diff --git a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/FeaturePreviewContext.tsx b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/FeaturePreviewContext.tsx
index a0aaea6f28e..557c0e1327e 100644
--- a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/FeaturePreviewContext.tsx
+++ b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/FeaturePreviewContext.tsx
@@ -49,6 +49,14 @@ export const FeaturePreviewContextProvider = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) =
           return { ...a, [b.key]: false }
         }
 
+        // A forced preview has become the default behavior, so it's on whatever
+        // the user stored previously — including an explicit opt-out. Applied
+        // here rather than in the individual `useIsXEnabled` helpers so that the
+        // feature preview modal reflects it too.
+        if (b.isForced) {
+          return { ...a, [b.key]: true }
+        }
+
         const defaultOptIn = b.isDefaultOptIn
         const localStorageValue = safeLocalStorage.getItem(b.key)
         return {
@@ -127,10 +135,14 @@ export const useIsJitDbAccessEnabled = () => {
   return jitDbAccessEnabled && flags[LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.UI_PREVIEW_JIT_DB_ACCESS]
 }
 
+/**
+ * Whether the SQL Editor saves snippets only on request. True when the user
+ * opted into the preview themselves *or* the `sqlEditorManualSaveForced` rollout
+ * has reached them — the preview's `isForced` flag folds the latter into `flags`.
+ */
 export const useIsSqlEditorManualSaveEnabled = () => {
   const { flags } = useFeaturePreviewContext()
-  const sqlEditorManualSaveEnabled = useFlag('sqlEditorManualSave')
-  return sqlEditorManualSaveEnabled && flags[LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.UI_PREVIEW_SQL_EDITOR_MANUAL_SAVE]
+  return flags[LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.UI_PREVIEW_SQL_EDITOR_MANUAL_SAVE]
 }
 
 export const useIsMarketplaceEnabled = () => {
diff --git a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/FeaturePreviewModal.tsx b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/FeaturePreviewModal.tsx
index c6134343abb..24ad9662f92 100644
--- a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/FeaturePreviewModal.tsx
+++ b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/FeaturePreviewModal.tsx
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import { SqlEditorManualSavePreview } from './SqlEditorManualSavePreview'
 import { UnifiedLogsPreview } from './UnifiedLogsPreview'
 import { FeaturePreview, useFeaturePreviews } from './useFeaturePreviews'
 import { useBannerStack } from '@/components/ui/BannerStack/BannerStackProvider'
+import { ButtonTooltip } from '@/components/ui/ButtonTooltip'
 import { IS_PLATFORM } from '@/lib/constants'
 import { useTrack } from '@/lib/telemetry/track'
 
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ export const FeaturePreviewModal = () => {
     allFeaturePreviews.find((preview) => preview.key === selectedFeatureKey) ??
     allFeaturePreviews[0]
   const isSelectedFeatureEnabled = flags[selectedFeature?.key]
+  const canDisableSelectedFeature = selectedFeature?.isForced !== true
 
   const selectedFeatureRoute = selectedFeature?.getRoute?.(ref)
   const hasRoute = selectedFeatureRoute !== undefined && ref !== undefined
@@ -229,11 +231,25 @@ export const FeaturePreviewModal = () => {
                         </Link>
                       </Button>
                     )}
-                    {isSelectedFeatureEnabled ? (
-                      <Button variant="default" onClick={() => toggleFeature()}>
+                    {isSelectedFeatureEnabled && (
+                      <ButtonTooltip
+                        variant="default"
+                        disabled={!canDisableSelectedFeature}
+                        onClick={() => toggleFeature()}
+                        tooltip={{
+                          content: {
+                            side: 'bottom',
+                            className: 'max-w-64 text-center',
+                            text: canDisableSelectedFeature
+                              ? undefined
+                              : 'This feature is now the default and can no longer be turned off',
+                          },
+                        }}
+                      >
                         Disable feature
-                      </Button>
-                    ) : (
+                      </ButtonTooltip>
+                    )}
+                    {!isSelectedFeatureEnabled && (
                       <Tooltip>
                         <TooltipTrigger asChild>
                           <Button variant="default" onClick={() => toggleFeature()}>
diff --git a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/SqlEditorManualSavePreview.tsx b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/SqlEditorManualSavePreview.tsx
index 31d24422693..11b2a4c8813 100644
--- a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/SqlEditorManualSavePreview.tsx
+++ b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/SqlEditorManualSavePreview.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ export const SqlEditorManualSavePreview = () => {
           <li>Let you save with Cmd+S at any time</li>
         </ul>
       </div>
+      <p className="text-sm text-foreground-light">
+        Manual saving is becoming the default for the SQL Editor. This preview can no longer be
+        turned off. To opt into manual saving before the change reaches your account, enable this
+        preview.
+      </p>
     </div>
   )
 }
diff --git a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/useFeaturePreviews.ts b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/useFeaturePreviews.ts
index da9c80cf2ba..3587e6b175b 100644
--- a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/useFeaturePreviews.ts
+++ b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/useFeaturePreviews.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ export type FeaturePreview = {
   isDefaultOptIn: boolean
   /** Visibility in the feature preview modal (For feature flagging a feature preview) */
   enabled: boolean
+  /**
+   * Forces the preview on for this user, whatever they previously chose — for a
+   * preview that has become the default behavior. Overrides both `isDefaultOptIn`
+   * and a stored opt-out, and takes away the ability to turn the preview back off.
+   */
+  isForced?: boolean
   /** Optional category that the feature preview falls under, defaults to "Others" in the UI otherwise */
   category?: 'observability' | 'database'
   /**
@@ -28,10 +34,10 @@ export const useFeaturePreviews = (): FeaturePreview[] => {
   const isPlatformWebhooksEnabled = useFlag('platformWebhooks')
   const jitDbAccessEnabled = useFlag('jitDbAccess')
   const isMarketplaceEnabled = useFlag('marketplaceIntegrations')
-  const isSqlEditorManualSaveEnabled = useFlag('sqlEditorManualSave')
   const isDatabaseConnectionsEnabled = useFlag('topForPostgres')
 
   const unifiedLogsDefaultOptIn = useFlag('unifiedLogsDefaultOptIn')
+  const isSqlEditorManualSaveForced = useFlag('sqlEditorManualSaveForced')
 
   return useMemo(() => {
     const previews: FeaturePreview[] = [
@@ -114,7 +120,11 @@ export const useFeaturePreviews = (): FeaturePreview[] => {
         isNew: true,
         isPlatformOnly: true,
         isDefaultOptIn: false,
-        enabled: isSqlEditorManualSaveEnabled,
+        enabled: true,
+        // Manual saving is becoming the default for the SQL Editor. The preview
+        // stays listed so users who lose their local storage can opt back in
+        // before the rollout reaches them.
+        isForced: isSqlEditorManualSaveForced,
       },
       {
         key: LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.UI_PREVIEW_DATABASE_CONNECTIONS,
@@ -133,10 +143,10 @@ export const useFeaturePreviews = (): FeaturePreview[] => {
     return previews.sort((a, b) => Number(b.isNew) - Number(a.isNew))
   }, [
     unifiedLogsDefaultOptIn,
+    isSqlEditorManualSaveForced,
     isPlatformWebhooksEnabled,
     jitDbAccessEnabled,
     isMarketplaceEnabled,
-    isSqlEditorManualSaveEnabled,
     isDatabaseConnectionsEnabled,
   ])
 }
diff --git a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog.tsx b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fbbf96cff05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+import { LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS, safeLocalStorage, useFlag } from 'common'
+import { useEffect } from 'react'
+import {
+  Button,
+  Dialog,
+  DialogContent,
+  DialogDescription,
+  DialogFooter,
+  DialogHeader,
+  DialogSection,
+  DialogSectionSeparator,
+  DialogTitle,
+  KeyboardShortcut,
+} from 'ui'
+
+import { shouldShowManualSaveNotice } from './SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog.utils'
+import { useFeaturePreviewContext } from '@/components/interfaces/App/FeaturePreview/FeaturePreviewContext'
+import { useLocalStorageQuery } from '@/hooks/misc/useLocalStorage'
+import { IS_PLATFORM } from '@/lib/constants'
+
+/**
+ * One-time notice for users the manual saving rollout switches over, shown the
+ * first time they land on a SQL Editor route. Users who opted into the preview
+ * themselves already know the behavior and never see it.
+ */
+export const SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog = () => {
+  const { isInitialized } = useFeaturePreviewContext()
+  const isForced = useFlag('sqlEditorManualSaveForced')
+
+  const [isNoticeDismissed, setIsNoticeDismissed, { isSuccess: isDismissalLoaded }] =
+    useLocalStorageQuery(LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.SQL_EDITOR_MANUAL_SAVE_NOTICE_DISMISSED, false)
+
+  const hasOptedIntoPreview =
+    safeLocalStorage.getItem(LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.UI_PREVIEW_SQL_EDITOR_MANUAL_SAVE) === 'true'
+
+  // Record the dismissal up front for users who opted in themselves. The notice
+  // outlives the feature preview — once the preview is retired there's no stored
+  // opt-in left to recognize them by, and without this they'd be shown a notice
+  // about behavior they chose.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isDismissalLoaded && hasOptedIntoPreview && !isNoticeDismissed) {
+      setIsNoticeDismissed(true)
+    }
+  }, [isDismissalLoaded, hasOptedIntoPreview, isNoticeDismissed, setIsNoticeDismissed])
+
+  const isOpen =
+    isDismissalLoaded &&
+    shouldShowManualSaveNotice({
+      isPlatform: IS_PLATFORM,
+      isFeaturePreviewInitialized: isInitialized,
+      isForced,
+      hasOptedIntoPreview,
+      isNoticeDismissed,
+    })
+
+  return (
+    <Dialog open={isOpen} onOpenChange={(open) => !open && setIsNoticeDismissed(true)}>
+      <DialogContent size="medium">
+        <DialogHeader>
+          <DialogTitle>Snippets no longer save automatically</DialogTitle>
+          <DialogDescription>
+            The SQL Editor now saves your snippets only when you save them.
+          </DialogDescription>
+        </DialogHeader>
+
+        <DialogSectionSeparator />
+
+        <DialogSection className="text-sm">
+          <ul className="list-disc pl-6 text-foreground-light space-y-1">
+            <li>
+              Save with the Save button next to Run, or with{' '}
+              <KeyboardShortcut keys={['Meta', 's']} />
+            </li>
+            <li>Tabs with unsaved edits show a dot</li>
+            <li>Closing a tab with unsaved edits discards them</li>
+          </ul>
+        </DialogSection>
+
+        <DialogFooter>
+          <Button onClick={() => setIsNoticeDismissed(true)}>Understood</Button>
+        </DialogFooter>
+      </DialogContent>
+    </Dialog>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog.utils.test.ts b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog.utils.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3b68fef5667
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog.utils.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import {
+  shouldShowManualSaveNotice,
+  type ShouldShowManualSaveNoticeParams,
+} from './SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog.utils'
+
+const eligible: ShouldShowManualSaveNoticeParams = {
+  isPlatform: true,
+  isFeaturePreviewInitialized: true,
+  isForced: true,
+  hasOptedIntoPreview: false,
+  isNoticeDismissed: false,
+}
+
+describe('shouldShowManualSaveNotice', () => {
+  it('shows the notice to a user the rollout switches over', () => {
+    expect(shouldShowManualSaveNotice(eligible)).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('does not show the notice to a user who opted into the preview themselves', () => {
+    expect(shouldShowManualSaveNotice({ ...eligible, hasOptedIntoPreview: true })).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('does not show the notice once dismissed', () => {
+    expect(shouldShowManualSaveNotice({ ...eligible, isNoticeDismissed: true })).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('does not show the notice when the rollout flag is off', () => {
+    expect(shouldShowManualSaveNotice({ ...eligible, isForced: false })).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('does not show the notice outside of the hosted platform', () => {
+    expect(shouldShowManualSaveNotice({ ...eligible, isPlatform: false })).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('does not show the notice before the feature previews have initialized', () => {
+    expect(shouldShowManualSaveNotice({ ...eligible, isFeaturePreviewInitialized: false })).toBe(
+      false
+    )
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog.utils.ts b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog.utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..86556c08bba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog.utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+export interface ShouldShowManualSaveNoticeParams {
+  /** Manual saving is a platform-only feature preview */
+  isPlatform: boolean
+  /** Whether the feature preview flags reflect loaded values rather than pre-load defaults */
+  isFeaturePreviewInitialized: boolean
+  /** Whether the rollout flag forces manual saving on for this user */
+  isForced: boolean
+  /** Whether the user explicitly enabled the manual save preview themselves */
+  hasOptedIntoPreview: boolean
+  isNoticeDismissed: boolean
+}
+
+/**
+ * Whether to show the one-time notice explaining that snippets no longer
+ * autosave.
+ *
+ * Everyone the rollout switches over needs telling — including users who
+ * explicitly opted *out* of the preview, since the rollout overrides that
+ * choice. Only users who turned manual saving on themselves already know what
+ * the behavior is.
+ */
+export function shouldShowManualSaveNotice({
+  isPlatform,
+  isFeaturePreviewInitialized,
+  isForced,
+  hasOptedIntoPreview,
+  isNoticeDismissed,
+}: ShouldShowManualSaveNoticeParams): boolean {
+  return (
+    isPlatform &&
+    isFeaturePreviewInitialized &&
+    isForced &&
+    !hasOptedIntoPreview &&
+    !isNoticeDismissed
+  )
+}
diff --git a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/UtilityPanel/AutosaveStatus.tsx b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/UtilityPanel/AutosaveStatus.tsx
index abff6c14b7a..2391bdc4400 100644
--- a/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/UtilityPanel/AutosaveStatus.tsx
+++ b/apps/studio/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/UtilityPanel/AutosaveStatus.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS, useFlag } from 'common'
+import { LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS } from 'common'
 import { PowerOff } from 'lucide-react'
 import { Button, Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipTrigger } from 'ui'
 
@@ -19,13 +19,7 @@ export const AutosaveStatus = ({ id }: AutosaveStatusProps) => {
   const isManualSaveEnabled = useIsSqlEditorManualSaveEnabled()
   const { selectFeaturePreview } = useFeaturePreviewModal()
 
-  // Whether the manual-save preview can actually be opted into. Mirrors the
-  // feature preview modal's own filter (platform-only + ConfigCat flag), so we
-  // don't offer to "disable autosave" when there's no preview to switch to.
-  // `isManualSaveEnabled` also being false for self-hosted / flag-off users is
-  // why it can't gate this affordance.
-  const sqlEditorManualSaveFlag = useFlag('sqlEditorManualSave')
-  const canEnableManualSave = IS_PLATFORM && sqlEditorManualSaveFlag
+  const canEnableManualSave = IS_PLATFORM
 
   if (isManualSaveEnabled) {
     const snippet = snapV2.snippets[id]
diff --git a/apps/studio/components/layouts/SQLEditorLayout/SQLEditorLayout.tsx b/apps/studio/components/layouts/SQLEditorLayout/SQLEditorLayout.tsx
index 6ce9d4ddad2..f97145a1a25 100644
--- a/apps/studio/components/layouts/SQLEditorLayout/SQLEditorLayout.tsx
+++ b/apps/studio/components/layouts/SQLEditorLayout/SQLEditorLayout.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { ReactNode } from 'react'
 
 import { OngoingQueriesPanel } from '@/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/OngoingQueriesPanel'
+import { SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog } from '@/components/interfaces/SQLEditor/SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog'
 import { withAuth } from '@/hooks/misc/withAuth'
 
 export interface SQLEditorLayoutProps {
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ const SQLEditorLayout = ({ children }: SQLEditorLayoutProps) => {
     <>
       {children}
       <OngoingQueriesPanel />
+      <SqlEditorManualSaveNoticeDialog />
     </>
   )
 }
diff --git a/packages/common/constants/local-storage.ts b/packages/common/constants/local-storage.ts
index 39f7bf1bd8a..edf85c0a1f8 100644
--- a/packages/common/constants/local-storage.ts
+++ b/packages/common/constants/local-storage.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ export const LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS = {
   SQL_EDITOR_SQL_BLOCK_ACKNOWLEDGED: (ref: string) => `sql-editor-sql-block-acknowledged-${ref}`,
   SQL_EDITOR_SECTION_STATE: (ref: string) => `sql-editor-section-state-${ref}`,
   SQL_EDITOR_SORT: (ref: string) => `sql-editor-sort-${ref}`,
+  SQL_EDITOR_MANUAL_SAVE_NOTICE_DISMISSED: 'sql-editor-manual-save-notice-dismissed',
 
   LOG_EXPLORER_SPLIT_SIZE: 'supabase_log-explorer-split-size',
   GRAPHQL_INTROSPECTION_NOTICE_COLLAPSED: (ref: string) =>
@@ -158,6 +159,7 @@ const LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS_ALLOWLIST = [
   LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.UI_PREVIEW_PLATFORM_WEBHOOKS,
   LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.UI_PREVIEW_JIT_DB_ACCESS,
   LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.UI_PREVIEW_SQL_EDITOR_MANUAL_SAVE,
+  LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.SQL_EDITOR_MANUAL_SAVE_NOTICE_DISMISSED,
   LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.UI_PREVIEW_MARKETPLACE,
   LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.LAST_SIGN_IN_METHOD,
   LOCAL_STORAGE_KEYS.HIDE_PROMO_TOAST,