diff --git a/docs/content/scripts/google-maps/1.guides/2.map-styling.md b/docs/content/scripts/google-maps/1.guides/2.map-styling.md
index 1611b57cb..4e58cde34 100644
--- a/docs/content/scripts/google-maps/1.guides/2.map-styling.md
+++ b/docs/content/scripts/google-maps/1.guides/2.map-styling.md
@@ -97,7 +97,9 @@ If you set up a single Map ID in Google Cloud Console with both Light and Dark c
 ```
 
 ::callout{color="amber"}
-Google Maps treats both `mapId` and `colorScheme` as init-only options. Toggling color mode tears down and re-creates the basic `Map` instance (preserving the user's pan/zoom). Child components (markers, info windows, overlays) are remounted against the new map automatically.
+Google Maps treats both `mapId` and `colorScheme` as init-only options. Toggling color mode tears down and re-creates the basic `Map` instance, since Google does not support changing these without re-rendering. The component preserves the user's pan/zoom and remounts child components (markers, info windows, overlays) against the new map automatically.
+
+If you create resources imperatively from the exposed `map` ref (rather than via child components), listen for the `@ready` event; it re-fires after every re-init so you can re-attach them to the new map instance.
 ::
 
 This auto-detects `@nuxtjs/color-mode` if installed. You can also control it manually with the `colorMode` prop:
diff --git a/packages/script/src/runtime/components/GoogleMaps/ScriptGoogleMaps.vue b/packages/script/src/runtime/components/GoogleMaps/ScriptGoogleMaps.vue
index d6902a707..e70be719a 100644
--- a/packages/script/src/runtime/components/GoogleMaps/ScriptGoogleMaps.vue
+++ b/packages/script/src/runtime/components/GoogleMaps/ScriptGoogleMaps.vue
@@ -219,7 +219,17 @@ if (import.meta.dev) {
 const rootEl = useTemplateRef<HTMLElement>('rootEl')
 const mapEl = useTemplateRef<HTMLElement>('mapEl')
 
+// Holds a runtime-derived center that wins over props in `defu`. Set when:
+//   1. A location query (e.g. "lat,lng" string) is asynchronously resolved to LatLng
+//   2. The map is re-initialised on color-mode change (preserves user pan)
+// Cleared whenever the caller updates `props.center` or `props.mapOptions.center`,
+// so external center updates always propagate after the first re-init.
 const centerOverride = ref()
+// Track requested center so we can detect external changes and clear the override.
+const requestedCenter = computed(() => props.mapOptions?.center ?? props.center)
+watch(requestedCenter, () => {
+  centerOverride.value = undefined
+})
 
 const trigger = useScriptTriggerElement({ trigger: props.trigger, el: rootEl })
 const { load, status, onLoaded } = useScriptGoogleMaps({
@@ -409,6 +419,15 @@ onMounted(() => {
       return
     const center = map.value.getCenter()
     const zoom = map.value.getZoom()
+    // Persist the user's panned position into `centerOverride` *before* tearing
+    // down. Without this, `options.value.center` recomputes (defu returns a new
+    // object even when values are unchanged) and the center watcher fires when
+    // `map.value` is reassigned — calling `setCenter(propsInitialCenter)` and
+    // discarding the user's pan. centerOverride wins over props in `defu`, so
+    // the recomputed center matches the new map's actual center → comparison
+    // guard skips the redundant setCenter.
+    if (center)
+      centerOverride.value = { lat: center.lat(), lng: center.lng() }
     map.value.unbindAll()
     map.value = undefined
     slotMounted.value = false
@@ -428,6 +447,10 @@ onMounted(() => {
     }
     map.value = new mapsApi.value.Map(mapEl.value, _options)
     slotMounted.value = true
+    // Re-emit `ready` so consumers can re-attach imperative state (e.g. pins
+    // created via `map` ref outside of declarative children, which don't
+    // automatically remount).
+    emits('ready', exposed)
   })
   watch(() => options.value.zoom, (zoom) => {
     if (map.value && zoom != null)
diff --git a/test/unit/google-maps-regressions.test.ts b/test/unit/google-maps-regressions.test.ts
index a93f497c0..ee5822070 100644
--- a/test/unit/google-maps-regressions.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/google-maps-regressions.test.ts
@@ -620,5 +620,122 @@ describe('google Maps Regressions', () => {
         { mapId: 'SAME_ID', scheme: 'DARK' },
       )).toBe(true)
     })
+
+    it('persists the user-panned center via centerOverride and the watcher guard skips setCenter', () => {
+      // Regression: after the re-init watcher captured zoom/center, it created
+      // the new Map with the captured center, but the standalone center watcher
+      // (which depends on `options.value.center` and `map`) re-fired when
+      // `map.value` was reassigned. Because `options.value.center` still pointed
+      // at the prop-defined initial center, the watcher called
+      // setCenter(initialCenter), discarding the user's pan.
+      // Fix: write the captured center to `centerOverride` before teardown so
+      // that `options.value.center` reflects the user's pan; the watcher's
+      // lat/lng comparison guard then short-circuits.
+
+      // Simulate the production center watcher's runtime path.
+      function applyCenterWatcher(
+        map: ReturnType<typeof createMockMap>,
+        center: { lat: number, lng: number } | { lat: () => number, lng: () => number },
+      ) {
+        if (!map)
+          return
+        const current = map.getCenter()
+        if (current) {
+          const newLat = typeof (center as any).lat === 'function' ? (center as any).lat() : (center as any).lat
+          const newLng = typeof (center as any).lng === 'function' ? (center as any).lng() : (center as any).lng
+          if (current.lat() === newLat && current.lng() === newLng)
+            return
+        }
+        map.setCenter(center)
+      }
+
+      const newMap = createMockMap()
+      // User panned to (50, 100); the new map instance is built with the captured center.
+      newMap.getCenter.mockReturnValue({ lat: () => 50, lng: () => 100 })
+
+      const propsCenter = { lat: 0, lng: 0 }
+      const centerOverride = { lat: 50, lng: 100 } // captured before teardown
+      // options.value.center after re-init: defu hands centerOverride first.
+      const optionsCenter = centerOverride || propsCenter
+
+      // The watcher fires when `map` is reassigned; guard must short-circuit.
+      applyCenterWatcher(newMap, optionsCenter)
+      expect(newMap.setCenter).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    })
+
+    it('clears centerOverride when props.center changes so external updates still propagate', () => {
+      // Without the clear watcher, `centerOverride` would stay at the captured
+      // pan and `props.center` updates after the first re-init would never reach
+      // the map (centerOverride wins in defu precedence, so options.value.center
+      // never changes, so the center watcher never fires).
+      const map = createMockMap()
+      // Map is currently at the user's panned position
+      map.getCenter.mockReturnValue({ lat: () => 50, lng: () => 100 })
+
+      // Simulate: caller updates props.center → watcher fires and clears centerOverride
+      let centerOverride: { lat: number, lng: number } | undefined = { lat: 50, lng: 100 }
+      const newPropCenter = { lat: 10, lng: 20 }
+      let propsCenter = { lat: 0, lng: 0 }
+
+      // Watcher on requestedCenter fires before options recomputes:
+      propsCenter = newPropCenter
+      centerOverride = undefined // requestedCenter watcher clears the override
+
+      // options.value.center recomputes via defu({ center: centerOverride }, ..., { center: propsCenter })
+      const optionsCenter = centerOverride || propsCenter
+
+      // options.value.center now reflects the new prop, not the stale override.
+      expect(optionsCenter).toEqual(newPropCenter)
+      expect(centerOverride).toBeUndefined()
+
+      // Center watcher sees the new value differs from map.getCenter() and applies it.
+      function applyCenterWatcher(
+        m: ReturnType<typeof createMockMap>,
+        c: { lat: number, lng: number },
+      ) {
+        const current = m.getCenter()
+        if (current && current.lat() === c.lat && current.lng() === c.lng)
+          return
+        m.setCenter(c)
+      }
+      applyCenterWatcher(map, optionsCenter)
+      expect(map.setCenter).toHaveBeenCalledWith(newPropCenter)
+    })
+
+    it('passes captured zoom and center to the new Map instance', () => {
+      // The re-init watcher reads the live map state before teardown and uses
+      // the captured values when constructing the new Map. Verifies that the
+      // _options object spread does not let an undefined captured zoom fall
+      // back to a stale options value, and that the literal coordinate object
+      // is the right shape for Google Maps.
+      const map = createMockMap()
+      map.getCenter.mockReturnValue({ lat: () => 50, lng: () => 100 })
+      map.getZoom.mockReturnValue(10)
+
+      const optionsValue = { zoom: 5, center: { lat: 0, lng: 0 }, mapId: 'a', colorScheme: 'DARK' }
+
+      const center = map.getCenter()
+      const zoom = map.getZoom()
+      const _options = {
+        ...optionsValue,
+        center: center ? { lat: center.lat(), lng: center.lng() } : optionsValue.center,
+        zoom: zoom ?? optionsValue.zoom,
+      }
+
+      expect(_options.zoom).toBe(10)
+      expect(_options.center).toEqual({ lat: 50, lng: 100 })
+      // mapId/colorScheme from the new options pass through (init-only, but the
+      // new instance can accept them).
+      expect(_options.mapId).toBe('a')
+      expect(_options.colorScheme).toBe('DARK')
+    })
+
+    it('preserves zoom of 0 (a valid Google Maps zoom level)', () => {
+      // `zoom ?? options.value.zoom` correctly handles 0 vs undefined.
+      const map = createMockMap()
+      map.getZoom.mockReturnValue(0)
+      const zoom = map.getZoom()
+      expect(zoom ?? 15).toBe(0)
+    })
   })
 })