diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index 0dd05e5..2b77f01 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -299,9 +299,12 @@ const CADEditor: React.FC<CADEditorProps> = ({ projectId, token, onNavigateBack
       setElements(merged);
     }
 
-    const sameLayers = collab.layers.length === layers.length &&
-      collab.layers.every((l, i) => l.id === layers[i]?.id);
-    if (!sameLayers) setLayers(collab.layers);
+    // Never overwrite local layers with empty remote layers (prevents losing initialLayers)
+    if (collab.layers.length > 0) {
+      const sameLayers = collab.layers.length === layers.length &&
+        collab.layers.every((l, i) => l.id === layers[i]?.id);
+      if (!sameLayers) setLayers(collab.layers);
+    }
 
     const sameBlocks = collab.blocks.length === blocks.length &&
       collab.blocks.every((b, i) => b.id === blocks[i]?.id);