diff --git a/js/desktop/src/features/compose/markdown-editor.css b/js/desktop/src/features/compose/markdown-editor.css
index 7227482..1262acc 100644
--- a/js/desktop/src/features/compose/markdown-editor.css
+++ b/js/desktop/src/features/compose/markdown-editor.css
@@ -110,26 +110,12 @@
   margin-top: 0;
 }
 
-/* Images come from URLs only (no stable public upload URL), so hide the
- * file uploader — the placeholder then just prompts for a link. */
-.llink-crepe
-  .milkdown
-  :is(.milkdown-image-block, .milkdown-image-inline)
-  .placeholder
-  .uploader {
-  display: none;
-}
-
-/* Read-only renders the image node view with inert editing chrome — hide it. */
-.llink-crepe:not(.llink-crepe--fill) .milkdown .milkdown-image-block .operation,
-.llink-crepe:not(.llink-crepe--fill)
-  .milkdown
-  .milkdown-image-block
-  .image-resize-handle {
-  display: none;
-}
-
-.llink-crepe .milkdown .milkdown-image-block img {
+/* Image *links* render through the base commonmark schema (the ImageBlock
+ * feature is off — see markdown-editor.tsx). Keep them within the content
+ * column and softly rounded. */
+.llink-crepe .milkdown .ProseMirror img {
+  max-width: 100%;
+  max-height: 420px;
   border-radius: 8px;
 }
 
diff --git a/js/desktop/src/features/compose/markdown-editor.tsx b/js/desktop/src/features/compose/markdown-editor.tsx
index 43b3e00..1ff08d7 100644
--- a/js/desktop/src/features/compose/markdown-editor.tsx
+++ b/js/desktop/src/features/compose/markdown-editor.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { Crepe } from '@milkdown/crepe';
-import { editorViewCtx } from '@milkdown/kit/core';
+import { editorViewCtx, editorViewOptionsCtx } from '@milkdown/kit/core';
 import { Selection } from '@milkdown/kit/prose/state';
 import '@milkdown/crepe/theme/common/style.css';
 import '@milkdown/crepe/theme/frame-dark.css';
 import './markdown-editor.css';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
+import { transferFiles } from '@/lib/data-transfer';
 
 interface MarkdownEditorProps {
   /** Initial markdown. The editor owns its content after mount; edits flow out
@@ -57,23 +58,18 @@ export function MarkdownEditor({
         [Crepe.Feature.BlockEdit]: !readOnly,
         [Crepe.Feature.Toolbar]: !readOnly,
         [Crepe.Feature.Placeholder]: !readOnly,
-        [Crepe.Feature.ImageBlock]: true,
+        // Off on purpose: file uploads aren't supported, so this feature's
+        // paste/drop handler would only strand an "upload in progress" node in
+        // the editor. Image *links* still render through the base commonmark
+        // schema, and pasted image files are routed to the compose attachment
+        // strip (see use-file-input).
+        [Crepe.Feature.ImageBlock]: false,
         [Crepe.Feature.Latex]: false,
         [Crepe.Feature.TopBar]: false,
         [Crepe.Feature.AI]: false,
       },
       featureConfigs: {
         [Crepe.Feature.Placeholder]: { text: placeholder ?? '' },
-        // Images come from URLs only (e.g. pasted markdown) — there is no
-        // stable public upload URL, so the file uploader is hidden in CSS and
-        // onUpload rejects in case a file ever reaches it anyway (the default
-        // would serialize an ephemeral blob: URL into the message).
-        [Crepe.Feature.ImageBlock]: {
-          blockUploadPlaceholderText: 'Paste an image link…',
-          inlineUploadPlaceholderText: 'paste an image link',
-          maxHeight: 420,
-          onUpload: () => Promise.reject(new Error('Image uploads disabled')),
-        },
       },
     });
 
@@ -85,6 +81,21 @@ export function MarkdownEditor({
           onChangeRef.current?.(markdown);
         });
       });
+
+      // Decline dropped files: they belong in the compose attachment strip
+      // (the drop zone still receives them), not inlined into the document.
+      // Without this the editor parses the drag's HTML into an image node with
+      // an ephemeral blob:/localhost src, which then leaks into the markdown.
+      crepe.editor.config((ctx) => {
+        ctx.update(editorViewOptionsCtx, (prev) => ({
+          ...prev,
+          handleDrop: (view, event, slice, moved) => {
+            const data = event.dataTransfer;
+            if (data && transferFiles(data).length > 0) return true;
+            return prev.handleDrop?.(view, event, slice, moved) ?? false;
+          },
+        }));
+      });
     }
 
     crepe.create().then(() => {
diff --git a/js/desktop/src/hooks/use-file-input.ts b/js/desktop/src/hooks/use-file-input.ts
index 749c987..7a5cd87 100644
--- a/js/desktop/src/hooks/use-file-input.ts
+++ b/js/desktop/src/hooks/use-file-input.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import { transferFiles } from '@/lib/data-transfer';
 
 interface UseFileInputOptions {
   onFilesSelected: (files: File[]) => void;
@@ -48,15 +49,20 @@ export function useFileInput({
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!enabled) return;
 
-    // Capture phase so file pastes always become attachments — ProseMirror
-    // would otherwise inline pasted images as ephemeral blob: URLs. Mixed
-    // clipboards (e.g. Excel/Word ship an image rendition alongside the text)
-    // must still paste as text, so only file-only pastes are intercepted.
+    // Capture phase so file pastes always become attachments — the markdown
+    // editor would otherwise inline a pasted image as an ephemeral blob: URL.
     const handlePaste = (e: ClipboardEvent) => {
       const data = e.clipboardData;
       if (!data) return;
-      const files = Array.from(data.files);
-      if (files.length === 0 || data.types.includes('text/plain')) return;
+
+      // Actual text means "paste as text", even when the clipboard also ships
+      // an image rendition (Excel/Word, or "copy image" from a page with alt
+      // text). Test the payload, not the advertised types: image pastes often
+      // list an *empty* text/plain entry that must not block the attachment.
+      if (data.getData('text/plain').trim().length > 0) return;
+
+      const files = transferFiles(data);
+      if (files.length === 0) return;
       e.preventDefault();
       e.stopPropagation();
       onFilesRef.current(files);
@@ -105,7 +111,8 @@ export function useFileInput({
       e.stopPropagation();
       dragCountRef.current = 0;
       setIsDragging(false);
-      const files = Array.from(e.dataTransfer.files);
+
+      const files = transferFiles(e.dataTransfer);
       if (files.length > 0) {
         onFilesRef.current(files);
       }
diff --git a/js/desktop/src/lib/data-transfer.ts b/js/desktop/src/lib/data-transfer.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4078729
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/desktop/src/lib/data-transfer.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/**
+ * Files carried by a paste or drag {@link DataTransfer}. Pasted/dragged images
+ * frequently surface only through `items` (`getAsFile`), with `files` left
+ * empty, so read `items` first and fall back to `files`.
+ */
+export function transferFiles(data: DataTransfer): File[] {
+  const fromItems = Array.from(data.items)
+    .filter((item) => item.kind === 'file')
+    .map((item) => item.getAsFile())
+    .filter((file): file is File => file !== null);
+  return fromItems.length > 0 ? fromItems : Array.from(data.files);
+}