diff --git a/app/Services/Media/MediaOptimizer.php b/app/Services/Media/MediaOptimizer.php
index 6c13c0fc..abbcb427 100644
--- a/app/Services/Media/MediaOptimizer.php
+++ b/app/Services/Media/MediaOptimizer.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
 use Intervention\Image\Drivers\Gd\Driver;
 use Intervention\Image\ImageManager;
+use RuntimeException;
 
 class MediaOptimizer
 {
@@ -113,6 +114,8 @@ public function maxWidthForPlatform(Platform $platform): ?int
      */
     public function cropToAspectRatio(string $filePath, float $ratio): string
     {
+        $this->assertWithinMemoryBudget($filePath);
+
         $image = $this->manager->decodePath($filePath);
 
         $width = $image->width();
@@ -156,6 +159,8 @@ public function cropToAspectRatio(string $filePath, float $ratio): string
      */
     public function fitToCanvas(string $filePath, int $width, int $height): string
     {
+        $this->assertWithinMemoryBudget($filePath);
+
         $foreground = $this->manager->decodePath($filePath);
         $canvasRatio = $width / $height;
         $imageRatio = $foreground->width() / $foreground->height();
@@ -181,6 +186,27 @@ public function fitToCanvas(string $filePath, int $width, int $height): string
         return $tempFile;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Reject a source whose pixel dimensions would blow the GD memory budget,
+     * before it is decoded — a small-byte, huge-dimension image would otherwise
+     * exhaust memory with an uncatchable fatal. Transforms that can't fall back
+     * to the original (crop, fit) call this; `optimizeImage` skips instead.
+     */
+    private function assertWithinMemoryBudget(string $filePath): void
+    {
+        $imageInfo = @getimagesize($filePath);
+
+        if ($imageInfo === false) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $estimatedMemory = $imageInfo[0] * $imageInfo[1] * ($imageInfo['channels'] ?? 4) * 1.5;
+
+        if ($estimatedMemory > 256 * 1024 * 1024) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Image dimensions ({$imageInfo[0]}x{$imageInfo[1]}) exceed the safe processing budget.");
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return array{max_width: int, max_size: int, format: string, quality: int}
      */
diff --git a/app/Services/Social/Concerns/CropsImageForAspectRatio.php b/app/Services/Social/Concerns/CropsImageForAspectRatio.php
index d2c67d9c..a6e5a632 100644
--- a/app/Services/Social/Concerns/CropsImageForAspectRatio.php
+++ b/app/Services/Social/Concerns/CropsImageForAspectRatio.php
@@ -37,14 +37,20 @@ protected function cropImageForAspectRatio(string $imageUrl, ?string $aspectRati
                 throw $this->cropFailureException('Failed to download image for cropping');
             }
 
-            $cropped = app(MediaOptimizer::class)->cropToAspectRatio($tempInput, $ratio);
+            try {
+                $cropped = app(MediaOptimizer::class)->cropToAspectRatio($tempInput, $ratio);
+            } catch (\Throwable) {
+                throw $this->cropFailureException('Failed to process image for cropping');
+            }
 
-            $path = self::CROP_DIRECTORY.'/'.Str::uuid()->toString().'.jpg';
-            Storage::put($path, file_get_contents($cropped));
+            try {
+                $path = self::CROP_DIRECTORY.'/'.Str::uuid()->toString().'.jpg';
+                Storage::put($path, file_get_contents($cropped));
 
-            @unlink($cropped);
-
-            return Storage::url($path);
+                return Storage::url($path);
+            } finally {
+                @unlink($cropped);
+            }
         } finally {
             @unlink($tempInput);
         }
@@ -66,14 +72,20 @@ protected function fitImageToCanvas(string $imageUrl, int $width, int $height):
                 throw $this->cropFailureException('Failed to download image for story fitting');
             }
 
-            $fitted = app(MediaOptimizer::class)->fitToCanvas($tempInput, $width, $height);
+            try {
+                $fitted = app(MediaOptimizer::class)->fitToCanvas($tempInput, $width, $height);
+            } catch (\Throwable) {
+                throw $this->cropFailureException('Failed to process image for story fitting');
+            }
 
-            $path = self::CROP_DIRECTORY.'/'.Str::uuid()->toString().'.jpg';
-            Storage::put($path, file_get_contents($fitted));
+            try {
+                $path = self::CROP_DIRECTORY.'/'.Str::uuid()->toString().'.jpg';
+                Storage::put($path, file_get_contents($fitted));
 
-            @unlink($fitted);
-
-            return Storage::url($path);
+                return Storage::url($path);
+            } finally {
+                @unlink($fitted);
+            }
         } finally {
             @unlink($tempInput);
         }
diff --git a/app/Services/Social/InstagramPublisher.php b/app/Services/Social/InstagramPublisher.php
index 72f6adfc..8dcae63a 100644
--- a/app/Services/Social/InstagramPublisher.php
+++ b/app/Services/Social/InstagramPublisher.php
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ private function publishStory(string $instagramId, string $accessToken, $media):
             $params['video_url'] = $media->url;
         } else {
             $dimensions = ContentType::InstagramStory->aiImageDimensions();
-            $params['image_url'] = $this->fitImageToCanvas($media->url, $dimensions['width'], $dimensions['height']);
+            $params['image_url'] = $this->fitImageToCanvas($media->url, data_get($dimensions, 'width'), data_get($dimensions, 'height'));
         }
 
         // Step 1: Create story container
diff --git a/resources/js/components/posts/previews/InstagramPreview.vue b/resources/js/components/posts/previews/InstagramPreview.vue
index 63ad2b0a..324a369a 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/posts/previews/InstagramPreview.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/posts/previews/InstagramPreview.vue
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ const username = computed(() => props.socialAccount.username || props.socialAcco
                 <!-- Video/Media - Full screen -->
                 <VerticalMediaCanvas :media="media">
                     <template #placeholder>
-                        <div class="flex h-full w-full items-center justify-center">
+                        <div class="flex h-full w-full items-center justify-center bg-[#fafafa] dark:bg-black">
                             <IconPlayerPlayFilled class="h-12 w-12 text-muted-foreground/40" />
                         </div>
                     </template>
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ const username = computed(() => props.socialAccount.username || props.socialAcco
                 <!-- Media - Full screen -->
                 <VerticalMediaCanvas :media="media">
                     <template #placeholder>
-                        <div class="flex h-full w-full items-center justify-center">
+                        <div class="flex h-full w-full items-center justify-center bg-[#fafafa] dark:bg-black">
                             <IconPhoto class="h-12 w-12 text-muted-foreground/40" />
                         </div>
                     </template>
diff --git a/resources/js/components/posts/previews/TikTokPreview.vue b/resources/js/components/posts/previews/TikTokPreview.vue
index 23920184..c8c70d7e 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/posts/previews/TikTokPreview.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/posts/previews/TikTokPreview.vue
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import { IconPlus } from '@tabler/icons-vue';
 import { computed } from 'vue';
 
-import VerticalMediaCanvas from "@/components/posts/previews/VerticalMediaCanvas.vue";
+import VerticalMediaCanvas from '@/components/posts/previews/VerticalMediaCanvas.vue';
 import type { MediaItem } from '@/types/media';
 
 interface SocialAccount {
diff --git a/resources/js/components/posts/previews/YouTubePreview.vue b/resources/js/components/posts/previews/YouTubePreview.vue
index 3c111e5d..985da55c 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/posts/previews/YouTubePreview.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/posts/previews/YouTubePreview.vue
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import { computed } from 'vue';
 
-import VerticalMediaCanvas from "@/components/posts/previews/VerticalMediaCanvas.vue";
+import VerticalMediaCanvas from '@/components/posts/previews/VerticalMediaCanvas.vue';
 import type { MediaItem } from '@/types/media';
 
 interface SocialAccount {
diff --git a/resources/js/composables/useMedia.ts b/resources/js/composables/useMedia.ts
index 38a08d8e..790345e6 100644
--- a/resources/js/composables/useMedia.ts
+++ b/resources/js/composables/useMedia.ts
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ export const getMediaItemIssue = (item: MediaItem, contentType: string): string
 
     const width = item.meta?.width ?? 0;
     const height = item.meta?.height ?? 0;
-    if (width > 0 && height > 0 && ! (rules.autoFitsImage && ! itemIsVideo)) {
+    if (width > 0 && height > 0 && ! (rules.autoFitsImage && isImage(item))) {
         const ratio = width / height;
         if (rules.aspectRatioMin && ratio < rules.aspectRatioMin) return 'aspect_ratio_too_narrow';
         if (rules.aspectRatioMax && ratio > rules.aspectRatioMax) return 'aspect_ratio_too_wide';
diff --git a/resources/js/composables/useMediaRules.ts b/resources/js/composables/useMediaRules.ts
index 75407f9d..e073b6d2 100644
--- a/resources/js/composables/useMediaRules.ts
+++ b/resources/js/composables/useMediaRules.ts
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ export interface MediaRules {
     maxVideoDurationSec?: number;
     aspectRatioMin?: number;
     aspectRatioMax?: number;
-    // Images off the target ratio are auto-fitted with a blurred background at
-    // publish time, so the aspect-ratio warning is suppressed for images.
     autoFitsImage?: boolean;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/Feature/Services/InstagramPublisherTest.php b/tests/Feature/Services/InstagramPublisherTest.php
index d0f9bc7f..08bc0ccd 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/Services/InstagramPublisherTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/Services/InstagramPublisherTest.php
@@ -108,6 +108,15 @@
     $result = $publisher->publish($this->postPlatform);
 
     expect($result['id'])->toBe('story-123');
+
+    Http::assertSent(function ($request) {
+        if (! str_contains($request->url(), '/12345678/media') || str_contains($request->url(), 'media_publish')) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        $imageUrl = (string) data_get($request->data(), 'image_url', '');
+
+        return str_contains($imageUrl, 'social-crops/') && ! str_contains($imageUrl, 'example.com');
+    });
 });
 
 test('instagram publisher throws token expired exception on oauth error', function () {
diff --git a/tests/Feature/Services/Social/InstagramPublisherTest.php b/tests/Feature/Services/Social/InstagramPublisherTest.php
index 8cc87cc3..2eb87a89 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/Services/Social/InstagramPublisherTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/Services/Social/InstagramPublisherTest.php
@@ -198,6 +198,131 @@ function fakeJpegBytes(int $width = 1200, int $height = 800): string
     });
 });
 
+test('instagram publisher fits a real off-ratio story image to a 1080x1920 jpeg', function () {
+    Storage::fake();
+    $this->postPlatform->update(['content_type' => ContentType::InstagramStory]);
+
+    $this->post->update([
+        'media' => [
+            [
+                'id' => 'test-media-story',
+                'path' => 'media/2026-01/story.jpg',
+                'url' => 'https://example.com/media/2026-01/story.jpg',
+                'mime_type' => 'image/jpeg',
+                'original_filename' => 'story.jpg',
+            ],
+        ],
+    ]);
+
+    Http::fake([
+        'https://example.com/media/2026-01/story.jpg' => Http::response(fakeJpegBytes(1200, 800), 200),
+        'https://graph.instagram.com/v25.0/ig_123456789/media' => Http::response(['id' => 'story-container-123'], 200),
+        'https://graph.instagram.com/v25.0/story-container-123*' => Http::response(['status_code' => 'FINISHED'], 200),
+        'https://graph.instagram.com/v25.0/ig_123456789/media_publish' => Http::response(['id' => 'story-123456789'], 200),
+        'https://graph.instagram.com/v25.0/story-123456789*' => Http::response(['permalink' => 'https://www.instagram.com/stories/testuser/123/'], 200),
+    ]);
+
+    $result = $this->publisher->publish($this->postPlatform);
+
+    expect($result['id'])->toBe('story-123456789');
+
+    $hosted = collect(Storage::allFiles())->first(fn (string $path) => str_starts_with($path, 'social-crops/'));
+    expect($hosted)->not->toBeNull();
+
+    $tempFile = tempnam(sys_get_temp_dir(), 'verify_story_');
+    file_put_contents($tempFile, Storage::get($hosted));
+    $fitted = (new ImageManager(Driver::class))->decodePath($tempFile);
+    expect($fitted->width())->toBe(1080)
+        ->and($fitted->height())->toBe(1920);
+    @unlink($tempFile);
+});
+
+test('instagram publisher throws a clean exception when the story image is not decodable', function () {
+    Storage::fake();
+    $this->postPlatform->update(['content_type' => ContentType::InstagramStory]);
+
+    $this->post->update([
+        'media' => [
+            [
+                'id' => 'test-media-story',
+                'path' => 'media/story.jpg',
+                'url' => 'https://example.com/media/story.jpg',
+                'mime_type' => 'image/jpeg',
+                'original_filename' => 'story.jpg',
+            ],
+        ],
+    ]);
+
+    Http::fake([
+        'https://example.com/media/story.jpg' => Http::response('<html>error</html>', 200, ['Content-Type' => 'text/html']),
+    ]);
+
+    expect(fn () => $this->publisher->publish($this->postPlatform))
+        ->toThrow(InstagramPublishException::class, 'Failed to process image for story fitting');
+});
+
+test('instagram publisher surfaces a publish exception when the story container fails to create', function () {
+    Storage::fake();
+    $this->postPlatform->update(['content_type' => ContentType::InstagramStory]);
+
+    $this->post->update([
+        'media' => [
+            [
+                'id' => 'test-media-story',
+                'path' => 'media/story.jpg',
+                'url' => 'https://example.com/media/story.jpg',
+                'mime_type' => 'image/jpeg',
+                'original_filename' => 'story.jpg',
+            ],
+        ],
+    ]);
+
+    Http::fake([
+        'https://example.com/media/story.jpg' => Http::response(fakeJpegBytes(1200, 800), 200),
+        'https://graph.instagram.com/v25.0/ig_123456789/media' => Http::response(['error' => ['message' => 'Invalid media', 'code' => 100]], 400),
+    ]);
+
+    expect(fn () => $this->publisher->publish($this->postPlatform))
+        ->toThrow(InstagramPublishException::class);
+});
+
+test('instagram publisher does not leak the fitted temp file when hosting the story image fails', function () {
+    $this->postPlatform->update(['content_type' => ContentType::InstagramStory]);
+
+    $this->post->update([
+        'media' => [
+            [
+                'id' => 'test-media-story',
+                'path' => 'media/story.jpg',
+                'url' => 'https://example.com/media/story.jpg',
+                'mime_type' => 'image/jpeg',
+                'original_filename' => 'story.jpg',
+            ],
+        ],
+    ]);
+
+    Http::fake([
+        'https://example.com/media/story.jpg' => Http::response(fakeJpegBytes(1200, 800), 200),
+    ]);
+
+    $fittedPath = null;
+    $mockOptimizer = Mockery::mock(MediaOptimizer::class);
+    $mockOptimizer->shouldReceive('fitToCanvas')->once()->andReturnUsing(function (string $tempFile) use (&$fittedPath) {
+        $fittedPath = tempnam(sys_get_temp_dir(), 'media_fit_');
+        copy($tempFile, $fittedPath);
+
+        return $fittedPath;
+    });
+    app()->instance(MediaOptimizer::class, $mockOptimizer);
+
+    Storage::shouldReceive('put')->once()->andThrow(new RuntimeException('disk full'));
+
+    expect(fn () => $this->publisher->publish($this->postPlatform))->toThrow(RuntimeException::class);
+
+    expect($fittedPath)->not->toBeNull()
+        ->and(file_exists($fittedPath))->toBeFalse();
+});
+
 test('instagram publisher can publish video story', function () {
     $this->postPlatform->update(['content_type' => ContentType::InstagramStory]);
 
@@ -814,6 +939,42 @@ function fakeJpegBytes(int $width = 1200, int $height = 800): string
         ->toThrow(InstagramPublishException::class, 'Failed to download image for cropping');
 });
 
+test('story image throws when the source image cannot be downloaded for fitting', function () {
+    Storage::fake();
+
+    $this->postPlatform->update(['content_type' => ContentType::InstagramStory]);
+    $this->post->update([
+        'media' => [
+            ['id' => 'm1', 'path' => 'media/a.jpg', 'url' => 'https://example.com/media/a.jpg', 'mime_type' => 'image/jpeg', 'original_filename' => 'a.jpg'],
+        ],
+    ]);
+
+    Http::fake([
+        'https://example.com/media/a.jpg' => Http::response('', 404),
+    ]);
+
+    expect(fn () => $this->publisher->publish($this->postPlatform))
+        ->toThrow(InstagramPublishException::class, 'Failed to download image for story fitting');
+});
+
+test('feed image throws a clean exception when the crop source is not decodable', function () {
+    Storage::fake();
+
+    $this->postPlatform->update(['meta' => ['aspect_ratio' => '4:5']]);
+    $this->post->update([
+        'media' => [
+            ['id' => 'm1', 'path' => 'media/a.jpg', 'url' => 'https://example.com/media/a.jpg', 'mime_type' => 'image/jpeg', 'original_filename' => 'a.jpg'],
+        ],
+    ]);
+
+    Http::fake([
+        'https://example.com/media/a.jpg' => Http::response('<html>error</html>', 200, ['Content-Type' => 'text/html']),
+    ]);
+
+    expect(fn () => $this->publisher->publish($this->postPlatform))
+        ->toThrow(InstagramPublishException::class, 'Failed to process image for cropping');
+});
+
 test('feed image with original aspect ratio bypasses crop', function () {
     Storage::fake();
 
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Services/Media/MediaOptimizerTest.php b/tests/Unit/Services/Media/MediaOptimizerTest.php
index 76088578..44b982fd 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/Services/Media/MediaOptimizerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/Services/Media/MediaOptimizerTest.php
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@
 use Intervention\Image\Drivers\Gd\Driver;
 use Intervention\Image\ImageManager;
 
-function createTestImage(int $width, int $height, string $format = 'image/jpeg'): string
+function createTestImage(int $width, int $height, string $format = 'image/jpeg', string $fill = 'cccccc'): string
 {
     $manager = new ImageManager(Driver::class);
-    $image = $manager->createImage($width, $height)->fill('cccccc');
+    $image = $manager->createImage($width, $height)->fill($fill);
     $tempFile = tempnam(sys_get_temp_dir(), 'test_img_');
     $encoded = $image->encodeUsingMediaType($format);
     file_put_contents($tempFile, (string) $encoded);
@@ -18,6 +18,21 @@ function createTestImage(int $width, int $height, string $format = 'image/jpeg')
     return $tempFile;
 }
 
+/**
+ * A valid PNG header declaring huge dimensions with no pixel data: getimagesize
+ * reads the size cheaply, so the memory-budget guard fires without allocating a
+ * multi-gigabyte GD buffer.
+ */
+function createHugeHeaderImage(int $width, int $height): string
+{
+    $ihdr = pack('N', $width).pack('N', $height)."\x08\x02\x00\x00\x00";
+    $png = "\x89PNG\r\n\x1a\n".pack('N', 13).'IHDR'.$ihdr.pack('N', 0);
+    $tempFile = tempnam(sys_get_temp_dir(), 'huge_hdr_');
+    file_put_contents($tempFile, $png);
+
+    return $tempFile;
+}
+
 $tempFiles = [];
 
 afterEach(function () use (&$tempFiles) {
@@ -214,8 +229,8 @@ function createTestImage(int $width, int $height, string $format = 'image/jpeg')
     expect($cropped->height())->toBe(800);
 });
 
-it('fits a wide image into a 9:16 canvas (blurred background, no crop)', function () use (&$tempFiles) {
-    $source = createTestImage(1200, 900); // 4:3
+it('fills the gaps with a darkened image-derived background, never a black letterbox', function () use (&$tempFiles) {
+    $source = createTestImage(1200, 900, 'image/jpeg', 'ff0000'); // 4:3 red, wider than 9:16
     $tempFiles[] = $source;
 
     $optimizer = new MediaOptimizer;
@@ -227,10 +242,20 @@ function createTestImage(int $width, int $height, string $format = 'image/jpeg')
 
     expect($out->width())->toBe(1080)
         ->and($out->height())->toBe(1920);
+
+    // A 4:3 image is letterboxed top & bottom on a 9:16 canvas. The band must be
+    // a darkened copy of the red image, not a black bar, and darker than the
+    // centered foreground on top of it.
+    $band = $out->colorAt(540, 40);        // top background band
+    $foreground = $out->colorAt(540, 960); // centered image
+
+    expect($band->red()->value())->toBeGreaterThan(120)
+        ->and($band->red()->value())->toBeGreaterThan($band->green()->value() + 60)
+        ->and($foreground->red()->value())->toBeGreaterThan($band->red()->value());
 });
 
-it('does not letterbox an image that already matches the canvas ratio', function () use (&$tempFiles) {
-    $source = createTestImage(1080, 1920); // already 9:16
+it('scales an already-9:16 image down to the canvas with no letterbox band', function () use (&$tempFiles) {
+    $source = createTestImage(2160, 3840, 'image/jpeg', 'ff0000'); // already 9:16, larger than canvas
     $tempFiles[] = $source;
 
     $optimizer = new MediaOptimizer;
@@ -240,6 +265,42 @@ function createTestImage(int $width, int $height, string $format = 'image/jpeg')
     $manager = new ImageManager(Driver::class);
     $out = $manager->decodePath($result);
 
-    $ratio = $out->width() / $out->height();
-    expect(abs($ratio - 9 / 16))->toBeLessThan(0.01);
+    // Scaled down to the exact canvas, and no darkened band was added: a corner
+    // (background region for the fit path) matches the centre.
+    $corner = $out->colorAt(0, 0);
+    $center = $out->colorAt(540, 960);
+
+    expect($out->width())->toBe(1080)
+        ->and($out->height())->toBe(1920)
+        ->and(abs($corner->red()->value() - $center->red()->value()))->toBeLessThan(10);
+});
+
+it('throws when the source bytes are not a decodable image', function () use (&$tempFiles) {
+    $bad = tempnam(sys_get_temp_dir(), 'bad_fit_');
+    file_put_contents($bad, '<html>404 not found</html>');
+    $tempFiles[] = $bad;
+
+    $optimizer = new MediaOptimizer;
+
+    expect(fn () => $optimizer->fitToCanvas($bad, 1080, 1920))->toThrow(Exception::class);
+});
+
+it('refuses to fit an image whose dimensions exceed the memory budget', function () use (&$tempFiles) {
+    $huge = createHugeHeaderImage(20000, 20000);
+    $tempFiles[] = $huge;
+
+    $optimizer = new MediaOptimizer;
+
+    expect(fn () => $optimizer->fitToCanvas($huge, 1080, 1920))
+        ->toThrow(RuntimeException::class, 'exceed the safe processing budget');
+});
+
+it('refuses to crop an image whose dimensions exceed the memory budget', function () use (&$tempFiles) {
+    $huge = createHugeHeaderImage(20000, 20000);
+    $tempFiles[] = $huge;
+
+    $optimizer = new MediaOptimizer;
+
+    expect(fn () => $optimizer->cropToAspectRatio($huge, 0.8))
+        ->toThrow(RuntimeException::class, 'exceed the safe processing budget');
 });