diff --git a/frontend/playwright/ui/pages/WorkspacePage.js b/frontend/playwright/ui/pages/WorkspacePage.js
index f6b6a5a11a..d2953a2c71 100644
--- a/frontend/playwright/ui/pages/WorkspacePage.js
+++ b/frontend/playwright/ui/pages/WorkspacePage.js
@@ -600,6 +600,12 @@ export class WorkspacePage extends BaseWebSocketPage {
       .getByRole("button", { name: "Comments (C)" })
       .click(clickOptions);
   }
+
+  async toggleCommentsVisibilityFromMenu(clickOptions = {}) {
+    await this.page.getByRole("button", { name: "Main menu" }).click();
+    await this.page.getByText("view").last().click();
+    await this.page.locator("#file-menu-comments").click(clickOptions);
+  }
 }
 
 export default WorkspacePage;
diff --git a/frontend/playwright/ui/specs/workspace-comments.spec.js b/frontend/playwright/ui/specs/workspace-comments.spec.js
index 8cc3cbe203..735b10b044 100644
--- a/frontend/playwright/ui/specs/workspace-comments.spec.js
+++ b/frontend/playwright/ui/specs/workspace-comments.spec.js
@@ -35,3 +35,64 @@ test("Group bubbles when zooming out if they overlap", async ({ page }) => {
     /unread/,
   );
 });
+
+test("Opening the Comments section only temporarily overrides a disabled global comments setting", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  const workspacePage = new WasmWorkspacePage(page);
+  await workspacePage.setupEmptyFile();
+  await workspacePage.setupFileWithComments();
+  await workspacePage.goToWorkspace();
+
+  const bubble = page.getByTestId("floating-thread-bubble-1");
+
+  // "Display comments" is enabled by default, so the bubble is already visible.
+  await expect(bubble).toBeVisible();
+
+  // Turn the global "Display comments" setting off from the main menu.
+  await workspacePage.toggleCommentsVisibilityFromMenu();
+  await expect(bubble).toBeHidden();
+
+  // Opening the Comments section shows comments regardless of the global setting.
+  await workspacePage.showComments();
+  await expect(bubble).toBeVisible();
+
+  // Closing the Comments section falls back to the (still disabled) global setting.
+  await workspacePage.showComments();
+  await expect(bubble).toBeHidden();
+
+  // The global setting itself must be untouched by opening/closing the section.
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Main menu" }).click();
+  await page.getByText("view").last().click();
+  await expect(page.locator("#file-menu-comments")).toContainText(
+    "Show comments",
+  );
+  await page.keyboard.press("Escape");
+});
+
+test("Comments stay visible through opening and closing the Comments section when the global setting is enabled", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  const workspacePage = new WasmWorkspacePage(page);
+  await workspacePage.setupEmptyFile();
+  await workspacePage.setupFileWithComments();
+  await workspacePage.goToWorkspace();
+
+  const bubble = page.getByTestId("floating-thread-bubble-1");
+
+  // "Display comments" is enabled by default.
+  await expect(bubble).toBeVisible();
+
+  await workspacePage.showComments();
+  await expect(bubble).toBeVisible();
+
+  await workspacePage.showComments();
+  await expect(bubble).toBeVisible();
+
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Main menu" }).click();
+  await page.getByText("view").last().click();
+  await expect(page.locator("#file-menu-comments")).toContainText(
+    "Hide comments",
+  );
+  await page.keyboard.press("Escape");
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/main/data/workspace/drawing.cljs b/frontend/src/app/main/data/workspace/drawing.cljs
index 4812cf32a0..193b5747af 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/main/data/workspace/drawing.cljs
+++ b/frontend/src/app/main/data/workspace/drawing.cljs
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
    [app.main.data.workspace.drawing.common :as common]
    [app.main.data.workspace.drawing.curve :as curve]
    [app.main.data.workspace.drawing.line :as line]
-   [app.main.data.workspace.layout :as dwlo]
    [app.main.data.workspace.path :as path]
    [beicon.v2.core :as rx]
    [potok.v2.core :as ptk]))
@@ -47,11 +46,6 @@
        (when (= tool :path)
          (rx/of (start-drawing :path)))
 
-       ;; NOTE: comments are a special case and they manage they
-       ;; own interrupt cycle.
-       (when (= tool :comments)
-         (rx/of (dwlo/toggle-layout-flag :display-comments :force? true)))
-
        (when (and (not= tool :comments)
                   (not= tool :path))
          (let [stopper (rx/filter (ptk/type? ::clear-drawing) stream)]