diff --git a/frontend/src/skeuomorphic_ws.jsx b/frontend/src/skeuomorphic_ws.jsx
index 2094430..654bf50 100644
--- a/frontend/src/skeuomorphic_ws.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/skeuomorphic_ws.jsx
@@ -44,6 +44,127 @@ const resolveTagKey = (tag) => {
   return key != null ? String(key) : null;
 };
 
+const generateInitialLayout = (
+  entries,
+  {
+    canvasWidth,
+    canvasHeight,
+    padding,
+    startZ = 0,
+    rotationRange = ROTATION_RANGE,
+    minSpacing = 48,
+    shelfWidth = 0,
+  },
+) => {
+  const layout = new Map();
+  let currentZ = startZ;
+  let maxZ = startZ;
+
+  if (!entries.length) {
+    return { layout, maxZ };
+  }
+
+  const shelfOffset = Math.max(shelfWidth, 0);
+  const usableWidth = Math.max(canvasWidth - shelfOffset - padding * 2, 1);
+  const usableHeight = Math.max(canvasHeight - padding * 2, 1);
+
+  const spacingBuffer = Math.max(minSpacing, 0);
+  const placed = [];
+
+  const resolveBounds = (width, height) => {
+    const halfWidth = width / 2;
+    const halfHeight = height / 2;
+    return {
+      minCenterX: padding + halfWidth,
+      maxCenterX: Math.max(
+        padding + halfWidth,
+        canvasWidth - shelfOffset - padding - halfWidth,
+      ),
+      minCenterY: padding + halfHeight,
+      maxCenterY: Math.max(padding + halfHeight, canvasHeight - padding - halfHeight),
+    };
+  };
+
+  const evaluateCandidateSpacing = (x, y, radius) => {
+    if (!placed.length) {
+      return Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
+    }
+    let best = Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
+    for (let i = 0; i < placed.length; i += 1) {
+      const item = placed[i];
+      const dx = item.x - x;
+      const dy = item.y - y;
+      const distance = Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy) - item.radius - radius - spacingBuffer;
+      if (distance < best) {
+        best = distance;
+      }
+    }
+    return best;
+  };
+
+  entries.forEach((entry, index) => {
+    const width = Number(entry.width) || 0;
+    const height = Number(entry.height) || 0;
+    if (!entry.id || width <= 0 || height <= 0) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const { minCenterX, maxCenterX, minCenterY, maxCenterY } = resolveBounds(width, height);
+
+    const radius = Math.sqrt(width * width + height * height) / 2;
+
+    let bestScore = -Infinity;
+    let bestX = (minCenterX + maxCenterX) / 2;
+    let bestY = (minCenterY + maxCenterY) / 2;
+    const samplesPerAxis = 14;
+    for (let gx = 0; gx < samplesPerAxis; gx += 1) {
+      const fracX = (gx + 0.5) / samplesPerAxis;
+      for (let gy = 0; gy < samplesPerAxis; gy += 1) {
+        const fracY = (gy + 0.5) / samplesPerAxis;
+        const candidateX = minCenterX + fracX * (maxCenterX - minCenterX);
+        const candidateY = minCenterY + fracY * (maxCenterY - minCenterY);
+        const edgeSpacing = Math.min(
+          candidateX - minCenterX,
+          maxCenterX - candidateX,
+          candidateY - minCenterY,
+          maxCenterY - candidateY,
+        ) - spacingBuffer * 0.5;
+        if (edgeSpacing <= 0) {
+          continue;
+        }
+        const neighborSpacing = evaluateCandidateSpacing(candidateX, candidateY, radius);
+        const score = Math.min(edgeSpacing, neighborSpacing);
+        if (score > bestScore) {
+          bestScore = score;
+          bestX = candidateX;
+          bestY = candidateY;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    const centerX = clamp(bestX, minCenterX, maxCenterX);
+    const centerY = clamp(bestY, minCenterY, maxCenterY);
+
+    const rotation = randomRangeFromSeed(
+      buildKey(entry.id, 'rotation'),
+      -rotationRange,
+      rotationRange,
+    );
+
+    currentZ += 1;
+    layout.set(entry.id, {
+      centerX,
+      centerY,
+      rotation,
+      z: currentZ,
+    });
+    maxZ = Math.max(maxZ, currentZ);
+
+    placed.push({ x: centerX, y: centerY, radius });
+  });
+
+  return { layout, maxZ };
+};
+
 const createDragPreview = (node, clientX, clientY) => {
   if (!(node instanceof HTMLElement)) {
     return null;
@@ -323,6 +444,7 @@ const SkeuomorphicWorkspace = ({
 
 
   const containerRef = useRef(null);
+  const tagShelfRef = useRef(null);
   const layoutRef = useRef(new Map());
   const itemRefs = useRef(new Map());
   const zCounterRef = useRef(10);
@@ -330,6 +452,7 @@ const SkeuomorphicWorkspace = ({
   const [layoutSnapshot, setLayoutSnapshot] = useState(() => new Map());
 
   const [canvasSize, setCanvasSize] = useState({ width: 0, height: 0 });
+  const [tagShelfWidth, setTagShelfWidth] = useState(0);
   const [draggingId, setDraggingId] = useState(null);
   const [zoomedId, setZoomedId] = useState(null);
   const [tagDropTargetId, setTagDropTargetId] = useState(null);
@@ -697,6 +820,30 @@ const SkeuomorphicWorkspace = ({
     [resolvePreviewDimensions],
   );
 
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    const shelfNode = tagShelfRef.current;
+    if (!shelfNode || !availableTags.length) {
+      setTagShelfWidth(0);
+      return () => {};
+    }
+
+    const measure = () => {
+      const rect = shelfNode.getBoundingClientRect();
+      setTagShelfWidth(Math.ceil(rect.width));
+    };
+
+    measure();
+
+    if (typeof ResizeObserver === 'undefined') {
+      window.addEventListener('resize', measure);
+      return () => window.removeEventListener('resize', measure);
+    }
+
+    const observer = new ResizeObserver(() => measure());
+    observer.observe(shelfNode);
+    return () => observer.disconnect();
+  }, [availableTags.length]);
+
   const syncLayoutSnapshot = useCallback(() => {
     setLayoutSnapshot(new Map(layoutRef.current));
   }, []);
@@ -705,6 +852,10 @@ const SkeuomorphicWorkspace = ({
     const container = containerRef.current;
     if (!container) return () => {};
 
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+      console.log('[skeuo] canvas element', container);
+    }
+
     const commitSize = () => {
       const rect = container.getBoundingClientRect();
       const width = Math.floor(rect.width) || 0;
@@ -733,63 +884,94 @@ const SkeuomorphicWorkspace = ({
     observer.observe(container);
     return () => observer.disconnect();
   }, []);
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (!items.length) {
-      layoutRef.current = new Map();
-      syncLayoutSnapshot();
-      return;
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    const container = containerRef.current;
+    if (!container || !canvasSize.width || !canvasSize.height) {
+      return () => {};
     }
 
-    const previous = layoutRef.current;
-    const next = new Map();
-    let maxZ = zCounterRef.current;
-    const canvasWidth = canvasSize.width || DEFAULT_CANVAS_WIDTH;
-    const canvasHeight = canvasSize.height || DEFAULT_CANVAS_HEIGHT;
-
-    items.forEach((doc) => {
-      const { width: docWidth, height: docHeight } = ensureDocumentSize(doc);
-      const halfWidth = docWidth / 2;
-      const halfHeight = docHeight / 2;
-
-      const minCenterX = CANVAS_PADDING + halfWidth;
-      const maxCenterX = Math.max(minCenterX, canvasWidth - CANVAS_PADDING - halfWidth);
-      const minCenterY = CANVAS_PADDING + halfHeight;
-      const maxCenterY = Math.max(minCenterY, canvasHeight - CANVAS_PADDING - halfHeight);
-
-      const existing = previous.get(doc.id);
-      if (existing) {
-        const defaultCenterX = (minCenterX + maxCenterX) / 2;
-        const defaultCenterY = (minCenterY + maxCenterY) / 2;
-        const prevCenterX =
-          typeof existing.centerX === 'number' ? existing.centerX : defaultCenterX;
-        const prevCenterY =
-          typeof existing.centerY === 'number' ? existing.centerY : defaultCenterY;
-        const centerX = clamp(prevCenterX, minCenterX, maxCenterX);
-        const centerY = clamp(prevCenterY, minCenterY, maxCenterY);
-        const rotation = existing.rotation ?? 0;
-        const z = existing.z ?? maxZ;
-        maxZ = Math.max(maxZ, z);
-        next.set(doc.id, { centerX, centerY, rotation, z });
+    const rafId = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      if (!items.length) {
+        layoutRef.current = new Map();
+        syncLayoutSnapshot();
         return;
       }
 
-      const seedX = seededRandom(`${resolveSizeKey(doc)}:centerX`);
-      const seedY = seededRandom(`${resolveSizeKey(doc)}:centerY`);
-      const rangeX = Math.max(maxCenterX - minCenterX, 0);
-      const rangeY = Math.max(maxCenterY - minCenterY, 0);
-      const centerX =
-        rangeX > 0 ? minCenterX + seedX * rangeX : (minCenterX + maxCenterX) / 2;
-      const centerY =
-        rangeY > 0 ? minCenterY + seedY * rangeY : (minCenterY + maxCenterY) / 2;
-      const rotation = randomRangeFromSeed(buildKey(doc.id, 'rotation'), -ROTATION_RANGE, ROTATION_RANGE);
-      maxZ += 1;
-      next.set(doc.id, { centerX, centerY, rotation, z: maxZ });
+      const previous = layoutRef.current;
+      const next = new Map();
+      let maxZ = zCounterRef.current;
+      const canvasWidth = canvasSize.width || DEFAULT_CANVAS_WIDTH;
+      const canvasHeight = canvasSize.height || DEFAULT_CANVAS_HEIGHT;
+      const docsNeedingLayout = [];
+
+      items.forEach((doc) => {
+        const { width: docWidth, height: docHeight } = ensureDocumentSize(doc);
+        const halfWidth = docWidth / 2;
+        const halfHeight = docHeight / 2;
+
+        const minCenterX = CANVAS_PADDING + halfWidth;
+        const maxCenterX = Math.max(minCenterX, canvasWidth - CANVAS_PADDING - halfWidth);
+        const minCenterY = CANVAS_PADDING + halfHeight;
+        const maxCenterY = Math.max(minCenterY, canvasHeight - CANVAS_PADDING - halfHeight);
+
+        const existing = previous.get(doc.id);
+        if (existing) {
+          const defaultCenterX = (minCenterX + maxCenterX) / 2;
+          const defaultCenterY = (minCenterY + maxCenterY) / 2;
+          const prevCenterX =
+            typeof existing.centerX === 'number' ? existing.centerX : defaultCenterX;
+          const prevCenterY =
+            typeof existing.centerY === 'number' ? existing.centerY : defaultCenterY;
+          const centerX = clamp(prevCenterX, minCenterX, maxCenterX);
+          const centerY = clamp(prevCenterY, minCenterY, maxCenterY);
+          const rotation = existing.rotation ?? 0;
+          const z = existing.z ?? maxZ;
+          maxZ = Math.max(maxZ, z);
+          next.set(doc.id, { centerX, centerY, rotation, z });
+          return;
+        }
+
+        docsNeedingLayout.push({
+          id: doc.id,
+          width: docWidth,
+          height: docHeight,
+          seedKey: resolveSizeKey(doc),
+        });
+      });
+
+      if (docsNeedingLayout.length) {
+        const { layout: generatedLayout, maxZ: updatedMaxZ } = generateInitialLayout(
+          docsNeedingLayout,
+          {
+            canvasWidth,
+            canvasHeight,
+            padding: CANVAS_PADDING,
+            startZ: maxZ,
+            rotationRange: ROTATION_RANGE,
+            minSpacing: 48,
+            shelfWidth: tagShelfWidth > 0 ? tagShelfWidth + CANVAS_PADDING : 0,
+          },
+        );
+        generatedLayout.forEach((entry, docId) => {
+          next.set(docId, entry);
+        });
+        maxZ = Math.max(maxZ, updatedMaxZ);
+      }
+
+      layoutRef.current = next;
+      zCounterRef.current = Math.max(zCounterRef.current, maxZ);
+      syncLayoutSnapshot();
     });
 
-    layoutRef.current = next;
-    zCounterRef.current = Math.max(zCounterRef.current, maxZ);
-    syncLayoutSnapshot();
-  }, [items, canvasSize.width, canvasSize.height, ensureDocumentSize, syncLayoutSnapshot]);
+    return () => cancelAnimationFrame(rafId);
+  }, [
+    items,
+    canvasSize.width,
+    canvasSize.height,
+    ensureDocumentSize,
+    syncLayoutSnapshot,
+    tagShelfWidth,
+  ]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (draggingId && !items.some((doc) => doc.id === draggingId)) {
@@ -1492,7 +1674,11 @@ const SkeuomorphicWorkspace = ({
           })
         )}
         {(availableTags.length > 0 || onCreateTag) && (
-          <div className="skeuo-tag-shelf" aria-label="Available tags">
+          <div
+            className="skeuo-tag-shelf"
+            aria-label="Available tags"
+            ref={tagShelfRef}
+          >
             {availableTags.map((tag) => {
               const colorValue = normalizeColor(tag.color);
               const foreground = getContrastingTextColor(colorValue || '#1b1f24');