diff --git a/frontend/src/components/GraphCanvas.svelte b/frontend/src/components/GraphCanvas.svelte
index 2f9cbcd..a8248a6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/GraphCanvas.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/GraphCanvas.svelte
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
     setAutoPin, setAutoDisconnect,
     saveProfile, loadProfile, deleteProfile,
     setNodeVolume, setNodeMute,
+    setAlias,
     createNullSink, createLoopback, loadModule,
     getQuantum, setQuantum,
   } from '../lib/stores';
@@ -29,6 +30,8 @@
   let contextMenu = $state<{ x: number; y: number; linkId: number; outputPortId: number; inputPortId: number; pinned: boolean } | null>(null);
   let nodeContextMenu = $state<{ x: number; y: number; nodeId: number; nodeName: string } | null>(null);
   let showPropsDialog = $state<number | null>(null); // node ID or null
+  let renameDialog = $state<{ pwName: string } | null>(null);
+  let renameInput = $state('');
 
   // Filters
   let showAudio = $state(true);
@@ -128,6 +131,11 @@
     return nodeName;
   }
 
+  // Return custom alias, otherwise nick, otherwise PW name
+  function displayName(nd: { name: string; nick: string }): string {
+    return $patchbay.aliases?.[nd.name] || nd.nick || nd.name;
+  }
+
   // Build computed layout
   let graphNodes = $derived.by(() => {
     const n = $nodes;
@@ -593,7 +601,7 @@
         <rect x={nd.x} y={nd.y} width={nd.width} height="22" rx="4" fill={headerBg} />
         <rect x={nd.x} y={nd.y + 16} width={nd.width} height="6" fill={headerBg} />
         <text x={nd.x + 6} y={nd.y + 15} font-size="10" font-family="monospace" fill="#ddd" font-weight="bold">
-          {nd.nick || nd.name}
+          {displayName(nd)}
         </text>
         <text x={nd.x + nd.width - 6} y={nd.y + 15} font-size="9" font-family="monospace" fill="#777" text-anchor="end">
           [{nd.node_type}]
@@ -680,8 +688,13 @@
 
   {#if nodeContextMenu}
     <div class="ctx" style="left:{nodeContextMenu.x}px;top:{nodeContextMenu.y}px" role="menu">
-      <div class="ctx-title">{nodeContextMenu.nodeName}</div>
+      <div class="ctx-title">{$patchbay.aliases?.[nodeContextMenu.nodeName] || nodeContextMenu.nodeName}</div>
       <button onclick={() => { showPropsDialog = nodeContextMenu!.nodeId; nodeContextMenu = null; }}>Properties</button>
+      <button onclick={() => {
+        renameDialog = { pwName: nodeContextMenu!.nodeName };
+        renameInput = $patchbay.aliases?.[nodeContextMenu!.nodeName] ?? '';
+        nodeContextMenu = null;
+      }}>Rename</button>
       <button onclick={() => {
         fetch('/api/destroy-node', {
           method: 'POST',
@@ -699,7 +712,7 @@
     {#if nd}
       <div class="dialog">
         <div class="dialog-header">
-          <span>Properties: {nd.nick || nd.name}</span>
+          <span>Properties: {displayName(nd)}</span>
           <button class="close" onclick={() => { showPropsDialog = null; }}>X</button>
         </div>
         <div class="dialog-body">
@@ -730,6 +743,31 @@
     {/if}
   {/if}
 
+  <!-- Rename Node Dialog -->
+  {#if renameDialog}
+    <div class="dialog" style="right:auto;left:50%;top:50%;transform:translate(-50%,-50%);width:280px">
+      <div class="dialog-header">
+        <span>Rename Node</span>
+        <button class="close" onclick={() => { renameDialog = null; }}>X</button>
+      </div>
+      <div class="dialog-body">
+        <p class="hint" style="word-break:break-all">{renameDialog.pwName}</p>
+        <div class="input-row">
+          <input
+            class="dlg-input"
+            bind:value={renameInput}
+            placeholder="Custom display name (leave blank to reset)"
+            onkeydown={(e) => { if (e.key === 'Enter') { setAlias(renameDialog!.pwName, renameInput); renameDialog = null; } }}
+          />
+        </div>
+        <div class="input-row" style="justify-content:flex-end;gap:6px">
+          <button onclick={() => { setAlias(renameDialog!.pwName, ''); renameDialog = null; }}>Reset</button>
+          <button onclick={() => { setAlias(renameDialog!.pwName, renameInput); renameDialog = null; }}>Save</button>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  {/if}
+
   <!-- Hide Nodes Dialog -->
   {#if showHideDialog}
     <div class="dialog">
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/stores.ts b/frontend/src/lib/stores.ts
index 2247f68..0e4304e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/stores.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/stores.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export const patchbay = writable<PatchbayState>({
   pinned_connections: [],
   hide_rules: [],
   merge_rules: [],
+  aliases: {},
 });
 
 // Port/node lookups
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ export async function initGraph() {
     if (res.ok) {
       const data = await res.json();
       if (data && data.profiles) {
-        patchbay.set(data as PatchbayState);
+        patchbay.set({ ...data, aliases: data.aliases ?? {} } as PatchbayState);
       }
     }
   } catch {}
@@ -357,6 +358,20 @@ export function deleteProfile(name: string) {
   savePatchbayState();
 }
 
+// Node aliases (custom display names, keyed by PW node name)
+export function setAlias(pwName: string, alias: string) {
+  patchbay.update(pb => {
+    const aliases = { ...pb.aliases };
+    if (alias.trim()) {
+      aliases[pwName] = alias.trim();
+    } else {
+      delete aliases[pwName];  // empty string = remove alias
+    }
+    return { ...pb, aliases };
+  });
+  savePatchbayState();
+}
+
 // Volume control
 export async function setNodeVolume(nodeId: number, volume: number) {
   try {
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/types.ts b/frontend/src/lib/types.ts
index df832a5..ad7b92a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/types.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/types.ts
@@ -85,4 +85,5 @@ export interface PatchbayState {
   pinned_connections: number[];
   hide_rules: string[];
   merge_rules: string[];
+  aliases: Record<string, string>;  // PW node name → custom display name
 }