diff --git a/packages/core/src/studioPreviewMark.test.ts b/packages/core/src/studioPreviewMark.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4a04d7e3db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/studioPreviewMark.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { refusedPreviewMessage, refusedPreviewStatus } from "./studioPreviewMark";
+
+describe("refusedPreviewStatus", () => {
+  it.each([404, 410, 500])("reads %i back out of the refused page's message", (status) => {
+    expect(refusedPreviewStatus(refusedPreviewMessage(status))).toBe(status);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    "Composition timeline not found after 8s",
+    "it took too long to load",
+    "x The preview page could not be loaded (HTTP 404).",
+  ])("finds no status in %j", (cause) => {
+    expect(refusedPreviewStatus(cause)).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/core/src/studioPreviewMark.ts b/packages/core/src/studioPreviewMark.ts
index 56ca0697db..2899d0edfc 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/studioPreviewMark.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/studioPreviewMark.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,13 @@ export const STUDIO_PREVIEW_CAPTURE_MODE = "capture";
 export const STUDIO_PREVIEW_UPCOMING_ATTR = "data-hf-upcoming";
 export const STUDIO_PREVIEW_LAZY_ATTR = "data-hf-preview-lazy";
 export const STUDIO_PREVIEW_ERRORS = "__hfPreviewErrors";
+
+export const refusedPreviewMessage = (status: number) =>
+  `The preview page could not be loaded (HTTP ${status}).`;
+export function refusedPreviewStatus(message: string): number | null {
+  const status = /^The preview page could not be loaded \(HTTP (\d{3})\)\.$/.exec(message)?.[1];
+  return status ? Number(status) : null;
+}
 export const PREVIEW_RASTER_ATTR = "data-hf-preview-raster";
 export const RUNTIME_STAMPED_ATTR = "data-hf-autostamped";
 export const CLIP_HIDDEN_ATTR = "data-hf-clip-hidden";
diff --git a/packages/studio-server/src/helpers/previewErrorPage.ts b/packages/studio-server/src/helpers/previewErrorPage.ts
index cdb643f96f..b2f59c1c4f 100644
--- a/packages/studio-server/src/helpers/previewErrorPage.ts
+++ b/packages/studio-server/src/helpers/previewErrorPage.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-import { STUDIO_PREVIEW_ERRORS } from "@hyperframes/core/studio-preview-mark";
+import {
+  refusedPreviewMessage,
+  STUDIO_PREVIEW_ERRORS,
+} from "@hyperframes/core/studio-preview-mark";
 
 export function previewErrorPage(status: number): string {
-  const message = `The preview page could not be loaded (HTTP ${status}).`;
+  const message = refusedPreviewMessage(status);
   return `<!doctype html><meta charset="utf-8"><script>window.${STUDIO_PREVIEW_ERRORS}=[${JSON.stringify(message)}]</script><p>${message}</p>`;
 }
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/player/hooks/useShadowPreviewReload.ts b/packages/studio/src/player/hooks/useShadowPreviewReload.ts
index 91cd9c7c67..bb93ec87bd 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/player/hooks/useShadowPreviewReload.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/player/hooks/useShadowPreviewReload.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   isStudioManualEditGestureLiveIn,
   studioManualEditSavesIn,
 } from "../../components/editor/manualEditsDom";
+import { refusedPreviewStatus } from "@hyperframes/core/studio-preview-mark";
 import { logReload } from "../../utils/reloadDebug";
 import {
   useTimelineSyncCallbacks,
@@ -131,7 +132,9 @@ export function useShadowPreviewReload({
       setPreviewReloading(false);
       const message = `The preview did not reload (${cause}). It was still waiting for ${waitingFor}. The previous preview is still showing.`;
       logReload("shadow-failed", { cause, waitingFor });
-      console.error(`[studio] ${message}`);
+      const refused = refusedPreviewStatus(cause);
+      const pageMissingNow = refused !== null && refused < 500;
+      (pageMissingNow ? console.warn : console.error)(`[studio] ${message}`);
       onReloadFailedRef.current?.(message);
     },
     [stopPendingShadow, isRefreshingRef, pendingSeekRef],
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/player/hooks/useTimelinePlayer.shadowReload.test.ts b/packages/studio/src/player/hooks/useTimelinePlayer.shadowReload.test.ts
index 873ead27ea..be8ec26e9f 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/player/hooks/useTimelinePlayer.shadowReload.test.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/player/hooks/useTimelinePlayer.shadowReload.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import React, { act } from "react";
 import { createRoot } from "react-dom/client";
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { SHADOW_READY_BUDGETS, SHADOW_READY_TIMEOUT_MS } from "./useShadowPreviewReload";
+import { refusedPreviewMessage } from "@hyperframes/core/studio-preview-mark";
 import { usePlayerStore } from "../store/playerStore";
 import { isPreviewChanging } from "../previewReloading";
 import { NLEProvider, useNLEContext, type NLEContextValue } from "../../components/nle/NLEContext";
@@ -639,6 +640,26 @@ describe("shadow reload readiness and failure", () => {
     unmount(root);
   });
 
+  // An agent's edit moves the page away for a few saves: each reload is refused until it is back.
+  it.each([
+    [404, "warn"],
+    [500, "error"],
+  ] as const)("reports a reload the server refused with %i as a console %s", (status, level) => {
+    const warn = vi.spyOn(console, "warn").mockImplementation(() => {});
+    const error = vi.spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
+    const onPreviewReloadFailed = vi.fn();
+    const { getApi, live, gen, root } = beginReload({ onPreviewReloadFailed });
+
+    act(() => getApi().onShadowError(gen, refusedPreviewMessage(status)));
+
+    expect(getApi().iframeRef.current).toBe(live);
+    expect(onPreviewReloadFailed).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    const said = (spy: typeof warn) =>
+      spy.mock.calls.some(([text]) => String(text).includes(`(HTTP ${status})`));
+    expect([said(warn), said(error)]).toEqual([level === "warn", level === "error"]);
+    unmount(root);
+  });
+
   it("runs no load side effects for a superseded shadow", () => {
     const { getApi, gen, root } = beginReload();
     usePlayerStore.getState().setCurrentTime(7);