diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
index 24f395e6a6..fee3e2607e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 // fallow-ignore-file code-duplication complexity
+import { preloadMedia } from "./preloadMedia";
 import { installRuntimeControlBridge, postRuntimeMessage, setRuntimeProtocolFps } from "./bridge";
 import { instantTolerance } from "../clipFacts";
 import { isInClipWindow } from "./clipWindow";
@@ -2383,15 +2384,7 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
       // mode, for <audio>, or when the codec map is absent.
       maybeProxyProactively(mediaEl);
 
-      // Eagerly preload media data so audio/video is buffered before the user
-      // clicks play. Without this, the first play() call fires on un-fetched
-      // media, producing silence or choppy audio until the browser caches it.
-      if (mediaEl.preload !== "auto") {
-        mediaEl.preload = "auto";
-      }
-      if (mediaEl.readyState < HTMLMediaElement.HAVE_FUTURE_DATA) {
-        mediaEl.load();
-      }
+      preloadMedia(mediaEl);
 
       // Probe volume automation from the GSAP timeline — same approach as the
       // renderer (see discoverAudioVolumeAutomationFromTimeline / audioMixer).
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/preloadMedia.test.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/preloadMedia.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0756df285b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/preloadMedia.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { preloadMedia } from "./preloadMedia";
+
+function media(tagName = "VIDEO", networkState = 2, readyState = 0) {
+  return { tagName, networkState, readyState, preload: "metadata", load: vi.fn() };
+}
+
+describe("initial media preload", () => {
+  it.each([0, 1, 2])(
+    "keeps an active video fetch at readyState %s while enabling eager preload",
+    (readyState) => {
+      const video = media("VIDEO", 2, readyState);
+      preloadMedia(video);
+      expect(video.preload).toBe("auto");
+      expect(video.load).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    },
+  );
+  it.each([0, 1, 3])("starts or retries incomplete video at networkState %s", (networkState) => {
+    const video = media("VIDEO", networkState);
+    preloadMedia(video);
+    expect(video.preload).toBe("auto");
+    expect(video.load).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+  it("preserves audio loading while a streaming source is still being fetched", () => {
+    const audio = media("AUDIO");
+    preloadMedia(audio);
+    expect(audio.preload).toBe("auto");
+    expect(audio.load).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+  it.each(["VIDEO", "AUDIO"])("does not reset ready %s media", (tagName) => {
+    const element = media(tagName, 1, 3);
+    preloadMedia(element);
+    expect(element.preload).toBe("auto");
+    expect(element.load).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/preloadMedia.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/preloadMedia.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..82d2ab49e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/preloadMedia.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+type PreloadableMedia = Pick<
+  HTMLMediaElement,
+  "tagName" | "preload" | "readyState" | "networkState" | "load"
+>;
+
+export function preloadMedia(media: PreloadableMedia): void {
+  if (media.preload !== "auto") media.preload = "auto";
+  // load() resets an in-flight video fetch, discarding its selected resource and buffered data.
+  const videoAlreadyLoading = media.tagName === "VIDEO" && media.networkState === 2;
+  if (media.readyState < 3 && !videoAlreadyLoading) media.load();
+}