diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e20d3fe..c9dfb47 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "animatr",
   "private": true,
-  "version": "0.5.1",
+  "version": "0.5.2",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "vite",
diff --git a/src/App.vue b/src/App.vue
index feba5e2..ae6fec9 100644
--- a/src/App.vue
+++ b/src/App.vue
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ import {
   setLastOpenedId,
   type StoredProject,
 } from './lib/projectStore'
+import { importImageFile } from './lib/fileLoader'
+import { useClipartStore } from './stores/clipart'
 import { useSceneStore } from './stores/scene'
 
 const settingsOpen = ref(false)
@@ -131,6 +133,7 @@ const currentProjectName = ref<string | null>(null)
 
 usePlaybackLoop()
 const store = useSceneStore()
+const clipart = useClipartStore()
 const history = useHistory()
 
 function rewind() {
@@ -278,15 +281,50 @@ function onKeyDown(e: KeyboardEvent) {
   store.togglePlay()
 }
 
+function isTextInputTarget(target: EventTarget | null): boolean {
+  if (!(target instanceof HTMLElement)) return false
+  if (target.isContentEditable) return true
+  const tag = target.tagName
+  if (tag === 'INPUT') {
+    const t = (target as HTMLInputElement).type
+    // Only block typed text inputs — color / range / checkbox shouldn't swallow paste
+    return ['text', 'search', 'email', 'number', 'tel', 'url', 'password'].includes(t)
+  }
+  if (tag === 'TEXTAREA') return true
+  return false
+}
+
+async function onPaste(e: ClipboardEvent) {
+  if (isTextInputTarget(e.target)) return
+  const data = e.clipboardData
+  if (!data) return
+  const items = Array.from(data.items)
+  const imageItems = items.filter((it) => it.kind === 'file' && it.type.startsWith('image/'))
+  if (imageItems.length === 0) return
+  e.preventDefault()
+  for (const it of imageItems) {
+    const file = it.getAsFile()
+    if (!file) continue
+    try {
+      await importImageFile(store, file)
+    } catch {
+      /* ignore invalid paste payloads */
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 onMounted(() => {
   document.addEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown)
   document.addEventListener('contextmenu', onDocumentContextMenu)
+  document.addEventListener('paste', onPaste)
   window.addEventListener('resize', onWindowResize)
+  void clipart.initialize()
   bootWelcome()
 })
 onBeforeUnmount(() => {
   document.removeEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown)
   document.removeEventListener('contextmenu', onDocumentContextMenu)
+  document.removeEventListener('paste', onPaste)
   window.removeEventListener('resize', onWindowResize)
 })
 </script>
diff --git a/src/components/AssetSidebar.vue b/src/components/AssetSidebar.vue
index 0cd102d..3749bf7 100644
--- a/src/components/AssetSidebar.vue
+++ b/src/components/AssetSidebar.vue
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import {
   PhUploadSimple,
 } from '@phosphor-icons/vue'
 import { useSceneStore } from '@/stores/scene'
-import { isSvgFile, loadImage, parseSvgDimensions, readAsDataUrl } from '@/lib/fileLoader'
+import { importImageFile } from '@/lib/fileLoader'
 import type { Asset } from '@/types/scene'
 import { confirmDialog, promptDialog } from '@/components/ui'
 import { t } from '@/i18n'
@@ -161,34 +161,7 @@ async function handleFileSelected(event: Event) {
 }
 
 async function importFile(file: File) {
-  const dataUrl = await readAsDataUrl(file)
-
-  let width = 0
-  let height = 0
-
-  if (isSvgFile(file)) {
-    const text = await file.text()
-    const dims = parseSvgDimensions(text)
-    if (dims) {
-      width = dims.width
-      height = dims.height
-    }
-  }
-
-  if (!width || !height) {
-    const img = await loadImage(dataUrl)
-    width = img.naturalWidth || 300
-    height = img.naturalHeight || 300
-  }
-
-  const asset = store.addAsset({
-    kind: 'image',
-    name: file.name,
-    src: dataUrl,
-    width,
-    height,
-  })
-  store.addLayer(asset.id)
+  await importImageFile(store, file)
 }
 
 function triggerUpload() {
diff --git a/src/components/CanvasStage.vue b/src/components/CanvasStage.vue
index 4cafcd2..6490841 100644
--- a/src/components/CanvasStage.vue
+++ b/src/components/CanvasStage.vue
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import type Konva from 'konva'
 import { PhCornersIn, PhCrop, PhMaskHappy, PhPencilSimple } from '@phosphor-icons/vue'
 import { useSceneStore } from '@/stores/scene'
 import { sampleLayer } from '@/lib/interpolate'
-import { isSvgFile, loadImage, parseSvgDimensions, readAsDataUrl } from '@/lib/fileLoader'
+import { importImageFile, loadImage } from '@/lib/fileLoader'
 import { useClipartStore } from '@/stores/clipart'
 import { drawSceneFrame, loadSceneImages } from '@/lib/render'
 import type { AnimatableProps, Asset, Layer, Point } from '@/types/scene'
@@ -1834,33 +1834,7 @@ function onContainerDragOver(e: DragEvent) {
 }
 
 async function importClipartAt(file: File, worldX: number, worldY: number) {
-  const dataUrl = await readAsDataUrl(file)
-  let width = 0
-  let height = 0
-  if (isSvgFile(file)) {
-    const text = await file.text()
-    const dims = parseSvgDimensions(text)
-    if (dims) {
-      width = dims.width
-      height = dims.height
-    }
-  }
-  if (!width || !height) {
-    const img = await loadImage(dataUrl)
-    width = img.naturalWidth || 300
-    height = img.naturalHeight || 300
-  }
-  const asset = store.addAsset({
-    kind: 'image',
-    name: file.name,
-    src: dataUrl,
-    width,
-    height,
-  })
-  const layer = store.addLayer(asset.id)
-  if (layer) {
-    store.upsertKeyframe(layer.id, store.playhead, { x: worldX, y: worldY })
-  }
+  await importImageFile(store, file, { position: { x: worldX, y: worldY } })
 }
 
 function onContainerDrop(e: DragEvent) {
diff --git a/src/components/DocumentSettings.vue b/src/components/DocumentSettings.vue
index a4ae85a..ff61167 100644
--- a/src/components/DocumentSettings.vue
+++ b/src/components/DocumentSettings.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { computed, ref } from 'vue'
+import { computed, ref, watch } from 'vue'
 import {
   PhClock,
   PhFolder,
@@ -15,13 +15,23 @@ import type { Theme } from '@/composables/useTheme'
 import { Modal } from '@/components/ui'
 import { t } from '@/i18n'
 
-defineProps<{ modelValue: boolean }>()
+const props = defineProps<{ modelValue: boolean }>()
 const emit = defineEmits<{ 'update:modelValue': [value: boolean] }>()
 
 const store = useSceneStore()
 const clipart = useClipartStore()
 const { theme, setTheme } = useTheme()
 
+// Re-check the stored clipart folder whenever settings opens — covers the
+// case where initial App.vue init raced ahead of IDB or the user opens
+// settings before the drawer ever mounted.
+watch(
+  () => props.modelValue,
+  (open) => {
+    if (open) void clipart.initialize()
+  },
+)
+
 type TabId = 'document' | 'timeline' | 'clipart' | 'theme'
 
 const tabs: { id: TabId; label: string; icon: typeof PhFrameCorners }[] = [
diff --git a/src/lib/fileLoader.ts b/src/lib/fileLoader.ts
index a81c708..09753e9 100644
--- a/src/lib/fileLoader.ts
+++ b/src/lib/fileLoader.ts
@@ -51,3 +51,52 @@ export function parseSvgDimensions(svgText: string): Dimensions | null {
 export function isSvgFile(file: File): boolean {
   return file.type === 'image/svg+xml' || file.name.toLowerCase().endsWith('.svg')
 }
+
+interface ImageImportStore {
+  addAsset: (a: {
+    kind: 'image'
+    name: string
+    src: string
+    width: number
+    height: number
+  }) => { id: string }
+  addLayer: (assetId: string, name?: string) => { id: string } | null
+  upsertKeyframe?: (layerId: string, time: number, props: { x: number; y: number }) => void
+  playhead?: number
+}
+
+export async function importImageFile(
+  store: ImageImportStore,
+  file: File,
+  options?: { position?: { x: number; y: number } },
+): Promise<{ assetId: string; layerId: string } | null> {
+  const dataUrl = await readAsDataUrl(file)
+  let width = 0
+  let height = 0
+  if (isSvgFile(file)) {
+    const text = await file.text()
+    const dims = parseSvgDimensions(text)
+    if (dims) {
+      width = dims.width
+      height = dims.height
+    }
+  }
+  if (!width || !height) {
+    const img = await loadImage(dataUrl)
+    width = img.naturalWidth || 300
+    height = img.naturalHeight || 300
+  }
+  const asset = store.addAsset({
+    kind: 'image',
+    name: file.name || 'image',
+    src: dataUrl,
+    width,
+    height,
+  })
+  const layer = store.addLayer(asset.id)
+  if (!layer) return null
+  if (options?.position && store.upsertKeyframe) {
+    store.upsertKeyframe(layer.id, store.playhead ?? 0, options.position)
+  }
+  return { assetId: asset.id, layerId: layer.id }
+}
diff --git a/src/stores/clipart.ts b/src/stores/clipart.ts
index 557b167..023b8bf 100644
--- a/src/stores/clipart.ts
+++ b/src/stores/clipart.ts
@@ -51,14 +51,27 @@ export const useClipartStore = defineStore('clipart', {
   }),
   actions: {
     async initialize() {
-      if (this.initialized) return
-      this.initialized = true
-      if (!this.supported) return
+      if (!this.supported) {
+        this.initialized = true
+        return
+      }
+      // Safe to call multiple times; a second call will no-op once a handle
+      // has been loaded. If the previous attempt failed silently (e.g. IDB
+      // race on app start), a later call from Settings/drawer can retry.
+      if (this.handle) {
+        this.initialized = true
+        return
+      }
       const handle = await loadStoredClipartFolder()
+      this.initialized = true
       if (!handle) return
       this.handle = handle
       this.folderName = handle.name
-      await this.refresh()
+      try {
+        await this.refresh()
+      } catch {
+        /* permission may require a user gesture; items will populate on next open */
+      }
     },
     async pickFolder() {
       this.error = null
@@ -105,6 +118,10 @@ export const useClipartStore = defineStore('clipart', {
     setOpen(v: boolean) {
       this.open = v
       writeDrawerOpen(v)
+      if (v && this.handle && this.items.length === 0 && !this.loading) {
+        // User gesture opens the drawer — good moment to (re-)request access
+        void this.refresh()
+      }
     },
     toggle() {
       this.setOpen(!this.open)
diff --git a/src/version.ts b/src/version.ts
index 5dd7dbe..7a96b46 100644
--- a/src/version.ts
+++ b/src/version.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-export const APP_VERSION = '0.5.1'
+export const APP_VERSION = '0.5.2'
 export const APP_NAME = 'RUWIO'