diff --git a/frontend/background-issue-sync.js b/frontend/background-issue-sync.js
index 73c36b6..862c7d9 100644
--- a/frontend/background-issue-sync.js
+++ b/frontend/background-issue-sync.js
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ function createIndexedDbTransaction(indexedDB, dbName = 'stackchain-background-o
       transaction.onerror = () => reject(transaction.error);
       transaction.onabort = () => reject(transaction.error || new Error('Issue outbox transaction aborted'));
       Promise.resolve(work({
+        get: id => requested(objectStore.get(id)),
         getAll: () => requested(objectStore.getAll()),
         put: value => requested(objectStore.put(value)),
         delete: id => requested(objectStore.delete(id)),
@@ -187,6 +188,7 @@ function createIssueSyncStore({ transaction, indexedDB = globalThis.indexedDB, n
   }
 
   return {
+    get: id => transact(records => records.get(id)),
     reconcile,
     upsert,
     update,
@@ -529,6 +531,7 @@ function createBackgroundIssueSync({
 
   return {
     flush, send, purge, resume,
+    get: id => store.get(id),
     reconcile: (items, outboxLane) => store.reconcile(items, outboxLane),
     snapshot: () => store.snapshot(),
     setReceiptPreference: (ownerLogin, enabled) => store.setReceiptPreference(ownerLogin, enabled),
diff --git a/frontend/dashboard.js b/frontend/dashboard.js
index eef37ae..c632083 100644
--- a/frontend/dashboard.js
+++ b/frontend/dashboard.js
@@ -1710,16 +1710,26 @@
       });
     });
     list.querySelectorAll('.draft-edit').forEach(button => {
-      button.addEventListener('click', () => {
+      button.addEventListener('click', async () => {
         const item = lastDrafts[Number(button.dataset.draftIndex)];
         const queued = issueOutbox.list().find(candidate => candidate.id === item?.outbox_id);
         if (!queued) return;
-        editingOutboxId = queued.id;
-        issueCapture.saveDraft(queued);
-        openCreateIssueSheet();
-        if (queued.attachment) createIssueAttachmentController.restore(queued.attachment);
-        else createIssueAttachmentController.clear();
-        qs('#create-issue-status').textContent = 'Edit this queued issue, then send again.';
+        button.disabled = true;
+        try {
+          const hydrated = await issueOutbox.hydrateForEdit(queued.id);
+          if (!hydrated) return;
+          editingOutboxId = hydrated.id;
+          issueCapture.saveDraft(hydrated);
+          openCreateIssueSheet();
+          if (hydrated.attachment) createIssueAttachmentController.restore(hydrated.attachment);
+          else createIssueAttachmentController.clear();
+          qs('#create-issue-status').textContent = 'Edit this queued issue, then send again.';
+        } catch (error) {
+          qs('#my-work-action-status').textContent = String(error?.message ||
+            'The saved screenshot could not be loaded. Retry before editing this issue.');
+        } finally {
+          button.disabled = false;
+        }
       });
     });
     list.querySelectorAll('.draft-send').forEach(button => {
diff --git a/frontend/issue-attachment.js b/frontend/issue-attachment.js
index 2837edd..0aa3ea7 100644
--- a/frontend/issue-attachment.js
+++ b/frontend/issue-attachment.js
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@
       const contentType = String(value?.contentType || '');
       const filename = String(value?.filename || '');
       const data = String(value?.data || '');
+      if (!data) {
+        clear();
+        throw new Error('The saved screenshot is unavailable. Retry before editing this issue.');
+      }
       const padding = (data.match(/=*$/) || [''])[0].length;
       const size = Math.max(1, Math.floor(data.length * 3 / 4) - padding);
       select({ name: filename, type: contentType, size });
diff --git a/frontend/issue-outbox.js b/frontend/issue-outbox.js
index 4d1cb8c..daa7989 100644
--- a/frontend/issue-outbox.js
+++ b/frontend/issue-outbox.js
@@ -100,6 +100,21 @@ function createIssueOutbox({ storage, fetchJson, coordinator, backgroundSync, ge
     }
   }
 
+  async function hydrateForEdit(id) {
+    const item = read().find(candidate => candidate.id === id);
+    if (!item) return null;
+    if (!item.attachment?.stored || item.attachment.data) return { ...item };
+    if (!backgroundSync?.get) {
+      throw new Error('The saved screenshot is unavailable. Retry before editing this issue.');
+    }
+    const durable = await backgroundSync.get(id);
+    const attachment = captureAttachment(durable?.attachment);
+    if (!attachment?.data || durable?.operationId !== item.operationId) {
+      throw new Error('The saved screenshot is unavailable. Retry before editing this issue.');
+    }
+    return { ...item, attachment };
+  }
+
   function prepareUpdate(id, draft) {
     let updated = null;
     const items = read().map(item => {
@@ -388,7 +403,7 @@ function createIssueOutbox({ storage, fetchJson, coordinator, backgroundSync, ge
   }
 
   return {
-    enqueue, enqueueDurably, update, updateDurably, discard, flush, retry, reconcileBackground,
+    enqueue, enqueueDurably, hydrateForEdit, update, updateDurably, discard, flush, retry, reconcileBackground,
     pendingCompletions, completeIntent, list: () => read().map(item => ({ ...item })),
   };
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_background_issue_sync.py b/tests/test_background_issue_sync.py
index 215071d..b5a73de 100644
--- a/tests/test_background_issue_sync.py
+++ b/tests/test_background_issue_sync.py
@@ -383,6 +383,31 @@ const transaction=work=>{{const run=tail.then(()=>work({{
     assert output[1]["attachment"]["data"] == "second-image-bytes"
 
 
+def test_issue_sync_store_hydrates_one_capture_by_key_without_scanning_all_records():
+    script = f"""
+const createBackgroundIssueSync = require({json.dumps(str(SYNC))});
+const records=new Map([
+  ['first',{{id:'first',attachment:{{filename:'one.png',contentType:'image/png',data:'first-bytes'}}}}],
+  ['second',{{id:'second',attachment:{{filename:'two.png',contentType:'image/png',data:'second-bytes'}}}}],
+]);
+const calls=[];
+const transaction=work=>work({{
+  get:async id=>{{calls.push(['get',id]);return records.get(id);}},
+  getAll:async()=>{{calls.push(['getAll']);return [...records.values()];}},
+  put:async()=>{{}},delete:async()=>{{}},
+}});
+(async()=>{{
+  const store=createBackgroundIssueSync.createIssueSyncStore({{transaction}});
+  const hydrated=await store.get('second');
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({{hydrated,calls}}));
+}})();
+"""
+    output = run_node(script)
+
+    assert output["hydrated"]["attachment"]["data"] == "second-bytes"
+    assert output["calls"] == [["get", "second"]]
+
+
 def test_stale_foreground_upsert_preserves_confirmed_attachment_delivery_stages():
     script = f"""
 const createBackgroundIssueSync=require({json.dumps(str(SYNC))});
diff --git a/tests/test_issue_attachment_ui.py b/tests/test_issue_attachment_ui.py
index b28bbc4..f92c97f 100644
--- a/tests/test_issue_attachment_ui.py
+++ b/tests/test_issue_attachment_ui.py
@@ -119,6 +119,24 @@ controller.restore({{filename:'saved.png',contentType:'image/png',data:'iVBORw0K
     assert output["removed"] is None
 
 
+def test_metadata_only_attachment_cannot_render_as_an_empty_screenshot():
+    script = f"""
+const attachment=require({json.dumps(str(ATTACHMENT))});
+const controller=attachment.create({{readDataUrl:async()=>'',upload:async()=>{{}}}});
+try {{
+  controller.restore({{filename:'saved.png',contentType:'image/png',stored:true}});
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({{restored:true,state:controller.state()}}));
+}} catch (error) {{
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({{restored:false,message:error.message,state:controller.state()}}));
+}}
+"""
+    output = json.loads(run_node(script))
+
+    assert output["restored"] is False
+    assert "saved screenshot" in output["message"].lower()
+    assert output["state"] is None
+
+
 def test_issue_composer_renders_thumb_reachable_screenshot_preview():
     html = INDEX.read_text()
     css = CSS.read_text()
@@ -145,12 +163,29 @@ def test_new_issue_sheet_captures_screenshot_into_durable_outbox():
     assert 'id="remove-create-issue-attachment"' in html
     assert "const createIssueAttachmentController = issueAttachment.mount({" in source
     assert "attachment: await createIssueAttachmentController.serialize()" in source
-    assert "createIssueAttachmentController.restore(queued.attachment);" in source
+    assert "createIssueAttachmentController.restore(hydrated.attachment);" in source
     assert "createIssueAttachmentController.clear();" in source
     assert ".create-issue-attachment" in css
     assert "overflow-x:hidden" in css
 
 
+def test_queued_screenshot_is_hydrated_before_the_issue_editor_opens_and_failure_is_retryable():
+    source = DASHBOARD.read_text()
+    handler = re.search(
+        r"list\.querySelectorAll\('\.draft-edit'\).*?addEventListener\('click', async \(\) => \{(?P<body>.*?)\n      \}\);",
+        source,
+        re.DOTALL,
+    )
+    assert handler is not None
+    body = handler.group("body")
+    assert "await issueOutbox.hydrateForEdit(queued.id)" in body
+    assert body.index("await issueOutbox.hydrateForEdit(queued.id)") < body.index(
+        "openCreateIssueSheet()"
+    )
+    assert "catch (error)" in body
+    assert "saved screenshot" in body.lower()
+
+
 def test_attachment_view_keeps_invalid_draft_and_removes_preview():
     script = f"""
 const attachment = require({json.dumps(str(ATTACHMENT))});
diff --git a/tests/test_issue_outbox.py b/tests/test_issue_outbox.py
index c9cec38..0a15964 100644
--- a/tests/test_issue_outbox.py
+++ b/tests/test_issue_outbox.py
@@ -94,6 +94,31 @@ process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify(createIssueOutbox({{storage}}).list()[0]));
     }
 
 
+def test_issue_outbox_hydrates_a_metadata_only_screenshot_for_edit_without_copying_bytes_to_localstorage():
+    script = f"""
+const createIssueOutbox = require({json.dumps(str(OUTBOX))});
+const values = new Map();
+const storage = {{getItem:k=>values.get(k)||null,setItem:(k,v)=>values.set(k,v)}};
+values.set('stackchain.issue-outbox.v1', JSON.stringify({{version:3,items:[{{
+  id:'capture-1',operationId:'capture-1',repository:'o/r',title:'Before',body:'',
+  ownerLogin:'timmy',status:'queued',attachment:{{filename:'phone.png',contentType:'image/png',stored:true}},
+}}]}}));
+const gets=[];
+const outbox=createIssueOutbox({{storage,backgroundSync:{{
+  get:async id=>{{gets.push(id);return {{id,operationId:'capture-1',attachment:{{filename:'phone.png',contentType:'image/png',data:'durable-image-bytes'}}}};}},
+}}}});
+(async()=>{{
+  const hydrated=await outbox.hydrateForEdit('capture-1');
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({{hydrated,gets,stored:values.get('stackchain.issue-outbox.v1')}}));
+}})();
+"""
+    output = run_node(script)
+
+    assert output["hydrated"]["attachment"]["data"] == "durable-image-bytes"
+    assert output["gets"] == ["capture-1"]
+    assert "durable-image-bytes" not in output["stored"]
+
+
 def test_issue_outbox_persists_create_and_start_intent_and_returns_it_with_confirmation():
     script = f"""
 const createIssueOutbox = require({json.dumps(str(OUTBOX))});