diff --git a/apps/readest-app/src/__tests__/utils/style-dom.test.ts b/apps/readest-app/src/__tests__/utils/style-dom.test.ts
index 81986365..3c132d2c 100644
--- a/apps/readest-app/src/__tests__/utils/style-dom.test.ts
+++ b/apps/readest-app/src/__tests__/utils/style-dom.test.ts
@@ -417,6 +417,33 @@ describe('getStyles', () => {
     expect(css).toContain('background-color: #ffffff !important');
     expect(css).toContain('color: #171717 !important');
   });
+
+  it('scopes the inline-image baseline default to its own class so author values win #4866', () => {
+    const vs = makeViewSettings();
+    const themeCode: ThemeCode = {
+      bg: '#ffffff',
+      fg: '#171717',
+      primary: '#0066cc',
+      palette: {
+        'base-100': '#ffffff',
+        'base-200': '#f2f2f2',
+        'base-300': '#e0e0e0',
+        'base-content': '#171717',
+        neutral: '#cccccc',
+        'neutral-content': '#444444',
+        primary: '#0066cc',
+        secondary: '#3399ff',
+        accent: '#0055aa',
+      },
+      isDarkMode: false,
+    };
+    const css = getStyles(vs, themeCode);
+    // Baseline is opt-in via a dedicated class, not forced on every inline image.
+    expect(css).toMatch(/img\.has-text-siblings-baseline\s*\{[^}]*vertical-align:\s*baseline/);
+    // The size-clamp rule must not carry vertical-align anymore.
+    const clampRule = css.match(/\n\s*img\.has-text-siblings\s*\{[^}]*\}/)![0];
+    expect(clampRule).not.toContain('vertical-align');
+  });
 });
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -479,6 +506,23 @@ describe('applyImageStyle', () => {
     const img = document.querySelector('img')!;
     expect(img.classList.contains('has-text-siblings')).toBe(false);
   });
+
+  it('applies the baseline default when the image has no author vertical-align', () => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = '<p>Some text <img src="test.png" /> more text</p>';
+    applyImageStyle(document);
+    const img = document.querySelector('img')!;
+    expect(img.classList.contains('has-text-siblings')).toBe(true);
+    expect(img.classList.contains('has-text-siblings-baseline')).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('respects an author-set vertical-align (no baseline default) #4866', () => {
+    document.body.innerHTML =
+      '<p>Some text <img src="test.png" style="vertical-align: -0.15em" /> more text</p>';
+    applyImageStyle(document);
+    const img = document.querySelector('img')!;
+    expect(img.classList.contains('has-text-siblings')).toBe(true);
+    expect(img.classList.contains('has-text-siblings-baseline')).toBe(false);
+  });
 });
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/apps/readest-app/src/utils/style.ts b/apps/readest-app/src/utils/style.ts
index 5ff089ed..3e251d09 100644
--- a/apps/readest-app/src/utils/style.ts
+++ b/apps/readest-app/src/utils/style.ts
@@ -472,6 +472,12 @@ const getPageLayoutStyles = (
   }
   img.has-text-siblings {
     ${vertical ? 'width: 1em;' : 'height: 1em;'}
+  }
+  /* Baseline is only Readest's default: applyImageStyle adds this class when the
+     book leaves vertical-align at its initial value, so an author-set value
+     (e.g. a CJK glyph-substitution image nudged with vertical-align: -0.15em)
+     keeps winning. See #4866. */
+  img.has-text-siblings-baseline {
     vertical-align: baseline;
   }
   :is(div) > img.has-text-siblings[style*="object-fit"] {
@@ -1148,37 +1154,60 @@ export const applyScrollbarStyle = (document: Document, hideScrollbar: boolean)
 };
 
 export const applyImageStyle = (document: Document) => {
-  document.querySelectorAll('img').forEach((img) => {
+  const win = document.defaultView ?? window;
+  // Two-phase (read then write): reading getComputedStyle after a class/style
+  // write forces a style recalc, so gather every decision first and apply the
+  // mutations afterwards (same reasoning as keepTextAlignment's split).
+  const plans = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('img')).map((img) => {
     const widthAttr = img.getAttribute('width');
-    if (widthAttr && (widthAttr.endsWith('%') || widthAttr.endsWith('vw'))) {
-      const percentage = parseFloat(widthAttr);
-      if (!isNaN(percentage)) {
-        img.style.width = `${(percentage / 100) * window.innerWidth}px`;
-        img.removeAttribute('width');
-      }
-    }
-
+    const percentWidth =
+      widthAttr && (widthAttr.endsWith('%') || widthAttr.endsWith('vw'))
+        ? parseFloat(widthAttr)
+        : NaN;
     const heightAttr = img.getAttribute('height');
-    if (heightAttr && (heightAttr.endsWith('%') || heightAttr.endsWith('vh'))) {
-      const percentage = parseFloat(heightAttr);
-      if (!isNaN(percentage)) {
-        img.style.height = `${(percentage / 100) * window.innerHeight}px`;
-        img.removeAttribute('height');
+    const percentHeight =
+      heightAttr && (heightAttr.endsWith('%') || heightAttr.endsWith('vh'))
+        ? parseFloat(heightAttr)
+        : NaN;
+
+    let inlineWithText = false;
+    let keepBaseline = false;
+    const parent = img.parentNode;
+    if (parent && parent.nodeType === Node.ELEMENT_NODE) {
+      const childNodes = Array.from(parent.childNodes);
+      const hasTextSiblings = childNodes.some(
+        (node) => node.nodeType === Node.TEXT_NODE && node.textContent?.trim(),
+      );
+      const isInline = childNodes.every(
+        (node) => node.nodeType !== Node.ELEMENT_NODE || (node as Element).tagName !== 'BR',
+      );
+      inlineWithText = hasTextSiblings && isInline;
+      if (inlineWithText) {
+        // Only supply Readest's baseline default when the book leaves
+        // vertical-align at its initial value; an author-set value (e.g. a CJK
+        // glyph-substitution image nudged with `vertical-align: -0.15em`) must
+        // win. Empty string covers environments that report unset props as ''.
+        const valign = win.getComputedStyle(img).verticalAlign;
+        keepBaseline = valign === '' || valign === 'baseline';
       }
     }
-
-    const parent = img.parentNode;
-    if (!parent || parent.nodeType !== Node.ELEMENT_NODE) return;
-    const hasTextSiblings = Array.from(parent.childNodes).some(
-      (node) => node.nodeType === Node.TEXT_NODE && node.textContent?.trim(),
-    );
-    const isInline = Array.from(parent.childNodes).every(
-      (node) => node.nodeType !== Node.ELEMENT_NODE || (node as Element).tagName !== 'BR',
-    );
-    if (hasTextSiblings && isInline) {
-      img.classList.add('has-text-siblings');
-    }
+    return { img, percentWidth, percentHeight, inlineWithText, keepBaseline };
   });
+
+  for (const { img, percentWidth, percentHeight, inlineWithText, keepBaseline } of plans) {
+    if (!isNaN(percentWidth)) {
+      img.style.width = `${(percentWidth / 100) * window.innerWidth}px`;
+      img.removeAttribute('width');
+    }
+    if (!isNaN(percentHeight)) {
+      img.style.height = `${(percentHeight / 100) * window.innerHeight}px`;
+      img.removeAttribute('height');
+    }
+    if (inlineWithText) {
+      img.classList.add('has-text-siblings');
+      if (keepBaseline) img.classList.add('has-text-siblings-baseline');
+    }
+  }
   document.querySelectorAll('hr').forEach((hr) => {
     const computedStyle = window.getComputedStyle(hr);
     if (computedStyle.backgroundImage && computedStyle.backgroundImage !== 'none') {