diff --git a/web/fizzy.js b/web/fizzy.js
index e822da0f8..21d3d5a0e 100644
--- a/web/fizzy.js
+++ b/web/fizzy.js
@@ -1060,6 +1060,15 @@ export class Fizzy {
         window.matchMedia(q).addEventListener("change", () => post({ type: "prefs", prefs: prefs() }));
       }
 
+      // What the keyboard does to the fragment before the caret reaches the worker as typing.
+      const inputFilter = new TextInput(hidden, {
+        text: (text) => post({ type: "text", text }),
+        backspace: () => {
+          post({ type: "key", kind: 5, key: "Backspace", repeat: 0, mods: 0 });
+          post({ type: "key", kind: 6, key: "Backspace", repeat: 0, mods: 0 });
+        },
+      });
+
       worker.onerror = (err) => {
         console.error(err);
         onError(`Failed to load the editor (${err.message || "worker error"}).`);
@@ -1081,7 +1090,7 @@ export class Fizzy {
             canvas.style.cursor = m.name;
             break;
           case "textInput":
-            if ((textInputRect.length === 0) !== (m.rect.length === 0)) textInput.clear();
+            if ((textInputRect.length === 0) !== (m.rect.length === 0)) inputFilter.clear();
             textInputRect = m.rect;
             oskCheck();
             break;
@@ -1218,17 +1227,9 @@ export class Fizzy {
         axis(1, ev.deltaY, []);
       }, { passive: false });
 
-      // What the keyboard does to the fragment before the caret reaches the worker as typing.
-      const textInput = new TextInput(hidden, {
-        text: (text) => post({ type: "text", text }),
-        backspace: () => {
-          post({ type: "key", kind: 5, key: "Backspace", repeat: 0, mods: 0 });
-          post({ type: "key", kind: 6, key: "Backspace", repeat: 0, mods: 0 });
-        },
-      });
-      canvas.addEventListener("pointerdown", () => textInput.clear());
+      canvas.addEventListener("pointerdown", () => inputFilter.clear());
       const keydown = (ev) => {
-        textInput.keydown(ev);
+        inputFilter.keydown(ev);
         if (ev.key === "Tab") {
           if (ev.ctrlKey) return;
           ev.preventDefault();
diff --git a/web/tests/embed.test.mjs b/web/tests/embed.test.mjs
index 6de090af0..b49501e2d 100644
--- a/web/tests/embed.test.mjs
+++ b/web/tests/embed.test.mjs
@@ -139,3 +139,33 @@ assert.equal(document.fullscreenElement, parentA, "leaving the second embed reve
 toggles[0]();
 assert.equal(document.fullscreenElement, null, "leaving the first embed exits full screen");
 console.log("embed.test: ok");
+
+// Deliver text input as soon as the handler is installed, before setup completes.
+let earlyTextInputs = 0;
+let filterClears = 0;
+const { TextInput } = await import(pathToFileURL(path.join(dir, "web.js")).href);
+TextInput.prototype.clear = () => { filterClears++; };
+Canvas.prototype.transferControlToOffscreen = function () { return {}; };
+globalThis.OffscreenCanvas = class {};
+globalThis.ResizeObserver = class { observe() {} };
+globalThis.Worker = class {
+  set onmessage(handler) {
+    this.handler = handler;
+    handler({ data: { type: "textInput", rect: [10, 20, 80, 30] } });
+    earlyTextInputs++;
+  }
+  postMessage(message) {
+    if (message.type === "init") this.handler({ data: { type: "ready" } });
+  }
+};
+const workerCanvas = document.createElement("canvas");
+workerCanvas.parentElement = new Element();
+await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+  new Fizzy({ canvas: workerCanvas, worker: true, persist: false, onReady: resolve, onError: reject }).run();
+});
+assert.equal(earlyTextInputs, 1, "worker text input is handled during setup");
+assert.equal(filterClears, 1, "entering text input clears the initialized filter");
+assert.equal(document.body.children[0].style.left, "10px", "early text input positions the hidden input");
+workerCanvas.dispatch("pointerdown", { pointerId: 1, pointerType: "mouse", buttons: 1, clientX: 0, clientY: 0, timeStamp: 0 });
+assert.equal(filterClears, 2, "pointer input still clears the filter");
+console.log("embed.test: worker startup and early text input ok");