diff --git a/web/src/app/design.css b/web/src/app/design.css
index 23a40e0..0f3b8ca 100644
--- a/web/src/app/design.css
+++ b/web/src/app/design.css
@@ -210,6 +210,8 @@ nav.contents .sep { flex: 1; }
   font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 0.8rem; color: var(--graphite); margin-bottom: 8px;
 }
 .dropzone:hover, .dropzone.over { border-color: var(--accent); color: var(--accent); }
+.import-picks { text-align: center; font-size: 0.78rem; color: var(--graphite); margin: 6px 0 10px; }
+.import-picks .linkish { font-size: inherit; }
 
 /* ── Phase 2: page headers, list rows, tools ──────────── */
 .page-head { margin: 6px 0 26px; }
diff --git a/web/src/app/library/import-album.tsx b/web/src/app/library/import-album.tsx
index 6eaeb18..755f56f 100644
--- a/web/src/app/library/import-album.tsx
+++ b/web/src/app/library/import-album.tsx
@@ -26,19 +26,6 @@ async function walkEntry(entry: FileSystemEntry, out: File[]): Promise<void> {
   }
 }
 
-/** Returns the dropped files (recursing into a dropped folder) + the top-level folder name if
- *  a single folder was dropped (used to prefill artist/album). */
-async function collectDropped(dt: DataTransfer): Promise<{ files: File[]; folder: string | null }> {
-  const entries = Array.from(dt.items)
-    .map((it) => it.webkitGetAsEntry?.())
-    .filter((e): e is FileSystemEntry => !!e);
-  if (entries.length === 0) return { files: Array.from(dt.files), folder: null };
-  const out: File[] = [];
-  for (const e of entries) await walkEntry(e, out);
-  const dirs = entries.filter((e) => e.isDirectory);
-  return { files: out, folder: dirs.length === 1 && entries.length === 1 ? dirs[0].name : null };
-}
-
 /** Parse "Artist - Album (Year)" / "Album (Year)" from a dropped folder name. */
 function parseFolder(name: string): { artist?: string; album: string; year?: string } {
   let s = name.trim();
@@ -64,6 +51,7 @@ export function ImportAlbum({ onImported }: { onImported: () => void }) {
   const [busy, setBusy] = useState(false);
   const [drag, setDrag] = useState(false);
   const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
+  const folderRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
 
   const audioCount = files.filter((f) => AUDIO_RE.test(f.name)).length;
   const ready = !!artist.trim() && !!album.trim() && audioCount > 0;
@@ -82,20 +70,52 @@ export function ImportAlbum({ onImported }: { onImported: () => void }) {
     if (list.length) setFiles((prev) => [...prev, ...list]);
   }
 
+  function prefillFolder(folder: string | null) {
+    if (!folder) return;
+    const p = parseFolder(folder);
+    setAlbum((a) => a || p.album);
+    if (p.artist) setArtist((a) => a || p.artist!);
+    if (p.year) setYear((y) => y || p.year!);
+  }
+
   async function onDrop(e: React.DragEvent) {
     e.preventDefault();
     setDrag(false);
-    const { files: dropped, folder } = await collectDropped(e.dataTransfer);
-    addFiles(dropped);
-    // prefill from a dropped album folder's name (only fields the user hasn't typed into)
-    if (folder) {
-      const p = parseFolder(folder);
-      setAlbum((a) => a || p.album);
-      if (p.artist) setArtist((a) => a || p.artist!);
-      if (p.year) setYear((y) => y || p.year!);
+    // Capture the entries SYNCHRONOUSLY — the DataTransfer is emptied once this handler yields.
+    const dt = e.dataTransfer;
+    const entries = Array.from(dt.items || [])
+      .map((it) => it.webkitGetAsEntry?.())
+      .filter((x): x is FileSystemEntry => !!x);
+    const plain = Array.from(dt.files || []);
+    try {
+      if (entries.length) {
+        const out: File[] = [];
+        for (const en of entries) await walkEntry(en, out);
+        const dirs = entries.filter((en) => en.isDirectory);
+        addFiles(out);
+        prefillFolder(dirs.length === 1 && entries.length === 1 ? dirs[0].name : null);
+        if (out.length === 0) toast("That folder had no files Lyra could read");
+      } else if (plain.length) {
+        addFiles(plain);
+      } else {
+        toast("Couldn't read the drop — try the “choose a folder” link");
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error("import drop failed:", err);
+      toast("Couldn't read the dropped folder — try the “choose a folder” link");
     }
   }
 
+  // Reliable fallback: a folder picker (webkitdirectory). Files carry webkitRelativePath, whose
+  // first segment is the folder name — use it to prefill.
+  function onPickFolder(e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) {
+    const picked = Array.from(e.target.files ?? []);
+    addFiles(picked);
+    const rel = picked[0]?.webkitRelativePath ?? "";
+    prefillFolder(rel.includes("/") ? rel.split("/")[0] : null);
+    e.target.value = "";
+  }
+
   async function submit(e: React.FormEvent) {
     e.preventDefault();
     if (!ready) return;
@@ -131,8 +151,13 @@ export function ImportAlbum({ onImported }: { onImported: () => void }) {
           <form onSubmit={submit} className="import-form">
             <div
               className={`dropzone${drag ? " over" : ""}`}
+              onDragEnter={(e) => {
+                e.preventDefault();
+                setDrag(true);
+              }}
               onDragOver={(e) => {
                 e.preventDefault();
+                e.dataTransfer.dropEffect = "copy";
                 setDrag(true);
               }}
               onDragLeave={() => setDrag(false)}
@@ -143,7 +168,7 @@ export function ImportAlbum({ onImported }: { onImported: () => void }) {
                 ? `${audioCount} audio file${audioCount === 1 ? "" : "s"} selected${
                     files.length > audioCount ? " (+ cover)" : ""
                   }`
-                : "Drop an album folder (or audio files) here, or click to choose files"}
+                : "Drop an album folder (or files) here"}
               <input
                 ref={inputRef}
                 type="file"
@@ -152,7 +177,18 @@ export function ImportAlbum({ onImported }: { onImported: () => void }) {
                 hidden
                 onChange={(e) => addFiles(Array.from(e.target.files ?? []))}
               />
+              {/* @ts-expect-error webkitdirectory is a non-standard attribute for folder selection */}
+              <input ref={folderRef} type="file" webkitdirectory="" hidden onChange={onPickFolder} />
             </div>
+            <p className="import-picks">
+              <button type="button" className="linkish" onClick={() => folderRef.current?.click()}>
+                Choose a folder
+              </button>
+              {" · "}
+              <button type="button" className="linkish" onClick={() => inputRef.current?.click()}>
+                Choose files
+              </button>
+            </p>
             <div className="field-grid">
               <label className="field">
                 <span>Artist</span>