diff --git a/electron/electron-env.d.ts b/electron/electron-env.d.ts
index 38ac8701..cad0d8b4 100644
--- a/electron/electron-env.d.ts
+++ b/electron/electron-env.d.ts
@@ -75,10 +75,6 @@ interface Window {
 		) => Promise<{ success: boolean; enabled: boolean }>;
 		getSources: (opts: Electron.SourcesOptions) => Promise<ProcessedDesktopSource[]>;
 		switchToEditor: () => Promise<void>;
-		openEditorEarly: () => Promise<void>;
-		isRecordingFinalizing: () => Promise<boolean>;
-		notifyRecordingFinalized: () => Promise<void>;
-		onRecordingFinalized: (callback: () => void) => () => void;
 		openSourceSelector: () => Promise<void>;
 		selectSource: (source: any) => Promise<any>;
 		showSourceHighlight: (source: any) => Promise<{ success: boolean }>;
diff --git a/electron/ipc/handlers.ts b/electron/ipc/handlers.ts
index a1e59a4e..c70d2e77 100644
--- a/electron/ipc/handlers.ts
+++ b/electron/ipc/handlers.ts
@@ -4102,12 +4102,8 @@ body{background:transparent;overflow:hidden;width:100vw;height:100vh}
     }
     createSourceSelectorWindow()
   })
-
-  let recordingFinalizing = false
-
   ipcMain.handle('switch-to-editor', () => {
     console.log('[switch-to-editor] Opening editor window')
-    recordingFinalizing = false
     const sourceSelectorWin = getSourceSelectorWindow()
     if (sourceSelectorWin && !sourceSelectorWin.isDestroyed()) {
       sourceSelectorWin.close()
@@ -4115,31 +4111,6 @@ body{background:transparent;overflow:hidden;width:100vw;height:100vh}
     createEditorWindow()
   })
 
-  ipcMain.handle('open-editor-early', () => {
-    console.log('[open-editor-early] Opening editor window while recording finalizes')
-    recordingFinalizing = true
-    const sourceSelectorWin = getSourceSelectorWindow()
-    if (sourceSelectorWin && !sourceSelectorWin.isDestroyed()) {
-      sourceSelectorWin.close()
-    }
-    createEditorWindow()
-  })
-
-  ipcMain.handle('is-recording-finalizing', () => {
-    return recordingFinalizing
-  })
-
-  ipcMain.handle('notify-recording-finalized', () => {
-    console.log('[notify-recording-finalized] Recording finalization complete')
-    recordingFinalizing = false
-    const allWindows = BrowserWindow.getAllWindows()
-    for (const win of allWindows) {
-      if (!win.isDestroyed()) {
-        win.webContents.send('recording-finalized')
-      }
-    }
-  })
-
   ipcMain.handle('start-native-screen-recording', async (_, source: SelectedSource, options?: NativeMacRecordingOptions) => {
     // Windows native capture path
     if (process.platform === 'win32') {
diff --git a/electron/preload.ts b/electron/preload.ts
index 6bcd27c5..6cd715c0 100644
--- a/electron/preload.ts
+++ b/electron/preload.ts
@@ -167,20 +167,6 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("electronAPI", {
 	switchToEditor: () => {
 		return ipcRenderer.invoke("switch-to-editor");
 	},
-	openEditorEarly: () => {
-		return ipcRenderer.invoke("open-editor-early");
-	},
-	isRecordingFinalizing: () => {
-		return ipcRenderer.invoke("is-recording-finalizing") as Promise<boolean>;
-	},
-	notifyRecordingFinalized: () => {
-		return ipcRenderer.invoke("notify-recording-finalized");
-	},
-	onRecordingFinalized: (callback: () => void) => {
-		const listener = () => callback();
-		ipcRenderer.on("recording-finalized", listener);
-		return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener("recording-finalized", listener);
-	},
 	openSourceSelector: () => {
 		return ipcRenderer.invoke("open-source-selector");
 	},
diff --git a/src/components/video-editor/VideoEditor.tsx b/src/components/video-editor/VideoEditor.tsx
index cea4d784..f79ead6d 100644
--- a/src/components/video-editor/VideoEditor.tsx
+++ b/src/components/video-editor/VideoEditor.tsx
@@ -453,7 +453,6 @@ export default function VideoEditor() {
 	const [projectLibraryEntries, setProjectLibraryEntries] = useState<ProjectLibraryEntry[]>([]);
 	const [projectBrowserOpen, setProjectBrowserOpen] = useState(false);
 	const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
-	const [recordingFinalizing, setRecordingFinalizing] = useState(false);
 	const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
 	const [isPlaying, setIsPlaying] = useState(false);
 	const [currentTime, setCurrentTime] = useState(0);
@@ -1523,7 +1522,6 @@ export default function VideoEditor() {
 
 	useEffect(() => {
 		async function loadInitialData() {
-			let waitingForFinalize = false;
 			try {
 				if (smokeExportConfig.enabled) {
 					if (!smokeExportConfig.inputPath) {
@@ -1601,76 +1599,17 @@ export default function VideoEditor() {
 						sourcePath: null,
 					}));
 				} else {
-					const finalizing = await window.electronAPI?.isRecordingFinalizing?.();
-					if (finalizing) {
-						waitingForFinalize = true;
-						setRecordingFinalizing(true);
-						return;
-					}
 					setError("No video to load. Please record or select a video.");
 				}
 			} catch (err) {
 				setError("Error loading video: " + String(err));
 			} finally {
-				if (!waitingForFinalize) setLoading(false);
+				setLoading(false);
 			}
 		}
 
-		// Subscribe to the finalized event BEFORE loadInitialData checks
-		// isRecordingFinalizing, so we never miss the event if it fires
-		// between the check and the subscription.
-		const cleanupFinalized = window.electronAPI?.onRecordingFinalized?.(() => {
-			setRecordingFinalizing((wasFinalizing) => {
-				if (!wasFinalizing) return false;
-				setLoading(true);
-				(async () => {
-					try {
-						const sessionResult = await window.electronAPI.getCurrentRecordingSession?.();
-						if (sessionResult?.success && sessionResult.session?.videoPath) {
-							const sourcePath = fromFileUrl(sessionResult.session.videoPath);
-							const sourceVideoUrl = toFileUrl(sourcePath);
-							setVideoSourcePath(sourcePath);
-							setVideoPath(sourceVideoUrl);
-							setCurrentProjectPath(null);
-							setLastSavedSnapshot(null);
-							pendingFreshRecordingAutoZoomPathRef.current = sourceVideoUrl;
-							setWebcam((prev) => ({
-								...prev,
-								enabled: Boolean(sessionResult.session?.webcamPath),
-								sourcePath: sessionResult.session?.webcamPath ?? null,
-							}));
-						} else {
-							const result = await window.electronAPI.getCurrentVideoPath();
-							if (result.success && result.path) {
-								const sourcePath = fromFileUrl(result.path);
-								const sourceVideoUrl = toFileUrl(sourcePath);
-								setVideoSourcePath(sourcePath);
-								setVideoPath(sourceVideoUrl);
-								setCurrentProjectPath(null);
-								setLastSavedSnapshot(null);
-								pendingFreshRecordingAutoZoomPathRef.current = sourceVideoUrl;
-								setWebcam((prev) => ({
-									...prev,
-									enabled: false,
-									sourcePath: null,
-								}));
-							} else {
-								setError("Recording finished but no video found.");
-							}
-						}
-					} catch (err) {
-						setError("Error loading video: " + String(err));
-					} finally {
-						setLoading(false);
-					}
-				})();
-				return false;
-			});
-		});
-
 		loadInitialData();
 
-		return () => { cleanupFinalized?.(); };
 	}, [applyLoadedProject, smokeExportConfig.enabled, smokeExportConfig.inputPath]);
 
 	useEffect(() => {
@@ -3823,7 +3762,7 @@ export default function VideoEditor() {
 	if (loading) {
 		return (
 			<div className="flex h-screen items-center justify-center bg-background">
-				<div className="text-foreground">{recordingFinalizing ? "Finalizing recording..." : "Loading video..."}</div>
+				<div className="text-foreground">Loading video...</div>
 				{projectBrowser}
 				<Toaster theme="dark" className="pointer-events-auto" />
 			</div>
diff --git a/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts b/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts
index 074c5b6e..b9db5c23 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ export function useScreenRecorder(): UseScreenRecorderReturn {
     }
 
     clearRecordingFinalizationToast();
-    await window.electronAPI.notifyRecordingFinalized();
+    await window.electronAPI.switchToEditor();
   }, [clearRecordingFinalizationToast]);
 
   const stopWebcamRecorder = useCallback(async () => {
@@ -402,8 +402,6 @@ export function useScreenRecorder(): UseScreenRecorderReturn {
       return null;
     }
 
-    // Open editor early so it shows "Finalizing recording..." while we finalize
-    await window.electronAPI.openEditorEarly?.();
     const webcamPath = await stopWebcamRecorder();
     await finalizeRecordingSession(result.path, webcamPath);
     return result.path;
@@ -561,11 +559,6 @@ export function useScreenRecorder(): UseScreenRecorderReturn {
 
         let finalPath = result.path;
 
-        // Open the editor window immediately so the user sees a
-        // "Finalizing recording…" screen instead of staring at the
-        // recorder UI while mux/IO completes.
-        await window.electronAPI.openEditorEarly();
-
         if (isNativeWindows) {
           const muxResult = await window.electronAPI.muxNativeWindowsRecording(pauseSegments);
           if (!muxResult?.success) {
@@ -1019,9 +1012,6 @@ export function useScreenRecorder(): UseScreenRecorderReturn {
 
         showRecordingFinalizationToast();
 
-        // Open editor window immediately while we process the recording
-        await window.electronAPI.openEditorEarly?.();
-
         const duration = getRecordingDurationMs(Date.now());
         const recordedChunks = chunks.current;
         const buggyBlob = new Blob(recordedChunks, { type: mimeType });