diff --git a/make-pdf/src/orchestrator.ts b/make-pdf/src/orchestrator.ts
index 31710ecf..cf8dffae 100644
--- a/make-pdf/src/orchestrator.ts
+++ b/make-pdf/src/orchestrator.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ export async function generate(opts: GenerateOptions): Promise<string> {
     confidential: opts.confidential,
     pageSize: opts.pageSize,
     margins: opts.margins,
+    pageNumbers: opts.pageNumbers,
+    footerTemplate: opts.footerTemplate,
   });
   progress.end("Rendering HTML", `${rendered.meta.wordCount} words`);
 
@@ -136,7 +138,10 @@ export async function generate(opts: GenerateOptions): Promise<string> {
       marginLeft: opts.marginLeft ?? opts.margins ?? "1in",
       headerTemplate: opts.headerTemplate,
       footerTemplate: opts.footerTemplate,
-      pageNumbers: opts.pageNumbers !== false && !opts.footerTemplate,
+      // CSS is the single source of truth for page numbers (see print-css.ts
+      // @bottom-center). Chromium's native numbering always off to avoid double
+      // footers. The CSS layer honors pageNumbers + footerTemplate via render().
+      pageNumbers: false,
       tagged: opts.tagged !== false,
       outline: opts.outline !== false,
       printBackground: !!opts.watermark,
@@ -183,6 +188,7 @@ export async function preview(opts: PreviewOptions): Promise<string> {
     watermark: opts.watermark,
     noChapterBreaks: opts.noChapterBreaks,
     confidential: opts.confidential,
+    pageNumbers: opts.pageNumbers,
   });
   progress.end("Rendering HTML", `${rendered.meta.wordCount} words`);
 
diff --git a/make-pdf/src/print-css.ts b/make-pdf/src/print-css.ts
index a4b71dae..a9f15563 100644
--- a/make-pdf/src/print-css.ts
+++ b/make-pdf/src/print-css.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ export interface PrintCssOptions {
 
   // Margins (default 1in)
   margins?: string;
+
+  // Whether to render "N of M" page numbers in the @page @bottom-center rule.
+  // Default true. Set false to suppress CSS numbering (used when the caller
+  // supplies a custom Chromium footerTemplate, or when --no-page-numbers).
+  pageNumbers?: boolean;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -69,6 +74,7 @@ export function printCss(opts: PrintCssOptions = {}): string {
 function pageRules(size: string, margin: string, opts: PrintCssOptions): string {
   const runningHeader = escapeCssString(opts.runningHeader ?? "");
   const showConfidential = opts.confidential !== false;
+  const showPageNumbers = opts.pageNumbers !== false;
 
   return [
     `@page {`,
@@ -77,7 +83,9 @@ function pageRules(size: string, margin: string, opts: PrintCssOptions): string
     runningHeader
       ? `  @top-center { content: "${runningHeader}"; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; color: #666; }`
       : ``,
-    `  @bottom-center { content: counter(page) " of " counter(pages); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; color: #666; }`,
+    showPageNumbers
+      ? `  @bottom-center { content: counter(page) " of " counter(pages); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; color: #666; }`
+      : ``,
     showConfidential
       ? `  @bottom-right { content: "CONFIDENTIAL"; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt; color: #aaa; letter-spacing: 0.05em; }`
       : ``,
diff --git a/make-pdf/src/render.ts b/make-pdf/src/render.ts
index 03bf43cd..eafe6fc8 100644
--- a/make-pdf/src/render.ts
+++ b/make-pdf/src/render.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ export interface RenderOptions {
   // Page layout
   pageSize?: "letter" | "a4" | "legal" | "tabloid";
   margins?: string;
+
+  // Footer behavior. pageNumbers defaults to true. When footerTemplate is set,
+  // CSS page numbers are suppressed so the custom Chromium footer wins cleanly.
+  pageNumbers?: boolean;
+  footerTemplate?: string;
 }
 
 export interface RenderResult {
@@ -74,6 +79,10 @@ export function render(opts: RenderOptions): RenderResult {
   const derivedDate = opts.date ?? formatToday();
 
   // 5. Build CSS
+  // CSS is the single source of truth for page numbers (Chromium native
+  // numbering is always off in orchestrator). If the caller supplied a custom
+  // footerTemplate, suppress CSS page numbers too so their footer wins.
+  const showPageNumbers = opts.pageNumbers !== false && !opts.footerTemplate;
   const cssOptions: PrintCssOptions = {
     cover: opts.cover,
     toc: opts.toc,
@@ -83,6 +92,7 @@ export function render(opts: RenderOptions): RenderResult {
     runningHeader: derivedTitle,
     pageSize: opts.pageSize,
     margins: opts.margins,
+    pageNumbers: showPageNumbers,
   };
   const css = printCss(cssOptions);
 
diff --git a/make-pdf/src/types.ts b/make-pdf/src/types.ts
index 4d170975..6d4e6710 100644
--- a/make-pdf/src/types.ts
+++ b/make-pdf/src/types.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ export interface PreviewOptions {
   watermark?: string;
   noChapterBreaks?: boolean;
   confidential?: boolean;
+  pageNumbers?: boolean;
   allowNetwork?: boolean;
   title?: string;
   author?: string;
diff --git a/make-pdf/test/render.test.ts b/make-pdf/test/render.test.ts
index 5ddb5da4..0e64f871 100644
--- a/make-pdf/test/render.test.ts
+++ b/make-pdf/test/render.test.ts
@@ -311,4 +311,46 @@ describe("printCss", () => {
     // Confirm no p-indent slipped in
     expect(css).not.toMatch(/p\s*\+\s*p\s*\{[^}]*text-indent/);
   });
+
+  test("emits @bottom-center page-number rule by default", () => {
+    const css = printCss();
+    expect(css).toMatch(/@bottom-center\s*\{\s*content:\s*counter\(page\)/);
+  });
+
+  test("suppresses @bottom-center page-number rule when pageNumbers=false", () => {
+    const css = printCss({ pageNumbers: false });
+    expect(css).not.toMatch(/@bottom-center\s*\{\s*content:\s*counter\(page\)/);
+  });
+
+  test("still emits @bottom-center when pageNumbers=true (explicit)", () => {
+    const css = printCss({ pageNumbers: true });
+    expect(css).toMatch(/@bottom-center\s*\{\s*content:\s*counter\(page\)/);
+  });
+});
+
+// ─── render() — pageNumbers / footerTemplate data flow ───────────────
+
+describe("render() — pageNumbers data flow", () => {
+  test("CSS footer renders by default", () => {
+    const result = render({ markdown: `# Doc\n\nBody.` });
+    expect(result.printCss).toMatch(/@bottom-center\s*\{\s*content:\s*counter\(page\)/);
+  });
+
+  test("--no-page-numbers reaches the CSS layer", () => {
+    const result = render({ markdown: `# Doc\n\nBody.`, pageNumbers: false });
+    expect(result.printCss).not.toMatch(/@bottom-center\s*\{\s*content:\s*counter\(page\)/);
+  });
+
+  test("footerTemplate suppresses CSS page numbers (custom footer wins)", () => {
+    const result = render({
+      markdown: `# Doc\n\nBody.`,
+      footerTemplate: `<div class="foo">custom</div>`,
+    });
+    expect(result.printCss).not.toMatch(/@bottom-center\s*\{\s*content:\s*counter\(page\)/);
+  });
+
+  test("pageNumbers=true + no footerTemplate keeps CSS footer", () => {
+    const result = render({ markdown: `# Doc`, pageNumbers: true });
+    expect(result.printCss).toMatch(/@bottom-center\s*\{\s*content:\s*counter\(page\)/);
+  });
 });