diff --git a/news/changelog-1.9.md b/news/changelog-1.9.md
index 7a59fe013bb..01464672b65 100644
--- a/news/changelog-1.9.md
+++ b/news/changelog-1.9.md
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ All changes included in 1.9:
 - ([#13525](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/13525)): Algolia Insights now uses privacy-friendly defaults: `useCookie: false` with random session tokens when cookie consent is not configured. When `cookie-consent: true` is enabled, Algolia scripts are deferred and only use cookies after user grants "tracking" consent, ensuring GDPR compliance.
 - ([#13547](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/13547))`cookie-content: { type: express }` is now the default. Previously it was `type: implied`. It now means this will block cookies until the user expressly agrees to allow them (or continue blocking them if the user doesn't agree).
 - ([#13570](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/pull/13570)): Replace Twitter with Bluesky in default blog template and documentation examples. New blog projects now include Bluesky social links instead of Twitter.
+- ([#13716](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/13716)): Fix draft pages showing blank during preview when pre-render scripts are configured.
 
 ## `publish`
 
diff --git a/src/project/project-context.ts b/src/project/project-context.ts
index 0049122c79d..1df4275d162 100644
--- a/src/project/project-context.ts
+++ b/src/project/project-context.ts
@@ -353,6 +353,7 @@ export async function projectContext(
             return projectFileMetadata(result, file, force);
           },
           isSingleFile: false,
+          previewServer: renderOptions?.previewServer,
           diskCache: await createProjectCache(join(dir, ".quarto")),
           temp,
           cleanup: once(() => {
@@ -447,6 +448,7 @@ export async function projectContext(
           },
           notebookContext,
           isSingleFile: false,
+          previewServer: renderOptions?.previewServer,
           diskCache: await createProjectCache(join(dir, ".quarto")),
           temp,
           cleanup: once(() => {
@@ -526,6 +528,7 @@ export async function projectContext(
               return projectFileMetadata(context, file, force);
             },
             isSingleFile: false,
+            previewServer: renderOptions?.previewServer,
             diskCache: await createProjectCache(join(temp.baseDir, ".quarto")),
             temp,
             cleanup: once(() => {
diff --git a/src/project/serve/serve.ts b/src/project/serve/serve.ts
index 3a5034cc5a0..13d968ac6cd 100644
--- a/src/project/serve/serve.ts
+++ b/src/project/serve/serve.ts
@@ -623,6 +623,7 @@ async function internalPreviewServer(
                     services,
                     useFreezer: true,
                     devServerReload: true,
+                    previewServer: true,
                     flags: renderFlags,
                     pandocArgs: renderPandocArgs,
                   },
diff --git a/src/project/serve/watch.ts b/src/project/serve/watch.ts
index 2f0b67fc116..69ffe6f5459 100644
--- a/src/project/serve/watch.ts
+++ b/src/project/serve/watch.ts
@@ -38,10 +38,6 @@ import { existsSync1 } from "../../core/file.ts";
 import { watchForFileChanges } from "../../core/watch.ts";
 import { extensionFilesFromDirs } from "../../extension/extension.ts";
 import { notebookContext } from "../../render/notebook/notebook-context.ts";
-import {
-  kDraftMode,
-  kDraftModeVisible,
-} from "../types/website/website-constants.ts";
 
 interface WatchChanges {
   config: boolean;
@@ -69,16 +65,6 @@ export function watchProject(
       (await projectContext(project.dir, nbContext, renderOptions, false))!;
   };
 
-  // See if we're in draft mode
-  if (project.config) {
-    // If this is a website
-    if (project.config.website) {
-      // Switch
-      (project.config.website as Record<string, unknown>)[kDraftMode] =
-        kDraftModeVisible;
-    }
-  }
-
   // proj dir
   const projDir = normalizePath(project.dir);
   const projDirHidden = projDir + "/.";
diff --git a/src/project/types.ts b/src/project/types.ts
index ecf5c60ae83..2d2b73faf15 100644
--- a/src/project/types.ts
+++ b/src/project/types.ts
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ export interface ProjectContext extends Cloneable<ProjectContext> {
   environment: () => Promise<ProjectEnvironment>;
 
   isSingleFile: boolean;
+  previewServer?: boolean;
 
   diskCache: ProjectCache;
   temp: TempContext;
diff --git a/src/project/types/website/website-utils.ts b/src/project/types/website/website-utils.ts
index 0194c1dbd19..01d42b7c8e4 100644
--- a/src/project/types/website/website-utils.ts
+++ b/src/project/types/website/website-utils.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,12 @@ import { ProjectContext } from "../../types.ts";
 import { warning } from "../../../deno_ral/log.ts";
 import { dirname, extname, join, relative } from "../../../deno_ral/path.ts";
 import { websiteConfigArray, websiteConfigString } from "./website-config.ts";
-import { kDraftMode, kDraftModeGone, kDrafts } from "./website-constants.ts";
+import {
+  kDraftMode,
+  kDraftModeGone,
+  kDraftModeVisible,
+  kDrafts,
+} from "./website-constants.ts";
 
 export function removeChapterNumber(item: Element) {
   const numberSpan = item.querySelector(".chapter-number");
@@ -39,6 +44,11 @@ export function isProjectDraft(
 }
 
 export function projectDraftMode(project: ProjectContext) {
+  // Preview server always shows drafts
+  if (project.previewServer) {
+    return kDraftModeVisible;
+  }
+  // Otherwise read from config
   const draftMode = websiteConfigString(kDraftMode, project.config);
   return draftMode || kDraftModeGone;
 }