diff --git a/tests/js/workspace-media-viewer.test.js b/tests/js/workspace-media-viewer.test.js
index e69187e..1dd0866 100644
--- a/tests/js/workspace-media-viewer.test.js
+++ b/tests/js/workspace-media-viewer.test.js
@@ -158,3 +158,30 @@ test('real inspection navigation preserves slideshow across two advances and def
         assert.equal(f.container.children.length,0);assert.equal(controller.state.record.identity.occurrence.output_node_id,'3');
     } finally {view.dispose();controller.dispose();parentScope.dispose();globalThis.setTimeout=oldSetTimeout;globalThis.clearTimeout=oldClearTimeout;f.restore();}
 });
+
+test('an inline Viewer still loading its image is destroyed only after it has viewed it', async () => {
+    const {reportedLocationAdapter:adapter} = await import('../../web/js/workspace/history-media.mjs');
+    const f = mountedDom(), parentScope = createScope(), controller = borrowedController(), items = [occurrenceMedia('1',1,'c')];
+    const instances = [];
+    // Viewer.js's inline destroy() leaves an in-flight view running; its callback then needs a live instance.
+    f.win.Viewer = class { constructor(node,options) { this.options = options; this.destroyed = 0; this.viewed = false; instances.push(this); }
+        destroy() { this.destroyed++; } resize() {} };
+    const globals = {ResizeObserver:globalThis.ResizeObserver, requestAnimationFrame:globalThis.requestAnimationFrame, cancelAnimationFrame:globalThis.cancelAnimationFrame};
+    Object.assign(globalThis, {ResizeObserver:class { observe() {} disconnect() {} }, requestAnimationFrame:() => 1, cancelAnimationFrame() {}});
+    const view = module.createMediaViewer({container:f.container,parentScope,inspectionController:controller,adapter,sender:{open(){}}});
+    try {
+        view.open({items,selectedKey:'c'.repeat(64)});
+        const [loading] = instances;
+        f.walk(f.container,n => n.attributes['aria-label'] === 'Close preview')[0].fire('click');
+        assert.equal(loading.destroyed, 0, 'not destroyed while its image view is pending');
+        loading.viewed = true; loading.options.viewed.call(loading);
+        assert.equal(loading.destroyed, 1, 'destroyed once its pending view settles');
+        loading.options.viewed.call(loading);
+        assert.equal(loading.destroyed, 1, 'never destroyed twice');
+
+        view.open({items,selectedKey:'c'.repeat(64)});
+        const shown = instances[1]; shown.viewed = true; shown.options.viewed.call(shown);
+        f.walk(f.container,n => n.attributes['aria-label'] === 'Close preview')[0].fire('click');
+        assert.equal(shown.destroyed, 1, 'a viewed image is destroyed at once');
+    } finally { view.dispose(); parentScope.dispose(); f.restore(); Object.assign(globalThis, globals); }
+});
diff --git a/web/js/workspace/media-viewer.mjs b/web/js/workspace/media-viewer.mjs
index a3437a4..db43be3 100644
--- a/web/js/workspace/media-viewer.mjs
+++ b/web/js/workspace/media-viewer.mjs
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import {rootedFileAdapter} from './inspection-state.mjs';
 import {mountFileInspector} from './file-inspector.mjs';
 
 let viewerId = 0;
+// Upper bound on waiting for a closed Viewer's in-flight image view before destroying it.
+const PENDING_VIEW_DESTROY_MS = 10000;
 export function readViewerPreferences(getStorage = () => window.localStorage, normalize = globalThis.GallerySettings.normalizeGallerySettings) {
     let stored;
     try { stored = JSON.parse(getStorage().getItem('gallerySettings')); } catch { stored = null; }
@@ -132,7 +134,8 @@ export function createMediaViewer({container,parentScope,inspectionController,se
             }
             node.src = url.href;media.append(node);
             if (!selected.is_video && window.Viewer) {
-                let fitFrame = 0, fitWidth, fitHeight;
+                let fitFrame = 0, fitWidth, fitHeight, viewSettled = false, released = false, fallback = 0;
+                const release = () => { if (released) return; released = true; clearTimeout(fallback); instance.destroy(); };
                 const scheduleFit = () => {
                     if (!current() || fitFrame) return;
                     fitFrame = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
@@ -145,11 +148,20 @@ export function createMediaViewer({container,parentScope,inspectionController,se
                 };
                 const instance = new window.Viewer(node,{inline:true,container:media,toolbar:false,navbar:false,title:false,button:false,
                     keyboard:false,fullscreen:false,transition:false,viewed() {
+                        viewSettled = true;
+                        if (mediaLocal.signal.aborted) { release(); return; }
                         if (!current()) return;
                         session.ready(key);scheduleFit();
                     }});
                 const observer = new ResizeObserver(scheduleFit);observer.observe(stage);
-                viewer = instance;mediaLocal.cleanup(() => {observer.disconnect();cancelAnimationFrame(fitFrame);instance.destroy();});
+                viewer = instance;mediaLocal.cleanup(() => {
+                    observer.disconnect();cancelAnimationFrame(fitFrame);
+                    // Inline Viewer.js keeps viewing a still-loading image after destroy(), and that view
+                    // then reads the destroyed list; destroy once the view settles, fails or times out.
+                    if (viewSettled) { release(); return; }
+                    node.addEventListener('error',release,{once:true});
+                    fallback = setTimeout(release,PENDING_VIEW_DESTROY_MS);
+                });
             }
             updateControls(session.state);
         }