diff --git a/frontend/libs/components/moodboard/src/lib/canvas/interactions/usePasteHandler.spec.ts b/frontend/libs/components/moodboard/src/lib/canvas/interactions/usePasteHandler.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/libs/components/moodboard/src/lib/canvas/interactions/usePasteHandler.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+import { act, cleanup, renderHook } from "@testing-library/react";
+import type Konva from "konva";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { useMoodboardStore } from "../MoodboardStore";
+import { useMoodboardHistoryStore } from "../MoodboardHistoryStore";
+import { usePasteHandler } from "./usePasteHandler";
+
+vi.mock("../../boards/measureMedia", () => ({
+  measureImage: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ w: 200, h: 100 }),
+}));
+
+describe("moodboard clipboard image placement", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    useMoodboardStore.setState({
+      nodes: {},
+      rootOrder: [],
+      selectedIds: new Set(),
+    });
+    useMoodboardHistoryStore.getState().clear();
+    vi.stubGlobal(
+      "URL",
+      class extends URL {
+        static createObjectURL() {
+          return "blob:clipboard-image";
+        }
+      },
+    );
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    cleanup();
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    { name: "default viewport", x: 0, y: 0, zoom: 1 },
+    { name: "panned viewport", x: -1200, y: 900, zoom: 1 },
+    { name: "zoomed-in viewport", x: 0, y: 0, zoom: 2 },
+    { name: "panned and zoomed-out viewport", x: 600, y: -300, zoom: 0.5 },
+  ])("centers pasted images in a $name", async ({ x, y, zoom }) => {
+    mountPasteHandler({ x, y, zoom });
+
+    const event = await pasteImage();
+
+    expect(event.defaultPrevented).toBe(true);
+    const nodes = Object.values(useMoodboardStore.getState().nodes);
+    expect(nodes).toHaveLength(1);
+    const node = nodes[0];
+    // Project the real store node back to screen space: its center should
+    // match the visible stage center regardless of the viewport transform.
+    expect((node.x + node.width / 2) * zoom + x).toBe(500);
+    expect((node.y + node.height / 2) * zoom + y).toBe(300);
+  });
+
+  it("retains the fallback position before the stage is mounted", async () => {
+    renderHook(() =>
+      usePasteHandler({ sendToGeneration: vi.fn() }, true, { current: null }),
+    );
+
+    await pasteImage();
+
+    const node = Object.values(useMoodboardStore.getState().nodes)[0];
+    expect(node.x + node.width / 2).toBe(400);
+    expect(node.y + node.height / 2).toBe(400);
+  });
+
+  it("does not intercept paste while inactive", async () => {
+    mountPasteHandler({ active: false });
+
+    const event = await pasteImage();
+
+    expect(event.defaultPrevented).toBe(false);
+    expect(useMoodboardStore.getState().rootOrder).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("leaves image pastes in text inputs alone", async () => {
+    mountPasteHandler({});
+    const input = document.createElement("textarea");
+    document.body.appendChild(input);
+    try {
+      const event = await pasteImage(input);
+      expect(event.defaultPrevented).toBe(false);
+      expect(useMoodboardStore.getState().rootOrder).toEqual([]);
+    } finally {
+      input.remove();
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+function mountPasteHandler({
+  x = 0,
+  y = 0,
+  zoom = 1,
+  active = true,
+}: {
+  x?: number;
+  y?: number;
+  zoom?: number;
+  active?: boolean;
+}) {
+  // Only the stage's geometry API is needed; jsdom cannot render Konva.
+  const stage = {
+    width: () => 1000,
+    height: () => 600,
+    x: () => x,
+    y: () => y,
+    scaleX: () => zoom,
+    scaleY: () => zoom,
+  } as Konva.Stage;
+  return renderHook(() =>
+    usePasteHandler({ sendToGeneration: vi.fn() }, active, { current: stage }),
+  );
+}
+
+async function pasteImage(target: EventTarget = window) {
+  const file = new File(["image"], "clipboard.png", { type: "image/png" });
+  const event = new Event("paste", { bubbles: true, cancelable: true });
+  Object.defineProperty(event, "clipboardData", {
+    value: {
+      items: [{ kind: "file", type: file.type, getAsFile: () => file }],
+    },
+  });
+  await act(async () => {
+    target.dispatchEvent(event);
+  });
+  return event;
+}
diff --git a/frontend/libs/components/moodboard/src/lib/canvas/interactions/usePasteHandler.ts b/frontend/libs/components/moodboard/src/lib/canvas/interactions/usePasteHandler.ts
--- a/frontend/libs/components/moodboard/src/lib/canvas/interactions/usePasteHandler.ts
+++ b/frontend/libs/components/moodboard/src/lib/canvas/interactions/usePasteHandler.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useEffect } from "react";
 import Konva from "konva";
 import { addCanvasImageFromFile } from "../addCanvasImageFile";
+import { stageCenter } from "../useMoodboardImageEntry";
 import type { MoodboardAdapter } from "../../adapter";
 
 // Listens for paste events while the moodboard page is mounted. For each
@@ -33,10 +34,7 @@ export const usePasteHandler = (
       if (fileItems.length === 0) return;
       e.preventDefault();
 
-      const stage = stageRef.current;
-      const center = stage
-        ? { x: stage.width() / 2, y: stage.height() / 2 }
-        : { x: 400, y: 400 };
+      const center = stageCenter(stageRef.current);
 
       for (const file of fileItems) {
         await addCanvasImageFromFile({ file, position: center, adapter });
diff --git a/frontend/libs/components/moodboard/src/lib/canvas/useMoodboardImageEntry.tsx b/frontend/libs/components/moodboard/src/lib/canvas/useMoodboardImageEntry.tsx
--- a/frontend/libs/components/moodboard/src/lib/canvas/useMoodboardImageEntry.tsx
+++ b/frontend/libs/components/moodboard/src/lib/canvas/useMoodboardImageEntry.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { measureImage, measureVideo } from "../boards/measureMedia";
 import { addCanvasImageFromFile } from "./addCanvasImageFile";
 import type { MoodboardAdapter, MoodboardPickedItem } from "../adapter";
 
-const stageCenter = (stage: Konva.Stage | null): Vec2 => {
+export const stageCenter = (stage: Konva.Stage | null): Vec2 => {
   if (!stage) return { x: 400, y: 400 };
   return {
     x: (stage.width() / 2 - stage.x()) / stage.scaleX(),