diff --git a/jsignpdf/pom.xml b/jsignpdf/pom.xml
index f162a52b..ff719d5a 100644
--- a/jsignpdf/pom.xml
+++ b/jsignpdf/pom.xml
@@ -159,6 +159,10 @@
             <groupId>org.apache.pdfbox</groupId>
             <artifactId>pdfbox</artifactId>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.apache.pdfbox</groupId>
+            <artifactId>jbig2-imageio</artifactId>
+        </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>com.github.kwart.jsign</groupId>
             <artifactId>jsign-jpedal</artifactId>
diff --git a/jsignpdf/src/main/java/net/sf/jsignpdf/fx/view/MainWindowController.java b/jsignpdf/src/main/java/net/sf/jsignpdf/fx/view/MainWindowController.java
index ae3a14d2..35c7a2c9 100644
--- a/jsignpdf/src/main/java/net/sf/jsignpdf/fx/view/MainWindowController.java
+++ b/jsignpdf/src/main/java/net/sf/jsignpdf/fx/view/MainWindowController.java
@@ -69,12 +69,13 @@
 import net.sf.jsignpdf.fx.preset.PresetValidation;
 import net.sf.jsignpdf.fx.util.RecentFilesManager;
 import net.sf.jsignpdf.fx.viewmodel.DocumentViewModel;
-import net.sf.jsignpdf.utils.PropertyStoreFactory;
 import net.sf.jsignpdf.fx.viewmodel.SignaturePlacementViewModel;
 import net.sf.jsignpdf.fx.viewmodel.SigningOptionsViewModel;
 import net.sf.jsignpdf.fx.viewmodel.VisibleSignatureCoordinator;
 import net.sf.jsignpdf.types.PadesLevel;
 import net.sf.jsignpdf.types.PageInfo;
+import net.sf.jsignpdf.utils.PropertyProvider;
+import net.sf.jsignpdf.utils.PropertyStoreFactory;
 
 import static net.sf.jsignpdf.Constants.LOGGER;
 import static net.sf.jsignpdf.Constants.RES;
@@ -84,7 +85,12 @@
  */
 public class MainWindowController {
 
+    private static final String KEY_LAST_OPEN_DIR = "last.open.dir";
+    private static final String KEY_LAST_ZOOM = "last.zoom";
+
     private Stage stage;
+    private File lastOpenDir;
+    private double lastZoomLevel = 1.0;
     private BasicSignerOptions options;
     private final DocumentViewModel documentVM = new DocumentViewModel();
     private final SigningOptionsViewModel signingVM = new SigningOptionsViewModel();
@@ -319,6 +325,7 @@ private void initialize() {
 
         progressBar.setVisible(false);
         updateStatus(RES.get("jfx.gui.status.ready"));
+        loadPersistedViewState();
 
         cmbZoom.getItems().addAll("50%", "75%", "100%", "125%", "150%", "200%");
         cmbZoom.setValue("100%");
@@ -351,8 +358,9 @@ private void initialize() {
             }
         });
 
-        // Zoom level changes update combo
+        // Zoom level changes update combo and remember the last zoom (persisted on document open / exit)
         documentVM.zoomLevelProperty().addListener((obs, oldVal, newVal) -> {
+            lastZoomLevel = newVal.doubleValue();
             String formatted = Math.round(newVal.doubleValue() * 100) + "%";
             if (!formatted.equals(cmbZoom.getValue())) {
                 cmbZoom.setValue(formatted);
@@ -931,10 +939,13 @@ private void handleKeyPress(KeyEvent event) {
 
     @FXML
     private void onFileOpen() {
-        File file = new NativeFileChooser()
+        NativeFileChooser fc = new NativeFileChooser()
                 .setTitle(RES.get("jfx.gui.dialog.openPdf.title"))
-                .addFilter(ExtensionFilter.of("PDF Files", "*.pdf"))
-                .showOpenDialog(stage);
+                .addFilter(ExtensionFilter.of("PDF Files", "*.pdf"));
+        if (lastOpenDir != null) {
+            fc.setInitialDirectory(lastOpenDir);
+        }
+        File file = fc.showOpenDialog(stage);
         if (file != null) {
             openDocument(file);
         }
@@ -947,6 +958,7 @@ private void onFileClose() {
 
     @FXML
     private void onFileExit() {
+        saveViewStateToConfig();
         stage.close();
     }
 
@@ -1184,6 +1196,8 @@ private void onDragDropped(DragEvent event) {
     // --- Document handling ---
 
     private void openDocument(File file) {
+        lastOpenDir = file.getParentFile();
+        saveViewStateToConfig();
         try {
             if (options == null) {
                 options = new BasicSignerOptions();
@@ -1218,13 +1232,13 @@ private void openDocument(File file) {
 
             documentVM.setDocumentFile(file);
             documentVM.setPageCount(pages);
-            documentVM.setZoomLevel(1.0);
+            documentVM.setZoomLevel(lastZoomLevel);
 
             lblDropHint.setVisible(false);
             setDocumentControlsDisabled(false);
             lblPageCount.setText("/ " + pages);
             txtPageNumber.setText("1");
-            cmbZoom.setValue("100%");
+            cmbZoom.setValue(Math.round(lastZoomLevel * 100) + "%");
 
             stage.setTitle("JSignPdf " + Constants.VERSION + " - " + file.getName());
             LOGGER.info("Opened document: " + file.getAbsolutePath());
@@ -1342,6 +1356,38 @@ private void closeDocument() {
         stage.setTitle("JSignPdf " + Constants.VERSION);
     }
 
+    private void loadPersistedViewState() {
+        try {
+            PropertyProvider cfg = PropertyStoreFactory.getInstance().mainConfig();
+            String dir = cfg.getProperty(KEY_LAST_OPEN_DIR);
+            if (dir != null && !dir.isEmpty()) {
+                File f = new File(dir);
+                if (f.isDirectory()) {
+                    lastOpenDir = f;
+                }
+            }
+            String zoom = cfg.getProperty(KEY_LAST_ZOOM);
+            if (zoom != null) {
+                lastZoomLevel = Double.parseDouble(zoom);
+            }
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            LOGGER.log(Level.FINE, "Could not load persisted view state", e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void saveViewStateToConfig() {
+        try {
+            PropertyProvider cfg = PropertyStoreFactory.getInstance().mainConfig();
+            if (lastOpenDir != null) {
+                cfg.setProperty(KEY_LAST_OPEN_DIR, lastOpenDir.getAbsolutePath());
+            }
+            cfg.setProperty(KEY_LAST_ZOOM, String.valueOf(lastZoomLevel));
+            cfg.save();
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            LOGGER.log(Level.FINE, "Could not persist view state", e);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the document view model (used by other controllers).
      */
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index c5baea59..f5846724 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
         <jsign.pkcs11.version>1.1.0</jsign.pkcs11.version>
         <jsign.jpedal.version>4.92.13</jsign.jpedal.version>
         <pdfbox.version>3.0.7</pdfbox.version>
+        <jbig2-imageio.version>3.0.2</jbig2-imageio.version>
         <commons-io.version>2.22.0</commons-io.version>
         <commons-cli.version>1.11.0</commons-cli.version>
         <commons-lang3.version>3.20.0</commons-lang3.version>
@@ -111,6 +112,11 @@
                 <artifactId>pdfbox</artifactId>
                 <version>${pdfbox.version}</version>
             </dependency>
+            <dependency>
+                <groupId>org.apache.pdfbox</groupId>
+                <artifactId>jbig2-imageio</artifactId>
+                <version>${jbig2-imageio.version}</version>
+            </dependency>
             <dependency>
                 <groupId>com.github.kwart.jsign</groupId>
                 <artifactId>jsign-jpedal</artifactId>