diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5fae099da..7b4bb25d2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 
 - Font-family variables that can be used to customise the sans-serif and monospace fonts used in the editor (#1264)
 - Material symbols font to web component preview page since the Design System depends on this (#1261)
+- Ability for host page to force web component into its loading state (#1272)
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/src/containers/WebComponentLoader.jsx b/src/containers/WebComponentLoader.jsx
index c0a63fb64..a94a92d33 100644
--- a/src/containers/WebComponentLoader.jsx
+++ b/src/containers/WebComponentLoader.jsx
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ const WebComponentLoader = (props) => {
     hostStyles, // Pass in styles from the host
     identifier,
     instructions,
+    isLoading = false,
     theme,
     loadRemixDisabled = false,
     locale = "en",
@@ -69,7 +70,10 @@ const WebComponentLoader = (props) => {
   const user = useSelector((state) => state.auth.user || localStorageUser);
   const [loadRemix, setLoadRemix] = useState(!!user);
   const project = useSelector((state) => state.editor.project);
-  const projectOwner = useSelector((state) => state.editor.project.user_name);
+  const projectOwnerId = useSelector((state) => state.editor.project.user_id);
+  const projectOwnerName = useSelector(
+    (state) => state.editor.project.user_name,
+  );
   const loading = useSelector((state) => state.editor.loading);
   const justLoaded = useSelector((state) => state.editor.justLoaded);
   const remixLoadFailed = useSelector((state) => state.editor.remixLoadFailed);
@@ -126,10 +130,16 @@ const WebComponentLoader = (props) => {
   }, [loading, remixLoadFailed]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    const projectOwner = {
+      id: projectOwnerId,
+      name: projectOwnerName,
+      identifier: projectIdentifier,
+    };
+
     if (justLoaded) {
       document.dispatchEvent(projectOwnerLoadedEvent(projectOwner));
     }
-  }, [projectOwner, justLoaded]);
+  }, [projectOwnerId, projectOwnerName, projectIdentifier, justLoaded]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (locale) {
@@ -251,7 +261,9 @@ const WebComponentLoader = (props) => {
     </>
   );
 
-  if (loading === "success") {
+  if (isLoading) {
+    return renderLoadingState();
+  } else if (loading === "success") {
     return renderSuccessState();
   } else if (["idle", "failed"].includes(loading)) {
     return renderFailedState();
diff --git a/src/containers/WebComponentLoader.test.js b/src/containers/WebComponentLoader.test.js
index 6aeedc841..297b8942f 100644
--- a/src/containers/WebComponentLoader.test.js
+++ b/src/containers/WebComponentLoader.test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { render, act } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { render, act, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
 import React from "react";
 import { Provider } from "react-redux";
 import configureStore from "redux-mock-store";
@@ -665,3 +665,39 @@ describe("When user is in state", () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+describe("When isLoading prop is used", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    const middlewares = [];
+    const mockStore = configureStore(middlewares);
+    const initialState = {
+      editor: {
+        loading: "success",
+        project: {
+          components: [],
+        },
+        openFiles: [],
+        focussedFileIndices: [],
+        hasShownSavePrompt: false,
+        remixLoadFailed: false,
+        justLoaded: false,
+        saveTriggered: false,
+      },
+      instructions: {},
+      auth: {},
+    };
+    store = mockStore(initialState);
+    cookies = new Cookies();
+  });
+
+  test("it respects isLoading prop when rendering", () => {
+    render(
+      <Provider store={store}>
+        <CookiesProvider cookies={cookies}>
+          <WebComponentLoader isLoading={true} />
+        </CookiesProvider>
+      </Provider>,
+    );
+    expect(screen.queryByText("webComponent.loading")).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/web-component.js b/src/web-component.js
index 345502510..cbdd6dbdd 100644
--- a/src/web-component.js
+++ b/src/web-component.js
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ class WebComponent extends HTMLElement {
       "host_styles",
       "identifier",
       "instructions",
+      "is_loading",
       "load_remix_disabled",
       "locale",
       "output_only",
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ class WebComponent extends HTMLElement {
       [
         "embedded",
         "editable_instructions",
+        "is_loading",
         "load_remix_disabled",
         "output_only",
         "output_split_view",