diff --git a/extension.json b/extension.json
index 59a0e507..99c52bc1 100644
--- a/extension.json
+++ b/extension.json
@@ -323,20 +323,23 @@
 				"wikieditor-realtimepreview-error",
 				"wikieditor-realtimepreview-reload",
 				"wikieditor-realtimepreview-reload-title",
-				"accesskey-wikieditor-realtimepreview"
+				"accesskey-wikieditor-realtimepreview",
+				"wikieditor-realtimepreview-manual"
 			],
 			"packageFiles": [
 				"realtimepreview/init.js",
 				"realtimepreview/RealtimePreview.js",
 				"realtimepreview/ResizingDragBar.js",
 				"realtimepreview/TwoPaneLayout.js",
-				"realtimepreview/ErrorLayout.js"
+				"realtimepreview/ErrorLayout.js",
+				"realtimepreview/ManualWidget.js"
 			],
 			"styles": [
 				"realtimepreview/RealtimePreview.less",
 				"realtimepreview/ResizingDragBar.less",
 				"realtimepreview/TwoPaneLayout.less",
-				"realtimepreview/ErrorLayout.less"
+				"realtimepreview/ErrorLayout.less",
+				"realtimepreview/ManualWidget.less"
 			]
 		}
 	},
diff --git a/i18n/en.json b/i18n/en.json
index 9d7cfb2e..c2ba39b3 100644
--- a/i18n/en.json
+++ b/i18n/en.json
@@ -204,5 +204,6 @@
 	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-beta-label": "Realtime Preview",
 	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-beta-desc": "See how wikitext changes will appear to readers inside the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:WikiEditor|2010 editor]].",
 	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-reload-title": "Reload the realtime preview pane",
-	"accesskey-wikieditor-realtimepreview": ")"
+	"accesskey-wikieditor-realtimepreview": ")",
+	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-manual": "Please reload now to manually preview your edits."
 }
diff --git a/i18n/qqq.json b/i18n/qqq.json
index 9b964f9d..a423c6e1 100644
--- a/i18n/qqq.json
+++ b/i18n/qqq.json
@@ -231,9 +231,10 @@
 	"tag-wikieditor-description": "Long description of the wikieditor tag ({{msg-mw|Tag-wikieditor}}).\n\nShown on [[Special:Tags]].\n\nSee also:\n* {{msg-mw|Tag-wikieditor}}",
 	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-preview": "Label for the toolbar button to enable/disable realtime preview.",
 	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-error": "Header text for realtime preview errors.",
-	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-reload": "Button text for the 'reload' button on realtime preview errors.",
+	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-reload": "Button text for the realtime preview 'reload' buttons (the hover button, the manual-reload button, and the button shown in error messages).",
 	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-beta-label": "Used in [[Special:Preferences]].\n\nUsed as label for checkbox to enable Realtime Preview as a Beta Feature.\n\nThe description for this checkbox is: {{msg-mw|wikieditor-realtimepreview-beta-desc}}.",
 	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-beta-desc": "Used in [[Special:Preferences]].\n\nUsed as description for the checkbox to enable Realtime Preview as a Beta Feature.\n\nThe label for this checkbox is {{msg-mw|wikieditor-realtimepreview-beta-label}}.",
 	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-reload-title": "Tooltip text for the manual reload button.",
-	"accesskey-wikieditor-realtimepreview": "{{doc-accesskey}}\nAccesskey for the manual reload button."
+	"accesskey-wikieditor-realtimepreview": "{{doc-accesskey}}\nAccesskey for the manual reload button.",
+	"wikieditor-realtimepreview-manual": "Message displayed when realtime preview is in 'manual' mode."
 }
diff --git a/modules/realtimepreview/ManualWidget.js b/modules/realtimepreview/ManualWidget.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2d3b5481
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/realtimepreview/ManualWidget.js
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/* global RealtimePreview */
+/**
+ * @class
+ * @constructor
+ * @param {RealtimePreview} realtimePreview
+ * @param {OO.ui.ButtonWidget} reloadHoverButton
+ */
+function ManualWidget( realtimePreview, reloadHoverButton ) {
+	var config = {
+		classes: [ 'ext-WikiEditor-ManualWidget' ],
+		framed: true
+	};
+	ManualWidget.super.call( this, config );
+
+	this.reloadHoverButton = reloadHoverButton;
+
+	// UI elements.
+	var reloadIcon = new OO.ui.IconWidget( { icon: 'reload' } );
+	var $reloadLabel = $( '<span>' )
+		.text( mw.msg( 'wikieditor-realtimepreview-manual' ) );
+	this.reloadButton = new OO.ui.ButtonWidget( {
+		label: mw.msg( 'wikieditor-realtimepreview-reload' ),
+		framed: false,
+		flags: [ 'progressive' ]
+	} );
+	this.reloadButton.connect( realtimePreview, {
+		click: realtimePreview.doRealtimePreview.bind( realtimePreview )
+	} );
+	this.$element.append( reloadIcon.$element, $reloadLabel, this.reloadButton.$element );
+}
+
+OO.inheritClass( ManualWidget, OO.ui.Widget );
+
+ManualWidget.prototype.toggle = function ( show ) {
+	ManualWidget.parent.prototype.toggle.call( this, show );
+	if ( show ) {
+		this.reloadHoverButton.$element.remove();
+		// Use the same access key as the hover reload button, because this won't ever be displayed at the same time as that.
+		this.reloadButton.setAccessKey( mw.msg( 'accesskey-wikieditor-realtimepreview' ) );
+	}
+};
+
+module.exports = ManualWidget;
diff --git a/modules/realtimepreview/ManualWidget.less b/modules/realtimepreview/ManualWidget.less
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..45b9a5b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/realtimepreview/ManualWidget.less
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+@import 'mediawiki.ui/variables';
+
+.ext-WikiEditor-ManualWidget {
+	background-color: @colorGray14;
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: center;
+	justify-content: space-between;
+	border-color: @colorGray12;
+	border-width: 1px 0;
+	border-style: solid;
+	padding: 6px 24px;
+
+	& > .oo-ui-iconWidget {
+		margin-right: 1em;
+	}
+
+	.oo-ui-buttonWidget {
+		margin-left: auto;
+		font-weight: bolder;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/realtimepreview/RealtimePreview.js b/modules/realtimepreview/RealtimePreview.js
index c0f972dc..4bf16cca 100644
--- a/modules/realtimepreview/RealtimePreview.js
+++ b/modules/realtimepreview/RealtimePreview.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 var ResizingDragBar = require( './ResizingDragBar.js' );
 var TwoPaneLayout = require( './TwoPaneLayout.js' );
 var ErrorLayout = require( './ErrorLayout.js' );
+var ManualWidget = require( './ManualWidget.js' );
 
 /**
  * @class
@@ -21,13 +22,19 @@ function RealtimePreview() {
 		.append( $previewContent );
 
 	// Loading bar.
-	this.$loadingBar = $( '<div>' ).addClass( 'ext-WikiEditor-realtimepreview-loadingbar' );
+	this.$loadingBar = $( '<div>' ).addClass( 'ext-WikiEditor-realtimepreview-loadingbar' ).append( '<div>' );
 	this.$loadingBar.hide();
 
 	// Error layout.
 	this.errorLayout = new ErrorLayout();
 	this.errorLayout.getReloadButton().connect( this, {
-		click: this.doRealtimePreview.bind( this )
+		click: function () {
+			// Re-show the manual message after the error message is closed.
+			if ( this.inManualMode ) {
+				this.manualWidget.toggle( true );
+			}
+			this.doRealtimePreview();
+		}.bind( this )
 	} );
 
 	// Manual reload button (visible on hover).
@@ -47,7 +54,11 @@ function RealtimePreview() {
 		}.bind( this )
 	} );
 
-	this.twoPaneLayout.getPane2().append( reloadButton.$element, this.$loadingBar, this.$previewNode, this.errorLayout.$element );
+	// Manual mode widget.
+	this.manualWidget = new ManualWidget( this, reloadButton );
+	this.inManualMode = false;
+
+	this.twoPaneLayout.getPane2().append( this.manualWidget.$element, reloadButton.$element, this.$loadingBar, this.$previewNode, this.errorLayout.$element );
 	this.eventNames = 'change.realtimepreview input.realtimepreview cut.realtimepreview paste.realtimepreview';
 	// Used to ensure we wait for a response before making new requests.
 	this.isPreviewing = false;
@@ -146,6 +157,9 @@ RealtimePreview.prototype.toggle = function () {
 			.off( this.eventNames )
 			.on( this.eventNames, this.getEventHandler() );
 
+		// Hide or show the manual-reload message bar.
+		this.manualWidget.toggle( this.inManualMode );
+
 		// Let other things happen after enabling.
 		mw.hook( 'ext.WikiEditor.realtimepreview.enable' ).fire( this );
 	}
@@ -162,7 +176,12 @@ RealtimePreview.prototype.toggle = function () {
  */
 RealtimePreview.prototype.getEventHandler = function () {
 	return mw.util.debounce(
-		this.doRealtimePreview.bind( this ),
+		function () {
+			// Only do preview if we're not in manual mode (as set in this.checkResponseTimes()).
+			if ( !this.inManualMode ) {
+				this.doRealtimePreview();
+			}
+		}.bind( this ),
 		this.configData.realtimeDebounce
 	);
 };
@@ -173,6 +192,7 @@ RealtimePreview.prototype.getEventHandler = function () {
  */
 RealtimePreview.prototype.showError = function ( $msg ) {
 	this.$previewNode.hide();
+	this.manualWidget.toggle( false );
 	// There is no need for a default message because mw.Api.getErrorMessage() will
 	// always provide something (even for no network connection, server-side fatal errors, etc.).
 	this.errorLayout.setMessage( $msg );
@@ -184,6 +204,11 @@ RealtimePreview.prototype.showError = function ( $msg ) {
  * @param {number} time
  */
 RealtimePreview.prototype.checkResponseTimes = function ( time ) {
+	// Don't track response times if we're already in manual mode.
+	if ( this.inManualMode ) {
+		return;
+	}
+
 	this.responseTimes.push( Date.now() - time );
 	if ( this.responseTimes.length < 3 ) {
 		return;
@@ -194,10 +219,10 @@ RealtimePreview.prototype.checkResponseTimes = function ( time ) {
 	}, 0 );
 
 	if ( ( totalResponseTime / this.responseTimes.length ) > this.configData.realtimeDisableDuration ) {
-		// TODO: switch to the 'manual preview' workflow once designs/behaviour is finalized.
-		this.showError(
-			$( '<div>' ).text( '[PLACEHOLDER] Realtime preview is too slow' )
-		);
+		this.inManualMode = true;
+		// The error message might already be displayed if e.g. server timeout is greater than the disable-duration here.
+		this.errorLayout.toggle( false );
+		this.manualWidget.toggle( true );
 	}
 
 	this.responseTimes.shift();
@@ -218,6 +243,7 @@ RealtimePreview.prototype.doRealtimePreview = function () {
 	this.$loadingBar.show();
 	var loadingSelectors = this.pagePreview.getLoadingSelectors();
 	loadingSelectors.push( '.ext-WikiEditor-realtimepreview-preview' );
+	loadingSelectors.push( '.ext-WikiEditor-ManualWidget' );
 	this.errorLayout.toggle( false );
 	var time = Date.now();
 
diff --git a/modules/realtimepreview/RealtimePreview.less b/modules/realtimepreview/RealtimePreview.less
index d300d829..14aadb16 100644
--- a/modules/realtimepreview/RealtimePreview.less
+++ b/modules/realtimepreview/RealtimePreview.less
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 @loadingbar-width: 20%;
 
-.ext-WikiEditor-realtimepreview-loadingbar {
+.ext-WikiEditor-realtimepreview-loadingbar div {
 	position: absolute;
 	z-index: 5;
 	display: block;
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@
 .ext-WikiEditor-twopanes-pane2 .ext-WikiEditor-reloadButton {
 	display: none;
 	position: absolute;
-	top: 12px;
-	right: 12px;
+	top: 8px;
+	right: 15px;
 	z-index: 5;
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/realtimepreview/TwoPaneLayout.less b/modules/realtimepreview/TwoPaneLayout.less
index 5ddbdb34..a6c0c976 100644
--- a/modules/realtimepreview/TwoPaneLayout.less
+++ b/modules/realtimepreview/TwoPaneLayout.less
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 		flex: 1 1 0;
 		overflow: hidden;
 		padding: 0;
+		display: flex;
+		flex-direction: column;
 
 		.ext-WikiEditor-realtimepreview-preview {
 			overflow: auto;