diff --git a/docs/cmms-bridge.js b/docs/cmms-bridge.js
index e086c18..a527bfe 100644
--- a/docs/cmms-bridge.js
+++ b/docs/cmms-bridge.js
@@ -131,6 +131,19 @@
 		return ready();
 	}
 
+	// Read the project straight from IndexedDB rather than the studio.js globals
+	// (bomData/bomImages) - those get transiently reset while a project loads or
+	// auto-stitches, which was leaving the AI bridge with an empty image list
+	// even though buildProjectView's own snapshot showed photos.
+	async function readBoard() {
+		const [components, imageRecs, allNets] = await Promise.all([
+			db.getComponents(currentBomId),
+			db.getImages(currentBomId),
+			db.getNets(),
+		]);
+		return { components, imageRecs, nets: allNets.filter(n => n.projectId === currentBomId) };
+	}
+
 	async function buildProjectView() {
 		// The widget waits 6s for a pcb reply (ai-assistant-widget.js); stay
 		// under that so a "still initialising" answer still gets through.
@@ -142,15 +155,16 @@
 		}
 		const dev = deviceList.find(d => d.id === currentDeviceId);
 		const board = bomList.find(b => b.id === currentBomId);
-		const allNets = currentBomId ? await db.getNets() : [];
-		const nets = allNets.filter(n => n.projectId === currentBomId);
+		const { components, imageRecs, nets } = currentBomId
+			? await readBoard()
+			: { components: [], imageRecs: [], nets: [] };
 		const view = {
 			device: dev ? dev.name : null,
 			board: board ? board.name : null,
 			note: currentBomId ? undefined : 'No board is open yet - the user needs to create or select one before components/nets can be added.',
-			image_count: bomImages.length,
-			images: bomImages.map(i => ({ id: i.id, name: i.name || '' })),
-			components: bomData.map(c => ({
+			image_count: imageRecs.length,
+			images: imageRecs.map(i => ({ id: i.id, name: i.name || '' })),
+			components: components.map(c => ({
 				label: c.label, value: c.value || '', desc: c.desc || '',
 				x: Math.round(c.x), y: Math.round(c.y),
 			})),
@@ -194,9 +208,12 @@
 	}
 
 	async function buildProjectImages() {
-		if (!currentBomId || !bomImages.length) return [];
+		trace('buildProjectImages: start (board:', currentBomId || '(none)', ')');
+		if (!currentBomId) return [];
+		const imgs = await db.getImages(currentBomId);
+		trace('buildProjectImages:', imgs.length, 'image record(s) in the DB');
 		const out = [];
-		for (const img of bomImages.slice(0, 6)) {
+		for (const img of imgs.slice(0, 6)) {
 			let blob = img.blob;
 			if (!(blob instanceof Blob)) {
 				try { blob = new Blob([blob], { type: (img.type || 'image/jpeg') }); }
@@ -226,7 +243,7 @@
 				data_base64: b64,
 			});
 		}
-		trace('buildProjectImages:', out.length, 'of', bomImages.length, 'photos encoded');
+		trace('buildProjectImages:', out.length, 'of', imgs.length, 'photos encoded, total b64', out.reduce((n, i) => n + i.data_base64.length, 0));
 		return out;
 	}
 
@@ -234,8 +251,10 @@
 		const patch = JSON.parse(patchJson);
 		if (!currentBomId) { status('Select or create a board first', true); return; }
 
-		const byLabel = l => bomData.find(c => (c.label || '').toUpperCase() === l.toUpperCase());
-		const fallbackImg = currentImgId || (bomImages[0] && bomImages[0].id) || null;
+		const comps = await db.getComponents(currentBomId);
+		const imgRecs = await db.getImages(currentBomId);
+		const byLabel = l => comps.find(c => (c.label || '').toUpperCase() === l.toUpperCase());
+		const fallbackImg = currentImgId || (imgRecs[0] && imgRecs[0].id) || null;
 		let spread = 40;
 
 		for (const c of (patch.components || [])) {