diff --git a/lib/editor/canvas/pen_interactive_viewer.dart b/lib/editor/canvas/pen_interactive_viewer.dart
index bf73d48..52d7c40 100644
--- a/lib/editor/canvas/pen_interactive_viewer.dart
+++ b/lib/editor/canvas/pen_interactive_viewer.dart
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import 'package:flutter/physics.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
 
 import 'input_diagnostics.dart';
+import 'pinch_scale_solver.dart';
 
 /// Devices allowed to pan/zoom. Stylus + invertedStylus are excluded so the pen
 /// is owned exclusively by the drawing `Listener`.
@@ -116,6 +117,18 @@ class _PenInteractiveViewerState extends State<PenInteractiveViewer>
   double _lastRawScale = 1.0;
   double _lastAppliedScale = 1.0;
 
+  /// The recognizer's cumulative `details.scale` AT THE CURRENT BASELINE (the
+  /// gesture start, or the last pointer-count re-baseline). The absolute target
+  /// is `_scaleStart * (details.scale / _rawScaleAtBaseline)`: dividing by this
+  /// re-normalizes the cumulative scale so it reads 1.0 at the baseline moment.
+  ///
+  /// Without this, a mid-gesture re-baseline (a finger blips 2→1→2 — routine on
+  /// Windows touch) captured a fresh `_scaleStart` but left `details.scale` at
+  /// its un-normalized cumulative value, so the next frame computed
+  /// `_scaleStart * 0.40` and the zoom popped to a wrong scale then snapped back
+  /// (the reported flicker). Normalizing kills that pop at the source.
+  double _rawScaleAtBaseline = 1.0;
+
   // --- Matrix helpers (infinite boundary → no clamping to bounds) -----------
 
   Matrix4 _matrixTranslate(Matrix4 matrix, Offset translation) {
@@ -169,6 +182,7 @@ class _PenInteractiveViewerState extends State<PenInteractiveViewer>
     _referenceFocalPoint = _transformer.toScene(details.localFocalPoint);
     _lastRawScale = 1.0;
     _lastAppliedScale = _scaleStart!;
+    _rawScaleAtBaseline = 1.0;
   }
 
   void _onScaleUpdate(ScaleUpdateDetails details) {
@@ -184,6 +198,10 @@ class _PenInteractiveViewerState extends State<PenInteractiveViewer>
       _referenceFocalPoint = _transformer.toScene(details.localFocalPoint);
       _lastRawScale = details.scale;
       _lastAppliedScale = _scaleStart!;
+      // Re-anchor the absolute mapping: from here, cumulative scale is measured
+      // relative to THIS frame's details.scale (so the next good frame starts
+      // from _scaleStart, not _scaleStart * a stale cumulative value).
+      _rawScaleAtBaseline = details.scale;
       InputDiagnostics.instance.recordRebaseline();
       return;
     }
@@ -242,10 +260,15 @@ class _PenInteractiveViewerState extends State<PenInteractiveViewer>
         // for a pure scale+translate matrix — no inversion, no live read-back —
         // so an interleaved/transient matrix write can't survive into the next
         // frame: every frame is fully re-derived from clean inputs.
-        final double targetScale = clampDouble(
-          _scaleStart! * details.scale,
-          widget.minScale,
-          widget.maxScale,
+        // Absolute target scale, normalized against the baseline so a
+        // mid-gesture re-baseline (finger blip) can't pop the zoom. See
+        // pinch_scale_solver.dart for the full rationale.
+        final double targetScale = absolutePinchScale(
+          scaleStart: _scaleStart!,
+          rawScaleAtBaseline: _rawScaleAtBaseline,
+          rawScale: details.scale,
+          minScale: widget.minScale,
+          maxScale: widget.maxScale,
         );
         final Offset focal = details.localFocalPoint;
         final double tx = focal.dx - targetScale * _referenceFocalPoint!.dx;
diff --git a/lib/editor/canvas/pinch_scale_solver.dart b/lib/editor/canvas/pinch_scale_solver.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b86e201
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/editor/canvas/pinch_scale_solver.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// lib/editor/canvas/pinch_scale_solver.dart
+//
+// Pure math for the pen canvas's absolute pinch-zoom. Extracted so the
+// re-baseline behavior (the subtle part) can be unit-tested without simulating
+// a flaky multi-pointer gesture.
+//
+// The pinch is driven ABSOLUTELY: the scale shown is always
+//   scaleStart * (rawScale / rawScaleAtBaseline)
+// where `scaleStart` is the matrix scale captured at the current baseline and
+// `rawScaleAtBaseline` is the recognizer's cumulative `details.scale` at that
+// same baseline. Dividing by `rawScaleAtBaseline` re-normalizes the cumulative
+// scale so it reads 1.0 at the baseline instant.
+//
+// Why this matters: a baseline is captured at gesture start AND on every
+// pointer-count change (a finger blips 2→1→2, routine on Windows touch). At
+// gesture start `details.scale` is 1.0, so a naive `scaleStart * rawScale` is
+// correct. But at a MID-GESTURE re-baseline `details.scale` is whatever the
+// pinch has accumulated (e.g. 0.40) — multiplying the fresh `scaleStart` by
+// that stale 0.40 popped the zoom to a wrong scale and snapped back (the
+// reported flicker). Normalizing against `rawScaleAtBaseline` removes the pop.
+
+import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart' show clampDouble;
+
+/// Returns the absolute target scale for a pinch frame.
+///
+/// [scaleStart] — matrix scale captured at the current baseline.
+/// [rawScaleAtBaseline] — recognizer cumulative `details.scale` at that
+///   baseline (1.0 at gesture start; the live value at a re-baseline).
+/// [rawScale] — the recognizer's current cumulative `details.scale`.
+/// Result is clamped to [minScale, maxScale].
+double absolutePinchScale({
+  required double scaleStart,
+  required double rawScaleAtBaseline,
+  required double rawScale,
+  required double minScale,
+  required double maxScale,
+}) {
+  final double cumulative =
+      rawScaleAtBaseline > 0 ? rawScale / rawScaleAtBaseline : 1.0;
+  return clampDouble(scaleStart * cumulative, minScale, maxScale);
+}
diff --git a/test/pinch_scale_solver_test.dart b/test/pinch_scale_solver_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81d0ead
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/pinch_scale_solver_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+// Proves the absolute pinch-zoom math, focused on the re-baseline case that
+// produced the on-device flicker: when a finger blips (2→1→2) mid-pinch the
+// viewer captures a fresh baseline, and the OLD code multiplied that fresh
+// scaleStart by the recognizer's still-cumulative details.scale — popping the
+// zoom to a wrong value and snapping back. absolutePinchScale() normalizes
+// against the baseline so the pop cannot happen.
+
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+
+import 'package:badnote/editor/canvas/pinch_scale_solver.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  const min = 0.5, max = 8.0;
+
+  double solve(double scaleStart, double baseline, double raw) =>
+      absolutePinchScale(
+        scaleStart: scaleStart,
+        rawScaleAtBaseline: baseline,
+        rawScale: raw,
+        minScale: min,
+        maxScale: max,
+      );
+
+  test('at gesture start (baseline 1.0) target tracks raw directly', () {
+    // scaleStart 1.0, baseline 1.0: pinch out to raw 2.0 → scale 2.0.
+    expect(solve(1.0, 1.0, 2.0), closeTo(2.0, 1e-9));
+    // pinch in to raw 0.5 → scale 0.5.
+    expect(solve(1.0, 1.0, 0.5), closeTo(0.5, 1e-9));
+  });
+
+  test('a re-baseline at the SAME instant does not change the scale', () {
+    // Pinch in: start(2.0,1.0) → raw 0.6 gives scale 1.2 (well inside clamp).
+    final before = solve(2.0, 1.0, 0.6);
+    expect(before, closeTo(1.2, 1e-9));
+
+    // A finger blips: the viewer re-baselines RIGHT HERE — scaleStart becomes
+    // the current scale (1.2) and rawScaleAtBaseline becomes the current raw
+    // (0.6). Re-evaluating the same instant must yield the SAME scale (no pop).
+    final after = solve(1.2, 0.6, 0.6);
+    expect(after, closeTo(before, 1e-9),
+        reason: 're-baseline must be continuous, not a jump');
+  });
+
+  test('after a re-baseline the pinch stays smooth (no pop)', () {
+    // Re-baselined at scale 1.2 / raw 0.6. Continue pinching in: raw 0.54.
+    // Correct: 1.2 * (0.54 / 0.6) = 1.08 — a gentle 10% step, monotonic.
+    final next = solve(1.2, 0.6, 0.54);
+    expect(next, closeTo(1.08, 1e-9));
+
+    // The OLD bug multiplied the fresh scaleStart by the un-normalized raw:
+    // 1.2 * 0.54 = 0.648 — a sudden ~46% drop (the flicker). Guard against it.
+    expect(next, greaterThan(1.0),
+        reason: 'must NOT collapse to scaleStart*raw (the old 0.648 pop)');
+  });
+
+  test('result is clamped to [min, max]', () {
+    expect(solve(4.0, 1.0, 4.0), max); // 16 → 8
+    expect(solve(1.0, 1.0, 0.1), min); // 0.1 → 0.5
+  });
+
+  test('degenerate baseline (0) is treated as no cumulative change', () {
+    expect(solve(2.0, 0.0, 5.0), closeTo(2.0, 1e-9));
+  });
+}