diff --git a/src/components/CaseStudyDrawer.module.css b/src/components/CaseStudyDrawer.module.css
index ff371c1..ea6117e 100644
--- a/src/components/CaseStudyDrawer.module.css
+++ b/src/components/CaseStudyDrawer.module.css
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@
   display: block;
   width: 100%;
   height: 100%;
-  object-fit: cover;
+  object-fit: contain;
 }
 
 .viewerDialog {
diff --git a/src/components/CaseStudyGallery.tsx b/src/components/CaseStudyGallery.tsx
index 8905162..8c74dee 100644
--- a/src/components/CaseStudyGallery.tsx
+++ b/src/components/CaseStudyGallery.tsx
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ export function CaseStudyGallery({
   const closeRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>(null);
   const stageRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>(null);
   const thumbnailRefs = useRef<Array<HTMLButtonElement | null>>([]);
+  const viewerThumbnailRefs = useRef<Array<HTMLButtonElement | null>>([]);
   const swipeStart = useRef<{ pointerId: number; x: number; y: number } | null>(null);
+  const suppressCanvasClick = useRef(false);
   const selected = items[selectedIndex];
 
   const selectImage = useCallback((index: number) => {
@@ -44,6 +46,11 @@ export function CaseStudyGallery({
       block: 'nearest',
       inline: 'nearest',
     });
+    viewerThumbnailRefs.current[normalizedIndex]?.scrollIntoView({
+      behavior: window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches ? 'auto' : 'smooth',
+      block: 'nearest',
+      inline: 'nearest',
+    });
   }, [items.length]);
 
   const showPrevious = useCallback(() => selectImage(selectedIndex - 1), [selectImage, selectedIndex]);
@@ -108,6 +115,10 @@ export function CaseStudyGallery({
     swipeStart.current = null;
     const deltaX = event.clientX - start.x;
     const deltaY = event.clientY - start.y;
+    if (Math.abs(deltaX) > 8 || Math.abs(deltaY) > 8) {
+      suppressCanvasClick.current = true;
+      window.setTimeout(() => { suppressCanvasClick.current = false; }, 0);
+    }
     if (Math.abs(deltaX) < 48 || Math.abs(deltaX) <= Math.abs(deltaY)) return;
 
     const advance = isRtl ? deltaX > 0 : deltaX < 0;
@@ -143,6 +154,7 @@ export function CaseStudyGallery({
             sizes="(max-width: 650px) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 1100px) calc(100vw - 4rem), 68rem"
             className={styles.galleryStageImage}
             unoptimized
+            loading="eager"
             onLoad={preloadAdjacentImages}
           />
           <span className={styles.expandBadge} aria-hidden="true"><Expand size={18} /></span>
@@ -227,6 +239,10 @@ export function CaseStudyGallery({
             onPointerDown={handleSwipeStart}
             onPointerUp={handleSwipeEnd}
             onPointerCancel={() => { swipeStart.current = null; }}
+            onClick={(event) => {
+              if (suppressCanvasClick.current) return;
+              if (event.target === event.currentTarget) closeViewer();
+            }}
           >
             <Image
               key={`viewer-${selected.image.src}`}
@@ -255,6 +271,7 @@ export function CaseStudyGallery({
               {items.map((item, index) => (
                 <button
                   key={`viewer-thumbnail-${item.image.src}`}
+                  ref={(node) => { viewerThumbnailRefs.current[index] = node; }}
                   type="button"
                   className={styles.viewerThumbnail}
                   data-selected={index === selectedIndex}