diff --git a/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md b/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
index 81892edba..b68da8fa3 100644
--- a/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
+++ b/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
@@ -3463,8 +3463,14 @@ down | auth-failed` (plus the unchanged `missing-key`/`unsupported`) with
 >   celestial ring, annotations SVG, missions frame tick, and traffic).
 > - **World-label accounting:** All intended label/card migrations use the
 >   shared host. The former native `LabelGraphics` exception for cable reference
->   labels was retired on 2026-08-18; cable text may render over tile geometry,
->   so **zero native world-label creation sites remain**. The mission replay DOM vehicle, awareness
+>   labels was retired on 2026-08-18; cable text may render over tile geometry.
+>   The Directions A/B letters (`directions-markers` source) and data-pack media
+>   labels (a pooled `data-pack-labels:<n>` source per pack resource, through
+>   the pack handle's `label`) moved to the host on 2026-11-04, and
+>   `src/noCesiumLabels.test.mjs` no longer keeps an allow-list, so **zero
+>   native world-label creation sites remain**. A media pack shown without an
+>   `overlayHost` fails to load rather than drawing a native label. The mission
+>   replay DOM vehicle, awareness
 >   compass, annotation SVG callouts, and host-owned detection isolation target
 >   are explicit exceptions; the awareness ring and cockpit contact pips are
 >   non-text out-of-scope surfaces. Annotation callout text, geometry, leaders,
diff --git a/docs/DIRECTOR-DATA-PACKS.md b/docs/DIRECTOR-DATA-PACKS.md
index bf64efd0b..3c223e33f 100644
--- a/docs/DIRECTOR-DATA-PACKS.md
+++ b/docs/DIRECTOR-DATA-PACKS.md
@@ -95,6 +95,11 @@ registry of source functions. Each receives `{ path, signal, maxBytes }` and
 returns `{ bytes: Uint8Array, mimeType }`. Custom transports must honor the
 signal, bound reads and return the real MIME type. They remain application code,
 not scene document fields. Without registrations, referenced sources fail closed.
+A standalone `SceneDirector` also passes `dataPacks.overlayHost`, the
+world-overlay host that draws pack world text such as a media pack's label (an
+object with `setEntries(sourceId, entries)` and `clearSource(sourceId)`);
+without it a media pack fails to load. `createApplicationTools` passes the
+application's shared host.
 
 The portable session receives format adapters separately. Each adapter receives
 `{ pack, asset, anchors, signal }` and returns a resource with an idempotent
diff --git a/src/app/tools.js b/src/app/tools.js
index 0556ccc55..767e49eeb 100644
--- a/src/app/tools.js
+++ b/src/app/tools.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   releaseContinuousRender,
 } from '../renderGovernor.js';
 import { entityRecord, readEntityRecord } from '../data/entityRecords.js';
+import { overlayHost } from './layers/overlayHost.js';
 
 /** Attach scene tools, rendering listeners and the application debug handle. */
 export function createApplicationTools({
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ export function createApplicationTools({
   const { styleManager, weatherEffects, cockpitCloudEffects } = controls;
   const { dataManager } = data;
   const sceneDirector = new SceneDirector(viewer, styleManager, dataManager, {
-    dataPacks: sceneDataPacks,
+    dataPacks: { overlayHost, ...sceneDataPacks },
     isMapStackAvailable: (id) =>
       mapStackController?.isStackAvailable(id) === true,
   });
diff --git a/src/data/directions.js b/src/data/directions.js
index 8a871bfbf..d9a6afe0d 100644
--- a/src/data/directions.js
+++ b/src/data/directions.js
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ export {
   STEP_ANCHOR_FAST_ATTEMPTS,
   STEP_ANCHOR_RETRY_MS,
   STEP_ANCHOR_SLOW_RETRY_MS,
+  DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID,
+  createDirectionsMarkerOverlayEntry,
   createDirectionsStepOverlayEntry,
   directionsRequestUrl,
   directionsRowControls,
diff --git a/src/data/directions.test.mjs b/src/data/directions.test.mjs
index ae3ac51ff..9d7aea50e 100644
--- a/src/data/directions.test.mjs
+++ b/src/data/directions.test.mjs
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import {
   DIRECTIONS_MODES,
   DIRECTIONS_POINTER_OWNER,
   DIRECTIONS_ROUTE_COLOR,
+  DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID,
+  createDirectionsMarkerOverlayEntry,
   createDirectionsStepOverlayEntry,
   directionsRequestUrl,
   directionsRowControls,
@@ -950,3 +952,83 @@ test('the reroute tooltip keeps German mode nouns capitalized', (t) => {
     'Fahrrad – Route im Modus „Fahrrad“ neu berechnen',
   );
 });
+
+test('the A and B letters are protected overlay labels in the marker colour', () => {
+  const position = Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-122.39, 37.79);
+  const entry = createDirectionsMarkerOverlayEntry('B', position, '#ff6b6b');
+  assert.equal(entry.id, 'directions-marker-b');
+  assert.equal(entry.title, 'B');
+  assert.equal(entry.variant, 'label');
+  assert.equal(entry.accent, '#ff6b6b');
+  assert.equal(entry.protected, true);
+  assert.equal(entry.position, position);
+  assert.equal(entry.placement, 'above');
+});
+
+test('a placed endpoint draws its letter through the overlay, not as entity text', async (t) => {
+  const published = [];
+  const cleared = [];
+  const visibility = [];
+  const entities = [];
+  const markerVisibility = () =>
+    visibility
+      .filter(([source]) => source === DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID)
+      .at(-1)?.[1];
+  directionsLayer = createApplicationDirectionsLayer();
+  directionsLayer._setOverlayHostForTest({
+    setEntries: (source, entries) => published.push([source, entries]),
+    setVisible: (source, visible) => visibility.push([source, visible]),
+    clearSource: (source) => cleared.push(source),
+  });
+  resetPointerOwnership();
+  const viewer = {
+    isDestroyed: () => false,
+    entities: {
+      add: (spec) => (entities.push(spec), spec),
+      remove() {},
+    },
+    scene: {
+      requestRender() {},
+      primitives: {
+        add: (primitive) => primitive,
+        remove() {},
+        raiseToTop() {},
+        lowerToBottom() {},
+        contains: () => true,
+        length: 0,
+      },
+    },
+  };
+  t.after(() => {
+    directionsLayer.destroy(viewer);
+    directionsLayer._setOverlayHostForTest(null);
+    resetPointerOwnership();
+  });
+  directionsLayer.init(viewer);
+  assert.equal(markerVisibility(), false, 'hidden until enabled');
+  directionsLayer.placeEndpoint('a', { lat: 37.7955, lon: -122.3937 });
+
+  assert.equal(entities.length, 1);
+  assert.equal(entities[0].label, undefined, 'no Cesium label on the marker');
+  assert.ok(entities[0].point, 'the marker keeps its point');
+  const [source, entries] = published.at(-1);
+  assert.equal(source, DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID);
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    entries.map((entry) => entry.title),
+    ['A'],
+  );
+  // Hidden until the floor cell settles, then anchored (the ellipsoid here,
+  // where the test resolver finds no height).
+  assert.equal(entries[0].position(), null);
+  const started = Date.now();
+  while (!entries[0].position() && Date.now() - started < 5000)
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 10));
+  const anchor = Cesium.Cartographic.fromCartesian(entries[0].position());
+  assert.ok(Math.abs(Cesium.Math.toDegrees(anchor.latitude) - 37.7955) < 1e-9);
+
+  directionsLayer.setParams({ clear: true });
+  assert.ok(cleared.includes(DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID));
+  cleared.length = 0;
+  directionsLayer.destroy(viewer);
+  assert.ok(cleared.includes(DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID));
+});
diff --git a/src/data/sharedOsmDisplays.test.mjs b/src/data/sharedOsmDisplays.test.mjs
index 273a9dc56..0ae690f05 100644
--- a/src/data/sharedOsmDisplays.test.mjs
+++ b/src/data/sharedOsmDisplays.test.mjs
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ test('Directions introduces the shared OSM credit when the requested route draws
     render: { governorRequestRender: noop, holdContinuousRender: noop, releaseContinuousRender: noop },
     sprites: { registerSpriteCollection: noop, unregisterSpriteCollection: noop, restoreSpriteOrder: noop },
     picking: { registerPickOwner: noop, unregisterPickOwner: noop },
-    ground: { warmGroundFloor: noop },
+    ground: { warmGroundFloor: noop, resolveGroundFloorCells: async () => {} },
   } });
   layer.init(v); layer.enable(v);
   layer.placeEndpoint('a', { lat: 0, lon: 0 }); layer.placeEndpoint('b', { lat: 0.01, lon: 0.01 });
diff --git a/src/layers/directions/index.js b/src/layers/directions/index.js
index fbe774638..cc7eb7875 100644
--- a/src/layers/directions/index.js
+++ b/src/layers/directions/index.js
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ export const DIRECTIONS_STEP_OVERLAY_SOURCE_OPTIONS = Object.freeze({
   collisionCapacity: 0,
   moving: false,
 });
+/** The A and B letters above the endpoint markers. */
+export const DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID = 'directions-markers';
+export const DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_OPTIONS = Object.freeze({
+  cohortLimit: 2,
+  collisionCapacity: 0,
+  moving: false,
+});
 
 /** Travel modes, keyed by the `/api/route` profile name. */
 export const DIRECTIONS_MODES = Object.freeze({
@@ -69,8 +76,10 @@ export function presentRoutingFailure(error) {
 
 /** Route colour — the annotation palette's cyan, so voice routes and Directions match. */
 export const DIRECTIONS_ROUTE_COLOR = '#39d0ff';
-const MARKER_A_COLOR = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString('#5dff9f');
-const MARKER_B_COLOR = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString('#ff6b6b');
+const MARKER_A_CSS = '#5dff9f';
+const MARKER_B_CSS = '#ff6b6b';
+const MARKER_A_COLOR = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString(MARKER_A_CSS);
+const MARKER_B_COLOR = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString(MARKER_B_CSS);
 const STEP_COLOR = Cesium.Color.WHITE.withAlpha(0.95);
 const STEP_OUTLINE = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString(DIRECTIONS_ROUTE_COLOR);
 const STEP_PIXEL_SIZE = 8;
@@ -796,6 +805,32 @@ export function createDirectionsStepOverlayEntry(index, position, copy) {
   };
 }
 
+/**
+ * The letter above one endpoint marker, as a world-overlay label. It is
+ * protected, like the step card, so it never yields to ambient labels.
+ * @param {'A'|'B'} letter
+ * @param {Cesium.Cartesian3|(() => Cesium.Cartesian3)} position
+ * @param {string} accent CSS colour of the marker.
+ */
+export function createDirectionsMarkerOverlayEntry(letter, position, accent) {
+  return {
+    id: `directions-marker-${letter.toLowerCase()}`,
+    position,
+    variant: 'label',
+    title: letter,
+    accent,
+    protected: true,
+    priority: Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER - 1,
+    interactive: false,
+    gapPx: 13,
+    verticalOnly: true,
+    placement: 'above',
+    edgeFade: 'keyhole',
+    horizonCull: true,
+    terrainOcclusion: false,
+  };
+}
+
 /**
  * Build the `/api/route` URL for two endpoints.
  * @param {string} mode car | foot | bike
@@ -881,6 +916,10 @@ export function createDirectionsLayer({ services, source }) {
   let _mode = DEFAULT_DIRECTIONS_MODE;
   /** @type {null|'a'|'b'} which endpoint the next globe click places */
   let _armed = null;
+  /** Surface heights of clicked endpoints, by point. */
+  const _surfaceHeights = new WeakMap();
+  /** Endpoints whose floor cell resolve has settled, height or not. */
+  const _floorSettled = new WeakSet();
   /** @type {{lat:number, lon:number}|null} */
   let _a = null;
   /** @type {{lat:number, lon:number}|null} */
@@ -975,10 +1014,14 @@ export function createDirectionsLayer({ services, source }) {
     if (!cartesian) return null;
     const carto = Cesium.Cartographic.fromCartesian(cartesian);
     if (!carto) return null;
-    return {
+    const point = {
       lat: Cesium.Math.toDegrees(carto.latitude),
       lon: Cesium.Math.toDegrees(carto.longitude),
     };
+    // A pick at the ellipsoid itself is the fallback when the drawn surface
+    // gave no position; the floor path places that letter instead.
+    if (Math.abs(carto.height) > 0.01) _surfaceHeights.set(point, carto.height);
+    return point;
   }
 
   function markerEntity(letter, point, color) {
@@ -993,20 +1036,55 @@ export function createDirectionsLayer({ services, source }) {
         heightReference: Cesium.HeightReference.CLAMP_TO_GROUND,
         disableDepthTestDistance: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
       },
-      label: {
-        text: letter,
-        font: 'bold 13px "JetBrains Mono", "SF Mono", monospace',
-        fillColor: Cesium.Color.WHITE,
-        outlineColor: Cesium.Color.BLACK,
-        outlineWidth: 3,
-        style: Cesium.LabelStyle.FILL_AND_OUTLINE,
-        pixelOffset: new Cesium.Cartesian2(0, -20),
-        heightReference: Cesium.HeightReference.CLAMP_TO_GROUND,
-        disableDepthTestDistance: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
-      },
     });
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Where a marker's letter hangs: over the surface the user clicked, or for an
+   * endpoint placed without a click, over the shared ground floor once its cell
+   * is known. Until then the letter stays hidden, as the step dots do, rather
+   * than hanging at the ellipsoid far below its point; only a cell that settled
+   * with no height falls back to the ellipsoid. Resolved once.
+   */
+  function markerLabelPosition(point) {
+    let position = null;
+    return () => {
+      if (position) return position;
+      const height =
+        _surfaceHeights.get(point) ??
+        services.ground.cachedGroundFloor(point.lat, point.lon);
+      if (!Number.isFinite(height) && !_floorSettled.has(point)) return null;
+      position = Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(
+        point.lon,
+        point.lat,
+        Number.isFinite(height) ? height : 0,
+      );
+      return position;
+    };
+  }
+
+  /** Publish the letters for whichever endpoints are placed. */
+  function publishMarkerLabels() {
+    const entries = [];
+    for (const [letter, point, accent] of [
+      ['A', _a, MARKER_A_CSS],
+      ['B', _b, MARKER_B_CSS],
+    ])
+      if (point)
+        entries.push(
+          createDirectionsMarkerOverlayEntry(
+            letter,
+            markerLabelPosition(point),
+            accent,
+          ),
+        );
+    _overlayHost.setEntries(
+      DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID,
+      entries,
+      DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_OPTIONS,
+    );
+  }
+
   function removeEntity(entity) {
     if (entity && _viewer && !_viewer.isDestroyed?.())
       _viewer.entities.remove(entity);
@@ -1021,6 +1099,17 @@ export function createDirectionsLayer({ services, source }) {
       removeEntity(_markerB);
       _markerB = markerEntity('B', point, MARKER_B_COLOR);
     }
+    publishMarkerLabels();
+    if (_surfaceHeights.has(point)) return;
+    // The letter appears when its floor cell lands, even under a still camera.
+    services.ground
+      .resolveGroundFloorCells([{ lat: point.lat, lon: point.lon }])
+      .catch(() => {})
+      .then(() => {
+        _floorSettled.add(point);
+        if (_viewer && (point === _a || point === _b))
+          services.render.governorRequestRender('directions-place');
+      });
   }
 
   function clearRouteGraphics() {
@@ -1326,6 +1415,7 @@ export function createDirectionsLayer({ services, source }) {
     removeEntity(_markerB);
     _markerA = null;
     _markerB = null;
+    _overlayHost.clearSource(DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID);
     clearRouteGraphics();
     services.render.governorRequestRender('directions-clear');
   }
@@ -1603,6 +1693,7 @@ export function createDirectionsLayer({ services, source }) {
       _error = null;
       _flightStep = null;
       _overlayHost.setVisible(DIRECTIONS_STEP_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID, false);
+      _overlayHost.setVisible(DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID, false);
       services.sprites.restoreSpriteOrder(viewer);
       console.log('[Data:Directions] Initialized');
     },
@@ -1616,6 +1707,7 @@ export function createDirectionsLayer({ services, source }) {
       _pointerBlocked = false;
       _stepPoints.show = true;
       _overlayHost.setVisible(DIRECTIONS_STEP_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID, true);
+      _overlayHost.setVisible(DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID, true);
       _installClickHandler(viewer);
       services.picking.registerPickOwner(
         'directions',
@@ -1634,6 +1726,7 @@ export function createDirectionsLayer({ services, source }) {
       _enabled = false;
       clearAll();
       _overlayHost.setVisible(DIRECTIONS_STEP_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID, false);
+      _overlayHost.setVisible(DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID, false);
       _removeClickHandler();
       services.picking.unregisterPickOwner('directions');
       if (_stepPoints) _stepPoints.show = false;
@@ -1740,6 +1833,7 @@ export function createDirectionsLayer({ services, source }) {
         _stepPoints = null;
       }
       _overlayHost.clearSource(DIRECTIONS_STEP_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID);
+      _overlayHost.clearSource(DIRECTIONS_MARKER_OVERLAY_SOURCE_ID);
       _viewer = null;
     },
 
diff --git a/src/noCesiumLabels.test.mjs b/src/noCesiumLabels.test.mjs
index a8105b4eb..d7abff47f 100644
--- a/src/noCesiumLabels.test.mjs
+++ b/src/noCesiumLabels.test.mjs
@@ -4,11 +4,6 @@ import { readdirSync, readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import { parsers } from 'prettier/plugins/babel.mjs';
 
-// Existing entity graphics only. Remove entries as these callers migrate.
-const legacyFiles = new Set([
-  'src/scenes/dataPacks/presentation.js',
-  'src/layers/directions/index.js',
-]);
 const root = fileURLToPath(new URL('../', import.meta.url));
 const propertyName = (node) => node?.name ?? node?.value;
 const memberName = (node) =>
@@ -110,7 +105,6 @@ function cesiumLabels(source) {
 
 test('runtime world text uses the world-overlay host, never new Cesium labels', () => {
   const violations = [];
-  const legacySeen = new Set();
   function scan(directory) {
     for (const entry of readdirSync(root + directory, {
       withFileTypes: true,
@@ -123,9 +117,7 @@ test('runtime world text uses the world-overlay host, never new Cesium labels',
         !/\.(?:test|spec)\.js$/.test(entry.name)
       ) {
         const hits = cesiumLabels(readFileSync(root + file, 'utf8'));
-        if (!hits.length) continue;
-        if (legacyFiles.has(file)) legacySeen.add(file);
-        else violations.push(...hits.map((hit) => `${file}:${hit}`));
+        violations.push(...hits.map((hit) => `${file}:${hit}`));
       }
     }
   }
@@ -135,11 +127,6 @@ test('runtime world text uses the world-overlay host, never new Cesium labels',
     [],
     `Cesium text labels are forbidden; use the world-overlay host.\n${violations.join('\n')}`,
   );
-  assert.deepEqual(
-    legacySeen,
-    legacyFiles,
-    'Remove stale or false-positive Cesium-label exceptions',
-  );
 });
 
 test('the guard catches label APIs and entity graphics, including aliases and multiline options', () => {
diff --git a/src/scenes/dataPacks/controller.js b/src/scenes/dataPacks/controller.js
index 42800845a..a4adf2bc4 100644
--- a/src/scenes/dataPacks/controller.js
+++ b/src/scenes/dataPacks/controller.js
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@ import { createDataPackSession } from '../../director/packs/session.js';
 import { createPackPresentations } from './presentation.js';
 
 /** Bind selected shot packs to one viewer and expose copied lifecycle diagnostics. */
-export function createSceneDataPacks(viewer, { sources = {} } = {}) {
+export function createSceneDataPacks(
+  viewer,
+  { sources = {}, overlayHost = null } = {},
+) {
   const targets = new Map();
   const session = createDataPackSession({
     sources,
-    adapters: createPackPresentations(viewer, targets),
+    adapters: createPackPresentations(viewer, targets, { overlayHost }),
   });
   return {
     ...session,
diff --git a/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentation.js b/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentation.js
index ac4517a02..9695c8187 100644
--- a/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentation.js
+++ b/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentation.js
@@ -5,11 +5,20 @@ import { applicationPinia } from '../../ui/vueRuntime.js';
 
 const xyz = (p) => Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(...p);
 
+const MEDIA_MARKER_CSS = '#ffff00';
+
 // Key every panel and card on the page, so a new one never reuses an old
 // one's DOM.
 let panelKeys = 0,
   cardKeys = 0;
 
+// Label overlay sources, one per pack resource while it shows text, so two
+// presentations of one pack never share or clear each other's labels. The host
+// keeps a source once made, so a disposed resource returns its id for reuse
+// and the count stays at the most labelled resources ever shown at once.
+let labelSources = 0;
+const freeLabelSources = [];
+
 /**
  * Create rendering adapters; data acquisition and authored placement stay
  * independent. Each pack's attribution card is presented to the data packs
@@ -18,7 +27,7 @@ let panelKeys = 0,
 export function createPackPresentations(
   viewer,
   targets = new Map(),
-  { store = useDataPacksStore(applicationPinia()) } = {},
+  { store = useDataPacksStore(applicationPinia()), overlayHost = null } = {},
 ) {
   const owner = {};
   let key,
@@ -56,8 +65,10 @@ export function createPackPresentations(
     const entities = [],
       primitives = [],
       materials = [],
-      urls = [];
+      urls = [],
+      labels = [];
     const featureKeys = [];
+    let labelSource = null;
     let card,
       destroyed = false;
     return {
@@ -72,6 +83,21 @@ export function createPackPresentations(
         viewer.scene.requestRender();
         return entity;
       },
+      /**
+       * World text for this pack, as a label-overlay entry in the pack's own
+       * source. The application passes the shared host; there is no text
+       * without one, so a pack that needs it fails to load instead.
+       */
+      label(entry) {
+        if (!overlayHost) throw new Error('Pack labels need an overlay host');
+        // A late adapter writing after disposal must not take a source again.
+        if (destroyed) return;
+        labelSource ||=
+          freeLabelSources.pop() ?? `data-pack-labels:${++labelSources}`;
+        labels.push(entry);
+        overlayHost.setEntries(labelSource, labels.slice());
+        viewer.scene.requestRender();
+      },
       primitive(value) {
         primitives.push(viewer.scene.primitives.add(value));
         if (value.appearance?.material)
@@ -98,6 +124,12 @@ export function createPackPresentations(
         // The view stops a removed card's player as it goes.
         if (card) removeCard(card);
         for (const entity of entities.splice(0)) viewer.entities.remove(entity);
+        if (labelSource) {
+          labels.length = 0;
+          overlayHost.clearSource(labelSource);
+          freeLabelSources.push(labelSource);
+          labelSource = null;
+        }
         for (const primitive of primitives.splice(0))
           viewer.scene.primitives.remove(primitive);
         for (const material of materials.splice(0)) {
@@ -200,16 +232,27 @@ export function createPackPresentations(
         (item) => item.id === pack.placement.anchorId,
       );
       if (!anchor) throw new Error('Missing media anchor');
+      const position = xyz([anchor.lon, anchor.lat, anchor.alt]);
       handle.add({
         name: pack.id,
-        position: xyz([anchor.lon, anchor.lat, anchor.alt]),
-        point: { pixelSize: 16, color: Cesium.Color.YELLOW },
-        label: {
-          text: pack.id,
-          font: '14px sans-serif',
-          pixelOffset: new Cesium.Cartesian2(0, -24),
+        position,
+        point: {
+          pixelSize: 16,
+          color: Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString(MEDIA_MARKER_CSS),
         },
       });
+      handle.label({
+        id: 'media',
+        position,
+        variant: 'label',
+        title: pack.id,
+        accent: MEDIA_MARKER_CSS,
+        protected: true,
+        interactive: false,
+        gapPx: 15,
+        verticalOnly: true,
+        placement: 'above',
+      });
       handle.media({
         kind: asset.mimeType.startsWith('video/') ? 'video' : 'audio',
         src: handle.url(new Blob([asset.bytes], { type: asset.mimeType })),
diff --git a/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentation.test.mjs b/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentation.test.mjs
index 094516520..0844f06c1 100644
--- a/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentation.test.mjs
+++ b/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentation.test.mjs
@@ -55,3 +55,110 @@ test('abort releases an in-flight image URL before the decoder settles or the vi
     URL.revokeObjectURL = priorRevoke;
   }
 });
+
+test('a media pack names its marker through the label overlay, cleared on dispose', async () => {
+  const published = [];
+  const cleared = [];
+  const added = [];
+  const viewer = {
+    container: {},
+    scene: { requestRender() {} },
+    entities: {
+      add: (spec) => (added.push(spec), spec),
+      remove() {},
+    },
+  };
+  const overlayHost = {
+    setEntries: (source, entries) => published.push([source, entries]),
+    clearSource: (source) => cleared.push(source),
+  };
+  const handle = await createPackPresentations(viewer, new Map(), {
+    overlayHost,
+  }).media({
+    pack: {
+      id: 'harbour-audio',
+      placement: { anchorId: 'pier' },
+      attribution: { text: 'Port', license: 'CC-BY' },
+    },
+    anchors: [{ id: 'pier', lon: -122.39, lat: 37.79, alt: 5 }],
+    asset: { bytes: new Uint8Array(4), mimeType: 'audio/mpeg' },
+    signal: new AbortController().signal,
+  });
+  assert.equal(added.length, 1);
+  assert.equal(added[0].label, undefined, 'no Cesium label on the marker');
+  const [source, entries] = published.at(-1);
+  assert.match(source, /^data-pack-labels:\d+$/);
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    entries.map(({ title, variant }) => ({ title, variant })),
+    [{ title: 'harbour-audio', variant: 'label' }],
+  );
+  assert.equal(entries[0].position, added[0].position);
+  assert.equal(entries[0].protected, true, 'it always draws, as before');
+  handle.dispose();
+  assert.deepEqual(cleared, [source]);
+});
+
+test('without an overlay host a media pack fails to load instead of losing its name', async () => {
+  const removed = [];
+  const viewer = {
+    container: {},
+    scene: { requestRender() {} },
+    entities: { add: (spec) => spec, remove: (entity) => removed.push(entity) },
+  };
+  await assert.rejects(
+    createPackPresentations(viewer).media({
+      pack: {
+        id: 'harbour-audio',
+        placement: { anchorId: 'pier' },
+        attribution: { text: 'Port', license: 'CC-BY' },
+      },
+      anchors: [{ id: 'pier', lon: -122.39, lat: 37.79, alt: 5 }],
+      asset: { bytes: new Uint8Array(4), mimeType: 'audio/mpeg' },
+      signal: new AbortController().signal,
+    }),
+    /overlay host/,
+  );
+  assert.equal(removed.length, 1, 'the marker it placed is removed again');
+});
+
+test('two presentations of one media pack keep their labels apart, and reuse sources', async () => {
+  // Like the real host, clearing a source empties it but keeps it registered.
+  const sources = new Map();
+  const overlayHost = {
+    setEntries: (source, entries) => sources.set(source, entries),
+    clearSource: (source) => sources.set(source, []),
+  };
+  const shown = () =>
+    [...sources.values()].filter((entries) => entries.length).length;
+  const viewer = {
+    container: {},
+    scene: { requestRender() {} },
+    entities: { add: (spec) => spec, remove() {} },
+  };
+  const show = () =>
+    createPackPresentations(viewer, new Map(), { overlayHost }).media({
+      pack: {
+        id: 'harbour-audio',
+        placement: { anchorId: 'pier' },
+        attribution: { text: 'Port', license: 'CC-BY' },
+      },
+      anchors: [{ id: 'pier', lon: -122.39, lat: 37.79, alt: 5 }],
+      asset: { bytes: new Uint8Array(4), mimeType: 'audio/mpeg' },
+      signal: new AbortController().signal,
+    });
+  const first = await show();
+  const second = await show();
+  assert.equal(shown(), 2);
+  first.dispose();
+  assert.equal(shown(), 1, "the second presentation's label stays");
+  second.dispose();
+  assert.equal(shown(), 0);
+  const registered = sources.size;
+  for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) (await show()).dispose();
+  assert.equal(sources.size, registered, 'repeat loads reuse freed sources');
+  const late = await show();
+  late.dispose();
+  late.label({ id: 'late', position: { x: 1, y: 0, z: 0 }, title: 'late' });
+  late.dispose();
+  assert.equal(shown(), 0, 'a label after dispose is ignored');
+});
diff --git a/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentationView.test.mjs b/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentationView.test.mjs
index c6c173d89..8d970c0de 100644
--- a/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentationView.test.mjs
+++ b/src/scenes/dataPacks/presentationView.test.mjs
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import { useDataPacksStore } from '../../ui/stores/dataPacks.js';
 import DataPacks from '../../ui/views/panels/DataPacks.vue';
 import { createPackPresentations } from './presentation.js';
 
+const overlayHost = { setEntries() {}, clearSource() {} };
+
 const ANCHOR = { id: 'here', lat: 30, lon: -97, alt: 10 };
 const pack = (id, url) => ({
   id,
@@ -29,7 +31,10 @@ function fixture(t) {
     entities: { add: (spec) => spec, remove() {} },
   };
   const store = useDataPacksStore(pinia);
-  const presentations = createPackPresentations(viewer, new Map(), { store });
+  const presentations = createPackPresentations(viewer, new Map(), {
+    store,
+    overlayHost,
+  });
   t.after(() => app.unmount());
   const settle = async () => {
     for (let flush = 0; flush < 4; flush += 1) await nextTick();
@@ -118,7 +123,10 @@ test('each set of presentations keeps its own panel', async (t) => {
   const { presentations, viewer, store, settle, $$ } = fixture(t);
   const one = await media(presentations, 'one');
   await media(presentations, 'two');
-  const later = createPackPresentations(viewer, new Map(), { store });
+  const later = createPackPresentations(viewer, new Map(), {
+    store,
+    overlayHost,
+  });
   const three = await media(later, 'three');
   await settle();
   const cards = () =>