diff --git a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts
index c8061833a80ec..a0b7526f513ed 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts
@@ -1057,6 +1057,27 @@ it.live.each(["save failed", "oversized"])(
     ).pipe(Effect.provide(layer)),
 );
 
+it.live("a restarted server removes the previous run's downloads and keeps its profiles", () =>
+  Effect.scoped(
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const { stateDir } = yield* ServerConfig.ServerConfig;
+      const fs = yield* FileSystem.FileSystem;
+      const path = yield* Path.Path;
+      const previousTab = path.join(stateDir, "server-browser", "downloads", "previous-tab");
+      const profile = path.join(stateDir, "server-browser", "profiles", "default");
+      yield* fs.makeDirectory(previousTab, { recursive: true });
+      yield* fs.makeDirectory(profile, { recursive: true });
+      yield* fs.writeFileString(path.join(previousTab, "report.csv"), "a,b");
+      yield* fs.writeFileString(path.join(profile, "Preferences"), "{}");
+
+      yield* Layer.build(ServerBrowser.layer);
+
+      expect(yield* fs.exists(previousTab)).toBe(false);
+      expect(yield* fs.readFileString(path.join(profile, "Preferences"))).toBe("{}");
+    }),
+  ).pipe(Effect.provide(dependencies)),
+);
+
 it.live("a page's file picker goes to the controller and takes its uploaded files", () =>
   Effect.scoped(
     Effect.gen(function* () {
diff --git a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.ts b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.ts
index 93f6849bbb995..d4f05d7a35151 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.ts
@@ -903,6 +903,12 @@ const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
   };
 
   const downloadsRoot = NodePath.join(config.stateDir, "server-browser", "downloads");
+  // Saved downloads are indexed in memory, so an earlier run's files can never be opened again.
+  yield* Effect.tryPromise(() => NodeFSP.rm(downloadsRoot, { recursive: true, force: true })).pipe(
+    Effect.catch((cause) =>
+      Effect.logWarning("server preview could not clear earlier downloads", { cause }),
+    ),
+  );
   // Tab ids are opaque server strings; hashing keeps them out of the path.
   const downloadDir = (tab: ServerTab) =>
     NodePath.join(