diff --git a/docs/widgets.md b/docs/widgets.md
index cad7c96..ba36973 100644
--- a/docs/widgets.md
+++ b/docs/widgets.md
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ a button press does.
   `PhotoWidgetConfig`
   mirrors `app/photo_queue.py`'s attribute names exactly, so that module's
   advance/back/queue logic ports across widget instances unchanged.
+  `PhotoWidgetConfig.locked` (migration 27) freezes `current_asset_id`
+  against both the timer-elapsed auto-advance
+  (`photo_queue.get_current`) and the advance/back button actions
+  (`app/widgets/photos.py`'s `ACTIONS`) until unlocked -- toggled via a
+  "Lock this photo" button in the widget's own dialog
+  (`POST .../widgets/{id}/lock`), shown as a lock badge on the widget's
+  box on the Layout tab canvas.
   `TaskWidgetConfig` used to be a handful of `tasks_*` columns bolted onto
   `CalendarWidgetConfig` (a week-view-only, single-list task list); split
   into its own widget type (migration 17) so a task list can be placed
diff --git a/server/app/migration.py b/server/app/migration.py
index 15a6c18..2eebf17 100644
--- a/server/app/migration.py
+++ b/server/app/migration.py
@@ -705,6 +705,26 @@ def _migration_26(conn) -> None:
         conn.execute(text("ALTER TABLE widgets ADD COLUMN border_color_index INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0"))
 
 
+def _migration_27(conn) -> None:
+    """Per-photo-widget lock (models.PhotoWidgetConfig.locked) -- freezes
+    current_asset_id against both the timer-elapsed auto-advance
+    (photo_queue.get_current) and the advance/back button actions
+    (app/widgets/photos.py's ACTIONS) until unlocked. Defaults to
+    unlocked so existing widgets keep rotating exactly as before.
+
+    Guarded per-column, same reasoning as migration 26's own comment:
+    photo_widget_configs isn't touched by test_migrations.py's simulated
+    pre-widget-system replays (unlike calendar/task/widgets tables those
+    tests DROP and recreate in an old shape), so it keeps the fresh-
+    install create_all() copy -- which already has this column -- when
+    those tests replay migrations 17+ from schema_version 16. Without
+    the guard, replaying this migration there re-adds a column that's
+    already there and SQLite raises "duplicate column name"."""
+    existing = {c["name"] for c in inspect(conn).get_columns("photo_widget_configs")}
+    if "locked" not in existing:
+        conn.execute(text("ALTER TABLE photo_widget_configs ADD COLUMN locked INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0"))
+
+
 MIGRATIONS = [
     (1, _migration_1),
     (2, _migration_2),
@@ -732,6 +752,7 @@ MIGRATIONS = [
     (24, _migration_24),
     (25, _migration_25),
     (26, _migration_26),
+    (27, _migration_27),
 ]
 
 
diff --git a/server/app/models.py b/server/app/models.py
index 2db8ef7..439a4d6 100644
--- a/server/app/models.py
+++ b/server/app/models.py
@@ -483,6 +483,7 @@ class PhotoWidgetConfig(Base):
     queue_cursor: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(Integer, default=0)
     history: Mapped[list] = mapped_column(MutableList.as_mutable(JSON), default=list)
     excluded_asset_ids: Mapped[list] = mapped_column(MutableList.as_mutable(JSON), default=list)
+    locked: Mapped[bool] = mapped_column(Boolean, default=False)
 
 
 class CalendarWidgetConfig(Base):
diff --git a/server/app/photo_queue.py b/server/app/photo_queue.py
index 44c74ae..fd41cd2 100644
--- a/server/app/photo_queue.py
+++ b/server/app/photo_queue.py
@@ -211,11 +211,18 @@ def get_current(cfg: Frame, assets: list[dict], frame: Frame, in_quiet_hours: bo
     /api/queue), so without this an open browser tab polling overnight
     would silently advance the current photo on raw elapsed time alone,
     even though the device itself is correctly asleep through the
-    window (see main.py's _effective_refresh_interval_s)."""
+    window (see main.py's _effective_refresh_interval_s).
+
+    cfg.locked suppresses the elapsed-time trigger the same way
+    in_quiet_hours does -- a locked widget still needs an initial pick
+    if it somehow has none (an unconfigured widget just locked, or a
+    changed album), but once it has a current photo the whole point of
+    locking is that it stops moving on its own until explicitly
+    unlocked."""
     valid_ids = {a["id"] for a in assets}
     needs_pick = not cfg.current_asset_id or cfg.current_asset_id not in valid_ids
     time_elapsed = (time.time() - cfg.current_asset_set_at) >= frame.refresh_interval_s
-    stale = needs_pick or (time_elapsed and not in_quiet_hours)
+    stale = needs_pick or (time_elapsed and not in_quiet_hours and not cfg.locked)
     if not stale:
         return False
     advance_forced(cfg, assets, frame)
diff --git a/server/app/routers/api_widgets.py b/server/app/routers/api_widgets.py
index 2efde8a..e8c1648 100644
--- a/server/app/routers/api_widgets.py
+++ b/server/app/routers/api_widgets.py
@@ -86,10 +86,11 @@ CALENDAR_COLOR_INDEX_RANGE = range(2, 6)  # Yellow/Red/Blue/Green -- see PALETTE
 MAX_TASKS_NAME_LEN = 40  # a sane on-panel-header length, see calendar_render._draw_tasks
 
 
-def _widget_dict(w: Widget) -> dict:
+def _widget_dict(w: Widget, locked: bool = False) -> dict:
     return {"id": w.id, "widget_type": w.widget_type, "x": w.x, "y": w.y, "w": w.w, "h": w.h,
             "sort_order": w.sort_order, "border_style": w.border_style,
-            "border_thickness": w.border_thickness, "border_color_index": w.border_color_index}
+            "border_thickness": w.border_thickness, "border_color_index": w.border_color_index,
+            "locked": locked}
 
 
 def require_widget_view(
@@ -141,12 +142,21 @@ def api_widgets_list(request: Request, frame: Frame = Depends(require_frame_view
     widgets = db.scalars(
         select(Widget).where(Widget.frame_id == frame.id).order_by(Widget.sort_order)
     ).all()
+    # Layout canvas needs to know which photo widgets are locked (to draw
+    # the lock badge) -- a per-type config field, not on Widget itself,
+    # so it's a separate lookup rather than something _widget_dict can
+    # read straight off the row it's given.
+    photo_widget_ids = [w.id for w in widgets if w.widget_type == "photos"]
+    locked_by_widget_id = dict(db.execute(
+        select(PhotoWidgetConfig.widget_id, PhotoWidgetConfig.locked)
+        .where(PhotoWidgetConfig.widget_id.in_(photo_widget_ids))
+    ).all()) if photo_widget_ids else {}
     return {
         "orientation": frame.orientation,
         "grid": {"cols": cols, "rows": rows},
         "widget_types": list(WIDGET_TYPES.keys()),
         "min_footprint": grid.MIN_FOOTPRINT,
-        "widgets": [_widget_dict(w) for w in widgets],
+        "widgets": [_widget_dict(w, locked_by_widget_id.get(w.id, False)) for w in widgets],
         "control": {
             "controller": (frame.controlled_by.display_name or frame.controlled_by.username) if frame.controlled_by else None,
             "you": frame.controlled_by_user_id == user.id,
@@ -486,6 +496,7 @@ def api_widget_queue(
         photo_queue.sync_queue_length(locked_pcfg, assets)
         current_asset_id = locked_pcfg.current_asset_id
         queue = list(locked_pcfg.queue)
+        locked = locked_pcfg.locked
         controller_id = locked_frame.controlled_by_user_id
         controller = (
             (locked_frame.controlled_by.display_name or locked_frame.controlled_by.username)
@@ -498,6 +509,7 @@ def api_widget_queue(
     return {
         "current": entry(current_asset_id) if current_asset_id else None,
         "upcoming": [entry(asset_id) for asset_id in queue],
+        "locked": locked,
         "control": {"controller": controller, "you": controller_id == user.id},
     }
 
@@ -567,6 +579,26 @@ def api_widget_queue_remove(
     return {"status": "removed"}
 
 
+class QueueLockRequest(BaseModel):
+    locked: bool
+
+
+@router.post("/api/frames/{frame_id}/widgets/{widget_id}/lock")
+def api_widget_queue_lock(
+    body: QueueLockRequest, frame_widget: tuple[Frame, Widget] = Depends(require_widget_control),
+    db: Session = Depends(get_db),
+):
+    """Freezes/unfreezes current_asset_id (models.PhotoWidgetConfig.locked)
+    -- while locked, neither the timer-elapsed auto-advance
+    (photo_queue.get_current) nor the advance/back button actions
+    (app/widgets/photos.py) change which photo is showing."""
+    frame, widget = frame_widget
+    _require_widget_type(widget, "photos")
+    with widget_locked(db, frame.id, widget.id) as (_, _, cfg):
+        cfg.locked = body.locked
+    return {"status": "saved", "locked": body.locked}
+
+
 @router.get("/api/frames/{frame_id}/widgets/{widget_id}/thumbnail/{asset_id}")
 def api_widget_thumbnail(
     asset_id: str, frame_widget: tuple[Frame, Widget] = Depends(require_widget_view),
diff --git a/server/app/static/frame_layout.js b/server/app/static/frame_layout.js
index 6f47e7b..8ed4ad1 100644
--- a/server/app/static/frame_layout.js
+++ b/server/app/static/frame_layout.js
@@ -210,6 +210,14 @@ function renderCanvas() {
     label.textContent = WIDGET_LABELS[widget.widget_type] || widget.widget_type;
     box.appendChild(label);
 
+    if (widget.locked) {
+      const lockBadge = document.createElement('span');
+      lockBadge.className = 'widget-box-lock-badge';
+      lockBadge.textContent = '\u{1F512}'; // lock emoji -- open the gear icon to unlock
+      lockBadge.title = 'Locked -- won\'t change until unlocked in this widget\'s settings';
+      box.appendChild(lockBadge);
+    }
+
     const settingsBtn = document.createElement('button');
     settingsBtn.type = 'button';
     settingsBtn.className = 'widget-box-settings';
@@ -343,6 +351,7 @@ document.getElementById('widget-dialog').addEventListener('close', () => {
   openDialogWidgetType = null;
   window.FRAME_API = window.FRAME_BASE_API;
   document.getElementById('widget-dialog-body').innerHTML = '';
+  loadWidgets(); // picks up anything the dialog changed that the canvas shows (e.g. the lock badge)
 });
 
 loadWidgets();
diff --git a/server/app/static/theme.css b/server/app/static/theme.css
index 5d0e187..e1dbff6 100644
--- a/server/app/static/theme.css
+++ b/server/app/static/theme.css
@@ -477,6 +477,20 @@ button.secondary:hover { background: var(--surface-alt); }
 .widget-box-remove { right: 4px; }
 .widget-box-settings { right: 28px; }
 .widget-box-remove:hover, .widget-box-settings:hover { background: var(--overlay-hover); }
+.widget-box-lock-badge {
+  position: absolute;
+  bottom: 4px;
+  left: 4px;
+  width: 20px;
+  height: 20px;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  background: var(--overlay);
+  color: #fff;
+  font-size: 11px;
+  line-height: 20px;
+  text-align: center;
+  pointer-events: none; /* passive indicator, not a control -- toggled from the widget's own dialog */
+}
 .widget-box-resize-handle {
   position: absolute;
   bottom: 0;
diff --git a/server/app/static/widget_dialog_photos.js b/server/app/static/widget_dialog_photos.js
index db81a0b..72af251 100644
--- a/server/app/static/widget_dialog_photos.js
+++ b/server/app/static/widget_dialog_photos.js
@@ -8,6 +8,33 @@
 // FRAME_API + a global loadQueue()" contract queue.js has always had.
 
 let photosPollTimer = null;
+let photoLocked = false;
+let photoHasCurrent = false;
+
+function renderLockButton() {
+  const btn = document.getElementById('lock-photo-btn');
+  if (!btn) return;
+  btn.textContent = photoLocked ? 'Unlock this photo' : 'Lock this photo';
+  btn.classList.toggle('active', photoLocked);
+  btn.disabled = !photoHasCurrent && !photoLocked; // nothing displayed yet to lock
+}
+
+async function toggleLock() {
+  const next = !photoLocked;
+  try {
+    const resp = await fetch(`${window.FRAME_API}/lock`, {
+      method: 'POST',
+      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+      body: JSON.stringify({ locked: next }),
+    });
+    if (!resp.ok) throw new Error(await apiError(resp));
+    photoLocked = next;
+    renderLockButton();
+    showStatus(true, photoLocked ? 'Locked -- this photo will stay put.' : 'Unlocked.');
+  } catch (e) {
+    showStatus(false, e.message);
+  }
+}
 
 async function loadQueue() {
   if (dragState) {
@@ -21,9 +48,14 @@ async function loadQueue() {
       currentEl.innerHTML =
         '<p class="sub">Not available yet -- the owner needs to connect Immich (Settings) and pick an album.</p>';
       renderUpcoming([]);
+      photoHasCurrent = false;
+      renderLockButton();
       return;
     }
     const data = await resp.json();
+    photoLocked = !!data.locked;
+    photoHasCurrent = !!data.current;
+    renderLockButton();
     currentEl.innerHTML = '';
     if (data.current) {
       const wrap = document.createElement('div');
@@ -109,6 +141,8 @@ function initPhotosDialog() {
     }
   });
 
+  document.getElementById('lock-photo-btn').addEventListener('click', toggleLock);
+
   loadQueue();
   // Slow poll: picks up real changes (new photo displayed, queue edited
   // from elsewhere) without a manual refresh. Skipped mid-drag.
diff --git a/server/app/templates/_widget_dialog_photos.html b/server/app/templates/_widget_dialog_photos.html
index 8296682..5728eba 100644
--- a/server/app/templates/_widget_dialog_photos.html
+++ b/server/app/templates/_widget_dialog_photos.html
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@
 <section class="card" style="margin-top: 20px;">
   <h2 class="card-title">Now displaying</h2>
   <div id="current-thumb"><p class="sub">Loading...</p></div>
+  <button type="button" class="secondary" id="lock-photo-btn" style="margin-top: 8px;">Lock this photo</button>
+  <p class="sub" style="margin-top: 4px;">While locked, this photo stays
+    on screen -- the refresh timer and the next/back buttons won't
+    change it until you unlock it.</p>
 </section>
 
 <section class="card" style="margin-top: 20px;">
diff --git a/server/app/widgets/photos.py b/server/app/widgets/photos.py
index ee04f33..de8badc 100644
--- a/server/app/widgets/photos.py
+++ b/server/app/widgets/photos.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def render(db: Session, frame: Frame, widget: Widget, target_w: int, target_h: i
 
 def _advance(db: Session, frame: Frame, widget: Widget) -> None:
     cfg = db.get(PhotoWidgetConfig, widget.id)
-    if not cfg.album_id:
+    if not cfg.album_id or cfg.locked:
         return
     try:
         client = immich_client_for(frame)
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def _advance(db: Session, frame: Frame, widget: Widget) -> None:
 
 def _back(db: Session, frame: Frame, widget: Widget) -> None:
     cfg = db.get(PhotoWidgetConfig, widget.id)
-    if not cfg.album_id:
+    if not cfg.album_id or cfg.locked:
         return
     try:
         client = immich_client_for(frame)
diff --git a/server/tests/test_migrations.py b/server/tests/test_migrations.py
index efc2de4..bf03639 100644
--- a/server/tests/test_migrations.py
+++ b/server/tests/test_migrations.py
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ def test_expected_columns_exist_on_current_schema():
     assert "mode" in battery_widget_columns
     widget_columns = {c["name"] for c in inspector.get_columns("widgets")}
     assert {"border_style", "border_thickness", "border_color_index"} <= widget_columns  # migration 26
+    photo_widget_columns = {c["name"] for c in inspector.get_columns("photo_widget_configs")}
+    assert "locked" in photo_widget_columns  # migration 27
 
 
 # --- widget system backfill (migration 16 + _ensure_widgets_backfilled) ---
diff --git a/server/tests/test_widget_border.py b/server/tests/test_widget_border.py
index 025c8b3..9d158de 100644
--- a/server/tests/test_widget_border.py
+++ b/server/tests/test_widget_border.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def test_set_border_persists(client, db_session):
     assert resp.status_code == 200, resp.text
     assert resp.json() == {
         "id": widget_id, "widget_type": "photos", "x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 8, "h": 5, "sort_order": 0,
-        "border_style": "dashed", "border_thickness": 5, "border_color_index": 3,
+        "border_style": "dashed", "border_thickness": 5, "border_color_index": 3, "locked": False,
     }
     widget = db_session.get(Widget, widget_id)
     assert (widget.border_style, widget.border_thickness, widget.border_color_index) == ("dashed", 5, 3)
diff --git a/server/tests/test_widget_lock.py b/server/tests/test_widget_lock.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04db494
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/tests/test_widget_lock.py
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+"""routers/api_widgets.py's POST .../lock endpoint (models.PhotoWidgetConfig.
+locked) -- same permission shape as test_widget_border.py's own endpoint,
+just for a photos-only field instead of a shared Widget-level one."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import time
+
+from app.models import Frame, PhotoWidgetConfig, StaticWidgetConfig, Widget
+
+from .conftest import csrf_headers, link_user, login, make_user
+
+
+def _widget_id(db_session, widget_type="photos") -> int:
+    return db_session.query(Widget).filter_by(frame_id=1, widget_type=widget_type).one().id
+
+
+def test_new_widget_defaults_to_unlocked(db_session):
+    widget_id = _widget_id(db_session)
+    assert db_session.get(PhotoWidgetConfig, widget_id).locked is False
+
+
+def test_set_lock_persists(client, db_session):
+    client.post("/setup", data={"username": "alice", "password": "hunter22"})
+    widget_id = _widget_id(db_session)
+    resp = client.post(f"/api/frames/1/widgets/{widget_id}/lock",
+                       json={"locked": True}, headers=csrf_headers(client))
+    assert resp.status_code == 200, resp.text
+    assert resp.json() == {"status": "saved", "locked": True}
+    assert db_session.get(PhotoWidgetConfig, widget_id).locked is True
+
+    resp = client.post(f"/api/frames/1/widgets/{widget_id}/lock",
+                       json={"locked": False}, headers=csrf_headers(client))
+    assert resp.status_code == 200, resp.text
+    assert db_session.get(PhotoWidgetConfig, widget_id).locked is False
+
+
+def test_set_lock_404s_for_unknown_widget(client, db_session):
+    client.post("/setup", data={"username": "alice", "password": "hunter22"})
+    resp = client.post("/api/frames/1/widgets/999999/lock",
+                       json={"locked": True}, headers=csrf_headers(client))
+    assert resp.status_code == 404
+
+
+def test_set_lock_rejects_non_photos_widget(client, db_session):
+    client.post("/setup", data={"username": "alice", "password": "hunter22"})
+    # Built directly rather than through the placement-validated create
+    # endpoint -- the default frame's photos widget already covers the
+    # whole grid, and overlap isn't the thing under test here.
+    static_widget = Widget(frame_id=1, widget_type="static", x=0, y=0, w=1, h=1,
+                           sort_order=99, created_at=time.time())
+    db_session.add(static_widget)
+    db_session.flush()
+    db_session.add(StaticWidgetConfig(widget_id=static_widget.id))
+    db_session.commit()
+
+    resp = client.post(f"/api/frames/1/widgets/{static_widget.id}/lock",
+                       json={"locked": True}, headers=csrf_headers(client))
+    assert resp.status_code == 400
+
+
+def test_set_lock_unrelated_user_404s(client, db_session):
+    client.post("/setup", data={"username": "alice", "password": "hunter22"})
+    make_user(db_session, "mallory")
+    widget_id = _widget_id(db_session)
+
+    client.cookies.clear()
+    login(client, "mallory")
+    resp = client.post(f"/api/frames/1/widgets/{widget_id}/lock",
+                       json={"locked": True}, headers=csrf_headers(client))
+    assert resp.status_code == 404
+    assert db_session.get(PhotoWidgetConfig, widget_id).locked is False
+
+
+def test_set_lock_linked_but_not_controlling_user_409s(client, db_session):
+    client.post("/setup", data={"username": "alice", "password": "hunter22"})
+    bob = make_user(db_session, "bob")
+    frame = db_session.get(Frame, 1)
+    link_user(db_session, bob, frame)
+    widget_id = _widget_id(db_session)
+
+    client.cookies.clear()
+    login(client, "bob")
+    resp = client.post(f"/api/frames/1/widgets/{widget_id}/lock",
+                       json={"locked": True}, headers=csrf_headers(client))
+    assert resp.status_code == 409
+    assert resp.json()["detail"]["error"] == "not_controller"
+
+
+def test_widgets_list_reports_locked_state(client, db_session):
+    client.post("/setup", data={"username": "alice", "password": "hunter22"})
+    widget_id = _widget_id(db_session)
+    resp = client.get("/api/frames/1/widgets")
+    assert resp.status_code == 200, resp.text
+    assert next(w for w in resp.json()["widgets"] if w["id"] == widget_id)["locked"] is False
+
+    client.post(f"/api/frames/1/widgets/{widget_id}/lock",
+               json={"locked": True}, headers=csrf_headers(client))
+    resp = client.get("/api/frames/1/widgets")
+    assert next(w for w in resp.json()["widgets"] if w["id"] == widget_id)["locked"] is True
diff --git a/server/tests/test_widgets_photos.py b/server/tests/test_widgets_photos.py
index a81b2f6..37fe2d9 100644
--- a/server/tests/test_widgets_photos.py
+++ b/server/tests/test_widgets_photos.py
@@ -109,6 +109,41 @@ def test_advance_action_is_a_no_op_when_unconfigured(db_session):
     assert cfg.current_asset_id == ""
 
 
+def test_render_does_not_advance_when_locked(db_session, monkeypatch):
+    frame, widget = _make_widget(db_session)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(widgets.photos, "immich_client_for", lambda frame: object())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(widgets.photos, "list_assets", lambda client, album_id: _ASSETS)
+    source = Image.new("RGB", (100, 80), (10, 20, 30))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(widgets.photos, "fetch_source_and_faces", lambda client, mode, asset_id: (source, None))
+
+    with widget_locked(db_session, frame.id, widget.id) as (_, _, cfg):
+        cfg.current_asset_id = "asset-1"
+        cfg.current_asset_set_at = 0.0  # long ago -- refresh_interval_s has definitely elapsed
+        cfg.locked = True
+
+    widgets.photos.render(db_session, frame, widget, 400, 300)
+
+    cfg = db_session.get(PhotoWidgetConfig, widget.id)
+    assert cfg.current_asset_id == "asset-1"
+
+
+def test_advance_and_back_actions_are_no_ops_when_locked(db_session, monkeypatch):
+    frame, widget = _make_widget(db_session)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(widgets.photos, "immich_client_for", lambda frame: object())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(widgets.photos, "list_assets", lambda client, album_id: _ASSETS)
+
+    with widget_locked(db_session, frame.id, widget.id) as (_, _, cfg):
+        cfg.current_asset_id = "asset-1"
+        cfg.locked = True
+
+    widgets.photos.ACTIONS["advance"](db_session, frame, widget)
+    widgets.photos.ACTIONS["back"](db_session, frame, widget)
+
+    cfg = db_session.get(PhotoWidgetConfig, widget.id)
+    assert cfg.current_asset_id == "asset-1"
+    assert cfg.history == []
+
+
 def test_advance_uses_the_frame_stats_counter_not_the_widget_config():
     """advance_forced's frame/stats split (see app/photo_queue.py) means
     stats_photos_displayed should land on the Frame row, never on