diff --git a/src/components/Post/Embed/ImageEmbed.tsx b/src/components/Post/Embed/ImageEmbed.tsx
index 9f1510639e..ccd1ceb270 100644
--- a/src/components/Post/Embed/ImageEmbed.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Post/Embed/ImageEmbed.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import {useRef} from 'react'
 import {InteractionManager, View} from 'react-native'
 import {type AnimatedRef} from 'react-native-reanimated'
 import {Image} from 'expo-image'
@@ -25,6 +26,11 @@ export function ImageEmbed({
   const {images} = embed.view
   const galleryEnabled = ax.features.enabled(ax.features.PostGalleryEmbedEnable)
 
+  // Captured from AutoSizedImage so the peek-commit handler can reuse the same
+  // ref + dims that a tap would — keeps the lightbox's return animation intact.
+  const singleContainerRef = useRef<AnimatedRef<any> | null>(null)
+  const singleDimsRef = useRef<Dimensions | null>(null)
+
   if (images.length > 0) {
     const items = images.map(img => ({
       uri: img.fullsize,
@@ -57,18 +63,6 @@ export function ImageEmbed({
         )
       })
     }
-    const onPreviewPress = (index: number) =>
-      openLightbox({
-        images: items.map(item => ({
-          ...item,
-          thumbRect: null,
-          thumbRef: null,
-          thumbDimensions: null,
-          thumbBorderRadius: tokens.borderRadius.md,
-          type: 'image',
-        })),
-        index,
-      })
 
     if (images.length === 1) {
       const image = images[0]
@@ -76,6 +70,11 @@ export function ImageEmbed({
         image.aspectRatio && image.aspectRatio.height > 0
           ? image.aspectRatio.width / image.aspectRatio.height
           : undefined
+      const openFromSingle = () => {
+        if (singleContainerRef.current) {
+          onPress(0, [singleContainerRef.current], [singleDimsRef.current])
+        }
+      }
       return (
         <View style={[a.mt_sm, rest.style]}>
           <ImageContextMenu
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@ export function ImageEmbed({
             thumbUri={image.thumb}
             aspectRatio={aspect}
             borderRadius={tokens.borderRadius.md}
-            onPreviewPress={() => onPreviewPress(0)}>
+            onPreviewPress={openFromSingle}>
             <AutoSizedImage
               crop={
                 rest.viewContext === PostEmbedViewContext.ThreadHighlighted
@@ -94,6 +93,12 @@ export function ImageEmbed({
                     : 'constrained'
               }
               image={image}
+              onContainerRef={ref => {
+                singleContainerRef.current = ref
+              }}
+              onDimsChange={dims => {
+                singleDimsRef.current = dims
+              }}
               onPress={(containerRef, dims) =>
                 onPress(0, [containerRef], [dims])
               }
@@ -115,7 +120,6 @@ export function ImageEmbed({
             images={images}
             onPress={onPress}
             onPressIn={onPressIn}
-            onPreviewPress={onPreviewPress}
             viewContext={rest.viewContext}
           />
         </View>
@@ -128,7 +132,6 @@ export function ImageEmbed({
           images={images}
           onPress={onPress}
           onPressIn={onPressIn}
-          onPreviewPress={onPreviewPress}
           viewContext={rest.viewContext}
         />
       </View>
diff --git a/src/components/images/AutoSizedImage.tsx b/src/components/images/AutoSizedImage.tsx
index 2df8d056d6..79b41311cb 100644
--- a/src/components/images/AutoSizedImage.tsx
+++ b/src/components/images/AutoSizedImage.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import {useMemo, useRef} from 'react'
+import {useEffect, useMemo, useRef} from 'react'
 import {type DimensionValue, Pressable, View} from 'react-native'
 import Animated, {
   type AnimatedRef,
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ export function AutoSizedImage({
   onPress,
   onLongPress,
   onPressIn,
+  onContainerRef,
+  onDimsChange,
 }: {
   image: AppBskyEmbedImages.ViewImage
   crop?: 'none' | 'square' | 'constrained'
@@ -79,6 +81,11 @@ export function AutoSizedImage({
   ) => void
   onLongPress?: () => void
   onPressIn?: () => void
+  /** Fires once with the internal container ref so a parent can drive its
+   *  own lightbox-return animation without waiting for an `onPress`. */
+  onContainerRef?: (ref: AnimatedRef<any>) => void
+  /** Fires when the underlying image reports its natural dimensions. */
+  onDimsChange?: (dims: Dimensions) => void
 }) {
   const t = useTheme()
   const {_} = useLingui()
@@ -86,6 +93,10 @@ export function AutoSizedImage({
   const containerRef = useAnimatedRef()
   const fetchedDimsRef = useRef<{width: number; height: number} | null>(null)
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    onContainerRef?.(containerRef)
+  }, [containerRef, onContainerRef])
+
   let aspectRatio: number | undefined
   const dims = image.aspectRatio
   if (dims) {
@@ -122,10 +133,12 @@ export function AutoSizedImage({
         accessibilityHint=""
         onLoad={e => {
           if (!isContain) {
-            fetchedDimsRef.current = {
+            const dims = {
               width: e.source.width,
               height: e.source.height,
             }
+            fetchedDimsRef.current = dims
+            onDimsChange?.(dims)
           }
         }}
         loading="lazy"
diff --git a/src/components/images/Gallery/index.tsx b/src/components/images/Gallery/index.tsx
index a1089d2c27..f4ffcd7159 100644
--- a/src/components/images/Gallery/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/images/Gallery/index.tsx
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ interface GalleryProps {
     fetchedDims: (Dimensions | null)[],
   ) => void
   onPressIn?: (index: number) => void
-  onPreviewPress?: (index: number) => void
   viewContext?: PostEmbedViewContext
 }
 
@@ -97,7 +96,6 @@ export function Gallery({
   images,
   onPress,
   onPressIn,
-  onPreviewPress,
   viewContext,
 }: GalleryProps) {
   const {t: l} = useLingui()
@@ -267,6 +265,21 @@ export function Gallery({
           data={images}
           keyExtractor={(item, index) => item.thumb + index}
           renderItem={({item, index}) => {
+            const openLightboxAtIndex = onPress
+              ? () => {
+                  ax.metric('post:gallery:openLightbox', {
+                    fromImage: index + 1, // convert to 1-based index for easier analysis
+                    totalImages: images.length,
+                  })
+                  const refs: AnimatedRef<any>[] = []
+                  const dims: (Dimensions | null)[] = []
+                  for (let i = 0; i < images.length; i++) {
+                    refs.push(containerRefsRef.current.get(i)!)
+                    dims.push(thumbDimsRef.current.get(i) ?? null)
+                  }
+                  onPress(index, refs, dims)
+                }
+              : undefined
             return (
               <GalleryImage
                 hideBadges={hideBadges}
@@ -291,27 +304,9 @@ export function Gallery({
                 onThumbDims={(i, dims) => {
                   thumbDimsRef.current.set(i, dims)
                 }}
-                onPress={
-                  onPress
-                    ? () => {
-                        ax.metric('post:gallery:openLightbox', {
-                          fromImage: index + 1, // convert to 1-based index for easier analysis
-                          totalImages: images.length,
-                        })
-                        const refs: AnimatedRef<any>[] = []
-                        const dims: (Dimensions | null)[] = []
-                        for (let i = 0; i < images.length; i++) {
-                          refs.push(containerRefsRef.current.get(i)!)
-                          dims.push(thumbDimsRef.current.get(i) ?? null)
-                        }
-                        onPress(index, refs, dims)
-                      }
-                    : undefined
-                }
+                onPress={openLightboxAtIndex}
                 onPressIn={onPressIn ? () => onPressIn(index) : undefined}
-                onPreviewPress={
-                  onPreviewPress ? () => onPreviewPress(index) : undefined
-                }
+                onPreviewPress={openLightboxAtIndex}
               />
             )
           }}
diff --git a/src/components/images/ImageLayoutGrid.tsx b/src/components/images/ImageLayoutGrid.tsx
index ef9f351b10..0017ddf9cf 100644
--- a/src/components/images/ImageLayoutGrid.tsx
+++ b/src/components/images/ImageLayoutGrid.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ interface ImageLayoutGridProps {
   ) => void
   onLongPress?: (index: number) => void
   onPressIn?: (index: number) => void
-  onPreviewPress?: (index: number) => void
   style?: StyleProp<ViewStyle>
   viewContext?: PostEmbedViewContext
 }
@@ -49,7 +48,6 @@ interface ImageLayoutGridInnerProps {
   ) => void
   onLongPress?: (index: number) => void
   onPressIn?: (index: number) => void
-  onPreviewPress?: (index: number) => void
   viewContext?: PostEmbedViewContext
   gap: {gap: number}
 }
diff --git a/src/components/images/ImageLayoutGridItem.tsx b/src/components/images/ImageLayoutGridItem.tsx
index a44d275a17..aac2f5d66f 100644
--- a/src/components/images/ImageLayoutGridItem.tsx
+++ b/src/components/images/ImageLayoutGridItem.tsx
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ interface Props {
   ) => void
   onLongPress?: EventFunction
   onPressIn?: EventFunction
-  /** Fired from the native iOS peek preview tap. */
-  onPreviewPress?: EventFunction
   imageStyle?: StyleProp<ImageStyle>
   viewContext?: PostEmbedViewContext
   insetBorderStyle?: StyleProp<ViewStyle>
@@ -43,7 +41,6 @@ export function GalleryItem({
   onPress,
   onPressIn,
   onLongPress,
-  onPreviewPress,
   viewContext,
   insetBorderStyle,
   containerRefs,
@@ -62,22 +59,23 @@ export function GalleryItem({
       ? image.aspectRatio.width / image.aspectRatio.height
       : undefined
 
+  // The tap handler and the peek-commit handler do the same thing: open the
+  // lightbox with this cell's ref + dims so the lightbox's return animation
+  // can target the original thumbnail.
+  const openLightboxAtIndex = onPress
+    ? () => onPress(index, containerRefs, thumbDimsRef.current.slice())
+    : undefined
+
   return (
     <View style={a.flex_1} ref={containerRefs[index]} collapsable={false}>
       <ImageContextMenu
         fullsizeUri={image.fullsize}
         thumbUri={image.thumb}
         aspectRatio={aspect}
-        onPreviewPress={
-          onPreviewPress ? () => onPreviewPress(index) : undefined
-        }
+        onPreviewPress={openLightboxAtIndex}
         style={a.flex_1}>
         <Pressable
-          onPress={
-            onPress
-              ? () => onPress(index, containerRefs, thumbDimsRef.current.slice())
-              : undefined
-          }
+          onPress={openLightboxAtIndex}
           onPressIn={onPressIn ? () => onPressIn(index) : undefined}
           onLongPress={onLongPress ? () => onLongPress(index) : undefined}
           android_ripple={{