diff --git a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/hooks/useLoadSpec.ts b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/hooks/useLoadSpec.ts
index 890fedf74..cfe39c5b5 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/hooks/useLoadSpec.ts
+++ b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/hooks/useLoadSpec.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   ReplayIdGenerator,
   YamlDeserializer,
 } from "@/models/componentSpec";
+import { hydrateLoadedSpecRefs } from "@/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/hydrateSpecRefs";
 import {
   createUndoStoreWithEvents,
   loadUndoHistory,
@@ -119,22 +120,32 @@ export function useLoadSpec(ref: PipelineRef) {
         loadUndoHistory(ref.name).catch(() => null),
       ]);
 
-      if (undoHistory) {
-        try {
-          const replayIdGen = new ReplayIdGenerator(undoHistory.idStack);
-          const spec = deserializeSpec(specData, replayIdGen);
-          const restoredUndoStore = createUndoStoreWithEvents(
-            undoHistory.undoEvents,
-          );
-          return { spec, restoredUndoStore };
-        } catch (error) {
-          console.warn("Failed to restore undo history, loading fresh:", error);
-        }
-      }
+      const loadedSpec = deserializeSpecData(specData, undoHistory);
+      await hydrateLoadedSpecRefs(loadedSpec.spec);
 
-      return { spec: deserializeSpec(specData) };
+      return loadedSpec;
     },
     staleTime: Infinity,
     retry: false,
   });
 }
+
+function deserializeSpecData(
+  specData: unknown,
+  undoHistory: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof loadUndoHistory>> | null,
+): LoadedSpec {
+  if (undoHistory) {
+    try {
+      const replayIdGen = new ReplayIdGenerator(undoHistory.idStack);
+      const spec = deserializeSpec(specData, replayIdGen);
+      const restoredUndoStore = createUndoStoreWithEvents(
+        undoHistory.undoEvents,
+      );
+      return { spec, restoredUndoStore };
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.warn("Failed to restore undo history, loading fresh:", error);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return { spec: deserializeSpec(specData) };
+}
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/__tests__/hydrateSpecRefs.test.ts b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/__tests__/hydrateSpecRefs.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e62093d11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/__tests__/hydrateSpecRefs.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { ComponentSpec } from "@/models/componentSpec/entities/componentSpec";
+import { Task } from "@/models/componentSpec/entities/task";
+import { IncrementingIdGenerator } from "@/models/componentSpec/factories/idGenerator";
+import { hydrateLoadedSpecRefs } from "@/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/hydrateSpecRefs";
+import { hydrateComponentReference } from "@/services/componentService";
+import type {
+  ComponentSpec as ComponentSpecJson,
+  HydratedComponentReference,
+} from "@/utils/componentSpec";
+
+vi.mock("@/services/componentService", () => ({
+  hydrateComponentReference: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+const mockHydrate = vi.mocked(hydrateComponentReference);
+
+const idGen = new IncrementingIdGenerator();
+
+function makeContainerSpec(name: string): ComponentSpecJson {
+  return {
+    name,
+    implementation: { container: { image: "alpine" } },
+  };
+}
+
+function makeHydratedRef(name: string): HydratedComponentReference {
+  return {
+    name,
+    digest: `digest-${name}`,
+    text: `name: ${name}`,
+    spec: makeContainerSpec(name),
+  };
+}
+
+function specWithTask(task: Task): ComponentSpec {
+  return new ComponentSpec({
+    $id: idGen.next("spec"),
+    name: "Pipeline",
+    tasks: [task],
+  });
+}
+
+describe("hydrateLoadedSpecRefs", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("populates resolvedComponentSpec for a text-only ref", async () => {
+    const task = new Task({
+      $id: idGen.next("task"),
+      name: "Process",
+      componentRef: { text: "name: Foo" },
+    });
+    const spec = specWithTask(task);
+
+    mockHydrate.mockResolvedValue(makeHydratedRef("Foo"));
+
+    expect(task.resolvedComponentSpec).toBeUndefined();
+
+    await hydrateLoadedSpecRefs(spec);
+
+    expect(mockHydrate).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(task.resolvedComponentSpec).toBeDefined();
+    expect(task.resolvedComponentSpec?.name).toBe("Foo");
+  });
+
+  it("recurses into subgraph tasks without re-hydrating the subgraph ref", async () => {
+    const innerTask = new Task({
+      $id: idGen.next("task"),
+      name: "Inner",
+      componentRef: { text: "name: Inner" },
+    });
+    const innerSpec = new ComponentSpec({
+      $id: idGen.next("spec"),
+      name: "Subgraph",
+      tasks: [innerTask],
+    });
+    const subgraphTask = new Task({
+      $id: idGen.next("task"),
+      name: "Outer",
+      componentRef: { name: "Outer" },
+      subgraphSpec: innerSpec,
+    });
+    const spec = specWithTask(subgraphTask);
+
+    mockHydrate.mockResolvedValue(makeHydratedRef("Inner"));
+
+    await hydrateLoadedSpecRefs(spec);
+
+    expect(mockHydrate).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(innerTask.resolvedComponentSpec).toBeDefined();
+    expect(innerTask.resolvedComponentSpec?.name).toBe("Inner");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/hydrateSpecRefs.ts b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/hydrateSpecRefs.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..14088c918
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/hydrateSpecRefs.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import type { ComponentSpec } from "@/models/componentSpec";
+import type { Task } from "@/models/componentSpec/entities/task";
+import { hydrateComponentReference } from "@/services/componentService";
+
+/**
+ * Hydrate every task's component reference in a freshly loaded spec so the
+ * live CSOM always carries a resolvable `componentRef.spec`.
+ */
+export async function hydrateLoadedSpecRefs(
+  spec: ComponentSpec,
+): Promise<void> {
+  await Promise.all(spec.tasks.map((task) => hydrateTaskRef(task)));
+}
+
+async function hydrateTaskRef(task: Task): Promise<void> {
+  if (task.subgraphSpec) {
+    await hydrateLoadedSpecRefs(task.subgraphSpec);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const hydrated = await hydrateComponentReference(task.componentRef);
+  if (!hydrated) return;
+
+  task.setComponentRef(hydrated);
+
+  if (task.subgraphSpec) {
+    await hydrateLoadedSpecRefs(task.subgraphSpec);
+  }
+}