diff --git a/src/timeline/compile.ts b/src/timeline/compile.ts
index 6392b16..ed7d632 100644
--- a/src/timeline/compile.ts
+++ b/src/timeline/compile.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,14 @@ export interface CompileContext {
   dir: string;
   /** Final output file path. */
   output: string;
+  /**
+   * Optional token mixed into intermediate (segment / text / fold) filenames.
+   * Those names are otherwise deterministic (`tl-seg-<index>-<clip>`), so a
+   * preview render and a concurrent export would write and `-y`-overwrite the
+   * SAME files and unlink each other's. A per-request tag (the `clip ui` sets
+   * one per frame request) gives the preview its own collision-free paths.
+   */
+  tag?: string;
 }
 
 /** A side file (concat list / drawtext text) the runner must write before
@@ -233,8 +241,14 @@ const SEG_PREFIX = 'tl-seg';
 const FOLD_PREFIX = 'tl-fold';
 const TEXT_PREFIX = 'tl-text';
 
-function segPath(dir: string, index: number, clipId: string): string {
-  return resolve(dir, `${SEG_PREFIX}-${index}-${clipId}.mp4`);
+/** A disambiguating infix for intermediate filenames — `<tag>-` when a tag is
+ *  set (a preview's collision-free paths), empty otherwise (export's stable ones). */
+function tagInfix(tag: string | undefined): string {
+  return tag ? `${tag}-` : '';
+}
+
+function segPath(dir: string, index: number, clipId: string, tag?: string): string {
+  return resolve(dir, `${SEG_PREFIX}-${tagInfix(tag)}${index}-${clipId}.mp4`);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -252,7 +266,7 @@ function buildSegmentStep(
   assertCompilable(clip);
   const outDur = outputDuration(clip);
   const { width, height, fps, background } = comp;
-  const out = segPath(ctx.dir, index, clip.id);
+  const out = segPath(ctx.dir, index, clip.id, ctx.tag);
   const { video: fx, audio: afx } = effectFilters(clip, outDur, fadeSuppress);
   const textFiles: StepSideFile[] = [];
 
@@ -309,7 +323,7 @@ function buildSegmentStep(
     );
     videoSource = '[0:v]';
     audioSource = '1:a';
-    const textfile = resolve(ctx.dir, `${TEXT_PREFIX}-${index}-${clip.id}.txt`);
+    const textfile = resolve(ctx.dir, `${TEXT_PREFIX}-${tagInfix(ctx.tag)}${index}-${clip.id}.txt`);
     textFiles.push({ path: textfile, content: clip.text });
     fx.unshift(drawtextFilter(textfile, clip.style));
   }
@@ -550,7 +564,9 @@ export function compileTimeline(comp: Composition, ctx: CompileContext): FfmpegP
     const prevClip = segments[i - 1]?.clip;
     const transition = prevClip ? transitionAfter.get(prevClip.id) : undefined;
     const isLast = i === segments.length - 1;
-    const out = isLast ? ctx.output : resolve(ctx.dir, `${FOLD_PREFIX}-${i}.mp4`);
+    const out = isLast
+      ? ctx.output
+      : resolve(ctx.dir, `${FOLD_PREFIX}-${tagInfix(ctx.tag)}${i}.mp4`);
 
     if (transition) {
       // A transition must fit inside BOTH sides: the accumulated A (offset ≥ 0)
diff --git a/src/ui/server.ts b/src/ui/server.ts
index 9af6d10..b2bb45c 100644
--- a/src/ui/server.ts
+++ b/src/ui/server.ts
@@ -237,10 +237,13 @@ export async function startUiServer(options: UiServerOptions = {}): Promise<UiSe
     const atSec = Number(c.req.query('at') ?? '0');
     if (Number.isNaN(atSec)) return c.json({ error: 'at must be a number' }, 400);
     const output = newOutputPath('timeline-frame', 'jpg');
+    // Per-request tag so this preview's intermediate segments can't collide with
+    // a concurrent export's — both run unsynchronized `ffmpeg -y` in the workspace.
+    const tag = `frame-${randomBytes(4).toString('hex')}`;
     try {
       const comp = await readComposition();
       const media = await buildMediaMap();
-      const plan = buildFrameAtPlan(comp, { media, dir: getWorkspace(), output }, atSec);
+      const plan = buildFrameAtPlan(comp, { media, dir: getWorkspace(), output, tag }, atSec);
       const result = await runPlan(plan);
       const jpeg = await readFile(result.output);
       await unlink(result.output).catch(() => {}); // transient preview frame
@@ -248,7 +251,10 @@ export async function startUiServer(options: UiServerOptions = {}): Promise<UiSe
     } catch (err) {
       await unlink(output).catch(() => {});
       if (err instanceof CompileError) return c.json({ error: err.message }, 422);
-      throw err;
+      // Not a document problem — a transient render failure (e.g. an FFmpeg
+      // hiccup). Surface it as retryable instead of leaking a raw 500.
+      const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      return c.json({ error: message }, 503);
     }
   });
 
@@ -272,7 +278,9 @@ export async function startUiServer(options: UiServerOptions = {}): Promise<UiSe
       return c.json({ id: entry.id, output: result.output, durationSec: plan.durationSec });
     } catch (err) {
       if (err instanceof CompileError) return c.json({ error: err.message }, 422);
-      throw err;
+      // A render failure (not a bad document) — clean retryable error, not a raw 500.
+      const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      return c.json({ error: message }, 503);
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/src/ui/web/src/components/Viewer.tsx b/src/ui/web/src/components/Viewer.tsx
index 8e8e236..5782193 100644
--- a/src/ui/web/src/components/Viewer.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/web/src/components/Viewer.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
-import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 
 interface Exportable {
   exportable: boolean;
   blockers: string[];
 }
 
+type FrameState =
+  | { kind: 'loading' }
+  | { kind: 'ok'; url: string }
+  | { kind: 'error'; message: string };
+
 /**
  * The monitor: the COMPOSITED frame at the playhead, rendered server-side through
  * the real export compiler (GET /api/timeline/frame) so the preview can't diverge
@@ -13,8 +18,9 @@ interface Exportable {
  */
 export function Viewer({ atSec, rev }: { atSec: number; rev: number }) {
   const [debouncedAt, setDebouncedAt] = useState(atSec);
-  const [erroredSrc, setErroredSrc] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [status, setStatus] = useState<Exportable | null>(null);
+  const [frame, setFrame] = useState<FrameState>({ kind: 'loading' });
+  const liveUrl = useRef<string | null>(null);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const t = setTimeout(() => setDebouncedAt(atSec), 140);
@@ -37,10 +43,41 @@ export function Viewer({ atSec, rev }: { atSec: number; rev: number }) {
     };
   }, [rev]);
 
+  // Fetch the composited frame as a blob (not via <img src>) so a superseded
+  // scrub is ABORTED instead of left rendering, and a transient 503 reads as a
+  // clean message rather than a broken image. The previous frame stays on screen
+  // until the next one decodes — no blank flash while FFmpeg works.
   const src = `/api/timeline/frame?at=${debouncedAt.toFixed(2)}&rev=${rev}`;
-  // The error is tied to the exact src that failed, so it clears itself the
-  // moment the playhead or rev produces a new src — no reset effect needed.
-  const frameError = erroredSrc === src;
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    fetch(src, { signal: controller.signal })
+      .then(async (res) => {
+        if (!res.ok) {
+          const body = (await res.json().catch(() => null)) as { error?: string } | null;
+          setFrame({ kind: 'error', message: body?.error ?? 'Could not render this frame.' });
+          return;
+        }
+        const url = URL.createObjectURL(await res.blob());
+        if (liveUrl.current) URL.revokeObjectURL(liveUrl.current);
+        liveUrl.current = url;
+        setFrame({ kind: 'ok', url });
+      })
+      .catch((err: unknown) => {
+        // A superseded scrub aborts in flight — ignore it; the next one wins.
+        if (err instanceof DOMException && err.name === 'AbortError') return;
+        setFrame({ kind: 'error', message: 'Could not reach the renderer.' });
+      });
+    return () => controller.abort();
+  }, [src]);
+
+  // Release the last blob URL on unmount.
+  useEffect(
+    () => () => {
+      if (liveUrl.current) URL.revokeObjectURL(liveUrl.current);
+    },
+    [],
+  );
+
   const notRenderable = status !== null && !status.exportable;
 
   return (
@@ -48,16 +85,16 @@ export function Viewer({ atSec, rev }: { atSec: number; rev: number }) {
       <div className="viewer-stage">
         {notRenderable ? (
           <div className="viewer-msg">Not renderable yet — see the reason below.</div>
-        ) : frameError ? (
-          <div className="viewer-msg">No frame at this point.</div>
-        ) : (
+        ) : frame.kind === 'error' ? (
+          <div className="viewer-msg">{frame.message}</div>
+        ) : frame.kind === 'ok' ? (
           <img
-            key={src}
             className="viewer-frame"
-            src={src}
+            src={frame.url}
             alt={`Composited frame at ${debouncedAt.toFixed(2)} seconds`}
-            onError={() => setErroredSrc(src)}
           />
+        ) : (
+          <div className="viewer-msg">Rendering…</div>
         )}
       </div>
       <div className="viewer-bar">
diff --git a/tests/timeline-introspect.test.ts b/tests/timeline-introspect.test.ts
index cb7bbbc..6be22a3 100644
--- a/tests/timeline-introspect.test.ts
+++ b/tests/timeline-introspect.test.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,17 @@ describe('buildFrameAtPlan', () => {
     expect(frame?.args.at(-1)).toBe('/ws/frame.jpg');
   });
 
+  it('a tagged context gives the segment a collision-free path; untagged stays stable', () => {
+    const segOut = (tag?: string) =>
+      buildFrameAtPlan(oneClip(), { ...CTX('/ws/frame.jpg'), tag }, 3).steps[0]?.output;
+    // Untagged keeps the deterministic name export also uses.
+    expect(segOut()).toBe('/ws/tl-seg-0-c1.mp4');
+    // A tag is mixed in, so a preview can't overwrite/unlink an export's segment…
+    expect(segOut('frame-abc123')).toBe('/ws/tl-seg-frame-abc123-0-c1.mp4');
+    // …and two different preview requests never share a segment path.
+    expect(segOut('frame-aaa')).not.toBe(segOut('frame-bbb'));
+  });
+
   it('selects the second clip and offsets into it for a time in the second clip', () => {
     const doc = applyOps(oneClip(), [
       {