diff --git a/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-auto-save.test.ts b/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-auto-save.test.ts
index 9f40569fc6..593f6d1d56 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-auto-save.test.ts
+++ b/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-auto-save.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test'
-import { isSuspiciousNodeDrop } from './use-auto-save'
+import { createStoredNodeCountTracker, isSuspiciousNodeDrop } from './use-auto-save'
 
 describe('isSuspiciousNodeDrop', () => {
   test('blocks populated scenes from being flushed as empty skeletons', () => {
@@ -12,3 +12,52 @@ describe('isSuspiciousNodeDrop', () => {
     expect(isSuspiciousNodeDrop(4, 0)).toBe(false)
   })
 })
+
+describe('createStoredNodeCountTracker', () => {
+  test('adopts a loaded graph as the baseline the guard measures against', () => {
+    // The hook mounts before the scene loads, so the tracker starts at the bare
+    // scaffold and only learns the real size when the load lands. Without this,
+    // every session's first save compares a populated graph against ~0 and the
+    // guard is dead for exactly the write that can destroy the most work.
+    const tracker = createStoredNodeCountTracker(0)
+    tracker.trackLoadedGraph(42)
+
+    expect(tracker.allowWrite(0)).toBe(false)
+    expect(tracker.count).toBe(42)
+  })
+
+  test('keeps blocking after a blocked write instead of adopting the empty graph', () => {
+    const tracker = createStoredNodeCountTracker(0)
+    tracker.trackLoadedGraph(42)
+
+    expect(tracker.allowWrite(0)).toBe(false)
+    // A debounced retry must not be the thing that finally lets the wipe land.
+    expect(tracker.allowWrite(0)).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  test('lets ordinary edits through and advances the baseline', () => {
+    const tracker = createStoredNodeCountTracker(0)
+    tracker.trackLoadedGraph(12)
+
+    expect(tracker.allowWrite(13)).toBe(true)
+    expect(tracker.count).toBe(13)
+    expect(tracker.allowWrite(5)).toBe(true)
+    expect(tracker.count).toBe(5)
+  })
+
+  test('does not treat a deliberately empty new scene as suspicious', () => {
+    const tracker = createStoredNodeCountTracker(0)
+    tracker.trackLoadedGraph(4)
+
+    expect(tracker.allowWrite(0)).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  test('adopts a smaller loaded graph, so restoring an older version still saves', () => {
+    // Loading a 3-node version over a 40-node one is not a deletion.
+    const tracker = createStoredNodeCountTracker(0)
+    tracker.trackLoadedGraph(40)
+    tracker.trackLoadedGraph(3)
+
+    expect(tracker.allowWrite(3)).toBe(true)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-auto-save.ts b/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-auto-save.ts
index b6e094942e..8a7909ead1 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-auto-save.ts
+++ b/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-auto-save.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,40 @@ export function isSuspiciousNodeDrop(previousNodeCount: number, currentNodeCount
   return previousNodeCount > STRUCTURAL_NODE_COUNT && currentNodeCount <= STRUCTURAL_NODE_COUNT
 }
 
+/**
+ * Tracks the node count of the graph we believe is stored, which is what the
+ * accidental-wipe guard measures every write against.
+ *
+ * The distinction that matters: a graph that came from storage is authoritative
+ * and has to become the new baseline, while an edited or previewed graph must
+ * not. Seeding the baseline once at mount is not enough — the hook mounts
+ * before the scene has loaded, so it would sit at ~0 for the whole session and
+ * `isSuspiciousNodeDrop` could never fire.
+ */
+export function createStoredNodeCountTracker(initialNodeCount: number) {
+  let count = initialNodeCount
+
+  return {
+    get count() {
+      return count
+    },
+    /** A graph read from storage — it defines what "populated" means from here. */
+    trackLoadedGraph(nodeCount: number) {
+      count = nodeCount
+    },
+    /**
+     * `false` when the write would drop a populated scene to a bare scaffold,
+     * which is an accidental full deletion far more often than an intent. The
+     * caller reports the block; on `true` the write becomes the new baseline.
+     */
+    allowWrite(nodeCount: number) {
+      if (isSuspiciousNodeDrop(count, nodeCount)) return false
+      count = nodeCount
+      return true
+    },
+  }
+}
+
 export type SaveStatus = 'idle' | 'pending' | 'saving' | 'saved' | 'paused' | 'error'
 
 interface UseAutoSaveOptions {
@@ -65,7 +99,9 @@ export function useAutoSave({
   // Stable subscription to scene changes
   useEffect(() => {
     let lastNodesSnapshot = JSON.stringify(useScene.getState().nodes)
-    let lastNodeCount = Object.keys(useScene.getState().nodes).length
+    const storedNodeCount = createStoredNodeCountTracker(
+      Object.keys(useScene.getState().nodes).length,
+    )
     // Collections + scene materials are document-level state that persists with
     // the graph but lives outside `nodes`. Track them by reference (zustand
     // hands out a new object on every mutation) so a material edit or a
@@ -90,17 +126,15 @@ export function useAutoSave({
         installedPlugins,
       } as SceneGraph
 
-      // Guard: refuse to autosave if the scene went from populated to nearly empty.
-      // This catches accidental full deletions before they're persisted.
       const currentNodeCount = Object.keys(nodes).length
-      if (isSuspiciousNodeDrop(lastNodeCount, currentNodeCount)) {
+      const previousNodeCount = storedNodeCount.count
+      if (!storedNodeCount.allowWrite(currentNodeCount)) {
         console.warn(
-          `[autosave] Blocked: scene dropped from ${lastNodeCount} to ${currentNodeCount} nodes. Likely accidental deletion.`,
+          `[autosave] Blocked: scene dropped from ${previousNodeCount} to ${currentNodeCount} nodes. Likely accidental deletion.`,
         )
         setSaveStatus('error')
         return
       }
-      lastNodeCount = currentNodeCount
 
       isSavingRef.current = true
       pendingSaveRef.current = false
@@ -135,6 +169,7 @@ export function useAutoSave({
     const unsubscribe = useScene.subscribe((state) => {
       if (isLoadingSceneRef.current) {
         lastNodesSnapshot = JSON.stringify(state.nodes)
+        storedNodeCount.trackLoadedGraph(Object.keys(state.nodes).length)
         lastCollectionsRef = state.collections
         lastMaterialsRef = state.materials
         lastInstalledPluginsRef = state.installedPlugins
@@ -188,16 +223,16 @@ export function useAutoSave({
       if (!hasDirtyChangesRef.current) return
       const { nodes, rootNodeIds, collections, materials, installedPlugins } = useScene.getState()
       const currentNodeCount = Object.keys(nodes).length
-      if (isSuspiciousNodeDrop(lastNodeCount, currentNodeCount)) {
+      const previousNodeCount = storedNodeCount.count
+      if (!storedNodeCount.allowWrite(currentNodeCount)) {
         console.warn(
-          `[autosave] Blocked unload flush: scene dropped from ${lastNodeCount} to ${currentNodeCount} nodes. Likely accidental deletion.`,
+          `[autosave] Blocked unload flush: scene dropped from ${previousNodeCount} to ${currentNodeCount} nodes. Likely accidental deletion.`,
         )
         setSaveStatus('error')
         return
       }
 
       hasDirtyChangesRef.current = false
-      lastNodeCount = currentNodeCount
       const sceneGraph = {
         nodes,
         rootNodeIds,