diff --git a/code/addons/interactions/src/preset/preview.ts b/code/addons/interactions/src/preset/preview.ts
index 41eadcf626f5..6995d3037159 100644
--- a/code/addons/interactions/src/preset/preview.ts
+++ b/code/addons/interactions/src/preset/preview.ts
@@ -59,3 +59,7 @@ export const { step: runStep } = instrument(
   { step: (label: StepLabel, play: PlayFunction, context: PlayFunctionContext) => play(context) },
   { intercept: true }
 );
+
+export const parameters = {
+  throwPlayFunctionExceptions: false,
+};
diff --git a/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.mockdata.ts b/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.mockdata.ts
index aae1136c168c..99d92dbf140b 100644
--- a/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.mockdata.ts
+++ b/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.mockdata.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export const projectAnnotations = {
   renderToDOM: jest.fn().mockReturnValue(teardownRenderToDOM),
   parameters: { docs: { renderer: () => docsRenderer } },
 };
-export const getProjectAnnotations = () => projectAnnotations;
+export const getProjectAnnotations = jest.fn(() => projectAnnotations as any);
 
 export const storyIndex: StoryIndex = {
   v: 4,
diff --git a/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.test.ts b/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.test.ts
index 2efa7ab9a64d..75fb1b8de23f 100644
--- a/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.test.ts
+++ b/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.test.ts
@@ -511,16 +511,13 @@ describe('PreviewWeb', () => {
 
       it('renders helpful message if renderToDOM is undefined', async () => {
         document.location.search = '?id=component-one--a';
+
+        getProjectAnnotations.mockReturnValueOnce({
+          ...projectAnnotations,
+          renderToDOM: undefined,
+        });
         const preview = new PreviewWeb();
-        await expect(
-          preview.initialize({
-            importFn,
-            getProjectAnnotations: () => ({
-              ...getProjectAnnotations,
-              renderToDOM: undefined,
-            }),
-          })
-        ).rejects.toThrow();
+        await expect(preview.initialize({ importFn, getProjectAnnotations })).rejects.toThrow();
 
         expect(preview.view.showErrorDisplay).toHaveBeenCalled();
         expect((preview.view.showErrorDisplay as jest.Mock).mock.calls[0][0])
@@ -533,20 +530,56 @@ describe('PreviewWeb', () => {
                       `);
       });
 
-      it('emits but does not render exception if the play function throws', async () => {
-        const error = new Error('error');
-        componentOneExports.a.play.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
-          throw error;
+      describe('when `throwPlayFunctionExceptions` is set', () => {
+        it('emits but does not render exception if the play function throws', async () => {
+          const error = new Error('error');
+          componentOneExports.a.play.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+            throw error;
+          });
+
+          getProjectAnnotations.mockReturnValueOnce({
+            ...projectAnnotations,
+            parameters: {
+              ...projectAnnotations.parameters,
+              throwPlayFunctionExceptions: false,
+            },
+          });
+
+          document.location.search = '?id=component-one--a';
+          const preview = await createAndRenderPreview();
+
+          expect(mockChannel.emit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+            PLAY_FUNCTION_THREW_EXCEPTION,
+            serializeError(error)
+          );
+          expect(preview.view.showErrorDisplay).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+          expect(mockChannel.emit).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+            STORY_THREW_EXCEPTION,
+            serializeError(error)
+          );
         });
+      });
 
-        document.location.search = '?id=component-one--a';
-        const preview = await createAndRenderPreview();
+      describe('when `throwPlayFunctionExceptions` is unset', () => {
+        it('emits AND renders exception if the play function throws', async () => {
+          const error = new Error('error');
+          componentOneExports.a.play.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+            throw error;
+          });
 
-        expect(mockChannel.emit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          PLAY_FUNCTION_THREW_EXCEPTION,
-          serializeError(error)
-        );
-        expect(preview.view.showErrorDisplay).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+          document.location.search = '?id=component-one--a';
+          const preview = await createAndRenderPreview();
+
+          expect(mockChannel.emit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+            PLAY_FUNCTION_THREW_EXCEPTION,
+            serializeError(error)
+          );
+          expect(preview.view.showErrorDisplay).toHaveBeenCalled();
+          expect(mockChannel.emit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+            STORY_THREW_EXCEPTION,
+            serializeError(error)
+          );
+        });
       });
 
       it('renders exception if the story calls showException', async () => {
@@ -3119,6 +3152,16 @@ describe('PreviewWeb', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    describe('with no selection', () => {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line jest/expect-expect
+      it('does not error', async () => {
+        const preview = await createAndRenderPreview();
+        await preview.onGetProjectAnnotationsChanged({
+          getProjectAnnotations: newGetProjectAnnotations,
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
     it('shows an error the new value throws', async () => {
       document.location.search = '?id=component-one--a';
       const preview = await createAndRenderPreview();
diff --git a/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.tsx b/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.tsx
index 49f07856b1b4..4c5d96eca8e9 100644
--- a/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.tsx
+++ b/code/lib/preview-web/src/PreviewWeb.tsx
@@ -181,7 +181,9 @@ export class PreviewWeb<TFramework extends AnyFramework> extends Preview<TFramew
   }) {
     await super.onGetProjectAnnotationsChanged({ getProjectAnnotations });
 
-    this.renderSelection();
+    if (this.urlStore.selection) {
+      this.renderSelection();
+    }
   }
 
   // This happens when a glob gets HMR-ed
diff --git a/code/lib/preview-web/src/render/StoryRender.ts b/code/lib/preview-web/src/render/StoryRender.ts
index 0074e28f9c01..ad1c6d8eb5c5 100644
--- a/code/lib/preview-web/src/render/StoryRender.ts
+++ b/code/lib/preview-web/src/render/StoryRender.ts
@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ export class StoryRender<TFramework extends AnyFramework> implements Render<TFra
           await this.runPhase(abortSignal, 'errored', async () => {
             this.channel.emit(PLAY_FUNCTION_THREW_EXCEPTION, serializeError(error));
           });
+          if (this.story.parameters.throwPlayFunctionExceptions !== false) throw error;
         }
         this.disableKeyListeners = false;
         if (abortSignal.aborted) return;