diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 706c6a390..97e5a96db 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ importers:
         version: 6.3.0(rollup@4.59.0)(typescript@5.9.3)
       rollup-plugin-license:
         specifier: ^3.7.0
-        version: 3.7.0(picomatch@4.0.3)(rollup@4.59.0)
+        version: 3.7.0(picomatch@4.0.4)(rollup@4.59.0)
       tinyglobby:
         specifier: 'catalog:'
         version: 0.2.15
@@ -1541,6 +1541,9 @@ importers:
       '@vitest/browser-playwright':
         specifier: workspace:*
         version: link:../../packages/browser-playwright
+      '@vitest/browser-preview':
+        specifier: workspace:*
+        version: link:../../packages/browser-preview
       happy-dom:
         specifier: latest
         version: 20.9.0
@@ -18300,10 +18303,10 @@ snapshots:
     optionalDependencies:
       '@babel/code-frame': 7.27.1
 
-  rollup-plugin-license@3.7.0(picomatch@4.0.3)(rollup@4.59.0):
+  rollup-plugin-license@3.7.0(picomatch@4.0.4)(rollup@4.59.0):
     dependencies:
       commenting: 1.1.0
-      fdir: 6.5.0(picomatch@4.0.3)
+      fdir: 6.5.0(picomatch@4.0.4)
       lodash: 4.17.21
       magic-string: 0.30.21
       moment: 2.30.1
diff --git a/test/ui/fixtures/browser-preview/basic.test.ts b/test/ui/fixtures/browser-preview/basic.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9e2bc3e57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ui/fixtures/browser-preview/basic.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import { expect, test } from "vitest";
+import { page } from "vitest/browser";
+
+test("hello button", async () => {
+  document.body.innerHTML = "<button>hello</button>";
+  await expect.element(page.getByRole("button")).toHaveTextContent("hello");
+});
diff --git a/test/ui/fixtures/browser-preview/vitest.config.ts b/test/ui/fixtures/browser-preview/vitest.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7df7b7bb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ui/fixtures/browser-preview/vitest.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import { preview } from "@vitest/browser-preview";
+import { defineConfig, Plugin } from "vitest/config";
+import type { Vitest } from "vitest/node";
+
+// run preview provider on headless playwright
+// PREVIEW_PLAYWRIGHT=true pnpm -C test/ui test-fixtures --root fixtures/browser-preview
+// PREVIEW_PLAYWRIGHT=headless pnpm -C test/ui test-fixtures --root fixtures/browser-preview
+
+export default defineConfig({
+  test: {
+    browser: {
+      enabled: true,
+      traceView: true,
+      headless: false,
+      ui: true,
+      provider: preview(),
+      instances: [{ browser: "chromium" }],
+    },
+  },
+  plugins: [
+    customPreviewPlugin(),
+  ],
+});
+
+declare global {
+  var __hackVitest: Vitest;
+  var __hackOpenBrowser: ((url: string) => void) | undefined;
+}
+
+function customPreviewPlugin(): Plugin {
+  async function handlePreviewPlaywright(url: string) {
+    const { chromium } = await import("@playwright/test");
+    const browser = await chromium.launch({
+      headless: process.env.PREVIEW_PLAYWRIGHT === 'headless',
+    });
+    globalThis.__hackVitest.onClose(async () => {
+      await browser.close();
+    })
+    const page = await browser.newPage();
+    await page.goto(url);
+  }
+
+  return {
+    name: "custom-preview",
+    configureVitest(context) {
+      // pass vitest instance through globalThis
+      // since this config/plugin is loaded twice
+      // as main vite server and as browser mode vite server
+      globalThis.__hackVitest = context.vitest;
+    },
+    configureServer(server) {
+      const overrideOpenBrowser =
+        process.env.PREVIEW_PLAYWRIGHT
+        ? handlePreviewPlaywright
+        : globalThis.__hackOpenBrowser;
+      if (overrideOpenBrowser) {
+        server.openBrowser = () => {
+          const url = server.config.server.open;
+          if (typeof url !== "string") {
+            throw new Error(`Invalid preview url ${url}`);
+          }
+          overrideOpenBrowser(url);
+        };
+      }
+    },
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/ui/package.json b/test/ui/package.json
index 0644cc6c1..35edd89bc 100644
--- a/test/ui/package.json
+++ b/test/ui/package.json
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     "@testing-library/dom": "^10.4.1",
     "@types/codemirror": "^5.60.17",
     "@vitest/browser-playwright": "workspace:*",
+    "@vitest/browser-preview": "workspace:*",
     "happy-dom": "latest",
     "vitest": "workspace:*"
   }
diff --git a/test/ui/test/browser-preview.spec.ts b/test/ui/test/browser-preview.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e1890ee0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ui/test/browser-preview.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { Writable } from 'node:stream'
+import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test'
+import { startVitest } from 'vitest/node'
+import { assertTestCounts } from './helper'
+
+test.describe('orchestrator UI on preview provider', () => {
+  test('basic', async ({ page }) => {
+    globalThis.__hackOpenBrowser = async (url: string) => {
+      await page.goto(url)
+    }
+    const vitest = await startVitest(
+      undefined,
+      {
+        root: './fixtures/browser-preview',
+        watch: true,
+      },
+      undefined,
+      {
+        stdout: new Writable({ write: (_, __, callback) => callback() }),
+        stderr: new Writable({ write: (_, __, callback) => callback() }),
+      },
+    )
+
+    // results in dashboard
+    await assertTestCounts(page, { pass: 1, fail: 0 })
+
+    // test code runs in tester iframe
+    const testerFrame = page.frameLocator('iframe[data-vitest="true"]')
+    await expect(testerFrame.getByRole('button')).toHaveText('hello')
+
+    await vitest.close()
+  })
+})