diff --git a/tests/e2e/state-bleed-audit.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/state-bleed-audit.spec.ts
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+++ b/tests/e2e/state-bleed-audit.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,243 @@
+import { expect, test, uploadTestImage, waitForProcessing } from "./helpers";
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// State-bleed audit: verify that processed state from one tool does NOT
+// leak into another tool after navigation.
+//
+// Bug: navigating from a tool with processed results to a different tool
+// shows stale processed state (download buttons, blob: URLs, before/after
+// comparisons) in the right pane instead of a clean dropzone.
+//
+// Root cause hypothesis: the global Zustand file-store is not reset when
+// the user navigates between tool routes — the previous tool's entries,
+// processedUrl, and blob URLs persist into the next tool's view.
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+test.describe("State bleed between tools", () => {
+  // ── Core scenario: resize -> rotate ──────────────────────────────────
+  test("processed state from resize does NOT appear in rotate", async ({ loggedInPage: page }) => {
+    // Step 1: Navigate to resize and process an image
+    await page.goto("/resize");
+    await uploadTestImage(page);
+
+    await page.locator("input[placeholder='Auto']").first().fill("50");
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Resize" }).click();
+    await waitForProcessing(page);
+
+    // Confirm processed state is present (download link visible)
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i }).first()).toBeVisible({
+      timeout: 15_000,
+    });
+
+    // Step 2: Navigate to the rotate tool via direct URL
+    await page.goto("/rotate");
+    await page.waitForLoadState("networkidle");
+
+    // Step 3: The right pane should be in a clean state — dropzone visible
+    await expect(page.getByText("Upload from computer")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+
+    // Step 4: No stale download link from resize should be present
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i })).not.toBeVisible();
+
+    // Step 5: No blob: URLs in image elements (would indicate stale processed images)
+    const blobImages = page.locator("img[src^='blob:']");
+    await expect(blobImages).toHaveCount(0);
+
+    // Step 6: No before/after comparison slider should be visible
+    await expect(page.locator("[class*='before-after'], [class*='BeforeAfter']")).not.toBeVisible();
+  });
+
+  // ── Reverse direction: rotate -> resize ──────────────────────────────
+  test("processed state from rotate does NOT appear in resize", async ({ loggedInPage: page }) => {
+    // Process an image in rotate
+    await page.goto("/rotate");
+    await uploadTestImage(page);
+
+    await page.getByTestId("rotate-right").click();
+    await expect(page.locator("input[inputmode='numeric']")).toHaveValue("90", { timeout: 2000 });
+    await page.getByTestId("rotate-submit").click();
+    await waitForProcessing(page);
+
+    await expect(
+      page
+        .getByRole("button", { name: /^download$/i })
+        .or(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i }))
+        .first(),
+    ).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+
+    // Navigate to resize
+    await page.goto("/resize");
+    await page.waitForLoadState("networkidle");
+
+    // Should show clean dropzone
+    await expect(page.getByText("Upload from computer")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i })).not.toBeVisible();
+  });
+
+  // ── Navigate from dropzone tool to no-dropzone tool (QR Generate) ────
+  test("processed state from compress does NOT appear in QR Generate", async ({
+    loggedInPage: page,
+  }) => {
+    // Process an image in compress
+    await page.goto("/compress");
+    await uploadTestImage(page);
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Compress" }).click();
+    await waitForProcessing(page);
+
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i }).first()).toBeVisible({
+      timeout: 15_000,
+    });
+
+    // Navigate to QR Generate (no-dropzone tool)
+    await page.goto("/qr-generate");
+    await page.waitForLoadState("networkidle");
+
+    // QR Generate should NOT show any file upload state or stale results
+    await expect(page.getByText("Upload from computer")).not.toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i })).not.toBeVisible();
+
+    // The QR input should be clean and functional
+    await expect(page.getByTestId("qr-input-url")).toBeVisible();
+
+    // No stale processed images from compress should be visible
+    const blobImages = page.locator("img[src^='blob:']");
+    await expect(blobImages).toHaveCount(0);
+  });
+
+  // ── Navigate from no-dropzone tool back to dropzone tool ─────────────
+  test("QR Generate state does NOT bleed into resize", async ({ loggedInPage: page }) => {
+    // Use QR Generate first
+    await page.goto("/qr-generate");
+    await page.getByTestId("qr-input-url").fill("https://example.com");
+    await expect(page.locator("canvas, svg").first()).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5000 });
+
+    // Navigate to resize
+    await page.goto("/resize");
+    await page.waitForLoadState("networkidle");
+
+    // Resize should show a clean dropzone
+    await expect(page.getByText("Upload from computer")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+    await expect(page.getByText("QR")).not.toBeVisible();
+  });
+
+  // ── Multiple images: upload several files, process, navigate ─────────
+  test("multi-file processed state does NOT bleed across tools", async ({ loggedInPage: page }) => {
+    // Upload and process in resize
+    await page.goto("/resize");
+    await uploadTestImage(page);
+
+    // Add a second file by uploading again via the "+ Add more" button
+    const addMoreBtn = page.getByText("+ Add more");
+    if (await addMoreBtn.isVisible({ timeout: 2000 }).catch(() => false)) {
+      const fileChooserPromise = page.waitForEvent("filechooser");
+      await addMoreBtn.click();
+      const fileChooser = await fileChooserPromise;
+      await fileChooser.setFiles(
+        require("node:path").join(process.cwd(), "tests", "fixtures", "test-50x50.webp"),
+      );
+      await page.waitForTimeout(500);
+    }
+
+    // Process all files
+    await page.locator("input[placeholder='Auto']").first().fill("25");
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Resize" }).click();
+    await waitForProcessing(page);
+
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i }).first()).toBeVisible({
+      timeout: 15_000,
+    });
+
+    // Navigate to convert
+    await page.goto("/convert");
+    await page.waitForLoadState("networkidle");
+
+    // Should show clean state — no leftover files or processed results
+    await expect(page.getByText("Upload from computer")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i })).not.toBeVisible();
+
+    // No thumbnail strip from previous multi-file upload
+    const thumbnails = page.locator("[aria-label='Previous image'], [aria-label='Next image']");
+    await expect(thumbnails).toHaveCount(0);
+  });
+
+  // ── Sidebar navigation (not just goto) ───────────────────────────────
+  test("sidebar navigation clears processed state", async ({ loggedInPage: page }) => {
+    // Process an image in resize
+    await page.goto("/resize");
+    await uploadTestImage(page);
+
+    await page.locator("input[placeholder='Auto']").first().fill("50");
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Resize" }).click();
+    await waitForProcessing(page);
+
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i }).first()).toBeVisible({
+      timeout: 15_000,
+    });
+
+    // Navigate home via sidebar
+    await page.locator("aside").getByText("Tools").click();
+    await expect(page).toHaveURL("/");
+
+    // Home page should show clean dropzone, not stale resize results
+    await expect(page.getByText("Upload from computer")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i })).not.toBeVisible();
+  });
+
+  // ── Rapid navigation: process -> navigate -> navigate again ──────────
+  test("rapid sequential navigation does not accumulate stale state", async ({
+    loggedInPage: page,
+  }) => {
+    // Process in resize
+    await page.goto("/resize");
+    await uploadTestImage(page);
+    await page.locator("input[placeholder='Auto']").first().fill("50");
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Resize" }).click();
+    await waitForProcessing(page);
+
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i }).first()).toBeVisible({
+      timeout: 15_000,
+    });
+
+    // Navigate to rotate, then immediately to compress, then to convert
+    await page.goto("/rotate");
+    await page.goto("/compress");
+    await page.goto("/convert");
+    await page.waitForLoadState("networkidle");
+
+    // The final destination (convert) should have a completely clean state
+    await expect(page.getByText("Upload from computer")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i })).not.toBeVisible();
+
+    const blobImages = page.locator("img[src^='blob:']");
+    await expect(blobImages).toHaveCount(0);
+  });
+
+  // ── Verify processed status text is not carried over ─────────────────
+  test("completion indicators from one tool do not appear in another", async ({
+    loggedInPage: page,
+  }) => {
+    // Process in compress (shows size comparison after processing)
+    await page.goto("/compress");
+    await uploadTestImage(page);
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Compress" }).click();
+    await waitForProcessing(page);
+
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i }).first()).toBeVisible({
+      timeout: 15_000,
+    });
+
+    // Navigate to crop
+    await page.goto("/crop");
+    await page.waitForLoadState("networkidle");
+
+    // Crop should show clean dropzone, no processed-state UI
+    await expect(page.getByText("Upload from computer")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5_000 });
+
+    // No "Conversion complete" or review-panel artifacts
+    await expect(page.getByText("Conversion complete")).not.toBeVisible();
+
+    // No download/undo buttons from compress should remain
+    await expect(page.getByRole("link", { name: /download/i })).not.toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: /undo/i })).not.toBeVisible();
+  });
+});