diff --git a/packages/i18n/strings/en.json b/packages/i18n/strings/en.json
index fe4ed47b1..04125f138 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/strings/en.json
+++ b/packages/i18n/strings/en.json
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@
       "title": "Settings",
       "description": "Change BlitzKit settings",
       "dev_mode": "Development mode",
+      "auto_load_models": "Auto-load models",
       "language": "Language"
     },
 
@@ -458,6 +459,8 @@
         },
 
         "sandbox": {
+          "load_model": "Load model",
+
           "poses": {
             "hull_down": "Hull down",
             "face_hug": "Face hug",
diff --git a/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/CharacteristicsSection/components/Characteristics/components/GunFlexibilityVisualizer/index.tsx b/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/CharacteristicsSection/components/Characteristics/components/GunFlexibilityVisualizer/index.tsx
index 93d7a5e1a..f28050abc 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/CharacteristicsSection/components/Characteristics/components/GunFlexibilityVisualizer/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/CharacteristicsSection/components/Characteristics/components/GunFlexibilityVisualizer/index.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { modelTransformEvent } from "../../../../../../../core/blitzkit/modelTra
 import { Var } from "../../../../../../../core/radix/var";
 import { useLocale } from "../../../../../../../hooks/useLocale";
 import { Duel } from "../../../../../../../stores/duel";
+import { Tankopedia } from "../../../../../../../stores/tankopedia";
 import type { MaybeSkeletonComponentProps } from "../../../../../../../types/maybeSkeletonComponentProps";
 import { VisualizerCard } from "../VisualizerCard";
 import { VisualizerCornerStat } from "../VisualizerCornerStat";
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ export function GunFlexibilityVisualizer({
   const tank = Duel.use((state) => state.protagonist.tank);
   const turret = Duel.use((state) => state.protagonist.turret);
   const gun = Duel.use((state) => state.protagonist.gun);
+  const modelRequested = Tankopedia.use((state) => state.modelRequested);
 
   const tankModel = modelDefinition.models[tank.id];
   const turretModel = tankModel.turrets[turret.id];
@@ -193,7 +195,7 @@ export function GunFlexibilityVisualizer({
             top="0"
             left="0"
           >
-            {!skeleton && <FlexibilityCanvas />}
+            {!skeleton && modelRequested && <FlexibilityCanvas />}
 
             <Box
               position="absolute"
diff --git a/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/components/Options/index.tsx b/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/components/Options/index.tsx
index 5856c66d0..410a7b8c5 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/components/Options/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/components/Options/index.tsx
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ export function Options({ thicknessRange, canvas, skeleton }: OptionsProps) {
   const revealed = Tankopedia.use((state) => state.revealed);
   const disturbed = Tankopedia.use((state) => state.disturbed);
   const highGraphics = TankopediaPersistent.use((state) => state.highGraphics);
+  const modelRequested = Tankopedia.use((state) => state.modelRequested);
   const equalize = Duel.use((state) => state.equalize);
   const equalizer = Duel.use((state) => state.antagonist.tank.equalizer);
 
@@ -283,7 +284,7 @@ export function Options({ thicknessRange, canvas, skeleton }: OptionsProps) {
           <SpallLinerSwitcher />
         </Flex>
 
-        {!skeleton && (
+        {!skeleton && modelRequested && (
           <Suspense>
             <DynamicArmorSwitcher />
           </Suspense>
diff --git a/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/components/TankSandbox/Title/index.tsx b/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/components/TankSandbox/Title/index.tsx
index 694d24f12..d31db7a1f 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/components/TankSandbox/Title/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/components/TankSandbox/Title/index.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
-import { Flex, Heading } from "@radix-ui/themes";
+import { UpdateIcon } from "@radix-ui/react-icons";
+import { Button, Flex, Heading } from "@radix-ui/themes";
 import { useLocale } from "../../../../../../hooks/useLocale";
 import { Duel } from "../../../../../../stores/duel";
 import { Tankopedia } from "../../../../../../stores/tankopedia";
+import type { MaybeSkeletonComponentProps } from "../../../../../../types/maybeSkeletonComponentProps";
 import { Tracker } from "./components/Tracker";
 
-export function Title() {
-  const { unwrap } = useLocale();
+export function Title({ skeleton }: MaybeSkeletonComponentProps) {
+  const { unwrap, strings } = useLocale();
+  const modelRequested = Tankopedia.use((state) => state.modelRequested);
   const protagonist = Duel.use((state) => state.protagonist.tank);
   const revealed = Tankopedia.use((state) => state.revealed);
   const disturbed = Tankopedia.use((state) => state.disturbed);
@@ -21,6 +24,8 @@ export function Title() {
       onPointerDown={(event) => {
         event.preventDefault();
 
+        if (!modelRequested) return;
+
         Tankopedia.mutate((draft) => {
           draft.revealed = true;
         });
@@ -60,7 +65,36 @@ export function Title() {
         {name}
       </Heading>
 
-      {!revealed && <Tracker fontSize={fontSize} />}
+      {!skeleton && !revealed && modelRequested && (
+        <Tracker fontSize={fontSize} />
+      )}
+
+      {!skeleton && !modelRequested && (
+        <Flex
+          position="absolute"
+          left="50%"
+          top="50%"
+          width="min(100%, 16rem)"
+          justify="center"
+          style={{
+            transform: `translate(-50%, calc(${fontSize} * 0.75 + var(--space-4) - 50%))`,
+          }}
+        >
+          <Button
+            variant="solid"
+            highContrast
+            onPointerDown={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
+            onClick={() => {
+              Tankopedia.mutate((draft) => {
+                draft.modelRequested = true;
+              });
+            }}
+          >
+            <UpdateIcon />
+            {strings.website.tools.tankopedia.sandbox.load_model}
+          </Button>
+        </Flex>
+      )}
     </Flex>
   );
 }
diff --git a/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/index.tsx b/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/index.tsx
index 11f13d58e..51205fb49 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/website/src/components/Tankopedia/HeroSection/index.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Box, Flex } from "@radix-ui/themes";
 import { times } from "lodash-es";
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from "react";
+import { Suspense, useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from "react";
 import { api } from "../../../core/blitzkit/api";
 import { defaultEqualizer } from "../../../core/blitzkit/tankToDuelMember";
 import { useFullScreen } from "../../../hooks/useFullScreen";
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export function HeroSection({ skeleton }: MaybeSkeletonComponentProps) {
   const canvas = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement>(null!);
   const isFullScreen = useFullScreen();
   const protagonist = Duel.use((state) => state.protagonist.tank);
+  const modelRequested = Tankopedia.use((state) => state.modelRequested);
   const thicknessRange = useMemo(() => {
     const entries = Object.values(tankDefinitions.tanks);
     const filtered = entries.filter(
@@ -131,13 +132,15 @@ export function HeroSection({ skeleton }: MaybeSkeletonComponentProps) {
                 top="0"
                 left="0"
               >
-                {!skeleton && (
-                  <TankSandbox ref={canvas} thicknessRange={thicknessRange} />
+                {!skeleton && modelRequested && (
+                  <Suspense>
+                    <TankSandbox ref={canvas} thicknessRange={thicknessRange} />
+                  </Suspense>
                 )}
               </Box>
             </Box>
 
-            <Title />
+            <Title skeleton={skeleton} />
 
             <Options
               skeleton={skeleton}
diff --git a/packages/website/src/hooks/useStableProgress.ts b/packages/website/src/hooks/useStableProgress.ts
index 332ded1d0..396136e51 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/hooks/useStableProgress.ts
+++ b/packages/website/src/hooks/useStableProgress.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@ import { useRef } from "react";
 
 export function useStableProgress() {
   const { loaded, total } = useProgress();
+  const baseline = useRef(loaded);
   const progress = useRef(0);
+  const pending = total - baseline.current;
 
   progress.current = Math.max(
     progress.current,
-    total === 0 ? 0 : (loaded / total) * 100
+    pending <= 0 ? 0 : ((loaded - baseline.current) / pending) * 100
   );
 
   return progress.current;
diff --git a/packages/website/src/pages/[...chunk_default]/[...locale]/settings/_index.tsx b/packages/website/src/pages/[...chunk_default]/[...locale]/settings/_index.tsx
index c5054b676..374d24198 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/pages/[...chunk_default]/[...locale]/settings/_index.tsx
+++ b/packages/website/src/pages/[...chunk_default]/[...locale]/settings/_index.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ export function Page({ locale }: LocaleAcceptorProps) {
 
 function Content({ locale }: LocaleAcceptorProps) {
   const developerMode = App.useDeferred((state) => state.developerMode, false);
+  const autoLoadModels = App.useDeferred(
+    (state) => state.autoLoadModels,
+    true,
+  );
   const { strings } = useLocale();
 
   return (
@@ -36,6 +40,19 @@ function Content({ locale }: LocaleAcceptorProps) {
           />
         </Flex>
 
+        <Flex align="center" gap="2" justify="between">
+          <Text>{strings.website.settings.auto_load_models}</Text>
+          <Switch
+            variant="classic"
+            checked={autoLoadModels}
+            onCheckedChange={(checked) =>
+              App.mutate((draft) => {
+                draft.autoLoadModels = checked;
+              })
+            }
+          />
+        </Flex>
+
         <Flex align="center" gap="2" justify="between">
           <Text>{strings.website.settings.language}</Text>
           <LocaleSwitcher locale={locale} />
diff --git a/packages/website/src/stores/app/index.ts b/packages/website/src/stores/app/index.ts
index 6b15394f2..ba975056c 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/stores/app/index.ts
+++ b/packages/website/src/stores/app/index.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export interface WargamingLogin {
 
 export interface App {
   developerMode: boolean;
+  autoLoadModels: boolean;
   policiesAgreementIndex: number;
   logins: {
     wargaming?: WargamingLogin;
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ export interface App {
 export const App = new Varuna<App>(
   {
     developerMode: false,
+    autoLoadModels: true,
     policiesAgreementIndex: -1,
     logins: {},
   },
diff --git a/packages/website/src/stores/tankopedia.ts b/packages/website/src/stores/tankopedia.ts
index d2eb8a066..023ab0e87 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/stores/tankopedia.ts
+++ b/packages/website/src/stores/tankopedia.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import type { ArmorType } from "../components/Armor/components/SpacedArmorScene"
 import type { ExternalModuleVariant } from "../components/Armor/components/SpacedArmorSceneComponent";
 import type { XP_MULTIPLIERS } from "../components/Tankopedia/TechTreeSection";
 import { api } from "../core/blitzkit/api";
+import { App } from "./app";
 import { TankopediaDisplay } from "./tankopediaPersistent/constants";
 
 export interface ShotLayerBase {
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ export enum TankopediaRelativeAgainst {
 interface Tankopedia {
   disturbed: boolean;
   revealed: boolean;
+  modelRequested: boolean;
   shot?: Shot;
   skills: Record<string, number>;
   relativeAgainst: TankopediaRelativeAgainst;
@@ -110,6 +112,7 @@ const skillDefinitions = await api.skillDefinitions();
 export const Tankopedia = new Varuna<Tankopedia, ModelDefinition>((model) => ({
   disturbed: false,
   revealed: false,
+  modelRequested: App.state.autoLoadModels,
   relativeAgainst: TankopediaRelativeAgainst.Class,
   editStatic: false,
   skills: createDefaultSkills(skillDefinitions),