diff --git a/static/cutsheet.js b/static/cutsheet.js
index 99aaec5..ca386ce 100644
--- a/static/cutsheet.js
+++ b/static/cutsheet.js
@@ -370,6 +370,7 @@ function openCable(cable, prefill) {
   form.b_side.value = data.b_side || 'front';
   form.label_applied.checked = !!data.label_applied;
   form.querySelector('.cs-delete').hidden = !cable;
+  document.getElementById('cs-next-label').textContent = _cs.next_label;
   document.getElementById('cs-cable-title').textContent = cable ? `Edit ${cable.label || 'cable'}` : 'New cable';
   fillPorts('a');
   fillPorts('b');
@@ -510,6 +511,7 @@ document.addEventListener('click', e => {
   else if (action === 'edit-item') openItem(_cs.items.find(i => String(i.id) === btn.dataset.id));
   else if (action === 'edit-port-label') openPortLabel(btn.dataset.item, btn.dataset.port);
   else if (action === 'print-labels') printLabels();
+  else if (action === 'use-next-label') document.getElementById('cs-label').value = _cs.next_label;
   else if (action === 'toggle-suggestions') { _showAllSuggestions = !_showAllSuggestions; renderSuggestions(); }
   else if (action === 'import-check') importCsv(null, true);
   else if (action === 'add-suggestion') {
diff --git a/templates/cutsheet.html b/templates/cutsheet.html
index 5c4cfa7..ce9ecee 100644
--- a/templates/cutsheet.html
+++ b/templates/cutsheet.html
@@ -105,8 +105,9 @@
         <div class="form-row">
           <div class="lt-form-group">
             <label class="lt-label" for="cs-label">Cable ID</label>
-            <input class="lt-input" id="cs-label" name="label" maxlength="32" placeholder="C01">
-            <div class="lt-field-hint">Leave blank for a cable you haven't labeled.</div>
+            <input class="lt-input" id="cs-label" name="label" maxlength="32">
+            <div class="lt-field-hint">Blank if the cable has no ID yet. Next free:
+              <span id="cs-next-label"></span> <button type="button" class="cs-link-btn" data-action="use-next-label">use</button></div>
           </div>
           <div class="lt-form-group">
             <label class="lt-label" for="cs-status">Status</label>