diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c0bc81c..28d44a9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Scratch for Java Studio is a desktop IDE for students moving from Scratch to
 Java. It builds projects with [Scratch for Java](https://github.com/openpatch/scratch-for-java)
 and keeps them as ordinary Java source files that also work in BlueJ and VS Code.
 
-**Status: 0.1.0-alpha.10.** The IDE and its
+**Status: 0.1.0-alpha.11.** The IDE and its
 project format may change while we test it with students and teachers.
 
 ![Scratch for Java Studio with the code editor and the visual stage designer side by side](docs/screenshot.png)
diff --git a/app/pom.xml b/app/pom.xml
index 31ea4f5..11cc3f6 100644
--- a/app/pom.xml
+++ b/app/pom.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
     <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-    <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+    <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>app</artifactId>
diff --git a/core/pom.xml b/core/pom.xml
index 7f0ac7a..9d9cd8e 100644
--- a/core/pom.xml
+++ b/core/pom.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
     <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-    <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+    <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>core</artifactId>
diff --git a/export/pom.xml b/export/pom.xml
index 9fe0b52..8cbe789 100644
--- a/export/pom.xml
+++ b/export/pom.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
     <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-    <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+    <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>export</artifactId>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 69c0889..cf09b41 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
   <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
   <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-  <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+  <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   <packaging>pom</packaging>
 
   <name>Scratch for Java Studio</name>
diff --git a/runner/pom.xml b/runner/pom.xml
index 2b209c2..81189d3 100644
--- a/runner/pom.xml
+++ b/runner/pom.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
     <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-    <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+    <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>runner</artifactId>
diff --git a/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/LauncherSource.java b/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/LauncherSource.java
index 5fdd0b6..fe09f93 100644
--- a/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/LauncherSource.java
+++ b/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/LauncherSource.java
@@ -184,7 +184,9 @@ static void start() {
                     new Hook();
                     hooked = true;
                   }
-                  System.err.println(MARK + "frames " + frames);
+                  // "loading" while the library's loading screen shows (slow PCs stop
+                  // drawing for a while when the stage takes over)
+                  System.err.println(MARK + "frames " + frames + (loading() ? " loading" : ""));
                   try {
                     Thread.sleep(1000);
                   } catch (InterruptedException e) {
@@ -358,6 +360,24 @@ static Object call(Object target, String name, Class<?>[] types, Object... args)
             }
 
             /** The library's Processing sketch (reflective: no Processing types needed to compile). */
+            private static java.lang.reflect.Field state;
+
+            /** The library still shows its loading screen (before the stage runs). */
+            static boolean loading() {
+              Object applet = applet();
+              if (applet == null) return false;
+              try {
+                if (state == null) {
+                  java.lang.reflect.Field field = applet.getClass().getDeclaredField("state");
+                  field.setAccessible(true);
+                  state = field;
+                }
+                return String.valueOf(state.get(applet)).equals("LOADING");
+              } catch (ReflectiveOperationException | RuntimeException e) {
+                return false; // an older library: no loading screen to wait for
+              }
+            }
+
             static Object applet() {
               try {
                 return Class.forName("org.openpatch.scratch.internal.Applet")
diff --git a/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/RunHandle.java b/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/RunHandle.java
index 0d4e655..0a9ee17 100644
--- a/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/RunHandle.java
+++ b/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/RunHandle.java
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ public void stop() {
   private static void control(String message, RunListener listener) {
     if (message.startsWith("frames ")) {
       try {
-        listener.onFrames(Long.parseLong(message.substring("frames ".length()).trim()));
+        String[] beat = message.substring("frames ".length()).trim().split(" ");
+        listener.onFrames(Long.parseLong(beat[0]),
+            beat.length > 1 && beat[1].equals("loading"));
       } catch (NumberFormatException ignored) {
         // a garbled heartbeat is skipped
       }
diff --git a/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/RunListener.java b/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/RunListener.java
index 8db2bf3..a7a67b1 100644
--- a/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/RunListener.java
+++ b/runner/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/RunListener.java
@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@ default void onCompileFailed(org.openpatch.scratch4j.core.compile.CompileResult
    */
   default void onFrames(long frames) {}
 
+  /**
+   * The heartbeat with whether the library still shows its loading screen
+   * (where a slow PC may draw nothing for a while). Defaults to {@link #onFrames(long)}.
+   */
+  default void onFrames(long frames, boolean loading) {
+    onFrames(frames);
+  }
+
   /** The game loop stopped ({@code pause}, or after a {@code step}) at this frame. */
   default void onPaused(long frame) {}
 
diff --git a/runner/src/test/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/IdeControlIT.java b/runner/src/test/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/IdeControlIT.java
index 5f05c26..0a0b7ec 100644
--- a/runner/src/test/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/IdeControlIT.java
+++ b/runner/src/test/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/runner/IdeControlIT.java
@@ -231,10 +231,14 @@ void aForeverLoopInRunStopsTheFrameCount() throws Exception {
         + "      while (true) { }\n    }\n  }"));
     ScratchProject project = ScratchProject.open(tmp.resolve("frozen"));
     List<Long> beats = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+    List<Boolean> loading = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
     RunHandle handle = new ProjectRunner().run(project,
         RunConfig.of(project.startStage()).withControl(),
         new RunListener() {
-          @Override public void onFrames(long f) { beats.add(f); }
+          @Override public void onFrames(long f, boolean l) {
+            beats.add(f);
+            loading.add(l);
+          }
         });
     try {
       waitFor(() -> beats.size() >= 8 && beats.get(beats.size() - 1) > 0, 20000);
@@ -243,6 +247,8 @@ void aForeverLoopInRunStopsTheFrameCount() throws Exception {
       assertThat(beats.get(beats.size() - 1)).as("frozen: no new frames").isEqualTo(last);
       // run() starts a few frames after the first drawn frame
       assertThat(last).isBetween(55L, 200L);
+      // past the loading screen: the IDE's short freeze limit applies
+      assertThat(loading.get(loading.size() - 1)).as("loading flags %s", loading).isFalse();
     } finally {
       handle.stop();
     }
diff --git a/sound/pom.xml b/sound/pom.xml
index c512779..861d009 100644
--- a/sound/pom.xml
+++ b/sound/pom.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
     <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-    <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+    <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>sound</artifactId>
diff --git a/ui/pom.xml b/ui/pom.xml
index 2d76c54..12fb056 100644
--- a/ui/pom.xml
+++ b/ui/pom.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
     <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-    <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+    <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>ui</artifactId>
diff --git a/ui/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/ui/EditorTabs.java b/ui/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/ui/EditorTabs.java
index f172f35..5bcf330 100644
--- a/ui/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/ui/EditorTabs.java
+++ b/ui/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/ui/EditorTabs.java
@@ -412,6 +412,13 @@ boolean close(Tab tab) {
     return true;
   }
 
+  /** Drops every tab without asking (the project closes or another one opens). */
+  void clear() {
+    getTabs().clear();
+    openTabs.clear();
+    toolTabs.clear();
+  }
+
   /** Right-click on a tab: close it, the others, or all. */
   private javafx.scene.control.ContextMenu tabMenu(Tab tab) {
     javafx.scene.control.MenuItem close = new javafx.scene.control.MenuItem(
diff --git a/ui/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/ui/StudioApp.java b/ui/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/ui/StudioApp.java
index b4bd359..ca23b1a 100644
--- a/ui/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/ui/StudioApp.java
+++ b/ui/src/main/java/org/openpatch/scratch4j/ui/StudioApp.java
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ private void closeProject() {
     checkDelay.stop();
     hotSwapDelay.stop();
     stuckDelay.stop();
-    editor.getTabs().clear();
+    editor.clear();
     project.set(null);
     hasProject.set(false);
     stage.setTitle("Scratch for Java Studio");
@@ -1031,7 +1031,7 @@ private void open(ScratchProject p) {
     projectTitle.setText(p.name());
     hasProject.set(true);
     fileTree.setRoot(p.root());
-    editor.getTabs().clear();
+    editor.clear();
     selector = new StageSelectorView(p, this::openDesigner,
         cls -> editor.open(p.root().resolve(cls + ".java")),
         () -> {
@@ -1531,8 +1531,10 @@ private Path mediaFile(String extension) {
    * A program whose frame count stops for 3 seconds (or that never shows a
    * window) is frozen - almost always a loop that never ends. The console
    * explains it once; the Problems tab shows where the transition lint found it.
+   * On the loading screen it gets 20 seconds: a slow PC draws nothing for a
+   * while when the stage takes over.
    */
-  void watchdog(long frames) {
+  void watchdog(long frames, boolean loading) {
     long now = System.currentTimeMillis();
     if (frames != watchFrames) {
       if (watchWarned && frames > watchFrames && watchFrames >= 0) {
@@ -1558,7 +1560,7 @@ void watchdog(long frames) {
       watchChanged = now;
       return;
     }
-    boolean stalled = frames >= 0 && now - watchChanged >= 3000;
+    boolean stalled = frames >= 0 && now - watchChanged >= (loading ? 20000 : 3000);
     boolean noWindow = frames < 0 && now - watchStarted >= 10000;
     if ((stalled || noWindow) && !watchWarned && running.get()) {
       watchWarned = true;
@@ -3092,8 +3094,8 @@ private void runStage(String startStage, boolean debug) {
         liveSwap = new org.openpatch.scratch4j.runner.HotSwap(p, session);
         RunHandle handle = runner.run(p, config,
             new RunListener() {
-          @Override public void onFrames(long frames) {
-            Platform.runLater(() -> watchdog(frames));
+          @Override public void onFrames(long frames, boolean loading) {
+            Platform.runLater(() -> watchdog(frames, loading));
           }
 
           @Override public void onPaused(long frame) {