diff --git a/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/PreviewWeb.test.ts b/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/PreviewWeb.test.ts
index e20af13752a6..0506167666b9 100644
--- a/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/PreviewWeb.test.ts
+++ b/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/PreviewWeb.test.ts
@@ -2141,39 +2141,6 @@ describe('PreviewWeb', () => {
           window.location = { ...originalLocation, reload: originalLocation.reload };
         });
 
-        it('stops initial story after loaders if running', async () => {
-          const [gate, openGate] = createGate();
-          componentOneExports.default.loaders[0].mockImplementationOnce(async () => gate);
-
-          document.location.search = '?id=component-one--a';
-          await new PreviewWeb(importFn, getProjectAnnotations).ready();
-          await waitForRenderPhase('loading');
-
-          emitter.emit(SET_CURRENT_STORY, {
-            storyId: 'component-one--b',
-            viewMode: 'story',
-          });
-          await waitForSetCurrentStory();
-          await waitForRender();
-
-          // Now let the loader resolve
-          openGate({ l: 8 });
-          await waitForRender();
-
-          // Story gets rendered with updated args
-          expect(projectAnnotations.renderToCanvas).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-          expect(projectAnnotations.renderToCanvas).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-            expect.objectContaining({
-              forceRemount: true,
-              storyContext: expect.objectContaining({
-                id: 'component-one--b',
-                loaded: { l: 7 },
-              }),
-            }),
-            'story-element'
-          );
-        });
-
         it('aborts render for initial story', async () => {
           const [gate, openGate] = createGate();
 
diff --git a/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/render/StoryRender.test.ts b/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/render/StoryRender.test.ts
index df4b37b840ae..57822b9de6dd 100644
--- a/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/render/StoryRender.test.ts
+++ b/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/render/StoryRender.test.ts
@@ -15,43 +15,18 @@ const entry = {
   importPath: './component.stories.ts',
 } as StoryIndexEntry;
 
-const createGate = (): [Promise<any | undefined>, (_?: any) => void] => {
-  let openGate = (_?: any) => {};
-  const gate = new Promise<any | undefined>((resolve) => {
+const createGate = (): [Promise<void>, () => void] => {
+  let openGate = () => {};
+  const gate = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
     openGate = resolve;
   });
   return [gate, openGate];
 };
+const tick = () => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
 
-describe('StoryRender', () => {
-  it('throws PREPARE_ABORTED if torndown during prepare', async () => {
-    const [importGate, openImportGate] = createGate();
-    const mockStore = {
-      loadStory: vi.fn(async () => {
-        await importGate;
-        return {};
-      }),
-      cleanupStory: vi.fn(),
-    };
-
-    const render = new StoryRender(
-      new Channel({}),
-      mockStore as unknown as StoryStore<Renderer>,
-      vi.fn(),
-      {} as any,
-      entry.id,
-      'story'
-    );
-
-    const preparePromise = render.prepare();
-
-    render.teardown();
-
-    openImportGate();
-
-    await expect(preparePromise).rejects.toThrowError(PREPARE_ABORTED);
-  });
+window.location = { reload: vi.fn() } as any;
 
+describe('StoryRender', () => {
   it('does run play function if passed autoplay=true', async () => {
     const story = {
       id: 'id',
@@ -105,4 +80,153 @@ describe('StoryRender', () => {
     await render.renderToElement({} as any);
     expect(story.playFunction).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  describe('teardown', () => {
+    it('throws PREPARE_ABORTED if torndown during prepare', async () => {
+      const [importGate, openImportGate] = createGate();
+      const mockStore = {
+        loadStory: vi.fn(async () => {
+          await importGate;
+          return {};
+        }),
+        cleanupStory: vi.fn(),
+      };
+
+      const render = new StoryRender(
+        new Channel({}),
+        mockStore as unknown as StoryStore<Renderer>,
+        vi.fn(),
+        {} as any,
+        entry.id,
+        'story'
+      );
+
+      const preparePromise = render.prepare();
+
+      render.teardown();
+
+      openImportGate();
+
+      await expect(preparePromise).rejects.toThrowError(PREPARE_ABORTED);
+    });
+
+    it('reloads the page when tearing down during loading', async () => {
+      // Arrange - setup StoryRender and async gate blocking applyLoaders
+      const [loaderGate] = createGate();
+      const story = {
+        id: 'id',
+        title: 'title',
+        name: 'name',
+        tags: [],
+        applyLoaders: vi.fn(() => loaderGate),
+        unboundStoryFn: vi.fn(),
+        playFunction: vi.fn(),
+        prepareContext: vi.fn(),
+      };
+      const store = { getStoryContext: () => ({}), cleanupStory: vi.fn() };
+      const render = new StoryRender(
+        new Channel({}),
+        store as any,
+        vi.fn() as any,
+        {} as any,
+        entry.id,
+        'story',
+        { autoplay: true },
+        story as any
+      );
+
+      // Act - render (blocked by loaders), teardown
+      render.renderToElement({} as any);
+      expect(story.applyLoaders).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      expect(render.phase).toBe('loading');
+      render.teardown();
+
+      // Assert - window is reloaded
+      await vi.waitFor(() => {
+        expect(window.location.reload).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+        expect(store.cleanupStory).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('reloads the page when tearing down during rendering', async () => {
+      // Arrange - setup StoryRender and async gate blocking renderToScreen
+      const [renderGate] = createGate();
+      const story = {
+        id: 'id',
+        title: 'title',
+        name: 'name',
+        tags: [],
+        applyLoaders: vi.fn(),
+        unboundStoryFn: vi.fn(),
+        playFunction: vi.fn(),
+        prepareContext: vi.fn(),
+      };
+      const store = { getStoryContext: () => ({}), cleanupStory: vi.fn() };
+      const renderToScreen = vi.fn(() => renderGate);
+
+      const render = new StoryRender(
+        new Channel({}),
+        store as any,
+        renderToScreen as any,
+        {} as any,
+        entry.id,
+        'story',
+        { autoplay: true },
+        story as any
+      );
+
+      // Act - render (blocked by renderToScreen), teardown
+      render.renderToElement({} as any);
+      await tick(); // go from 'loading' to 'rendering' phase
+      expect(renderToScreen).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      expect(render.phase).toBe('rendering');
+      render.teardown();
+
+      // Assert - window is reloaded
+      await vi.waitFor(() => {
+        expect(window.location.reload).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+        expect(store.cleanupStory).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('reloads the page when tearing down during playing', async () => {
+      // Arrange - setup StoryRender and async gate blocking playing
+      const [playGate] = createGate();
+      const story = {
+        id: 'id',
+        title: 'title',
+        name: 'name',
+        tags: [],
+        applyLoaders: vi.fn(),
+        unboundStoryFn: vi.fn(),
+        playFunction: vi.fn(() => playGate),
+        prepareContext: vi.fn(),
+      };
+      const store = { getStoryContext: () => ({}), cleanupStory: vi.fn() };
+
+      const render = new StoryRender(
+        new Channel({}),
+        store as any,
+        vi.fn() as any,
+        {} as any,
+        entry.id,
+        'story',
+        { autoplay: true },
+        story as any
+      );
+
+      // Act - render (blocked by playFn), teardown
+      render.renderToElement({} as any);
+      await tick(); // go from 'loading' to 'playing' phase
+      expect(story.playFunction).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      expect(render.phase).toBe('playing');
+      render.teardown();
+
+      // Assert - window is reloaded
+      await vi.waitFor(() => {
+        expect(window.location.reload).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+        expect(store.cleanupStory).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      });
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/render/StoryRender.ts b/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/render/StoryRender.ts
index 72b554d38cd2..f17759baf8f0 100644
--- a/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/render/StoryRender.ts
+++ b/code/lib/preview-api/src/modules/preview-web/render/StoryRender.ts
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ export class StoryRender<TRenderer extends Renderer> implements Render<TRenderer
   }
 
   isPending() {
-    return ['rendering', 'playing'].includes(this.phase as RenderPhase);
+    // TODO: add beforeRendering here when that is implemented
+    return ['loading', 'rendering', 'playing'].includes(this.phase as RenderPhase);
   }
 
   async renderToElement(canvasElement: TRenderer['canvasElement']) {
@@ -293,7 +294,7 @@ export class StoryRender<TRenderer extends Renderer> implements Render<TRenderer
     // If the story has loaded, we need to cleanup
     if (this.story) this.store.cleanupStory(this.story);
 
-    // Check if we're done rendering/playing. If not, we may have to reload the page.
+    // Check if we're done loading/rendering/playing. If not, we may have to reload the page.
     // Wait several ticks that may be needed to handle the abort, then try again.
     // Note that there's a max of 5 nested timeouts before they're no longer "instant".
     for (let i = 0; i < 3; i += 1) {