diff --git a/apps/storybook/src/Stacking.mdx b/apps/storybook/src/Stacking.mdx
index 74bf72191..b05e3a334 100644
--- a/apps/storybook/src/Stacking.mdx
+++ b/apps/storybook/src/Stacking.mdx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 A number of elements are rendered **on top of the WebGL canvas**: axis grid, annotations, SVG elements, etc.
 Some of these elements must appear above or behind others, so it's important to control and understand their **stacking order**.
 
-The closest container to all these elements, `canvasWrapper`, creates a new [stacking context](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Positioning/Understanding_z_index/The_stacking_context).
+The closest container to all these elements, `visCanvas`, creates a new [stacking context](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Positioning/Understanding_z_index/The_stacking_context).
 This allows its children (both direct and nested) to be stacked in relation with one another _within_ this stacking context (unless some of them define their own stacking context).
 
 ### Stacking order
diff --git a/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/Axis.tsx b/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/Axis.tsx
index c13b02b80..ed5c60c68 100644
--- a/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/Axis.tsx
+++ b/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/Axis.tsx
@@ -88,13 +88,8 @@ function Axis(props: Props) {
         </svg>
       )}
       {showGrid && (
-        <svg className={styles.grid} style={canvasSize}>
-          <GridComponent
-            scale={scale}
-            width={width}
-            height={height}
-            {...ticksProp}
-          />
+        <svg className={styles.grid} {...canvasSize}>
+          <GridComponent scale={scale} {...canvasSize} {...ticksProp} />
         </svg>
       )}
     </>
diff --git a/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/AxisSystem.module.css b/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/AxisSystem.module.css
index 8c387408b..2007b1e72 100644
--- a/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/AxisSystem.module.css
+++ b/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/AxisSystem.module.css
@@ -1,21 +1,8 @@
-.axisSystem {
-  position: absolute;
-  top: 0;
-  left: 0;
-  bottom: 0;
-  right: 0;
-  pointer-events: none;
-  display: grid;
-  grid-template-areas:
-    '. top-axis .'
-    'left-axis grid right-axis'
-    '. bottom-axis .';
-  z-index: var(--h5w-zi-axisSystem);
-}
-
-.axisSystem > svg {
-  display: block;
+.axis,
+.grid {
   overflow: visible;
+  z-index: var(--h5w-zi-axisSystem);
+  pointer-events: none; /* let events through to canvas */
 }
 
 .axis[data-type='abscissa'] {
@@ -41,6 +28,7 @@
   color: var(--h5w-tickLabels--color, #333);
   font-family: var(--h5w-tickLabels--fontFamily, inherit);
   font-size: var(--h5w-tickLabels--fontSize, 0.75em);
+  user-select: none; /* prevent unwanted selection during interaction */
 }
 
 .label {
@@ -52,20 +40,8 @@
   text-anchor: middle;
 }
 
-.title {
-  display: flex;
-  justify-content: center;
-  align-items: center;
-  grid-area: top-axis;
-  margin: 0;
-  color: var(--h5w-plotTitle--color, inherit);
-  font-family: var(--h5w-plotTitle--fontFamily, inherit);
-  font-size: var(--h5w-plotTitle--fontSize, 1.125em);
-  font-weight: var(--h5w-plotTitle--fontWeight, inherit);
-}
-
 .grid {
-  grid-area: grid;
+  grid-area: canvas;
 }
 
 .grid line {
diff --git a/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/AxisSystem.tsx b/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/AxisSystem.tsx
index 3d2ef8baa..02f497b49 100644
--- a/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/AxisSystem.tsx
+++ b/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/AxisSystem.tsx
@@ -1,52 +1,55 @@
+import { assertDefined, assertNonNull } from '@h5web/shared';
+import { useThree } from '@react-three/fiber';
+import { createPortal } from 'react-dom';
+
 import { useCameraState } from '../hooks';
 import type { AxisOffsets } from '../models';
 import Axis from './Axis';
-import styles from './AxisSystem.module.css';
 import Html from './Html';
 import { useVisCanvasContext } from './VisCanvasProvider';
 
 interface Props {
   axisOffsets: AxisOffsets;
-  title?: string;
   showAxes: boolean;
 }
 
 function AxisSystem(props: Props) {
-  const { axisOffsets, title, showAxes } = props;
+  const { axisOffsets, showAxes } = props;
   const { canvasSize, abscissaConfig, ordinateConfig, getVisibleDomains } =
     useVisCanvasContext();
 
+  const visCanvas = useThree(
+    (state) => state.gl.domElement.parentElement?.parentElement?.parentElement,
+  );
+  assertDefined(visCanvas);
+  assertNonNull(visCanvas);
+
   const visibleDomains = useCameraState(getVisibleDomains, [getVisibleDomains]);
 
   return (
-    // Append to `canvasWrapper` instead of `r3fRoot`
-    <Html overflowCanvas>
-      <div
-        className={styles.axisSystem}
-        style={{
-          gridTemplateColumns: `${axisOffsets.left}px 1fr ${axisOffsets.right}px`,
-          gridTemplateRows: `${axisOffsets.top}px 1fr ${axisOffsets.bottom}px`,
-        }}
-      >
-        {showAxes && title && <p className={styles.title}>{title}</p>}
-        <Axis
-          type="abscissa"
-          config={abscissaConfig}
-          domain={visibleDomains.xVisibleDomain}
-          canvasSize={canvasSize}
-          offset={axisOffsets.bottom}
-          showAxis={showAxes}
-        />
-        <Axis
-          type="ordinate"
-          config={ordinateConfig}
-          domain={visibleDomains.yVisibleDomain}
-          canvasSize={canvasSize}
-          offset={axisOffsets.left}
-          showAxis={showAxes}
-          flipAxis
-        />
-      </div>
+    <Html>
+      {createPortal(
+        <>
+          <Axis
+            type="abscissa"
+            config={abscissaConfig}
+            domain={visibleDomains.xVisibleDomain}
+            canvasSize={canvasSize}
+            offset={axisOffsets.bottom}
+            showAxis={showAxes}
+          />
+          <Axis
+            type="ordinate"
+            config={ordinateConfig}
+            domain={visibleDomains.yVisibleDomain}
+            canvasSize={canvasSize}
+            offset={axisOffsets.left}
+            showAxis={showAxes}
+            flipAxis
+          />
+        </>,
+        visCanvas,
+      )}
     </Html>
   );
 }
diff --git a/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/VisCanvas.module.css b/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/VisCanvas.module.css
index a726a9992..fc40f85c2 100644
--- a/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/VisCanvas.module.css
+++ b/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/VisCanvas.module.css
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
-.canvasWrapper {
+.visCanvas {
   flex: 1 1 0%;
-  overflow: hidden; /* prevent overflow when resizing */
-  position: relative; /* for axis system */
+  overflow: hidden; /* prevent overflow, notably when resizing */
   z-index: 0; /* stacking context for anything rendered above the canvas (axis grid, SVG scene, floating toolbar, tooltip, etc.) */
 
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-areas:
+    '. title'
+    'left-axis canvas'
+    '. bottom-axis';
+
   /*
    * Stacking order, from furthest to closest:
    * 1. WebGL canvas
@@ -20,14 +25,31 @@
   --h5w-zi-floatingToolbar: 2000;
 }
 
-.r3fRoot {
-  /* `r3fRoot` is implicitely stacked at `z-index: 0`, so it intercepts events before they reach the canvas.
-   * We can't stack it explicitly without creating a new stacking context, which breaks the stacking order
-   * (the axis system ends up either behind or in front of everything else, neither of which is acceptable).
-   * So we disable pointer events and restore them only on the `canvas` and on specific interactive elements,
-   * like the floating toolbar. */
-  pointer-events: none;
+.title {
+  grid-area: title;
+  display: flex;
+  justify-content: center;
+  align-items: center;
+  margin: 0;
+  color: var(--h5w-plotTitle--color, inherit);
+  font-family: var(--h5w-plotTitle--fontFamily, inherit);
+  font-size: var(--h5w-plotTitle--fontSize, 1.125em);
+  font-weight: var(--h5w-plotTitle--fontWeight, inherit);
+}
+
+.canvasWrapper {
+  grid-area: canvas;
+  position: relative; /* for `.r3fRoot`, `.svgOverlay`, `.floatingToolbar`, overflowing annotations, etc. */
   background-color: var(--h5w-canvas--bgColor, transparent);
+
+  /*
+   * `.canvasWrapper` and `.r3fRoot` are implicitely stacked at `z-index: 0`, so
+   * they intercept events before they can reach the canvas. We can't stack them
+   * explicitly without creating a new stacking context, which would break the
+   * stacking order. So we disable pointer events instead and restore them only
+   * on the `canvas` and on specific interactive elements, like the floating toolbar.
+   */
+  pointer-events: none;
 }
 
 .r3fRoot > canvas {
diff --git a/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/VisCanvas.tsx b/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/VisCanvas.tsx
index 96a1f2c16..ade7f1ddd 100644
--- a/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/VisCanvas.tsx
+++ b/packages/lib/src/vis/shared/VisCanvas.tsx
@@ -54,48 +54,46 @@ function VisCanvas(props: PropsWithChildren<Props>) {
 
   return (
     <div
-      className={styles.canvasWrapper}
+      className={styles.visCanvas}
       style={{
-        paddingBottom: axisOffsets.bottom,
-        paddingLeft: axisOffsets.left,
-        paddingTop: axisOffsets.top,
-        paddingRight: axisOffsets.right,
+        gridTemplateColumns: `${axisOffsets.left}px minmax(0, 1fr) ${axisOffsets.right}px`,
+        gridTemplateRows: `${axisOffsets.top}px minmax(0, 1fr) ${axisOffsets.bottom}px`,
       }}
     >
-      <R3FCanvas className={styles.r3fRoot} orthographic>
-        <VisCanvasProvider
-          visRatio={visRatio}
-          abscissaConfig={abscissaConfig}
-          ordinateConfig={ordinateConfig}
-          svgOverlay={svgOverlay}
-          floatingToolbar={floatingToolbar}
-        >
-          <AxisSystem
-            axisOffsets={axisOffsets}
-            title={title}
-            showAxes={showAxes}
-          />
-          <InteractionsProvider>{children}</InteractionsProvider>
-          <ViewportCenterer />
-          <RatioEnforcer />
-          {raycasterThreshold !== undefined && (
-            <ThresholdAdjuster value={raycasterThreshold} />
-          )}
-        </VisCanvasProvider>
+      {showAxes && title && <p className={styles.title}>{title}</p>}
 
-        <Html>
-          <svg
-            ref={(elem) => setSvgOverlay(elem || undefined)}
-            className={styles.svgOverlay}
-          />
-        </Html>
-        <Html>
-          <div
-            ref={(elem) => setFloatingToolbar(elem || undefined)}
-            className={styles.floatingToolbar}
-          />
-        </Html>
-      </R3FCanvas>
+      <div className={styles.canvasWrapper}>
+        <R3FCanvas className={styles.r3fRoot} orthographic>
+          <VisCanvasProvider
+            visRatio={visRatio}
+            abscissaConfig={abscissaConfig}
+            ordinateConfig={ordinateConfig}
+            svgOverlay={svgOverlay}
+            floatingToolbar={floatingToolbar}
+          >
+            <AxisSystem axisOffsets={axisOffsets} showAxes={showAxes} />
+            <InteractionsProvider>{children}</InteractionsProvider>
+            <ViewportCenterer />
+            <RatioEnforcer />
+            {raycasterThreshold !== undefined && (
+              <ThresholdAdjuster value={raycasterThreshold} />
+            )}
+          </VisCanvasProvider>
+
+          <Html>
+            <svg
+              ref={(elem) => setSvgOverlay(elem || undefined)}
+              className={styles.svgOverlay}
+            />
+          </Html>
+          <Html>
+            <div
+              ref={(elem) => setFloatingToolbar(elem || undefined)}
+              className={styles.floatingToolbar}
+            />
+          </Html>
+        </R3FCanvas>
+      </div>
     </div>
   );
 }