diff --git a/templates/clips/app/components/player/video-player.test.tsx b/templates/clips/app/components/player/video-player.test.tsx
index ed8b69ed27..fdd569eec4 100644
--- a/templates/clips/app/components/player/video-player.test.tsx
+++ b/templates/clips/app/components/player/video-player.test.tsx
@@ -172,6 +172,32 @@ describe("VideoPlayer playback", () => {
     expect(video.paused).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("replays from the start when the surface is clicked after the clip ended", () => {
+    const surface = getPlayerSurface();
+    const video = getVideo();
+
+    act(() => {
+      surface.click();
+    });
+    expect(video.paused).toBe(false);
+
+    // Reaching end of stream can fire "ended" while the browser leaves paused
+    // false (MSE end-of-stream / DB-duration mismatch). The play button must
+    // still restart from the beginning rather than pausing a finished clip.
+    video.currentTime = 10;
+    Object.defineProperty(video, "ended", { configurable: true, value: true });
+    act(() => {
+      video.dispatchEvent(new Event("ended"));
+    });
+
+    act(() => {
+      surface.click();
+    });
+
+    expect(video.currentTime).toBe(0);
+    expect(video.paused).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("suppresses the synthetic click that follows a touch tap instead of double-toggling playback", () => {
     const surface = getPlayerSurface();
     const video = getVideo();
diff --git a/templates/clips/app/components/player/video-player.tsx b/templates/clips/app/components/player/video-player.tsx
index 74c3767640..368873ba45 100644
--- a/templates/clips/app/components/player/video-player.tsx
+++ b/templates/clips/app/components/player/video-player.tsx
@@ -598,10 +598,10 @@ export const VideoPlayer = forwardRef<VideoPlayerHandle, VideoPlayerProps>(
     const togglePlayback = useCallback(() => {
       const v = videoRef.current;
       if (!v) return;
-      if (!v.paused || isPlaying) {
-        pauseVideo();
-        return;
-      }
+      // A finished clip must always replay from the start, even when the browser
+      // left `paused` false at end of stream (MSE end-of-stream / DB-duration
+      // mismatch) or `isPlaying` is stale — otherwise the toggle below would
+      // pause an already-ended element and the play button appears to do nothing.
       if (v.ended) {
         try {
           v.currentTime = 0;
@@ -609,6 +609,12 @@ export const VideoPlayer = forwardRef<VideoPlayerHandle, VideoPlayerProps>(
         } catch {
           // Let the normal play attempt report a media error if the seek fails.
         }
+        requestPlay();
+        return;
+      }
+      if (!v.paused || isPlaying) {
+        pauseVideo();
+        return;
       }
       requestPlay();
     }, [isPlaying, pauseVideo, requestPlay]);