diff --git a/internal/readme-shots.mjs b/internal/readme-shots.mjs
index 7634567a1..4dec82a45 100644
--- a/internal/readme-shots.mjs
+++ b/internal/readme-shots.mjs
@@ -164,6 +164,25 @@ async function shot(name, path, {
   //   need upstream tiles and have no iframe), the iframe-host shot opts out (it needs its local
   //   frame and loads no tiles of its own).
   if (mapboxReferer) await ctx.setExtraHTTPHeaders({ Referer: 'https://doxa.life/' })
+  // ★ WAIT ON THE MAP ITSELF, NOT A CLOCK (2026-09-26). Every map a page (or any frame in it) creates is
+  // recorded, so the capture can wait until each visible one has its style and tiles loaded AND has
+  // drawn features on OUR layers (sources that are not the basemap's). A fixed 7 s wait shot the
+  // upg-100-list counter over a bare basemap: that leaf paints 9.5-16.5 s in (rega, 3 cold loads at
+  // fc2fa2e4). Same predicate rega measures with (_qa-cycle/rega/upglist-fc2fa2e4/upglist.mjs).
+  await ctx.addInitScript(() => {
+    window.__SHOT_MAPS = []
+    const patch = (x) => {
+      if (!x || !x.Map || x.Map.__shotPatched) return
+      x.Map.__shotPatched = true
+      const ss = x.Map.prototype.setStyle
+      x.Map.prototype.setStyle = function (...a) { if (!window.__SHOT_MAPS.includes(this)) window.__SHOT_MAPS.push(this); return ss.apply(this, a) }
+    }
+    for (const g of ['maplibregl', 'mapboxgl']) {
+      let v = window[g]
+      try { patch(v) } catch (_) {}
+      try { Object.defineProperty(window, g, { configurable: true, get: () => v, set: (x) => { v = x; try { patch(x) } catch (_) {} } }) } catch (_) {}
+    }
+  })
   const page = await ctx.newPage()
   // ★ WAIT FOR THE MAP TO FINISH LOADING, NOT JUST FOR THE PAGE TO EXIST. The element-count guard
   // below proves the UI rendered; it says nothing about map tiles and data, which arrive later. Shots
@@ -178,7 +197,33 @@ async function shot(name, path, {
     await page.goto(url, { waitUntil: 'load', timeout: 45000 })
     if (waitFor) await page.waitForSelector(waitFor, { timeout: 20000 })
     if (before) await before(page)
-    await page.waitForTimeout(wait)
+    // `wait` is now a FLOOR for the UI to settle (at most 3 s); the map readiness below does the rest.
+    // A surface with no map (a card, a grid) waits its full `wait`, since there is nothing to ask.
+    await page.waitForTimeout(Math.min(wait, 3000))
+    const mapState = (frame) => frame.evaluate(() => (window.__SHOT_MAPS || []).map((m) => {
+      try {
+        const c = m.getContainer().getBoundingClientRect()
+        if (c.width < 2 || c.height < 2) return { hidden: true }
+        const st = m.getStyle() || {}
+        // OUR data is GeoJSON; the basemap's sources are vector tiles. Type, not name: a source id can say anything.
+        const own = Object.entries(st.sources || {}).filter(([, src]) => src && src.type === 'geojson').map(([k]) => k)
+        const ids = (st.layers || []).filter((l) => own.includes(l.source) && (l.layout?.visibility ?? 'visible') !== 'none').map((l) => l.id)
+        let drawn = 0
+        try { drawn = ids.length ? m.queryRenderedFeatures({ layers: ids }).length : 0 } catch (_) {}
+        return { style: m.isStyleLoaded(), tiles: m.areTilesLoaded(), ownLayers: ids.length, drawn }
+      } catch (e) { return { err: String(e).slice(0, 80) } }
+    })).catch(() => [])
+    const MAP_CAP_MS = 60000, tMap = Date.now()
+    let maps = []
+    for (;;) {
+      maps = []
+      for (const f of page.frames()) maps.push(...(await mapState(f)))
+      const live = maps.filter((m) => !m.hidden && !m.err)
+      if (!live.length) { if (Date.now() - tMap < 4000) { await page.waitForTimeout(500); continue } await page.waitForTimeout(Math.max(0, wait - 3000)); break }
+      if (live.every((m) => m.style && m.tiles && (m.ownLayers === 0 || m.drawn > 0))) break
+      if (Date.now() - tMap > MAP_CAP_MS) { console.log(`  WARN ${name}: a map was not ready in ${MAP_CAP_MS / 1000}s ${JSON.stringify(live)} — check the image`); break }
+      await page.waitForTimeout(500)
+    }
     const QUIET_MS = 4000, QUIET_MAX_MS = 60000, t0 = Date.now()
     while (!(inflight <= 0 && Date.now() - lastNet >= QUIET_MS)) {
       if (Date.now() - t0 > QUIET_MAX_MS) { console.log(`  WARN ${name}: network never went quiet in ${QUIET_MAX_MS / 1000}s (${inflight} in flight) — check the image`); break }
@@ -257,8 +302,8 @@ await shot('cap3-monolithic-research', `/${TREE_NAME}/doxa-research-map/research
 await shot('cap4-upg100-mfe', `/${TREE_NAME}/my-upg-100-list/upg-100-mfe/index.html`, { wait: 8000 })
 // wait 20000: this leaf PAINTS 9.5-16.5 s after load under swiftshader (rega, 3 cold loads at fc2fa2e4,
 // judged by rendered features on its own layers), and its "195 polys · 27/27 zones · 2107 pins" counter
-// appears BEFORE the paint, so a 7 s wait shot the counter over a bare basemap. Stopgap until the shot
-// waits on the map itself rather than a timer.
+// appears BEFORE the paint, so a 7 s wait shot the counter over a bare basemap. The shot now waits on the
+// map itself (style + tiles + features drawn on our layers, see shot()); `wait` is only a fallback.
 await shot('cap4-upg100-list', `/${TREE_NAME}/my-upg-100-list/upg-100-list/index.html`, { wait: 20000 })
 
 // ---- CAP4's THIRD profile: the poster wall ----