diff --git a/packages/img/README.md b/packages/img/README.md
index a01ad971..0b78f87f 100644
--- a/packages/img/README.md
+++ b/packages/img/README.md
@@ -49,14 +49,35 @@ export default function Page() {
     <Image
       alt="A canal house"
       height={1600}
-      sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 960px, 100vw"
+      sizes="(min-width: 960px) 960px, 100vw"
       src="website/canal-house.jpg"
+      style={{ display: 'block', height: 'auto', maxWidth: 960, width: '100%' }}
       width={2400}
     />
   )
 }
 ```
 
+The 2400×1600 dimensions describe the source, not a 2400px display box. The CSS caps the hero at
+960px, preserves its 3:2 aspect ratio, and lets it shrink with its container. `sizes` describes
+that layout to the browser; it does not set CSS dimensions. Adjust it if your page has gutters or
+a narrower container.
+
+For a 400×400 avatar source displayed in a 48px box, limit the candidates to 1× and 2×:
+
+```tsx
+<Image
+  alt="Your profile photo"
+  height={400}
+  objectFit="cover"
+  sizes="48px"
+  src="website/avatar.jpg"
+  style={{ display: 'block', height: 48, width: 48 }}
+  width={400}
+  widths={[48, 96]}
+/>
+```
+
 `storage.allowedPathPrefixes` is a hard workspace boundary, not object authorization. Prefixes must
 be relative directories ending in `/`. The default is deny-all; `['']` deliberately allows the
 workspace root. Paths with dot segments, backslashes, empty segments, control characters,
@@ -68,7 +89,9 @@ Direct delivery is the default and fits image-heavy views that already authorize
 rendering. The component calls Next.js `connection()` before creating short-lived signed URLs. A
 built-in Suspense boundary lets a Cache Components page prerender a shell, but the signed image
 itself is request-rendered and must not be stored in a shared full-page cache.
-`suspenseFallback` customizes that shell.
+By default the shell reserves the image's dimensions and layout styles with an inert, invisible
+image that has no source and makes no request. `suspenseFallback` explicitly replaces that shell
+(including `null` to omit it); custom fallbacks must reserve their own space.
 
 The browser requests the selected candidate directly from Smart CDN. Lazy loading remains the
 platform default. A candidate first requested after its signature expires can fail on an unusually
@@ -135,16 +158,18 @@ CDN objects independent from an unkeyed `Accept` header.
 
 The default candidate ladder is 320, 640, 960, 1280, 1920, 2560, and 3840 pixels, capped at the
 declared intrinsic width and backend-safe height. The exact intrinsic width is included between
-steps. `widths` is an advanced per-image override. `sizes` is optional because that is valid HTML,
-but strongly recommended whenever an image is not effectively `100vw`.
+steps. `widths` is an advanced per-image override. Omitted `sizes` emits explicit `100vw` on the
+width-based sources. Supply the actual display width when it differs, or use `sizes="auto, 100vw"`
+for a lazy image whose size should come from its CSS box. Automatic sizes cannot be eager or preloaded.
 
 ```tsx
 <Image
   alt="Product photo"
   formats={{ avif: 40, webp: 70 }}
   height={1200}
-  sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 600px, 50vw"
+  sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 600px, 50vw"
   src="website/products/photo.jpg"
+  style={{ display: 'block', height: 'auto', maxWidth: 600, width: '50vw' }}
   width={1600}
   widths={[400, 800, 1200, 1600]}
 />
@@ -153,9 +178,8 @@ but strongly recommended whenever an image is not effectively `100vw`.
 - Images are lazy and asynchronously decoded by default.
 - `preload` implies eager loading. Combine it with `fetchPriority="high"` only for a measured LCP
   image. Explicitly lazy preloads are rejected.
-- `objectFit` is forwarded for deliberate crop or containment behavior.
-- `deferUntilHydrated` avoids WebKit parser-to-hydration replay for non-critical images. It cannot be
-  eager or preloaded and is not a secrecy mechanism.
+- Keep `width`/`height` in the source's proportions. Transforms use `r: 'pad'`; CSS `objectFit`
+  controls cropping in a display box but cannot undo padding already encoded in the image.
 - `fallbackQuality` changes the signed JPEG fallback quality.
 
 Private signature lifetimes default to at least one hour in stable five-minute rotation windows.
@@ -186,6 +210,13 @@ export const { Image } = createTransloaditImage({
 Template selection is unavailable on individual images because the factory owns the signing
 boundary. A replacement must accept the same trusted fields as the Storage preview Built-in.
 
+### Opt-in hydration workaround
+
+`deferUntilHydrated` avoids WebKit parser-to-hydration request replay for non-critical images.
+Leave it off unless you have observed that problem: it delays candidate markup until hydration,
+and its initial `<noscript>` fallback does not reserve space for JavaScript-enabled browsers.
+It cannot be eager or preloaded and is not a secrecy mechanism.
+
 ## Framework-neutral API
 
 `@transloadit/img` exports `createTransloaditImageModel` and serializable model types.
diff --git a/packages/img/src/next/server.tsx b/packages/img/src/next/server.tsx
index 7fdd5128..16626b0b 100644
--- a/packages/img/src/next/server.tsx
+++ b/packages/img/src/next/server.tsx
@@ -147,6 +147,22 @@ interface TransloaditStorageImageRequestProps {
   props: TransloaditImageProps
 }
 
+function StorageImagePlaceholder({ props }: TransloaditStorageImageRequestProps): ReactNode {
+  const attributes = snapshotImageAttributes(props)
+  return (
+    <picture>
+      <img
+        {...attributes}
+        alt=""
+        aria-hidden="true"
+        inert
+        sizes={undefined}
+        style={{ ...attributes.style, visibility: 'hidden' }}
+      />
+    </picture>
+  )
+}
+
 function validateRequiredConfiguration(value: string, name: string): void {
   if (typeof value !== 'string' || value === '' || value.trim() !== value) {
     throw new TypeError(`${name} must be a non-empty string without surrounding whitespace`)
@@ -617,7 +633,15 @@ export function createTransloaditImage(
     const storageProps = snapshotStorageImageProps(props, storagePath)
     if (storageCapability === undefined) {
       return (
-        <Suspense fallback={props.suspenseFallback}>
+        <Suspense
+          fallback={
+            storageProps.suspenseFallback === undefined ? (
+              <StorageImagePlaceholder props={storageProps} />
+            ) : (
+              storageProps.suspenseFallback
+            )
+          }
+        >
           <DirectStorageImage props={storageProps} />
         </Suspense>
       )
diff --git a/packages/img/test/next-server.test.tsx b/packages/img/test/next-server.test.tsx
index bfa3da07..421840bf 100644
--- a/packages/img/test/next-server.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/img/test/next-server.test.tsx
@@ -83,6 +83,98 @@ afterEach(() => {
 })
 
 describe('createTransloaditImage', () => {
+  test('reserves native image geometry while request-time signing is suspended', async () => {
+    let resolveConnection: (value: undefined) => void = () => {
+      throw new Error('Connection was not initialized')
+    }
+    const pending = new Promise<undefined>((resolve) => {
+      resolveConnection = resolve
+    })
+    connection.mockImplementationOnce(() => pending)
+    const { Image } = createTransloaditImage(baseConfiguration)
+    const stream = await renderToReadableStream(
+      <main>
+        <Image
+          alt="Hero"
+          className="hero"
+          height={1600}
+          id="hero"
+          preload
+          sizes="(min-width: 960px) 960px, 100vw"
+          src="documents/hero.jpg"
+          style={{ display: 'block', height: 'auto', maxWidth: 960, width: '100%' }}
+          width={2400}
+        />
+        <p>Following content</p>
+      </main>,
+    )
+    const reader = stream.getReader()
+    const shell = new TextDecoder().decode((await reader.read()).value)
+    const placeholder = parseMarkup(shell).getElementById('hero')
+    // Always resolve the request so a failed assertion cannot leak a suspended stream.
+    resolveConnection(undefined)
+    await stream.allReady
+    let remaining = ''
+    for (;;) {
+      const { done, value } = await reader.read()
+      if (done) break
+      remaining += new TextDecoder().decode(value)
+    }
+    const image = parseMarkup(remaining).getElementById('hero')
+
+    expect(placeholder?.getAttribute('width')).toBe('2400')
+    expect(placeholder?.getAttribute('height')).toBe('1600')
+    expect(placeholder?.getAttribute('class')).toBe('hero')
+    // Consumer selectors such as picture > img must apply before signing resolves too.
+    expect(placeholder?.parentElement?.tagName).toBe('PICTURE')
+    expect(placeholder?.getAttribute('style')).toBe(
+      'display:block;height:auto;max-width:960px;width:100%;visibility:hidden',
+    )
+    expect(placeholder?.getAttribute('aria-hidden')).toBe('true')
+    expect(placeholder?.hasAttribute('inert')).toBe(true)
+    expect(placeholder?.hasAttribute('src')).toBe(false)
+    expect(shell).not.toContain('cdn.example')
+    expect(shell).not.toContain('imageSrcSet')
+    expect(shell).toContain('Following content')
+    expect(image?.getAttribute('style')).toBe(
+      'display:block;height:auto;max-width:960px;width:100%',
+    )
+    expect(image?.getAttribute('width')).toBe('2400')
+    expect(image?.getAttribute('height')).toBe('1600')
+    expect(image?.getAttribute('src')).toContain('cdn.example')
+  })
+
+  test('keeps an explicit direct Suspense fallback as an override', async () => {
+    let resolveConnection: (value: undefined) => void = () => {
+      throw new Error('Connection was not initialized')
+    }
+    const pending = new Promise<undefined>((resolve) => {
+      resolveConnection = resolve
+    })
+    connection.mockImplementationOnce(() => pending)
+    const { Image } = createTransloaditImage(baseConfiguration)
+    const stream = await renderToReadableStream(
+      <main>
+        <Image
+          alt="Custom shell"
+          height={300}
+          src="documents/report.pdf"
+          suspenseFallback={<p role="status">Custom preview</p>}
+          width={400}
+        />
+        <p>Following content</p>
+      </main>,
+    )
+    const reader = stream.getReader()
+    const shell = new TextDecoder().decode((await reader.read()).value)
+    resolveConnection(undefined)
+    await stream.allReady
+    await reader.cancel()
+
+    expect(parseMarkup(shell).querySelector('[role="status"]')?.textContent).toBe('Custom preview')
+    expect(parseMarkup(shell).querySelector('img')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
   test('allows explicit widths while making sizes optional', async () => {
     const { Image } = createTransloaditImage(baseConfiguration)
     const document = parseMarkup(
diff --git a/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/benchmark/[delivery]/[count]/page.tsx b/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/benchmark/[delivery]/[count]/page.tsx
index be01d040..0bb3b03f 100644
--- a/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/benchmark/[delivery]/[count]/page.tsx
+++ b/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/benchmark/[delivery]/[count]/page.tsx
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ export default async function Page({ params }: PageProps): Promise<ReactNode> {
         key={index}
         sizes="200px"
         src={`documents/benchmark-${index + 1}.jpg`}
+        style={{ display: 'block', height: 'auto', width: 200 }}
         width={400}
       />,
     )
diff --git a/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/layout.tsx b/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/layout.tsx
index d50e935a..76377e58 100644
--- a/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/layout.tsx
+++ b/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/layout.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ interface LayoutProps {
 export default function Layout({ children }: LayoutProps): ReactNode {
   return (
     <html lang="en">
+      <head>
+        <style>{'picture > img.hero {display:block;height:auto;max-width:960px;width:100%}'}</style>
+      </head>
       <body>{children}</body>
     </html>
   )
diff --git a/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/storage-image/page.tsx b/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/storage-image/page.tsx
index 992e2b5b..66ffcf63 100644
--- a/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/storage-image/page.tsx
+++ b/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/storage-image/page.tsx
@@ -4,13 +4,29 @@ import { TransloaditImage } from '../TransloaditImage.tsx'
 
 export default function Page(): ReactNode {
   return (
-    <TransloaditImage
-      alt="Storage fixture"
-      height={300}
-      sizes="400px"
-      src="documents/report.pdf"
-      suspenseFallback={<div aria-label="Loading preview" role="status" />}
-      width={400}
-    />
+    <main>
+      <TransloaditImage
+        alt="Storage hero"
+        className="hero"
+        height={1600}
+        id="hero"
+        sizes="(min-width: 960px) 960px, 100vw"
+        src="documents/hero.jpg"
+        width={2400}
+      />
+      <p>After the hero</p>
+      <TransloaditImage
+        alt="Storage avatar"
+        height={400}
+        id="avatar"
+        objectFit="cover"
+        sizes="48px"
+        src="documents/avatar.jpg"
+        style={{ display: 'block', height: 48, width: 48 }}
+        width={400}
+        widths={[48, 96]}
+      />
+      <p>After the avatar</p>
+    </main>
   )
 }
diff --git a/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/storage-redirect/page.tsx b/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/storage-redirect/page.tsx
index 4e418674..61b7b4c9 100644
--- a/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/storage-redirect/page.tsx
+++ b/scripts/fixtures/img-next/app/storage-redirect/page.tsx
@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@ export default function Page(): ReactNode {
     <TransloaditRedirectImage
       alt="Authorized Storage fixture"
       fetchPriority="high"
-      height={300}
+      height={1600}
       preload
-      sizes="400px"
-      src="documents/report.pdf"
-      width={400}
+      sizes="(min-width: 960px) 960px, 100vw"
+      src="documents/hero.jpg"
+      style={{ display: 'block', height: 'auto', maxWidth: 960, width: '100%' }}
+      width={2400}
     />
   )
 }
diff --git a/scripts/test-img-next-fixture.ts b/scripts/test-img-next-fixture.ts
index 8e983827..79cb1caf 100644
--- a/scripts/test-img-next-fixture.ts
+++ b/scripts/test-img-next-fixture.ts
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ function getFirstPictureCandidates(html: string): string[] {
   const candidates: string[] = []
   for (const picture of pictures) {
     const sourceSet = /<source\b[^>]*\bsrcset="([^"]+)"/i.exec(picture)?.[1]
-    assert(sourceSet !== undefined, 'Expected every benchmark picture to contain a source set')
+    // Streamed HTML also contains source-free Suspense placeholders; count only resolved images.
+    if (sourceSet === undefined) continue
     const decoded = decodeHtmlAttribute(sourceSet)
     const separator = decoded.indexOf(' ')
     assert(separator > 0, 'Expected every benchmark candidate to have a width descriptor')
@@ -267,7 +268,23 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
       'Expected redirect-delivery markup to prerender',
     )
     const storageShell = await readFile(resolve(appOutput, 'storage-image.html'), 'utf8')
-    assert(storageShell.includes('Loading preview'), 'Storage shell fallback is absent')
+    assert(
+      /<picture><img\b/.test(storageShell),
+      'Storage placeholder does not retain picture-based CSS selectors',
+    )
+    assert(
+      storageShell.includes('visibility:hidden'),
+      'Storage shell does not reserve image layout',
+    )
+    assert(
+      storageShell.includes('width="2400"') && storageShell.includes('height="1600"'),
+      'Hero source dimensions are absent',
+    )
+    assert(
+      storageShell.includes('height:auto;max-width:960px;width:100%'),
+      'Hero responsive CSS is absent',
+    )
+    assert(storageShell.includes('height:48px;width:48px'), 'Avatar CSS box is absent')
     assert(
       !storageShell.includes('builtin%2Fstorage-preview%400.0.1'),
       'A signed Storage URL leaked into the prerendered shell',
@@ -309,6 +326,11 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
       )
       assert(!storageHtml.includes(fixtureSecret), 'Secret leaked into Storage output')
       assert(!redirectHtml.includes(fixtureSecret), 'Secret leaked into redirect output')
+      assert(
+        storageHtml.includes(' 48w') && storageHtml.includes(' 96w'),
+        'Avatar candidates are absent',
+      )
+      assert(storageHtml.includes('sizes="48px"'), 'Avatar sizes are absent')
 
       const routeCandidate = getFirstPictureCandidates(redirectHtml)[0]
       assert(routeCandidate !== undefined, 'Expected a redirect route candidate')