diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationEditOverlay.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationEditOverlay.svelte
index 93f1403c..58cff56e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationEditOverlay.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationEditOverlay.svelte
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@ $effect(() => {
 	return () => ro.disconnect();
 });
 
-type HandleId = 'nw' | 'n' | 'ne' | 'w' | 'e' | 'sw' | 's' | 'se';
+type HandleId = 'nw' | 'ne' | 'sw' | 'se';
+
+// L-bracket arm length in pixels. Each corner shows two short lines meeting at 90°.
+const ARM = 10;
 
 type DragState = {
 	type: 'handle' | 'move';
@@ -57,16 +60,20 @@ type DragState = {
 
 let dragState = $state<DragState | null>(null);
 
-// Handle positions in pixel space — always physically square regardless of annotation shape.
-const handles = $derived<Array<{ id: HandleId; cx: number; cy: number; cursor: string }>>([
-	{ id: 'nw', cx: 0, cy: 0, cursor: 'nwse-resize' },
-	{ id: 'n', cx: svgWidth / 2, cy: 0, cursor: 'ns-resize' },
-	{ id: 'ne', cx: svgWidth, cy: 0, cursor: 'nesw-resize' },
-	{ id: 'w', cx: 0, cy: svgHeight / 2, cursor: 'ew-resize' },
-	{ id: 'e', cx: svgWidth, cy: svgHeight / 2, cursor: 'ew-resize' },
-	{ id: 'sw', cx: 0, cy: svgHeight, cursor: 'nesw-resize' },
-	{ id: 's', cx: svgWidth / 2, cy: svgHeight, cursor: 'ns-resize' },
-	{ id: 'se', cx: svgWidth, cy: svgHeight, cursor: 'nwse-resize' }
+// Corner handles only — 4 L-bracket shapes. Each `path` is relative to the corner centre (0,0).
+const handles = $derived<
+	Array<{ id: HandleId; cx: number; cy: number; cursor: string; path: string }>
+>([
+	{ id: 'nw', cx: 0, cy: 0, cursor: 'nwse-resize', path: `M ${ARM},0 L 0,0 L 0,${ARM}` },
+	{ id: 'ne', cx: svgWidth, cy: 0, cursor: 'nesw-resize', path: `M ${-ARM},0 L 0,0 L 0,${ARM}` },
+	{ id: 'sw', cx: 0, cy: svgHeight, cursor: 'nesw-resize', path: `M ${ARM},0 L 0,0 L 0,${-ARM}` },
+	{
+		id: 'se',
+		cx: svgWidth,
+		cy: svgHeight,
+		cursor: 'nwse-resize',
+		path: `M ${-ARM},0 L 0,0 L 0,${-ARM}`
+	}
 ]);
 
 function pixelToNorm(dx: number, dy: number): { nx: number; ny: number } {
@@ -85,19 +92,21 @@ function applyHandleDrag(handleId: HandleId, nx: number, ny: number, ds: DragSta
 		w = ds.preDragWidth,
 		h = ds.preDragHeight;
 
-	if (['nw', 'w', 'sw'].includes(handleId)) {
+	// Horizontal axis
+	if (handleId === 'nw' || handleId === 'sw') {
 		const newX = Math.max(0, Math.min(x + w - MIN, x + nx));
 		w = w - (newX - x);
 		x = newX;
-	} else if (['ne', 'e', 'se'].includes(handleId)) {
+	} else {
 		w = Math.max(MIN, Math.min(1 - x, w + nx));
 	}
 
-	if (['nw', 'n', 'ne'].includes(handleId)) {
+	// Vertical axis
+	if (handleId === 'nw' || handleId === 'ne') {
 		const newY = Math.max(0, Math.min(y + h - MIN, y + ny));
 		h = h - (newY - y);
 		y = newY;
-	} else if (['sw', 's', 'se'].includes(handleId)) {
+	} else {
 		h = Math.max(MIN, Math.min(1 - y, h + ny));
 	}
 
@@ -246,6 +255,20 @@ let previewH = $derived((liveHeight / annotation.height) * svgHeight);
 		/>
 	{/if}
 
+	<!-- Dashed selection border — signals the annotation is in edit mode -->
+	<rect
+		x="0"
+		y="0"
+		width={svgWidth}
+		height={svgHeight}
+		fill="none"
+		stroke="#002850"
+		stroke-width="1"
+		stroke-dasharray="4 3"
+		opacity="0.6"
+		pointer-events="none"
+	/>
+
 	{#each handles as handle (handle.id)}
 		<g
 			data-handle={handle.id}
@@ -255,7 +278,7 @@ let previewH = $derived((liveHeight / annotation.height) * svgHeight);
 			onpointerdown={(e) => handlePointerDown(e, 'handle', handle.id)}
 		>
 			<rect data-handle-hit x="-22" y="-22" width="44" height="44" fill="transparent" />
-			<rect x="-8" y="-8" width="16" height="16" fill="white" stroke="#002850" stroke-width="2" />
+			<path d={handle.path} fill="none" stroke="#002850" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="square" />
 		</g>
 	{/each}
 </svg>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationEditOverlay.svelte.test.ts b/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationEditOverlay.svelte.test.ts
index 1afa47eb..e6557342 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationEditOverlay.svelte.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationEditOverlay.svelte.test.ts
@@ -16,18 +16,27 @@ const annotation: Annotation = {
 };
 
 describe('AnnotationEditOverlay', () => {
-	it('renders 8 handle elements', async () => {
+	it('renders 4 corner handle elements', async () => {
 		render(AnnotationEditOverlay, { annotation });
 
 		const handles = document.querySelectorAll('[data-handle]');
-		expect(handles).toHaveLength(8);
+		expect(handles).toHaveLength(4);
+	});
+
+	it('renders handles for all four corners', async () => {
+		render(AnnotationEditOverlay, { annotation });
+
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-handle="nw"]')).not.toBeNull();
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-handle="ne"]')).not.toBeNull();
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-handle="sw"]')).not.toBeNull();
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-handle="se"]')).not.toBeNull();
 	});
 
 	it('each handle has a 44x44 hit area', async () => {
 		render(AnnotationEditOverlay, { annotation });
 
 		const hitAreas = document.querySelectorAll('[data-handle-hit]');
-		expect(hitAreas).toHaveLength(8);
+		expect(hitAreas).toHaveLength(4);
 		hitAreas.forEach((el) => {
 			expect(el.getAttribute('width')).toBe('44');
 			expect(el.getAttribute('height')).toBe('44');
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationLayer.svelte.test.ts b/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationLayer.svelte.test.ts
index 5c78f3a2..5a242288 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationLayer.svelte.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationLayer.svelte.test.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ describe('AnnotationLayer', () => {
 			});
 
 			const handles = document.querySelectorAll('[data-handle]');
-			expect(handles).toHaveLength(8);
+			expect(handles).toHaveLength(4);
 		});
 
 		it('passes isResizable=false when annotation has a polygon', async () => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationShape.svelte.test.ts b/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationShape.svelte.test.ts
index f5ad754e..7c7058b8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationShape.svelte.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/AnnotationShape.svelte.test.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ describe('AnnotationShape', () => {
 			});
 
 			const handles = document.querySelectorAll('[data-handle]');
-			expect(handles).toHaveLength(8);
+			expect(handles).toHaveLength(4);
 		});
 	});
 });