diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 88e3571..a4efa6a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -35,3 +35,6 @@ refs/
 # Python tooling (under tools/) — bytecode caches
 __pycache__/
 *.pyc
+
+# Per-session scratch (Claude commit message drafts, ad-hoc temp files)
+tmp/
diff --git a/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs b/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs
index 6a9dc26..56f8b74 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs
@@ -403,6 +403,13 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
     // the orbited position (no snap back).
     private bool _rmbHeld;
 
+    // K-fix1 (2026-04-26): autorun is a TOGGLE — Press Q to start
+    // forward-running, press Q again (or any movement-cancel key like
+    // X / S / Backward / Forward) to stop. Mirrors retail's
+    // AutoRun action. While true, MovementInput.Forward is forced
+    // true regardless of W's state.
+    private bool _autoRunActive;
+
     // Phase K.2 — auto-enter player mode after a successful login. Armed
     // by the EnterWorld branch in BeginLiveSessionAsync; ticked from
     // OnUpdate; disarmed if the user manually enters fly mode (or any
@@ -459,6 +466,34 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
     private int _liveCenterY;
     private uint _liveEntityIdCounter = 1_000_000u;  // well above any dat-hydrated id
 
+    // K-fix1 (2026-04-26): cached at startup so per-frame branches are
+    // single-flag reads instead of env-var lookups. True iff
+    // ACDREAM_LIVE=1 was set when the window came up.
+    private static readonly bool LiveModeEnabled =
+        Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ACDREAM_LIVE") == "1";
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// K-fix1 (2026-04-26): true iff live mode is configured AND we have
+    /// NOT yet handed control to the chase camera. Gates initial
+    /// streaming + scene rendering so the user never sees Holtburg flash
+    /// before login completes — the screen stays at the sky/fog clear
+    /// color until the player entity has spawned + the auto-entry guard
+    /// has triggered <see cref="EnterPlayerModeFromAutoEntry"/>.
+    /// Offline (LiveModeEnabled false) returns false → unchanged
+    /// orbit-camera Holtburg view stays the foreground. Once chase mode
+    /// is active the property latches false for the rest of the
+    /// session, even if the user later toggles into fly mode (we don't
+    /// want to re-blank the world after they've seen it).
+    /// </summary>
+    private bool IsLiveModeWaitingForLogin =>
+        LiveModeEnabled
+        && !_chaseModeEverEntered;
+
+    // Latches true the first time chase mode becomes active. Used by
+    // IsLiveModeWaitingForLogin to suppress the pre-login render gate
+    // for subsequent fly-mode toggles.
+    private bool _chaseModeEverEntered;
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Phase 6.6/6.7: server-guid → local WorldEntity lookup so
     /// UpdateMotion and UpdatePosition handlers can find the entity the
@@ -646,13 +681,11 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
                         _chaseCamera.YawOffset -= dx * 0.004f * sens;
                         _chaseCamera.AdjustPitch(dy * 0.003f * sens);
                     }
-                    else
-                    {
-                        // Without RMB or MMB held, mouse only pitches the
-                        // chase camera (Y-axis). Mouse X is dropped —
-                        // character turning is keyboard-only.
-                        _chaseCamera.AdjustPitch(dy * 0.003f * sens);
-                    }
+                    // K-fix1 (2026-04-26): no default-pitch path. With
+                    // neither MMB nor RMB held, mouse moves the cursor
+                    // freely so the user can interact with panels +
+                    // (eventually) click selectables in the world. Pitch
+                    // is gated on a deliberate hold input.
                 }
                 else if (_cameraController.IsFlyMode)
                 {
@@ -3661,7 +3694,14 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
         // login to land before any landblock was loaded; AppendLiveEntity
         // is a no-op for unloaded landblocks, so all 40+ NPCs/weenies were
         // silently dropped on the first frame and never rendered.
-        if (_streamingController is not null && _cameraController is not null)
+        //
+        // K-fix1 (2026-04-26): skip streaming entirely while live mode is
+        // configured but the chase camera hasn't engaged yet — otherwise
+        // the orbit camera at startup centers on the hardcoded
+        // 0xA9B4 (Holtburg) and Holtburg landblocks render briefly
+        // until the player spawn arrives + auto-entry switches to chase.
+        if (_streamingController is not null && _cameraController is not null
+            && !IsLiveModeWaitingForLogin)
         {
             int observerCx = _liveCenterX;
             int observerCy = _liveCenterY;
@@ -3789,15 +3829,27 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
             if (_inputDispatcher is null) return;
             _playerMouseDeltaX = 0f;  // defensive: ensure no leakage even if some path writes it
 
+            // K-fix1 (2026-04-26): retail-faithful movement semantics.
+            //   * Default speed = RUN. Forward / backward / strafe all run
+            //     by default; holding Shift (MovementWalkMode) drops to
+            //     walk speed.
+            //   * Q = AUTORUN TOGGLE: pressing Q latches forward-running
+            //     until Q is pressed again. Handled in OnInputAction; here
+            //     we just OR _autoRunActive into the Forward flag.
+            //   * Mouse never drives character yaw (K.1b regression-prevention).
+            bool walking = _inputDispatcher.IsActionHeld(
+                AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementWalkMode);
+            bool wHeld = _inputDispatcher.IsActionHeld(
+                AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementForward);
             var input = new AcDream.App.Input.MovementInput(
-                Forward:     _inputDispatcher.IsActionHeld(AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementForward),
+                Forward:     wHeld || _autoRunActive,
                 Backward:    _inputDispatcher.IsActionHeld(AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementBackup),
                 StrafeLeft:  _inputDispatcher.IsActionHeld(AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementStrafeLeft),
                 StrafeRight: _inputDispatcher.IsActionHeld(AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementStrafeRight),
                 TurnLeft:    _inputDispatcher.IsActionHeld(AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementTurnLeft),
                 TurnRight:   _inputDispatcher.IsActionHeld(AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementTurnRight),
-                Run:         _inputDispatcher.IsActionHeld(AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementRunLock),
-                MouseDeltaX: 0f,  // K.1b: mouse never drives character yaw
+                Run:         !walking,  // default = run; Shift held = walk
+                MouseDeltaX: 0f,
                 Jump:        _inputDispatcher.IsActionHeld(AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementJump));
 
             var result = _playerController.Update((float)dt, input);
@@ -3941,9 +3993,13 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
         var mouse = _input.Mice.FirstOrDefault();
         if (mouse is null) return;
 
-        // Raw cursor mode for both fly AND chase (player) mode — both need
-        // mouse deltas for look/turn. Only orbit mode uses normal cursor.
-        bool needsRawCursor = isFlyMode || _playerMode;
+        // K-fix1 (2026-04-26): cursor visible by default in chase / orbit
+        // modes — the user needs to click panels, dropdowns, the future
+        // selection picker, etc. Mouse-look (raw mode) only happens
+        // transiently while MMB is held (HideCursorForMouseLook /
+        // RestoreCursorAfterMouseLook). Fly mode still needs raw because
+        // it's a continuous look-and-fly affordance.
+        bool needsRawCursor = isFlyMode;
         mouse.Cursor.CursorMode = needsRawCursor ? CursorMode.Raw : CursorMode.Normal;
         _capturedMouse = needsRawCursor ? mouse : null;
     }
@@ -4074,6 +4130,18 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
                     _activeDayGroup, kf);
             }
 
+            // K-fix1 (2026-04-26): suppress terrain + entity rendering
+            // while live mode is configured but the chase camera hasn't
+            // engaged yet — pairs with the streaming-Tick gate in
+            // OnUpdate so absolutely nothing of the world (Holtburg or
+            // otherwise) renders pre-login. The sky still draws above so
+            // the user sees a live, time-of-day-correct sky during the
+            // brief connection + character-list + EnterWorld handshake.
+            if (IsLiveModeWaitingForLogin)
+            {
+                goto SkipWorldGeometry;
+            }
+
             _terrain?.Draw(camera, frustum, neverCullLandblockId: playerLb);
 
             // Conditional depth clear: when camera is inside a building, clear
@@ -4214,6 +4282,14 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
                 _lastNearestObjDist = bestDist < 0f ? 0f : bestDist;
                 _lastNearestObjLabel = bestLabel;
             }
+
+            // K-fix1 (2026-04-26): jump target for IsLiveModeWaitingForLogin —
+            // skips the world geometry pass before login. ImGui (chat,
+            // debug, settings panels) and the menu bar still render
+            // below. Sky has already drawn before this label so the
+            // pre-login screen shows a live, correctly-tinted sky and
+            // nothing else.
+            SkipWorldGeometry: ;
         }
 
         // Phase D.2a — end ImGui frame. Runs AFTER all scene + debug draws
@@ -5193,6 +5269,29 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
         // re-fire.
         if (activation != AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.ActivationType.Press) return;
 
+        // K-fix1 (2026-04-26): Q is autorun TOGGLE, not hold-to-run. Press
+        // Q to start, press Q again to stop. Pressing Backup / Stop /
+        // StrafeLeft / StrafeRight while autorun is active also cancels it
+        // — retail-faithful: any deliberate movement input wins. (Pressing
+        // Forward AGAIN does NOT cancel — retail's autorun stays active
+        // even when you press W; the two stack.)
+        if (action == AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementRunLock)
+        {
+            _autoRunActive = !_autoRunActive;
+            return;
+        }
+        if (_autoRunActive
+            && (action == AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementBackup
+             || action == AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementStop
+             || action == AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementStrafeLeft
+             || action == AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.MovementStrafeRight))
+        {
+            _autoRunActive = false;
+            // Fall through — these actions still need their normal handling
+            // (e.g. Stop is currently a no-op in the switch, but keeping the
+            // fall-through means future logic fires).
+        }
+
         switch (action)
         {
             case AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Input.InputAction.AcdreamToggleDebugPanel:
@@ -5391,6 +5490,12 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
         // into a future code path that re-enables mouse-yaw.
         _playerMouseDeltaX = 0f;
         _cameraController?.EnterChaseMode(_chaseCamera);
+        // K-fix1 (2026-04-26): latch the "we have entered chase at least
+        // once" flag so the live-mode pre-login render gate stops
+        // suppressing the scene. From here on, the orbit camera (if the
+        // user ever returns to it via Escape) shows whatever's loaded —
+        // we don't re-blank the world.
+        _chaseModeEverEntered = true;
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Input/KeyBindings.cs b/src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Input/KeyBindings.cs
index 58ba368..d2020b0 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Input/KeyBindings.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Input/KeyBindings.cs
@@ -152,8 +152,14 @@ public sealed class KeyBindings
         b.Add(new(new KeyChord(Key.D,         ModifierMask.Alt),  InputAction.MovementStrafeRight));
         b.Add(new(new KeyChord(Key.Right,     ModifierMask.Alt),  InputAction.MovementStrafeRight));
         // Walk-mode modifier — Hold so a subscriber can latch state on
-        // press and unlatch on release.
-        b.Add(new(new KeyChord(Key.ShiftLeft, ModifierMask.None), InputAction.MovementWalkMode, ActivationType.Hold));
+        // press and unlatch on release. K-fix1 (2026-04-26): the chord
+        // modifier MUST be Shift, not None — when LShift/RShift is the
+        // primary key the OS keyboard reports CurrentModifiers=Shift
+        // alongside the key-down. Bind both left + right shift to match.
+        // This is the same pattern AcdreamCurrentDefaults uses for its
+        // Shift→RunLock binding (see lines 98-99 above).
+        b.Add(new(new KeyChord(Key.ShiftLeft,  ModifierMask.Shift), InputAction.MovementWalkMode, ActivationType.Hold));
+        b.Add(new(new KeyChord(Key.ShiftRight, ModifierMask.Shift), InputAction.MovementWalkMode, ActivationType.Hold));
         b.Add(new(new KeyChord(Key.Q,         ModifierMask.None), InputAction.MovementRunLock));
         b.Add(new(new KeyChord(Key.S,         ModifierMask.None), InputAction.MovementStop));
         b.Add(new(new KeyChord(Key.Y,         ModifierMask.None), InputAction.Ready));
@@ -333,6 +339,17 @@ public sealed class KeyBindings
         b.Add(new(new KeyChord(Key.F9,  ModifierMask.Ctrl), InputAction.AcdreamSensitivityUp));
         b.Add(new(new KeyChord(Key.F10, ModifierMask.Ctrl), InputAction.AcdreamCycleWeather));
 
+        // K-fix1 (2026-04-26): RMB-hold camera orbit. Coexists with the
+        // SelectRight Press binding above — Press fires on click,
+        // AcdreamRmbOrbitHold fires on hold/release transitions so the
+        // chase camera can free-orbit while the user drags the mouse.
+        // Without this, RMB-orbit silently broke when K.1c flipped the
+        // default keymap from AcdreamCurrentDefaults to RetailDefaults.
+        b.Add(new(
+            new KeyChord(InputDispatcher.MouseButtonToKey(MouseButton.Right), ModifierMask.None, Device: 1),
+            InputAction.AcdreamRmbOrbitHold,
+            ActivationType.Hold));
+
         return b;
     }