diff --git a/app/javascript/alchemy_admin/components/preview_window.js b/app/javascript/alchemy_admin/components/preview_window.js
index dceeb03aec..3a340c195a 100644
--- a/app/javascript/alchemy_admin/components/preview_window.js
+++ b/app/javascript/alchemy_admin/components/preview_window.js
@@ -1,23 +1,39 @@
+import { growl } from "alchemy_admin/growler"
+import { translate } from "alchemy_admin/i18n"
+
 class PreviewWindow extends HTMLIFrameElement {
   #afterLoad
   #reloadIcon
+  #loadTimeout
+  #previewReadyHandler
 
   constructor() {
     super()
     this.addEventListener("load", this)
+    this.#previewReadyHandler = this.#handlePreviewReadyMessage.bind(this)
   }
 
   handleEvent(evt) {
     if (evt.type === "load") {
+      this.#clearLoadTimeout()
       this.#stopSpinner()
       this.#afterLoad?.call(this, evt)
     }
   }
 
+  #handlePreviewReadyMessage(event) {
+    if (event.data.message === "Alchemy.previewReady") {
+      this.#clearLoadTimeout()
+      this.#stopSpinner()
+      this.#afterLoad?.call(this, event)
+    }
+  }
+
   connectedCallback() {
     let url = this.url
 
     this.#attachEvents()
+    window.addEventListener("message", this.#previewReadyHandler)
 
     if (window.localStorage.getItem("alchemy-preview-url")) {
       url = window.localStorage.getItem("alchemy-preview-url")
@@ -29,6 +45,7 @@ class PreviewWindow extends HTMLIFrameElement {
 
   disconnectedCallback() {
     key.unbind("alt+r")
+    window.removeEventListener("message", this.#previewReadyHandler)
   }
 
   postMessage(data) {
@@ -48,6 +65,13 @@ class PreviewWindow extends HTMLIFrameElement {
       this.src = this.url
     }
 
+    // Set 5s timeout as fallback - if iframe doesn't load, stop spinner anyway
+    this.#clearLoadTimeout()
+    this.#loadTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
+      this.#stopSpinner()
+      growl(translate("Preview failed to load"), "warning")
+    }, 5000)
+
     return new Promise((resolve) => {
       this.#afterLoad = resolve
     })
@@ -85,7 +109,10 @@ class PreviewWindow extends HTMLIFrameElement {
   }
 
   #startSpinner() {
-    this.#reloadIcon = this.reloadButton.innerHTML
+    // Only save the reload icon if we're not already showing a spinner
+    if (!this.reloadButton.innerHTML.includes("alchemy-spinner")) {
+      this.#reloadIcon = this.reloadButton.innerHTML
+    }
     this.reloadButton.innerHTML = `<alchemy-spinner size="small"></alchemy-spinner>`
   }
 
@@ -93,6 +120,13 @@ class PreviewWindow extends HTMLIFrameElement {
     this.reloadButton.innerHTML = this.#reloadIcon
   }
 
+  #clearLoadTimeout() {
+    if (this.#loadTimeout) {
+      clearTimeout(this.#loadTimeout)
+      this.#loadTimeout = null
+    }
+  }
+
   get url() {
     return this.getAttribute("url")
   }
diff --git a/app/javascript/preview.js b/app/javascript/preview.js
index c4277c2b14..9f27dbb03c 100644
--- a/app/javascript/preview.js
+++ b/app/javascript/preview.js
@@ -115,3 +115,11 @@ Object.assign(Alchemy, {
 })
 
 Alchemy.ElementSelector.init()
+
+// Notify parent window that preview is ready
+window.parent.postMessage(
+  {
+    message: "Alchemy.previewReady"
+  },
+  window.location.origin
+)
diff --git a/app/views/alchemy/admin/translations/_en.js b/app/views/alchemy/admin/translations/_en.js
index fb4ce0914d..bd564ed5f9 100644
--- a/app/views/alchemy/admin/translations/_en.js
+++ b/app/views/alchemy/admin/translations/_en.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Alchemy.translations = {
   page_found: "Page found",
   pages_found: "Pages found",
   "Please confirm": "Please confirm",
+  "Preview failed to load": "Preview failed to load. Please try again.",
   url_validation_failed: "The url has no valid format.",
   warning: "Warning!",
   "File is too large": "File is too large",
diff --git a/spec/javascript/alchemy_admin/components/preview_window.spec.js b/spec/javascript/alchemy_admin/components/preview_window.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0496fc3728
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/javascript/alchemy_admin/components/preview_window.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,198 @@
+import "alchemy_admin/components/preview_window"
+import * as growler from "alchemy_admin/growler"
+import { setupLanguage } from "./component.helper"
+
+describe("alchemy-preview-window", () => {
+  /**
+   * @type {HTMLIFrameElement | undefined}
+   */
+  let previewWindow = undefined
+  let reloadButton = undefined
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = `
+      <div id="flash_notices"></div>
+      <button id="reload_preview_button">
+        <span>Reload</span>
+      </button>
+      <select id="preview_size"></select>
+      <iframe
+        is="alchemy-preview-window"
+        id="alchemy_preview_window"
+        url="about:blank"
+      ></iframe>
+    `
+    previewWindow = document.querySelector('[is="alchemy-preview-window"]')
+    reloadButton = document.getElementById("reload_preview_button")
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = ""
+  })
+
+  describe("refresh with timeout", () => {
+    let growlSpy
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      setupLanguage()
+      Alchemy.translations["Preview failed to load"] =
+        "Preview failed to load. Please try again."
+      vi.useFakeTimers()
+      growlSpy = vi.spyOn(growler, "growl")
+    })
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      vi.restoreAllMocks()
+    })
+
+    it("starts spinner when refresh is called", () => {
+      const originalContent = reloadButton.innerHTML
+
+      previewWindow.refresh()
+
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).not.toBe(originalContent)
+    })
+
+    it("stops spinner when iframe loads successfully", async () => {
+      const originalContent = reloadButton.innerHTML
+
+      previewWindow.refresh()
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Simulate iframe load event
+      previewWindow.dispatchEvent(new Event("load"))
+
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toBe(originalContent)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).not.toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+    })
+
+    it("stops spinner after 5s timeout if iframe doesn't load", () => {
+      const originalContent = reloadButton.innerHTML
+
+      previewWindow.refresh()
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Fast-forward time by 5 seconds
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(5000)
+
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toBe(originalContent)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).not.toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+      expect(growlSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        "Preview failed to load. Please try again.",
+        "warning"
+      )
+    })
+
+    it("clears timeout when iframe loads before timeout expires", () => {
+      const originalContent = reloadButton.innerHTML
+
+      previewWindow.refresh()
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Fast-forward time by 2 seconds (less than timeout)
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(2000)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Simulate iframe load event
+      previewWindow.dispatchEvent(new Event("load"))
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toBe(originalContent)
+
+      // Fast-forward remaining time - spinner should stay stopped
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(3000)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toBe(originalContent)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).not.toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+      // Growl should NOT be called since iframe loaded successfully
+      expect(growlSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    })
+
+    it("clears previous timeout when refresh is called again", () => {
+      previewWindow.refresh()
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Fast-forward 2 seconds
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(2000)
+
+      // Call refresh again before timeout
+      previewWindow.refresh()
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Fast-forward 4 seconds (total 6s from first refresh, but only 4s from second)
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(4000)
+
+      // Spinner should still be showing because new 5s timeout hasn't expired
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Fast-forward 1 more second to complete new timeout
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(1000)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).not.toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+    })
+
+    it("allows reload button to be clicked again after timeout", () => {
+      const originalContent = reloadButton.innerHTML
+
+      // First refresh
+      previewWindow.refresh()
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Wait for timeout
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(5000)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toBe(originalContent)
+
+      // Click reload button again
+      reloadButton.click()
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Verify it works again
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(5000)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toBe(originalContent)
+    })
+
+    it("stops spinner when receiving previewReady message from iframe", () => {
+      const originalContent = reloadButton.innerHTML
+
+      previewWindow.refresh()
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Fast-forward 2 seconds (less than timeout)
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(2000)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Simulate postMessage from iframe
+      window.dispatchEvent(
+        new MessageEvent("message", {
+          data: { message: "Alchemy.previewReady" }
+        })
+      )
+
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toBe(originalContent)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).not.toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Fast-forward remaining time - spinner should stay stopped and no growl
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(3000)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toBe(originalContent)
+      expect(growlSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    })
+
+    it("prefers postMessage over timeout when both occur", () => {
+      const originalContent = reloadButton.innerHTML
+
+      previewWindow.refresh()
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toContain("alchemy-spinner")
+
+      // Simulate postMessage from iframe before timeout
+      window.dispatchEvent(
+        new MessageEvent("message", {
+          data: { message: "Alchemy.previewReady" }
+        })
+      )
+
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toBe(originalContent)
+
+      // Fast-forward past timeout - nothing should happen, already stopped
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(5000)
+      expect(reloadButton.innerHTML).toBe(originalContent)
+      expect(growlSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/spec/javascript/alchemy_admin/setup.js b/spec/javascript/alchemy_admin/setup.js
index cf6d53ef61..3ef698fd9a 100644
--- a/spec/javascript/alchemy_admin/setup.js
+++ b/spec/javascript/alchemy_admin/setup.js
@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ Object.defineProperty(window, "matchMedia", {
   }))
 })
 
+// Mock keymaster (key) for keyboard shortcuts
+globalThis.key = vi.fn()
+globalThis.key.unbind = vi.fn()
+
 // Set up global Alchemy object that many tests expect
 globalThis.Alchemy = {
   translations: {},