diff --git a/apps/web/src/reader/CbzReader.tsx b/apps/web/src/reader/CbzReader.tsx
index 1f9c329..b035d40 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/reader/CbzReader.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/reader/CbzReader.tsx
@@ -6,12 +6,74 @@ import { majorityVisiblePage, type ReaderMode } from "./readerScroll";
 import type { ReaderControls } from "./ReaderShell";
 
 type PageCommitStrategy = "immediate" | "queued";
+type PreloadedComicImage = {
+  image: HTMLImageElement;
+  status: "loading" | "loaded" | "error";
+};
+type PreloadPriority = "adjacent" | "deep";
+type VerticalPreloadScheduler = {
+  active: number;
+  generation: number;
+  timer: number | null;
+  queuedPages: Set<number>;
+  queues: Record<PreloadPriority, number[]>;
+};
 
 const VERTICAL_ANCHOR_TOLERANCE_PX = 24;
 const VERTICAL_ANCHOR_STABLE_FRAMES = 18;
 const VERTICAL_ANCHOR_MAX_ATTEMPTS = 180;
 const VERTICAL_INITIAL_SYNC_MAX_ATTEMPTS = 180;
-const VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_CONCURRENCY = 24;
+const VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_CONCURRENCY = 3;
+const VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_DELAY_MS = 100;
+const VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_DEEP_OFFSET = 90;
+const VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_DEEP_SPREAD = [0, 1, -1, 2, -2, 3, -3, 4, -4];
+const VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_PRIORITIES: PreloadPriority[] = ["adjacent", "deep"];
+
+function scheduleReaderFrame(callback: FrameRequestCallback) {
+  if (typeof requestAnimationFrame === "function") return requestAnimationFrame(callback);
+  callback(0);
+  return 0;
+}
+
+function cancelReaderFrame(frameId: number) {
+  if (frameId && typeof cancelAnimationFrame === "function") cancelAnimationFrame(frameId);
+}
+
+function createVerticalPreloadScheduler(): VerticalPreloadScheduler {
+  return {
+    active: 0,
+    generation: 0,
+    timer: null,
+    queuedPages: new Set<number>(),
+    queues: {
+      adjacent: [],
+      deep: []
+    }
+  };
+}
+
+function uniqueReaderPages(pages: Array<number | null>, currentPage: number, pageCount: number) {
+  const seen = new Set<number>();
+  return pages
+    .map((candidate) => (candidate ? clampReaderPage(candidate, pageCount) : null))
+    .filter((candidate): candidate is number => {
+      if (!candidate || candidate === currentPage || seen.has(candidate)) return false;
+      seen.add(candidate);
+      return true;
+    });
+}
+
+function verticalImagePreloadPlan(currentPage: number, pageCount: number) {
+  const deepCenter = clampReaderPage(currentPage + VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_DEEP_OFFSET, pageCount);
+  return {
+    adjacent: uniqueReaderPages([currentPage - 1, currentPage + 1, currentPage + 2], currentPage, pageCount),
+    deep: uniqueReaderPages(
+      VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_DEEP_SPREAD.map((offset) => deepCenter + offset),
+      currentPage,
+      pageCount
+    )
+  };
+}
 
 export function CbzReader({
   bookId,
@@ -40,7 +102,8 @@ export function CbzReader({
   const verticalInitialSyncDoneRef = useRef(false);
   const verticalAnchorAttemptRef = useRef(0);
   const verticalAnchorStableFramesRef = useRef(0);
-  const preloadedImagesRef = useRef(new Map<number, HTMLImageElement>());
+  const preloadedImagesRef = useRef(new Map<number, PreloadedComicImage>());
+  const preloadSchedulerRef = useRef(createVerticalPreloadScheduler());
   const pendingImageSizesRef = useRef<Record<number, ReaderSize>>({});
   const imageSizeFlushFrameRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
   const [pages, setPages] = useState<CbzPagesDto | null>(null);
@@ -98,7 +161,7 @@ export function CbzReader({
   const queueImageSize = useCallback((pageNumber: number, size: ReaderSize) => {
     pendingImageSizesRef.current[pageNumber] = size;
     if (imageSizeFlushFrameRef.current !== null) return;
-    imageSizeFlushFrameRef.current = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+    imageSizeFlushFrameRef.current = scheduleReaderFrame(() => {
       imageSizeFlushFrameRef.current = null;
       const pending = pendingImageSizesRef.current;
       pendingImageSizesRef.current = {};
@@ -116,6 +179,70 @@ export function CbzReader({
       });
     });
   }, []);
+  const drainVerticalPreloadQueue = useCallback(() => {
+    const scheduler = preloadSchedulerRef.current;
+    scheduler.timer = null;
+    if (typeof Image === "undefined") return;
+
+    const nextPage = () => {
+      for (const priority of VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_PRIORITIES) {
+        const pageNumber = scheduler.queues[priority].shift();
+        if (pageNumber) {
+          scheduler.queuedPages.delete(pageNumber);
+          return pageNumber;
+        }
+      }
+      return null;
+    };
+
+    while (scheduler.active < VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_CONCURRENCY) {
+      const pageNumber = nextPage();
+      if (!pageNumber) return;
+      if (preloadedImagesRef.current.has(pageNumber)) continue;
+
+      const generation = scheduler.generation;
+      const image = new Image();
+      preloadedImagesRef.current.set(pageNumber, { image, status: "loading" });
+      scheduler.active += 1;
+      image.decoding = "async";
+      image.loading = "eager";
+      image.onload = () => {
+        if (generation !== scheduler.generation) return;
+        scheduler.active -= 1;
+        preloadedImagesRef.current.set(pageNumber, { image, status: "loaded" });
+        if (image.naturalWidth > 0 && image.naturalHeight > 0) {
+          queueImageSize(pageNumber, { width: image.naturalWidth, height: image.naturalHeight });
+        }
+        drainVerticalPreloadQueue();
+      };
+      image.onerror = () => {
+        if (generation !== scheduler.generation) return;
+        scheduler.active -= 1;
+        preloadedImagesRef.current.set(pageNumber, { image, status: "error" });
+        drainVerticalPreloadQueue();
+      };
+      image.src = api.cbzPageUrl(bookId, pageNumber);
+    }
+  }, [bookId, queueImageSize]);
+  const enqueueVerticalPreload = useCallback(
+    (plan: Record<PreloadPriority, number[]>) => {
+      const scheduler = preloadSchedulerRef.current;
+      for (const priority of VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_PRIORITIES) {
+        if (priority === "deep") {
+          for (const pageNumber of scheduler.queues.deep) scheduler.queuedPages.delete(pageNumber);
+          scheduler.queues.deep = [];
+        }
+        for (const pageNumber of plan[priority]) {
+          if (preloadedImagesRef.current.has(pageNumber) || scheduler.queuedPages.has(pageNumber)) continue;
+          scheduler.queuedPages.add(pageNumber);
+          scheduler.queues[priority].push(pageNumber);
+        }
+      }
+      if (scheduler.timer !== null || scheduler.queuedPages.size === 0) return;
+      scheduler.timer = window.setTimeout(drainVerticalPreloadQueue, VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_DELAY_MS);
+    },
+    [drainVerticalPreloadQueue]
+  );
   const commitVisiblePage = useCallback(
     (stage: HTMLElement, allowInitialCommit = false) => {
       if (!pages || !verticalTrackingReadyRef.current) return;
@@ -219,46 +346,16 @@ export function CbzReader({
     setImageSizes({});
     pendingImageSizesRef.current = {};
     preloadedImagesRef.current.clear();
+    const scheduler = preloadSchedulerRef.current;
+    if (scheduler.timer !== null) window.clearTimeout(scheduler.timer);
+    preloadSchedulerRef.current = createVerticalPreloadScheduler();
+    preloadSchedulerRef.current.generation = scheduler.generation + 1;
   }, [bookId, retryAttempt]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (mode !== "vertical" || !pages || typeof Image === "undefined") return;
-    let cancelled = false;
-    let nextIndex = 0;
-    let active = 0;
-    const pageItems = pages.pages;
-
-    const preloadNext = () => {
-      if (cancelled) return;
-      while (active < VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_CONCURRENCY && nextIndex < pageItems.length) {
-        const item = pageItems[nextIndex];
-        nextIndex += 1;
-        if (preloadedImagesRef.current.has(item.page)) continue;
-        const image = new Image();
-        preloadedImagesRef.current.set(item.page, image);
-        active += 1;
-        image.decoding = "async";
-        image.loading = "eager";
-        image.onload = () => {
-          active -= 1;
-          if (!cancelled && image.naturalWidth > 0 && image.naturalHeight > 0) {
-            queueImageSize(item.page, { width: image.naturalWidth, height: image.naturalHeight });
-          }
-          preloadNext();
-        };
-        image.onerror = () => {
-          active -= 1;
-          preloadNext();
-        };
-        image.src = api.cbzPageUrl(bookId, item.page);
-      }
-    };
-
-    preloadNext();
-    return () => {
-      cancelled = true;
-    };
-  }, [bookId, mode, pages, queueImageSize, retryAttempt]);
+    if (mode !== "vertical" || !pages || typeof Image === "undefined" || !verticalUserScrollRef.current) return;
+    enqueueVerticalPreload(verticalImagePreloadPlan(currentPage, pages.pageCount));
+  }, [currentPage, enqueueVerticalPreload, mode, pages, retryAttempt]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const frame = frameRef.current;
@@ -366,7 +463,7 @@ export function CbzReader({
   useEffect(() => () => clearVerticalInitialSync(), [clearVerticalInitialSync]);
   useEffect(
     () => () => {
-      if (imageSizeFlushFrameRef.current !== null) cancelAnimationFrame(imageSizeFlushFrameRef.current);
+      if (imageSizeFlushFrameRef.current !== null) cancelReaderFrame(imageSizeFlushFrameRef.current);
     },
     []
   );
@@ -421,10 +518,12 @@ export function CbzReader({
               <img
                 src={api.cbzPageUrl(bookId, item.page)}
                 alt={item.name}
-                loading="lazy"
+                fetchPriority={item.page === currentPage ? "high" : "auto"}
+                loading={item.page === currentPage ? "eager" : "lazy"}
                 style={verticalImageStyle(item.page)}
                 onLoad={(event) => {
                   const { naturalWidth, naturalHeight } = event.currentTarget;
+                  preloadedImagesRef.current.set(item.page, { image: event.currentTarget, status: "loaded" });
                   queueImageSize(item.page, { width: naturalWidth, height: naturalHeight });
                 }}
                 onError={() => setPageError(`Page ${item.page} indisponible.`)}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/reader/readerRuntime.test.ts b/apps/web/src/reader/readerRuntime.test.ts
index fd99b2a..ef1ed0c 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/reader/readerRuntime.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/reader/readerRuntime.test.ts
@@ -222,12 +222,20 @@ describe("reader runtime helpers", () => {
     expect(verticalBranch).not.toContain('hidden={!imageSizes[item.page]}');
   });
 
-  it("preloads deep CBZ vertical pages without relying only on browser lazy loading", () => {
+  it("keeps CBZ vertical image loading on the rendered page elements", () => {
     const source = readFileSync(new URL("./CbzReader.tsx", import.meta.url), "utf8");
 
-    expect(source).toContain("VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_CONCURRENCY");
+    expect(source).toContain("VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_CONCURRENCY = 3");
+    expect(source).toContain("VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_DELAY_MS = 100");
+    expect(source).toContain("VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_DEEP_OFFSET = 90");
+    expect(source).toContain('VERTICAL_IMAGE_PRELOAD_PRIORITIES: PreloadPriority[] = ["adjacent", "deep"]');
+    expect(source).toContain("scheduler.queues.deep = []");
+    expect(source).toContain("!verticalUserScrollRef.current");
+    expect(source).toContain("preloadSchedulerRef");
+    expect(source).toContain("verticalImagePreloadPlan");
     expect(source).toContain("new Image()");
-    expect(source).toContain('image.loading = "eager"');
+    expect(source).toContain('fetchPriority={item.page === currentPage ? "high" : "auto"}');
+    expect(source).toContain('loading={item.page === currentPage ? "eager" : "lazy"}');
     expect(source).toContain("queueImageSize");
     expect(source).toContain("if (verticalTrackingReadyRef.current) verticalUserScrollRef.current = true");
   });