diff --git a/packages/editor/src/extensions/virtualization/__tests__/first-view.test.ts b/packages/editor/src/extensions/virtualization/__tests__/first-view.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..47afecc80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/editor/src/extensions/virtualization/__tests__/first-view.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+/*
+This file is part of the Notesnook project (https://notesnook.com/)
+
+Copyright (C) 2023 Streetwriters (Private) Limited
+
+This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+(at your option) any later version.
+
+This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
+import { Editor } from "@tiptap/core";
+import StarterKit from "@tiptap/starter-kit";
+import { Virtualization } from "../index.js";
+import { BlockId } from "../../block-id/block-id.js";
+
+const BLOCKS = 400;
+
+/**
+ * Mirrors a saved Notesnook note: BlockId renders `data-block-id` into the
+ * stored HTML, and paging keys off it.
+ */
+function savedNoteHTML(n: number) {
+  let html = "";
+  for (let i = 0; i < n; i++)
+    html += `<p data-block-id="blk${i}">Paragraph number ${i} with filler.</p>`;
+  return html;
+}
+
+/** A legacy/imported/pasted note, whose HTML has no block ids yet. */
+function unidentifiedHTML(n: number) {
+  let html = "";
+  for (let i = 0; i < n; i++)
+    html += `<p>Paragraph number ${i} with filler.</p>`;
+  return html;
+}
+
+function makeEditor(enabled: boolean, content = savedNoteHTML(BLOCKS)) {
+  return new Editor({
+    element: document.createElement("div"),
+    content,
+    extensions: [
+      StarterKit,
+      // Paging keys off blockId: a block without one always materializes
+      // (see viewport-plugin), so this is required, not incidental.
+      BlockId,
+      Virtualization.configure({ enabled, thresholdBlocks: 50 })
+    ]
+  });
+}
+
+function placeholderCount(editor: Editor) {
+  return editor.view.dom.querySelectorAll("[data-virtual-placeholder]").length;
+}
+
+describe("virtualization: the first view", () => {
+  test("the view built by the Editor constructor is already virtualized", () => {
+    const editor = makeEditor(true);
+
+    // Nothing has run except the constructor - no React effect, no manual
+    // createView(). If this passes, the document was never mounted in full.
+    expect(editor.state.doc.childCount).toBe(BLOCKS);
+    expect(placeholderCount(editor)).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+
+    editor.destroy();
+  });
+
+  test("recreating the view keeps virtualization installed", () => {
+    const editor = makeEditor(true);
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
+    // @ts-ignore - mirrors what useEditor does on every deps change
+    editor.createView();
+
+    expect(editor.state.doc.childCount).toBe(BLOCKS);
+    expect(placeholderCount(editor)).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+
+    editor.destroy();
+  });
+
+  test("nothing is virtualized when the extension is disabled", () => {
+    const editor = makeEditor(false);
+
+    expect(editor.state.doc.childCount).toBe(BLOCKS);
+    expect(placeholderCount(editor)).toBe(0);
+
+    editor.destroy();
+  });
+
+  // KNOWN GAP, not desired behaviour. BlockId assigns ids from an
+  // appendTransaction, which does not run during construction, so a note whose
+  // stored HTML has no data-block-id renders in full on its first view. The fix
+  // is to assign block ids at parse/load time - see
+  // docs/editor-performance/05-per-transaction-work.md section 4.1. When that
+  // lands, this expectation should flip to toBeGreaterThan(0).
+  test("a note with no block ids is not yet paged on its first view", () => {
+    const editor = makeEditor(true, unidentifiedHTML(BLOCKS));
+
+    expect(editor.state.doc.childCount).toBe(BLOCKS);
+    expect(placeholderCount(editor)).toBe(0);
+
+    editor.destroy();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/editor/src/extensions/virtualization/index.ts b/packages/editor/src/extensions/virtualization/index.ts
index 0468fc1ee..b353f7641 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/extensions/virtualization/index.ts
+++ b/packages/editor/src/extensions/virtualization/index.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,14 @@ export const Virtualization = Extension.create<VirtualizationOptions>({
     };
   },
 
+  // Runs immediately before the Editor constructor creates its first view, so
+  // that view is already virtualized. Installing any later (e.g. from
+  // useEditor's effect) means the whole document gets mounted unvirtualized
+  // once, which is the exact cost virtualization exists to avoid.
+  onBeforeCreate() {
+    installVirtualization(this.editor);
+  },
+
   addProseMirrorPlugins() {
     if (!this.options.enabled) return [];
     return [virtualizationPlugin()];
@@ -67,10 +75,18 @@ export const Virtualization = Extension.create<VirtualizationOptions>({
 });
 
 /**
- * Wraps the editor's node views with the virtualization layer. Must run before
- * the view is (re)created. A ProseMirror plugin cannot do this — prosemirror-view
- * consults the view's own `nodeViews` prop before any plugin (buildNodeViews is
- * first-wins) — so we decorate `extensionManager.nodeViews` at its source.
+ * Wraps the editor's node views with the virtualization layer.
+ *
+ * Called from the extension's own `onBeforeCreate`, which fires before the
+ * Editor constructor's `createView()` — so the very first view is virtualized.
+ *
+ * A ProseMirror plugin cannot do this: prosemirror-view consults the view's own
+ * `nodeViews` prop before any plugin (buildNodeViews is first-wins), and Tiptap
+ * overwrites `editorProps.nodeViews` with `extensionManager.nodeViews` via
+ * setProps right after construction. So we decorate the getter at its source.
+ *
+ * The patch lives on the extensionManager instance, which outlives individual
+ * views, so later `createView()` calls pick it up without reinstalling.
  */
 export function installVirtualization(editor: Editor): void {
   const storage = editor.storage.virtualization as
diff --git a/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-editor.ts b/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-editor.ts
index e8f63d30f..e8d6b83b7 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-editor.ts
+++ b/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-editor.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import { Editor } from "../types.js";
 import { useToolbarStore } from "../toolbar/stores/toolbar-store.js";
 import { EditorView } from "@tiptap/pm/view";
 import { useEditorSearchStore } from "../toolbar/stores/search-store.js";
-import { installVirtualization } from "../extensions/virtualization/index.js";
 
 function useForceUpdate() {
   const [, setValue] = useState(0);
@@ -51,7 +50,6 @@ export const useEditor = (
       const oldIsFocused = editor.isFocused;
 
       destroyView(editor.view);
-      installVirtualization(editor);
       // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
       // @ts-ignore instead of creating a new editor, we just create
       // a new view. Due to some reason this is faster than resetting