diff --git a/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte b/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte
index 0cfdd1f..d401e9b 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/CanvasView.svelte
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@
 	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(() => {
-		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 };
+	// Background grid: world-anchored, stepping up ×4 when zoomed out so lines never get denser than ~12px.
+	const gridStep = $derived.by(() => {
+		let step = 24 * viewport.scale;
+		while (step < 12) step *= 4;
+		return step;
 	});
 
 	// ---- autosave --------------------------------------------------------
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@
 		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="--grid: {gridStep}px; background-position: {viewport.x}px {viewport.y}px"
 		onpointerdown={onPointerDown}
 		onpointermove={onPointerMove}
 		onpointerup={onPointerUp}
@@ -672,6 +672,7 @@
 		background-image:
 			linear-gradient(to right, var(--grid-line) 1px, transparent 1px),
 			linear-gradient(to bottom, var(--grid-line) 1px, transparent 1px);
+		background-size: var(--grid) var(--grid);
 	}
 	.stage :global(.cm-content) {
 		user-select: text;