diff --git a/shell/lock/Lock.qml b/shell/lock/Lock.qml
index 3d5bc80..ff76589 100644
--- a/shell/lock/Lock.qml
+++ b/shell/lock/Lock.qml
@@ -20,12 +20,21 @@ Scope {
         lock: _lock
     }
 
+    // Capture screenshots before locking, with timeout for security
+    Timer {
+        id: _lockTimeout
+        interval: 150
+        onTriggered: _lock.locked = true
+    }
+
     Connections {
         target: S.LockService
 
         function onLockRequested() {
-            if (S.LockService.enabled)
-                _lock.locked = true;
+            if (!S.LockService.enabled)
+                return;
+            S.ScreenshotService.capture(Quickshell.screens.length);
+            _lockTimeout.start();
         }
 
         function onUnlockRequested() {
@@ -39,6 +48,17 @@ Scope {
         }
     }
 
+    Connections {
+        target: S.ScreenshotService
+
+        function onCaptureComplete() {
+            if (_lockTimeout.running) {
+                _lockTimeout.stop();
+                _lock.locked = true;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     Connections {
         target: _lock
 
diff --git a/shell/lock/LockSurface.qml b/shell/lock/LockSurface.qml
index 6ed9a26..1755dfd 100644
--- a/shell/lock/LockSurface.qml
+++ b/shell/lock/LockSurface.qml
@@ -15,15 +15,16 @@ WlSessionLockSurface {
 
     property real _unlockFade: 1
 
-    // Clear desktop screenshot - visible immediately
-    ScreencopyView {
+    // Clear desktop screenshot from ScreenshotService - visible immediately
+    Image {
         anchors.fill: parent
-        captureSource: root.screen
-        visible: S.Modules.lock.screenshot ?? true
+        source: S.ScreenshotService.get(root.screen?.name ?? "")
+        visible: (S.Modules.lock.screenshot ?? true) && source !== ""
         opacity: _unlockFade
+        fillMode: Image.PreserveAspectCrop
     }
 
-    // Overlay group: blur + dim + hexes, revealed per-pixel by wave position
+    // Overlay group: blur + hexes, revealed per-pixel by wave position
     Item {
         id: _overlay
         anchors.fill: parent
@@ -47,10 +48,11 @@ WlSessionLockSurface {
         }
 
         // Blurred screenshot
-        ScreencopyView {
+        Image {
             anchors.fill: parent
-            captureSource: root.screen
-            visible: S.Modules.lock.screenshot ?? true
+            source: S.ScreenshotService.get(root.screen?.name ?? "")
+            visible: (S.Modules.lock.screenshot ?? true) && source !== ""
+            fillMode: Image.PreserveAspectCrop
 
             layer.enabled: true
             layer.effect: MultiEffect {
diff --git a/shell/modules/ScreenCapture.qml b/shell/modules/ScreenCapture.qml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c0c677
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/modules/ScreenCapture.qml
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import QtQuick
+import Quickshell
+import Quickshell.Wayland
+import "../services" as S
+
+PanelWindow {
+    id: root
+
+    required property var screen
+
+    color: "transparent"
+    WlrLayershell.layer: WlrLayer.Background
+    WlrLayershell.exclusiveZone: -1
+    WlrLayershell.namespace: "nova-screenshot"
+    mask: Region {}
+
+    anchors.top: true
+    anchors.left: true
+    anchors.right: true
+    anchors.bottom: true
+
+    ScreencopyView {
+        id: _capture
+        anchors.fill: parent
+        captureSource: root.screen
+    }
+
+    Connections {
+        target: S.ScreenshotService
+        function onCaptureRequested() {
+            _capture.captureFrame();
+        }
+    }
+
+    Connections {
+        target: _capture
+        function onHasContentChanged() {
+            if (_capture.hasContent)
+                _capture.grabToImage(result => {
+                    S.ScreenshotService.store(root.screen.name, result);
+                });
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/shell/modules/qmldir b/shell/modules/qmldir
index 8679680..c7e2c9f 100644
--- a/shell/modules/qmldir
+++ b/shell/modules/qmldir
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ PowerModule 1.0 PowerModule.qml
 PowerProfileModule 1.0 PowerProfileModule.qml
 PrivacyModule 1.0 PrivacyModule.qml
 ProcessList 1.0 ProcessList.qml
+ScreenCapture 1.0 ScreenCapture.qml
 ScreenCorners 1.0 ScreenCorners.qml
 TemperatureModule 1.0 TemperatureModule.qml
 ThemedIcon 1.0 ThemedIcon.qml
diff --git a/shell/services/ScreenshotService.qml b/shell/services/ScreenshotService.qml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5987f9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/services/ScreenshotService.qml
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+pragma Singleton
+
+import QtQuick
+
+QtObject {
+    id: root
+
+    // Screen name -> in-memory image URL from grabToImage
+    property var screenshots: ({})
+    property int _pending: 0
+
+    // Keep references to prevent garbage collection of the image data
+    property var _results: ({})
+
+    signal captureRequested
+    signal captureComplete
+
+    function capture(screenCount) {
+        _pending = screenCount;
+        if (_pending === 0) {
+            captureComplete();
+            return;
+        }
+        captureRequested();
+    }
+
+    function store(screenName, result) {
+        const s = Object.assign({}, screenshots);
+        s[screenName] = result.url;
+        screenshots = s;
+
+        const r = Object.assign({}, _results);
+        r[screenName] = result;
+        _results = r;
+
+        _pending--;
+        if (_pending <= 0)
+            captureComplete();
+    }
+
+    function get(screenName) {
+        return screenshots[screenName] || "";
+    }
+}
diff --git a/shell/services/qmldir b/shell/services/qmldir
index 135d0ea..1167a3c 100644
--- a/shell/services/qmldir
+++ b/shell/services/qmldir
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ singleton NetworkService 1.0 NetworkService.qml
 singleton NiriIpc 1.0 NiriIpc.qml
 singleton NotifService 1.0 NotifService.qml
 singleton PowerProfileService 1.0 PowerProfileService.qml
+singleton ScreenshotService 1.0 ScreenshotService.qml
 singleton SystemStats 1.0 SystemStats.qml
 singleton Theme 1.0 Theme.qml
 # keep-sorted end
diff --git a/shell/shell.qml b/shell/shell.qml
index 6fe03cf..01ddb67 100644
--- a/shell/shell.qml
+++ b/shell/shell.qml
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ ShellRoot {
                 }
             }
 
+            LazyLoader {
+                active: Modules.lock.enable && (Modules.lock.screenshot ?? true)
+                ScreenCapture {
+                    screen: scope.modelData
+                }
+            }
+
             LazyLoader {
                 active: Modules.screenCorners.enable
                 ScreenCorners {