diff --git a/src/app.css b/src/app.css
index 76440c5..912d602 100644
--- a/src/app.css
+++ b/src/app.css
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 	--shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06), 0 4px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
 	--page-line: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.18);
 	--grid-line: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
+	--grid-line-minor: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.028);
 	--ghost: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.045);
 	--ghost-border: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12);
 	--radius: 6px;
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@
 	--shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3), 0 6px 20px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.35);
 	--page-line: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.16);
 	--grid-line: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04);
+	--grid-line-minor: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.022);
 	--ghost: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04);
 	--ghost-border: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.14);
 	color-scheme: dark;
diff --git a/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte b/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte
index 5b2b27f..4746268 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte
@@ -30,11 +30,28 @@
 	let stage: HTMLDivElement;
 	const cssVars = pageCssVars();
 
-	// Background grid: one cell per active page, aligned to its edges (A4 at the origin if none).
-	const grid = $derived.by(() => {
+	// Background grid: one cell per active page, aligned to its edges (A4 at the origin if none),
+	// optionally split into fainter subdivisions.
+	const gridStyle = $derived.by(() => {
+		const g = settings.data.grid;
+		if (!g.show) return '';
 		const r = (doc.activeId && doc.rects.get(doc.activeId)) || { x: 0, y: 0, ...A4 };
 		const s = viewport.scale;
-		return { w: r.width * s, h: r.height * s, x: viewport.x + r.x * s, y: viewport.y + r.y * s };
+		const w = r.width * s;
+		const h = r.height * s;
+		const lines = (color: string) => [
+			`linear-gradient(to right, ${color} 1px, transparent 1px)`,
+			`linear-gradient(to bottom, ${color} 1px, transparent 1px)`
+		];
+		const images = lines('var(--grid-line)');
+		const sizes = [`${w}px ${h}px`, `${w}px ${h}px`];
+		// Leave out subdivisions once they'd be too dense to read.
+		const n = g.divisions;
+		if (n > 1 && Math.min(w, h) / n >= 8) {
+			images.push(...lines('var(--grid-line-minor)'));
+			sizes.push(`${w / n}px ${h / n}px`, `${w / n}px ${h / n}px`);
+		}
+		return `background-image: ${images.join(', ')}; background-size: ${sizes.join(', ')}; background-position: ${viewport.x + r.x * s}px ${viewport.y + r.y * s}px`;
 	});
 
 	// ---- autosave --------------------------------------------------------
@@ -605,7 +622,7 @@
 		class:panning
 		class:erasing={tools.tool === 'eraser'}
 		bind:this={stage}
-		style="background-size: {grid.w}px {grid.h}px; background-position: {grid.x}px {grid.y}px"
+		style={gridStyle}
 		onpointerdown={onPointerDown}
 		onpointermove={onPointerMove}
 		onpointerup={onPointerUp}
@@ -760,9 +777,6 @@
 		user-select: none;
 		-webkit-user-select: none;
 		background-color: var(--bg-canvas);
-		background-image:
-			linear-gradient(to right, var(--grid-line) 1px, transparent 1px),
-			linear-gradient(to bottom, var(--grid-line) 1px, transparent 1px);
 	}
 	.stage :global(.cm-content) {
 		user-select: text;
diff --git a/src/lib/components/SettingsModal.svelte b/src/lib/components/SettingsModal.svelte
index 6b92676..9c8f886 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/SettingsModal.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/SettingsModal.svelte
@@ -83,6 +83,20 @@
 						<option value="paper">Paper</option>
 					</select>
 				</div>
+				<div class="row">
+					<div><div class="name">Background grid</div><div class="desc">Faint lines behind the pages, one cell per active page.</div></div>
+					<input type="checkbox" class="toggle" bind:checked={s.grid.show} onchange={save} />
+				</div>
+				<div class="row">
+					<div><div class="name">Grid subdivisions</div><div class="desc">Split each page-sized cell into a finer grid for sketching and lining things up.</div></div>
+					<select bind:value={s.grid.divisions} onchange={save} disabled={!s.grid.show}>
+						<option value={1}>None</option>
+						<option value={2}>2 × 2</option>
+						<option value={4}>4 × 4</option>
+						<option value={8}>8 × 8</option>
+						<option value={16}>16 × 16</option>
+					</select>
+				</div>
 			{:else if tab === 'input'}
 				<h2>Pen &amp; touch</h2>
 				<div class="row">
diff --git a/src/lib/state/settings.svelte.ts b/src/lib/state/settings.svelte.ts
index 4fa5724..92cee0b 100644
--- a/src/lib/state/settings.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/lib/state/settings.svelte.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ import { DEFAULT_PALM, type PalmOptions } from '$lib/ink/palm';
 export type ThemePref = 'system' | 'light' | 'dark';
 export type PageStylePref = 'paper' | 'match';
 
+export interface GridSettings {
+	show: boolean;
+	/** Minor lines per page cell side (1 = page-sized cells only). */
+	divisions: number;
+}
+
 export interface GitHubSettings {
 	token: string;
 	owner: string;
@@ -18,6 +24,7 @@ export interface GitHubSettings {
 interface SettingsData {
 	theme: ThemePref;
 	pageStyle: PageStylePref;
+	grid: GridSettings;
 	fingerDraw: boolean;
 	palm: PalmOptions;
 	github: GitHubSettings;
@@ -30,6 +37,7 @@ interface SettingsData {
 const DEFAULTS: SettingsData = {
 	theme: 'system',
 	pageStyle: 'match',
+	grid: { show: true, divisions: 1 },
 	fingerDraw: true,
 	palm: DEFAULT_PALM,
 	github: { token: '', owner: '', repo: '', branch: 'main', dir: '' },
@@ -48,6 +56,7 @@ function load(): SettingsData {
 		return {
 			...DEFAULTS,
 			...saved,
+			grid: { ...DEFAULTS.grid, ...saved.grid },
 			palm: { ...DEFAULTS.palm, ...saved.palm },
 			github: { ...DEFAULTS.github, ...saved.github }
 		};