diff --git a/packages/core/src/renameWithRetry.ts b/packages/core/src/renameWithRetry.ts
index f0d62e1301..a5ae09da4b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/renameWithRetry.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/renameWithRetry.ts
@@ -13,14 +13,14 @@ interface Options {
   copyFallback?: boolean;
 }
 
-function isRetryable(error: unknown, platform: NodeJS.Platform): boolean {
+export function isWindowsHold(error: unknown, platform = process.platform): boolean {
   if (platform !== "win32") return false;
   return RETRYABLE.has((error as NodeJS.ErrnoException | undefined)?.code ?? "");
 }
 
 /** What a refused rename does next: wait and try again, fall back to a copy, or give up with the error. */
 function nextStep(error: unknown, attempt: number, options: Options, platform: NodeJS.Platform) {
-  if (!isRetryable(error, platform)) return "throw";
+  if (!isWindowsHold(error, platform)) return "throw";
   if (attempt < BACKOFF_MS.length) return "wait";
   return options.copyFallback ? "copy" : "throw";
 }
diff --git a/packages/studio-server/src/helpers/servedFiles.ts b/packages/studio-server/src/helpers/servedFiles.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..90db7f86c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/studio-server/src/helpers/servedFiles.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import type { ReadStream } from "node:fs";
+import { resolve } from "node:path";
+
+const serving = new Map<string, Set<ReadStream>>();
+const keyOf = (path: string) =>
+  process.platform === "win32" ? resolve(path).toLowerCase() : resolve(path);
+
+export function serveWhileOpen(path: string, stream: ReadStream): ReadStream {
+  const key = keyOf(path);
+  const reads = serving.get(key) ?? new Set();
+  serving.set(key, reads.add(stream));
+  stream.once("close", () => {
+    reads.delete(stream);
+    if (reads.size === 0 && serving.get(key) === reads) serving.delete(key);
+  });
+  return stream;
+}
+
+// Windows refuses to replace a file while a read of it is open, and a loaded <video> keeps its read open.
+export async function stopServingAndClose(path: string): Promise<void> {
+  const reads = [...(serving.get(keyOf(path)) ?? [])];
+  await Promise.all(
+    reads.map(
+      (stream) =>
+        new Promise<void>((done) => {
+          if (stream.closed) return done();
+          stream.once("close", () => done());
+          stream.destroy();
+        }),
+    ),
+  );
+}
diff --git a/packages/studio-server/src/history/blobStore.test.ts b/packages/studio-server/src/history/blobStore.test.ts
index 53ec189c02..536f355314 100644
--- a/packages/studio-server/src/history/blobStore.test.ts
+++ b/packages/studio-server/src/history/blobStore.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // @vitest-environment node
-import { mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { createReadStream, mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
@@ -10,15 +10,16 @@ vi.mock("node:fs", async (importOriginal) => {
 });
 vi.mock("node:fs/promises", async (importOriginal) => {
   const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("node:fs/promises")>();
-  return { ...actual, rename: vi.fn(actual.rename) };
+  return { ...actual, rename: vi.fn(actual.rename), copyFile: vi.fn(actual.copyFile) };
 });
 
 import * as fs from "node:fs";
 import * as fsp from "node:fs/promises";
-import { openBlobStore } from "./blobStore.js";
+import { onRestoredInPlace, openBlobStore } from "./blobStore.js";
+import { serveWhileOpen } from "../helpers/servedFiles.js";
 
 const { renameSync: realRenameSync } = await vi.importActual<typeof import("node:fs")>("node:fs");
-const { rename: realRename } =
+const { rename: realRename, copyFile: realCopyFile } =
   await vi.importActual<typeof import("node:fs/promises")>("node:fs/promises");
 const busy = () => Object.assign(new Error("EPERM: operation not permitted"), { code: "EPERM" });
 const platform = process.platform;
@@ -34,9 +35,53 @@ describe("the history store on Windows, while another process briefly holds a fi
     Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: platform, configurable: true });
     vi.mocked(fs.renameSync).mockImplementation(realRenameSync);
     vi.mocked(fsp.rename).mockImplementation(realRename);
+    vi.mocked(fsp.copyFile).mockImplementation(realCopyFile);
     rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
 
+  /** A project file the store holds an earlier copy of, and what a restore of it reports. */
+  async function heldRestore() {
+    const target = join(root, "index.html");
+    writeFileSync(target, "<p>before</p>");
+    const store = await openBlobStore(join(root, "history", "blobs"));
+    const hash = await store.put(target);
+    writeFileSync(target, "<p>after</p>");
+    vi.mocked(fs.renameSync).mockImplementation(() => {
+      throw busy();
+    });
+    const heard: string[] = [];
+    const stop = onRestoredInPlace((path, outcome) => heard.push(`${path} ${outcome}`));
+    return { target, store, hash, heard, stop };
+  }
+
+  it("writes a file a holder keeps open in place, once the rename is still refused, and checks it", async () => {
+    const { target, store, hash, heard, stop } = await heldRestore();
+    try {
+      await store.writeTo(hash, target);
+    } finally {
+      stop();
+    }
+
+    expect(readFileSync(target, "utf8")).toBe("<p>before</p>");
+    expect(heard).toEqual([`${target} restored`]);
+  });
+
+  it("fails a write in place that does not match the kept copy, and keeps the copy", async () => {
+    const { target, store, hash, heard, stop } = await heldRestore();
+    vi.mocked(fsp.copyFile).mockImplementation(async (from, to, mode) => {
+      if (to === target) return writeFileSync(target, "<p>torn</p>");
+      return realCopyFile(from, to, mode);
+    });
+    try {
+      await expect(store.writeTo(hash, target)).rejects.toThrow(/does not match/);
+    } finally {
+      stop();
+    }
+
+    expect(heard).toEqual([`${target} mismatch`]);
+    expect((await store.read(hash)).toString("utf8")).toBe("<p>before</p>");
+  });
+
   it("writes a file back into the project once the hold clears", async () => {
     const source = join(root, "source.html");
     writeFileSync(source, "<p>before</p>");
@@ -72,3 +117,56 @@ describe("the history store on Windows, while another process briefly holds a fi
     expect(refused).toBe(3);
   });
 });
+
+describe("a restore of a file the preview is serving", () => {
+  let root: string;
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "hf-blob-served-"));
+  });
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.mocked(fs.renameSync).mockImplementation(realRenameSync);
+    rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  it("ends the preview's open read of it first, which Windows would not replace", async () => {
+    const target = join(root, "clip.mp4");
+    writeFileSync(target, Buffer.alloc(1 << 20, 1));
+    const store = await openBlobStore(join(root, "history", "blobs"));
+    const hash = await store.put(target);
+    const read = serveWhileOpen(target, createReadStream(target, { highWaterMark: 1024 }));
+    await new Promise((resolve) => read.once("data", resolve));
+    read.pause();
+    let openAtReplace = true;
+    vi.mocked(fs.renameSync).mockImplementation((from, to) => {
+      openAtReplace = !read.closed;
+      return realRenameSync(from, to);
+    });
+
+    await store.writeTo(hash, target);
+
+    expect(openAtReplace).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("off Windows, a refused rename fails the restore at once and writes nothing in place", async () => {
+    const target = join(root, "index.html");
+    writeFileSync(target, "<p>before</p>");
+    const store = await openBlobStore(join(root, "history", "blobs"));
+    const hash = await store.put(target);
+    writeFileSync(target, "<p>after</p>");
+    vi.mocked(fs.renameSync).mockImplementation(() => {
+      throw busy();
+    });
+    const heard: string[] = [];
+    const stop = onRestoredInPlace((_path, outcome) => heard.push(outcome));
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: "linux", configurable: true });
+    try {
+      await expect(store.writeTo(hash, target)).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: "EPERM" });
+    } finally {
+      Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: platform, configurable: true });
+      stop();
+    }
+
+    expect(readFileSync(target, "utf8")).toBe("<p>after</p>");
+    expect(heard).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/studio-server/src/history/blobStore.ts b/packages/studio-server/src/history/blobStore.ts
index 5358edb9a0..9729b5a9ce 100644
--- a/packages/studio-server/src/history/blobStore.ts
+++ b/packages/studio-server/src/history/blobStore.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 import { createHash, randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
 import { constants, createReadStream, createWriteStream } from "node:fs";
-import { copyFile, mkdir, readdir, readFile, rm, stat } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { copyFile, mkdir, open, readdir, readFile, rm, stat } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { dirname, join } from "node:path";
 import { pipeline } from "node:stream/promises";
 import { atomicTempPath } from "@hyperframes/core/atomic-file";
-import { renameWithRetry, renameWithRetryAsync } from "@hyperframes/core/rename-retry";
+import {
+  isWindowsHold,
+  renameWithRetry,
+  renameWithRetryAsync,
+} from "@hyperframes/core/rename-retry";
+import { stopServingAndClose } from "../helpers/servedFiles.js";
 
 /** File contents stored once by sha256, text and binary alike. */
 export interface BlobStore {
@@ -48,19 +53,57 @@ async function cloneOrStream(from: string, to: string): Promise<void> {
   }
 }
 
-async function cloneOrCopy(from: string, to: string, beforeReplace?: () => void): Promise<void> {
+export type InPlaceOutcome = "restored" | "mismatch" | "failed";
+type InPlaceListener = (absPath: string, outcome: InPlaceOutcome) => void;
+const inPlaceListeners = new Set<InPlaceListener>();
+
+export function onRestoredInPlace(listener: InPlaceListener): () => void {
+  inPlaceListeners.add(listener);
+  return () => inPlaceListeners.delete(listener);
+}
+
+async function cloneOrCopy(
+  from: string,
+  to: string,
+  hash: string,
+  beforeReplace?: () => void,
+): Promise<void> {
   await mkdir(dirname(to), { recursive: true });
   const temp = atomicTempPath(to);
   try {
     await copyFile(from, temp, constants.COPYFILE_FICLONE);
+    await stopServingAndClose(to);
     beforeReplace?.();
-    renameWithRetry(temp, to);
-  } catch (error) {
+    try {
+      renameWithRetry(temp, to);
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (!isWindowsHold(error)) throw error;
+      await writeInPlace(temp, to, hash);
+    }
+  } finally {
     await rm(temp, { force: true });
-    throw error;
   }
 }
 
+// Something outside the app still holds the file: write in place, sync, and fail on any mismatch with the blob.
+async function writeInPlace(temp: string, to: string, hash: string): Promise<void> {
+  let outcome: InPlaceOutcome = "failed";
+  try {
+    await copyFile(temp, to);
+    const handle = await open(to, "r+");
+    try {
+      await handle.sync();
+    } finally {
+      await handle.close();
+    }
+    outcome = (await hashFile(to)) === hash ? "restored" : "mismatch";
+  } finally {
+    for (const listener of inPlaceListeners) listener(to, outcome);
+  }
+  if (outcome === "mismatch")
+    throw new Error("The file was written in place, but it does not match the copy history kept.");
+}
+
 const listDir = (path: string) =>
   readdir(path, { withFileTypes: true }).catch((error: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => {
     if (error.code === "ENOENT") return [];
@@ -127,7 +170,7 @@ export async function openBlobStore(dir: string): Promise<BlobStore> {
     has: (hash) => sizes.has(hash) || asideSizes.has(hash),
     read: (hash) => readFile(pathOf(hash)),
     writeTo: async (hash, absPath, beforeReplace) =>
-      cloneOrCopy(pathOf(hash), absPath, beforeReplace),
+      cloneOrCopy(pathOf(hash), absPath, hash, beforeReplace),
     async release(held) {
       for (const [hash, path] of held) {
         holds.get(hash)?.delete(path);
diff --git a/packages/studio-server/src/history/index.ts b/packages/studio-server/src/history/index.ts
index a3c0e58564..499c6cb70c 100644
--- a/packages/studio-server/src/history/index.ts
+++ b/packages/studio-server/src/history/index.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export {
 } from "./projectHistory.js";
 export { reclaimUncopiedBlobs, type ReclaimedHistory } from "./reclaimUncopied.js";
 export { HistoryBusyError } from "./ownerLock.js";
+export { onRestoredInPlace, type InPlaceOutcome } from "./blobStore.js";
 export { HistoryIdError } from "./historyId.js";
 export { historyCache } from "./historyCache.js";
 export {
diff --git a/packages/studio-server/src/routes/preview.ts b/packages/studio-server/src/routes/preview.ts
index e2e06a7652..bd2e00006a 100644
--- a/packages/studio-server/src/routes/preview.ts
+++ b/packages/studio-server/src/routes/preview.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import {
   resolveWithinProject,
 } from "../helpers/safePath.js";
 import { getMimeType } from "../helpers/mime.js";
+import { serveWhileOpen } from "../helpers/servedFiles.js";
 import { buildSubCompositionHtml, hasBaseElement } from "../helpers/subComposition.js";
 import { withRootImportMap } from "../helpers/rootImportMap.js";
 import { withRootPathsRelative } from "../helpers/rootPaths.js";
@@ -807,7 +808,7 @@ export function registerPreviewRoutes(api: Hono, adapter: PreviewApiAdapter): vo
         : // Node's web stream type and the DOM one do not overlap for tsc on
           // every platform's lib set; the double cast is the documented bridge.
           (Readable.toWeb(
-            createReadStream(servedPath, { start, end }),
+            serveWhileOpen(servedPath, createReadStream(servedPath, { start, end })),
           ) as unknown as ReadableStream);
 
     // Support byte-range requests so browsers can seek audio/video elements.