diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 903f17a62adb..5533cae86eab 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+## 10.3.1
+
+- CLI: Use npm info to fetch versions in repro command - [#34214](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34214), thanks @yannbf!
+- Core: Prevent story-local viewport from persisting in URL - [#34153](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34153), thanks @ghengeveld!
+
 ## 10.3.0
 
 _> Improved developer experience, AI-assisting tools, and broader ecosystem support_
diff --git a/code/core/src/manager-api/modules/globals.ts b/code/core/src/manager-api/modules/globals.ts
index 4c706a19ee28..d27a33da8ce3 100644
--- a/code/core/src/manager-api/modules/globals.ts
+++ b/code/core/src/manager-api/modules/globals.ts
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ export const init: ModuleFn<SubAPI, SubState> = ({ store, fullAPI, provider }) =
     SET_GLOBALS,
     function handleSetGlobals(this: any, { globals, globalTypes }: SetGlobalsPayload) {
       const { ref } = getEventMetadata(this, fullAPI)!;
-      const currentGlobals = store.getState()?.globals;
+      const currentUserGlobals = store.getState()?.userGlobals;
 
       if (!ref) {
         store.setState({ globals, userGlobals: globals, globalTypes });
@@ -138,14 +138,12 @@ export const init: ModuleFn<SubAPI, SubState> = ({ store, fullAPI, provider }) =
         logger.warn('received globals from a non-local ref. This is not currently supported.');
       }
 
-      // If we have stored globals different to what the preview just inited with,
-      // we should update it to those values
       if (
-        currentGlobals &&
-        Object.keys(currentGlobals).length !== 0 &&
-        !deepEqual(globals, currentGlobals)
+        currentUserGlobals &&
+        Object.keys(currentUserGlobals).length !== 0 &&
+        !deepEqual(globals, currentUserGlobals)
       ) {
-        api.updateGlobals(currentGlobals);
+        api.updateGlobals(currentUserGlobals);
       }
     }
   );
diff --git a/code/core/src/manager-api/tests/globals.test.ts b/code/core/src/manager-api/tests/globals.test.ts
index 829e771ae4d8..264df9d676e2 100644
--- a/code/core/src/manager-api/tests/globals.test.ts
+++ b/code/core/src/manager-api/tests/globals.test.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ describe('globals API', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it('emits UPDATE_GLOBALS if retains a globals value different to what receives on SET_GLOBALS', () => {
+  it('emits UPDATE_GLOBALS if retains a user globals value different to what receives on SET_GLOBALS', () => {
     const channel = new EventEmitter();
     const listener = vi.fn();
     channel.on(UPDATE_GLOBALS, listener);
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ describe('globals API', () => {
     } as unknown as ModuleArgs);
     store.setState({
       ...state,
+      userGlobals: { a: 'c' },
       globals: { a: 'c' },
     });
 
@@ -103,6 +104,31 @@ describe('globals API', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('does not push story globals to preview when SET_GLOBALS fires with empty globals', () => {
+    const channel = new EventEmitter();
+    const listener = vi.fn();
+    channel.on(UPDATE_GLOBALS, listener);
+
+    const store = createMockStore();
+    const { state } = initModule({
+      store,
+      provider: { channel },
+    } as unknown as ModuleArgs);
+    store.setState({
+      ...state,
+      userGlobals: {},
+      storyGlobals: { viewport: 'mobile1' },
+      globals: { viewport: 'mobile1' },
+    });
+
+    channel.emit(SET_GLOBALS, {
+      globals: {},
+      globalTypes: {},
+    } satisfies SetGlobalsPayload);
+
+    expect(listener).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it('ignores SET_STORIES from other refs', () => {
     const channel = new EventEmitter();
     const api = { findRef: vi.fn() };
diff --git a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/sandbox.ts b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/sandbox.ts
index 5bfcc854048f..003841ea8bbd 100644
--- a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/sandbox.ts
+++ b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/sandbox.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { existsSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { mkdir, readdir, rm } from 'node:fs/promises';
 import { isAbsolute } from 'node:path';
 
-import type { PackageManagerName } from 'storybook/internal/common';
+import { PackageManagerName } from 'storybook/internal/common';
 import {
   JsPackageManagerFactory,
   isCI,
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ export const sandbox = async ({
   let selectedConfig: Template | undefined = TEMPLATES[filterValue as TemplateKey];
   let templateId: Choice | null = selectedConfig ? (filterValue as TemplateKey) : null;
 
-  const { packageManager: pkgMgr } = options;
-
+  // Always use npm to fetch versions, as other package manager commands may fail when running in
+  // non-project directories (e.g. parent sandbox directory). We just need to use npm info for this use case.
   const packageManager = JsPackageManagerFactory.getPackageManager({
-    force: pkgMgr,
+    force: PackageManagerName.NPM,
   });
   const latestVersion = (await packageManager.latestVersion('storybook'))!;
   const nextVersion = (await packageManager.latestVersion('storybook@next')) ?? '0.0.0';
diff --git a/code/package.json b/code/package.json
index 04d1824c33b0..81688c494b20 100644
--- a/code/package.json
+++ b/code/package.json
@@ -209,5 +209,6 @@
         "Dependency Upgrades"
       ]
     ]
-  }
+  },
+  "deferredNextVersion": "10.3.1"
 }
diff --git a/docs/versions/latest.json b/docs/versions/latest.json
index 44c97657584e..d4295e4106fd 100644
--- a/docs/versions/latest.json
+++ b/docs/versions/latest.json
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"version":"10.3.0","info":{"plain":""}}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"version":"10.3.1","info":{"plain":"- CLI: Use npm info to fetch versions in repro command - [#34214](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34214), thanks @yannbf!\n- Core: Prevent story-local viewport from persisting in URL - [#34153](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34153), thanks @ghengeveld!"}}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/versions/next.json b/docs/versions/next.json
index af2866491c13..59bb1f6dd62c 100644
--- a/docs/versions/next.json
+++ b/docs/versions/next.json
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"version":"10.3.0-beta.3","info":{"plain":"- Addon-Vitest: Handle additional vitest config export patterns in postinstall - [#34106](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34106), thanks @copilot-swe-agent!\n- CLI: Add vike CLI metadata - [#34189](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34189), thanks @yannbf!\n- Maintenance: Revert pull request #33930 HMR events - [#34190](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34190), thanks @yannbf!\n- UI: Ensure Link without href is keyboard-reachable - [#34163](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34163), thanks @Sidnioulz!\n- UI: Zoom faster when pressing shift - [#34185](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34185), thanks @Sidnioulz!\n- Vite: Add mock entries to optimizeDeps.entries - [#34167](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34167), thanks @valentinpalkovic!"}}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"version":"10.4.0-alpha.2","info":{"plain":"- CLI: Use npm info to fetch versions in repro command - [#34214](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34214), thanks @yannbf!\n- Core: Prevent story-local viewport from persisting in URL - [#34153](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34153), thanks @ghengeveld!\n- Maintenance: Remove dead-code copy of wrap-getAbsolutePath-utils - [#34168](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34168), thanks @mixelburg!\n- Security: Makes sure `serialize-javascript` is at latest version - [#34034](https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/34034), thanks @50bbx!"}}
\ No newline at end of file