diff --git a/quartz.layout.ts b/quartz.layout.ts
index 970a5be34..6c7161586 100644
--- a/quartz.layout.ts
+++ b/quartz.layout.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ export const defaultContentPageLayout: PageLayout = {
     Component.Explorer(),
   ],
   right: [
-    Component.Graph(),
+    Component.Graph({
+      localGraph: {
+        defaultZoom: 2,
+      },
+    }),
     Component.DesktopOnly(Component.TableOfContents()),
     Component.Backlinks(),
   ],
diff --git a/quartz/components/Graph.tsx b/quartz/components/Graph.tsx
index 907372e93..cb76a7a9e 100644
--- a/quartz/components/Graph.tsx
+++ b/quartz/components/Graph.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export interface D3Config {
   showTags: boolean
   focusOnHover?: boolean
   enableRadial?: boolean
+  defaultZoom?: number
 }
 
 interface GraphOptions {
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ const defaultOptions: GraphOptions = {
     removeTags: [],
     focusOnHover: false,
     enableRadial: false,
+    defaultZoom: 1,
   },
   globalGraph: {
     drag: true,
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@ const defaultOptions: GraphOptions = {
     removeTags: [],
     focusOnHover: true,
     enableRadial: true,
+    defaultZoom: 1,
   },
 }
 
diff --git a/quartz/components/scripts/graph.inline.ts b/quartz/components/scripts/graph.inline.ts
index a669b0547..00dd447b9 100644
--- a/quartz/components/scripts/graph.inline.ts
+++ b/quartz/components/scripts/graph.inline.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ async function renderGraph(graph: HTMLElement, fullSlug: FullSlug) {
     showTags,
     focusOnHover,
     enableRadial,
+    defaultZoom,
   } = JSON.parse(graph.dataset["cfg"]!) as D3Config
 
   const data: Map<SimpleSlug, ContentDetails> = new Map(
@@ -497,30 +498,41 @@ async function renderGraph(graph: HTMLElement, fullSlug: FullSlug) {
   }
 
   if (enableZoom) {
-    select<HTMLCanvasElement, NodeData>(app.canvas).call(
-      zoom<HTMLCanvasElement, NodeData>()
-        .extent([
-          [0, 0],
-          [width, height],
-        ])
-        .scaleExtent([0.25, 4])
-        .on("zoom", ({ transform }) => {
-          currentTransform = transform
-          stage.scale.set(transform.k, transform.k)
-          stage.position.set(transform.x, transform.y)
+    const zoomBehavior = zoom<HTMLCanvasElement, NodeData>()
+      .extent([
+        [0, 0],
+        [width, height],
+      ])
+      .scaleExtent([0.25, 4])
+      .on("zoom", ({ transform }) => {
+        currentTransform = transform
+        stage.scale.set(transform.k, transform.k)
+        stage.position.set(transform.x, transform.y)
 
-          // zoom adjusts opacity of labels too
-          const scale = transform.k * opacityScale
-          let scaleOpacity = Math.max((scale - 1) / 3.75, 0)
-          const activeNodes = nodeRenderData.filter((n) => n.active).flatMap((n) => n.label)
+        // zoom adjusts opacity of labels too
+        const scale = transform.k * opacityScale
+        let scaleOpacity = Math.max((scale - 1) / 3.75, 0)
+        const activeNodes = nodeRenderData.filter((n) => n.active).flatMap((n) => n.label)
 
-          for (const label of labelsContainer.children) {
-            if (!activeNodes.includes(label)) {
-              label.alpha = scaleOpacity
-            }
+        for (const label of labelsContainer.children) {
+          if (!activeNodes.includes(label)) {
+            label.alpha = scaleOpacity
           }
-        }),
-    )
+        }
+      })
+
+    const canvas = select<HTMLCanvasElement, NodeData>(app.canvas)
+    canvas.call(zoomBehavior)
+
+    // Apply default zoom (defaults to 1 if not provided)
+    const zoomLevel = defaultZoom ?? 1
+    if (zoomLevel !== 1) {
+      const defaultTransform = zoomIdentity
+        .translate(width / 2, height / 2)
+        .scale(zoomLevel)
+        .translate(-width / 2, -height / 2)
+      canvas.call(zoomBehavior.transform, defaultTransform)
+    }
   }
 
   let stopAnimation = false
diff --git a/quartz/components/scripts/graph.test.ts b/quartz/components/scripts/graph.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7e687b376
--- /dev/null
+++ b/quartz/components/scripts/graph.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+import test, { describe } from "node:test"
+import assert from "node:assert"
+import { zoomIdentity } from "d3"
+
+describe("graph", () => {
+  describe("defaultZoom", () => {
+    test("should create identity transform when not specified", () => {
+      const transform = zoomIdentity
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.k, 1)
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.x, 0)
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.y, 0)
+    })
+
+    test("should scale correctly when defaultZoom is 2", () => {
+      const width = 400
+      const height = 300
+      const defaultZoom = 2
+
+      const transform = zoomIdentity
+        .translate(width / 2, height / 2)
+        .scale(defaultZoom)
+        .translate(-width / 2, -height / 2)
+
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.k, defaultZoom)
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.x, -200)
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.y, -150)
+    })
+
+    test("should produce identity-like transform when defaultZoom is 1", () => {
+      const width = 400
+      const height = 300
+      const defaultZoom = 1
+
+      const transform = zoomIdentity
+        .translate(width / 2, height / 2)
+        .scale(defaultZoom)
+        .translate(-width / 2, -height / 2)
+
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.k, 1)
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.x, 0)
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.y, 0)
+    })
+
+    test("should zoom out when defaultZoom is 0.5", () => {
+      const width = 400
+      const height = 300
+      const defaultZoom = 0.5
+
+      const transform = zoomIdentity
+        .translate(width / 2, height / 2)
+        .scale(defaultZoom)
+        .translate(-width / 2, -height / 2)
+
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.k, 0.5)
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.x, 100)
+      assert.strictEqual(transform.y, 75)
+    })
+
+    test("should keep center point stationary after zoom", () => {
+      const width = 400
+      const height = 300
+      const defaultZoom = 2
+
+      const transform = zoomIdentity
+        .translate(width / 2, height / 2)
+        .scale(defaultZoom)
+        .translate(-width / 2, -height / 2)
+
+      const centerX = width / 2
+      const centerY = height / 2
+      const [newX, newY] = transform.apply([centerX, centerY])
+
+      assert.strictEqual(newX, centerX)
+      assert.strictEqual(newY, centerY)
+    })
+
+    test("should default to 1 when defaultZoom is undefined", () => {
+      const defaultZoom: number | undefined = undefined
+      const zoomLevel = defaultZoom ?? 1
+
+      assert.strictEqual(zoomLevel, 1)
+    })
+
+    test("should use provided value when defaultZoom is defined", () => {
+      const defaultZoom: number | undefined = 2.5
+      const zoomLevel = defaultZoom ?? 1
+
+      assert.strictEqual(zoomLevel, 2.5)
+    })
+  })
+})