diff --git a/components/scenario-form.jsx b/components/scenario-form.jsx
index 9ff4b64..528f47a 100644
--- a/components/scenario-form.jsx
+++ b/components/scenario-form.jsx
@@ -238,7 +238,14 @@ export default function ScenarioForm() {
   const branchScoped = useBranchScopedFixture();
   // Toggle to control when the experiment view is visible vs production
   const [showExperimentView, setShowExperimentView] = useState(
-    typeof window !== "undefined" ? (window.sessionStorage?.getItem("ce-show-experiment") !== "false") : true,
+    typeof window !== "undefined" ? (() => {
+      const saved = sessionStorage?.getItem("ce-show-experiment");
+      // Only default to true if user explicitly toggled ON (saved === "true")
+      // or has an active investigation context (session exists with situationGraph)
+      if (saved === "true") return true;
+      const session = getSession();
+      return Boolean(session?.situationGraph);
+    })() : false,
   );
 
   // Use fixture branches as the authoritative source when available
@@ -457,7 +464,7 @@ export default function ScenarioForm() {
   return (
     <div className="space-y-6">
       {/* ── RTO.26B — standalone branch-scoped experimental view (shown when experiment is active) ───── */}
-      {showExperimentView && status !== "loading" && (result?.situationGraph || status === "success") && (
+      {showExperimentView && (result?.situationGraph || status === "success") && status !== "loading" && (
         <>
           <PulseStyle />
           <div className="grid grid-cols-1 gap-6 lg:grid-cols-4">