diff --git a/__tests__/presentation-4-parser/canvas-references.test.ts b/__tests__/presentation-4-parser/canvas-references.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9fe23ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/presentation-4-parser/canvas-references.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
+import { normalize, serialize, serializeConfigPresentation4 } from "../../src/presentation-4";
+
+const canvasId = "https://example.org/canvas";
+const pageId = "https://example.org/annotations";
+const annotationId = `${pageId}/annotation`;
+const selector = { type: "FragmentSelector", value: "xywh=0,0,200,20" };
+
+function annotationPage(version: 3 | 4, target: unknown) {
+  return {
+    "@context": `http://iiif.io/api/presentation/${version}/context.json`,
+    id: pageId,
+    type: "AnnotationPage",
+    items: [
+      {
+        id: annotationId,
+        type: "Annotation",
+        motivation: "supplementing",
+        body: { type: "TextualBody", value: "Page transcript", format: "text/plain" },
+        target,
+      },
+    ],
+  };
+}
+
+function serializeResult(result: ReturnType<typeof normalize>) {
+  return serialize(
+    { entities: result.entities, mapping: result.mapping, requests: {} },
+    result.resource,
+    serializeConfigPresentation4
+  ) as any;
+}
+
+describe.each([3, 4] as const)("Canvas references from Presentation %s", (version) => {
+  test.each([
+    ["fragment string", () => `${canvasId}#${selector.value}`],
+    ["SpecificResource", () => ({ type: "SpecificResource", source: { id: canvasId, type: "Canvas" }, selector })],
+    ["plain reference", () => ({ id: canvasId, type: "Canvas" })],
+  ] as const)("keeps a %s annotation target inline without importing empty Canvas defaults", (kind, target) => {
+    const result = normalize(annotationPage(version, target()));
+    const annotation = result.entities.Annotation[annotationId] as any;
+
+    expect(result.entities.Canvas).toEqual({});
+    expect(result.mapping[canvasId]).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(annotation.target.source || annotation.target).toEqual({ id: canvasId, type: "Canvas" });
+    const output = serializeResult(result);
+    expect(output.items[0].target.source || output.items[0].target).toEqual({ id: canvasId, type: "Canvas" });
+    if (kind !== "plain reference") {
+      expect(annotation.target.selector[0]).toMatchObject(selector);
+      expect(output.items[0].target.selector[0]).toMatchObject(selector);
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("does not import Canvas defaults from targets inside an Independents resource", () => {
+    const result = normalize(
+      annotationPage(version, {
+        type: "Independents",
+        items: [
+          { type: "SpecificResource", source: { id: canvasId, type: "Canvas" }, selector },
+          `${canvasId}/other#xywh=10,20,30,40`,
+        ],
+      })
+    );
+    const target = (result.entities.Annotation[annotationId] as any).target;
+
+    expect(result.entities.Canvas).toEqual({});
+    expect(target.items.map((item: any) => item.source)).toEqual([
+      { id: canvasId, type: "Canvas" },
+      { id: `${canvasId}/other`, type: "Canvas" },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  test("retains the loaded Canvas metadata and frames when its embedded annotation targets it", () => {
+    const manifestId = "https://example.org/manifest";
+    const result = normalize({
+      "@context": `http://iiif.io/api/presentation/${version}/context.json`,
+      id: manifestId,
+      type: "Manifest",
+      items: [
+        {
+          id: canvasId,
+          type: "Canvas",
+          width: 200,
+          height: 300,
+          label: { en: ["Page 1"] },
+          thumbnail: [{ id: "https://example.org/thumb.jpg", type: "Image" }],
+          items: [],
+          annotations: [annotationPage(version, `${canvasId}#${selector.value}`)],
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+    const canvas = result.entities.Canvas[canvasId] as any;
+
+    expect(canvas).toMatchObject({
+      width: 200,
+      height: 300,
+      label: { en: ["Page 1"] },
+      thumbnail: [{ id: "https://example.org/thumb.jpg" }],
+      items: [],
+    });
+    expect(canvas["iiif-parser:hasPart"].map((frame: any) => frame["iiif-parser:partOf"])).toEqual([manifestId]);
+    expect(canvas["iiif-parser:isExternal"]).not.toBe(true);
+
+    // Importing this later must contribute no Canvas update to a consumer's store.
+    const external = normalize(annotationPage(version, `${canvasId}#${selector.value}`));
+    expect(external.entities.Canvas[canvasId]).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  test("keeps explicit empty fields and dimensions on a complete Canvas update", () => {
+    const result = normalize({
+      "@context": `http://iiif.io/api/presentation/${version}/context.json`,
+      id: "https://example.org/updated-manifest",
+      type: "Manifest",
+      items: [{ id: canvasId, type: "Canvas", label: null, thumbnail: [], items: [], width: 900, height: 600 }],
+    });
+    const canvas = result.entities.Canvas[canvasId] as any;
+
+    expect(canvas).toMatchObject({ label: null, thumbnail: [], items: [], width: 900, height: 600 });
+    expect(canvas["iiif-parser:isExternal"]).not.toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
+test.each([false, true])("marks a legacy Canvas partOf reference as external (items present: %s)", (hasItems) => {
+  const result = normalize({
+    ...annotationPage(3, `${canvasId}#${selector.value}`),
+    partOf: [{ id: canvasId, type: "Canvas", width: 200, height: 300, ...(hasItems ? { items: [] } : {}) }],
+  });
+  const canvas = result.entities.Canvas[canvasId] as any;
+
+  expect(canvas["iiif-parser:isExternal"]).toBe(hasItems ? undefined : true);
+  expect(canvas).toMatchObject({ items: [], width: 200, height: 300 });
+});
diff --git a/src/presentation-4/normalize.ts b/src/presentation-4/normalize.ts
index 0c352e7..db15b08 100644
--- a/src/presentation-4/normalize.ts
+++ b/src/presentation-4/normalize.ts
@@ -504,12 +504,15 @@ export function normalize(input: unknown): NormalizeResult {
         map("Timeline"),
         record("Timeline"),
       ],
+      // Targets stay inline, like target SpecificResources and content resources.
+      // A target-only Canvas must not import empty defaults over a loaded Canvas.
       canvas: [
+        ...(isLegacySource ? [addFlagForExternalResource] : []),
         withId("Canvas", diagnostics),
         ensureDefaultFields((isLegacySource ? legacyEmptyCanvas : emptyCanvas) as any),
         map("Canvas"),
         record("Canvas"),
-      ],
+      ].map(skipOnAnnotationTarget),
       scene: [withId("Scene", diagnostics), ensureDefaultFields(emptyScene), map("Scene"), record("Scene")],
       annotationCollection: [
         withId("AnnotationCollection", diagnostics),