diff --git a/web/app.js b/web/app.js
index 5bf737b..ed7feb8 100644
--- a/web/app.js
+++ b/web/app.js
@@ -223,20 +223,40 @@ function makeNotePin(note, idx) {
   c.setAttribute("stroke", "#1a1208");
   c.setAttribute("stroke-width", "3");
   g.appendChild(c);
-  const t = document.createElementNS(SVG_NS, "text");
-  t.setAttribute("y", 9);
-  t.setAttribute("font-size", "26");
-  t.setAttribute("text-anchor", "middle");
-  t.setAttribute("fill", "#1a1208");
-  t.setAttribute("font-weight", "900");
-  t.setAttribute("font-style", "italic");
-  t.setAttribute("font-family", "Georgia, serif");
-  t.textContent = "i";
-  g.appendChild(t);
+  const i = document.createElementNS(SVG_NS, "text");
+  i.setAttribute("y", 9);
+  i.setAttribute("font-size", "26");
+  i.setAttribute("text-anchor", "middle");
+  i.setAttribute("fill", "#1a1208");
+  i.setAttribute("font-weight", "900");
+  i.setAttribute("font-style", "italic");
+  i.setAttribute("font-family", "Georgia, serif");
+  i.textContent = "i";
+  g.appendChild(i);
 
-  const title = document.createElementNS(SVG_NS, "title");
-  title.textContent = note.text || "(empty)";
-  g.appendChild(title);
+  // 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).
+  g.dataset.tooltip = note.text || "(empty)";
 
   // drag-to-move + right-click delete + double-click to edit text
   g.addEventListener("pointerdown", (e) => {
@@ -325,10 +345,8 @@ function makeEnemyPin(e) {
     t.textContent = "☠";
     g.appendChild(t);
   }
-  const title = document.createElementNS(SVG_NS, "title");
   const tag = cls === 5 ? " (rare)" : (e.skippable ? " (skippable)" : "");
-  title.textContent = e.name + tag;
-  g.appendChild(title);
+  g.dataset.tooltip = e.name + tag;
   return g;
 }
 
@@ -361,9 +379,9 @@ function makeIconMarker(ic) {
     g.appendChild(r);
   }
   if (ic.comment) {
-    const title = document.createElementNS(SVG_NS, "title");
-    title.textContent = ic.comment;
-    g.appendChild(title);
+    g.dataset.tooltip = ic.comment;
+  } else if (ic.type) {
+    g.dataset.tooltip = ic.type;
   }
   return g;
 }
@@ -559,6 +577,60 @@ function zoomBy(factor, anchorX, anchorY) {
   applyView();
 }
 
+/* --- instant tooltip ------------------------------------------------------
+ * SVG <title> uses the OS tooltip with a long delay. We render our own div
+ * so it shows the moment the cursor enters a pin/icon. Driven by a single
+ * pointer listener on #overlay that walks up to find any [data-tooltip].
+ */
+function ensureTooltip() {
+  let el = document.getElementById("custom-tooltip");
+  if (el) return el;
+  el = document.createElement("div");
+  el.id = "custom-tooltip";
+  el.className = "custom-tooltip";
+  document.body.appendChild(el);
+  return el;
+}
+
+function hookTooltip() {
+  const tip = ensureTooltip();
+  const host = $("canvas-host");
+  let activeText = "";
+
+  host.addEventListener("pointermove", (e) => {
+    const target = e.target.closest("[data-tooltip]");
+    if (!target) {
+      tip.classList.remove("show");
+      activeText = "";
+      return;
+    }
+    const text = target.dataset.tooltip;
+    if (!text) {
+      tip.classList.remove("show");
+      return;
+    }
+    if (text !== activeText) {
+      tip.textContent = text;
+      activeText = text;
+    }
+    // Position near cursor, but keep on-screen
+    const pad = 14;
+    let x = e.clientX + pad;
+    let y = e.clientY + pad;
+    const w = tip.offsetWidth, h = tip.offsetHeight;
+    if (x + w + pad > window.innerWidth) x = e.clientX - w - pad;
+    if (y + h + pad > window.innerHeight) y = e.clientY - h - pad;
+    tip.style.left = x + "px";
+    tip.style.top = y + "px";
+    tip.classList.add("show");
+  });
+
+  host.addEventListener("pointerleave", () => {
+    tip.classList.remove("show");
+    activeText = "";
+  });
+}
+
 function hookCanvasPanZoom() {
   const host = $("canvas-host");
 
@@ -847,6 +919,7 @@ function hookEvents() {
   });
   window.addEventListener("hashchange", loadFromHash);
   hookCanvasPanZoom();
+  hookTooltip();
 }
 
 init().catch((e) => {
diff --git a/web/style.css b/web/style.css
index 66b4b3a..9661b57 100644
--- a/web/style.css
+++ b/web/style.css
@@ -373,6 +373,26 @@ body {
 }
 .waypoint-list li button:hover { color: var(--boss); }
 
+/* --- instant tooltip ------------------------------------------------------ */
+.custom-tooltip {
+  position: fixed;
+  pointer-events: none;
+  z-index: 200;
+  background: rgba(20, 18, 24, 0.96);
+  color: var(--text);
+  border: 1px solid var(--accent);
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  padding: 6px 10px;
+  font-size: 13px;
+  line-height: 1.35;
+  max-width: 360px;
+  box-shadow: 0 6px 18px rgba(0, 0, 0, .45);
+  opacity: 0;
+  transition: opacity .08s ease;
+  white-space: pre-wrap;
+}
+.custom-tooltip.show { opacity: 1; }
+
 /* --- toast ---------------------------------------------------------------- */
 .toast {
   position: fixed;