diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/preview.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/preview.test.ts
index 51c5a1469e..ef07570b74 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/preview.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/preview.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   prebuildPreview,
   handlePreviewKillAll,
   handlePreviewList,
+  previewHostAppError,
   previewLaunchMode,
   previewLaunchModeError,
   previewPortError,
@@ -601,3 +602,36 @@ describe("studio dev-server spawns", () => {
     expect(spawn.mock.calls[0]?.[2]).toMatchObject({ windowsHide: true });
   });
 });
+
+describe("preview inside a host app's agent run", () => {
+  const hostRun = { HYPERFRAMES_DESKTOP_PROJECT: "/projects/demo" };
+
+  it("refuses a background preview, which would outlive the run", () => {
+    expect(previewHostAppError("background", hostRun)).toMatch(/host app .* owns its preview/);
+    expect(previewHostAppError("background", hostRun)).toContain("--foreground");
+  });
+
+  it("allows a preview attached to the run, and background outside a host app", () => {
+    expect(previewHostAppError("embedded", hostRun)).toBeNull();
+    expect(previewHostAppError("local", hostRun)).toBeNull();
+    expect(previewHostAppError("background", {})).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("refuses before spawning anything", async () => {
+    vi.stubEnv("HYPERFRAMES_DESKTOP_PROJECT", "/projects/demo");
+    const project = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "hf-host-preview-"));
+    writeFileSync(join(project, "index.html"), "<html><body></body></html>");
+    const log = vi.spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => {});
+    let printed = "";
+    try {
+      await runCommand(previewCommand, { rawArgs: [project, "--background", "--json"] });
+      printed = String(log.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0]);
+    } finally {
+      log.mockRestore();
+      vi.unstubAllEnvs();
+      rmSync(project, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+    const payload = JSON.parse(printed);
+    expect(payload).toMatchObject({ ok: false, error: { code: "host-app-owns-preview" } });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/preview.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/preview.ts
index 9112f15b83..244dfd2287 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/preview.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/preview.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import { createRequire } from "node:module";
 import * as clack from "@clack/prompts";
 import { c } from "../ui/colors.js";
-import { desktopHint } from "../utils/desktopApp.js";
+import { desktopHint, insideHostApp } from "../utils/desktopApp.js";
 import { isDevMode } from "../utils/env.js";
 import { normalizeErrorMessage as errorMessage } from "../utils/errorMessage.js";
 import { buildNpxCommand } from "../utils/npxCommand.js";
@@ -488,9 +488,6 @@ export default defineCommand({
       );
     }
 
-    // Runs in the CLI worker while Studio starts, so it never delays the opening; --json skips it.
-    const startupLint = args.json ? null : printStartupLint(dir, Boolean(args["lint-verbose"]));
-
     const launchMode = previewLaunchMode({
       background: Boolean(args.background),
       foreground: Boolean(args.foreground),
@@ -499,6 +496,15 @@ export default defineCommand({
       localStudio: hasLocalStudio(dir),
     });
 
+    const hostAppError = previewHostAppError(launchMode);
+    if (hostAppError) {
+      reportPreviewFailure(Boolean(args.json), "start", "host-app-owns-preview", hostAppError);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Runs in the CLI worker while Studio starts, so it never delays the opening; --json skips it.
+    const startupLint = args.json ? null : printStartupLint(dir, Boolean(args["lint-verbose"]));
+
     if (launchMode === "background") {
       let background;
       try {
@@ -643,6 +649,18 @@ export function previewLaunchMode(options: {
   return options.localStudio ? "local" : "embedded";
 }
 
+export function previewHostAppError(
+  mode: PreviewLaunchMode,
+  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
+): string | null {
+  if (mode !== "background" || !insideHostApp(env)) return null;
+  return (
+    "A host app is running this project and owns its preview, so a background preview " +
+    "here would outlive this run and keep the project's history locked. Use the host " +
+    "app's preview, or run with --foreground to keep a preview attached to this run."
+  );
+}
+
 export function previewLaunchModeError(options: {
   background: boolean;
   foreground: boolean;
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/desktopApp.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/desktopApp.ts
index 36753756b3..64cd7dcdfa 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/desktopApp.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/desktopApp.ts
@@ -221,6 +221,10 @@ export function desktopInstalled({
   return DESKTOP_BUNDLE_IDS.some(spotlight);
 }
 
+export function insideHostApp(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): boolean {
+  return Boolean(env.HYPERFRAMES_DESKTOP_PROJECT);
+}
+
 /** The app line render and preview print; null inside the app, or with nothing here to open or download. */
 export function desktopHint(
   dir: string,
@@ -236,7 +240,7 @@ export function desktopHint(
     platform?: NodeJS.Platform;
   } = {},
 ): string | null {
-  if (env.HYPERFRAMES_DESKTOP_PROJECT) return null;
+  if (insideHostApp(env)) return null;
   if (ready && (installed ?? desktopInstalled({ platform, env })))
     return `Keep editing by chatting with Framey in the desktop app: ${openCommandFor(dir)}`;
   const url = desktopDownloadUrl(platform);