diff --git a/backend/Cargo.lock b/backend/Cargo.lock
index 46c328b..925e076 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.lock
+++ b/backend/Cargo.lock
@@ -1558,7 +1558,7 @@ checksum = "c41e0c4fef86961ac6d6f8a82609f55f31b05e4fce149ac5710e439df7619ba4"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.123.0"
+version = "0.124.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "argon2",
diff --git a/backend/Cargo.toml b/backend/Cargo.toml
index b26d63f..50aea91 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.toml
+++ b/backend/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.123.0"
+version = "0.124.0"
 edition = "2021"
 default-run = "mangalord"
 
diff --git a/frontend/e2e/reader-page-deep-link.spec.ts b/frontend/e2e/reader-page-deep-link.spec.ts
index 458d3c5..8450080 100644
--- a/frontend/e2e/reader-page-deep-link.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/e2e/reader-page-deep-link.spec.ts
@@ -170,13 +170,10 @@ test.describe('reader ?page=N deep link', () => {
 
         await expect(page.getByTestId('reader-continuous')).toBeVisible();
 
-        // Pages 1..=4 (1-indexed in the testid, 0-indexed in the
-        // template; initialIndex = 3 means we eager-load at least 0..=3,
-        // i.e. testids 1..4). Without this guard, page 2+ would be lazy
-        // and their 0×0 placeholders would let the scroll target
-        // appear far above its final position. The rolling preload window
-        // (PRELOAD_AHEAD) extends the eager set a few pages past the
-        // target, so on this 6-page chapter every page is eager.
+        // The whole chapter is eager, so the scroll target (page 4) and
+        // every page before it have settled heights before the
+        // scroll-to-`?page=N` effect runs — the target can't be pushed
+        // past the viewport by later pages loading in.
         for (const n of [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]) {
             await expect(page.getByTestId(`reader-page-${n}`)).toHaveAttribute(
                 'loading',
@@ -185,28 +182,21 @@ test.describe('reader ?page=N deep link', () => {
         }
     });
 
-    test('continuous mode: no ?page= eager-loads a leading preload window, not the whole chapter', async ({
+    test('continuous mode: eager-loads the whole chapter up front', async ({
         page
     }) => {
         await mockReader(page, 'continuous');
         await page.goto(`/manga/${mangaId}/chapter/${chapterId}`);
 
         await expect(page.getByTestId('reader-continuous')).toBeVisible();
-        // initialIndex = 0; the rolling window (PRELOAD_AHEAD = 3) eager-loads
-        // the first few pages ahead of the reader so they don't pop in on
-        // scroll ...
-        for (const n of [1, 2, 3]) {
+        // Every page is eager — the whole current chapter is preloaded so
+        // pages don't pop in / reflow as the reader scrolls onto them.
+        for (const n of [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]) {
             await expect(page.getByTestId(`reader-page-${n}`)).toHaveAttribute(
                 'loading',
                 'eager'
             );
         }
-        // ... while the tail stays lazy so a long chapter doesn't fetch every
-        // page at once on open.
-        await expect(page.getByTestId('reader-page-6')).toHaveAttribute(
-            'loading',
-            'lazy'
-        );
     });
 
     test('single mode: ?page=N opens at the requested page', async ({ page }) => {
diff --git a/frontend/e2e/reader-preload-window.spec.ts b/frontend/e2e/reader-preload-window.spec.ts
index 68fe8bf..787e938 100644
--- a/frontend/e2e/reader-preload-window.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/e2e/reader-preload-window.spec.ts
@@ -55,20 +55,22 @@ async function goContinuous(page: Page, path: string) {
     await expect(page.getByTestId('reader-continuous')).toBeVisible();
 }
 
-test('opening at page 1 eager-loads the leading window but leaves far pages lazy', async ({ page }) => {
+test('eager-loads the whole current chapter up front, not just the visible pages', async ({ page }) => {
     await mockReader(page);
     await goContinuous(page, `/manga/${MANGA_ID}/chapter/${CH1}`);
 
-    // The first page is always eager (it's on screen).
-    await expect(page.getByTestId('reader-page-1')).toHaveAttribute('loading', 'eager');
-    // A page far past the leading window is not fetched up front.
-    await expect(page.getByTestId('reader-page-10')).toHaveAttribute('loading', 'lazy');
-});
+    // Every page — including ones far below the fold — is eager, so the
+    // browser fetches the whole chapter up front instead of on scroll.
+    for (let n = 1; n <= PAGE_COUNT; n++) {
+        await expect(page.getByTestId(`reader-page-${n}`)).toHaveAttribute('loading', 'eager');
+    }
 
-test('opening deep in the chapter eager-loads the pages around that position', async ({ page }) => {
-    await mockReader(page);
-    // Deep-link to page 8: the window now covers the tail, so page 10 is eager.
-    await goContinuous(page, `/manga/${MANGA_ID}/chapter/${CH1}?page=8`);
-
-    await expect(page.getByTestId('reader-page-10')).toHaveAttribute('loading', 'eager');
+    // ... and a page well below the fold actually finishes loading without
+    // ever scrolling to it — the observable payoff of preloading.
+    const lastPage = page.getByTestId(`reader-page-${PAGE_COUNT}`);
+    await expect(async () => {
+        const loaded = await lastPage.evaluate((img: HTMLImageElement) => img.complete && img.naturalWidth > 0);
+        expect(loaded).toBe(true);
+    }).toPass();
+    expect(await page.evaluate(() => window.scrollY)).toBe(0);
 });
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index a362776..48e3967 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "mangalord-frontend",
-  "version": "0.123.0",
+  "version": "0.124.0",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/chapter/[chapter_id]/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/chapter/[chapter_id]/+page.svelte
index 9f02fc0..b2fbd05 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/chapter/[chapter_id]/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/chapter/[chapter_id]/+page.svelte
@@ -971,61 +971,6 @@
 
     const furthestPage = $derived(mode === 'single' ? index + 1 : progressPage);
 
-    // ---- Current-chapter rolling preload window (continuous mode) ----
-    // Eager-load pages up to this index so they're fetched (and sized) a few
-    // pages ahead of the reading position — they arrive while still below the
-    // fold instead of popping in / reflowing as the user scrolls onto them.
-    // Pages past the window stay lazy so opening a long chapter doesn't fire
-    // every request at once.
-    //
-    // The window anchors on `initialIndex` (deterministic at open, and keeps
-    // the scroll-settle guarantee that pages `0..=initialIndex` are eager) and
-    // rolls forward by `scrollLeadIdx` — the page at the top of the viewport,
-    // measured from live geometry below. It deliberately does NOT use the
-    // read-progress high-water (`furthestPage`): before images load they're
-    // 0-height and pile into the viewport, which latches that mark to the last
-    // page and would eager-load the whole chapter on open.
-    const PRELOAD_AHEAD = 3;
-    let scrollLeadIdx = $state(0);
-    const eagerThrough = $derived(
-        Math.max(1, initialIndex, scrollLeadIdx) + PRELOAD_AHEAD
-    );
-
-    // Track the top-of-viewport page from live rects so the window rolls with
-    // actual scrolling. Guarded by `scrollY` so the pre-load 0-height pile-up
-    // (all rects collapsed near the top) can't inflate the lead at open.
-    $effect(() => {
-        if (!browser || mode !== 'continuous') return;
-        const measure = () => {
-            if (window.scrollY < 4) {
-                scrollLeadIdx = 0;
-                return;
-            }
-            const els = continuousPageEls;
-            for (let i = 0; i < els.length; i++) {
-                if (els[i] && els[i].getBoundingClientRect().bottom > 1) {
-                    scrollLeadIdx = i;
-                    return;
-                }
-            }
-            scrollLeadIdx = Math.max(0, els.length - 1);
-        };
-        measure();
-        let raf = 0;
-        const onScroll = () => {
-            if (raf) return;
-            raf = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
-                raf = 0;
-                measure();
-            });
-        };
-        window.addEventListener('scroll', onScroll, { passive: true });
-        return () => {
-            window.removeEventListener('scroll', onScroll);
-            if (raf) cancelAnimationFrame(raf);
-        };
-    });
-
     $effect(() => {
         const nc = nextChapter;
         // Drop a previous chapter's warmed images once the next chapter
@@ -1358,20 +1303,19 @@
 {:else}
     <div class="continuous" style:gap="{gapPx}px" data-testid="reader-continuous">
         {#each pages as p, i (p.id)}
-            <!-- Pages 0..=initialIndex (or at least 0..1) are eager
-                 so their real heights are settled before the cold-
-                 load scroll-to-`?page=N` effect fires. Without this,
-                 `scrollIntoView(target)` lands while prior pages are
-                 still 0×0 placeholders and the target gets pushed
-                 past the viewport as they load. `eagerThrough` widens
-                 that set into a rolling window a few pages ahead of the
-                 reading position so pages load before they're scrolled
-                 onto rather than filling in underneath the viewport. -->
+            <!-- The whole current chapter is eager: pages load up front
+                 (the browser paces them over its per-origin connection
+                 limit, top-to-bottom = reading order) rather than filling
+                 in as they're scrolled onto. This also settles every page's
+                 real height before the cold-load scroll-to-`?page=N` effect
+                 fires — without it, `scrollIntoView(target)` lands while
+                 prior pages are still 0×0 placeholders and the target gets
+                 pushed past the viewport as they load. -->
             <img
                 src={fileUrl(p.storage_key)}
                 alt={`${manga.title} chapter ${chapter.number} page ${i + 1}`}
                 class="page-image"
-                loading={i <= eagerThrough ? 'eager' : 'lazy'}
+                loading="eager"
                 oncontextmenu={(e) => onPageContextMenu(e, p.id)}
                 onpointerdown={(e) => onPagePointerDown(e, p.id)}
                 onpointermove={onPagePointerMove}