diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/PageTracks.module.css b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/PageTracks.module.css
index 35221c310e..fbe688bc12 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/PageTracks.module.css
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/PageTracks.module.css
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@
   overflow-y: hidden;
 }
 
+.laneHint {
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
 .laneEmpty {
   align-items: center;
   justify-content: center;
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/PageTracks.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/PageTracks.tsx
index 1f222398ed..2983cb5444 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/PageTracks.tsx
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/PageTracks.tsx
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ export default function PageTracks() {
     [deletePages, selection.selectedIds],
   );
 
+  const clearSelection = selection.clear;
+
   // ── Drag and drop ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
   const sensors = useSensors(
@@ -331,7 +333,13 @@ export default function PageTracks() {
         onDragEnd={handleDragEnd}
         onDragCancel={handleDragCancel}
       >
-        <div className={styles.scroller} data-scrolling-container="true">
+        <div
+          className={styles.scroller}
+          data-scrolling-container="true"
+          onClick={(event) => {
+            if (event.target === event.currentTarget) clearSelection();
+          }}
+        >
           {workspace.order.map((fileId) => {
             const track = workspace.tracks[fileId];
             if (!track) return null;
@@ -351,6 +359,7 @@ export default function PageTracks() {
                 thumbnails={thumbnails}
                 onSelectPage={selection.selectPage}
                 onSelectTrack={selection.selectTrack}
+                onClearSelection={clearSelection}
                 onRotate={rotatePages}
                 onDelete={deletePages}
               />
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/TrackRow.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/TrackRow.tsx
index 4ac2a8a605..1ecdd1f2d9 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/TrackRow.tsx
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/pageTracks/TrackRow.tsx
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ export interface TrackRowProps {
     modifiers: PageClickModifiers,
   ) => void;
   onSelectTrack: (fileId: FileId) => void;
+  /** Called when the click landed on empty lane surface, not on a page. */
+  onClearSelection: () => void;
   onRotate: (pageIds: string[], delta: number) => void;
   onDelete: (pageIds: string[]) => void;
 }
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ function TrackRowImpl({
   thumbnails,
   onSelectPage,
   onSelectTrack,
+  onClearSelection,
   onRotate,
   onDelete,
 }: TrackRowProps) {
@@ -168,15 +171,22 @@ function TrackRowImpl({
 
       <div
         ref={setNodeRef}
+        data-track-lane={track.fileId}
         className={[
           styles.lane,
           track.pages.length === 0 ? styles.laneEmpty : "",
         ]
           .filter(Boolean)
           .join(" ")}
+        // Only a click on the lane itself, never one that bubbled up from a
+        // page: clicking a tile would otherwise select it and immediately
+        // clear it again.
+        onClick={(event) => {
+          if (event.target === event.currentTarget) onClearSelection();
+        }}
       >
         {track.pages.length === 0 && (
-          <span>
+          <span className={styles.laneHint}>
             {t(
               "pageTracks.emptyTrack",
               "No pages left. Drag pages here, or save to close this file.",
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/tests/stubbed/page-tracks.spec.ts b/frontend/editor/src/core/tests/stubbed/page-tracks.spec.ts
index 884b9d378b..7b56b5cea3 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/tests/stubbed/page-tracks.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/tests/stubbed/page-tracks.spec.ts
@@ -360,4 +360,59 @@ test.describe("Page Editor tracks", () => {
     // Only the two clicked pages turn; the ones in between are untouched.
     expect(await readRotations(rotated, 4)).toEqual([90, 90, 0, 180]);
   });
+
+  test("clicking the empty space around the pages deselects everything", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    await openPageEditor(page);
+    const rotated = track(page, "rotated-pages.pdf");
+    const tiles = rotated.locator("[data-page-id]");
+    await expect(tiles).toHaveCount(4, { timeout: 30_000 });
+    const anySelected = page.locator('[data-page-id][data-selected="true"]');
+
+    await tiles.nth(0).click();
+    await tiles.nth(2).click();
+    await expect(anySelected).toHaveCount(2);
+
+    // The lane runs past its last page; that surface is not a page.
+    const box = await rotated.locator("[data-track-lane]").boundingBox();
+    if (!box) throw new Error("lane is not laid out");
+    const last = await tiles.nth(3).boundingBox();
+    if (!last) throw new Error("tile is not laid out");
+    await page.mouse.click(
+      (last.x + last.width + box.x + box.width) / 2,
+      box.y + box.height / 2,
+    );
+    await expect(anySelected).toHaveCount(0);
+  });
+
+  test("a drag that lands on empty lane space keeps the moved selection", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    await openPageEditor(page);
+    const rotated = track(page, "rotated-pages.pdf");
+    const sample = track(page, "sample.pdf");
+    const tiles = rotated.locator("[data-page-id]");
+    await expect(tiles).toHaveCount(4, { timeout: 30_000 });
+
+    await tiles.nth(0).click();
+    await tiles.nth(1).click();
+    await expect(
+      page.locator('[data-page-id][data-selected="true"]'),
+    ).toHaveCount(2);
+
+    // sample.pdf has one page, so the lane past it is empty space: the drop
+    // releases over the lane, which is also where a deselect click would land.
+    await dragPageOnto(
+      page,
+      tiles.nth(0),
+      sample.locator("[data-page-id]").first(),
+      0.9,
+    );
+
+    await expect(sample.locator("[data-page-id]")).toHaveCount(3);
+    await expect(
+      page.locator('[data-page-id][data-selected="true"]'),
+    ).toHaveCount(2);
+  });
 });