diff --git a/frontend/dcViewer.js b/frontend/dcViewer.js
index 1d12226..eff06da 100644
--- a/frontend/dcViewer.js
+++ b/frontend/dcViewer.js
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@ let modelVersionHistory = null;
 let modelVersionHistoryLoading = false;
 let modelVersionUploading = false;
 let versionHistoryModal = null;
+let emptyWheelNavigationRestoreTimer = null;
 const GUEST_TOOLBAR_ACTIONS = new Set(["measure", "section", "projection"]);
 const memoryStore = new Map(); // url -> ArrayBuffer
 const blobUrls = [];
@@ -377,8 +378,8 @@ const treeModelIds = new Set();
 const CAMERA_CONTROL_SETTINGS = {
   keyboardDollyRate: 45,
   dollyInertia: 0,
-  dollyMinSpeed: 0.008,
-  dollyProximityThreshold: 90,
+  dollyMinSpeed: 0.04,
+  dollyProximityThreshold: 30,
 };
 
 const ZOOM_SPEED_PERCENT_MIN = 5;
@@ -460,10 +461,9 @@ const configureCameraControl = () => {
   if (!control) return;
   activeZoomSpeed = normalizeZoomSpeed(activeZoomSpeed);
   configureCameraPanMap(control);
-  // Keep wheel dolly speed independent from whether the pointer is over model geometry.
-  control.followPointer = false;
+  control.followPointer = true;
   control.doublePickFlyTo = false;
-  control.smartPivot = false;
+  control.smartPivot = true;
   control.zoomOnMouseWheel = true;
   control.keyboardDollyRate = CAMERA_CONTROL_SETTINGS.keyboardDollyRate;
   control.mouseWheelDollyRate = getZoomDollyRate(activeZoomSpeed);
@@ -1341,6 +1341,53 @@ const getCanvasPointFromEvent = (event) => {
   };
 };
 
+const restorePointerNavigation = () => {
+  if (emptyWheelNavigationRestoreTimer) {
+    window.clearTimeout(emptyWheelNavigationRestoreTimer);
+    emptyWheelNavigationRestoreTimer = null;
+  }
+  const control = viewer?.cameraControl;
+  if (!control) return;
+  control.followPointer = true;
+  control.smartPivot = true;
+};
+
+const schedulePointerNavigationRestore = () => {
+  if (emptyWheelNavigationRestoreTimer) {
+    window.clearTimeout(emptyWheelNavigationRestoreTimer);
+  }
+  emptyWheelNavigationRestoreTimer = window.setTimeout(() => {
+    emptyWheelNavigationRestoreTimer = null;
+    restorePointerNavigation();
+  }, 80);
+};
+
+const hasWheelSurfaceHit = (event) => {
+  if (!activeModels.length || !viewer?.scene?.pick) return true;
+  const point = getCanvasPointFromEvent(event);
+  if (!point) return true;
+  try {
+    const hit = viewer.scene.pick({
+      canvasPos: point.canvasPos,
+      pickSurface: true,
+    });
+    return Boolean(hit?.entity || hit?.worldPos);
+  } catch (_) {
+    return true;
+  }
+};
+
+const guardEmptyWheelNavigation = (event) => {
+  const control = viewer?.cameraControl;
+  if (!control) return;
+  if (hasWheelSurfaceHit(event)) {
+    restorePointerNavigation();
+    return;
+  }
+  control.followPointer = false;
+  schedulePointerNavigationRestore();
+};
+
 const getWorldPosFromPick = (hit) => {
   const direct = hit?.worldPos || hit?.worldPosition || hit?.position || hit?.origin;
   if (direct && direct.length >= 3) {
@@ -5705,6 +5752,8 @@ const initViewer = async () => {
       const opened = openCommentContextMenuFromEvent(event);
       if (!opened) event.preventDefault();
     });
+    canvasEl.addEventListener("pointerdown", restorePointerNavigation, { capture: true });
+    canvasEl.addEventListener("wheel", guardEmptyWheelNavigation, { capture: true, passive: true });
     canvasEl.addEventListener("pointerdown", (event) => {
       if (measureActive) {
         downPos = null;