diff --git a/wagtail/admin/tests/pages/test_view_draft.py b/wagtail/admin/tests/pages/test_view_draft.py
index 8f1bd959b1..fcc55fb28a 100644
--- a/wagtail/admin/tests/pages/test_view_draft.py
+++ b/wagtail/admin/tests/pages/test_view_draft.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from django.test import TestCase
 from django.urls import reverse
 
 from wagtail.core.models import Page
-from wagtail.tests.testapp.models import SimplePage
+from wagtail.tests.testapp.models import SimplePage, StreamPage
 from wagtail.tests.utils import WagtailTestUtils
 
 
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ class TestDraftAccess(TestCase, WagtailTestUtils):
         )
         self.root_page.add_child(instance=self.child_page)
 
+        # Add stream page (which has empty preview_modes, and so doesn't allow viewing draft)
+        self.stream_page = StreamPage(title='stream page', body=[('text', 'hello')])
+        self.root_page.add_child(instance=self.stream_page)
+
         # create user with admin access (but not draft_view access)
         user = get_user_model().objects.create_user(username='bob', email='bob@email.com', password='password')
         user.user_permissions.add(
@@ -40,6 +44,16 @@ class TestDraftAccess(TestCase, WagtailTestUtils):
         # User can view
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
 
+    def test_page_without_preview_modes_is_unauthorized(self):
+        # Login as admin
+        self.user = self.login()
+
+        # Try getting page draft
+        response = self.client.get(reverse('wagtailadmin_pages:view_draft', args=(self.stream_page.id, )))
+
+        # Unauthorized response (because this page type has previewing disabled)
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 403)
+
     def test_draft_access_unauthorized(self):
         """Test that user without edit/publish permission can't view draft."""
         self.assertTrue(self.client.login(username='bob', password='password'))
diff --git a/wagtail/admin/views/pages.py b/wagtail/admin/views/pages.py
index 2a82a9d5d0..1f937dcc72 100644
--- a/wagtail/admin/views/pages.py
+++ b/wagtail/admin/views/pages.py
@@ -615,7 +615,13 @@ def view_draft(request, page_id):
     perms = page.permissions_for_user(request.user)
     if not (perms.can_publish() or perms.can_edit()):
         raise PermissionDenied
-    return page.make_preview_request(request, page.default_preview_mode)
+
+    try:
+        preview_mode = page.default_preview_mode
+    except IndexError:
+        raise PermissionDenied
+
+    return page.make_preview_request(request, preview_mode)
 
 
 class PreviewOnEdit(View):
@@ -676,7 +682,12 @@ class PreviewOnEdit(View):
             return self.error_response(page)
 
         form.save(commit=False)
-        preview_mode = request.GET.get('mode', page.default_preview_mode)
+
+        try:
+            preview_mode = request.GET.get('mode', page.default_preview_mode)
+        except IndexError:
+            raise PermissionDenied
+
         return page.make_preview_request(request, preview_mode)
 
 
@@ -1085,7 +1096,12 @@ def preview_for_moderation(request, revision_id):
 
     page = revision.as_page_object()
 
-    return page.make_preview_request(request, page.default_preview_mode, extra_request_attrs={
+    try:
+        preview_mode = page.default_preview_mode
+    except IndexError:
+        raise PermissionDenied
+
+    return page.make_preview_request(request, preview_mode, extra_request_attrs={
         'revision_id': revision_id
     })
 
@@ -1215,7 +1231,12 @@ def revisions_view(request, page_id, revision_id):
     revision = get_object_or_404(page.revisions, id=revision_id)
     revision_page = revision.as_page_object()
 
-    return revision_page.make_preview_request(request, page.default_preview_mode)
+    try:
+        preview_mode = page.default_preview_mode
+    except IndexError:
+        raise PermissionDenied
+
+    return revision_page.make_preview_request(request, preview_mode)
 
 
 def revisions_compare(request, page_id, revision_id_a, revision_id_b):
diff --git a/wagtail/core/models.py b/wagtail/core/models.py
index 8b7184bf89..02cd188fb3 100644
--- a/wagtail/core/models.py
+++ b/wagtail/core/models.py
@@ -1402,6 +1402,10 @@ class Page(AbstractPage, index.Indexed, ClusterableModel, metaclass=PageBase):
 
     @property
     def default_preview_mode(self):
+        """
+        The preview mode to use in workflows that do not give the user the option of selecting a
+        mode explicitly, e.g. moderator approval. Will raise IndexError if preview_modes is empty
+        """
         return self.preview_modes[0][0]
 
     def is_previewable(self):