diff --git a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts
index 6ab35a9613674..e7cf944942548 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts
@@ -799,6 +799,40 @@ it.effect("an agent's tab the reloaded desktop dropped goes back to the desktop"
   ).pipe(Effect.provide(layer)),
 );
 
+it.effect("a viewer still that never answers does not block the agent's snapshot", () =>
+  Effect.scoped(
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const { browser, broker, tabId } = yield* ready;
+      const context = contexts[0]!;
+      const stalled = Promise.withResolvers<void>();
+      const newCDPSession = context.newCDPSession;
+      context.newCDPSession = async (target) => {
+        const session = await newCDPSession(target);
+        const send = session.send.getMockImplementation()!;
+        session.send.mockImplementation((method, input) => {
+          if (method !== "Page.captureScreenshot") return send(method, input);
+          stalled.resolve();
+          return new Promise<never>(() => {});
+        });
+        return session;
+      };
+      yield* browser.attachViewer(viewerInput(tabId, false)).pipe(Effect.forkScoped);
+      yield* Effect.promise(() => stalled.promise);
+
+      const snapshot = yield* broker
+        .invoke<PreviewAutomationSnapshot>({ scope, tabId, operation: "snapshot", input: {} })
+        .pipe(Effect.result);
+      const evaluated = yield* broker
+        .invoke({ scope, tabId, operation: "evaluate", input: { expression: "document.title" } })
+        .pipe(Effect.result);
+      expect({ snapshot: snapshot._tag, evaluated: evaluated._tag }).toEqual({
+        snapshot: "Success",
+        evaluated: "Success",
+      });
+    }),
+  ).pipe(Effect.provide(layer)),
+);
+
 it.effect("a desktop page that loaded before the server attached reports its loaded title", () =>
   Effect.scoped(
     Effect.gen(function* () {
diff --git a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.ts b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.ts
index f06c6b34d41b5..cdd57cf3ada87 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.ts
@@ -2776,9 +2776,15 @@ const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
     broadcastControl(tab);
     pushFileChooser(tab);
     const pushStill = async () => {
-      const data = await withCaptureLock(tab, () =>
-        ServerBrowserPage.captureViewport(session, { format: "jpeg", quality }),
-      ).catch(() => null);
+      // Waits out queued captures without joining the queue: a webview that cannot
+      // paint never answers, and the agent's next capture must not wait on it.
+      const data = await tab.captureLock
+        .then(() =>
+          tab.closing
+            ? null
+            : ServerBrowserPage.captureViewport(session, { format: "jpeg", quality }),
+        )
+        .catch(() => null);
       if (data) viewer.push({ _tag: "frame", data: Buffer.from(data, "base64"), ack: Effect.void });
     };
     let settleTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;