diff --git a/daras_ai_v2/base.py b/daras_ai_v2/base.py
index 8cd1c6dee..424cdff79 100644
--- a/daras_ai_v2/base.py
+++ b/daras_ai_v2/base.py
@@ -304,7 +304,11 @@ def sentry_event_set_user(self, event, hint):
         return event
 
     def refresh_state(self):
-        _, run_id, uid = extract_query_params(gui.get_query_params())
+        example_id, run_id, uid = extract_query_params(gui.get_query_params())
+        if not run_id:
+            sr = self.get_sr_from_query_params(example_id, run_id, uid)
+            run_id, uid = sr.run_id, sr.uid
+
         channel = self.realtime_channel_name(run_id, uid)
         output = gui.realtime_pull([channel])[0]
         if output:
@@ -376,7 +380,9 @@ def _render_header(self):
                     and self.request.user
                 )
 
-                if can_user_edit_run and has_unpublished_changes:
+                if (
+                    can_user_edit_run and has_unpublished_changes
+                ) or self._has_current_run_changed(current_run):
                     self._render_unpublished_changes_indicator()
 
                 with gui.div(className="d-flex align-items-start right-action-icons"):
@@ -538,6 +544,8 @@ def _render_publish_modal(
         is_update_mode: bool = False,
         redirect_to: str | None = None,
     ):
+        is_example = published_run.saved_run == current_run
+
         if published_run.is_root() and self.is_current_user_admin():
             with gui.div(className="text-danger"):
                 gui.write(
@@ -646,7 +654,13 @@ def _render_publish_modal(
                 notes=published_run_notes.strip(),
                 visibility=published_run_visibility,
             )
-        raise gui.RedirectException(redirect_to or published_run.get_app_url())
+
+        if redirect_to:
+            raise gui.RedirectException(redirect_to)
+        elif is_example:
+            modal.close()  # implicit gui.rerun to reload the updated run
+        else:
+            raise gui.RedirectException(published_run.get_app_url())
 
     def _validate_published_run_title(self, title: str):
         if slugify(title) in settings.DISALLOWED_TITLE_SLUGS:
@@ -676,6 +690,17 @@ def _has_published_run_changed(
             or published_run.saved_run != saved_run
         )
 
+    def _has_current_run_changed(self, sr: SavedRun) -> bool:
+        """are there unsaved changes that haven't been run?"""
+        try:
+            extracted_state = self.RequestModel.parse_obj(gui.session_state)
+            extracted_sr = self.RequestModel.parse_obj(sr.to_dict())
+            return extracted_sr != extracted_state
+        except ValidationError as e:
+            # don't want page to be inaccessible if ever validation fails - log and continue
+            sentry_sdk.capture_exception(e)
+            return False
+
     def _render_options_modal(
         self,
         *,
@@ -1596,6 +1621,11 @@ def estimate_run_duration(self) -> int | None:
         pass
 
     def on_submit(self):
+        sr = self._on_submit()
+        if sr:
+            raise gui.RedirectException(self.app_url(run_id=sr.run_id, uid=sr.uid))
+
+    def _on_submit(self):
         try:
             sr = self.create_new_run(enable_rate_limits=True)
         except ValidationError as e:
@@ -1609,7 +1639,7 @@ def on_submit(self):
 
         self.call_runner_task(sr)
 
-        raise gui.RedirectException(self.app_url(run_id=sr.run_id, uid=sr.uid))
+        return sr
 
     def should_submit_after_login(self) -> bool:
         return (