diff --git a/src/Controller/DeviceImageController.php b/src/Controller/DeviceImageController.php
index 15226d1..e622c72 100644
--- a/src/Controller/DeviceImageController.php
+++ b/src/Controller/DeviceImageController.php
@@ -170,12 +170,24 @@ class DeviceImageController extends AbstractController
         //   3. Schedule says due (the normal case).
         //
         // Timer wakes after first-image otherwise stay schedule-gated.
-        $bootReason = strtolower((string) $request->headers->get('X-Boot-Reason', ''));
-        $forceResync = ($bootReason === 'cold');
+        //
+        // Recovery override: X-Draw-Pending: 1 means the device's drawNeeded
+        // NVS flag survived a power-loss-during-draw. We give it back its
+        // own current image so the firmware can finish repainting from its
+        // cached /img.bin. This explicitly overrides the cold-boot
+        // force-resync, because the typical interrupted-draw cause IS a
+        // reset that turns the next wake into a cold boot — without this
+        // bypass, force-resync chases a fresh image every interruption and
+        // the device churns through the rotation leaving torn frames.
+        $bootReason     = strtolower((string) $request->headers->get('X-Boot-Reason', ''));
+        $forceResync    = ($bootReason === 'cold');
         $wantsBootstrap = $currentImageId < 0;
+        $drawPending    = $request->headers->get('X-Draw-Pending') === '1';
 
         if ($device->getLockedImage() !== null) {
             $image = $device->getLockedImage();
+        } elseif ($drawPending) {
+            $image = $device->getCurrentImage();
         } elseif ($forceResync || $wantsBootstrap || $this->rotation->isDue($device)) {
             $image = $this->rotation->advance($device);
         } else {
diff --git a/tests/Functional/Controller/DeviceImageControllerTest.php b/tests/Functional/Controller/DeviceImageControllerTest.php
index d12404e..2db96f7 100644
--- a/tests/Functional/Controller/DeviceImageControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Functional/Controller/DeviceImageControllerTest.php
@@ -437,6 +437,97 @@ class DeviceImageControllerTest extends AppWebTestCase
         );
     }
 
+    // RECOVERY HANDSHAKE: X-Draw-Pending: 1 says the device is mid-recovery
+    // from a power-loss-during-draw. Even on a cold boot, the server MUST
+    // suppress rotation advancement and return the device's current image,
+    // so the firmware can repaint from its cached /img.bin instead of
+    // chasing a fresh image every reset. Without this override, force-
+    // resync defeats the firmware's drawNeeded recovery branch and the
+    // device churns through the pool leaving torn frames on the panel.
+    public function test_draw_pending_overrides_cold_boot_force_resync(): void
+    {
+        $setup  = $this->createTestSetup();
+        $device = $setup['device'];
+
+        // Land a first image so the device has a current_image set.
+        $this->client->request('GET', '/api/device/' . self::MAC . '/image');
+        $this->assertResponseStatusCodeSame(200);
+        $imageId = $this->client->getResponse()->headers->get('X-Image-Id');
+
+        // Sanity-check the no-pending path: a cold boot at this point WILL
+        // force-resync (this is the very behavior the pending header overrides).
+        $beforeColdNoPending = $this->countHistory($device);
+        $this->client->request('GET', '/api/device/' . self::MAC . '/image', [], [], [
+            'HTTP_X_Boot_Reason'      => 'cold',
+            'HTTP_X_Current_Image_Id' => $imageId,
+        ]);
+        $afterColdNoPending = $this->countHistory($device);
+        $this->assertSame(
+            $beforeColdNoPending + 1,
+            $afterColdNoPending,
+            'sanity: bare cold-boot must force-resync (baseline for the override below)',
+        );
+
+        // The actual feature: cold boot + X-Draw-Pending must NOT advance.
+        // Rotation advancement is what writes device_image_history rows, so
+        // an unchanged count is the proof that advance() was skipped.
+        $imageIdAfterFirstCold = $this->client->getResponse()->headers->get('X-Image-Id');
+        $beforePending = $this->countHistory($device);
+        $this->client->request('GET', '/api/device/' . self::MAC . '/image', [], [], [
+            'HTTP_X_Boot_Reason'      => 'cold',
+            'HTTP_X_Current_Image_Id' => $imageIdAfterFirstCold,
+            'HTTP_X_Draw_Pending'     => '1',
+        ]);
+        $afterPending = $this->countHistory($device);
+
+        $this->assertSame(
+            $beforePending,
+            $afterPending,
+            'X-Draw-Pending must override cold-boot force-resync — no advance, no new history row',
+        );
+        $this->assertResponseStatusCodeSame(
+            304,
+            'with draw-pending, the device gets its current image back as 304 (it already has the bytes)',
+        );
+    }
+
+    // RECOVERY HANDSHAKE: X-Draw-Pending must also suppress the normal
+    // schedule-based rotation. The device is asking to redraw what it has,
+    // not for a fresh image — regardless of whether the schedule is due.
+    public function test_draw_pending_overrides_due_schedule(): void
+    {
+        $setup  = $this->createTestSetup();
+        $device = $setup['device'];
+
+        // Establish current image, then make the schedule "always due"
+        // (rotation interval of 0 means every poll is past-due).
+        $this->client->request('GET', '/api/device/' . self::MAC . '/image');
+        $this->assertResponseStatusCodeSame(200);
+        $imageId = $this->client->getResponse()->headers->get('X-Image-Id');
+        $device->setRotationIntervalMinutes(1);
+        $this->em()->flush();
+        // Backdate the served_at so isDue() reports true on the next poll.
+        $this->em()->getConnection()->executeStatement(
+            'UPDATE device_image_history SET served_at = served_at - INTERVAL \'1 hour\' WHERE device_id = :id',
+            ['id' => $device->getId()],
+        );
+
+        $before = $this->countHistory($device);
+        $this->client->request('GET', '/api/device/' . self::MAC . '/image', [], [], [
+            'HTTP_X_Boot_Reason'      => 'timer',
+            'HTTP_X_Current_Image_Id' => $imageId,
+            'HTTP_X_Draw_Pending'     => '1',
+        ]);
+        $after = $this->countHistory($device);
+
+        $this->assertSame(
+            $before,
+            $after,
+            'draw-pending must skip rotation even when the schedule reports due — no advance, no new history row',
+        );
+        $this->assertResponseStatusCodeSame(304);
+    }
+
     private function countHistory(\App\Entity\Device $device): int
     {
         return (int) $this->em()