diff --git a/components/playground/element.css b/components/playground/element.css
index f4e0a03be..80a5c2ee9 100644
--- a/components/playground/element.css
+++ b/components/playground/element.css
@@ -102,10 +102,35 @@
       grid-area: runner;
       overflow: hidden;
 
-      mdn-play-runner {
+      mdn-play-runner,
+      .overlay-run-button {
         flex-grow: 1;
         border: var(--border);
         border-radius: 0.25rem;
+
+        &.hidden {
+          display: none;
+        }
+      }
+
+      .overlay-run-button {
+        border-color: currentcolor;
+      }
+
+      .overlay-run-button--header {
+        font-size: clamp(1.5rem, 3vw, 3rem);
+
+        svg {
+          width: clamp(1.5rem, 3vw, 3rem) !important;
+          height: clamp(1.5rem, 3vw, 3rem) !important;
+          vertical-align: bottom;
+        }
+      }
+
+      .overlay-run-button--body {
+        margin-top: 0.5rem;
+        line-height: var(--font-line-normal);
+        color: var(--color-text-secondary);
       }
 
       .playground__console {
diff --git a/components/playground/element.js b/components/playground/element.js
index 66b780e4a..36babdb89 100644
--- a/components/playground/element.js
+++ b/components/playground/element.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { createRef, ref } from "lit/directives/ref.js";
 
 import { L10nMixin } from "../../l10n/mixin.js";
 import { gleanClick } from "../../utils/glean.js";
+import circlePlay from "../icon/circle-play.svg?lit";
 import warningIcon from "../icon/triangle-alert.svg?lit";
 import { globalUser } from "../user/context.js";
 
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ export class MDNPlayground extends L10nMixin(LitElement) {
         this._autoRun = true;
         controller.runOnChange = true;
         this._storeSession();
+        this.requestUpdate();
       }
     }
   }
@@ -402,7 +404,23 @@ ${"```"}`,
                   </menu>
                 </aside>`
               : nothing}
-            <mdn-play-runner></mdn-play-runner>
+            ${this._autoRun
+              ? nothing
+              : html`<mdn-button
+                  class="overlay-run-button"
+                  @click=${this._run}
+                  variant="plain"
+                >
+                  <div class="overlay-run-button--header">
+                    ${circlePlay} ${this.l10n("playground-run")`Run`}
+                  </div>
+                  <div class="overlay-run-button--body">
+                    ${this.l10n.raw({ id: "playground-user-shared-warning" })}
+                  </div>
+                </mdn-button>`}
+            <mdn-play-runner
+              class=${this._autoRun ? nothing : "hidden"}
+            ></mdn-play-runner>
             <div class="playground__console">
               <div>${this.l10n("playground-console")`Console`}</div>
               <mdn-play-console></mdn-play-console>
diff --git a/l10n/locales/en-US.ftl b/l10n/locales/en-US.ftl
index 1fa813120..19c144388 100644
--- a/l10n/locales/en-US.ftl
+++ b/l10n/locales/en-US.ftl
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ baseline-unsupported-in = Not widely supported in { $browsers }
 baseline-supported-and-unsupported-in = Supported in { $supported }, but not widely supported in { $unsupported }
 
 homepage-hero-title = Resources for Developers,<br> by Developers
+
+playground-user-shared-warning = This is a user-shared playground.<br>Always inspect the code before running it.
 homepage-hero-description = Documenting <a data-l10n-name="css">CSS</a>, <a data-l10n-name="html">HTML</a>, and <a data-l10n-name="js">JavaScript</a>, since 2005.
 
 not-found-title = Page not found
diff --git a/l10n/locales/fr.ftl b/l10n/locales/fr.ftl
index 9fcd73d28..f4dbb25d7 100644
--- a/l10n/locales/fr.ftl
+++ b/l10n/locales/fr.ftl
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@ playground-share = Partager
 playground-clear = Effacer
 playground-reset = Réinitialiser
 playground-seeing-something-inappropriate = Voir quelque chose d'inapproprié ?
+playground-user-shared-warning = Il s'agit d'un terrain d'essai partagé par un·e utilisateur·ice.<br>Inspectez toujours le code avant de l'exécuter.
 playground-console = Console
 playground-share-markdown = Partager le Markdown
 playground-copy-markdown-to-clipboard = Copier le Markdown dans le presse-papiers
diff --git a/l10n/template.ftl b/l10n/template.ftl
index 5863e64a6..4f669a380 100644
--- a/l10n/template.ftl
+++ b/l10n/template.ftl
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ baseline-supported-in = Supported in { $browsers }
 baseline-unsupported-in = Not widely supported in { $browsers }
 baseline-supported-and-unsupported-in = Supported in { $supported }, but not widely supported in { $unsupported }
 homepage-hero-title = Resources for Developers,<br> by Developers
+playground-user-shared-warning = This is a user-shared playground.<br>Always inspect the code before running it.
 homepage-hero-description = Documenting <a data-l10n-name="css">CSS</a>, <a data-l10n-name="html">HTML</a>, and <a data-l10n-name="js">JavaScript</a>, since 2005.
 not-found-title = Page not found
 not-found-description = Sorry, the page <code data-l10n-name="url">{ $url }</code> could not be found.