diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/preferences.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/preferences.rs
index 883d0b68a6..fc574b9c0c 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/preferences.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/preferences.rs
@@ -710,37 +710,75 @@ fn card_documents_and_view(ui: &mut egui::Ui, app: &mut PdfCraftApp, t: &Tokens,
     ctx.label_secondary(ui, tl!("Used when opening PDFs. An explicit launch or control mode takes precedence for the session."), t);
     ui.add_space(6.0);
 
-    let defaults = &mut app.view_defaults;
+    let mut layout_choice = app.view_defaults.layout;
+    let mut continuous = app.view_defaults.continuous;
+    let mut layout_changed = false;
+    let mut continuous_changed = false;
     ui.horizontal(|ui| {
         ctx.label_primary(ui, tl!("Default page display"), t);
-        let mut layout_choice = defaults.layout;
         if ctx.pill_choice(ui, t, &mut layout_choice, &[(PageLayout::Single, tl!("Single page")), (PageLayout::TwoUp, tl!("Two-page view"))]) {
-            defaults.layout = layout_choice;
+            app.view_defaults.layout = layout_choice;
+            layout_changed = true;
         }
-        let mut continuous = defaults.continuous;
         if ctx.toggle_pill(ui, t, &mut continuous, tl!("Continuous scrolling")) {
-            defaults.continuous = continuous;
+            app.view_defaults.continuous = continuous;
+            continuous_changed = true;
         }
     });
-    ctx.checkbox(ui, &mut defaults.show_page_gaps, tl!("Show gaps between pages"), t);
+    let mut show_page_gaps = app.view_defaults.show_page_gaps;
+    let gaps_changed = ctx.checkbox(ui, &mut show_page_gaps, tl!("Show gaps between pages"), t).changed();
+    if gaps_changed {
+        app.view_defaults.show_page_gaps = show_page_gaps;
+    }
     ctx.label_secondary(ui, tl!("Hide gaps to join page edges. Margins inside the PDF remain unchanged."), t);
     ui.add_space(6.0);
 
+    let mut fit_changed = false;
+    let mut zoom_changed = false;
     ui.horizontal(|ui| {
         ctx.label_primary(ui, tl!("Default zoom"), t);
-        ctx.pill_choice(
-            ui,
-            t,
-            &mut defaults.fit,
-            &[(Fit::Width, tl!("Fit to width")), (Fit::Page, tl!("Zoom to page level")), (Fit::None, tl!("Custom"))],
-        );
-        let mut percent = defaults.zoom * 100.0;
+        let mut fit = app.view_defaults.fit;
+        if ctx.pill_choice(ui, t, &mut fit, &[(Fit::Width, tl!("Fit to width")), (Fit::Page, tl!("Zoom to page level")), (Fit::None, tl!("Custom"))])
+        {
+            app.view_defaults.fit = fit;
+            fit_changed = true;
+        }
+        let mut percent = app.view_defaults.zoom * 100.0;
         if ui.add(egui::DragValue::new(&mut percent).range(8.0..=6400.0).max_decimals(0).suffix("%")).changed() {
-            (defaults.fit, defaults.zoom) = (Fit::None, percent / 100.0);
+            (app.view_defaults.fit, app.view_defaults.zoom) = (Fit::None, percent / 100.0);
+            zoom_changed = true;
         }
     });
     ctx.label_secondary(ui, tl!("Used when a PDF doesn't ask for a layout or zoom. Continuous scrolling never snaps between pages."), t);
-    ctx.checkbox(ui, &mut app.always_default_view, tl!("Always use my default zoom and page layout"), t);
+    let always_changed = ctx.checkbox(ui, &mut app.always_default_view, tl!("Always use my default zoom and page layout"), t).changed();
+
+    if app.always_default_view && (always_changed || layout_changed || continuous_changed || gaps_changed || fit_changed || zoom_changed) {
+        let defaults = app.view_defaults;
+        for view in &mut app.views {
+            view.set_display(defaults.layout, defaults.continuous);
+            view.show_page_gaps = defaults.show_page_gaps;
+            match defaults.fit {
+                Fit::None => view.set_zoom(defaults.zoom),
+                fit => view.set_fit(fit),
+            }
+        }
+    } else if let Some(i) = app.active {
+        if layout_changed {
+            app.views[i].set_layout(layout_choice);
+        }
+        if continuous_changed {
+            app.views[i].set_continuous(continuous);
+        }
+        if gaps_changed {
+            app.views[i].show_page_gaps = show_page_gaps;
+        }
+        if fit_changed {
+            app.views[i].set_fit(app.view_defaults.fit);
+        }
+        if zoom_changed {
+            app.views[i].set_zoom(app.view_defaults.zoom);
+        }
+    }
     ctx.checkbox(ui, &mut app.text_links, tl!("Open web and email addresses written in the page text"), t);
     ctx.label_secondary(ui, tl!("Only web (http, https) and email addresses open, and PdfCraft asks first, as for other links."), t);
     ui.add_space(6.0);
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/persist/last_view.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/persist/last_view.rs
index 13012b1d60..901e987112 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/persist/last_view.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/persist/last_view.rs
@@ -112,14 +112,16 @@ impl PdfCraftApp {
         let pages = doc.info.pages.len();
         let Some(last) = self.last_views.iter().find(|l| l.path == path).cloned() else { return };
         let Some(view) = self.views.get_mut(index) else { return };
-        if let Some((layout, continuous)) = canvas::parse_display_token(&last.display) {
-            view.set_display(layout, continuous);
-        }
-        view.set_cover(last.cover);
-        if let Some(defaults) = ViewDefaults::default().with_zoom(&last.zoom) {
-            match defaults.fit {
-                canvas::Fit::None => view.set_zoom(defaults.zoom),
-                fit => view.set_fit(fit),
+        if !self.always_default_view {
+            if let Some((layout, continuous)) = canvas::parse_display_token(&last.display) {
+                view.set_display(layout, continuous);
+            }
+            view.set_cover(last.cover);
+            if let Some(defaults) = ViewDefaults::default().with_zoom(&last.zoom) {
+                match defaults.fit {
+                    canvas::Fit::None => view.set_zoom(defaults.zoom),
+                    fit => view.set_fit(fit),
+                }
             }
         }
         if last.page < pages {
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/view.rs b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/view.rs
index e290f73b26..bb435f4d2f 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/view.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/view.rs
@@ -1255,6 +1255,39 @@ fn preferences_turn_on_always_use_my_default_zoom_and_page_layout() {
     assert!(h.state().always_default_view);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn preferences_turn_on_always_use_my_default_zoom_and_page_layout_updates_open_documents() {
+    use egui_kittest::kittest::Queryable;
+    let mut h = harness(&[("continuous", "off"), ("zoom", "50")]);
+    assert!(!h.state().views[0].continuous());
+    assert_ne!(h.state().views[0].fit, pdfcraft_ui_egui::canvas::Fit::Width);
+    assert!(h.state_mut().execute("app.preferences"));
+    h.run_steps(3);
+    h.get_by_label("Always use my default zoom and page layout").scroll_to_me();
+    h.run_steps(4);
+    h.get_by_label("Always use my default zoom and page layout").click();
+    h.run_steps(2);
+    assert!(h.state().always_default_view);
+    assert!(h.state().views[0].continuous(), "continuous scrolling is applied");
+    assert_eq!(h.state().views[0].fit, pdfcraft_ui_egui::canvas::Fit::Width, "default fit width is applied");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn preferences_toggle_continuous_scrolling_updates_active_document() {
+    use egui_kittest::kittest::Queryable;
+    let mut h = harness(&[("default-continuous", "off"), ("continuous", "off")]);
+    assert!(!h.state().view_defaults.continuous);
+    assert!(!h.state().views[0].continuous());
+    assert!(h.state_mut().execute("app.preferences"));
+    h.run_steps(3);
+    h.get_by_label("Continuous scrolling").scroll_to_me();
+    h.run_steps(4);
+    h.get_by_label("Continuous scrolling").click();
+    h.run_steps(2);
+    assert!(h.state().view_defaults.continuous, "defaults are updated");
+    assert!(h.state().views[0].continuous(), "active document view is updated");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn preferences_set_the_default_zoom() {
     use egui_kittest::kittest::Queryable;
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/viewer_prefs.rs b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/viewer_prefs.rs
index 781e461668..5ecd4a1a82 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/viewer_prefs.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/viewer_prefs.rs
@@ -231,6 +231,21 @@ fn a_remembered_zoom_wins_over_the_layouts_fit_page() {
     assert_eq!((v.fit, v.zoom, v.current), (Fit::None, 0.625, 1));
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn always_default_view_wins_over_a_remembered_view() {
+    let path = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("pdfcraft-viewer-prefs-always-default-{}.pdf", std::process::id())).to_string_lossy().into_owned();
+    let mut app = PdfCraftApp::new();
+    let json_path = serde_json::to_string(&path).unwrap();
+    app.restore(&format!(
+        r#"{{"last_views": [{{"path": {json_path}, "page": 1, "zoom": "62.5%", "display": "single"}}], "always_default_view": true}}"#
+    ));
+    assert!(app.always_default_view);
+    assert!(app.restore_last_view);
+    app.open_bytes("x.pdf", Some(path), fixture("/PageLayout /SinglePage")).unwrap();
+    let v = &app.views[0];
+    assert_eq!((v.fit, v.layout, v.continuous(), v.current), (Fit::Width, pdfcraft_ui_egui::canvas::PageLayout::Single, true, 1));
+}
+
 /// The last `InnerSize` and `OuterPosition` asked for over `frames` frames.
 fn window_commands(h: &mut Harness<'static, PdfCraftApp>, frames: usize) -> (Option<egui::Vec2>, Option<egui::Pos2>) {
     let (mut size, mut at) = (None, None);