diff --git a/plugins/view-resources/src/utils.ts b/plugins/view-resources/src/utils.ts
index 34d4b80dfa..f5b9cd8a38 100644
--- a/plugins/view-resources/src/utils.ts
+++ b/plugins/view-resources/src/utils.ts
@@ -481,7 +481,18 @@ export function makeViewletKey (loc?: Location): string {
   return 'viewlet' + locationToUrl(loc)
 }
 
-export const activeViewlet = writable<Record<string, Ref<Viewlet> | null>>({})
+function getSavedViewlets (): Record<string, Ref<Viewlet> | null> {
+  const res: Record<string, Ref<Viewlet> | null> = {}
+  const keys = Object.keys(localStorage)
+  for (const key of keys) {
+    if (!key.startsWith('viewlet')) continue
+    const item = localStorage.getItem(key) as Ref<Viewlet> | null
+    res[key] = item
+  }
+  return res
+}
+
+export const activeViewlet = writable<Record<string, Ref<Viewlet> | null>>(getSavedViewlets())
 
 export function setActiveViewletId (viewletId: Ref<Viewlet> | null, loc?: Location): void {
   const key = makeViewletKey(loc)
diff --git a/plugins/workbench-resources/src/components/SpecialView.svelte b/plugins/workbench-resources/src/components/SpecialView.svelte
index 99b05e1d0c..91311423a8 100644
--- a/plugins/workbench-resources/src/components/SpecialView.svelte
+++ b/plugins/workbench-resources/src/components/SpecialView.svelte
@@ -88,8 +88,15 @@
     })
   )
 
-  $: {
-    const newViewlet = viewlets.find((viewlet) => viewlet?._id === $activeViewlet[key]) ?? viewlets[0]
+  $: getActiveViewlet(viewlets, $activeViewlet, key)
+
+  function getActiveViewlet (
+    viewlets: WithLookup<Viewlet>[],
+    activeViewlet: Record<string, Ref<Viewlet> | null>,
+    key: string
+  ) {
+    if (viewlets.length === 0) return
+    const newViewlet = viewlets.find((viewlet) => viewlet?._id === activeViewlet[key]) ?? viewlets[0]
     if (viewlet?._id !== newViewlet?._id) {
       preference = undefined
     }