diff --git a/src/components/video-editor/projectPersistence.test.ts b/src/components/video-editor/projectPersistence.test.ts
index d816f48..0659cb7 100644
--- a/src/components/video-editor/projectPersistence.test.ts
+++ b/src/components/video-editor/projectPersistence.test.ts
@@ -199,21 +199,21 @@ it("detects unsaved changes from differing snapshots", () => {
 });
 
 describe("wallpaper legacy normalization", () => {
-	it("rewrites resolved file:// resources paths from pre-fix projects", () => {
+	it("rewrites pre-fix packaged paths (resources/assets/wallpapers/…)", () => {
 		const normalized = normalizeProjectEditor({
 			wallpaper: "file:///opt/Openscreen/resources/assets/wallpapers/wallpaper5.jpg",
 		});
 		expect(normalized.wallpaper).toBe("/wallpapers/wallpaper5.jpg");
 	});
 
-	it("rewrites resolved file:// paths under the new resources/wallpapers layout", () => {
+	it("rewrites new packaged layout (resources/wallpapers/…)", () => {
 		const normalized = normalizeProjectEditor({
 			wallpaper: "file:///opt/Openscreen/resources/wallpapers/wallpaper3.jpg",
 		});
 		expect(normalized.wallpaper).toBe("/wallpapers/wallpaper3.jpg");
 	});
 
-	it("rewrites unpackaged dev paths (public/wallpapers/…)", () => {
+	it("rewrites unpackaged dev layout (public/wallpapers/…)", () => {
 		const normalized = normalizeProjectEditor({
 			wallpaper: "file:///home/user/project/public/wallpapers/wallpaper1.jpg",
 		});
@@ -236,4 +236,16 @@ describe("wallpaper legacy normalization", () => {
 			normalizeProjectEditor({ wallpaper: "linear-gradient(90deg, red, blue)" }).wallpaper,
 		).toBe("linear-gradient(90deg, red, blue)");
 	});
+
+	it("does NOT rewrite user files outside the known install layout", () => {
+		const userPath = "file:///home/user/Pictures/wallpapers/wallpaper1.jpg";
+		expect(normalizeProjectEditor({ wallpaper: userPath }).wallpaper).toBe(userPath);
+	});
+
+	it("falls back to default for bundled paths outside WALLPAPER_PATHS", () => {
+		const normalized = normalizeProjectEditor({
+			wallpaper: "file:///opt/Openscreen/resources/wallpapers/wallpaper99.jpg",
+		});
+		expect(normalized.wallpaper).toBe("/wallpapers/wallpaper1.jpg");
+	});
 });
diff --git a/src/components/video-editor/projectPersistence.ts b/src/components/video-editor/projectPersistence.ts
index c0def97..7c963d7 100644
--- a/src/components/video-editor/projectPersistence.ts
+++ b/src/components/video-editor/projectPersistence.ts
@@ -40,15 +40,20 @@ import {
 
 const VALID_BLUR_SHAPES = new Set(["rectangle", "oval", "freehand"] as const);
 
-// Pre-fix projects could persist resolved file:// URLs (machine-specific) instead
-// of the canonical `/wallpapers/wallpaperN.jpg` form. Rewrite those on load so
-// they resolve against the current install's resources directory.
-const LEGACY_FILE_WALLPAPER_RE = /^file:\/\/.*?\/(?:assets\/)?wallpapers\/(wallpaper\d+\.jpg)$/i;
+// Pre-fix projects could persist resolved file:// URLs (machine-specific) for
+// bundled wallpapers. Rewrite only paths that match a known install layout
+// (resources/[assets/]wallpapers for packaged, public/wallpapers for dev) so
+// a legitimate user file that happens to live in a folder named "wallpapers"
+// elsewhere is never silently replaced.
+const LEGACY_FILE_WALLPAPER_RE =
+	/^file:\/\/.*?\/(?:resources\/(?:assets\/)?|public\/)wallpapers\/(wallpaper\d+\.jpg)$/i;
+const CANONICAL_WALLPAPERS = new Set(WALLPAPER_PATHS);
 
 function normalizeWallpaperValue(value: string): string {
 	const match = LEGACY_FILE_WALLPAPER_RE.exec(value);
 	if (!match) return value;
-	return `/wallpapers/${match[1]}`;
+	const canonical = `/wallpapers/${match[1]}`;
+	return CANONICAL_WALLPAPERS.has(canonical) ? canonical : DEFAULT_WALLPAPER;
 }
 
 export { WALLPAPER_PATHS };
diff --git a/src/lib/wallpaper.ts b/src/lib/wallpaper.ts
index 34869d7..7361df2 100644
--- a/src/lib/wallpaper.ts
+++ b/src/lib/wallpaper.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ export function resolveImageWallpaperUrl(imagePath: string): string {
 	try {
 		return getAssetPath(withLeadingSlash.slice(1));
 	} catch (cause) {
+		if (cause instanceof BackgroundLoadError) throw cause;
 		throw new BackgroundLoadError(imagePath, cause);
 	}
 }