diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/sessions/PreviewRouterPicker.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/sessions/PreviewRouterPicker.svelte
index 359c73c998..e8c6da3016 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/sessions/PreviewRouterPicker.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/sessions/PreviewRouterPicker.svelte
@@ -168,21 +168,35 @@ section or the flat layout.
 	// saying "show me this", so it lands on the deployed page, and `navigate`
 	// would otherwise keep whichever side the re-pointed tab happened to be on.
 	// A draft-only item opens its editor, unless this user cannot save there.
+	function itemTarget(item: WorkspaceItem): PreviewTarget {
+		return { type: 'item', item, mode: canEdit(item) ? previewModeFor(item) : 'view' }
+	}
 	function tagItems(nodes: DrillNode<WorkspaceItem>[]): DrillNode<PreviewTarget>[] {
 		return nodes.map((n) =>
 			n.type === 'leaf'
-				? {
-						...n,
-						data: {
-							type: 'item',
-							item: n.data,
-							mode: canEdit(n.data) ? previewModeFor(n.data) : 'view'
-						}
-					}
+				? { ...n, data: itemTarget(n.data) }
 				: { ...n, children: tagItems(n.children) }
 		)
 	}
 
+	// The mode is saved with the tab and never re-checked, and `canEdit` refuses until the
+	// rights and protection rules arrive: a draft-only item picked before then would open in a
+	// viewer that has nothing to show. Hold the pick until both have answered.
+	let heldItem = $state<WorkspaceItem | undefined>(undefined)
+	$effect(() => {
+		if (!heldItem || !permissions.settled) return
+		const item = heldItem
+		heldItem = undefined
+		untrack(() => onPick(itemTarget(item)))
+	})
+	function pick(target: PreviewTarget) {
+		if (target.type === 'item' && target.item.draftOnly && !permissions.settled) {
+			heldItem = target.item
+		} else {
+			onPick(target)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Open the item's editor. Offered on every item row this user can edit, including the
 	// draft-only ones a plain click already opens there: a row that drops the button to say
 	// "you were getting this anyway" reads as one that cannot be edited.
@@ -392,7 +406,7 @@ section or the flat layout.
 <DrillPicker
 	bind:this={inner}
 	{tree}
-	onPick={(leaf) => onPick(leaf.data)}
+	onPick={(leaf) => pick(leaf.data)}
 	initialScope={computedInitialScope}
 	{initialHighlight}
 	{externalFilter}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/sessions/sessionPermissions.svelte.ts b/frontend/src/lib/components/sessions/sessionPermissions.svelte.ts
index 0db9ac09e7..3e9437e7e4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/sessions/sessionPermissions.svelte.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/sessions/sessionPermissions.svelte.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ export function useSessionReadOnly(workspace: () => string | undefined) {
 		get known() {
 			const ws = workspace()
 			return !!ws && (verdictFor(ws) ?? false)
+		},
+		/** Whether the rules were read, a failed read included, which settles as read-only. */
+		get settled() {
+			const ws = workspace()
+			return !!ws && verdictFor(ws) !== undefined
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -75,6 +80,11 @@ export function useSessionPermissions(
 		get readOnly() {
 			return readOnly
 		},
+		/** Whether `canEditItem` answers for real rather than refusing while it waits for this
+		 *  user's rights or the protection rules. */
+		get settled() {
+			return user.resolved(workspace()) && protectedWorkspace.settled
+		},
 		/** Whether this user can save the drafts the `kind` editor writes. */
 		canOpenEditor: (kind: string) => !readOnly && rights.roleCanDraft(kind),
 		/** The same, and this item's own permissions let them write it. */