diff --git a/tests/browser/workspace-review.spec.mjs b/tests/browser/workspace-review.spec.mjs
index ade5f32a..96f4b638 100644
--- a/tests/browser/workspace-review.spec.mjs
+++ b/tests/browser/workspace-review.spec.mjs
@@ -221,6 +221,33 @@ test('tag image from review saves tags and the item remains pending', async ({ p
     await expect(dialog).toHaveCount(0);
 });
 
+test('#515: tags typed before the image observation answers are saved', async ({ page, request }) => {
+    await seed(request, 1);
+    await open(page);
+    // Hold the dialog's observation so the typing lands while it is pending (a slow host or WebKit in CI).
+    let release;
+    const held = new Promise(resolve => { release = resolve; });
+    const matcher = '**/prompt_manager/image-annotations/observe';
+    let reachedObserve;
+    const reached = new Promise(resolve => { reachedObserve = resolve; });
+    await page.route(matcher, async route => { reachedObserve(); await held; await route.continue(); });
+    await panel(page).getByRole('button', { name: 'Tag image', exact: true }).click();
+    const dialog = page.getByRole('dialog', { name: 'Tag image', exact: true });
+    await reached;
+    const field = dialog.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Image tags · edit manually', exact: true });
+    await field.fill('dunes');
+    const save = dialog.getByRole('button', { name: 'Save manual tags', exact: true });
+    await expect(save).toHaveAttribute('aria-disabled', 'true');
+    const answered = page.waitForResponse(item => item.url().endsWith('/image-annotations/observe'));
+    release();
+    await answered;
+    await expect(save).not.toHaveAttribute('aria-disabled', 'true');
+    await expect(field).toHaveValue('dunes');
+    await save.click();
+    await expect(toast(page)).toHaveText('1 tags saved for review_0000.png. Prompt association still awaits review.');
+    await page.unroute(matcher);
+});
+
 test('an empty queue shows the empty notice only', async ({ page, request }) => {
     await seed(request, 0);
     await page.goto(review);
diff --git a/tests/js/workspace-image-tagging-state.test.js b/tests/js/workspace-image-tagging-state.test.js
index 4b7ea2ac..0f4a033a 100644
--- a/tests/js/workspace-image-tagging-state.test.js
+++ b/tests/js/workspace-image-tagging-state.test.js
@@ -876,3 +876,63 @@ test('retry after a changed storage, file or expired capture observes again and
     await settle();
     assert.equal(c.state.manual, 'Minimal, warm_light');
 });
+
+test('#515: text typed while the first observation is pending is kept, after the saved tags', async () => {
+    const { createImageTaggingController } = await load();
+    const answers = [deferred(), deferred()];
+    let n = 0;
+    const h = harness(defaultRoutes({ [`POST ${OBSERVE}`]: () => answers[n++].promise }));
+    // An untagged file: the typed text is the whole draft and Save sends it.
+    const bare = createImageTaggingController({ api: h.api, target: TARGET, source: 'review' });
+    const first = bare.open();
+    bare.setManual('dunes');
+    answers[0].resolve(response(200, observed({ tags: [], tag_revision: 0 })));
+    await first;
+    await settle();
+    assert.equal(bare.state.phase, 'ready');
+    assert.equal(bare.state.manual, 'dunes');
+    assert.equal(bare.state.statusText, '', 'nothing changed elsewhere');
+    await bare.save();
+    await settle();
+    assert.deepEqual(h.of('PUT', TAGS).at(-1).body.tags, ['dunes']);
+    // A tagged file: its saved tags lead, so a Save never drops tags the user had not seen yet.
+    const tagged = createImageTaggingController({ api: h.api, target: TARGET });
+    const second = tagged.open();
+    tagged.setManual('dunes, minimal');
+    answers[1].resolve(response(200, observed()));
+    await second;
+    await settle();
+    assert.equal(tagged.state.manual, 'Minimal, warm_light, dunes');
+    assert.equal(tagged.state.statusText, '');
+});
+
+test('#515: a kept draft takes the text typed while the reopen observes', async () => {
+    const { c } = await opened({ [`PUT ${TAGS}`]: () => fail(409, 'file-changed', 'The file changed.') });
+    c.setManual('kept draft');
+    await c.save();
+    await settle();
+    const reopened = c.retry();
+    c.setManual('kept draft, later');
+    await reopened;
+    await settle();
+    assert.equal(c.state.phase, 'ready');
+    assert.equal(c.state.manual, 'kept draft, later');
+});
+
+test('#515: text typed before Retry after a failed first observation follows the saved tags', async () => {
+    const { createImageTaggingController } = await load();
+    let n = 0;
+    const h = harness(defaultRoutes({
+        [`POST ${OBSERVE}`]: () => (n++ === 0 ? fail(500, 'internal', 'boom') : response(200, observed())),
+    }));
+    const c = createImageTaggingController({ api: h.api, target: TARGET });
+    await c.open();
+    await settle();
+    assert.equal(c.state.phase, 'observe-error');
+    c.setManual('dunes');
+    await c.retry();
+    await settle();
+    assert.equal(c.state.phase, 'ready');
+    assert.equal(c.state.manual, 'Minimal, warm_light, dunes');
+    assert.equal(c.state.statusText, '');
+});
diff --git a/web/js/workspace/image-tagging-state.mjs b/web/js/workspace/image-tagging-state.mjs
index 4cf050c2..20d0c6d8 100644
--- a/web/js/workspace/image-tagging-state.mjs
+++ b/web/js/workspace/image-tagging-state.mjs
@@ -317,6 +317,9 @@ export function createImageTaggingController({api, target, source = 'images', on
     // A save in flight: closing hands the capture release to its completion.
     let saving = false;
     let observedOnce = false;
+    // #515: the user typed since the last observation started (or before the first one answered), so the answer
+    // keeps that text.
+    let typed = false;
 
     function set(patch) {
         if (closed) return;
@@ -345,7 +348,8 @@ export function createImageTaggingController({api, target, source = 'images', on
     async function open({keepDraft = false} = {}) {
         if (closed) return;
         const serial = ++openSerial;
-        const draft = keepDraft ? state.manual : null;
+        // A reopen after an observation starts from its answer; text typed before any observation is kept (#515).
+        if (observedOnce) typed = false;
         const seenRevision = state.tagRevision;
         stopGenerating();
         releaseCapture();
@@ -385,15 +389,19 @@ export function createImageTaggingController({api, target, source = 'images', on
         const savedModel = !chosen && !modelPicked && read.model ? {model: read.model} : {};
         observedOnce = true;
         const {width, height, media_type: mediaType, preview_url: previewUrl, generate} = value.capture;
-        // A kept draft stays as typed unless another writer changed the set meanwhile: then the set leads it (I2).
-        const changed = draft !== null && value.tag_revision !== seenRevision;
+        // The draft is read now, so text typed while observing is kept (#515). A kept draft stays as typed unless
+        // another writer changed the set meanwhile: then the set leads it (I2). Text typed before the user saw any
+        // saved tags follows them, so a Save never drops tags it never showed.
+        const draft = keepDraft || typed ? state.manual : null;
+        const changed = keepDraft && value.tag_revision !== seenRevision;
+        const unseen = draft !== null && !keepDraft;
         const reason = generate.supported ? '' : (generate.reason || '');
         set({
             phase: 'ready',
             image: {filename: value.filename, title: value.title, width, height, mediaType, previewUrl,
                 dimensions: width && height ? `${width} × ${height}` : null},
             savedTags: value.tags.slice(), tagRevision: value.tag_revision,
-            manual: draft === null ? value.tags.join(', ') : changed ? mergeCurrent(value.tags, draft) : draft,
+            manual: draft === null ? value.tags.join(', ') : changed || unseen ? mergeCurrent(value.tags, draft) : draft,
             draftRevision: state.draftRevision + 1,
             ...savedModel, options: {...defaults, ...chosen?.options}, optionsRevision: state.optionsRevision + 1,
             generateSupported: generate.supported, generateReason: generate.reason,
@@ -402,6 +410,7 @@ export function createImageTaggingController({api, target, source = 'images', on
     }
 
     function setManual(text) {
+        typed = true;
         set({manual: typeof text === 'string' ? text : ''});
     }