diff --git a/packages/docusaurus/src/client/__tests__/__mocks__/@generated/routes.ts b/packages/docusaurus/src/client/__tests__/__mocks__/@generated/routes.ts
index ce2206070e1d..b0c1258b158e 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus/src/client/__tests__/__mocks__/@generated/routes.ts
+++ b/packages/docusaurus/src/client/__tests__/__mocks__/@generated/routes.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ export default [
     exact: true,
     component: '',
   },
+  {
+    path: '/café.html',
+    exact: true,
+    component: '',
+  },
   {
     path: '/docs',
     exact: false,
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus/src/client/__tests__/normalizeLocation.test.ts b/packages/docusaurus/src/client/__tests__/normalizeLocation.test.ts
index 001cc22b1f28..c29a344df31e 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus/src/client/__tests__/normalizeLocation.test.ts
+++ b/packages/docusaurus/src/client/__tests__/normalizeLocation.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
  */
 
 import {describe, expect, it, vi} from 'vitest';
-import normalizeLocation from '../normalizeLocation';
+import normalizeLocation, {
+  normalizeBrowserPathname,
+} from '../normalizeLocation';
 import type {Location} from 'history';
 
 vi.mock('@generated/routes', () => import('./__mocks__/@generated/routes'));
@@ -111,3 +113,19 @@ describe('normalizeLocation', () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+describe('normalizeBrowserPathname', () => {
+  it('normalizes the decoded pathname', () => {
+    expect(normalizeBrowserPathname('/index.html')).toBe('/');
+    expect(normalizeBrowserPathname('/docs/installation.html')).toBe(
+      '/docs/installation',
+    );
+    expect(normalizeBrowserPathname('/caf%C3%A9.html')).toBe('/caf%C3%A9.html');
+  });
+
+  it('returns a pathname that can be decoded', () => {
+    const pathname = normalizeBrowserPathname('/100%25.html');
+    expect(pathname).toBe('/100%25');
+    expect(decodeURI(pathname)).toBe('/100%');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus/src/client/clientEntry.tsx b/packages/docusaurus/src/client/clientEntry.tsx
index cce23f98a6e6..977c0979c810 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus/src/client/clientEntry.tsx
+++ b/packages/docusaurus/src/client/clientEntry.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import siteConfig from '@generated/docusaurus.config';
 import ExecutionEnvironment from './exports/ExecutionEnvironment';
 import App from './App';
 import preload from './preload';
+import {normalizeBrowserPathname} from './normalizeLocation';
 import docusaurus from './docusaurus';
 
 function Router({children}: {children: ReactNode}): ReactNode {
@@ -63,7 +64,9 @@ if (ExecutionEnvironment.canUseDOM) {
     }
   };
 
-  preload(window.location.pathname).then(() => {
+  // Preload the route App renders, or hydration of /page.html URLs can leave
+  // the server HTML in place: https://github.com/facebook/docusaurus/pull/10059
+  preload(normalizeBrowserPathname(window.location.pathname)).then(() => {
     startTransition(renderApp);
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus/src/client/normalizeLocation.ts b/packages/docusaurus/src/client/normalizeLocation.ts
index 74192a451c08..d4fa86d2f952 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus/src/client/normalizeLocation.ts
+++ b/packages/docusaurus/src/client/normalizeLocation.ts
@@ -12,29 +12,35 @@ import type {Location} from 'history';
 // Memoize previously normalized pathnames.
 const pathnames = new Map<string, string>();
 
-export default function normalizeLocation<T extends Location>(location: T): T {
-  if (pathnames.has(location.pathname)) {
-    return {
-      ...location,
-      pathname: pathnames.get(location.pathname),
-    };
-  }
-
+function computeNormalizedPathname(pathname: string): string {
   // If the location was registered with an `.html` extension, we don't strip it
   // away, or it will render to a 404 page.
-  const matchedRoutes = matchRoutes(routes, location.pathname);
+  const matchedRoutes = matchRoutes(routes, pathname);
   if (matchedRoutes.some(({route}) => route.exact === true)) {
-    pathnames.set(location.pathname, location.pathname);
-    return location;
+    return pathname;
   }
+  return pathname.trim().replace(/(?:\/index)?\.html$/, '') || '/';
+}
 
-  const pathname =
-    location.pathname.trim().replace(/(?:\/index)?\.html$/, '') || '/';
-
-  pathnames.set(location.pathname, pathname);
+function normalizePathname(pathname: string): string {
+  let normalizedPathname = pathnames.get(pathname);
+  if (normalizedPathname === undefined) {
+    normalizedPathname = computeNormalizedPathname(pathname);
+    pathnames.set(pathname, normalizedPathname);
+  }
+  return normalizedPathname;
+}
 
+export default function normalizeLocation<T extends Location>(location: T): T {
   return {
     ...location,
-    pathname,
+    pathname: normalizePathname(location.pathname),
   };
 }
+
+// The router decodes the browser pathname before App normalizes it. Encode it
+// back for preload(), which decodes again and throws on /100%25 if not encoded
+export function normalizeBrowserPathname(browserPathname: string): string {
+  const routerPathname = decodeURI(browserPathname);
+  return encodeURI(normalizePathname(routerPathname));
+}