diff --git a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/FilesPreview.tsx b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/FilesPreview.tsx
index df523815..93258913 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/FilesPreview.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/FilesPreview.tsx
@@ -129,6 +129,16 @@ export const FilePreview = ({
     window.open(currentFile.url_preview, "_blank");
   };
 
+  const handleBackdropClick = (e: React.MouseEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
+    if (!(e.target instanceof HTMLElement)) return;
+    if (
+      e.target === e.currentTarget ||
+      e.target.dataset.previewBackdrop === "true"
+    ) {
+      onClose?.();
+    }
+  };
+
   // Render the appropriate viewer based on file category
   const renderViewer = () => {
     if (!currentFile) {
@@ -165,7 +175,10 @@ export const FilePreview = ({
         );
       case MimeCategory.VIDEO:
         return (
-          <div className="video-preview-viewer-container">
+          <div
+            className="video-preview-viewer-container"
+            data-preview-backdrop="true"
+          >
             <div className="video-preview-viewer">
               <VideoPlayer
                 src={currentFile.url_preview}
@@ -177,7 +190,10 @@ export const FilePreview = ({
         );
       case MimeCategory.AUDIO:
         return (
-          <div className="video-preview-viewer-container">
+          <div
+            className="video-preview-viewer-container"
+            data-preview-backdrop="true"
+          >
             <div className="video-preview-viewer">
               <AudioPlayer
                 src={currentFile.url_preview}
@@ -302,6 +318,7 @@ export const FilePreview = ({
     >
       <div data-testid="file-preview">
         <div
+          onClick={handleBackdropClick}
           className={clsx(
             "file-preview__container",
             isSidebarOpen && "file-preview__container--sidebar-open",
diff --git a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/image-viewer/ImageViewer.tsx b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/image-viewer/ImageViewer.tsx
index 7d3496b3..8d434420 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/image-viewer/ImageViewer.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/image-viewer/ImageViewer.tsx
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ export const ImageViewer: React.FC<ImageViewerProps> = ({
 
   const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const imageRef = useRef<HTMLImageElement>(null);
+  const mouseDownPosRef = useRef<{ x: number; y: number } | null>(null);
 
   // Calculate distance between two touch points
   const getTouchDistance = useCallback(
@@ -193,6 +194,7 @@ export const ImageViewer: React.FC<ImageViewerProps> = ({
   // Handle mouse down for dragging
   const handleMouseDown = useCallback(
     (e: React.MouseEvent) => {
+      mouseDownPosRef.current = { x: e.clientX, y: e.clientY };
       if (isImageExceedingBounds()) {
         setIsDragging(true);
         setDragStart({
@@ -204,6 +206,20 @@ export const ImageViewer: React.FC<ImageViewerProps> = ({
     [isImageExceedingBounds, position],
   );
 
+  // Swallow the click that follows a pan-drag so it never bubbles to the
+  // FilePreview backdrop handler. Without this, releasing a drag on the
+  // empty area of the container would close the preview.
+  const handleClickCapture = useCallback((e: React.MouseEvent) => {
+    const start = mouseDownPosRef.current;
+    mouseDownPosRef.current = null;
+    if (!start) return;
+    const dx = e.clientX - start.x;
+    const dy = e.clientY - start.y;
+    if (dx * dx + dy * dy > 16) {
+      e.stopPropagation();
+    }
+  }, []);
+
   // Handle mouse move for dragging
   const handleMouseMove = useCallback(
     (e: React.MouseEvent) => {
@@ -359,11 +375,13 @@ export const ImageViewer: React.FC<ImageViewerProps> = ({
       <div
         ref={containerRef}
         className="image-viewer__container"
+        data-preview-backdrop="true"
         tabIndex={0}
         onMouseDown={handleMouseDown}
         onMouseMove={handleMouseMove}
         onMouseUp={handleMouseUp}
         onMouseLeave={handleMouseUp}
+        onClickCapture={handleClickCapture}
         onWheel={handleWheel}
         onTouchStart={handleTouchStart}
         onTouchMove={handleTouchMove}
diff --git a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/not-supported/NotSupportedPreview.tsx b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/not-supported/NotSupportedPreview.tsx
index afc260e9..ce899f80 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/not-supported/NotSupportedPreview.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/not-supported/NotSupportedPreview.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export const NotSupportedPreview = ({
   }, [onDownload, file]);
 
   return (
-    <div className="file-preview-unsupported">
+    <div className="file-preview-unsupported" data-preview-backdrop="true">
       <div className="file-preview-unsupported__icon">
         <FileIcon file={file} size="xlarge" />
       </div>
diff --git a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/OutdatedBrowserPreview.tsx b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/OutdatedBrowserPreview.tsx
index e7b4fb6b..f9680c50 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/OutdatedBrowserPreview.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/OutdatedBrowserPreview.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ export const OutdatedBrowserPreview = () => {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
 
   return (
-    <div className="file-preview-unsupported">
+    <div className="file-preview-unsupported" data-preview-backdrop="true">
       <div className="file-preview-unsupported__icon">
         <Icon name="security" type={IconType.OUTLINED} size={48} />
       </div>
diff --git a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/PdfPageViewer.tsx b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/PdfPageViewer.tsx
index d3d7906d..4d918a91 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/PdfPageViewer.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/PdfPageViewer.tsx
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ export function PdfPageViewer({
   const rowRenderer: ListRowRenderer = ({ index, key, style }) => (
     <div
       key={key}
+      data-preview-backdrop="true"
       style={{
         ...style,
         display: "flex",
diff --git a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/PdfPreview.tsx b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/PdfPreview.tsx
index 01a3817f..82e8b0e1 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/PdfPreview.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/pdf-preview/PdfPreview.tsx
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ export function PdfPreview({
 
   if (error?.message || documentError === "generic") {
     return (
-      <div className="file-preview-unsupported">
+      <div className="file-preview-unsupported" data-preview-backdrop="true">
         <div className="file-preview-unsupported__icon">
           <Icon name="error" type={IconType.OUTLINED} size={48} />
         </div>
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ export function PdfPreview({
 
   return (
     <div className="pdf-preview">
-      <div className="pdf-preview__body">
+      <div className="pdf-preview__body" data-preview-backdrop="true">
         {file ? (
           <Document
             file={file}
diff --git a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/suspicious/SuspiciousPreview.tsx b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/suspicious/SuspiciousPreview.tsx
index a4a34fbc..22e97bcd 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/suspicious/SuspiciousPreview.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/suspicious/SuspiciousPreview.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export const SuspiciousPreview = ({
   const { t } = useTranslation();
 
   return (
-    <div className="file-preview-suspicious">
+    <div className="file-preview-suspicious" data-preview-backdrop="true">
       <div className="file-preview-suspicious__icon">
         <img src={mimeSuspicious.src} alt="" className="item-icon xlarge" />
       </div>
diff --git a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/wopi/WopiOpenInEditor.tsx b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/wopi/WopiOpenInEditor.tsx
index b47130e9..152e9064 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/wopi/WopiOpenInEditor.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/ui/preview/viewers/wopi/WopiOpenInEditor.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export const WopiOpenInEditor = ({ file }: WopiOpenInEditorProps) => {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
 
   return (
-    <div className="file-preview-unsupported">
+    <div className="file-preview-unsupported" data-preview-backdrop="true">
       <div className="file-preview-unsupported__icon">
         <FileIcon file={file} size="xlarge" />
       </div>