diff --git a/apple/aesel/MacInfo.plist b/apple/aesel/MacInfo.plist
index d9851c0f7d..6ad6f9d3c5 100644
--- a/apple/aesel/MacInfo.plist
+++ b/apple/aesel/MacInfo.plist
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   <key>CFBundleDisplayName</key><string>Aesel</string>
   <key>CFBundlePackageType</key><string>APPL</string>
   <key>CFBundleShortVersionString</key><string>0.7.5</string>
-  <key>CFBundleVersion</key><string>2</string>
+  <key>CFBundleVersion</key><string>3</string>
   <key>LSMinimumSystemVersion</key><string>$(MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET)</string>
   <key>LSApplicationCategoryType</key><string>public.app-category.graphics-design</string>
   <key>NSHighResolutionCapable</key><true/>
diff --git a/apple/aesel/Sources/AeselButtonStyle.swift b/apple/aesel/Sources/AeselButtonStyle.swift
index ca28902cc1..f7fa40395a 100644
--- a/apple/aesel/Sources/AeselButtonStyle.swift
+++ b/apple/aesel/Sources/AeselButtonStyle.swift
@@ -50,6 +50,23 @@ private struct AeselCursorRegion: NSViewRepresentable {
     let enabled: Bool
     final class CursorView: NSView {
         var enabled = true
+        private var pointerTracking: NSTrackingArea?
+        override func updateTrackingAreas() {
+            super.updateTrackingAreas()
+            if let pointerTracking { removeTrackingArea(pointerTracking) }
+            let area = NSTrackingArea(rect: .zero,
+                options: [.cursorUpdate, .mouseEnteredAndExited, .activeAlways, .inVisibleRect],
+                owner: self, userInfo: nil)
+            addTrackingArea(area)
+            pointerTracking = area
+        }
+        override func cursorUpdate(with event: NSEvent) {
+            if enabled { NSCursor.pointingHand.set() }
+        }
+        override func mouseEntered(with event: NSEvent) {
+            if enabled { NSCursor.pointingHand.set() }
+        }
+        override func mouseExited(with event: NSEvent) { NSCursor.arrow.set() }
         override func hitTest(_ point: NSPoint) -> NSView? { nil }
         override func resetCursorRects() {
             if enabled { addCursorRect(visibleRect, cursor: .pointingHand) }
diff --git a/apple/aesel/Sources/ContentView.swift b/apple/aesel/Sources/ContentView.swift
index f7e23f061e..1273039089 100644
--- a/apple/aesel/Sources/ContentView.swift
+++ b/apple/aesel/Sources/ContentView.swift
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ struct ContentView: View {
     /// The piece version opens settings from the fixed title strip.
     private var versionLabel: some View {
         Button { openSettings() } label: {
-            AeselTitle(text: "v\(session.currentRevision)", size: compact ? 11 : 13, horizontalInset: 0, hoverAnchor: .trailing,
+            AeselTitle(text: "v\(session.currentRevision)", size: compact ? 12 : 16, horizontalInset: 0, hoverAnchor: .trailing,
                        hoverSound: { AeselHoverSound.play(project: session.route, revision: session.currentRevision, control: "version") })
         }
         .buttonStyle(AeselButtonStyle())
diff --git a/easel/desktop/frame-capture.cjs b/easel/desktop/frame-capture.cjs
index 870e5b7e96..6e4f9e307c 100644
--- a/easel/desktop/frame-capture.cjs
+++ b/easel/desktop/frame-capture.cjs
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ function startFrameCapture({workspace,root,context,guest}){
     let result;try{
      if(!matchesPreview(view,current.channel))throw new Error('Preview URL does not match the current piece channel; capture unavailable, do not repeatedly retry');
      const capture=await Promise.race([view.executeJavaScript((await script).CAPTURE_SCRIPT),new Promise((_,reject)=>setTimeout(()=>reject(new Error('Canvas capture timed out')),3000))]);
+     if(capture?.pending)continue;
+     if(capture?.error)throw new Error(capture.error);
      if(context()?.revision!==current.revision||context()?.channel!==current.channel)throw new Error('Piece changed during capture');
      result={...capture,id:request.id,channel:current.channel,revision:current.revision,capturedAt:new Date().toISOString()};
     }catch(error){result={id:request.id,error:error.message};}
diff --git a/easel/src/frame-capture-script.mjs b/easel/src/frame-capture-script.mjs
index 17080fb3b0..81cfe89d84 100644
--- a/easel/src/frame-capture-script.mjs
+++ b/easel/src/frame-capture-script.mjs
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 // Reads AC's software canvas or preserved WebGL composite, never app/desktop chrome.
 export const CAPTURE_SCRIPT = `(()=>{
+ try {
  const root=document.getElementById('aesthetic-computer');
- if(!root)throw new Error('AC display is not ready');
+ if(!root)return {pending:true,url:location.href};
  const visible=c=>c&&getComputedStyle(c).display!=='none';
  if(visible(root.querySelector('canvas[data-type="webgpu"]')))throw new Error('WebGPU capture is not supported by this canvas reader');
  const composite=root.querySelector('canvas[data-type="webgl-composite"]');
  const gpu=visible(composite)?composite:null;
  const canvas=gpu||[...root.children].find(c=>c.tagName==='CANVAS'&&!c.dataset.type);
- if(!canvas)throw new Error('AC software canvas is unavailable');
+ if(!canvas||!canvas.width||!canvas.height)return {pending:true,url:location.href};
  const width=canvas.width,height=canvas.height;
  if(!width||!height||width>2048||height>2048||width*height>1048576)throw new Error('Canvas exceeds capture limit (1 megapixel)');
  let surface=canvas;
@@ -16,4 +17,5 @@ export const CAPTURE_SCRIPT = `(()=>{
  const data=ctx.getImageData(0,0,width,height).data;
  let raw='';for(let at=0;at<data.length;at+=8192)raw+=String.fromCharCode(...data.subarray(at,at+8192));
  return {width,height,rgba:btoa(raw),png:surface.toDataURL('image/png').split(',')[1],source:gpu?'webgl-composite':'software-canvas',renderedRevisionVerified:false,url:location.href};
+ }catch(error){return {error:String(error.message||error),url:location.href};}
 })()`;
diff --git a/easel/test/frame-readiness.test.mjs b/easel/test/frame-readiness.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..223b21c7df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/easel/test/frame-readiness.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import vm from 'node:vm';
+import {CAPTURE_SCRIPT} from '../src/frame-capture-script.mjs';
+
+test('capture stays pending through startup and captures once the canvas appears',()=>{
+  let root=null;
+  const context={document:{getElementById:()=>root},location:{href:'https://aesthetic.computer/@jeffrey/test'},getComputedStyle:()=>({display:'block'}),btoa:s=>Buffer.from(s,'binary').toString('base64')};
+  assert.equal(vm.runInNewContext(CAPTURE_SCRIPT,context).pending,true);
+  root={children:[],querySelector:()=>null};
+  assert.equal(vm.runInNewContext(CAPTURE_SCRIPT,context).pending,true);
+  root.children.push({tagName:'CANVAS',dataset:{},width:1,height:1,getContext:()=>({getImageData:()=>({data:new Uint8Array([255,0,0,255])})}),toDataURL:()=> 'data:image/png;base64,test'});
+  const captured=vm.runInNewContext(CAPTURE_SCRIPT,context);
+  assert.equal(captured.width,1);
+  assert.equal(captured.source,'software-canvas');
+  assert.equal(captured.pending,undefined);
+});
+test('capture failures return to the requester without throwing into the preview page',()=>{
+  const result=vm.runInNewContext(CAPTURE_SCRIPT,{document:{getElementById(){throw new Error('Unreadable canvas')}},location:{href:'https://aesthetic.computer/@jeffrey/test'}});
+  assert.equal(result.error,'Unreadable canvas');
+});
diff --git a/slab/menubar-swift/Sources/SlabMenubar/PromptPreview.swift b/slab/menubar-swift/Sources/SlabMenubar/PromptPreview.swift
index 036e4b0033..a063aa923f 100644
--- a/slab/menubar-swift/Sources/SlabMenubar/PromptPreview.swift
+++ b/slab/menubar-swift/Sources/SlabMenubar/PromptPreview.swift
@@ -732,14 +732,15 @@ final class PromptPreview {
     // Mirrors easel/src/frame-capture-script.mjs; no request-supplied JavaScript.
     private static let frameCaptureExpression = #"""
 (()=>{
+ try {
  const root=document.getElementById('aesthetic-computer');
- if(!root)throw new Error('AC display is not ready');
+ if(!root)return {pending:true,url:location.href};
  const visible=c=>c&&getComputedStyle(c).display!=='none';
  if(visible(root.querySelector('canvas[data-type="webgpu"]')))throw new Error('WebGPU capture is not supported by this canvas reader');
  const composite=root.querySelector('canvas[data-type="webgl-composite"]');
  const gpu=visible(composite)?composite:null;
  const canvas=gpu||[...root.children].find(c=>c.tagName==='CANVAS'&&!c.dataset.type);
- if(!canvas)throw new Error('AC software canvas is unavailable');
+ if(!canvas||!canvas.width||!canvas.height)return {pending:true,url:location.href};
  const width=canvas.width,height=canvas.height;
  if(!width||!height||width>2048||height>2048||width*height>1048576)throw new Error('Canvas exceeds capture limit (1 megapixel)');
  let surface=canvas;
@@ -748,6 +749,7 @@ final class PromptPreview {
  const data=ctx.getImageData(0,0,width,height).data;
  let raw='';for(let at=0;at<data.length;at+=8192)raw+=String.fromCharCode(...data.subarray(at,at+8192));
  return {width,height,rgba:btoa(raw),png:surface.toDataURL('image/png').split(',')[1],source:gpu?'webgl-composite':'software-canvas',renderedRevisionVerified:false,url:location.href};
+ }catch(error){return {error:String(error.message||error),url:location.href};}
 })()
 """#
 
@@ -812,6 +814,7 @@ final class PromptPreview {
                     fail(String((detail ?? "Canvas capture failed.").prefix(500))); return
                 }
                 guard let result = value as? [String: Any] else { fail("Canvas capture failed."); return }
+                if result["pending"] as? Bool == true { return }
                 guard Self.frameURLMatches(self.webView.url, channel: channel),
                       let capturedURL = result["url"] as? String,
                       Self.frameURLMatches(URL(string: capturedURL), channel: channel) else {