diff --git a/Services/LayoutStore.Migrations.cs b/Services/LayoutStore.Migrations.cs
index ab598aa..0bfe92b 100644
--- a/Services/LayoutStore.Migrations.cs
+++ b/Services/LayoutStore.Migrations.cs
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ public partial class LayoutStore : IDisposable
         MigrateSocialEntryTable();
         if (GetUserVersion() < 3)
             MigrateToV3();
+        EnsureLayoutSnapshotSchema();
         using (var cmd = _connection.CreateCommand())
         {
             cmd.CommandText = "PRAGMA user_version = 10;";
diff --git a/Services/LayoutStore.Save.cs b/Services/LayoutStore.Save.cs
index 8d60d8e..e114d5f 100644
--- a/Services/LayoutStore.Save.cs
+++ b/Services/LayoutStore.Save.cs
@@ -434,10 +434,16 @@ public partial class LayoutStore : IDisposable
                 DELETE FROM Asset WHERE Id NOT IN (
                     SELECT AssetId FROM Source WHERE AssetId IS NOT NULL
                     UNION
+                    SELECT AssetId FROM DefaultSource WHERE AssetId IS NOT NULL
+                    UNION
                     SELECT ThumbnailAssetId FROM Scene WHERE ThumbnailAssetId IS NOT NULL
                     UNION
+                    SELECT ThumbnailAssetId FROM DefaultScene WHERE ThumbnailAssetId IS NOT NULL
+                    UNION
                     SELECT AlertVideoAssetId FROM Source WHERE AlertVideoAssetId IS NOT NULL
                     UNION
+                    SELECT AlertVideoAssetId FROM DefaultSource WHERE AlertVideoAssetId IS NOT NULL
+                    UNION
                     SELECT Value FROM Settings WHERE Key = 'AlertDefaultVideoAssetId'
                     UNION
                     SELECT Value FROM Settings WHERE Key = 'OnAirImageAssetId'
diff --git a/Services/LayoutStore.Snapshots.cs b/Services/LayoutStore.Snapshots.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3846174
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Services/LayoutStore.Snapshots.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+using Microsoft.Data.Sqlite;
+
+namespace ytLive.Services;
+
+public partial class LayoutStore : IDisposable
+{
+    private static readonly string[] SnapshotTables =
+    {
+        "Scene", "Source", "Webcam", "WebcamSceneConfig", "Socials", "SocialEntry", "Music",
+    };
+
+    private const string DefaultsInitializedKey = "DefaultsInitialized";
+    private const string CurrentBuildIdKey = "CurrentBuildId";
+
+    private void EnsureLayoutSnapshotSchema()
+    {
+        using (var cmd = _connection.CreateCommand())
+        {
+            cmd.CommandText = """
+                CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS LayoutSnapshotState (
+                    Key TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+                    Value TEXT NOT NULL
+                );
+                CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS DefaultLayoutSetting (
+                    Key TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+                    Value TEXT NOT NULL
+                );
+                """;
+            cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
+        }
+
+        foreach (var table in SnapshotTables)
+        {
+            var snapshotTable = "Default" + table;
+            using (var create = _connection.CreateCommand())
+            {
+                create.CommandText = $"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS {snapshotTable} AS SELECT * FROM {table} WHERE 0;";
+                create.ExecuteNonQuery();
+            }
+
+            var snapshotColumns = ReadColumnNames(snapshotTable);
+            foreach (var (name, type, defaultValue) in ReadColumnDefinitions(table))
+            {
+                if (snapshotColumns.Contains(name, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) continue;
+                var definition = string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(type) ? "BLOB" : type;
+                if (defaultValue != null) definition += " DEFAULT " + defaultValue;
+                using var add = _connection.CreateCommand();
+                add.CommandText = $"ALTER TABLE {snapshotTable} ADD COLUMN {QuoteIdentifier(name)} {definition};";
+                add.ExecuteNonQuery();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>Captures the installed layout once as the immutable branded default. Existing databases
+    /// are snapshotted before MainViewModel loads them; a fresh database calls
+    /// <see cref="CaptureDefaultsIfMissing"/> after its factory scenes have been seeded.</summary>
+    public void PrepareLayoutSnapshots(string buildId)
+    {
+        if (GetSnapshotState(DefaultsInitializedKey) != "1" && HasStoredScenes())
+            CaptureDefaults();
+
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(GetSnapshotState(CurrentBuildIdKey)))
+            SetSnapshotState(CurrentBuildIdKey, buildId);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>Seeds the default snapshot after the first-run factory layout has been persisted.</summary>
+    public void CaptureDefaultsIfMissing()
+    {
+        if (GetSnapshotState(DefaultsInitializedKey) != "1")
+            CaptureDefaults();
+    }
+
+    private void CaptureDefaults()
+    {
+        var columnsByTable = SnapshotTables.ToDictionary(table => table, ReadColumnNames);
+        using var tx = _connection.BeginTransaction();
+        foreach (var table in SnapshotTables.Reverse())
+        {
+            using var delete = _connection.CreateCommand();
+            delete.Transaction = tx;
+            delete.CommandText = $"DELETE FROM Default{table};";
+            delete.ExecuteNonQuery();
+        }
+
+        foreach (var table in SnapshotTables)
+        {
+            var columns = string.Join(", ", columnsByTable[table].Select(QuoteIdentifier));
+            using var copy = _connection.CreateCommand();
+            copy.Transaction = tx;
+            copy.CommandText = $"INSERT INTO Default{table} ({columns}) SELECT {columns} FROM {table};";
+            copy.ExecuteNonQuery();
+        }
+
+        using (var clearSettings = _connection.CreateCommand())
+        {
+            clearSettings.Transaction = tx;
+            clearSettings.CommandText = "DELETE FROM DefaultLayoutSetting;";
+            clearSettings.ExecuteNonQuery();
+        }
+        using (var copySettings = _connection.CreateCommand())
+        {
+            copySettings.Transaction = tx;
+            copySettings.CommandText = """
+                INSERT INTO DefaultLayoutSetting (Key, Value)
+                SELECT Key, Value FROM Settings
+                WHERE Key LIKE 'BackgroundPath_%' OR Key LIKE 'BackgroundUseDefault_%';
+                """;
+            copySettings.ExecuteNonQuery();
+        }
+
+        using (var state = _connection.CreateCommand())
+        {
+            state.Transaction = tx;
+            state.CommandText = """
+                INSERT INTO LayoutSnapshotState (Key, Value) VALUES ($key, '1')
+                ON CONFLICT(Key) DO UPDATE SET Value = excluded.Value;
+                """;
+            state.Parameters.AddWithValue("$key", DefaultsInitializedKey);
+            state.ExecuteNonQuery();
+        }
+        tx.Commit();
+    }
+
+    private bool HasStoredScenes()
+    {
+        using var cmd = _connection.CreateCommand();
+        cmd.CommandText = "SELECT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM Scene LIMIT 1);";
+        return Convert.ToInt32(cmd.ExecuteScalar()) != 0;
+    }
+
+    private string? GetSnapshotState(string key)
+    {
+        using var cmd = _connection.CreateCommand();
+        cmd.CommandText = "SELECT Value FROM LayoutSnapshotState WHERE Key = $key;";
+        cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("$key", key);
+        return cmd.ExecuteScalar() as string;
+    }
+
+    private void SetSnapshotState(string key, string value)
+    {
+        using var cmd = _connection.CreateCommand();
+        cmd.CommandText = """
+            INSERT INTO LayoutSnapshotState (Key, Value) VALUES ($key, $value)
+            ON CONFLICT(Key) DO UPDATE SET Value = excluded.Value;
+            """;
+        cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("$key", key);
+        cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("$value", value);
+        cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
+    }
+
+    private List<string> ReadColumnNames(string table)
+        => ReadColumnDefinitions(table).Select(column => column.Name).ToList();
+
+    private List<(string Name, string Type, string? DefaultValue)> ReadColumnDefinitions(string table)
+    {
+        var columns = new List<(string, string, string?)>();
+        using var cmd = _connection.CreateCommand();
+        cmd.CommandText = $"PRAGMA table_info({table});";
+        using var reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
+        while (reader.Read())
+            columns.Add((reader.GetString(1), reader.IsDBNull(2) ? string.Empty : reader.GetString(2),
+                reader.IsDBNull(4) ? null : reader.GetString(4)));
+        return columns;
+    }
+
+    private static string QuoteIdentifier(string identifier)
+        => "\"" + identifier.Replace("\"", "\"\"") + "\"";
+}
diff --git a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
index ec1cbe6..b5c31f6 100644
--- a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
+++ b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
@@ -514,9 +514,11 @@ public partial class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
     private void LoadLayout()
     {
         _isLoading = true;
+        var seededFactoryLayout = false;
         try
         {
             AppLog.Write("LoadLayout begin");
+            _layoutStore.PrepareLayoutSnapshots(Helpers.BuildStamp.Id);
             var scenes = _layoutStore.Load();
             Scenes.Clear();
             foreach (var scene in scenes)
@@ -526,6 +528,7 @@ public partial class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
             {
                 foreach (var name in SceneCatalog.All)
                     AddScene(name);
+                seededFactoryLayout = true;
             }
             ReorderScenesToCanonical();
             HealBackgrounds();
@@ -582,6 +585,12 @@ public partial class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
         LoadClipSettings();
         BroadcastForm.Load();
 
+        if (seededFactoryLayout)
+        {
+            SaveLayoutNow();
+            _layoutStore.CaptureDefaultsIfMissing();
+        }
+
         ScheduleSave();
         AppLog.Write("LoadLayout end");
     }
diff --git a/ytLive.Tests/LayoutStoreSnapshotTests.cs b/ytLive.Tests/LayoutStoreSnapshotTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc17c4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ytLive.Tests/LayoutStoreSnapshotTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+using System;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Linq;
+using Microsoft.Data.Sqlite;
+using Xunit;
+using ytLive.Models;
+using ytLive.Services;
+
+namespace ytLive.Tests;
+
+public sealed class LayoutStoreSnapshotTests
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public void SameBuild_OpensCurrentLayout_WithoutChangingDefaultSnapshot()
+    {
+        var path = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), $"ytLlive-layout-snapshot-{Guid.NewGuid():N}.db");
+        const string buildId = "build-a";
+        try
+        {
+            using (var store = new LayoutStore(path))
+            {
+                var factory = MakeScene("Factory title");
+                store.Save(new[] { factory }, null, null);
+                store.PrepareLayoutSnapshots(buildId);
+
+                store.Save(new[] { MakeScene("Creator edit") }, null, null);
+            }
+
+            using (var reopened = new LayoutStore(path))
+            {
+                reopened.PrepareLayoutSnapshots(buildId);
+                var current = Assert.Single(reopened.Load());
+                Assert.Equal("Creator edit", Assert.Single(current.Elements.OfType<Source>()).Name);
+
+                using var connection = GetConnection(path);
+                using var command = connection.CreateCommand();
+                command.CommandText = "SELECT Value FROM LayoutSnapshotState WHERE Key = 'CurrentBuildId';";
+                Assert.Equal(buildId, command.ExecuteScalar());
+
+                command.CommandText = "SELECT Name FROM DefaultSource;";
+                Assert.Equal("Factory title", command.ExecuteScalar());
+            }
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            SqliteConnection.ClearAllPools();
+            try { File.Delete(path); } catch { /* best-effort cleanup */ }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static Scene MakeScene(string sourceName)
+        => new()
+        {
+            Name = SceneCatalog.Starting,
+            Elements = { new Source { Name = sourceName, Type = SourceType.TextOverlay } },
+        };
+
+    private static SqliteConnection GetConnection(string path)
+    {
+        var connection = new SqliteConnection($"Data Source={path}");
+        connection.Open();
+        return connection;
+    }
+}