@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ export const DELETE = withRouteHandler(
 
       return NextResponse.json({ success: true, data: { deleted: true } })
     } catch (error) {
+      if (error instanceof TableViewValidationError) {
+        return NextResponse.json({ error: error.message }, { status: 400 })
+      }
       logger.error(`[${requestId}] Error deleting table view:`, error)
       return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Failed to delete view' }, { status: 500 })
     }
 
@@ -12,17 +12,16 @@ import {
 interface SaveViewModalProps {
   open: boolean
   onOpenChange: (open: boolean) => void
-  /** Pre-filled when renaming an existing view; empty when saving a new one. */
+  /** Pre-filled when renaming an existing view; empty when creating a new one. */
   initialName?: string
-  /** `new` starts blank and is configured after; `create` captures what is
-   *  already applied; `rename` retitles an existing view. */
-  mode: 'new' | 'create' | 'rename'
+  /** `new` starts blank and is configured after; `rename` retitles an existing view. */
+  mode: 'new' | 'rename'
   onSubmit: (name: string) => void
   isSubmitting: boolean
 }
 
 /**
- * Names a view — used both for "Save as view" and for renaming an existing one.
+ * Names a new view or renames an existing one.
  * A view name is free-form (no identifier rules), so the only guard is emptiness.
  */
 export function SaveViewModal({
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@ export function SaveViewModal({
   }
 
   const trimmed = name.trim()
-  const title = mode === 'new' ? 'New view' : mode === 'create' ? 'Save as view' : 'Rename view'
+  const title = mode === 'new' ? 'New view' : 'Rename view'
 
   const handleSubmit = () => {
     if (!trimmed || isSubmitting) return
@@ -68,7 +67,14 @@ export function SaveViewModal({
         onCancel={() => onOpenChange(false)}
         cancelDisabled={isSubmitting}
         primaryAction={{
-          label: isSubmitting ? 'Saving...' : 'Save',
+          label:
+            mode === 'new'
+              ? isSubmitting
+                ? 'Creating...'
+                : 'Create'
+              : isSubmitting
+                ? 'Saving...'
+                : 'Save',
           onClick: handleSubmit,
           disabled: !trimmed || isSubmitting,
         }}
 
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+/**
+ * @vitest-environment jsdom
+ */
+import { act } from 'react'
+import { createRoot } from 'react-dom/client'
+import { renderToStaticMarkup } from 'react-dom/server'
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import type { TableViewWire } from '@/lib/api/contracts/tables'
+import { ViewsMenu } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/tables/[tableId]/components/views-menu/views-menu'
+
+const DEFAULT_VIEW: TableViewWire = {
+  id: 'view-default',
+  tableId: 'table-1',
+  name: 'Default',
+  config: {},
+  isDefault: true,
+  createdBy: 'user-1',
+  createdAt: new Date('2026-08-15T01:00:00.000Z'),
+  updatedAt: new Date('2026-08-15T01:00:00.000Z'),
+}
+
+const SAVED_VIEW: TableViewWire = {
+  ...DEFAULT_VIEW,
+  id: 'view-saved',
+  name: 'Saved',
+  isDefault: false,
+}
+
+function renderMenu(views: TableViewWire[], activeViewId: string | null): string {
+  return renderToStaticMarkup(
+    <ViewsMenu
+      views={views}
+      activeViewId={activeViewId}
+      onSelect={vi.fn()}
+      onRename={vi.fn()}
+      onDelete={vi.fn()}
+      onNewView={vi.fn()}
+      canEdit
+    />
+  )
+}
+
+describe('ViewsMenu', () => {
+  it('shows the persisted default while its URL selection is being adopted', () => {
+    const markup = renderMenu([DEFAULT_VIEW], null)
+
+    expect(markup).toContain('Default')
+    expect(markup).not.toContain('>View<')
+  })
+
+  it('shows All only for a legacy table without a persisted default', () => {
+    const markup = renderMenu([], null)
+
+    expect(markup).toContain('All')
+    expect(markup).not.toContain('>View<')
+  })
+
+  it('only offers deletion for non-default views', () => {
+    const container = document.createElement('div')
+    document.body.appendChild(container)
+    const root = createRoot(container)
+
+    act(() => {
+      root.render(
+        <ViewsMenu
+          views={[DEFAULT_VIEW, SAVED_VIEW]}
+          activeViewId={DEFAULT_VIEW.id}
+          onSelect={vi.fn()}
+          onRename={vi.fn()}
+          onDelete={vi.fn()}
+          onNewView={vi.fn()}
+          canEdit
+        />
+      )
+    })
+    act(() => container.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('button[aria-label="Views"]')?.click())
+
+    expect(document.body.querySelectorAll('button[aria-label="Delete"]')).toHaveLength(1)
+
+    act(() => root.unmount())
+    container.remove()
+  })
+})
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@ import {
 } from '@sim/emcn'
 import { Check, Pencil, Plus, Trash } from '@sim/emcn/icons'
 import type { TableViewWire } from '@/lib/api/contracts/tables'
+import { resolveTableViewSelection } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/tables/[tableId]/view-state'
 
-/** Label for the built-in unfiltered state. Not a stored row — `null` view id. */
+/** Legacy label for tables that do not yet have a persisted default view. */
 export const ALL_ROWS_VIEW_LABEL = 'All'
 
 /** Matches the breadcrumb location popover's hover-intent grace period. */
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ const VIEW_ACTION_SLOT_PX = 22
 
 interface ViewsMenuProps {
   views: TableViewWire[]
-  /** `null` selects the built-in "All" state. */
+  /** `null` selects the legacy "All" state while a table awaits backfill. */
   activeViewId: string | null
   onSelect: (viewId: string | null) => void
   onRename: (viewId: string) => void
@@ -41,8 +42,8 @@ interface ViewsMenuProps {
 }
 
 /**
- * View switcher for the table options bar. Reads "View" until one is selected,
- * then carries the active view's name.
+ * View switcher for the table options bar. Carries the active view's name, or
+ * resolves an absent selection to the persisted default while the URL catches up.
  *
  * Opens on hover-intent like the header's breadcrumb location popover, so the
  * list of views is discoverable without a click.
@@ -59,8 +60,9 @@ export const ViewsMenu = memo(function ViewsMenu({
   const [open, setOpen] = useState(false)
   const closeTimeoutRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null)
 
-  const activeView = activeViewId ? views.find((view) => view.id === activeViewId) : undefined
-  const label = activeView?.name ?? 'View'
+  const { activeView, defaultView } = resolveTableViewSelection(views, activeViewId)
+  const hasDefaultView = defaultView !== null
+  const label = activeView?.name ?? ALL_ROWS_VIEW_LABEL
 
   const cancelScheduledClose = () => {
     if (closeTimeoutRef.current) {
@@ -132,11 +134,13 @@ export const ViewsMenu = memo(function ViewsMenu({
           Views
         </PopoverSection>
         <div className='flex flex-col gap-0.5'>
-          <ViewRow
-            label={ALL_ROWS_VIEW_LABEL}
-            isActive={activeViewId === null}
-            onSelect={() => runAndClose(() => onSelect(null))}
-          />
+          {!hasDefaultView && (
+            <ViewRow
+              label={ALL_ROWS_VIEW_LABEL}
+              isActive={activeViewId === null}
+              onSelect={() => runAndClose(() => onSelect(null))}
+            />
+          )}
           {views.map((view) => (
             <ViewRow
               key={view.id}
@@ -152,11 +156,15 @@ export const ViewsMenu = memo(function ViewsMenu({
                         label: 'Rename',
                         onClick: () => runAndClose(() => onRename(view.id)),
                       },
-                      {
-                        icon: Trash,
-                        label: 'Delete',
-                        onClick: () => runAndClose(() => onDelete(view.id)),
-                      },
+                      ...(!view.isDefault
+                        ? [
+                            {
+                              icon: Trash,
+                              label: 'Delete',
+                              onClick: () => runAndClose(() => onDelete(view.id)),
+                            },
+                          ]
+                        : []),
                     ]
                   : undefined
               }
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ export const DELETE = withRouteHandler(`
`99`	`99`
`100`	`100`	`return NextResponse.json({ success: true, data: { deleted: true } })`
`101`	`101`	`} catch (error) {`
	`102`	`+ if (error instanceof TableViewValidationError) {`
	`103`	`+ return NextResponse.json({ error: error.message }, { status: 400 })`
	`104`	`+ }`
`102`	`105`	logger.error(`[${requestId}] Error deleting table view:`, error)
`103`	`106`	`return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Failed to delete view' }, { status: 500 })`
`104`	`107`	`}`