diff --git a/packages/viewer/src/lib/ktx2-loader.ts b/packages/viewer/src/lib/ktx2-loader.ts
index c185ca8f..cee056c8 100644
--- a/packages/viewer/src/lib/ktx2-loader.ts
+++ b/packages/viewer/src/lib/ktx2-loader.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,112 @@
+import {
+  type CompressedTexture,
+  DataTexture,
+  LinearFilter,
+  LinearMipmapLinearFilter,
+  RGBAFormat,
+  UnsignedByteType,
+} from 'three'
 import { KTX2Loader } from 'three/examples/jsm/Addons.js'
 
+/** The private KTX2Loader surface this module relies on (stable across three
+ *  releases but not part of the public types). */
+type KTX2LoaderInternals = {
+  transcoderPath: string
+  workerConfig: Record<string, boolean> | null
+  _createTexture(buffer: ArrayBuffer, config?: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<unknown>
+}
+
+/** Base width/height of a Basis-supercompressed KTX2 payload needing transcode
+ *  (vkFormat 0 = ETC1S/UASTC) whose dimensions aren't block-aligned, or null
+ *  for anything safe. Little-endian u32s: vkFormat at byte 12, pixelWidth at
+ *  20, pixelHeight at 24. */
+function readMisalignedBasisSize(buffer: ArrayBuffer): { width: number; height: number } | null {
+  if (buffer.byteLength < 28) return null
+  const view = new DataView(buffer)
+  const vkFormat = view.getUint32(12, true)
+  if (vkFormat !== 0) return null
+  const width = view.getUint32(20, true)
+  const height = view.getUint32(24, true)
+  return width % 4 !== 0 || height % 4 !== 0 ? { width, height } : null
+}
+
+/**
+ * KTX2Loader that survives block-misaligned textures. WebGPU rejects
+ * block-compressed textures whose base dimensions aren't multiples of 4;
+ * three's KTX2Loader only warns and transcodes anyway, and the resulting
+ * invalid texture poisons every render pass that binds it (endless
+ * "Invalid BindGroup … Invalid CommandBuffer" spam — baked GLBs carrying an
+ * odd-sized user-item texture triggered exactly this). Such payloads are
+ * routed to a fallback loader whose support flags report no compressed
+ * formats, which makes the transcoder emit plain RGBA32 — uncompressed
+ * textures have no alignment requirement.
+ */
+class AlignmentSafeKTX2Loader extends KTX2Loader {
+  private rgbaFallback: KTX2Loader | null = null
+
+  private fallbackLoader(): KTX2LoaderInternals {
+    if (!this.rgbaFallback) {
+      this.rgbaFallback = new KTX2Loader(this.manager)
+      this.rgbaFallback.setTranscoderPath((this as unknown as KTX2LoaderInternals).transcoderPath)
+      // All formats unsupported → getTranscoderFormat falls through to RGBA32.
+      ;(this.rgbaFallback as unknown as KTX2LoaderInternals).workerConfig = {
+        astcSupported: false,
+        astcHDRSupported: false,
+        etc1Supported: false,
+        etc2Supported: false,
+        dxtSupported: false,
+        bptcSupported: false,
+        pvrtcSupported: false,
+      }
+    }
+    return this.rgbaFallback as unknown as KTX2LoaderInternals
+  }
+
+  /** Both `load()` and GLTFLoader's KHR_texture_basisu path funnel through
+   *  this internal — overriding it covers every entry point. */
+  async _createTexture(buffer: ArrayBuffer, config?: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<unknown> {
+    const misaligned = readMisalignedBasisSize(buffer)
+    if (misaligned) {
+      console.warn(
+        `[viewer] KTX2 texture is ${misaligned.width}x${misaligned.height} (not multiple-of-4); ` +
+          'transcoding uncompressed so WebGPU can create it.',
+      )
+      const transcoded = (await this.fallbackLoader()._createTexture(
+        buffer,
+        config,
+      )) as CompressedTexture
+      // The RGBA32 result still arrives as a CompressedTexture; three's WebGPU
+      // texture upload treats every CompressedTexture as block-compressed and
+      // crashes looking up a block descriptor for rgba8. Repackage the decoded
+      // pixels as a plain DataTexture instead.
+      const mip = (
+        transcoded.mipmaps as Array<{ data: Uint8Array; width: number; height: number }>
+      )?.[0]
+      if (!mip) return transcoded
+      const texture = new DataTexture(mip.data, mip.width, mip.height, RGBAFormat, UnsignedByteType)
+      texture.colorSpace = transcoded.colorSpace
+      texture.generateMipmaps = true
+      texture.minFilter = LinearMipmapLinearFilter
+      texture.magFilter = LinearFilter
+      texture.needsUpdate = true
+      transcoded.dispose()
+      return texture
+    }
+    return (KTX2Loader.prototype as unknown as KTX2LoaderInternals)._createTexture.call(
+      this,
+      buffer,
+      config,
+    )
+  }
+
+  dispose(): this {
+    this.rgbaFallback?.dispose()
+    this.rgbaFallback = null
+    super.dispose()
+    return this
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Single shared KTX2 loader for the whole viewer — used both by the GLB loader
  * (`use-gltf-ktx2`) and by catalog finish textures (`materials.ts`). KTX2 must
@@ -9,7 +116,7 @@ import { KTX2Loader } from 'three/examples/jsm/Addons.js'
  * from the viewer root the moment the renderer is ready (even when no GLB is in
  * the scene, so catalog `.ktx2` finishes still load).
  */
-export const ktx2Loader = new KTX2Loader()
+export const ktx2Loader = new AlignmentSafeKTX2Loader()
 ktx2Loader.setTranscoderPath('https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/pmndrs/drei-assets@master/basis/')
 
 const configuredRenderers = new WeakSet<object>()