diff --git a/frontend/src/ContextMenu.tsx b/frontend/src/ContextMenu.tsx
index fa4c50d..5670ffc 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ContextMenu.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/ContextMenu.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { socketSpecAcceptsType } from './constants';
 import { outputTypeCanConnectToTarget } from './connectionUtils';
 import { compareMenuNodes, compareMenuCategories } from './canvasEvents';
 import { useFavorites } from './favorites';
+import { recordUsage, pickWeightedRandom } from './nodeUsage';
 
 const FAVORITES_CATEGORY = 'favorites';
 
@@ -213,6 +214,29 @@ export default function ContextMenu({
     setOpenCat(cat);
   }, []);
 
+  const allNodeEntries = useMemo(() => {
+    const map = new Map<string, any>();
+    for (const category of categories) {
+      for (const item of category.items) {
+        if (!map.has(item.className)) map.set(item.className, item.def);
+      }
+    }
+    return map;
+  }, [categories]);
+
+  const handleAdd = useCallback((className: string, def: any) => {
+    recordUsage(className);
+    onAdd(className, def);
+  }, [onAdd]);
+
+  const handleRandomNode = useCallback(() => {
+    const classNames = [...allNodeEntries.keys()];
+    const pick = pickWeightedRandom(classNames);
+    if (!pick) return;
+    const def = allNodeEntries.get(pick);
+    if (def) { handleAdd(pick, def); onClose(); }
+  }, [allNodeEntries, handleAdd, onClose]);
+
   if (categories.length === 0) {
     return (
       <div className="context-menu" ref={menuRef} style={{ left: menuPos.x, top: menuPos.y }} onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>
@@ -256,7 +280,7 @@ export default function ContextMenu({
             className="context-item"
             onClick={() => { onCreateGroup(); onClose(); }}
           >
-            create group
+            Create Group
           </div>
         )}
 
@@ -270,7 +294,7 @@ export default function ContextMenu({
                   key={className}
                   ref={idx === selectedIndex ? selectedItemRef : null}
                   className={`context-item${idx === selectedIndex ? ' context-item--selected' : ''}`}
-                  onClick={() => { onAdd(className, def); onClose(); }}
+                  onClick={() => { handleAdd(className, def); onClose(); }}
                   onMouseEnter={() => setSelectedIndex(idx)}
                 >
                   {def.display_name || className}
@@ -288,11 +312,18 @@ export default function ContextMenu({
                 onMouseEnter={() => handleCatEnter(cat)}
               >
                 <span className="ctx-cat-label">
-                  {cat === FAVORITES_CATEGORY ? '♥ favorites' : cat}
+                  {cat === FAVORITES_CATEGORY ? 'Favorites' : cat}
                 </span>
                 <span className="ctx-cat-arrow">▶</span>
               </div>
             ))}
+            <div
+              className="ctx-cat-item ctx-random-node"
+              onClick={handleRandomNode}
+              onMouseEnter={() => setOpenCat(null)}
+            >
+              <span className="ctx-cat-label">surprise me</span>
+            </div>
           </div>
         )}
       </div>
@@ -314,7 +345,7 @@ export default function ContextMenu({
             <div
               key={className}
               className="context-item"
-              onClick={() => { onAdd(className, def); onClose(); }}
+              onClick={() => { handleAdd(className, def); onClose(); }}
             >
               {def.display_name || className}
             </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/CustomNode.tsx b/frontend/src/CustomNode.tsx
index 0f53b1d..2f39b4b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/CustomNode.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/CustomNode.tsx
@@ -1426,15 +1426,17 @@ function CustomNode({ id, data }: { id: string; data: NodeData }) {
         {/* Interactive 3D surface view */}
         {!!data.meshData && (
           <CollapsibleSection title="3D View" defaultOpen={true}>
-            <Suspense fallback={<div className="node-preview" style={{color:'var(--text-muted)',padding:4}}>Loading 3D...</div>}>
-              <SurfaceView
-                meshData={data.meshData as any}
-                nodeId={id}
-                widgetValues={data.widgetValues}
-                runtimeValues={data.runtimeValues}
-                onRuntimeValuesChange={ctx?.onRuntimeValuesChange}
-              />
-            </Suspense>
+            <PreviewBoundary resetKey={String(data.meshData)}>
+              <Suspense fallback={<div className="node-preview" style={{color:'var(--text-muted)',padding:4}}>Loading 3D...</div>}>
+                <SurfaceView
+                  meshData={data.meshData as any}
+                  nodeId={id}
+                  widgetValues={data.widgetValues}
+                  runtimeValues={data.runtimeValues}
+                  onRuntimeValuesChange={ctx?.onRuntimeValuesChange}
+                />
+              </Suspense>
+            </PreviewBoundary>
           </CollapsibleSection>
         )}
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/SurfaceView.tsx b/frontend/src/SurfaceView.tsx
index 0114f2b..80d5bf1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/SurfaceView.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/SurfaceView.tsx
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ export default function SurfaceView({ meshData, nodeId, widgetValues, runtimeVal
   const pointerEnteredAtRef = useRef(0);
   const lastWheelAtRef = useRef(0);
   const gestureStartedInsideRef = useRef(false);
+  const scheduleViewportSyncRef = useRef<(delay?: number, scheduleRun?: boolean) => void>(() => {});
+  const updateDiagnosticsRef = useRef<(patch: Partial<DiagnosticsState>) => void>(() => {});
   const [diagnostics, setDiagnostics] = useState<DiagnosticsState>({
     status: meshData ? 'initializing' : 'waiting for mesh',
     webgl: 'pending',
@@ -239,6 +241,9 @@ export default function SurfaceView({ meshData, nodeId, widgetValues, runtimeVal
     scheduleViewportSync(0, true);
   }, [applyCameraState, scheduleViewportSync]);
 
+  scheduleViewportSyncRef.current = scheduleViewportSync;
+  updateDiagnosticsRef.current = updateDiagnostics;
+
   // Initialize Three.js scene once
   useEffect(() => {
     const container = containerRef.current;
@@ -256,8 +261,8 @@ export default function SurfaceView({ meshData, nodeId, widgetValues, runtimeVal
     renderer.setPixelRatio(window.devicePixelRatio);
     renderer.setClearColor(0x0f172a);
     container.appendChild(renderer.domElement);
-    updateDiagnostics({
-      status: meshData ? 'renderer ready' : 'waiting for mesh',
+    updateDiagnosticsRef.current({
+      status: 'renderer ready',
       webgl: `${renderer.capabilities.isWebGL2 ? 'webgl2' : 'webgl1'} / ${renderer.capabilities.precision}`,
       canvas: `${renderer.domElement.width}x${renderer.domElement.height} px`,
       render: `calls ${renderer.info.render.calls} tris ${renderer.info.render.triangles} geo ${renderer.info.memory.geometries}`,
@@ -266,13 +271,13 @@ export default function SurfaceView({ meshData, nodeId, widgetValues, runtimeVal
 
     const handleContextLost = (event: Event) => {
       event.preventDefault();
-      updateDiagnostics({
+      updateDiagnosticsRef.current({
         status: 'webgl context lost',
         error: 'WebGL context lost',
       });
     };
     const handleContextRestored = () => {
-      updateDiagnostics({
+      updateDiagnosticsRef.current({
         status: 'webgl context restored',
         error: '',
       });
@@ -303,7 +308,7 @@ export default function SurfaceView({ meshData, nodeId, widgetValues, runtimeVal
       TWO: THREE.TOUCH.DOLLY_ROTATE,
     };
     renderer.domElement.style.touchAction = 'none';
-    const handleControlsEnd = () => scheduleViewportSync(120, true);
+    const handleControlsEnd = () => scheduleViewportSyncRef.current(120, true);
     controls.addEventListener('end', handleControlsEnd);
 
     // Lighting
@@ -341,7 +346,7 @@ export default function SurfaceView({ meshData, nodeId, widgetValues, runtimeVal
       r.setSize(w, w);
       c.aspect = 1;
       c.updateProjectionMatrix();
-      updateDiagnostics({
+      updateDiagnosticsRef.current({
         canvas: `${r.domElement.width}x${r.domElement.height} px`,
       });
     });
@@ -361,7 +366,8 @@ export default function SurfaceView({ meshData, nodeId, widgetValues, runtimeVal
       }
       threeRef.current = null;
     };
-  }, [scheduleViewportSync, updateDiagnostics]);
+  // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+  }, [applyCameraState]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (meshData) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/nodeUsage.ts b/frontend/src/nodeUsage.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f41162
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/nodeUsage.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+const STORAGE_KEY = 'tono_node_usage_counts';
+
+let counts: Record<string, number> = loadFromStorage();
+
+function loadFromStorage(): Record<string, number> {
+  if (typeof localStorage === 'undefined') return {};
+  try {
+    const raw = localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEY);
+    if (!raw) return {};
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
+    if (!parsed || typeof parsed !== 'object') return {};
+    return parsed;
+  } catch {
+    return {};
+  }
+}
+
+function persist(): void {
+  if (typeof localStorage === 'undefined') return;
+  try {
+    localStorage.setItem(STORAGE_KEY, JSON.stringify(counts));
+  } catch {
+    // ignore
+  }
+}
+
+export function recordUsage(className: string): void {
+  counts = { ...counts, [className]: (counts[className] || 0) + 1 };
+  persist();
+}
+
+export function getUsageCount(className: string): number {
+  return counts[className] || 0;
+}
+
+export function pickWeightedRandom(classNames: string[]): string | null {
+  if (classNames.length === 0) return null;
+  const weights = classNames.map((cn) => 1 / (1 + (counts[cn] || 0)));
+  const total = weights.reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0);
+  let r = Math.random() * total;
+  for (let i = 0; i < classNames.length; i++) {
+    r -= weights[i];
+    if (r <= 0) return classNames[i];
+  }
+  return classNames[classNames.length - 1];
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles.css b/frontend/src/styles.css
index cec2448..eafd791 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles.css
@@ -2515,6 +2515,11 @@ html, body, #root {
 .ctx-cat-favorites .ctx-cat-label {
   text-transform: none;
 }
+.ctx-random-node {
+  border-top: 1px solid var(--border-strong);
+  color: var(--text-secondary);
+  font-style: italic;
+}
 
 /* ── Submenu panel (separate fixed-position sibling) ── */
 .ctx-submenu {