diff --git a/frontend/src/canvas/image-drop.ts b/frontend/src/canvas/image-drop.ts
index 09f6bc9..8e42176 100644
--- a/frontend/src/canvas/image-drop.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/canvas/image-drop.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Graphics } from 'pixi.js';
+import { Graphics, Text, TextStyle, Ticker } from 'pixi.js';
 import type { Viewport } from 'pixi-viewport';
 import type { SceneManager } from './SceneManager';
 import type { SelectionManager } from './SelectionManager';
@@ -22,10 +22,11 @@ const ALLOWED_MIME_TYPES = new Set([
   'video/mp4',
   'video/webm',
   'video/quicktime',
+  'application/pdf',
 ]);
 
 /** Fallback: accepted file extensions (for when browser reports empty/wrong MIME). */
-const ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS = /\.(png|jpe?g|gif|webp|svg|mp4|webm|mov)$/i;
+const ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS = /\.(png|jpe?g|gif|webp|svg|mp4|webm|mov|pdf)$/i;
 
 /** Check if a file should be accepted (MIME or extension fallback). */
 function isFileAllowed(file: File): boolean {
@@ -63,17 +64,37 @@ function extFromMime(mime: string): string {
 function createPlaceholder(viewport: Viewport, x: number, y: number): Graphics {
   const g = new Graphics();
   g.rect(0, 0, 200, 150);
-  g.fill({ color: 0x3d3d3d });
+  g.fill({ color: 0x2a2a2a });
   g.stroke({ width: 2, color: 0x4a9eff });
   g.position.set(x, y);
   g.interactive = false;
+
+  // "Loading..." label
+  const label = new Text({
+    text: 'Loading…',
+    style: new TextStyle({ fontSize: 14, fill: 0xaaaaaa, fontFamily: 'sans-serif' }),
+  });
+  label.anchor.set(0.5);
+  label.position.set(100, 75);
+  g.addChild(label);
+
+  // Pulsing border animation
+  let elapsed = 0;
+  const onTick = (ticker: Ticker) => {
+    elapsed += ticker.deltaMS;
+    g.alpha = 0.6 + 0.4 * Math.sin(elapsed * 0.005);
+  };
+  Ticker.shared.add(onTick);
+  (g as any)._pulseCleanup = () => Ticker.shared.remove(onTick);
+
   viewport.addChild(g);
   return g;
 }
 
 function removePlaceholder(viewport: Viewport, g: Graphics) {
+  (g as any)._pulseCleanup?.();
   viewport.removeChild(g);
-  g.destroy();
+  g.destroy({ children: true });
 }
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
@@ -202,18 +223,9 @@ export function setupDragDrop(
     const world = viewport.toWorld(e.clientX - rect.left, e.clientY - rect.top);
     const GAP = 20;
 
-    // Count valid media files to determine grid columns
-    let mediaCount = 0;
-    for (let i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
-      if (isFileAllowed(files[i])) mediaCount++;
-    }
-    const cols = Math.ceil(Math.sqrt(mediaCount)); // square-ish grid
-    let col = 0;
-    let row = 0;
-    let rowMaxH = 0;
-    let cursorY = world.y;
-    const colWidths: number[] = new Array(cols).fill(0); // track widest per column
-    const newItemIds: string[] = [];
+    // ── Pass 1: validate files, create all jobs upfront so queue is visible ──
+    interface QueuedFile { file: File; jobId: string | undefined; }
+    const queued: QueuedFile[] = [];
 
     for (let i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
       const file = files[i];
@@ -222,29 +234,32 @@ export function setupDragDrop(
       if (!isFileAllowed(file)) {
         if (isUnsupportedMedia(file)) {
           const ext = file.name?.match(/\.(\w+)$/)?.[1] || file.type.split('/')[1] || 'unknown';
-          uploads?.addRejected(
-            file.name || 'unknown',
-            `Unsupported format: .${ext}`,
-          );
+          uploads?.addRejected(file.name || 'unknown', `Unsupported format: .${ext}`);
         }
         continue;
       }
 
-      // Compute x from column widths so far
-      let cursorX = world.x;
-      for (let c = 0; c < col; c++) cursorX += (colWidths[c] || 220) + GAP;
-
       // Client-side size validation
       if (file.size > MAX_FILE_SIZE) {
         const jobId = uploads?.addJob(file, boardId);
         if (jobId) uploads?.setFailed(jobId, `File too large (${(file.size / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(0)}MB, max ${MAX_FILE_SIZE_MB}MB)`);
-        col++;
-        if (col >= cols) { col = 0; row++; cursorY += rowMaxH + GAP; rowMaxH = 0; }
         continue;
       }
 
       const jobId = uploads?.addJob(file, boardId);
+      queued.push({ file, jobId });
+    }
 
+    // ── Pass 2: upload sequentially, placing in grid ──
+    const cols = Math.ceil(Math.sqrt(queued.length)) || 1;
+    let col = 0;
+    let row = 0;
+    let rowMaxH = 0;
+    let cursorY = world.y;
+    const colWidths: number[] = new Array(cols).fill(0);
+    const newItemIds: string[] = [];
+
+    for (const { file, jobId } of queued) {
       // Check if job was cancelled while queued (user clicked cancel)
       if (jobId && uploads?.isCancelled(jobId)) {
         col++;
@@ -252,6 +267,10 @@ export function setupDragDrop(
         continue;
       }
 
+      // Compute x from column widths so far
+      let cursorX = world.x;
+      for (let c = 0; c < col; c++) cursorX += (colWidths[c] || 220) + GAP;
+
       const placeholder = createPlaceholder(viewport, cursorX, cursorY);
       if (jobId) uploads?.startUpload(jobId);
 
@@ -264,7 +283,6 @@ export function setupDragDrop(
         newItemIds.push(id);
         if (placedW > (colWidths[col] || 0)) colWidths[col] = placedW;
         if (placedH > rowMaxH) rowMaxH = placedH;
-        // Link upload job to DB image for processing tracking
         const imgData = res.data.image || res.data;
         if (jobId) uploads?.uploadComplete(jobId, imgData.id);
       } catch (err: any) {
@@ -330,6 +348,16 @@ export function setupPaste(
     onShortTextPaste?: (text: string) => void;
   },
 ): () => void {
+  // Track last known cursor position in world coordinates for paste-at-cursor
+  let lastWorldX: number | null = null;
+  let lastWorldY: number | null = null;
+  const onPointerMove = (e: any) => {
+    const world = viewport.toWorld(e.global.x, e.global.y);
+    lastWorldX = world.x;
+    lastWorldY = world.y;
+  };
+  viewport.on('pointermove', onPointerMove);
+
   async function onPaste(e: ClipboardEvent) {
     // If focus is inside a contentEditable (e.g. BlockNote editor), let native paste through
     const active = document.activeElement;
@@ -398,10 +426,9 @@ export function setupPaste(
         continue;
       }
 
-      // Place at viewport center (world coords)
-      const center = viewport.center;
-      const cx = center.x;
-      const cy = center.y;
+      // Place at cursor position if known, otherwise fall back to viewport center
+      const cx = lastWorldX ?? viewport.center.x;
+      const cy = lastWorldY ?? viewport.center.y;
 
       const placeholder = createPlaceholder(viewport, cx - 100, cy - 75);
       const jobId = uploads?.addJob(file, boardId);
@@ -434,5 +461,6 @@ export function setupPaste(
   document.addEventListener('paste', onPaste);
   return () => {
     document.removeEventListener('paste', onPaste);
+    viewport.off('pointermove', onPointerMove);
   };
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/stores/uploadManager.ts b/frontend/src/stores/uploadManager.ts
index 97c4fec..4a0dcf2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/stores/uploadManager.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/stores/uploadManager.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ export interface UploadJob {
   id: string;
   fileName: string;
   fileSize: number;
-  mediaType: 'image' | 'video';
+  mediaType: 'image' | 'video' | 'pdf';
   status: UploadStatus;
   progress: number; // 0-1 for upload phase
   error?: string;
@@ -35,12 +35,13 @@ export class UploadManager {
   /** Create a new upload job from a local file. Returns the job ID. */
   addJob(file: File, boardId: string): string {
     const id = crypto.randomUUID();
-    const isVideo = file.type.startsWith('video/');
+    const isPdf = file.type === 'application/pdf';
+    const isVideo = !isPdf && file.type.startsWith('video/');
     this.jobs.set(id, {
       id,
-      fileName: file.name || (isVideo ? 'video' : 'image'),
+      fileName: file.name || (isPdf ? 'document' : isVideo ? 'video' : 'image'),
       fileSize: file.size,
-      mediaType: isVideo ? 'video' : 'image',
+      mediaType: isPdf ? 'pdf' : isVideo ? 'video' : 'image',
       status: 'queued',
       progress: 0,
       file,
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ export class UploadManager {
   }
 
   /** Create a job for a URL-based import (no File object, unknown size). */
-  addUrlJob(fileName: string, mediaType: 'image' | 'video'): string {
+  addUrlJob(fileName: string, mediaType: 'image' | 'video' | 'pdf'): string {
     const id = crypto.randomUUID();
     this.jobs.set(id, {
       id,