diff --git a/gnommo/cli.py b/gnommo/cli.py
index aeee7b4..3104b3f 100644
--- a/gnommo/cli.py
+++ b/gnommo/cli.py
@@ -172,8 +172,15 @@ Examples:
     parser.add_argument(
         "--realign",
         action="store_true",
-        help="For build/render: discard existing events.json times and re-align "
-        "manuscript markers to the transcript from scratch (e.g. after re-recording)",
+        help="(build re-aligns by default now) Explicitly re-align manuscript markers "
+        "to the transcript, recomputing narration_time. Your `adjustment` offsets are "
+        "always carried forward.",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--no-realign",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="For build: DON'T re-align — keep events.json's stored times verbatim "
+        "(freeze the timing layer, e.g. to preserve direct narration_time edits).",
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--slides",
@@ -397,7 +404,9 @@ Examples:
                 args.slides,
                 args.res,
                 args.force,
-                realign=args.realign,
+                # build re-aligns by default (keeping your adjustments); --no-realign
+                # freezes events.json's stored times instead.
+                realign=not args.no_realign,
             )
         elif action == "render":
             return cmd_render(
@@ -5050,7 +5059,12 @@ def _cmd_render_impl(
     #     all the rig ever needs and the output can't silently diverge from the build.
     from . import scaffold as _scaffold
 
-    _existing_events = None if realign else _scaffold.read_events(project_path)
+    # Always read the previous events.json: even when re-aligning we carry each
+    # event's manual `adjustment` (a relative nudge) forward. `_existing_events`
+    # (the timing OVERRIDE — use stored times instead of aligning) is only set when
+    # NOT re-aligning, so render / `all` are unaffected by the always-read.
+    _old_events = _scaffold.read_events(project_path)
+    _existing_events = None if realign else _old_events
     if not plan_only:
         if _existing_events is None or _scaffold.read_scaffold(project_path) is None:
             print(
@@ -5143,21 +5157,23 @@ def _cmd_render_impl(
     # only consumes the files — so the timing layer is written exactly once, by build.
     if plan_only and slide_range is None and _output_path_override is None:
         _events = _scaffold.derive_events(marker_timings, slides, videos, audio)
-        # merge restores each id's human `adjustment` (the relative tweak).
-        _events = _scaffold.merge_events(_events, _existing_events)
-        if _existing_events:
-            # Override path: the marker_timings the plan used were EFFECTIVE
-            # narration (narration_time + adjustment). narration_time itself is
-            # owned by events.json — restore it so the effective value doesn't leak
-            # into the stored narration_time. Pair by ordinal (not id) so a marker
-            # reused several times keeps each occurrence's own narration_time
-            # instead of collapsing onto the last occurrence's value.
-            for e, _old in _scaffold.pair_events_by_ordinal(_events, _existing_events):
+        # Carry each id's human `adjustment` (a relative nudge) forward from the
+        # previous events.json — matched by (id, ordinal) — so re-aligning keeps your
+        # offsets even though narration_time is recomputed from the transcript.
+        _events = _scaffold.merge_events(_events, _old_events)
+        if realign:
+            # Re-align (default): narration_time comes fresh from the transcript;
+            # recompute the interpolated markers between the aligned anchors.
+            _scaffold.reinterpolate_events(_events)
+        elif _old_events:
+            # Freeze (--no-realign): the marker_timings the plan used were EFFECTIVE
+            # narration (narration_time + adjustment). narration_time itself is owned
+            # by events.json — restore it so the effective value doesn't leak into the
+            # stored narration_time. Pair by ordinal (not id) so a marker reused
+            # several times keeps each occurrence's own narration_time.
+            for e, _old in _scaffold.pair_events_by_ordinal(_events, _old_events):
                 if _old is not None and _old.get("narration_time") is not None:
                     e["narration_time"] = _old["narration_time"]
-        else:
-            # Fresh align: recompute interpolated narration times between anchors.
-            _scaffold.reinterpolate_events(_events)
         # final_time = (narration + adjustment) shifted by preceding pauses.
         _scaffold.compute_final_times(_events)
         # events.json carries representation-only narration-track events so a GUI