diff --git a/apps/comments-ui/src/App.tsx b/apps/comments-ui/src/App.tsx
index 74635aa618..d15c35e425 100644
--- a/apps/comments-ui/src/App.tsx
+++ b/apps/comments-ui/src/App.tsx
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ const App: React.FC<AppProps> = ({scriptTag}) => {
         popup: null
     });
 
+    const iframeRef = React.createRef<HTMLIFrameElement>();
+
     const api = React.useMemo(() => {
         return setupGhostApi({
             siteUrl: options.siteUrl,
@@ -129,7 +131,7 @@ const App: React.FC<AppProps> = ({scriptTag}) => {
         };
     };
 
-    /** Initialize comments setup on load, fetch data and setup state*/
+    /** Initialize comments setup once in viewport, fetch data and setup state*/
     const initSetup = async () => {
         try {
             // Fetch data from API, links, preview, dev sources
@@ -155,15 +157,39 @@ const App: React.FC<AppProps> = ({scriptTag}) => {
         }
     };
 
+    /** Delay initialization until comments block is in viewport */
     useEffect(() => {
-        initSetup();
-    }, []);
+        const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries) => {
+            entries.forEach((entry) => {
+                if (entry.isIntersecting) {
+                    initSetup();
+                    if (iframeRef.current) {
+                        observer.unobserve(iframeRef.current);
+                    }
+                }
+            });
+        }, {
+            root: null,
+            rootMargin: '0px',
+            threshold: 0.1
+        });
+
+        if (iframeRef.current) {
+            observer.observe(iframeRef.current);
+        }
+
+        return () => {
+            if (iframeRef.current) {
+                observer.unobserve(iframeRef.current);
+            }
+        };
+    }, [iframeRef.current]);
 
     const done = state.initStatus === 'success';
 
     return (
         <AppContext.Provider value={context}>
-            <CommentsFrame>
+            <CommentsFrame ref={iframeRef}>
                 <ContentBox done={done} />
             </CommentsFrame>
             <AuthFrame adminUrl={options.adminUrl} onLoad={initAdminAuth}/>
diff --git a/apps/comments-ui/src/components/ContentBox.tsx b/apps/comments-ui/src/components/ContentBox.tsx
index bdafe8c1c1..34eaeeed0b 100644
--- a/apps/comments-ui/src/components/ContentBox.tsx
+++ b/apps/comments-ui/src/components/ContentBox.tsx
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ const ContentBox: React.FC<Props> = ({done}) => {
     };
 
     return (
-        <section className={'ghost-display ' + containerClass} data-testid="content-box" style={style}>
+        <section className={'ghost-display ' + containerClass} data-loaded={done} data-testid="content-box" style={style}>
             {done ? <Content /> : <Loading />}
         </section>
     );
diff --git a/apps/comments-ui/src/components/Frame.tsx b/apps/comments-ui/src/components/Frame.tsx
index cb692c37d6..64c898d602 100644
--- a/apps/comments-ui/src/components/Frame.tsx
+++ b/apps/comments-ui/src/components/Frame.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ type TailwindFrameProps = FrameProps & {
 /**
  * Loads all the CSS styles inside an iFrame. Only shows the visible content as soon as the CSS file with the tailwind classes has loaded.
  */
-const TailwindFrame: React.FC<TailwindFrameProps> = ({children, onResize, style, title}) => {
+const TailwindFrame = React.forwardRef<HTMLIFrameElement, React.PropsWithChildren<TailwindFrameProps>>(function TailwindFrame({children, onResize, style, title}, ref: React.ForwardedRef<HTMLIFrameElement>) {
     const head = (
         <>
             <style dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{__html: styles}} />
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ const TailwindFrame: React.FC<TailwindFrameProps> = ({children, onResize, style,
 
     // For now we're using <NewFrame> because using a functional component with portal caused some weird issues with modals
     return (
-        <IFrame head={head} style={style} title={title} onResize={onResize}>
+        <IFrame ref={ref} head={head} style={style} title={title} onResize={onResize}>
             {children}
         </IFrame>
     );
-};
+});
 
 type ResizableFrameProps = FrameProps & {
     style: React.CSSProperties,
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ type ResizableFrameProps = FrameProps & {
 /**
  * This iframe has the same height as it contents and mimics a shadow DOM component
  */
-const ResizableFrame: React.FC<ResizableFrameProps> = ({children, style, title}) => {
+const ResizableFrame = React.forwardRef<HTMLIFrameElement, React.PropsWithChildren<ResizableFrameProps>>(function ResizableFrame({children, style, title}, ref: React.ForwardedRef<HTMLIFrameElement>) {
     const [iframeStyle, setIframeStyle] = useState(style);
     const onResize = useCallback((iframeRoot) => {
         setIframeStyle((current) => {
@@ -51,23 +51,25 @@ const ResizableFrame: React.FC<ResizableFrameProps> = ({children, style, title})
     }, []);
 
     return (
-        <TailwindFrame style={iframeStyle} title={title} onResize={onResize}>
+        <TailwindFrame ref={ref} style={iframeStyle} title={title} onResize={onResize}>
             {children}
         </TailwindFrame>
     );
-};
+});
 
-export const CommentsFrame: React.FC<FrameProps> = ({children}) => {
+type CommentsFrameProps = Record<never, any>;
+
+export const CommentsFrame = React.forwardRef<HTMLIFrameElement, React.PropsWithChildren<CommentsFrameProps>>(function CommentsFrame({children}, ref: React.ForwardedRef<HTMLIFrameElement>) {
     const style = {
         width: '100%',
         height: '400px'
     };
     return (
-        <ResizableFrame style={style} title="comments-frame">
+        <ResizableFrame ref={ref} style={style} title="comments-frame">
             {children}
         </ResizableFrame>
     );
-};
+});
 
 type PopupFrameProps = FrameProps & {
     title: string
diff --git a/apps/comments-ui/src/components/IFrame.tsx b/apps/comments-ui/src/components/IFrame.tsx
index 3dc5e8de0c..611a7d03e5 100644
--- a/apps/comments-ui/src/components/IFrame.tsx
+++ b/apps/comments-ui/src/components/IFrame.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-import {Component} from 'react';
+import {Component, forwardRef} from 'react';
 import {createPortal} from 'react-dom';
 
 /**
  * This is still a class component because it causes issues with the behaviour (DOM recreation and layout glitches) if we switch to a functional component. Feel free to refactor.
  */
-export default class IFrame extends Component<any> {
+class IFrame extends Component<any> {
     node: any;
     iframeHtml: any;
     iframeHead: any;
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ export default class IFrame extends Component<any> {
 
     setNode(node: any) {
         this.node = node;
+        this.props.innerRef.current = node;
     }
 
     render() {
@@ -71,3 +72,9 @@ export default class IFrame extends Component<any> {
         );
     }
 }
+
+const IFrameFC = forwardRef<HTMLIFrameElement, any>(function IFrameFC(props, ref) {
+    return <IFrame {...props} innerRef={ref} />;
+});
+
+export default IFrameFC;
diff --git a/apps/comments-ui/src/components/content/Loading.tsx b/apps/comments-ui/src/components/content/Loading.tsx
index e8fa1512a3..94f39975f7 100644
--- a/apps/comments-ui/src/components/content/Loading.tsx
+++ b/apps/comments-ui/src/components/content/Loading.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import {ReactComponent as SpinnerIcon} from '../../images/icons/spinner.svg';
 
 function Loading() {
     return (
-        <div className="flex h-32 w-full items-center justify-center">
+        <div className="flex h-32 w-full items-center justify-center" data-testid="loading">
             <SpinnerIcon className="mb-6 h-12 w-12 fill-[rgb(225,225,225,0.9)] dark:fill-[rgba(255,255,255,0.6)]" />
         </div>
     );
diff --git a/apps/comments-ui/test/e2e/lazy-loading.test.ts b/apps/comments-ui/test/e2e/lazy-loading.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3c50d6c307
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/comments-ui/test/e2e/lazy-loading.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import {E2E_PORT} from '../../playwright.config';
+import {MOCKED_SITE_URL, MockedApi} from '../utils/e2e';
+import {expect, test} from '@playwright/test';
+
+test.describe('Lazy loading', async () => {
+    test('delays loading of content until scrolled into view', async ({page}) => {
+        const mockedApi = new MockedApi({});
+        mockedApi.setMember({});
+
+        mockedApi.addComment({
+            html: '<p>This is comment 1</p>'
+        });
+
+        const sitePath = MOCKED_SITE_URL;
+        await page.route(sitePath, async (route) => {
+            await route.fulfill({
+                status: 200,
+                // include a div at the top of the body that's 1.5x viewport height
+                // to force the need to scroll to see the comments
+                body: `<html><head><meta charset="UTF-8" /></head><body><div style="width: 100%; height: 1500px;"></div></body></html>`
+            });
+        });
+
+        const url = `http://localhost:${E2E_PORT}/comments-ui.min.js`;
+        await page.setViewportSize({width: 1000, height: 1000});
+
+        await page.goto(sitePath);
+        await mockedApi.listen({page, path: sitePath});
+
+        const options = {
+            publication: 'Publisher Weekly',
+            count: true,
+            title: 'Title',
+            ghostComments: MOCKED_SITE_URL,
+            postId: mockedApi.postId
+        };
+
+        await page.evaluate((data) => {
+            const scriptTag = document.createElement('script');
+            scriptTag.src = data.url;
+
+            for (const option of Object.keys(data.options)) {
+                scriptTag.dataset[option] = data.options[option];
+            }
+            document.body.appendChild(scriptTag);
+        }, {url, options});
+
+        await page.locator('iframe[title="comments-frame"]').waitFor({state: 'attached'});
+
+        const commentsFrameSelector = 'iframe[title="comments-frame"]';
+
+        const frame = page.frameLocator(commentsFrameSelector);
+
+        // wait for a little bit to ensure we're not loading comments until scrolled
+        await page.waitForTimeout(250);
+
+        // check that we haven't loaded comments yet
+        await expect(frame.getByTestId('loading')).toHaveCount(1);
+
+        const iframeHandle = await page.locator(commentsFrameSelector);
+        iframeHandle.scrollIntoViewIfNeeded();
+
+        await expect(frame.getByTestId('loading')).toHaveCount(0);
+    });
+});
diff --git a/apps/comments-ui/test/utils/e2e.ts b/apps/comments-ui/test/utils/e2e.ts
index 1e3b951096..34082fc387 100644
--- a/apps/comments-ui/test/utils/e2e.ts
+++ b/apps/comments-ui/test/utils/e2e.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ function authFrameMain() {
         }
 
         if (!d) {
-            return
+            return;
         }
         const data: {uid: string, action: string} = d;
 
@@ -126,10 +126,23 @@ export async function initialize({mockedApi, page, bodyStyle, ...options}: {
         document.body.appendChild(scriptTag);
     }, {url, options});
 
+    const commentsFrameSelector = 'iframe[title="comments-frame"]';
+
     await page.waitForSelector('iframe');
 
+    // wait for data to be loaded because our tests expect it
+    const iframeElement = await page.locator(commentsFrameSelector).elementHandle();
+    if (!iframeElement) {
+        throw new Error('iframe not found');
+    }
+    const iframe = await iframeElement.contentFrame();
+    if (!iframe) {
+        throw new Error('iframe contentFrame not found');
+    }
+    await iframe.waitForSelector('[data-loaded="true"]');
+
     return {
-        frame: page.frameLocator('iframe[title="comments-frame"]')
+        frame: page.frameLocator(commentsFrameSelector)
     };
 }