diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/clipboard.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/clipboard.rs
index c487425d3..cf6718d8e 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/clipboard.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/clipboard.rs
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@ impl Clipboard {
         self.nodes.is_empty() && self.artboards.is_empty() && self.guides.is_empty()
     }
 
+    /// Does it hold art (objects or artboards) for other apps? Ruler guides stay in VectorCraft:
+    /// guides alone put nothing on the system clipboard (#3226).
+    pub fn has_art(&self) -> bool {
+        !self.nodes.is_empty() || !self.artboards.is_empty()
+    }
+
     /// Objects `roots` of `st`'s document with their resources, source artboard and layers.
     pub(crate) fn copy(st: &DocState, roots: &[NodeId]) -> Self {
         let d = &*st.doc;
@@ -198,7 +204,7 @@ impl Clipboard {
 
     /// The objects as standalone SVG (`None` when there are none).
     pub fn svg(&self) -> Option<String> {
-        if self.is_empty() {
+        if !self.has_art() {
             return None;
         }
         let d = self.to_document();
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/clipboard/flavours.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/clipboard/flavours.rs
index b2e1114e1..f4c096d9b 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/clipboard/flavours.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/clipboard/flavours.rs
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ impl Clipboard {
 
     /// The MIME types of [`Self::flavours`], without making them.
     pub fn flavour_types(&self, svg: bool, pdf: bool) -> Vec<&'static str> {
-        if self.is_empty() {
+        if !self.has_art() {
             return vec![];
         }
         let text = (svg && self.image_bytes() <= COPY_TEXT_IMAGE_BYTES) || self.nodes.iter().all(type_only);
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests/guide_clipboard.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests/guide_clipboard.rs
index d71c1dd42..b6fceead0 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests/guide_clipboard.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests/guide_clipboard.rs
@@ -88,3 +88,44 @@ fn guides_paste_in_place_onto_another_artboard_and_cut_removes_them() {
     run(&mut s, "select.none", json!({}));
     assert!(s.execute("edit.copy", &json!({})).is_err());
 }
+
+/// #3226 review: each paste adds guides of its own (a guide is its place and layer; there is no
+/// id to share), on the layer new art goes to, so they take that layer's colour, visibility and
+/// lock; and the SVG put on the system clipboard carries no guides.
+#[test]
+fn two_pastes_add_their_own_guides_on_the_current_layer_and_svg_has_none() {
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    run(&mut s, "file.new", json!({"width": 400, "height": 300}));
+    run(&mut s, "guide.add", json!({"vertical": true, "pos": 120}));
+    run(&mut s, "guide.select", json!({"indexes": [0]}));
+    run(&mut s, "edit.copy", json!({}));
+    // Guides alone: no art for the system clipboard's SVG.
+    assert!(s.clipboard_svg().is_none(), "guides alone put no SVG on the system clipboard");
+    assert!(s.clipboard.flavour_types(true, true).is_empty(), "nor any other format (it keeps what other apps put there)");
+    let layer = NodeId(run(&mut s, "layer.new", json!({}))["id"].as_u64().unwrap());
+    run(&mut s, "edit.paste", json!({}));
+    assert_eq!(s.doc().unwrap().selection.guides, [1], "the first paste selects its own guide");
+    run(&mut s, "edit.paste", json!({}));
+    assert_eq!(s.doc().unwrap().selection.guides, [2], "the second paste selects its own guide");
+    let g = guides(&s);
+    assert_eq!(g.len(), 3, "two pastes, two more guides: {g:?}");
+    assert_eq!((g[1].2, g[2].2), (Some(layer), Some(layer)), "on the layer new art goes to");
+    // Moving the second pasted guide leaves the first where it is.
+    run(&mut s, "guide.move", json!({"index": 2, "pos": 200}));
+    assert_eq!(guides(&s).iter().map(|g| g.1).collect::<Vec<_>>(), [120.0, 120.0, 200.0]);
+    // Hiding that layer hides the guides pasted on it: they follow its visibility (and lock).
+    run(&mut s, "layer.setProps", json!({"id": layer.0, "visible": false}));
+    let st = s.doc().unwrap();
+    let shown: Vec<bool> = st.doc.guides.iter().map(|g| st.doc.guide_shown(g)).collect();
+    assert_eq!(shown, [true, false, false]);
+    // With an object, the SVG holds the object and no guide.
+    run(&mut s, "layer.setProps", json!({"id": layer.0, "visible": true}));
+    let rect = run(&mut s, "shape.rectangle", json!({"x": 10, "y": 10, "width": 20, "height": 20}))["id"].as_u64().unwrap();
+    run(&mut s, "select.set", json!({"ids": [rect]}));
+    run(&mut s, "guide.select", json!({"indexes": [0], "toggle": true}));
+    let r = run(&mut s, "edit.copy", json!({}));
+    assert_eq!(r["guides"], 1);
+    let svg = s.clipboard_svg().unwrap();
+    assert!(svg.contains("<rect") || svg.contains("<path"), "the object is there");
+    assert!(!svg.to_lowercase().contains("guide"), "no guide in the SVG: {svg}");
+}
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/sysclip.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/sysclip.rs
index 784421acb..4d7073751 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/sysclip.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/sysclip.rs
@@ -124,6 +124,11 @@ impl VectorcraftApp {
     /// ([`Self::write_formats_before_text_input`]). Once they are written, the status bar shows
     /// the first of the PNG's and PDF's warnings.
     pub(crate) fn publish_clipboard(&mut self) {
+        // Ruler guides copied alone stay in VectorCraft: the system clipboard keeps what other
+        // apps put there (#3226).
+        if !self.session.clipboard.has_art() {
+            return;
+        }
         if self.services.system_clipboard.is_none() {
             if self.session.prefs.copy_as_svg {
                 self.clipboard_out = self.session.clipboard_svg();