diff --git a/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-1-from/_files/index.html b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-1-from/_files/index.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..559bf40a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-1-from/_files/index.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Before
diff --git a/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-1-from/content.md b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-1-from/content.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed0175fb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-1-from/content.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+type: lesson
+title: Auto Reload From
+template: file-server
+autoReload: true
+previews:
+  - [8000, "Server"]
+---
+
+# Preview test - Auto Reload From
diff --git a/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-2-to/_files/index.html b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-2-to/_files/index.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..90703bd35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-2-to/_files/index.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+After
diff --git a/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-2-to/content.md b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-2-to/content.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d9c34b2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-2-to/content.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+type: lesson
+title: Auto Reload To
+template: file-server
+autoReload: true
+previews:
+  - [8000, "Server"]
+---
+
+# Preview test - Auto Reload To
diff --git a/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-3-off/_files/index.html b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-3-off/_files/index.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d84e911c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-3-off/_files/index.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+This should not be visible when navigated to
diff --git a/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-3-off/content.md b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-3-off/content.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..695ce413d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/src/content/tutorial/tests/preview/auto-reload-3-off/content.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+type: lesson
+title: Auto Reload Off
+template: file-server
+autoReload: false
+previews:
+  - [8000, "Server"]
+---
+
+# Preview test - Auto Reload Off
diff --git a/e2e/src/templates/file-server/index.mjs b/e2e/src/templates/file-server/index.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..406e08585
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/src/templates/file-server/index.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import http from 'node:http';
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+
+const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
+  if (req.url === '/' || req.url === '/index.html') {
+    res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/html' });
+    res.end(fs.readFileSync('./index.html', 'utf8'));
+
+    return;
+  }
+
+  res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/html' });
+  res.end('Not found');
+});
+
+server.listen(8000);
diff --git a/e2e/test/preview.test.ts b/e2e/test/preview.test.ts
index 7ebe4b841..def45692e 100644
--- a/e2e/test/preview.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/test/preview.test.ts
@@ -24,3 +24,34 @@ test('user can see multiple preview tabs', async ({ page }) => {
   await expect(page.frameLocator('[title="First Server"]').getByText('Index page')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10_000 });
   await expect(page.frameLocator('[title="Second Server"]').getByText('About page')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10_000 });
 });
+
+test('user can see new content when "autoReload: true" is set', async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.goto(`${BASE_URL}/auto-reload-1-from`);
+
+  await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { level: 1, name: 'Preview test - Auto Reload From' })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.frameLocator('[title="Server"]').getByText('Before')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10_000 });
+
+  await page.getByRole('link', { name: 'Auto Reload To' }).click();
+
+  await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { level: 1, name: 'Preview test - Auto Reload To' })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.frameLocator('[title="Server"]').getByText('After')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10_000 });
+});
+
+test('user can see old content when "autoReload: false" is set', async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.goto(`${BASE_URL}/auto-reload-2-to`);
+
+  await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { level: 1, name: 'Preview test - Auto Reload To' })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.frameLocator('[title="Server"]').getByText('After')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10_000 });
+
+  await page.getByRole('link', { name: 'Auto Reload Off' }).click();
+  await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { level: 1, name: 'Preview test - Auto Reload Off' })).toBeVisible();
+
+  // preview content should not change
+  await expect(page.frameLocator('[title="Server"]').getByText('After')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10_000 });
+
+  // reload page and verify the test case has different content than "Auto Reload To"-page
+  await page.reload();
+  await expect(
+    page.frameLocator('[title="Server"]').getByText('This should not be visible when navigated to'),
+  ).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10_000 });
+});
diff --git a/packages/react/src/Panels/PreviewPanel.tsx b/packages/react/src/Panels/PreviewPanel.tsx
index 11e7b73e7..591e8d158 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/Panels/PreviewPanel.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/Panels/PreviewPanel.tsx
@@ -48,14 +48,9 @@ export const PreviewPanel = memo(
       ref,
       () => ({
         reload: () => {
-          // can't use a ref because PanelGroup does not expose the underlying html element
-          const previewPanel = document.getElementById('preview-panel');
-
-          if (previewPanel) {
-            const iframes = previewPanel.querySelectorAll('iframe');
-
-            for (const iframe of iframes) {
-              iframe.src = iframe.src;
+          for (const iframe of iframeRefs.current) {
+            if (iframe.ref) {
+              iframe.ref.src = iframe.ref.src;
             }
           }
         },
@@ -132,7 +127,7 @@ export const PreviewPanel = memo(
       }
     }
 
-    return createElement(PanelGroup, { id: 'preview-panel', direction: 'horizontal' }, ...children);
+    return createElement(PanelGroup, { direction: 'horizontal' }, ...children);
   }),
 );
 PreviewPanel.displayName = 'PreviewPanel';
diff --git a/packages/react/src/Panels/WorkspacePanel.tsx b/packages/react/src/Panels/WorkspacePanel.tsx
index bb3f028b7..3fb8a3328 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/Panels/WorkspacePanel.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/Panels/WorkspacePanel.tsx
@@ -79,12 +79,7 @@ export function WorkspacePanel({ tutorialStore, theme }: Props) {
 
     const unsubscribe = tutorialStore.lessonFullyLoaded.subscribe((loaded) => {
       if (loaded && lesson.data.autoReload) {
-        /**
-         * @todo This causes some race with the preview where the iframe can show the "wrong" page.
-         * I think the reason is that when the ports are different then we render new frames which
-         * races against the reload which will internally reset the `src` attribute.
-         */
-        // previewRef.current?.reload();
+        previewRef.current?.reload();
       }
     });