diff --git a/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-drawer.svelte b/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-drawer.svelte
index d2c95796f..d3464dabd 100644
--- a/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-drawer.svelte
+++ b/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words-drawer.svelte
@@ -71,7 +71,13 @@
 				readonly status?: 'pending' | 'error';
 		  }
 		| undefined {
-		const blockIndex = s.selection?.anchor.path[0];
+		// Atomic block selection wins (image is contenteditable=false so
+		// the text selection rarely points at it). Falls back to the
+		// caret's anchor block when the user hasn't atomic-clicked.
+		const blockIndex =
+			s.selectedBlockIndex !== undefined
+				? s.selectedBlockIndex
+				: s.selection?.anchor.path[0];
 		if (blockIndex === undefined) return undefined;
 		const block = s.document.children[blockIndex];
 		if (!block || block.type !== 'image') return undefined;
diff --git a/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words.css b/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words.css
index 356f7dcc8..72417324b 100644
--- a/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words.css
+++ b/src/uix/eidos/components/words/words.css
@@ -1586,6 +1586,23 @@
 	outline-offset: 2px;
 }
 
+/* Atomic block selection — when the user clicks an image the provider
+   flags it as the visually-selected atomic block (selectedBlockIndex).
+   The render decorates the figure with data-words-block-selected so we
+   can paint a strong accent border + soft glow. The drawer enters
+   image mode in parallel. */
+[data-words-content] figure[data-words-block='image'][data-words-block-selected] {
+	outline: 3px solid var(--_words-accent-solid);
+	outline-offset: 3px;
+	box-shadow:
+		0 0 0 6px color-mix(in srgb, var(--_words-accent-solid) 18%, transparent),
+		0 0 24px color-mix(in srgb, var(--_words-accent-solid) 25%, transparent);
+}
+
+[data-words-content] figure[data-words-block='image'] {
+	cursor: pointer;
+}
+
 [data-words-content] [data-words-list-kind='check'] {
 	list-style: none;
 }
diff --git a/src/uix/soma/components/words/engine/render.ts b/src/uix/soma/components/words/engine/render.ts
index ec331c061..c7265c4be 100644
--- a/src/uix/soma/components/words/engine/render.ts
+++ b/src/uix/soma/components/words/engine/render.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ import { renderTable, renderTablePlainText } from '../extensions/table/render';
 export interface WordsRenderFindOptions {
 	readonly matches?: readonly WordsTextMatch[];
 	readonly activeMatchIndex?: number;
+	/**
+	 * Index of the block currently selected as an atomic unit (image
+	 * or any other contenteditable=false block). When set, render
+	 * decorates the matching block with `data-words-block-selected` so
+	 * eidos can paint an accent outline + the drawer enters its mode.
+	 */
+	readonly selectedBlockIndex?: number;
 }
 
 interface IndexedWordsTextMatch {
@@ -157,6 +164,10 @@ function renderWordsBlock(
 				children: [{ kind: 'text', text: block.caption }]
 			});
 		}
+		const isSelected =
+			findOpts?.selectedBlockIndex !== undefined &&
+			path.length === 1 &&
+			path[0] === findOpts.selectedBlockIndex;
 		return {
 			kind: 'element',
 			tag: 'figure',
@@ -168,6 +179,7 @@ function renderWordsBlock(
 					? { 'data-words-image-align': block.align }
 					: {}),
 				...(block.status ? { 'data-words-image-status': block.status } : {}),
+				...(isSelected ? { 'data-words-block-selected': '' } : {}),
 				// contenteditable=false so the caret can't enter the
 				// image atom; selection lands on the figure as a whole.
 				contenteditable: 'false'
diff --git a/src/uix/soma/components/words/words-provider.svelte.ts b/src/uix/soma/components/words/words-provider.svelte.ts
index 31389c732..b51f3b0f1 100644
--- a/src/uix/soma/components/words/words-provider.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/uix/soma/components/words/words-provider.svelte.ts
@@ -172,6 +172,15 @@ export class WordsProvider {
 	slashMenuMounts = $state(0);
 	slashMenuActiveIndex = $state(0);
 	slashDismissedAnchorKey = $state<string | null>(null);
+	/**
+	 * Atomic block selection — block index pointing to an image (or
+	 * any other contenteditable=false block we add later). Distinct
+	 * from the text selection because the caret can never live inside
+	 * an atomic block. Set by the eidos click handler when the user
+	 * clicks an image; cleared by any selectionchange / focus loss /
+	 * text-editing event.
+	 */
+	selectedBlockIndex = $state<number | undefined>(undefined);
 
 	private pendingCommitReason: WordsCommitReason = 'programmatic';
 	private typingBatchOpen = false;
@@ -279,7 +288,8 @@ export class WordsProvider {
 	readonly html = $derived.by(() =>
 		renderWordsDomHtml(this.document, {
 			matches: this.findMatches,
-			activeMatchIndex: this.currentMatchIndex
+			activeMatchIndex: this.currentMatchIndex,
+			selectedBlockIndex: this.selectedBlockIndex
 		})
 	);
 
@@ -308,10 +318,41 @@ export class WordsProvider {
 	});
 
 	readonly currentBlock = $derived.by(() => {
+		// Atomic block selection (image / etc) takes precedence over
+		// text-selection-derived currentBlock — the caret can't live
+		// inside an atomic block, so without this short-circuit the
+		// drawer would never enter the atomic block's mode.
+		if (this.selectedBlockIndex !== undefined) {
+			const atomic = this.document.children[this.selectedBlockIndex];
+			if (atomic) return atomic.type;
+		}
 		const index = this.selection?.anchor.path[0] ?? 0;
 		return this.document.children[index]?.type ?? 'paragraph';
 	});
 
+	/**
+	 * Mark an atomic block (image / etc) as visually selected. The
+	 * eidos render reads this via `selectedBlockIndex` to paint the
+	 * accent outline; the drawer picks it up via `currentBlock` to
+	 * enter the block's mode. Distinct from `selectBlock()` (which
+	 * extends the text selection to cover the current block's
+	 * contents).
+	 */
+	selectAtomicBlock(blockIndex: number): void {
+		if (blockIndex < 0 || blockIndex >= this.document.children.length) return;
+		this.selectedBlockIndex = blockIndex;
+		// Focus the editor root so keyboard handlers (esc, delete) work
+		// on the atomic block.
+		const root = this.opts.ref.current;
+		if (root && typeof (root as HTMLElement).focus === 'function') {
+			(root as HTMLElement).focus({ preventScroll: true } as FocusOptions);
+		}
+	}
+
+	clearSelectedBlock(): void {
+		if (this.selectedBlockIndex !== undefined) this.selectedBlockIndex = undefined;
+	}
+
 	readonly currentHeadingLevel = $derived.by(() => {
 		const index = this.selection?.anchor.path[0] ?? 0;
 		const block = this.document.children[index];
@@ -474,6 +515,15 @@ export class WordsProvider {
 		if (this.shouldIgnoreTransientSelectionCollapse(next, root, options.source ?? 'direct')) {
 			return false;
 		}
+		// Clear the atomic-block highlight only when the text selection
+		// genuinely moved (the user clicked somewhere else / pressed an
+		// arrow / typed). Synthetic selectionchange echoes that arrive
+		// right after `selectAtomicBlock` (which doesn't actually move
+		// the DOM caret) would otherwise wipe the highlight a tick
+		// later, defeating the click.
+		if (!sameWordsSelection(this.selection, next)) {
+			this.clearSelectedBlock();
+		}
 		this.updateSelection(next);
 		return true;
 	}
@@ -864,11 +914,28 @@ export class WordsProvider {
 			this.selectBlock();
 			return;
 		}
-		if (!this.isEditable) return;
 		const target = e.target;
 		const targetElement =
 			target instanceof Element ? target : target instanceof Node ? target.parentElement : null;
 		if (!targetElement) return;
+		// Atomic-block click — figure[data-words-block='image'] (and any
+		// future atomic block types). Don't preventDefault: the browser
+		// will still resolve a caret-friendly text position; we just
+		// flag the block as the visually-selected atomic so the drawer
+		// can enter image mode.
+		const atomicFigure = targetElement.closest(
+			'figure[data-words-block="image"][data-words-path]'
+		);
+		if (atomicFigure && e.currentTarget.contains(atomicFigure)) {
+			const path = decodeWordsPath(atomicFigure.getAttribute('data-words-path'));
+			const blockIndex = path?.[0];
+			if (typeof blockIndex === 'number') {
+				e.preventDefault();
+				this.selectAtomicBlock(blockIndex);
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+		if (!this.isEditable) return;
 		const checkToggle = targetElement.closest('[data-words-check-toggle][data-words-path]');
 		if (checkToggle && e.currentTarget.contains(checkToggle)) {
 			e.preventDefault();
@@ -1083,6 +1150,7 @@ export class WordsProvider {
 	readonly snippetProps = $derived.by(() => ({
 		document: this.document,
 		selection: this.selection,
+		selectedBlockIndex: this.selectedBlockIndex,
 		plainText: this.plainText,
 		isEmpty: this.isEmpty,
 		isFocused: this.focused,
@@ -1122,6 +1190,8 @@ export class WordsProvider {
 		focus: () => this.focus(),
 		selectAll: () => this.selectAll(),
 		selectBlock: () => this.selectBlock(),
+		selectAtomicBlock: (blockIndex: number) => this.selectAtomicBlock(blockIndex),
+		clearSelectedBlock: () => this.clearSelectedBlock(),
 		runCommand: (command: WordsCommandName) => this.runCommandName(command),
 		setCodeLanguage: (language?: string) => this.setCodeLanguage(language),
 		insertLink: (href: string, title?: string) => this.insertLink(href, title),