diff --git a/crates/io/src/dxf_read/entities.rs b/crates/io/src/dxf_read/entities.rs
index fc55fe335..12abae7da 100644
--- a/crates/io/src/dxf_read/entities.rs
+++ b/crates/io/src/dxf_read/entities.rs
@@ -201,7 +201,17 @@ pub(super) fn entity_with_table_budget(kind: &str, tags: &[Tag], table_cells_lef
             })
         }
         "LEADER" => EntityKind::Leader(Leader {
-            vertices: t.pts(10).into_iter().map(|p| p.to3(0.0)).collect(),
+            // Each group 10 starts a vertex. Scope Y/Z to it so an omitted Z cannot
+            // shift a later vertex's elevation onto this one.
+            vertices: t
+                .all_f(10)
+                .into_iter()
+                .zip(tags.split(|tag| tag.code == 10).skip(1))
+                .map(|(x, vertex)| {
+                    let v = T(vertex);
+                    Vec3::new(x, v.fd(20, 0.0), v.fd(30, 0.0))
+                })
+                .collect(),
             arrow: t.i(71).unwrap_or(1) != 0,
             spline: t.i(72).unwrap_or(0) != 0,
             style: t.s(3).unwrap_or_else(|| "Standard".into()),
diff --git a/crates/io/tests/it/leader_vertex_elevation.rs b/crates/io/tests/it/leader_vertex_elevation.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2566a861b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/io/tests/it/leader_vertex_elevation.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+//! LEADER vertex elevations survive the shared DXF read path and DWG bridge (#2245).
+
+use cadcraft_color::Color;
+use cadcraft_doc::{Common, DimStyle, Drawing, EntityKind, Handle, Leader, Lineweight, Space};
+use cadcraft_dxf::Tag;
+use cadcraft_geom::Vec3;
+use cadcraft_io::{SaveOptions, Version, read, write_with};
+
+type TestResult<T = ()> = Result<T, Box<dyn std::error::Error>>;
+
+fn drawing() -> TestResult<Drawing> {
+    let mut d = Drawing::new_metric();
+    d.dim_styles.push(DimStyle { name: "Elevation".into(), ..DimStyle::default() });
+    let common = Common { color: Color::Index(3), lineweight: Lineweight::Mm100(25), ltscale: 2.5, visible: false, ..Common::default() };
+    for vertices in [
+        vec![Vec3::new(1.0, 2.0, 4.0), Vec3::new(5.0, 6.0, 7.0), Vec3::new(9.0, 10.0, -3.0)],
+        vec![Vec3::new(1.0, 2.0, 0.0), Vec3::new(5.0, 6.0, 0.0), Vec3::new(9.0, 10.0, 0.0)],
+    ] {
+        for arrow in [false, true] {
+            for spline in [false, true] {
+                let leader = Leader { vertices: vertices.clone(), arrow, spline, style: "Elevation".into() };
+                d.add(&Space::Model, common.clone(), EntityKind::Leader(leader))?;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(d)
+}
+
+fn check_round_trips(name: &str, binary: bool) -> TestResult {
+    let original = drawing()?;
+    for version in Version::ALL {
+        let mut d = original.clone();
+        for pass in 1..=2 {
+            let bytes = write_with(&d, name, &SaveOptions { version: Some(version), binary })?;
+            d = read(&bytes, name)?;
+            assert_eq!(d.model.len(), original.model.len(), "{name} {version:?}, pass={pass}");
+            for expected in original.model.iter() {
+                let actual = d.entity(expected.handle).ok_or("LEADER handle lost")?;
+                let (EntityKind::Leader(want), EntityKind::Leader(got)) = (&expected.kind, &actual.kind) else {
+                    return Err("LEADER entity type changed".into());
+                };
+                assert_eq!(got.vertices, want.vertices, "XYZ/order: {name} {version:?}, pass={pass}, {:?}", expected.handle);
+                assert_eq!((got.arrow, got.spline, &got.style), (want.arrow, want.spline, &want.style), "LEADER properties");
+                assert_eq!(actual.common, expected.common, "Common properties: {name} {version:?}, pass={pass}");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn dxf_preserves_leader_vertex_elevations() -> TestResult {
+    for binary in [false, true] {
+        check_round_trips("leader.dxf", binary)?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+#[test]
+fn dwg_preserves_leader_vertex_elevations() -> TestResult {
+    check_round_trips("leader.dwg", false)
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn missing_z_defaults_only_the_corresponding_vertex() -> TestResult {
+    let vertices = [Vec3::new(1.0, 2.0, 4.0), Vec3::new(5.0, 6.0, 7.0), Vec3::new(9.0, 10.0, -3.0)];
+    // All eight presence patterns include wholly 2D input and omitted first/middle/last Zs.
+    // Author the groups directly, independently of CADCraft's entity writer.
+    for z_mask in 0..8 {
+        let mut tags = vec![
+            Tag::s(0, "SECTION"),
+            Tag::s(2, "ENTITIES"),
+            Tag::s(0, "LEADER"),
+            Tag::s(5, "10"),
+            Tag::s(100, "AcDbEntity"),
+            Tag::s(8, "0"),
+            Tag::s(100, "AcDbLeader"),
+            Tag::s(3, "Standard"),
+            Tag::i(71, 0),
+            Tag::i(72, 1),
+            Tag::i(76, 3),
+        ];
+        let mut expected = Vec::new();
+        for (i, p) in vertices.iter().enumerate() {
+            tags.push(Tag::f(10, p.x));
+            let has_z = z_mask & (1 << i) != 0;
+            if has_z {
+                // Y and Z can appear in either order within this vertex.
+                tags.push(Tag::f(30, p.z));
+            }
+            tags.push(Tag::f(20, p.y));
+            expected.push(Vec3::new(p.x, p.y, if has_z { p.z } else { 0.0 }));
+        }
+        tags.extend([Tag::s(0, "ENDSEC"), Tag::s(0, "EOF")]);
+        let dxf = cadcraft_dxf::write_ascii(&tags);
+        let d = read(dxf.as_bytes(), "missing-z.dxf")?;
+        let e = d.entity(Handle(0x10)).ok_or("LEADER missing")?;
+        let EntityKind::Leader(l) = &e.kind else { return Err("expected LEADER".into()) };
+        assert_eq!(l.vertices, expected, "Z presence mask {z_mask:03b}");
+        assert!(!l.arrow && l.spline);
+        assert_eq!(l.style, "Standard");
+        assert_eq!(e.common, Common::default());
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/crates/io/tests/it/main.rs b/crates/io/tests/it/main.rs
index 7f6ad8f20..52f37068a 100644
--- a/crates/io/tests/it/main.rs
+++ b/crates/io/tests/it/main.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ mod hatch_pattern_def;
 mod helix_roundtrip;
 mod layout_paper_units;
 mod layout_plot_window;
+mod leader_vertex_elevation;
 #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
 mod low_handseed;
 mod mleader_content;