diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index f8f2969..733b8b4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { type Node } from '@xyflow/react'
 import { applyDagreLayout } from '@/utils/layout'
 import { serializeNode, serializeEdge, deserializeApiNode, deserializeApiEdge, type ApiNode, type ApiEdge } from '@/utils/canvasSerializer'
 import { generateUUID } from '@/utils/uuid'
+import { getCenteredPosition } from '@/utils/viewportCenter'
 import { resolveVirtualEdgeParent } from '@/utils/virtualEdgeParent'
 import { generateMarkdownTable } from '@/utils/exportMarkdown'
 import { copyToClipboard } from '@/utils/clipboard'
@@ -259,7 +260,7 @@ export default function App() {
     // extent, so we don't set them here.
     const position = nestInParent && parentNode
       ? { x: parentNode.position.x + 20, y: parentNode.position.y + 50 }
-      : { x: 300, y: 300 }
+      : getCenteredPosition(isContainerNode ? 300 : 0, isContainerNode ? 200 : 0)
 
     const newNode: Node<NodeData> = {
       id,
@@ -278,7 +279,7 @@ export default function App() {
     const newNode: Node<NodeData> = {
       id,
       type: 'groupRect',
-      position: { x: 200, y: 200 },
+      position: getCenteredPosition(360, 240),
       data: {
         label: data.label,
         type: 'groupRect',
@@ -337,7 +338,7 @@ export default function App() {
       // node fields; text_content is not in the schema and was lost on reload.
       // TextNode and the edit modal both already fall back to label.
       type: 'text',
-      position: { x: 250, y: 250 },
+      position: getCenteredPosition(200, 60),
       data: {
         label: data.text,
         type: 'text',
@@ -502,15 +503,18 @@ export default function App() {
 
   const handleZigbeeAddToCanvas = useCallback((zigbeeNodes: ZigbeeNode[], zigbeeEdges: ZigbeeEdge[]) => {
     snapshotHistory()
-    // Place nodes in a grid starting at x=500, y=100
+    // Place nodes in a grid centred on the visible canvas.
     const COLS = 4
     const SPACING_X = 170
     const SPACING_Y = 100
+    const cols = Math.min(COLS, zigbeeNodes.length)
+    const rows = Math.ceil(zigbeeNodes.length / COLS)
+    const origin = getCenteredPosition(cols * SPACING_X, rows * SPACING_Y)
     zigbeeNodes.forEach((zn, i) => {
       const id = zn.id
       const col = i % COLS
       const row = Math.floor(i / COLS)
-      const position = { x: 500 + col * SPACING_X, y: 100 + row * SPACING_Y }
+      const position = { x: origin.x + col * SPACING_X, y: origin.y + row * SPACING_Y }
       const newNode: import('@xyflow/react').Node<NodeData> = {
         id,
         type: zn.type,
@@ -553,11 +557,14 @@ export default function App() {
     const COLS = 4
     const SPACING_X = 170
     const SPACING_Y = 100
+    const cols = Math.min(COLS, zwaveNodes.length)
+    const rows = Math.ceil(zwaveNodes.length / COLS)
+    const origin = getCenteredPosition(cols * SPACING_X, rows * SPACING_Y)
     zwaveNodes.forEach((zn, i) => {
       const id = zn.id
       const col = i % COLS
       const row = Math.floor(i / COLS)
-      const position = { x: 500 + col * SPACING_X, y: 100 + row * SPACING_Y }
+      const position = { x: origin.x + col * SPACING_X, y: origin.y + row * SPACING_Y }
       const newNode: import('@xyflow/react').Node<NodeData> = {
         id,
         type: zn.type,
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/canvas/CanvasContainer.tsx b/frontend/src/components/canvas/CanvasContainer.tsx
index d5e92f0..19082c0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/canvas/CanvasContainer.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/canvas/CanvasContainer.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { edgeTypes } from './edges/edgeTypes'
 import { SearchBar } from './SearchBar'
 import { AlignmentGuides } from './AlignmentGuides'
 import { useAlignmentGuides } from '@/hooks/useAlignmentGuides'
+import { setViewportCenterProjector } from '@/utils/viewportCenter'
 import type { NodeData, EdgeData } from '@/types'
 
 interface CanvasContainerProps {
@@ -52,6 +53,20 @@ export function CanvasContainer({ onConnect: onConnectProp, onEdgeDoubleClick, o
     cursorRef.current = { x: e.clientX, y: e.clientY }
   }, [])
 
+  // Expose the visible-canvas centre (in flow coords) to add-node handlers that
+  // live outside ReactFlowProvider, so new nodes land where the user is looking.
+  const wrapperRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setViewportCenterProjector(() => {
+      const rect = wrapperRef.current?.getBoundingClientRect()
+      const screen = rect
+        ? { x: rect.left + rect.width / 2, y: rect.top + rect.height / 2 }
+        : { x: window.innerWidth / 2, y: window.innerHeight / 2 }
+      return screenToFlowPosition(screen)
+    })
+    return () => setViewportCenterProjector(null)
+  }, [screenToFlowPosition])
+
   // Copy / paste shortcuts. Registered here (inside ReactFlowProvider) so paste
   // can project the cursor / viewport center into flow coordinates.
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -146,7 +161,7 @@ export function CanvasContainer({ onConnect: onConnectProp, onEdgeDoubleClick, o
   }, [onRequestAddToGroup, onRequestAddToContainer, getIntersectingNodes, onNodeDragStop])
 
   return (
-    <div className="w-full h-full" style={{ background: theme.colors.canvasBackground }} onMouseMove={onMouseMove}>
+    <div ref={wrapperRef} className="w-full h-full" style={{ background: theme.colors.canvasBackground }} onMouseMove={onMouseMove}>
       <ReactFlow
         nodes={visibleNodes}
         edges={visibleEdges}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/modals/PendingDevicesModal.tsx b/frontend/src/components/modals/PendingDevicesModal.tsx
index 27b09f6..926c947 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/modals/PendingDevicesModal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/modals/PendingDevicesModal.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { buildZigbeeProperties, isZigbeeType } from '@/utils/zigbeeProperties'
 import { buildZwaveProperties, isZwaveType } from '@/utils/zwaveProperties'
 import { buildMacProperty } from '@/utils/macProperty'
 import { formatRelative, formatTimestamp } from '@/utils/timeFormat'
+import { getCenteredPosition } from '@/utils/viewportCenter'
 
 interface PendingDevicesModalProps {
   open: boolean
@@ -294,7 +295,7 @@ export function PendingDevicesModal({ open, onClose, highlightId, initialStatus
       addNode({
         id: nodeId,
         type: nodeData.type,
-        position: { x: 400, y: 300 },
+        position: getCenteredPosition(),
         data: { ...nodeData, status: wireless ? ('online' as const) : ('unknown' as const) },
       })
       injectAutoEdges(res.data.edges)
@@ -336,6 +337,9 @@ export function PendingDevicesModal({ open, onClose, highlightId, initialStatus
       const deviceToNode: Record<string, string> = {}
       res.data.device_ids.forEach((did, i) => { deviceToNode[did] = res.data.node_ids[i] })
       const approvedDevices = devices.filter((d) => ids.includes(d.id))
+      const cols = Math.min(4, approvedDevices.length)
+      const rows = Math.ceil(approvedDevices.length / 4)
+      const origin = getCenteredPosition(cols * 160, rows * 100)
       approvedDevices.forEach((d, i) => {
         const nodeId = deviceToNode[d.id]
         if (!nodeId) return
@@ -345,7 +349,7 @@ export function PendingDevicesModal({ open, onClose, highlightId, initialStatus
         addNode({
           id: nodeId,
           type,
-          position: { x: 400 + (i % 4) * 160, y: 300 + Math.floor(i / 4) * 100 },
+          position: { x: origin.x + (i % 4) * 160, y: origin.y + Math.floor(i / 4) * 100 },
           data: {
             label: deviceLabel(d),
             type,
diff --git a/frontend/src/utils/__tests__/viewportCenter.test.ts b/frontend/src/utils/__tests__/viewportCenter.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f994e1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/utils/__tests__/viewportCenter.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import {
+  getCenteredPosition,
+  getViewportCenter,
+  setViewportCenterProjector,
+} from '../viewportCenter'
+
+afterEach(() => setViewportCenterProjector(null))
+
+describe('viewportCenter', () => {
+  it('falls back to a fixed point when no projector is registered', () => {
+    expect(getViewportCenter()).toEqual({ x: 300, y: 300 })
+    expect(getCenteredPosition()).toEqual({ x: 300, y: 300 })
+  })
+
+  it('returns the registered projector value as the centre', () => {
+    setViewportCenterProjector(() => ({ x: 1000, y: 500 }))
+    expect(getViewportCenter()).toEqual({ x: 1000, y: 500 })
+  })
+
+  it('offsets by half the box size so the box is centred', () => {
+    setViewportCenterProjector(() => ({ x: 1000, y: 500 }))
+    expect(getCenteredPosition(360, 240)).toEqual({ x: 820, y: 380 })
+  })
+
+  it('treats a zero size as the raw centre point', () => {
+    setViewportCenterProjector(() => ({ x: 42, y: 7 }))
+    expect(getCenteredPosition(0, 0)).toEqual({ x: 42, y: 7 })
+  })
+
+  it('clears the projector when set to null', () => {
+    setViewportCenterProjector(() => ({ x: 1, y: 2 }))
+    setViewportCenterProjector(null)
+    expect(getViewportCenter()).toEqual({ x: 300, y: 300 })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/frontend/src/utils/viewportCenter.ts b/frontend/src/utils/viewportCenter.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6d5c65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/utils/viewportCenter.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import type { XYPosition } from '@xyflow/react'
+
+// Projects the centre of the visible canvas into flow-space coordinates.
+// Registered by CanvasContainer (inside ReactFlowProvider) so that add-node
+// handlers living outside the provider — App handlers, modals — can still drop
+// new nodes where the user is actually looking instead of at a fixed canvas
+// origin.
+type Projector = () => XYPosition
+
+let projector: Projector | null = null
+
+// Used before any canvas is mounted (tests, first render). Matches the old
+// hard-coded add position so behaviour degrades gracefully.
+const FALLBACK: XYPosition = { x: 300, y: 300 }
+
+export function setViewportCenterProjector(fn: Projector | null): void {
+  projector = fn
+}
+
+// Flow-space coordinate at the centre of the visible canvas.
+export function getViewportCenter(): XYPosition {
+  return projector ? projector() : { ...FALLBACK }
+}
+
+// Flow-space top-left position so that a box of `width`×`height` ends up
+// centred on screen. With no size it returns the raw centre point.
+export function getCenteredPosition(width = 0, height = 0): XYPosition {
+  const c = getViewportCenter()
+  return { x: c.x - width / 2, y: c.y - height / 2 }
+}