diff --git a/frontend/app/view/preview/preview-edit.tsx b/frontend/app/view/preview/preview-edit.tsx
index 2961771fa3..b8b4c4ef7d 100644
--- a/frontend/app/view/preview/preview-edit.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/view/preview/preview-edit.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import * as monaco from "monaco-editor";
 import { useEffect } from "react";
 import type { SpecializedViewProps } from "./preview";
 
+const AutoSaveDelayMs = 1000;
+
 export const shellFileMap: Record<string, string> = {
     ".bashrc": "shell",
     ".bash_profile": "shell",
@@ -44,6 +46,30 @@ function CodeEditPreview({ model }: SpecializedViewProps) {
 
     const baseName = fileName ? fileName.split("/").pop() : null;
     const language = baseName && shellFileMap[baseName] ? shellFileMap[baseName] : undefined;
+    const newFileContent = useAtomValue(model.newFileContent);
+    const autoSaveMode = useAtomValue(model.autoSaveMode);
+    const isFocused = useAtomValue(model.nodeModel.isFocused);
+    const readonly = fileInfo?.readonly ?? false;
+
+    // "afterdelay": save once typing pauses; every edit changes newFileContent and restarts the timer
+    useEffect(() => {
+        if (autoSaveMode != "afterdelay" || newFileContent == null || readonly) {
+            return;
+        }
+        const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => fireAndForget(model.handleFileSave.bind(model)), AutoSaveDelayMs);
+        return () => clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+    }, [autoSaveMode, newFileContent, readonly]);
+
+    // "onfocuschange": save when the block loses focus
+    useEffect(() => {
+        if (autoSaveMode != "onfocuschange" || isFocused || readonly) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (globalStore.get(model.newFileContent) == null) {
+            return;
+        }
+        fireAndForget(model.handleFileSave.bind(model));
+    }, [autoSaveMode, isFocused, readonly]);
 
     function codeEditKeyDownHandler(e: WaveKeyboardEvent): boolean {
         if (checkKeyPressed(e, "Cmd:e")) {
diff --git a/frontend/app/view/preview/preview-model.tsx b/frontend/app/view/preview/preview-model.tsx
index 8315e48b2a..9e655c1502 100644
--- a/frontend/app/view/preview/preview-model.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/view/preview/preview-model.tsx
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@ const BOOKMARKS: { label: string; path: string }[] = [
 const MaxFileSize = 1024 * 1024 * 10; // 10MB
 const MaxCSVSize = 1024 * 1024 * 1; // 1MB
 
+export type AutoSaveMode = "off" | "afterdelay" | "onfocuschange";
+
+const AutoSaveMenuOptions: { label: string; mode: AutoSaveMode }[] = [
+    { label: "Off", mode: "off" },
+    { label: "After Delay", mode: "afterdelay" },
+    { label: "On Focus Change", mode: "onfocuschange" },
+];
+
 const textApplicationMimetypes = [
     "application/sql",
     "application/x-php",
@@ -131,6 +139,8 @@ export class PreviewModel implements ViewModel {
     hideViewName: Atom<boolean>;
     previewTextRef: React.RefObject<HTMLDivElement>;
     editMode: Atom<boolean>;
+    autoSaveMode: Atom<AutoSaveMode>;
+    saveQueue: Promise<void> = Promise.resolve();
     canPreview: PrimitiveAtom<boolean>;
     specializedView: Atom<Promise<{ specializedView?: string; errorStr?: string }>>;
     loadableSpecializedView: Atom<Loadable<{ specializedView?: string; errorStr?: string }>>;
@@ -222,6 +232,10 @@ export class PreviewModel implements ViewModel {
             const blockData = get(this.blockAtom);
             return blockData?.meta?.edit ?? false;
         });
+        this.autoSaveMode = atom((get) => {
+            const mode = get(this.blockAtom)?.meta?.["editor:autosave"];
+            return AutoSaveMenuOptions.some((opt) => opt.mode == mode) ? (mode as AutoSaveMode) : "off";
+        });
         this.viewName = atom("Preview");
         this.hideViewName = atom(true);
         this.viewText = atom((get) => {
@@ -645,7 +659,16 @@ export class PreviewModel implements ViewModel {
         await this.env.services.object.UpdateObjectMeta(blockOref, { ...blockMeta, edit });
     }
 
-    async handleFileSave() {
+    handleFileSave(): Promise<void> {
+        // run saves one at a time; a queued save reads newFileContent when it starts, so an
+        // older write can never finish after (and overwrite) a newer one
+        this.saveQueue = this.saveQueue
+            .then(() => this.writeFileContent())
+            .catch((e) => console.log("error saving file", e));
+        return this.saveQueue;
+    }
+
+    async writeFileContent() {
         const filePath = await globalStore.get(this.statFilePath);
         if (filePath == null) {
             return;
@@ -663,7 +686,10 @@ export class PreviewModel implements ViewModel {
                 data64: stringToBase64(newFileContent),
             });
             globalStore.set(this.fileContent, newFileContent);
-            globalStore.set(this.newFileContent, null);
+            // only clear if nothing was typed while the write was in flight (autosave can save mid-typing)
+            if (globalStore.get(this.newFileContent) === newFileContent) {
+                globalStore.set(this.newFileContent, null);
+            }
             console.log("saved file", filePath);
         } catch (e) {
             const errorStatus: ErrorMsg = {
@@ -796,6 +822,21 @@ export class PreviewModel implements ViewModel {
                         });
                     }),
             });
+            const autoSaveMode = globalStore.get(this.autoSaveMode);
+            menuItems.push({
+                label: "Auto Save",
+                submenu: AutoSaveMenuOptions.map((opt) => ({
+                    label: opt.label,
+                    type: "checkbox",
+                    checked: autoSaveMode == opt.mode,
+                    click: () => {
+                        this.env.rpc.SetMetaCommand(TabRpcClient, {
+                            oref: WOS.makeORef("block", this.blockId),
+                            meta: { "editor:autosave": opt.mode == "off" ? null : opt.mode },
+                        });
+                    },
+                })),
+            });
         }
         if (loadableSV.state == "hasData" && loadableSV.data.specializedView == "directory") {
             menuItems.push({ type: "separator" });
diff --git a/frontend/types/gotypes.d.ts b/frontend/types/gotypes.d.ts
index c5b870d7ed..85e295f072 100644
--- a/frontend/types/gotypes.d.ts
+++ b/frontend/types/gotypes.d.ts
@@ -1149,6 +1149,7 @@ declare global {
         "editor:minimapenabled"?: boolean;
         "editor:stickyscrollenabled"?: boolean;
         "editor:wordwrap"?: boolean;
+        "editor:autosave"?: string;
         "editor:fontsize"?: number;
         "graph:*"?: boolean;
         "graph:numpoints"?: number;
diff --git a/pkg/waveobj/metaconsts.go b/pkg/waveobj/metaconsts.go
index 0ce08099d8..fecee0aeb1 100644
--- a/pkg/waveobj/metaconsts.go
+++ b/pkg/waveobj/metaconsts.go
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ const (
 	MetaKey_EditorMinimapEnabled             = "editor:minimapenabled"
 	MetaKey_EditorStickyScrollEnabled        = "editor:stickyscrollenabled"
 	MetaKey_EditorWordWrap                   = "editor:wordwrap"
+	MetaKey_EditorAutoSave                   = "editor:autosave"
 	MetaKey_EditorFontSize                   = "editor:fontsize"
 
 	MetaKey_GraphClear                       = "graph:*"
diff --git a/pkg/waveobj/wtypemeta.go b/pkg/waveobj/wtypemeta.go
index 2280b55d2d..c21979f9ec 100644
--- a/pkg/waveobj/wtypemeta.go
+++ b/pkg/waveobj/wtypemeta.go
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ type MetaTSType struct {
 	EditorMinimapEnabled      bool    `json:"editor:minimapenabled,omitempty"`
 	EditorStickyScrollEnabled bool    `json:"editor:stickyscrollenabled,omitempty"`
 	EditorWordWrap            bool    `json:"editor:wordwrap,omitempty"`
+	EditorAutoSave            string  `json:"editor:autosave,omitempty"`
 	EditorFontSize            float64 `json:"editor:fontsize,omitempty"`
 
 	GraphClear     bool     `json:"graph:*,omitempty"`