diff --git a/src/components/__tests__/QuickstartInitialView.test.tsx b/src/components/__tests__/QuickstartInitialView.test.tsx
index 98e13193..31a89128 100644
--- a/src/components/__tests__/QuickstartInitialView.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/__tests__/QuickstartInitialView.test.tsx
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ describe("QuickstartInitialView", () => {
       expect(twitterLink).toHaveAttribute("rel", "noopener noreferrer");
     });
 
-    it("should render docs coming soon text (not as a link)", () => {
+    it("should render docs link", () => {
       render(
         <QuickstartInitialView
           onSelectBlankCanvas={mockOnSelectBlankCanvas}
@@ -219,8 +219,10 @@ describe("QuickstartInitialView", () => {
         />
       );
 
-      expect(screen.getByText("Docs (coming soon)")).toBeInTheDocument();
-      expect(screen.getByText("Docs (coming soon)").closest("a")).toBeNull();
+      const docsLink = screen.getByText("Docs").closest("a");
+      expect(docsLink).toHaveAttribute("href", "https://node-banana-docs.vercel.app/");
+      expect(docsLink).toHaveAttribute("target", "_blank");
+      expect(docsLink).toHaveAttribute("rel", "noopener noreferrer");
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/utils/imageStorage.ts b/src/utils/imageStorage.ts
index 79875395..bc9eab44 100644
--- a/src/utils/imageStorage.ts
+++ b/src/utils/imageStorage.ts
@@ -62,13 +62,12 @@ async function externalizeNodeImages(
   switch (node.type) {
     case "imageInput": {
       const d = data as import("@/types").ImageInputNodeData;
-      if (isBase64DataUrl(d.image)) {
+      // Skip if already has a valid imageRef (prevents duplicates on re-save after hydration)
+      if (d.imageRef && isBase64DataUrl(d.image)) {
+        newData = { ...d, image: null };
+      } else if (isBase64DataUrl(d.image)) {
         const imageId = await saveImageAndGetId(d.image, workflowPath, savedImageIds, "inputs");
-        newData = {
-          ...d,
-          image: null,
-          imageRef: imageId,
-        };
+        newData = { ...d, image: null, imageRef: imageId };
       } else {
         newData = d;
       }
@@ -83,11 +82,16 @@ async function externalizeNodeImages(
       let outputImage = d.outputImage;
 
       // Annotation images are user-created, save to inputs
-      if (isBase64DataUrl(d.sourceImage)) {
+      // Skip if already has ref (prevents duplicates on re-save after hydration)
+      if (d.sourceImageRef && isBase64DataUrl(d.sourceImage)) {
+        sourceImage = null;
+      } else if (isBase64DataUrl(d.sourceImage)) {
         sourceImageRef = await saveImageAndGetId(d.sourceImage, workflowPath, savedImageIds, "inputs");
         sourceImage = null;
       }
-      if (isBase64DataUrl(d.outputImage)) {
+      if (d.outputImageRef && isBase64DataUrl(d.outputImage)) {
+        outputImage = null;
+      } else if (isBase64DataUrl(d.outputImage)) {
         outputImageRef = await saveImageAndGetId(d.outputImage, workflowPath, savedImageIds, "inputs");
         outputImage = null;
       }
@@ -106,20 +110,28 @@ async function externalizeNodeImages(
       const d = data as import("@/types").NanoBananaNodeData;
       let outputImageRef = d.outputImageRef;
       let outputImage = d.outputImage;
-      const inputImageRefs: string[] = [];
+      let inputImageRefs = d.inputImageRefs ? [...d.inputImageRefs] : [];
       const inputImages: string[] = [];
 
       // Handle output image - AI generated, save to generations
-      if (isBase64DataUrl(d.outputImage)) {
+      // Skip if already has ref (prevents duplicates on re-save after hydration)
+      if (d.outputImageRef && isBase64DataUrl(d.outputImage)) {
+        outputImage = null;
+      } else if (isBase64DataUrl(d.outputImage)) {
         outputImageRef = await saveImageAndGetId(d.outputImage, workflowPath, savedImageIds, "generations");
         outputImage = null;
       }
 
       // Handle input images array (these come from connected nodes, save to inputs if present)
-      for (const img of d.inputImages) {
-        if (isBase64DataUrl(img)) {
+      // Skip if corresponding inputImageRef already exists
+      for (let i = 0; i < d.inputImages.length; i++) {
+        const img = d.inputImages[i];
+        const existingRef = d.inputImageRefs?.[i];
+        if (existingRef && isBase64DataUrl(img)) {
+          inputImages.push(""); // Already has ref, just clear the base64
+        } else if (isBase64DataUrl(img)) {
           const ref = await saveImageAndGetId(img, workflowPath, savedImageIds, "inputs");
-          inputImageRefs.push(ref);
+          inputImageRefs[i] = ref;
           inputImages.push(""); // Empty placeholder
         } else {
           inputImages.push(img);
@@ -138,14 +150,19 @@ async function externalizeNodeImages(
 
     case "llmGenerate": {
       const d = data as import("@/types").LLMGenerateNodeData;
-      const inputImageRefs: string[] = [];
+      let inputImageRefs = d.inputImageRefs ? [...d.inputImageRefs] : [];
       const inputImages: string[] = [];
 
       // Handle input images array (save to inputs)
-      for (const img of d.inputImages) {
-        if (isBase64DataUrl(img)) {
+      // Skip if corresponding inputImageRef already exists
+      for (let i = 0; i < d.inputImages.length; i++) {
+        const img = d.inputImages[i];
+        const existingRef = d.inputImageRefs?.[i];
+        if (existingRef && isBase64DataUrl(img)) {
+          inputImages.push(""); // Already has ref, just clear the base64
+        } else if (isBase64DataUrl(img)) {
           const ref = await saveImageAndGetId(img, workflowPath, savedImageIds, "inputs");
-          inputImageRefs.push(ref);
+          inputImageRefs[i] = ref;
           inputImages.push(""); // Empty placeholder
         } else {
           inputImages.push(img);
@@ -163,13 +180,12 @@ async function externalizeNodeImages(
     case "output": {
       const d = data as import("@/types").OutputNodeData;
       // Output displays generated content, save to generations
-      if (isBase64DataUrl(d.image)) {
+      // Skip if already has ref (prevents duplicates on re-save after hydration)
+      if (d.imageRef && isBase64DataUrl(d.image)) {
+        newData = { ...d, image: null };
+      } else if (isBase64DataUrl(d.image)) {
         const imageId = await saveImageAndGetId(d.image, workflowPath, savedImageIds, "generations");
-        newData = {
-          ...d,
-          image: null,
-          imageRef: imageId,
-        };
+        newData = { ...d, image: null, imageRef: imageId };
       } else {
         newData = d;
       }
@@ -179,13 +195,12 @@ async function externalizeNodeImages(
     case "splitGrid": {
       const d = data as import("@/types").SplitGridNodeData;
       // SplitGrid source is input content, save to inputs
-      if (isBase64DataUrl(d.sourceImage)) {
+      // Skip if already has ref (prevents duplicates on re-save after hydration)
+      if (d.sourceImageRef && isBase64DataUrl(d.sourceImage)) {
+        newData = { ...d, sourceImage: null };
+      } else if (isBase64DataUrl(d.sourceImage)) {
         const imageId = await saveImageAndGetId(d.sourceImage, workflowPath, savedImageIds, "inputs");
-        newData = {
-          ...d,
-          sourceImage: null,
-          sourceImageRef: imageId,
-        };
+        newData = { ...d, sourceImage: null, sourceImageRef: imageId };
       } else {
         newData = d;
       }