diff --git a/src/shared/lib/utils/ensureCanvasFonts/ensureCanvasFonts.ts b/src/shared/lib/utils/ensureCanvasFonts/ensureCanvasFonts.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8d2709
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shared/lib/utils/ensureCanvasFonts/ensureCanvasFonts.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+/**
+ * Ensures a set of fonts is usable in a `<canvas>` measurement context.
+ *
+ * `document.fonts.load()` resolves once the FontFace bytes are fetched and
+ * parsed, but Chrome lazily registers fonts with the canvas measurement engine
+ * after that — `measureText` keeps returning a fallback width for some frames
+ * even though `document.fonts.check()` reports the font as loaded.
+ *
+ * Pretext caches measurements per font string forever, so a single fallback
+ * measurement during initial mount permanently poisons the cache and the
+ * rendered text drifts visibly from its measured box. This helper polls canvas
+ * measurement until each font reports a width that differs from the "unknown
+ * font family" fallback, guaranteeing the next `measureText` call sees the real
+ * glyph metrics.
+ *
+ * ponytail: deliberate copy of widgets/ComparisonView/lib's version — ADR-0002
+ * keeps the shelved morph tool untouched, so we don't move its util. The poll
+ * logic is the proven fix for Pretext's fallback-width cache poisoning; copying
+ * it is cheaper than refactoring frozen code.
+ *
+ * @param fontStrings - Pretext/canvas font strings (`weight sizepx "family"`) to warm.
+ */
+import { getPretextFontString } from '../getPretextFontString/getPretextFontString';
+
+const PROBE_TEXT = 'mmmmmmmmmm';
+const MAX_WAIT_MS = 1000;
+const DEFAULT_PROBE_SIZE_PX = 16;
+// Family unlikely to exist in any system — gives canvas's "unknown font" fallback width.
+const FALLBACK_PROBE_FAMILY = '__glyphdiff_no_such_font_42__';
+
+export async function ensureCanvasFonts(fontStrings: string[]): Promise<void> {
+    await Promise.all(fontStrings.map(f => document.fonts.load(f)));
+
+    // Pretext uses OffscreenCanvas when available; DOM canvas has separate font
+    // registration timing, so we MUST poll using the same canvas type pretext does.
+    const ctx = typeof OffscreenCanvas !== 'undefined'
+        ? new OffscreenCanvas(1, 1).getContext('2d')
+        : document.createElement('canvas').getContext('2d');
+    if (!ctx) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // Measure each font's "unknown font" fallback width (different per browser, per OS).
+    // Canvas uses this same fallback for any font family it can't resolve, so when the
+    // requested font finally registers, measureText will return a non-fallback width.
+    const fallbackWidths = new Map<string, number>();
+    for (const font of fontStrings) {
+        const sizeMatch = font.match(/(\d+(?:\.\d+)?)px/);
+        const sizePx = sizeMatch ? parseFloat(sizeMatch[1]) : DEFAULT_PROBE_SIZE_PX;
+        ctx.font = getPretextFontString(400, sizePx, FALLBACK_PROBE_FAMILY);
+        fallbackWidths.set(font, ctx.measureText(PROBE_TEXT).width);
+    }
+
+    const deadline = performance.now() + MAX_WAIT_MS;
+    const pending = new Set(fontStrings);
+    while (pending.size > 0 && performance.now() < deadline) {
+        for (const font of Array.from(pending)) {
+            ctx.font = font;
+            const w = ctx.measureText(PROBE_TEXT).width;
+            if (Math.abs(w - fallbackWidths.get(font)!) > 0.5) {
+                pending.delete(font);
+            }
+        }
+        if (pending.size === 0) {
+            break;
+        }
+        // Sequential by design: poll once per animation frame until fonts register.
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-await-in-loop
+        await new Promise<void>(resolve => requestAnimationFrame(() => resolve()));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/shared/lib/utils/index.ts b/src/shared/lib/utils/index.ts
index 154dba7..51e97a4 100644
--- a/src/shared/lib/utils/index.ts
+++ b/src/shared/lib/utils/index.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export {
 export { clampNumber } from './clampNumber/clampNumber';
 export { cn } from './cn';
 export { debounce } from './debounce/debounce';
+export { ensureCanvasFonts } from './ensureCanvasFonts/ensureCanvasFonts';
 export { getDecimalPlaces } from './getDecimalPlaces/getDecimalPlaces';
 export { getPretextFontString } from './getPretextFontString/getPretextFontString';
 export { getSkeletonWidth } from './getSkeletonWidth/getSkeletonWidth';