diff --git a/apps/client/src/AppRouter.tsx b/apps/client/src/AppRouter.tsx
index 0669c288c..308a52361 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/AppRouter.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/AppRouter.tsx
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ export default function AppRouter() {
           path='teleprompter'
           element={
             <ViewLoader>
-              <ViewNavigationMenu isNavigationLocked={getIsNavigationLocked()} />
+              <ViewNavigationMenu isNavigationLocked={getIsNavigationLocked()} suppressSpaceHotkey />
               <Teleprompter />
             </ViewLoader>
           }
@@ -225,7 +225,11 @@ function PresetView() {
   const Component = PresetViewMap[preset.target as OntimeViewPresettable];
   return (
     <PresetContext value={preset}>
-      <ViewNavigationMenu isNavigationLocked={getIsNavigationLocked()} suppressSettings />
+      <ViewNavigationMenu
+        isNavigationLocked={getIsNavigationLocked()}
+        suppressSettings
+        suppressSpaceHotkey={preset.target === OntimeView.Teleprompter}
+      />
       {Component ? <Component /> : <NotFound />}
     </PresetContext>
   );
diff --git a/apps/client/src/common/components/navigation-menu/ViewNavigationMenu.tsx b/apps/client/src/common/components/navigation-menu/ViewNavigationMenu.tsx
index 7bf1f9181..cdc2c869f 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/common/components/navigation-menu/ViewNavigationMenu.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/common/components/navigation-menu/ViewNavigationMenu.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import { memo } from 'react';
 import { useSearchParams } from 'react-router';
 
 import { hasCustomParams } from '../../stores/savedViewParams';
-import { useViewHotkeysStore } from '../../stores/viewHotkeys';
 import { useViewParamsEditorStore } from '../view-params-editor/viewParamsEditor.store';
 import FloatingNavigation from './floating-navigation/FloatingNavigation';
 import NavigationMenu from './NavigationMenu';
@@ -14,10 +13,12 @@ interface ViewNavigationMenuProps {
   isNavigationLocked?: boolean;
   /** prevent showing settings */
   suppressSettings?: boolean;
+  /** leave Space to the view, for views which need the key themselves */
+  suppressSpaceHotkey?: boolean;
 }
 
 export default memo(ViewNavigationMenu);
-function ViewNavigationMenu({ isNavigationLocked, suppressSettings }: ViewNavigationMenuProps) {
+function ViewNavigationMenu({ isNavigationLocked, suppressSettings, suppressSpaceHotkey }: ViewNavigationMenuProps) {
   const [isMenuOpen, menuHandler] = useDisclosure();
   const { open: showEditFormDrawer } = useViewParamsEditorStore();
   const [searchParams] = useSearchParams();
@@ -27,9 +28,7 @@ function ViewNavigationMenu({ isNavigationLocked, suppressSettings }: ViewNaviga
     [
       'Space',
       () => {
-        if (isNavigationLocked) return;
-        // a view can take over Space for itself, see viewHotkeys store
-        if (useViewHotkeysStore.getState().spaceClaimed) return;
+        if (isNavigationLocked || suppressSpaceHotkey) return;
         menuHandler.toggle();
       },
       { preventDefault: true },
diff --git a/apps/client/src/common/stores/viewHotkeys.ts b/apps/client/src/common/stores/viewHotkeys.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 0d74754ce..000000000
--- a/apps/client/src/common/stores/viewHotkeys.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-import { create } from 'zustand';
-
-interface ViewHotkeysStore {
-  /** a view has taken over the Space key and the navigation menu must not react to it */
-  spaceClaimed: boolean;
-  claimSpace: () => void;
-  releaseSpace: () => void;
-}
-
-/**
- * Lets a view take ownership of a hotkey which the view chrome also binds.
- *
- * The navigation menu binds Space at document level, but the teleprompter needs
- * it for playback, which is the convention every prompter and every foot pedal
- * follows. Prop threading does not work here because AppRouter renders
- * ViewNavigationMenu generically for presets, so the claim lives in a store
- * which the view sets on mount and clears on unmount.
- */
-export const useViewHotkeysStore = create<ViewHotkeysStore>((set) => ({
-  spaceClaimed: false,
-  claimSpace: () => set({ spaceClaimed: true }),
-  releaseSpace: () => set({ spaceClaimed: false }),
-}));
diff --git a/apps/client/src/views/teleprompter/useTeleprompterControls.ts b/apps/client/src/views/teleprompter/useTeleprompterControls.ts
index 5d827d785..af98d265a 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/views/teleprompter/useTeleprompterControls.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/views/teleprompter/useTeleprompterControls.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 
 import { useViewParamsEditorStore } from '../../common/components/view-params-editor/viewParamsEditor.store';
-import { useViewHotkeysStore } from '../../common/stores/viewHotkeys';
 import { resolveTeleprompterAction } from './teleprompter.keymap';
 import type { TeleprompterAction, TeleprompterController } from './teleprompter.types';
 
@@ -18,22 +17,15 @@ const ignoredTags = new Set(['INPUT', 'TEXTAREA', 'SELECT']);
 /**
  * Binds the prompter keymap.
  *
- * Space is claimed from the navigation menu for the lifetime of the view: it is
- * the universal run/stop key on prompter software and on the centre pedal of
- * every three pedal controller, so the view cannot leave it to the menu.
+ * Space is the universal run/stop key on prompter software and the centre pedal
+ * of every three pedal controller, so this view cannot leave it to the
+ * navigation menu. The routes which render the teleprompter pass
+ * suppressSpaceHotkey to ViewNavigationMenu so the menu stands down.
  */
 export function useTeleprompterControls(args: UseTeleprompterControlsArgs) {
   const argsRef = useRef(args);
   argsRef.current = args;
 
-  const claimSpace = useViewHotkeysStore((state) => state.claimSpace);
-  const releaseSpace = useViewHotkeysStore((state) => state.releaseSpace);
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    claimSpace();
-    return releaseSpace;
-  }, [claimSpace, releaseSpace]);
-
   useEffect(() => {
     function applyAction(action: TeleprompterAction) {
       const { controller, onFlip, onFontSize, onResetFontSize, onToggleHelp } = argsRef.current;