diff --git a/src/app/components/GifPicker.tsx b/src/app/components/GifPicker.tsx
index 57ad613cd..d9576e997 100644
--- a/src/app/components/GifPicker.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/GifPicker.tsx
@@ -209,6 +209,13 @@ type GifPickerProps = {
 
 export function GifPicker({ apiKey, onSelect, requestClose }: GifPickerProps) {
   const [lotusTerminal] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'lotusTerminal');
+  const [gifPickerEnabled] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'gifPickerEnabled');
+
+  // Searches (and every keystroke) go straight to Giphy's API, so the picker
+  // is opt-in (Settings → Messages) and must not render or fetch until then.
+  if (!gifPickerEnabled) {
+    return null;
+  }
 
   const containerStyle = lotusTerminal
     ? {
diff --git a/src/app/features/room/RoomInput.tsx b/src/app/features/room/RoomInput.tsx
index cd0ceb3ad..6dcdd03ec 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room/RoomInput.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room/RoomInput.tsx
@@ -241,7 +241,10 @@ export const RoomInput = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, RoomInputProps>(
     const showFormat = composerToolbarButtons?.showFormat ?? true;
     const showEmoji = composerToolbarButtons?.showEmoji ?? true;
     const showSticker = composerToolbarButtons?.showSticker ?? true;
-    const showGif = composerToolbarButtons?.showGif ?? true;
+    // [Gitea #68] The GIF picker is opt-in (searches go to Giphy); hide the
+    // toolbar button entirely when it's off so it never opens an empty popover.
+    const [gifPickerEnabled] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'gifPickerEnabled');
+    const showGif = (composerToolbarButtons?.showGif ?? true) && gifPickerEnabled;
     const showLocation = composerToolbarButtons?.showLocation ?? true;
     const showPoll = composerToolbarButtons?.showPoll ?? true;
     const showVoice = composerToolbarButtons?.showVoice ?? true;
diff --git a/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx b/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
index 67c50852a..32b439332 100644
--- a/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import React, {
   ChangeEventHandler,
+  FocusEventHandler,
   FormEventHandler,
   KeyboardEventHandler,
   MouseEventHandler,
@@ -395,6 +396,16 @@ function PageZoomInput() {
     setCurrentZoom(evt.target.value);
   };
 
+  // Shared by Enter and blur so a typed-but-unconfirmed value is never
+  // silently dropped when the input loses focus.
+  const commitZoom = (value: string) => {
+    const newZoom = parseInt(value, 10);
+    if (Number.isNaN(newZoom)) return;
+    const safeZoom = Math.max(Math.min(newZoom, 150), 75);
+    setPageZoom(safeZoom);
+    setCurrentZoom(safeZoom.toString());
+  };
+
   const handleZoomEnter: KeyboardEventHandler<HTMLInputElement> = (evt) => {
     if (isKeyHotkey('escape', evt)) {
       evt.stopPropagation();
@@ -405,14 +416,14 @@ function PageZoomInput() {
       'value' in evt.target &&
       typeof evt.target.value === 'string'
     ) {
-      const newZoom = parseInt(evt.target.value, 10);
-      if (Number.isNaN(newZoom)) return;
-      const safeZoom = Math.max(Math.min(newZoom, 150), 75);
-      setPageZoom(safeZoom);
-      setCurrentZoom(safeZoom.toString());
+      commitZoom(evt.target.value);
     }
   };
 
+  const handleZoomBlur: FocusEventHandler<HTMLInputElement> = (evt) => {
+    commitZoom(evt.target.value);
+  };
+
   return (
     <Input
       style={{ width: toRem(100) }}
@@ -426,6 +437,7 @@ function PageZoomInput() {
       value={currentZoom}
       onChange={handleZoomChange}
       onKeyDown={handleZoomEnter}
+      onBlur={handleZoomBlur}
       after={<Text size="T300">%</Text>}
       outlined
     />
@@ -2344,6 +2356,7 @@ function Messages() {
     'translateTargetLang',
   );
   const [autoTranslate, setAutoTranslate] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'autoTranslate');
+  const [gifPickerEnabled, setGifPickerEnabled] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'gifPickerEnabled');
   const translationSupported = chromeTranslationEngine.isSupported();
   const selectedTargetLang = isSupportedTargetLang(translateTargetLang)
     ? normalizeLang(translateTargetLang)
@@ -2446,6 +2459,15 @@ function Messages() {
           }
         />
       </SequenceCard>
+      <SequenceCard className={SequenceCardStyle} variant="SurfaceVariant" direction="Column">
+        <SettingTile
+          title="GIF Picker"
+          description="Every search term (and your IP address) is sent directly to Giphy, not through your homeserver. Off by default."
+          after={
+            <Switch variant="Primary" value={gifPickerEnabled} onChange={setGifPickerEnabled} />
+          }
+        />
+      </SequenceCard>
       <SequenceCard className={SequenceCardStyle} variant="SurfaceVariant" direction="Column">
         <SettingTile
           title="Show Hidden Events"
diff --git a/src/app/state/settings.test.ts b/src/app/state/settings.test.ts
index aa26890ab..829f2418f 100644
--- a/src/app/state/settings.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/state/settings.test.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,18 @@ test('coerces unknown persisted denoise model / ringtone id back to defaults', (
   assert.equal(valid.ringtoneId, 'chime');
 });
 
+test('coerces unknown persisted seasonalThemeOverride back to auto', () => {
+  setStored(null);
+  const defaults = getSettings();
+  assert.equal(defaults.seasonalThemeOverride, 'auto');
+
+  setStored(JSON.stringify({ seasonalThemeOverride: 'retired-theme' }));
+  assert.equal(getSettings().seasonalThemeOverride, 'auto');
+
+  setStored(JSON.stringify({ seasonalThemeOverride: 'earthday' }));
+  assert.equal(getSettings().seasonalThemeOverride, 'earthday');
+});
+
 test('merges stored values over defaults', () => {
   setStored(JSON.stringify({ callNoiseSuppression: 'off', someUnknownKey: 1 }));
   const s = getSettings();
diff --git a/src/app/state/settings.ts b/src/app/state/settings.ts
index 1845e1956..75a0ad696 100644
--- a/src/app/state/settings.ts
+++ b/src/app/state/settings.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,38 @@ export type DenoiseModelId = 'rnnoise' | 'speex' | 'dtln' | 'deepfilternet';
 // 'soft' / 'retro' are synthesized in-browser (see utils/ringtones.ts);
 // 'none' is silent (visual-only incoming-call UI).
 export type RingtoneId = 'classic' | 'chime' | 'soft' | 'retro' | 'none';
+
+export type SeasonalThemeOverride =
+  | 'auto'
+  | 'off'
+  | 'halloween'
+  | 'christmas'
+  | 'newyear'
+  | 'autumn'
+  | 'aprilfools'
+  | 'lunar'
+  | 'valentines'
+  | 'stpatricks'
+  | 'earthday'
+  | 'deepspace'
+  | 'arcade';
+
+// Allow-list used to validate persisted values below.
+const SEASONAL_THEME_OVERRIDES: SeasonalThemeOverride[] = [
+  'auto',
+  'off',
+  'halloween',
+  'christmas',
+  'newyear',
+  'autumn',
+  'aprilfools',
+  'lunar',
+  'valentines',
+  'stpatricks',
+  'earthday',
+  'deepspace',
+  'arcade',
+];
 // [P5-31] Granular call quality caps. 'auto' = don't cap (the EC fork keeps its
 // default encoding). Numbers are kbps (audio/screenshare bitrate) or fps
 // (screenshare framerate); converted to the fork's bits/sec + fps payload in
@@ -254,24 +286,15 @@ export interface Settings {
   soundboardEnabled: boolean;
   soundboardVolume: number; // 0–100
 
-  seasonalThemeOverride:
-    | 'auto'
-    | 'off'
-    | 'halloween'
-    | 'christmas'
-    | 'newyear'
-    | 'autumn'
-    | 'aprilfools'
-    | 'lunar'
-    | 'valentines'
-    | 'stpatricks'
-    | 'earthday'
-    | 'deepspace'
-    | 'arcade';
+  seasonalThemeOverride: SeasonalThemeOverride;
 
   // On-device message translation
   translateTargetLang: string; // BCP-47 base code, default 'en'
   autoTranslate: boolean; // auto-translate incoming foreign messages (opt-in)
+
+  // GIF picker sends every search term (and the user's IP) directly to Giphy,
+  // so it's opt-in and off by default.
+  gifPickerEnabled: boolean;
 }
 
 const defaultSettings: Settings = {
@@ -374,6 +397,8 @@ const defaultSettings: Settings = {
 
   translateTargetLang: 'en',
   autoTranslate: false,
+
+  gifPickerEnabled: false,
 };
 
 export const getSettings = (): Settings => {
@@ -422,6 +447,12 @@ export const getSettings = (): Settings => {
         typeof saved.autoTranslate === 'boolean'
           ? saved.autoTranslate
           : defaultSettings.autoTranslate,
+      // Coerce any unknown/retired persisted seasonal theme id back to 'auto'.
+      seasonalThemeOverride: SEASONAL_THEME_OVERRIDES.includes(
+        saved.seasonalThemeOverride as SeasonalThemeOverride,
+      )
+        ? (saved.seasonalThemeOverride as SeasonalThemeOverride)
+        : defaultSettings.seasonalThemeOverride,
       composerToolbarButtons: {
         ...DEFAULT_COMPOSER_TOOLBAR,
         ...(saved.composerToolbarButtons ?? {}),