diff --git a/frontend/src/app/AppLayout.jsx b/frontend/src/app/AppLayout.jsx
index cc0fd2a..49a0ecd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/AppLayout.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/AppLayout.jsx
@@ -5274,6 +5274,7 @@ const AppLayout = () => {
       previewActive,
       previewWorkspaceDocument,
       previewWorkspaceEntry,
+      previewDocumentId,
       closeDocumentPreview,
       handleThumbnailRegeneration,
       documentsTableProps,
@@ -5334,6 +5335,7 @@ const AppLayout = () => {
       previewActive,
       previewWorkspaceDocument,
       previewWorkspaceEntry,
+      previewDocumentId,
       closeDocumentPreview,
       handleThumbnailRegeneration,
       documentsTableProps,
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/DocumentsRoute.jsx b/frontend/src/app/DocumentsRoute.jsx
index b0150eb..203b019 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/DocumentsRoute.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/DocumentsRoute.jsx
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const DocumentsRoute = () => {
     openCorrespondentsModal,
     previewWorkspaceDocument,
     previewWorkspaceEntry,
+    previewDocumentId,
     closeDocumentPreview,
     handleThumbnailRegeneration,
     ensurePreviewData,
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ const DocumentsRoute = () => {
     deskWorkspaceProps,
     previewWorkspaceDocument,
     previewWorkspaceEntry,
+    previewDocumentId,
     ensureAssetUrl,
     ensurePreviewData,
     getDocumentAsset,
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/useWorkspaceSurface.js b/frontend/src/app/useWorkspaceSurface.js
index 70a04b9..8ba2108 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/useWorkspaceSurface.js
+++ b/frontend/src/app/useWorkspaceSurface.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export const useWorkspaceSurface = ({
   deskWorkspaceProps,
   previewWorkspaceDocument,
   previewWorkspaceEntry,
+  previewDocumentId,
   ensureAssetUrl,
   ensurePreviewData,
   getDocumentAsset,
@@ -62,10 +63,10 @@ export const useWorkspaceSurface = ({
     detailPanelOpen,
   ]);
 
-  const showPreviewWorkspace = viewMode !== 'desk' && Boolean(previewWorkspaceDocument);
+  const showPreviewWorkspace = Boolean(previewDocumentId);
 
   const previewSurface = useMemo(() => {
-    if (!showPreviewWorkspace || !previewWorkspaceDocument) {
+    if (!showPreviewWorkspace) {
       return null;
     }
     const detailExtras = detailPanelProps || {};
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ export const useWorkspaceSurface = ({
       onFolderNavigate,
     } = detailExtras;
     return createPreviewSurface({
+      documentId: previewDocumentId,
       document: previewWorkspaceDocument,
       previewEntry: previewWorkspaceEntry,
       ensureAssetUrl,
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ export const useWorkspaceSurface = ({
   }, [
     showPreviewWorkspace,
     previewWorkspaceDocument,
+    previewDocumentId,
     previewWorkspaceEntry,
     ensureAssetUrl,
     ensurePreviewData,
diff --git a/frontend/src/preview/PreviewWorkspace.jsx b/frontend/src/preview/PreviewWorkspace.jsx
index dee6597..aa90fdf 100644
--- a/frontend/src/preview/PreviewWorkspace.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/preview/PreviewWorkspace.jsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const formatDateTime = (value) => {
 
 const PreviewWorkspace = ({
   document,
+  documentId,
   previewEntry,
   tagLookupById,
   tagOptions,
@@ -73,7 +74,18 @@ const PreviewWorkspace = ({
   }, [document]);
 
   if (!document) {
-    return null;
+    return (
+      <section className="preview-workspace preview-workspace--loading">
+        <div className="preview-workspace__details">
+          <div className="preview-workspace__message">
+            Loading document{documentId ? ` ${documentId}` : ''}…
+          </div>
+        </div>
+        <div className="preview-workspace__viewer">
+          <div className="preview-workspace__message">Preparing preview…</div>
+        </div>
+      </section>
+    );
   }
 
   return (
@@ -193,6 +205,7 @@ export const createPreviewWorkspaceHeaderActions = ({
 };
 
 export const createPreviewSurface = ({
+  documentId,
   document,
   previewEntry,
   ensureAssetUrl,
@@ -215,11 +228,11 @@ export const createPreviewSurface = ({
   resolveFolderPath,
   onFolderNavigate,
 }) => {
-  if (!document) {
+  if (!documentId && !document) {
     return null;
   }
 
-  const title = document.title;
+  const title = document?.title || 'Document preview';
   const closeButton = onClose
     ? (
         <button
@@ -264,6 +277,7 @@ export const createPreviewSurface = ({
     content: (
       <PreviewWorkspace
         document={document}
+        documentId={documentId}
         previewEntry={previewEntry}
         tagLookupById={tagLookupById}
         tagOptions={tagOptions}