diff --git a/crates/viewer/re_view_spatial/src/picking.rs b/crates/viewer/re_view_spatial/src/picking.rs
index fcd12266d257..327213499d94 100644
--- a/crates/viewer/re_view_spatial/src/picking.rs
+++ b/crates/viewer/re_view_spatial/src/picking.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ pub struct PickingRayHit {
 
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub struct PickingResult {
-    /// Picking ray hits. NOT sorted by distance but rather by source of picking.
+    /// Picking ray hits.
+    ///
+    /// The hits are sorted front-to-back, i.e. closest hits are first.
     ///
     /// Typically there is only one hit, but there might be several if there are transparent objects
     /// or "aggressive" objects like 2D images which we always want to pick, even if they're in the background.
@@ -132,29 +134,31 @@ impl PickingContext {
             self,
             previous_picking_result,
         );
-        let mut rect_hits = picking_textured_rects(self, images);
-        rect_hits.sort_by(|a, b| b.depth_offset.cmp(&a.depth_offset));
-        let ui_rect_hits = picking_ui_rects(self, ui_rects);
+
+        let mut image_hits = picking_textured_rects(self, images);
+        image_hits.sort_by(|a, b| b.depth_offset.cmp(&a.depth_offset));
+
+        let ui_hits = picking_ui_rects(self, ui_rects);
 
         let mut hits = Vec::new();
 
         // Start with gpu based picking as baseline. This is our prime source of picking information.
-        //
-        // ..unless the same object got also picked as part of a textured rect.
-        // Textured rect picks also know where on the rect, making this the better source!
-        // Note that whenever this happens, it means that the same object path has a textured rect and something else
-        // e.g. a camera.
         if let Some(gpu_pick) = gpu_pick {
-            if rect_hits.iter().all(|rect_hit| {
-                rect_hit.instance_path_hash.entity_path_hash
-                    != gpu_pick.instance_path_hash.entity_path_hash
-            }) {
+            // ..unless the same object got also picked as part of a textured rect.
+            // Textured rect picks also know where on the rect they hit, making this the better source!
+            // Note that whenever this happens, it means that the same object path has a textured rect and something else
+            // e.g. a camera.
+            let has_image_hit_on_gpu_pick = image_hits.iter().any(|image_hit| {
+                image_hit.instance_path_hash.entity_path_hash
+                    == gpu_pick.instance_path_hash.entity_path_hash
+            });
+            if !has_image_hit_on_gpu_pick {
                 hits.push(gpu_pick);
             }
         }
 
         // We never throw away any textured rects, even if they're behind other objects.
-        hits.extend(rect_hits);
+        hits.extend(image_hits);
 
         // UI rects are overlaid on top, but we don't let them hide other picking results either.
         // Give any other previous hits precedence.
@@ -163,11 +167,20 @@ impl PickingContext {
             .map(|prev_hit| prev_hit.instance_path_hash)
             .collect();
         hits.extend(
-            ui_rect_hits
+            ui_hits
                 .into_iter()
                 .filter(|ui_hit| !previously_hit_objects.contains(&ui_hit.instance_path_hash)),
         );
 
+        // Re-order so that the closest hits are first:
+        hits.sort_by_key(|hit| match hit.hit_type {
+            PickingHitType::GuiOverlay => 0, // GUI is closest, so always goes on top
+
+            PickingHitType::GpuPickingResult => 1,
+
+            PickingHitType::TexturedRect => 2, // Images are usually behind other things (e.g. an image is behind a bounding rectangle in a 2D view), so we put these last (furthest last)
+        });
+
         PickingResult { hits }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/viewer/re_view_spatial/src/picking_ui.rs b/crates/viewer/re_view_spatial/src/picking_ui.rs
index b14282fa9d13..949e85bb8dd2 100644
--- a/crates/viewer/re_view_spatial/src/picking_ui.rs
+++ b/crates/viewer/re_view_spatial/src/picking_ui.rs
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ pub fn picking(
     // TODO(#1818): Depth at pointer only works for depth images so far.
     let mut depth_at_pointer = None;
 
+    // We iterate front-to-back, putting foreground hits on top, like layers in Photoshop:
     for (hit_idx, hit) in picking_result.hits.iter().enumerate() {
         let Some(mut instance_path) = hit.instance_path_hash.resolve(ctx.recording()) else {
             // Entity no longer exists in db.