diff --git a/packages/studio/src/components/storyboard/StoryboardViewModeGuard.test.tsx b/packages/studio/src/components/storyboard/StoryboardViewModeGuard.test.tsx
index ed537d8f7..c773f086a 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/components/storyboard/StoryboardViewModeGuard.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/studio/src/components/storyboard/StoryboardViewModeGuard.test.tsx
@@ -98,8 +98,16 @@ function clickButton(host: HTMLElement, label: string): void {
   act(() => button.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent("click", { bubbles: true })));
 }
 
+async function goBack(): Promise<void> {
+  await act(async () => {
+    window.history.back();
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+  });
+}
+
 beforeEach(() => {
-  window.history.replaceState({}, "", "/?view=storyboard");
+  window.history.replaceState({ entry: "timeline" }, "", "/");
+  window.history.pushState({ entry: "storyboard" }, "", "/?view=storyboard");
   onSelectComposition.mockReset();
 });
 
@@ -140,4 +148,23 @@ describe("dirty storyboard voiceover view-mode guard", () => {
     expect(onSelectComposition).toHaveBeenCalledWith("frames/01-opening.html");
     act(() => root.unmount());
   });
+
+  it("guards browser history transitions on decline and allows them on accept", async () => {
+    const confirm = vi.spyOn(window, "confirm").mockReturnValue(false);
+    const { host, root } = renderApp();
+    makeVoiceoverDirty(host);
+
+    await goBack();
+    expect(host.querySelector("[data-view-mode]")?.textContent).toBe("storyboard");
+    expect(window.location.search).toBe("?view=storyboard");
+    expect(window.history.state).toEqual({ entry: "storyboard" });
+    expect(confirm).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Discard unsaved voiceover changes?");
+
+    confirm.mockReturnValue(true);
+    await goBack();
+    expect(host.querySelector("[data-view-mode]")?.textContent).toBe("timeline");
+    expect(window.location.search).toBe("");
+    expect(window.history.state).toEqual({ entry: "timeline" });
+    act(() => root.unmount());
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/contexts/ViewModeContext.tsx b/packages/studio/src/contexts/ViewModeContext.tsx
index 365367e37..9370b88a5 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/contexts/ViewModeContext.tsx
+++ b/packages/studio/src/contexts/ViewModeContext.tsx
@@ -40,6 +40,19 @@ function writeViewModeToUrl(mode: StudioViewMode): void {
   window.history.replaceState(window.history.state, "", url);
 }
 
+interface HistoryLocation {
+  href: string;
+  state: unknown;
+}
+
+function readHistoryLocation(): HistoryLocation | null {
+  if (typeof window === "undefined") return null;
+  return {
+    href: window.location.href,
+    state: window.history.state,
+  };
+}
+
 export interface ViewModeValue {
   viewMode: StudioViewMode;
   /** Returns false when an active editor vetoes the transition. */
@@ -54,6 +67,14 @@ export interface ViewModeValue {
 export function useViewModeState(): ViewModeValue {
   const [viewMode, setMode] = useState<StudioViewMode>(() => readViewModeFromUrl());
   const guardsRef = useRef(new Set<ViewModeGuard>());
+  const acceptedLocationRef = useRef<HistoryLocation | null>(readHistoryLocation());
+
+  const canSetViewMode = useCallback((mode: StudioViewMode) => {
+    for (const guard of guardsRef.current) {
+      if (!guard(mode)) return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+  }, []);
 
   // Reflect genuine browser back/forward between history entries with a different
   // `?view=`. Note: our own writes use `replaceState` (below), which does NOT fire
@@ -62,19 +83,32 @@ export function useViewModeState(): ViewModeValue {
   // the mount-time read); a scripted `pushState`/`replaceState` to `?view=` would not be
   // reflected here, by design.
   useEffect(() => {
-    const onPopState = () => setMode(readViewModeFromUrl());
+    const onPopState = () => {
+      const mode = readViewModeFromUrl();
+      if (mode !== viewMode && !canSetViewMode(mode)) {
+        const acceptedLocation = acceptedLocationRef.current;
+        if (acceptedLocation) {
+          window.history.pushState(acceptedLocation.state, "", acceptedLocation.href);
+        }
+        return;
+      }
+      setMode(mode);
+      acceptedLocationRef.current = readHistoryLocation();
+    };
     window.addEventListener("popstate", onPopState);
     return () => window.removeEventListener("popstate", onPopState);
-  }, []);
+  }, [canSetViewMode, viewMode]);
 
-  const setViewMode = useCallback((mode: StudioViewMode) => {
-    for (const guard of guardsRef.current) {
-      if (!guard(mode)) return false;
-    }
-    setMode(mode);
-    writeViewModeToUrl(mode);
-    return true;
-  }, []);
+  const setViewMode = useCallback(
+    (mode: StudioViewMode) => {
+      if (!canSetViewMode(mode)) return false;
+      setMode(mode);
+      writeViewModeToUrl(mode);
+      acceptedLocationRef.current = readHistoryLocation();
+      return true;
+    },
+    [canSetViewMode],
+  );
 
   const registerViewModeGuard = useCallback((guard: ViewModeGuard) => {
     guardsRef.current.add(guard);