diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 52fde71..300c492 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ Follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/) · versioned wi
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Changed
+- **OCR custom-card persistence.** Browser-local and server-backed custom OCR profiles are now merged during reloads,
+  so a newly added Baidu or other OCR engine remains visible while settings synchronize; the OCR page also shows an
+  actionable empty state when no profiles exist.
 - **OCR engine category.** Engines now includes local OCR/document-parser profiles for KDL Frontier Parser nano and
   Baidu Unlimited-OCR, with custom OCR profiles, connection probes, page-image API guidance, and future Magazine
   workflow integration documented in the TODO roadmap.
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 61b813d..5bb76b5 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.25.2
+1.25.3
diff --git a/static/index.html b/static/index.html
index 9406c91..d57ac41 100644
--- a/static/index.html
+++ b/static/index.html
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
   <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no">
   <meta name="color-scheme" content="light dark">
   <meta name="theme-color" content="#2563EB">
-<meta name="app-version" content="1.25.2">
+<meta name="app-version" content="1.25.3">
   <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.webmanifest">
   <link rel="icon" href="/static/icon.svg" type="image/svg+xml">
   <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/icon.svg">
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@
 
   <!-- ── Core styles (local — no CDN dependency for first paint) ────────── -->
   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/vendor/mdi/materialdesignicons.min.css">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/style.css?v=1.25.2">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/resource-diagnostics.css?v=1.25.2">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/background-jobs.css?v=1.25.2">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/voice-design.css?v=1.25.2">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/rehearser.css?v=1.25.2">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/audiobook.css?v=1.25.2">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/style.css?v=1.25.3">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/resource-diagnostics.css?v=1.25.3">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/background-jobs.css?v=1.25.3">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/voice-design.css?v=1.25.3">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/rehearser.css?v=1.25.3">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/audiobook.css?v=1.25.3">
 
 
   <!-- ── Flag icons — non-blocking (loaded async, icons appear after JS) ── -->
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ window.toggleNavTree = function(treeId, chevronId) {
 </script>
 
 <!-- loader.js: fetches sections → loads JS modules → removes skeleton -->
-<script src="/static/loader.js?v=1.25.2"></script>
+<script src="/static/loader.js?v=1.25.3"></script>
 
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/static/js/engines.js b/static/js/engines.js
index c5566c1..7e08d66 100644
--- a/static/js/engines.js
+++ b/static/js/engines.js
@@ -236,10 +236,21 @@ if (document.getElementById('s-llms')?.classList.contains('is-active')) {
 
 // ── Custom engine card storage helpers ────────────────────────────────────
 function loadCustomEngineCards() {
-  if (_appSettings && Array.isArray(_appSettings.custom_engine_cards) && _appSettings.custom_engine_cards.length)
-    return _appSettings.custom_engine_cards;
-  try { return JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('engines-custom-cards') || '[]'); }
-  catch (e) { return []; }
+  let local = [];
+  try { local = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('engines-custom-cards') || '[]'); }
+  catch (e) { local = []; }
+  const server = _appSettings && Array.isArray(_appSettings.custom_engine_cards)
+    ? _appSettings.custom_engine_cards : [];
+  // Keep older browser-local cards visible while the server settings migrate
+  // or while a just-added card is still being persisted. Server entries win
+  // on the same id/name so edits do not produce duplicate cards.
+  const merged = [...server];
+  const seen = new Set(merged.map(c => String(c?.id || c?.name || '').toLowerCase()).filter(Boolean));
+  for (const card of local) {
+    const key = String(card?.id || card?.name || '').toLowerCase();
+    if (key && !seen.has(key)) { merged.push(card); seen.add(key); }
+  }
+  return merged;
 }
 function saveCustomEngineCards(cards) {
   localStorage.setItem('engines-custom-cards', JSON.stringify(cards));
@@ -622,7 +633,12 @@ function renderLocalContainers(containers) {
   if (gridTts) gridTts.innerHTML = containers.filter(isTts).map(buildCardHtml).join('');
   if (gridStt) gridStt.innerHTML = containers.filter(isStt).map(buildCardHtml).join('');
   if (gridLlm) gridLlm.innerHTML = containers.filter(isLlm).map(buildCardHtml).join('');
-  if (gridOcr) gridOcr.innerHTML = containers.filter(isOcr).map(buildCardHtml).join('');
+  if (gridOcr) {
+    const ocrCards = containers.filter(isOcr);
+    gridOcr.innerHTML = ocrCards.length
+      ? ocrCards.map(buildCardHtml).join('')
+      : '<div class="dc-loading">No OCR profiles configured yet. Use <strong>Add Custom</strong> to add one.</div>';
+  }
 
   [gridTts, gridStt, gridLlm, gridOcr].forEach(grid => {
     if (!grid) return;