diff --git a/web/app.js b/web/app.js
index ed7feb8..a47fd7b 100644
--- a/web/app.js
+++ b/web/app.js
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@ const state = {
   dungeons: [],
   current: null,
   floorIndex: 0,
-  tool: "route",         // "route" | "pull" | "note"
+  tool: "route",         // "route" | "pull" | "note" | "text"
   routes: {},            // { key: [{x,y}] }   image-pixel coords
   pulls: {},             // { key: [{x,y}] }
-  notes: {},             // { key: [{x,y,text}] }
+  notes: {},             // { key: [{x,y,text}] } — `i` pin, hover-only
+  texts: {},             // { key: [{x,y,text}] } — always-visible label, no icon
   history: [],
   drag: null,
   view: { scale: 1, tx: 0, ty: 0 },
@@ -209,6 +210,10 @@ function renderOverlay() {
   const notes = state.notes[key] || [];
   notes.forEach((n, i) => svg.appendChild(makeNotePin(n, i)));
 
+  // Always-visible freetext labels
+  const texts = state.texts[key] || [];
+  texts.forEach((it, i) => svg.appendChild(makeTextLabel(it, i)));
+
   svg.onclick = onCanvasClick;
 }
 
@@ -234,28 +239,7 @@ function makeNotePin(note, idx) {
   i.textContent = "i";
   g.appendChild(i);
 
-  // Always-visible label: text rendered next to the pin in image-pixel
-  // space, with a dark stroke for readability over the parchment.
-  if (note.text) {
-    const label = document.createElementNS(SVG_NS, "text");
-    label.setAttribute("class", "note-label");
-    label.setAttribute("x", 30);  // sits to the right of the circle
-    label.setAttribute("y", 10);
-    label.setAttribute("font-size", "28");
-    label.setAttribute("font-family", "system-ui, sans-serif");
-    label.setAttribute("font-weight", "600");
-    label.setAttribute("fill", "#fff7d6");
-    label.setAttribute("stroke", "#1a1208");
-    label.setAttribute("stroke-width", "5");
-    label.setAttribute("paint-order", "stroke");
-    // Truncate very long text on the SVG side to ~80 chars so it doesn't
-    // overflow the map. The full text is still in the data tooltip.
-    const truncated = note.text.length > 80 ? note.text.slice(0, 77) + "..." : note.text;
-    label.textContent = truncated;
-    g.appendChild(label);
-  }
-
-  // Custom-tooltip data (instant, used by ensureTooltip).
+  // Custom-tooltip data — text only shows on hover for the (i) note.
   g.dataset.tooltip = note.text || "(empty)";
 
   // drag-to-move + right-click delete + double-click to edit text
@@ -307,6 +291,91 @@ function removeNote(idx) {
   updateHash();
 }
 
+/* --- always-visible freetext labels -------------------------------------- */
+function makeTextLabel(item, idx) {
+  const g = document.createElementNS(SVG_NS, "g");
+  g.setAttribute("class", "freetext");
+  g.setAttribute("transform", `translate(${item.x},${item.y})`);
+
+  const text = item.text || "";
+  // Background plate so light/dark areas don't both kill readability.
+  // We measure after first paint via getBBox; provide an initial backdrop
+  // via stroke on the text itself (paint-order: stroke).
+  const t = document.createElementNS(SVG_NS, "text");
+  t.setAttribute("class", "freetext-label");
+  t.setAttribute("font-size", "32");
+  t.setAttribute("font-family", "system-ui, sans-serif");
+  t.setAttribute("font-weight", "700");
+  t.setAttribute("fill", "#fff7d6");
+  t.setAttribute("stroke", "#1a1208");
+  t.setAttribute("stroke-width", "6");
+  t.setAttribute("paint-order", "stroke");
+  t.setAttribute("alignment-baseline", "middle");
+  t.setAttribute("dominant-baseline", "middle");
+  t.setAttribute("y", 8);
+  t.textContent = text || "(empty)";
+  g.appendChild(t);
+
+  // Drag handle — invisible rect over the text bounding region. We can't
+  // size it without measurement, so use a roomy default (will be replaced
+  // by getBBox after insertion).
+  const hit = document.createElementNS(SVG_NS, "rect");
+  hit.setAttribute("class", "freetext-hit");
+  hit.setAttribute("x", -4); hit.setAttribute("y", -22);
+  hit.setAttribute("width", Math.max(40, text.length * 16));
+  hit.setAttribute("height", 44);
+  hit.setAttribute("fill", "transparent");
+  g.appendChild(hit);
+
+  // Drag / right-click delete / dbl-click edit
+  g.addEventListener("pointerdown", (e) => {
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    state.drag = { kind: "text", idx };
+    g.classList.add("dragging");
+    g.setPointerCapture(e.pointerId);
+  });
+  g.addEventListener("pointermove", (e) => {
+    if (!state.drag || state.drag.kind !== "text" || state.drag.idx !== idx) return;
+    const pt = svgPointFromEvent(e);
+    const arr = state.texts[currentKey()];
+    arr[idx].x = pt.x; arr[idx].y = pt.y;
+    g.setAttribute("transform", `translate(${pt.x},${pt.y})`);
+  });
+  g.addEventListener("pointerup", () => {
+    if (!state.drag) return;
+    state.drag = null;
+    g.classList.remove("dragging");
+    pushHistory();
+    updateHash();
+  });
+  g.addEventListener("contextmenu", (e) => {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    removeText(idx);
+  });
+  g.addEventListener("dblclick", (e) => {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    const txt = prompt("Edit label", item.text || "");
+    if (txt !== null) {
+      state.texts[currentKey()][idx].text = txt;
+      pushHistory();
+      renderOverlay();
+      updateHash();
+    }
+  });
+  return g;
+}
+
+function removeText(idx) {
+  const key = currentKey();
+  const arr = state.texts[key];
+  if (!arr) return;
+  arr.splice(idx, 1);
+  pushHistory();
+  renderOverlay();
+  updateHash();
+}
+
 // kg classification IDs:
 //   1 = minor (NPCs, ambient mobs)
 //   2 = standard trash
@@ -447,10 +516,15 @@ function onCanvasClick(e) {
     state.pulls[key] = state.pulls[key] || [];
     state.pulls[key].push(pt);
   } else if (state.tool === "note") {
-    const text = prompt("Note text:", "");
+    const text = prompt("Note text (shown on hover):", "");
     if (text === null) return; // cancel
     state.notes[key] = state.notes[key] || [];
     state.notes[key].push({ x: pt.x, y: pt.y, text: text || "" });
+  } else if (state.tool === "text") {
+    const text = prompt("Label text (always visible):", "");
+    if (text === null) return; // cancel
+    state.texts[key] = state.texts[key] || [];
+    state.texts[key].push({ x: pt.x, y: pt.y, text: text || "" });
   }
   pushHistory();
   renderOverlay();
@@ -674,7 +748,8 @@ function hookCanvasPanZoom() {
 
 function pushHistory() {
   state.history.push(JSON.stringify({
-    routes: state.routes, pulls: state.pulls, notes: state.notes,
+    routes: state.routes, pulls: state.pulls,
+    notes: state.notes, texts: state.texts,
   }));
   if (state.history.length > 200) state.history.shift();
 }
@@ -687,10 +762,12 @@ function undo() {
     state.routes = s.routes;
     state.pulls = s.pulls;
     state.notes = s.notes || {};
+    state.texts = s.texts || {};
   } else {
     state.routes = {};
     state.pulls = {};
     state.notes = {};
+    state.texts = {};
   }
   renderOverlay();
   renderInfoPane();
@@ -702,17 +779,20 @@ function clearCurrent() {
   const r = (state.routes[key] || []).length;
   const p = (state.pulls[key] || []).length;
   const n = (state.notes[key] || []).length;
-  const total = r + p + n;
+  const t = (state.texts[key] || []).length;
+  const total = r + p + n + t;
   if (!total) return;
   const summary = [
     r ? `${r} waypoint${r === 1 ? "" : "s"}` : null,
     p ? `${p} pull marker${p === 1 ? "" : "s"}` : null,
     n ? `${n} note${n === 1 ? "" : "s"}` : null,
+    t ? `${t} label${t === 1 ? "" : "s"}` : null,
   ].filter(Boolean).join(", ");
   if (!confirm(`Clear ${summary} on this floor? This can be undone with Undo.`)) return;
   delete state.routes[key];
   delete state.pulls[key];
   delete state.notes[key];
+  delete state.texts[key];
   pushHistory();
   renderOverlay();
   renderInfoPane();
@@ -825,7 +905,8 @@ async function updateHash() {
     f: state.floorIndex,
     r: flattenPins(state.routes),
     p: flattenPins(state.pulls),
-    n: flattenNotes(state.notes),
+    n: flattenNotes(state.notes),  // hover-only (i) notes
+    t: flattenNotes(state.texts),  // always-visible labels
   };
   const encoded = await encodePayload(payload);
   const hash = "#" + encoded;
@@ -847,6 +928,7 @@ async function loadFromHash() {
     state.routes = inflatePins(p.r);
     state.pulls = inflatePins(p.p);
     state.notes = inflateNotes(p.n);
+    state.texts = inflateNotes(p.t);
     renderViewer();
   } catch (e) {
     console.warn("hash parse failed", e);
@@ -894,7 +976,7 @@ function toast(msg) {
 
 function setTool(tool) {
   state.tool = tool;
-  for (const t of ["route", "pull", "note"]) {
+  for (const t of ["route", "pull", "note", "text"]) {
     const btn = $(`tool-${t}`);
     if (btn) btn.classList.toggle("active", tool === t);
   }
@@ -911,6 +993,8 @@ function hookEvents() {
   $("tool-pull").addEventListener("click", () => setTool("pull"));
   const noteBtn = $("tool-note");
   if (noteBtn) noteBtn.addEventListener("click", () => setTool("note"));
+  const textBtn = $("tool-text");
+  if (textBtn) textBtn.addEventListener("click", () => setTool("text"));
   document.addEventListener("keydown", (e) => {
     if ((e.metaKey || e.ctrlKey) && e.key === "z") {
       e.preventDefault();
diff --git a/web/index.html b/web/index.html
index 3e31dd8..54d601a 100644
--- a/web/index.html
+++ b/web/index.html
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
     <div class="toolbar">
       <button id="tool-route" class="tool active" title="Click map to add waypoints">Route</button>
       <button id="tool-pull" class="tool" title="Click map to drop pull markers">Pull</button>
-      <button id="tool-note" class="tool" title="Click map to drop a note (info icon, hover to read; double-click to edit)">Note</button>
+      <button id="tool-note" class="tool" title="Drop an (i) info icon — text shows on hover">Note</button>
+      <button id="tool-text" class="tool" title="Drop a freetext label — text always visible on the map">Text</button>
       <button id="undo" title="Undo (⌘Z)">Undo</button>
       <button id="clear" title="Clear current floor">Clear</button>
       <button id="share">Share</button>