diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 0d36a98..014c0d1 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -113,3 +113,12 @@ LLAMA_FAST_GPU_LAYERS=999
 # 8192 keeps this instance's KV cache negligible.
 LLAMA_FAST_CTX_SIZE=8192
 LLAMA_FAST_PARALLEL=2
+
+# --- ComfyUI diffusion model (Qwen-Image, FP8 — see docs/research/
+# image-generation-model-choice.md and issue #42) ---
+# Three files: diffusion weights, text encoder, VAE — all from the official
+# Comfy-Org FP8 split, chosen specifically because it's the only candidate
+# with a ComfyUI workflow pre-validated on this exact GPU (gfx1201/R9700).
+COMFYUI_DIFFUSION_MODEL_FILE=qwen_image_fp8_e4m3fn.safetensors
+COMFYUI_TEXT_ENCODER_FILE=qwen_2.5_vl_7b_fp8_scaled.safetensors
+COMFYUI_VAE_FILE=qwen_image_vae.safetensors
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 1bcda03..820a9fc 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -116,6 +116,39 @@ services:
         curl -L --fail --create-dirs -o /models/${LLAMA_FAST_MODEL_FILE:-Qwen3-4B-Instruct-2507-UD-Q8_K_XL.gguf}
         https://huggingface.co/unsloth/Qwen3-4B-Instruct-2507-GGUF/resolve/main/${LLAMA_FAST_MODEL_FILE:-Qwen3-4B-Instruct-2507-UD-Q8_K_XL.gguf}
 
+  # Fetches the three Qwen-Image FP8 files ComfyUI needs (diffusion model,
+  # text encoder, VAE) — same test -f guard pattern as downloader/
+  # downloader-fast above. See docs/research/image-generation-model-choice.md
+  # and issue #42.
+  #
+  # ponytail: target paths assume ComfyUI's standard models/ layout under
+  # BASE_STORAGE_PATH (/storage) — same "not independently confirmed against
+  # the image's Dockerfile" caveat already flagged on the comfyui service
+  # below. If ComfyUI doesn't pick these up, check its actual models root
+  # first.
+  downloader-comfyui:
+    image: curlimages/curl:latest
+    profiles: ["tools"]
+    user: root
+    volumes:
+      - comfyui-data:/storage
+    entrypoint: ["sh", "-c"]
+    command:
+      - >
+        mkdir -p /storage/models/diffusion_models /storage/models/text_encoders /storage/models/vae &&
+        (test -f /storage/models/diffusion_models/${COMFYUI_DIFFUSION_MODEL_FILE:-qwen_image_fp8_e4m3fn.safetensors} &&
+        echo "diffusion model already downloaded, skipping" ||
+        curl -L --fail --create-dirs -o /storage/models/diffusion_models/${COMFYUI_DIFFUSION_MODEL_FILE:-qwen_image_fp8_e4m3fn.safetensors}
+        https://huggingface.co/Comfy-Org/Qwen-Image_ComfyUI/resolve/main/split_files/diffusion_models/${COMFYUI_DIFFUSION_MODEL_FILE:-qwen_image_fp8_e4m3fn.safetensors}) &&
+        (test -f /storage/models/text_encoders/${COMFYUI_TEXT_ENCODER_FILE:-qwen_2.5_vl_7b_fp8_scaled.safetensors} &&
+        echo "text encoder already downloaded, skipping" ||
+        curl -L --fail --create-dirs -o /storage/models/text_encoders/${COMFYUI_TEXT_ENCODER_FILE:-qwen_2.5_vl_7b_fp8_scaled.safetensors}
+        https://huggingface.co/Comfy-Org/Qwen-Image_ComfyUI/resolve/main/split_files/text_encoders/${COMFYUI_TEXT_ENCODER_FILE:-qwen_2.5_vl_7b_fp8_scaled.safetensors}) &&
+        (test -f /storage/models/vae/${COMFYUI_VAE_FILE:-qwen_image_vae.safetensors} &&
+        echo "vae already downloaded, skipping" ||
+        curl -L --fail --create-dirs -o /storage/models/vae/${COMFYUI_VAE_FILE:-qwen_image_vae.safetensors}
+        https://huggingface.co/Comfy-Org/Qwen-Image_ComfyUI/resolve/main/split_files/vae/${COMFYUI_VAE_FILE:-qwen_image_vae.safetensors})
+
   # Local image generation — see issue #38 (wayfinder map). yurisasc's image
   # is gfx1201-tuned specifically (R9700's arch), unlike the official/AMD
   # ComfyUI image which doesn't pin RDNA4 support — see
diff --git a/scripts/switch-model.sh b/scripts/switch-model.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8aec6b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/switch-model.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Swap GPU residency between llama-server (Qwen) and comfyui — they never
+# run concurrently, VRAM doesn't fit both (see issue #38's map). Manual
+# invocation only, no auto-switching.
+#
+# Bypasses lazytainer entirely and drives docker compose directly — its
+# idle-stop can't be used for this. Root cause (see
+# docs/research/lazytainer-omniroute-idle-stop.md, issue #40): lazytainer's
+# packet-threshold detector is source-blind and can't tell OmniRoute's
+# periodic health-check pings apart from real traffic on the same port, so
+# it never reliably sleeps a service on its own. A scripted swap always
+# knows which service should go up/down, so it doesn't need that heuristic.
+#
+# llama-server-fast (the small classifier model, issue #44) is NOT part of
+# this swap — it's meant to stay always-resident. Worst case with comfyui up
+# is comfyui (~25GB, Qwen-Image FP8) + llama-server-fast (~5GB) ≈ 30GB,
+# still under the 32GB card but tight — unverified on real hardware, check
+# `docker compose ps` / VRAM usage after the first real swap.
+#
+# OmniRoute may show the just-stopped provider as errored/offline in its
+# dashboard for up to CREDENTIAL_HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL (default 5 min) after
+# a swap — cosmetic, not a functional problem (see the research doc above).
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
+
+usage() {
+  echo "Usage: $0 {qwen|comfyui}" >&2
+  echo "  qwen    - stop comfyui, start llama-server" >&2
+  echo "  comfyui - stop llama-server, start comfyui" >&2
+  exit 1
+}
+
+[ $# -eq 1 ] || usage
+
+case "$1" in
+  qwen)
+    from=comfyui
+    to=llama-server
+    ;;
+  comfyui)
+    from=llama-server
+    to=comfyui
+    ;;
+  *)
+    usage
+    ;;
+esac
+
+echo "==> stopping $from"
+docker compose stop "$from"
+
+echo "==> starting $to"
+docker compose up -d "$to"
+
+echo "==> status"
+docker compose ps
diff --git a/scripts/update.sh b/scripts/update.sh
index 2ddd34f..e465c2b 100755
--- a/scripts/update.sh
+++ b/scripts/update.sh
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ docker compose build --pull
 echo "==> ensuring models are downloaded (skips already-present files)"
 docker compose --profile tools run --rm downloader
 docker compose --profile tools run --rm downloader-fast
+docker compose --profile tools run --rm downloader-comfyui
 
 echo "==> bringing up omniroute"
 docker compose up -d --wait omniroute