diff --git a/apps/site/app/playground/loader.tsx b/apps/site/app/playground/loader.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed994906a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/site/app/playground/loader.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+'use client';
+
+import Image from 'next/image';
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+
+import logo from '@/public/logo.png';
+
+// The chunk often lands in a couple hundred ms, which reads as a flicker
+// rather than a load; hold the overlay long enough for it to look intentional.
+const MIN_VISIBLE_MS = 650;
+const FADE_MS = 400;
+
+export function LoaderVisual() {
+  return (
+    <div className="flex h-dvh flex-col items-center justify-center gap-5">
+      <Image
+        src={logo}
+        alt=""
+        width={40}
+        height={36}
+        priority
+        className="animate-spin [animation-duration:1.8s] motion-reduce:animate-none"
+      />
+      <p
+        role="status"
+        className="text-fd-muted-foreground text-[0.8125rem] tracking-tight"
+      >
+        Loading playground…
+      </p>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Covers the page until `ready` resolves, then fades out. Sits over the
+ * playground rather than swapping with it, so the editor and the first PDF
+ * render happen behind the overlay instead of popping in after it.
+ */
+export function PlaygroundLoader({ ready }: { ready: Promise<unknown> }) {
+  const [done, setDone] = useState(false);
+  const [gone, setGone] = useState(false);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let alive = true;
+    const held = new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, MIN_VISIBLE_MS));
+
+    Promise.all([ready, held]).then(() => {
+      if (alive) setDone(true);
+    });
+
+    return () => {
+      alive = false;
+    };
+  }, [ready]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!done) return undefined;
+    // not `transitionend`: it never fires when the user prefers reduced motion
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => setGone(true), FADE_MS);
+    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
+  }, [done]);
+
+  if (gone) return null;
+
+  return (
+    <div
+      aria-hidden={done}
+      style={{ transitionDuration: `${FADE_MS}ms` }}
+      className={`bg-fd-background fixed inset-0 z-50 transition-opacity ease-out ${
+        done ? 'pointer-events-none opacity-0' : 'opacity-100'
+      }`}
+    >
+      <LoaderVisual />
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/apps/site/app/playground/page.tsx b/apps/site/app/playground/page.tsx
index b54a246f5..c7d9d5931 100644
--- a/apps/site/app/playground/page.tsx
+++ b/apps/site/app/playground/page.tsx
@@ -1,18 +1,13 @@
 import { Suspense } from 'react';
 
+import { LoaderVisual } from './loader';
 import { PlaygroundClient } from './playground-client';
 
 export const metadata = { title: 'Playground' };
 
 export default function PlaygroundPage() {
   return (
-    <Suspense
-      fallback={
-        <div className="flex h-dvh items-center justify-center text-fd-muted-foreground">
-          Loading playground…
-        </div>
-      }
-    >
+    <Suspense fallback={<LoaderVisual />}>
       <PlaygroundClient />
     </Suspense>
   );
diff --git a/apps/site/app/playground/playground-client.tsx b/apps/site/app/playground/playground-client.tsx
index 60f0ca8ff..9a2053d5d 100644
--- a/apps/site/app/playground/playground-client.tsx
+++ b/apps/site/app/playground/playground-client.tsx
@@ -1,19 +1,24 @@
 'use client';
 
 import dynamic from 'next/dynamic';
+import { useState } from 'react';
 
-const Playground = dynamic(
-  () => import('@/components/playground').then((m) => m.Playground),
-  {
-    ssr: false,
-    loading: () => (
-      <div className="flex h-dvh items-center justify-center text-fd-muted-foreground">
-        Loading playground…
-      </div>
-    ),
-  },
-);
+import { PlaygroundLoader } from './loader';
+
+const load = () => import('@/components/playground').then((m) => m.Playground);
+
+// `loading` is skipped: the overlay below owns the wait, so that it can outlive
+// the chunk arriving and fade out instead of cutting.
+const Playground = dynamic(load, { ssr: false, loading: () => null });
 
 export function PlaygroundClient() {
-  return <Playground />;
+  // module promises are cached, so this is the same load `dynamic` awaits
+  const [ready] = useState(load);
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      <Playground />
+      <PlaygroundLoader ready={ready} />
+    </>
+  );
 }