diff --git a/internal/api/ops.go b/internal/api/ops.go
index a59c464..97e0cba 100644
--- a/internal/api/ops.go
+++ b/internal/api/ops.go
@@ -19,6 +19,24 @@ import (
 // service methods `internal/agent/tools.go` calls, so the permission checks and
 // the one-change-set-per-operation guarantee come along unchanged.
 
+// fillRect is an explicit rectangle in the object's local frame, the alternative
+// to a compass name. A named type (not an inline anonymous struct) to match the
+// rest of internal/api and so it can carry its own validity check.
+type fillRect struct {
+	MinX float64 `json:"minXCm"`
+	MinY float64 `json:"minYCm"`
+	MaxX float64 `json:"maxXCm"`
+	MaxY float64 `json:"maxYCm"`
+}
+
+// degenerate reports whether the rect encloses no area. Such a rect (including
+// the all-zeros an empty `"rect": {}` decodes to) would otherwise slip through
+// and plant a single plop at the object's centre — a surprising result for what
+// is really malformed input.
+func (r fillRect) degenerate() bool {
+	return r.MaxX <= r.MinX || r.MaxY <= r.MinY
+}
+
 // fillRequest is the body for POST /objects/:id/fill.
 //
 // A region is given EITHER by compass name ("ne", "south half", "all") or as an
@@ -27,14 +45,9 @@ import (
 // Exactly one must be supplied — accepting both and silently preferring one
 // would make a client bug look like a geometry bug.
 type fillRequest struct {
-	PlantID int64  `json:"plantId" binding:"required"`
-	Region  string `json:"region"`
-	Rect    *struct {
-		MinX float64 `json:"minXCm"`
-		MinY float64 `json:"minYCm"`
-		MaxX float64 `json:"maxXCm"`
-		MaxY float64 `json:"maxYCm"`
-	} `json:"rect"`
+	PlantID int64     `json:"plantId" binding:"required"`
+	Region  string    `json:"region"`
+	Rect    *fillRect `json:"rect"`
 	// SpacingOverrideCM plants tighter or looser than the plant's mature spacing
 	// without editing the catalog entry.
 	SpacingOverrideCM *float64 `json:"spacingOverrideCm"`
@@ -62,11 +75,18 @@ func (h *handlers) fillObject(c *gin.Context) {
 		created []domain.Planting
 		err     error
 	)
-	if named {
-		created, err = h.svc.FillNamedRegion(c.Request.Context(), actor, id, req.Region, req.PlantID, req.SpacingOverrideCM)
-	} else {
-		region := service.Region{MinX: req.Rect.MinX, MinY: req.Rect.MinY, MaxX: req.Rect.MaxX, MaxY: req.Rect.MaxY}
+	if rect := req.Rect; rect != nil {
+		// Reject a zero-area rect here rather than let it plant one stray plop.
+		// (Binding the pointer to `rect` also keeps the deref visibly guarded,
+		// instead of reading req.Rect.MinX under an invariant from a line above.)
+		if rect.degenerate() {
+			writeAPIError(c, http.StatusBadRequest, "INVALID_INPUT", "rect must enclose a positive area")
+			return
+		}
+		region := service.Region{MinX: rect.MinX, MinY: rect.MinY, MaxX: rect.MaxX, MaxY: rect.MaxY}
 		created, err = h.svc.FillRegion(c.Request.Context(), actor, id, region, req.PlantID, req.SpacingOverrideCM)
+	} else {
+		created, err = h.svc.FillNamedRegion(c.Request.Context(), actor, id, req.Region, req.PlantID, req.SpacingOverrideCM)
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		writeServiceError(c, err)
diff --git a/internal/api/ops_test.go b/internal/api/ops_test.go
index a505016..2bcd06f 100644
--- a/internal/api/ops_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/ops_test.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func countChangeSets(t *testing.T, r *gin.Engine, cookie *http.Cookie, gardenID
 func TestFillAndClearAPI(t *testing.T) {
 	r := authEngine(t, localCfg())
 	cookie := registerAndCookie(t, r, "fill@example.com")
-	gid, objID, plantID := seedFillableBed(t, r, cookie, 200, 200, 20)
+	_, objID, plantID := seedFillableBed(t, r, cookie, 200, 200, 20)
 
 	// Fill by compass name.
 	w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPost, fillPath(objID), map[string]any{
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ func TestFillAndClearAPI(t *testing.T) {
 	if n := int(decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())["cleared"].(float64)); n != 0 {
 		t.Errorf("second clear removed %d, want 0", n)
 	}
-	_ = gid
 }
 
 // TestFillRegionSelectionAPI: exactly one of region/rect, and a rect fills only
@@ -125,6 +124,20 @@ func TestFillRegionSelectionAPI(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("bad region name = %d, want 400", w.Code)
 	}
 
+	// A zero-area rect is malformed input, not "plant one at the centre". An empty
+	// `"rect": {}` decodes to all-zeros and must be caught the same way.
+	for _, rect := range []map[string]any{
+		{}, // {} → 0,0,0,0
+		{"minXCm": 10, "minYCm": 10, "maxXCm": 10, "maxYCm": 50}, // zero width
+		{"minXCm": 10, "minYCm": 50, "maxXCm": 50, "maxYCm": 50}, // zero height
+		{"minXCm": 50, "minYCm": 50, "maxXCm": 10, "maxYCm": 10}, // inverted
+	} {
+		if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPost, fillPath(objID),
+			map[string]any{"plantId": plantID, "rect": rect}, cookie); w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+			t.Errorf("degenerate rect %v = %d, want 400", rect, w.Code)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// A rect confined to the NE corner produces plops only there. Local frame:
 	// +x east, -y north.
 	w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPost, fillPath(objID), map[string]any{
diff --git a/web/src/editor/ClearBedModal.tsx b/web/src/editor/ClearBedModal.tsx
index 81b8e9d..bfc4b7f 100644
--- a/web/src/editor/ClearBedModal.tsx
+++ b/web/src/editor/ClearBedModal.tsx
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ export function ClearBedModal({
   onClose: () => void
 }) {
   const clear = useClearObject(gardenId)
-  const n = plopCount
   return (
     <Modal title="Clear bed" onClose={onClose} busy={clear.isPending}>
       <div className="flex flex-col gap-4">
         <p className="text-sm text-muted">
-          Remove all <span className="font-medium text-fg">{n}</span> {n === 1 ? 'plant' : 'plants'} from{' '}
+          Remove all <span className="font-medium text-fg">{plopCount}</span>{' '}
+          {plopCount === 1 ? 'plant' : 'plants'} from{' '}
           <span className="font-medium text-fg">{objectName}</span>? They're marked removed but kept in history.
         </p>
         <div className="flex justify-end gap-2">
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export function ClearBedModal({
           <Button
             type="button"
             variant="danger"
-            disabled={clear.isPending || n === 0}
+            disabled={clear.isPending || plopCount === 0}
             onClick={() => clear.mutate(objectId, { onSuccess: onClose })}
           >
             {clear.isPending ? 'Clearing…' : 'Clear bed'}