diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/timeline.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/timeline.rs
index fe21ba7c..7d7ebab4 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/timeline.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/timeline.rs
@@ -1207,6 +1207,36 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, rect: Rect) {
     let ctx = ui.ctx().clone();
     let Some(cid) = app.session.active_comp_id() else {
         ui.painter().text(rect.center(), Align2::CENTER_CENTER, "(no composition)", Tokens::ui(12.0), t.text_faint);
+        // Dropping footage into an empty Timeline should create its first composition,
+        // just like dropping onto the Project panel's New Composition button (#649).
+        if let Some(crate::panels::DragPayload::Item(dragged)) = egui::DragAndDrop::payload::<crate::panels::DragPayload>(&ctx).as_deref()
+            && ui.rect_contains_pointer(rect)
+        {
+            let items: Vec<ItemId> = crate::panels::project_drop_items(app, *dragged)
+                .into_iter()
+                .map(ItemId)
+                .filter(|id| {
+                    app.session.project.item(*id).is_some_and(|item| match &item.kind {
+                        effectcraft_engine::project::ItemKind::Footage(footage) => {
+                            footage.kind != effectcraft_engine::project::FootageKind::Data
+                        }
+                        effectcraft_engine::project::ItemKind::Solid(_) => true,
+                        _ => false,
+                    })
+                })
+                .collect();
+            if !items.is_empty() {
+                ui.painter().rect_stroke(rect.shrink(2.0), 0.0, Stroke::new(2.0, t.accent), StrokeKind::Inside);
+                app.auto.add("timeline.newCompDrop", rect, "Drop footage to create a composition");
+                if ctx.input(|i| i.pointer.any_released()) {
+                    app.session.state.project_selection = items;
+                    if let Err(e) = crate::menus::invoke(app, &ctx, "file.newCompFromSelection", json!({})) {
+                        app.ui.status = e;
+                    }
+                    egui::DragAndDrop::clear_payload(&ctx);
+                }
+            }
+        }
         return;
     };
     let Some(comp) = app.session.project.comp_arc(cid) else { return };
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_drag_drop.rs b/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_drag_drop.rs
index d9e04ec3..fc6a9a69 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_drag_drop.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_drag_drop.rs
@@ -210,6 +210,51 @@ fn project_items_dropped_on_new_comp_make_a_composition() {
     assert_eq!(comps(&h), before + 1, "nothing made yet");
 }
 
+/// #649: a Project footage item dropped into an empty Timeline makes a composition
+/// with that item's dimensions, frame rate, duration, and a source layer.
+#[test]
+fn project_footage_dropped_on_empty_timeline_creates_first_comp() {
+    let mut s = Session::default();
+    let footage = s.execute(
+        "file.importPlaceholder",
+        json!({"name": "Landscape.png", "width": 640, "height": 360, "frameRate": 24, "duration": 5}),
+    ).unwrap()["item"].as_u64().unwrap();
+    let mut h = Harness::builder().with_size(vec2(1600.0, 1000.0)).build_eframe(|_| EffectcraftApp::new(s));
+    h.run_steps(3);
+    assert!(h.state().session.active_comp().is_none());
+    let from = rect(&h, &format!("project.item.{footage}.name")).center();
+    let to = rect(&h, "panel.Timeline").center();
+    drag(&mut h, from, to, Modifiers::NONE);
+    let comp = h.state().session.active_comp().expect("created a composition");
+    assert_eq!((comp.width, comp.height), (640, 360));
+    assert_eq!(comp.frame_rate, effectcraft_engine::time::FrameRate::from_f64(24.0));
+    assert_eq!(comp.duration.seconds(), 5.0);
+    assert_eq!(comp.layers.len(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(comp.layers[0].name, "Landscape.png");
+    assert!(h.state().dialog.is_none());
+}
+
+/// Multiple source items use the existing New Comp from Selection dialog, rather than
+/// quietly creating only the dragged item or changing the composition settings.
+#[test]
+fn multiple_selected_footage_dropped_on_empty_timeline_asks_how_to_create_comps() {
+    let mut s = Session::default();
+    let first = s.execute("file.importPlaceholder", json!({"name": "First.png", "width": 160, "height": 90})).unwrap()["item"].as_u64().unwrap();
+    let second = s.execute("file.importPlaceholder", json!({"name": "Second.png", "width": 300, "height": 200})).unwrap()["item"].as_u64().unwrap();
+    s.state.project_selection = vec![
+        effectcraft_engine::project::ItemId(first),
+        effectcraft_engine::project::ItemId(second),
+    ];
+    let mut h = Harness::builder().with_size(vec2(1600.0, 1000.0)).build_eframe(|_| EffectcraftApp::new(s));
+    h.run_steps(3);
+    let from = rect(&h, &format!("project.item.{first}.name")).center();
+    let to = rect(&h, "panel.Timeline").center();
+    drag(&mut h, from, to, Modifiers::NONE);
+    assert_eq!(h.state().dialog, Some(effectcraft_ui_egui::Dialog::Form));
+    assert!(h.state().auto.find("form.field.single").is_some());
+    assert!(h.state().session.active_comp().is_none(), "no composition until the user chooses");
+}
+
 /// A file dropped on the window (egui hands it over as a dropped file).
 #[derive(Debug)]
 struct Dropped(std::path::PathBuf);