diff --git a/build-tools/update b/build-tools/update
index 18733bcd5..9fc205544 100755
--- a/build-tools/update
+++ b/build-tools/update
@@ -217,6 +217,8 @@ try {
 
 indexContents = indexContents.replace(/<!-- newsid -->/g, newsid);
 indexContents = indexContents.replace(/<!-- news -->/g, news);
+preactIndexContents = preactIndexContents.replace(/<!-- newsid -->/g, newsid);
+preactIndexContents = preactIndexContents.replace(/<!-- news -->/g, news);
 
 let indexContents2 = '';
 try {
diff --git a/play.pokemonshowdown.com/preactalpha.template.html b/play.pokemonshowdown.com/preactalpha.template.html
index 79f67b9b3..217a4d968 100644
--- a/play.pokemonshowdown.com/preactalpha.template.html
+++ b/play.pokemonshowdown.com/preactalpha.template.html
@@ -45,10 +45,9 @@ https://psim.us/dev
 			<div class="mainmenu-mini-windows">
 				<div class="mini-window" data-roomid="news">
 					<h3 class="mini-window-header"><button class="closebutton" tabindex="-1" aria-label="Close"><i class="fa fa-times-circle"></i></button>News</h3>
-					<div id="room-news" class="mini-window-contents ps-room-light scrollable" style="height: auto;">
+					<div id="room-news" class="mini-window-contents ps-room-light scrollable" style="height: auto;" data-newsid="<!-- newsid -->">
 						<div class="readable-bg">
-							<div class="newsentry"><h4>New updates</h4><p>The Preact alpha test client is very far along!</p><p>Other than the teambuilder, everything else should be ready.</p><p>&mdash;<strong>Zarel</strong> <small class="date">on Apr 9, 2025</small></p></div>
-							<div class="newsentry"><h4>Preact alpha</h4><p>Welcome to the Preact alpha test client!</p><p>Many parts are unimplemented and there may be bugs; we're using this page to test it.</p><p>&mdash;<strong>Zarel</strong> <small class="date">on Oct 16, 2018</small></p></div>
+							<!-- news -->
 						</div>
 					</div>
 				</div>
diff --git a/play.pokemonshowdown.com/src/client-main.ts b/play.pokemonshowdown.com/src/client-main.ts
index 96b3bfa9a..3da4605c4 100644
--- a/play.pokemonshowdown.com/src/client-main.ts
+++ b/play.pokemonshowdown.com/src/client-main.ts
@@ -1928,6 +1928,7 @@ export const PS = new class extends PSModel {
 	arrowKeysUsed = false;
 
 	newsHTML = document.querySelector('#room-news .readable-bg')?.innerHTML || '';
+	newsId = document.getElementById('room-news')?.getAttribute('data-newsid') || null;
 
 	libsLoaded = makeLoadTracker();