diff --git a/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.shared.helpers.test.ts b/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.shared.helpers.test.ts
index ec57e9f0d..a2c92adb4 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.shared.helpers.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.shared.helpers.test.ts
@@ -6,37 +6,8 @@ import {
 	getPreviewCanvasScale,
 	getResumePreviewGapValue,
 	getScaledPreviewPageSize,
-	normalizeResumePreviewProps,
 } from "./preview.shared";
 
-describe("normalizeResumePreviewProps", () => {
-	it("applies the documented defaults when fields are omitted", () => {
-		const result = normalizeResumePreviewProps({});
-		expect(result).toMatchObject({
-			pageGap: 16,
-			pageLayout: "horizontal",
-			pageScale: 1,
-			showPageNumbers: false,
-		});
-	});
-
-	it("preserves supplied values and forwards extra props (className, data)", () => {
-		const result = normalizeResumePreviewProps({
-			className: "preview-class",
-			pageGap: 16,
-			pageLayout: "vertical",
-			pageScale: 1.5,
-			showPageNumbers: true,
-		});
-
-		expect(result.className).toBe("preview-class");
-		expect(result.pageGap).toBe(16);
-		expect(result.pageLayout).toBe("vertical");
-		expect(result.pageScale).toBe(1.5);
-		expect(result.showPageNumbers).toBe(true);
-	});
-});
-
 describe("getScaledPreviewPageSize", () => {
 	it("multiplies both dimensions by the scale", () => {
 		const result = getScaledPreviewPageSize({ width: 100, height: 200 }, 2);
diff --git a/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.shared.tsx b/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.shared.tsx
index 4fdda8b52..8f854de3c 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.shared.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.shared.tsx
@@ -38,19 +38,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_PDF_PAGE_SIZE: PreviewPageSize = {
 	width: 595.28,
 };
 
-export const normalizeResumePreviewProps = ({
-	pageGap = 16,
-	pageLayout = "horizontal",
-	pageScale = 1,
-	showPageNumbers = false,
-	...props
-}: ResumePreviewProps): ResolvedResumePreviewProps => ({
-	...props,
-	pageGap,
-	pageLayout,
-	pageScale,
-	showPageNumbers,
-});
+// ponytail: normalizeResumePreviewProps deleted — defaults now live in ResumePreview destructuring
 
 export const getPreviewCanvasScale = (width: number, height: number) => {
 	const devicePixelRatio = typeof window === "undefined" ? 1 : window.devicePixelRatio || 1;
diff --git a/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.tsx b/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.tsx
index efca2bdd4..a34347770 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/features/resume/preview/preview.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import type { ResumePreviewProps } from "./preview.shared";
 import { lazy, Suspense } from "react";
 import { useIsClient } from "usehooks-ts";
 import { useResumeData } from "../builder/draft";
-import { getResumePreviewPageCount, normalizeResumePreviewProps, ResumePreviewLoader } from "./preview.shared";
+import { getResumePreviewPageCount, ResumePreviewLoader } from "./preview.shared";
 
 const ResumePreviewClient = lazy(() =>
 	import("./preview.browser").then((module) => ({ default: module.ResumePreviewClient })),
@@ -10,25 +10,33 @@ const ResumePreviewClient = lazy(() =>
 
 export type { ResumePreviewProps };
 
-export function ResumePreview(props: ResumePreviewProps) {
+// ponytail: normalizeResumePreviewProps removed — defaults inlined here, single call site
+export function ResumePreview({
+	pageGap = 16,
+	pageLayout = "horizontal",
+	pageScale = 1,
+	showPageNumbers = false,
+	...rest
+}: ResumePreviewProps) {
 	const isClient = useIsClient();
-	const resolvedProps = normalizeResumePreviewProps(props);
 	const builderResumeData = useResumeData();
-	const resumeData = resolvedProps.data ?? builderResumeData;
+	const resumeData = rest.data ?? builderResumeData;
 	const pageCount = getResumePreviewPageCount(resumeData);
 
 	if (!isClient) return null;
 
+	const resolvedProps = { ...rest, pageGap, pageLayout, pageScale, showPageNumbers };
+
 	return (
 		<Suspense
 			fallback={
 				<ResumePreviewLoader
 					pageCount={pageCount}
-					pageClassName={resolvedProps.pageClassName}
-					pageGap={resolvedProps.pageGap}
-					pageLayout={resolvedProps.pageLayout}
-					pageScale={resolvedProps.pageScale}
-					showPageNumbers={resolvedProps.showPageNumbers}
+					pageClassName={rest.pageClassName}
+					pageGap={pageGap}
+					pageLayout={pageLayout}
+					pageScale={pageScale}
+					showPageNumbers={showPageNumbers}
 				/>
 			}
 		>