tx
+        .send(crate::render_worker::Done {
+            key: rev5_key,
+            doc: doc.clone(),
+            opts: vectorcraft_render::RenderOptions::default(),
+            img: img5,
+            ms: 2.5,
+            moved: 0,
+        })
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let mut out = ctx.run_ui(raw.clone(), |ui| poll_worker(&mut app, ui, key_doc));
+    let set_count = out.textures_delta.set.len();
+    out.textures_delta.clear();
+    assert_eq!(set_count, 1, "intermediate frame 5 is uploaded to texture");
+    assert_eq!(app.canvas.key.as_ref().unwrap().revision, 5, "intermediate frame 5 is uploaded");
+    assert!(app.canvas.from_worker);
+
+    // Worker completes an older revision 3 (out of order). It is older than displayed 5, so discarded.
+    let mut rev3_key = initial_key.clone();
+    rev3_key.revision = 3;
+    let img3 = vectorcraft_render::Rendered { width: 10, height: 10, pixels: vec![150; 400] };
+    done_tx
+        .send(crate::render_worker::Done {
+            key: rev3_key,
+            doc: doc.clone(),
+            opts: vectorcraft_render::RenderOptions::default(),
+            img: img3,
+            ms: 2.5,
+            moved: 0,
+        })
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let mut out = ctx.run_ui(raw.clone(), |ui| poll_worker(&mut app, ui, key_doc));
+    let set_count = out.textures_delta.set.len();
+    out.textures_delta.clear();
+    assert_eq!(set_count, 0, "older out-of-order frame 3 emits NO texture upload delta, leaving displayed texture intact");
+    assert_eq!(app.canvas.key.as_ref().unwrap().revision, 5, "older out-of-order frame 3 is discarded");
+
+    // Worker completes another intermediate revision 8. Newer than displayed 5, so uploaded.
+    let mut rev8_key = initial_key.clone();
+    rev8_key.revision = 8;
+    let img8 = vectorcraft_render::Rendered { width: 10, height: 10, pixels: vec![180; 400] };
+    done_tx
+        .send(crate::render_worker::Done {
+            key: rev8_key,
+            doc: doc.clone(),
+            opts: vectorcraft_render::RenderOptions::default(),
+            img: img8,
+            ms: 2.5,
+            moved: 0,
+        })
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let mut out = ctx.run_ui(raw.clone(), |ui| poll_worker(&mut app, ui, key_doc));
+    let set_count = out.textures_delta.set.len();
+    out.textures_delta.clear();
+    assert_eq!(set_count, 1, "newer frame 8 is uploaded to texture");
+    assert_eq!(app.canvas.key.as_ref().unwrap().revision, 8, "newer frame 8 is uploaded");
+
+    // Finally, the settling frame at revision 10 completes: it is accepted and uploaded.
+    let mut rev10_key = initial_key;
+    rev10_key.revision = 10;
+    let img10 = vectorcraft_render::Rendered { width: 10, height: 10, pixels: vec![255; 400] };
+    done_tx
+        .send(crate::render_worker::Done {
+            key: rev10_key,
+            doc: doc.clone(),
+            opts: vectorcraft_render::RenderOptions::default(),
+            img: img10,
+            ms: 2.5,
+            moved: 0,
+        })
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let mut out = ctx.run_ui(raw, |ui| poll_worker(&mut app, ui, key_doc));
+    let set_count = out.textures_delta.set.len();
+    out.textures_delta.clear();
+    assert_eq!(set_count, 1, "settled frame 10 is uploaded to texture");
+    assert_eq!(app.canvas.key.as_ref().unwrap().revision, 10, "settled frame 10 is uploaded");
+}