diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorContent.markdown-classification.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorContent.markdown-classification.test.tsx
index 23531fc95f0..7a9bff8cbc9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorContent.markdown-classification.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorContent.markdown-classification.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // @vitest-environment happy-dom
-import { cleanup, render } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { cleanup, fireEvent, render } from '@testing-library/react'
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import type { OpenFile } from '@/store/slices/editor'
 import type { FileContent } from './editor-panel-content-types'
@@ -97,12 +97,14 @@ function renderEditPath({
   content,
   language = 'markdown',
   viewMode = 'rich',
-  mode = 'edit'
+  mode = 'edit',
+  onOpenMarkdownPreview
 }: {
   content: string
   language?: 'markdown' | 'typescript'
   viewMode?: 'source' | 'rich' | 'preview'
   mode?: 'edit' | 'markdown-preview'
+  onOpenMarkdownPreview?: () => void
 }) {
   const activeFile = openFile(language, mode)
   const fileContents = {
@@ -145,6 +147,7 @@ function renderEditPath({
       handleSave={vi.fn()}
       handleSaveForFile={vi.fn()}
       reloadContent={vi.fn()}
+      onOpenMarkdownPreview={onOpenMarkdownPreview}
     />
   )
 
@@ -211,12 +214,6 @@ describe('inline Markdown render classification', () => {
   })
 
   it.each([
-    {
-      name: 'source Markdown',
-      args: { content: '# Source', viewMode: 'source' as const },
-      expectedView: 'source',
-      canExport: false
-    },
     {
       name: 'Markdown preview',
       args: { content: '# Preview', mode: 'markdown-preview' as const },
@@ -238,6 +235,15 @@ describe('inline Markdown render classification', () => {
     expect(classifiers.exceedsSizeLimit).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
+  it('scans source Markdown edit tabs too, so the toggle knows whether rich mode would fall back', () => {
+    const result = renderEditPath({ content: '# Source', viewMode: 'source' as const })
+
+    expect(result.view.container.innerHTML).toContain('data-editor-view="source"')
+    expect(result.model.canExportMarkdownToPdf).toBe(false)
+    expect(classifiers.getUnsupportedMessage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(classifiers.exceedsSizeLimit).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
   it.each([
     { name: 'Changes mode', args: { isChangesMode: true } },
     { name: 'content that is still loading', args: { includeFileContent: false } },
@@ -301,4 +307,35 @@ describe('inline Markdown render classification', () => {
     expect(oversized.view.getByText(/File is larger than the .* rich editing limit/)).toBeTruthy()
     expect(oversized.view.getByText('Open anyway')).toBeTruthy()
   })
+
+  it('offers the Preview toggle once rich mode falls back to source for this content', () => {
+    const fallback = renderEditPath({ content: '[reference]: https://example.com' })
+    expect(fallback.model.availableEditorToggleModes).toEqual([
+      'source',
+      'rich',
+      'preview',
+      'changes'
+    ])
+
+    const normal = renderEditPath({ content: '# Ordinary content' })
+    expect(normal.model.availableEditorToggleModes).toEqual(['source', 'rich', 'changes'])
+  })
+
+  it('opens the preview tab from the fallback banner action', () => {
+    const onOpenMarkdownPreview = vi.fn()
+    const { view } = renderEditPath({
+      content: '[reference]: https://example.com',
+      onOpenMarkdownPreview
+    })
+
+    fireEvent.click(view.getByText('Open preview'))
+
+    expect(onOpenMarkdownPreview).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
+  it('hides the fallback banner preview action when no handler is provided', () => {
+    const { view } = renderEditPath({ content: '[reference]: https://example.com' })
+
+    expect(view.queryByText('Open preview')).toBeNull()
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorContent.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorContent.tsx
index 86527b25f29..2104b97c704 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorContent.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorContent.tsx
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ export function EditorContent({
   handleDirtyStateHint,
   handleSave,
   handleSaveForFile,
-  reloadContent
+  reloadContent,
+  onOpenMarkdownPreview
 }: {
   activeFile: OpenFile
   viewStateScopeId: string
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ export function EditorContent({
   handleSave: (content: string) => Promise<boolean>
   handleSaveForFile: (file: OpenFile, content: string) => Promise<boolean>
   reloadContent: (file: OpenFile) => void
+  onOpenMarkdownPreview?: () => void
 }): React.JSX.Element {
   const editorViewStateKey =
     viewStateScopeId === activeFile.id
@@ -253,6 +255,7 @@ export function EditorContent({
         markdownDocuments={markdownDocuments}
         getConflictNavigation={getConflictNavigation}
         getMarkdownSourceLineOffset={getMarkdownSourceLineOffset}
+        onOpenMarkdownPreview={onOpenMarkdownPreview}
         handleContentChange={handleContentChange}
         handleDirtyStateHint={handleDirtyStateHint}
         handleSave={handleSave}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorEditFileSurface.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorEditFileSurface.tsx
index a9e3f8ff856..07f421cec3d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorEditFileSurface.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorEditFileSurface.tsx
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ export function EditorEditFileSurface({
   markdownDocuments,
   getConflictNavigation,
   getMarkdownSourceLineOffset,
+  onOpenMarkdownPreview,
   handleContentChange,
   handleDirtyStateHint,
   handleSave,
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ export function EditorEditFileSurface({
   markdownDocuments: MarkdownDocumentsController
   getConflictNavigation: (file: OpenFile, content: string) => EditorConflictNavigation | undefined
   getMarkdownSourceLineOffset: (frontMatterRaw: string) => number
+  onOpenMarkdownPreview?: () => void
   handleContentChange: (content: string) => void
   handleDirtyStateHint: (dirty: boolean) => void
   handleSave: (content: string) => Promise<boolean>
@@ -221,6 +223,7 @@ export function EditorEditFileSurface({
       markdownAnnotationsEnabled={markdownAnnotationsEnabled}
       markdownDocuments={markdownDocuments}
       getMarkdownSourceLineOffset={getMarkdownSourceLineOffset}
+      onOpenMarkdownPreview={onOpenMarkdownPreview}
       handleContentChange={handleContentChange}
       handleDirtyStateHint={handleDirtyStateHint}
       monacoEditor={monacoEditor}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorMarkdownFileSurface.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorMarkdownFileSurface.tsx
index 4db7c9b5045..b34c324ecc6 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorMarkdownFileSurface.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorMarkdownFileSurface.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ export function EditorMarkdownFileSurface({
   markdownAnnotationsEnabled,
   markdownDocuments,
   getMarkdownSourceLineOffset,
+  onOpenMarkdownPreview,
   handleContentChange,
   handleDirtyStateHint,
   monacoEditor
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ export function EditorMarkdownFileSurface({
   markdownAnnotationsEnabled: boolean
   markdownDocuments: MarkdownDocumentsController
   getMarkdownSourceLineOffset: (frontMatterRaw: string) => number
+  onOpenMarkdownPreview?: () => void
   handleContentChange: (content: string) => void
   handleDirtyStateHint: (dirty: boolean) => void
   monacoEditor: React.JSX.Element
@@ -68,6 +70,17 @@ export function EditorMarkdownFileSurface({
       <div className="flex h-full min-h-0 flex-col">
         <div className="flex items-center gap-3 border-b border-border/60 bg-muted/40 px-3 py-2 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
           <span className="min-w-0 flex-1">{richFallbackMessage}</span>
+          {onOpenMarkdownPreview ? (
+            <Button
+              type="button"
+              variant="outline"
+              size="xs"
+              className="shrink-0"
+              onClick={onOpenMarkdownPreview}
+            >
+              {translate('editor.richMarkdown.openPreview', 'Open preview')}
+            </Button>
+          ) : null}
           {isSizeFallback ? (
             <Button
               type="button"
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorPanel.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorPanel.tsx
index 0dfeabd75ec..8bc8239ddcc 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorPanel.tsx
@@ -251,21 +251,6 @@ function EditorPanelInner({
       setMarkdownViewMode(activeFile.filePath, preferredMarkdownViewMode)
     }
   }
-  const handleEditorToggleChange = (next: EditorToggleValue): void => {
-    const fileId = activeFile.id
-    if (activeFile.mode === 'diff' && model.isMarkdown && next === 'rich') {
-      handleOpenDiffTargetFile('rich')
-      return
-    }
-    if (next === 'changes') {
-      setEditorViewMode(fileId, 'changes')
-      return
-    }
-    setEditorViewMode(fileId, 'edit')
-    if (next !== 'edit') {
-      setMarkdownViewMode(fileId, next)
-    }
-  }
   const handleOpenMarkdownPreview = (): void => {
     openMarkdownPreview(
       {
@@ -278,6 +263,29 @@ function EditorPanelInner({
       { sourceFileId: activeFile.id }
     )
   }
+  const handleEditorToggleChange = (next: EditorToggleValue): void => {
+    const fileId = activeFile.id
+    if (activeFile.mode === 'diff' && model.isMarkdown && next === 'rich') {
+      handleOpenDiffTargetFile('rich')
+      return
+    }
+    if (next === 'changes') {
+      setEditorViewMode(fileId, 'changes')
+      return
+    }
+    // Why: the toggle only offers 'preview' as a fallback affordance (rich mode
+    // couldn't render this content); it opens the existing dedicated preview
+    // tab rather than a real edit-tab render mode, since 'edit' tabs never
+    // render read-only preview inline (see getMarkdownRenderMode).
+    if (next === 'preview') {
+      handleOpenMarkdownPreview()
+      return
+    }
+    setEditorViewMode(fileId, 'edit')
+    if (next !== 'edit') {
+      setMarkdownViewMode(fileId, next)
+    }
+  }
   const handleOpenContainingFolder = (): void => {
     // Why: virtual editor tabs use synthetic ids instead of on-disk paths.
     if (activeFile.mode === 'check-details') {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorPanelShell.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorPanelShell.tsx
index dd15231cefe..a01d618efa5 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorPanelShell.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/EditorPanelShell.tsx
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ export function EditorPanelShell({
           showMarkdownFrontmatter={markdownFrontmatterVisible}
           onCloseMarkdownTableOfContents={onCloseMarkdownTableOfContents}
           markdownAnnotationsEnabled={markdownAnnotationsEnabled}
+          onOpenMarkdownPreview={onOpenMarkdownPreview}
         />
       </Suspense>
       <UntitledFileRenameDialog
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-panel-render-model.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-panel-render-model.test.ts
index 71b422e86ed..9f6a112bc1f 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-panel-render-model.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-panel-render-model.test.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,22 @@ function htmlFile(overrides: Partial<OpenFile> = {}): OpenFile {
   }
 }
 
+describe('getEditorPanelRenderModel rich-mode fallback toggle', () => {
+  it('offers Preview once rich mode falls back for this content', () => {
+    const model = renderModel({
+      editorDrafts: { '/repo/README.md': '[reference]: https://example.com' }
+    })
+
+    expect(model.availableEditorToggleModes).toEqual(['source', 'rich', 'preview', 'changes'])
+  })
+
+  it('omits Preview for ordinary markdown content', () => {
+    const model = renderModel({})
+
+    expect(model.availableEditorToggleModes).toEqual(['source', 'rich', 'changes'])
+  })
+})
+
 describe('getEditorPanelRenderModel HTML preview affordance', () => {
   it('enables preview for HTML edit tabs', () => {
     expect(renderModel({ activeFile: htmlFile(), fileContents: {} }).canOpenPreviewToSide).toBe(
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-panel-render-model.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-panel-render-model.ts
index 97b4492750e..0ccf9053c3f 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-panel-render-model.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-panel-render-model.ts
@@ -105,26 +105,12 @@ export function getEditorPanelRenderModel({
     markdownViewModes.includes(storedMarkdownViewMode)
       ? storedMarkdownViewMode
       : defaultMarkdownViewMode
-  const editorToggleModes = getEditorToggleModes({
-    language: viewerLanguage,
-    mode: activeFile.mode,
-    diffSource: activeFile.diffSource
-  })
-  const isBinaryEditSurface =
-    activeFile.mode === 'edit' && fileContents[activeFile.id]?.isBinary === true
-  const availableEditorToggleModes =
-    isBinaryEditSurface || !canUseChangesModeForFile(activeFile)
-      ? editorToggleModes.filter((mode) => mode !== 'changes')
-      : editorToggleModes
-  const effectiveToggleValue: EditorToggleValue = isChangesMode
-    ? 'changes'
-    : hasViewModeToggle
-      ? mdViewMode
-      : 'edit'
   const inlineMarkdownContent =
     activeFile.mode === 'edit'
       ? (editorDrafts[activeFile.id] ?? fileContents[activeFile.id]?.content ?? null)
       : null
+  const isBinaryEditSurface =
+    activeFile.mode === 'edit' && fileContents[activeFile.id]?.isBinary === true
   const shouldShowMarkdownExportAction =
     viewerLanguage === 'markdown' &&
     (activeFile.mode === 'edit' || activeFile.mode === 'markdown-preview')
@@ -139,16 +125,38 @@ export function getEditorPanelRenderModel({
     !inlineFileContent.loadError &&
     activeFile.conflict?.kind !== 'conflict-placeholder' &&
     activeFile.conflict?.conflictStatus !== 'unresolved'
+  // Why: classified once per content change (cached) so both the toggle's
+  // fallback-preview affordance and the inline banner below agree on whether
+  // rich mode would fall back, without duplicating the eligibility scan. Gated
+  // on the same guards as the inline renderer so unrenderable content (binary,
+  // load error, unresolved conflict, Changes mode) is never scanned.
+  const richModeEligibility = canRenderInlineMarkdown
+    ? getCachedMarkdownRichModeEligibility({
+        content: inlineMarkdownContent,
+        sizeOverridden: markdownRichModeSizeOverridden
+      })
+    : null
+  const richModeUnsupportedMessage = richModeEligibility?.unsupportedMessage ?? null
+  const richModeFallsBackToSource =
+    richModeEligibility !== null &&
+    (richModeEligibility.exceedsSizeLimit || richModeUnsupportedMessage !== null)
+  const editorToggleModes = getEditorToggleModes({
+    language: viewerLanguage,
+    mode: activeFile.mode,
+    diffSource: activeFile.diffSource,
+    richModeFallsBackToSource
+  })
+  const availableEditorToggleModes =
+    isBinaryEditSurface || !canUseChangesModeForFile(activeFile)
+      ? editorToggleModes.filter((mode) => mode !== 'changes')
+      : editorToggleModes
+  const effectiveToggleValue: EditorToggleValue = isChangesMode
+    ? 'changes'
+    : hasViewModeToggle
+      ? mdViewMode
+      : 'edit'
   let inlineMarkdownRenderState: MarkdownRenderState | null = null
   if (canRenderInlineMarkdown) {
-    const shouldClassifyRichMode = mdViewMode === 'rich'
-    const richModeEligibility = shouldClassifyRichMode
-      ? getCachedMarkdownRichModeEligibility({
-          content: inlineMarkdownContent,
-          sizeOverridden: markdownRichModeSizeOverridden
-        })
-      : null
-    const richModeUnsupportedMessage = richModeEligibility?.unsupportedMessage ?? null
     inlineMarkdownRenderState = {
       renderMode: getMarkdownRenderMode({
         exceedsRichModeSizeLimit: richModeEligibility?.exceedsSizeLimit ?? false,
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/markdown-preview-controls.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/markdown-preview-controls.test.ts
index bd5ada9fd94..7289ee47896 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/markdown-preview-controls.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/markdown-preview-controls.test.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,38 @@ describe('getMarkdownViewModes', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('getEditorToggleModes rich-mode fallback', () => {
+  it('offers Preview alongside Source and Rich when rich mode falls back for this content', () => {
+    expect(
+      getEditorToggleModes({
+        language: 'markdown',
+        mode: 'edit',
+        richModeFallsBackToSource: true
+      })
+    ).toEqual(['source', 'rich', 'preview', 'changes'])
+  })
+
+  it('omits Preview when rich mode renders normally', () => {
+    expect(
+      getEditorToggleModes({
+        language: 'markdown',
+        mode: 'edit',
+        richModeFallsBackToSource: false
+      })
+    ).toEqual(['source', 'rich', 'changes'])
+  })
+
+  it('does not add Preview for non-markdown languages even when the flag is set', () => {
+    expect(
+      getEditorToggleModes({
+        language: 'mermaid',
+        mode: 'edit',
+        richModeFallsBackToSource: true
+      })
+    ).toEqual(['source', 'rich', 'changes'])
+  })
+})
+
 describe('markdown preview helpers', () => {
   it('defaults markdown edit tabs to rich mode', () => {
     expect(
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/markdown-preview-controls.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/markdown-preview-controls.ts
index fc6ef9f5c1b..878cd79a487 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/markdown-preview-controls.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/markdown-preview-controls.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,18 @@ type MarkdownPreviewTarget = Pick<OpenFile, 'mode' | 'diffSource'> & {
   language: string
 }
 
+type EditorToggleTarget = MarkdownPreviewTarget & {
+  // Why: only markdown edit tabs have a dedicated read-only preview tab to
+  // route to, so this only affects the markdown edit toggle set.
+  richModeFallsBackToSource?: boolean
+}
+
 const MARKDOWN_EDIT_VIEW_MODES = ['source', 'rich'] as const satisfies readonly MarkdownViewMode[]
+const MARKDOWN_EDIT_TOGGLE_MODES_WITH_PREVIEW_FALLBACK = [
+  'source',
+  'rich',
+  'preview'
+] as const satisfies readonly EditorToggleValue[]
 const MARKDOWN_DIFF_VIEW_MODES = ['source', 'rich'] as const satisfies readonly MarkdownViewMode[]
 const MERMAID_VIEW_MODES = ['source', 'rich'] as const satisfies readonly MarkdownViewMode[]
 const CSV_VIEW_MODES = ['source', 'rich'] as const satisfies readonly MarkdownViewMode[]
@@ -21,7 +32,7 @@ const NO_VIEW_MODES = [] as const satisfies readonly MarkdownViewMode[]
 // Edit | Changes.
 const CODE_EDIT_TOGGLE_MODES = ['edit', 'changes'] as const satisfies readonly EditorToggleValue[]
 
-export function getEditorToggleModes(target: MarkdownPreviewTarget): readonly EditorToggleValue[] {
+export function getEditorToggleModes(target: EditorToggleTarget): readonly EditorToggleValue[] {
   if (target.mode !== 'edit') {
     return getMarkdownViewModes(target)
   }
@@ -30,6 +41,12 @@ export function getEditorToggleModes(target: MarkdownPreviewTarget): readonly Ed
     // which is noisy and currently invalid for restored external notebooks.
     return NOTEBOOK_VIEW_MODES
   }
+  // Why: when rich mode would fall back to Source for this content, the
+  // toggle offers the dedicated read-only preview tab instead of leaving
+  // Preview undiscoverable behind a menu item and a shortcut.
+  if (target.language === 'markdown' && target.richModeFallsBackToSource) {
+    return [...MARKDOWN_EDIT_TOGGLE_MODES_WITH_PREVIEW_FALLBACK, 'changes']
+  }
   const languageModes = getMarkdownViewModes(target)
   if (languageModes.length > 0) {
     return [...languageModes, 'changes']