diff --git a/packages/app/component-tests/image-preview.spec.ts b/packages/app/component-tests/image-preview.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..34f7b575736
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/component-tests/image-preview.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import type { Page } from "@playwright/test"
+import { expect, story } from "../../storybook/playwright/story"
+
+const paths = {
+  Escape: (page) => page.keyboard.press("Escape"),
+  "a backdrop click": (page) => page.mouse.click(8, 8),
+  "the close button": (page) => page.getByRole("button", { name: "Close" }).click(),
+} satisfies Record<string, (page: Page) => Promise<void>>
+
+for (const [path, close] of Object.entries(paths)) {
+  story(`takes the page's clicks as soon as the image preview closes with ${path}`, async ({ mount, page }) => {
+    await mount("components-image-preview--from-message")
+    await open(page)
+    await page.locator('[data-component="image-preview"][data-stage="rest"]').waitFor()
+    await close(page)
+    await expect(clickPage(page)).resolves.toBe(true)
+  })
+}
+
+story("takes the page's clicks as soon as the image preview closes mid-flight", async ({ mount, page }) => {
+  await mount("components-image-preview--from-message")
+  await open(page)
+  await page.locator('[data-component="image-preview"][data-stage="flying"]').waitFor()
+  await page.keyboard.press("Escape")
+  await expect(clickPage(page)).resolves.toBe(true)
+})
+
+async function open(page: Page) {
+  await page.locator('[data-story-image="inline"]').click()
+}
+
+// A raw click, without Playwright waiting for the point to be clear, as a hand would make it while the image flies home.
+async function clickPage(page: Page) {
+  const text = page.getByText("Here is the poster")
+  const box = await text.boundingBox()
+
+  if (!box) throw new Error("the page text is not laid out")
+  await text.evaluate((element) => {
+    element.addEventListener("click", () => element.setAttribute("data-clicked", ""), { once: true })
+  })
+  await page.mouse.click(box.x + box.width / 2, box.y + box.height / 2)
+
+  return text.evaluate((element) => element.hasAttribute("data-clicked"))
+}
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/image-preview.css b/packages/ui/src/components/image-preview.css
index 01100417a11..c895f24f467 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/image-preview.css
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/image-preview.css
@@ -102,9 +102,11 @@
         outline: none;
       }
 
-      /* Kobalte unmounts closed content once its CSS animation ends, so this holds it for the closing flight. */
+      /* Kobalte unmounts closed content once its CSS animation ends, so this holds it for the closing flight. Held, it
+         must not take the page's clicks; Kobalte's inline style is otherwise auto. */
       &[data-closed] {
         animation: image-preview-exit var(--image-preview-exit);
+        pointer-events: none !important;
       }
 
       [data-slot="image-preview-header"] {
@@ -165,6 +167,12 @@
   background-color: transparent !important;
 }
 
+/* A modal Kobalte dialog turns the body's pointer events off and only restores them when its content unmounts, which
+   the closing flight above holds back; the page takes clicks again as soon as the close starts. */
+body:has([data-component="image-preview"] [data-slot="image-preview-content"][data-closed]) {
+  pointer-events: auto !important;
+}
+
 [data-image-preview-origin] {
   visibility: hidden;
 }
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/image-preview.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/image-preview.tsx
index ed8d7179575..87e45bb6a42 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/image-preview.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/image-preview.tsx
@@ -33,10 +33,12 @@ const STEP = Math.SQRT2
 
 const group = "Image open"
 
-// One spring carries the open and the close, and the backdrop dims on it too. Snappy is Claude's measured preview.
+// One spring carries the open and the close, and the backdrop dims on it too. Snappy is Claude's measured preview; Smooth
+// ships, since opening an image is rare enough to take its time.
 const tuning = motionTuning.spring("imagePreview", {
   label: "Spring",
   group,
+  shipped: "smooth",
   presets: {
     snappy: FLIGHT_SPRING,
     smooth: { duration: 0.3, bounce: 0 },
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning-panel.ts b/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning-panel.ts
index ce7e7a2515a..320fdcc21a3 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning-panel.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning-panel.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import type { DurationOptions } from "./motion"
-import { motionPresets, motionTuning, type MotionKnob } from "./motion-tuning"
+import { motionPresets, motionTuning, type MotionKnob, type MotionPreset } from "./motion-tuning"
 
 const global = "Global"
 
 /**
- * Mounts the Motion workspace into `container`: a tab per surface under the Snappy, Smooth and Calm presets for every
- * spring at once. Each tab shows one Global card (speed, slow motion and other settings every surface reads), then one
+ * Mounts the Motion workspace into `container`: a tab per surface under the shipped values and the Snappy, Smooth and
+ * Calm presets for every spring at once. Each tab shows one Global card (speed, slow motion and other settings every surface reads), then one
  * card for its surface: its springs and knobs, with its replay buttons under a Replay sub-heading. knobs loads on first
  * mount, so importing this module costs nothing until then. Works anywhere a surface registered its knobs, including
  * Storybook stories. Returns its removal.
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ export function mountMotionPanel(container: HTMLElement, options: { title?: stri
       const actions = motionTuning.actions()
       const mounted = identity()
       const springs = list.flatMap((item) => (item.kind === "spring" ? [item] : []))
+      const preset = (id: MotionPreset) => Object.fromEntries(springs.map((item) => [item.id, item.presets[id]]))
       const sections = [...new Set([...list, ...actions].map((item) => item.group))].filter((group) => group !== global)
 
       const controls = defineControls(
@@ -86,13 +87,10 @@ export function mountMotionPanel(container: HTMLElement, options: { title?: stri
           enabled: true,
           ship: () => import("knobs/panel"),
           persist: "variants",
-          // The defaults are Snappy; the strip names them so rather than "default".
-          defaultLabel: motionPresets.snappy,
-          presetLabels: { smooth: motionPresets.smooth, calm: motionPresets.calm },
-          presets: {
-            smooth: Object.fromEntries(springs.map((item) => [item.id, item.presets.smooth])),
-            calm: Object.fromEntries(springs.map((item) => [item.id, item.presets.calm])),
-          },
+          // Springs ship different presets, so the defaults get their own chip.
+          defaultLabel: "Shipped",
+          presetLabels: motionPresets,
+          presets: { snappy: preset("snappy"), smooth: preset("smooth"), calm: preset("calm") },
           onChange: (patch) =>
             list.forEach((item) => {
               // SAFETY: each field was made from its knob above, so its value is that knob's kind.
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning.test.ts b/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning.test.ts
index 93c6a1c4290..893b9951085 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning.test.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,15 @@ describe("motionTuning.spring", () => {
 
     expect(spring()).toEqual(presets.snappy)
     expect(knob?.kind === "spring" && knob.initial).toEqual(presets.snappy)
-    expect(knob?.kind === "spring" && knob.presets).toEqual({ smooth: presets.smooth, calm: presets.calm })
+    expect(knob?.kind === "spring" && knob.presets).toEqual(presets)
+  })
+
+  test("ships the preset a spring names", () => {
+    const spring = motionTuning.spring("test.smooth", { label: "Spring", group: "Test", shipped: "smooth", presets })
+    const knob = motionTuning.list().find((item) => item.id === "test.smooth")
+
+    expect(spring()).toEqual(presets.smooth)
+    expect(knob?.kind === "spring" && knob.initial).toEqual(presets.smooth)
   })
 
   test("runs a preset applied to its knob, stretched by the global speed and slow motion", () => {
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning.ts b/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning.ts
index e926f4515b3..e643a52f0fc 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/motion-tuning.ts
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ type Knob<Kind extends string, Value> = {
   value: Value
 }
 
-/** The presets every spring offers. Its shipped value is Snappy; Smooth and Calm are slower, all without bounce. */
+/** The presets every spring offers, all without bounce. A spring ships Snappy unless it names another. */
 export const motionPresets = { snappy: "Snappy", smooth: "Smooth", calm: "Calm" } as const
 
 export type MotionPreset = keyof typeof motionPresets
 
 export type MotionKnob =
-  | (Knob<"spring", DurationOptions> & { presets: Record<Exclude<MotionPreset, "snappy">, DurationOptions> })
+  | (Knob<"spring", DurationOptions> & { presets: Record<MotionPreset, DurationOptions> })
   | Knob<"toggle", boolean>
   | (Knob<"number", number> & { min: number; max: number; step: number; unit?: string })
 
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ const saved = load()
 
 export const motionTuning = {
   /** The spring to run now: its tuned duration scaled by the global speed and slow motion. */
-  spring(id: string, meta: Meta & { presets: Record<MotionPreset, DurationOptions> }) {
-    const initial = meta.presets.snappy
+  spring(id: string, meta: Meta & { presets: Record<MotionPreset, DurationOptions>; shipped?: MotionPreset }) {
+    const initial = meta.presets[meta.shipped ?? "snappy"]
 
     const knob = register({
       kind: "spring",
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export const motionTuning = {
       group: meta.group,
       initial,
       value: { duration: number(`${id}.duration`, initial.duration), bounce: number(`${id}.bounce`, initial.bounce) },
-      presets: { smooth: meta.presets.smooth, calm: meta.presets.calm },
+      presets: meta.presets,
     })
 
     return (): DurationOptions => ({