diff --git a/javascript-modules-engine-java/src/main/java/org/jahia/modules/javascript/modules/engine/js/server/RenderHelper.java b/javascript-modules-engine-java/src/main/java/org/jahia/modules/javascript/modules/engine/js/server/RenderHelper.java
index c22d1e7..21d7ec1 100644
--- a/javascript-modules-engine-java/src/main/java/org/jahia/modules/javascript/modules/engine/js/server/RenderHelper.java
+++ b/javascript-modules-engine-java/src/main/java/org/jahia/modules/javascript/modules/engine/js/server/RenderHelper.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 import org.jahia.services.render.RenderException;
 import org.jahia.services.render.RenderService;
 import org.jahia.services.render.Resource;
+import org.jahia.services.usermanager.JahiaUser;
 import org.jahia.taglibs.template.include.*;
 import org.jahia.taglibs.uicomponents.Functions;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -121,7 +122,12 @@ public JCRNodeWrapper getBoundNode(JCRNodeWrapper node, RenderContext context) {
     }
 
     public String renderComponent(Map<String, ?> attr, RenderContext renderContext) throws RepositoryException {
-        return jcrTemplate.doExecuteWithSystemSessionAsUser(jcrSessionFactory.getCurrentUser(), renderContext.getWorkspace(),
+        // first try to get the aliased user from the session (when using customized preview for instance), otherwise use the current user
+        JahiaUser user = jcrSessionFactory.getCurrentAliasedUser();
+        if (user == null) {
+            user = jcrSessionFactory.getCurrentUser();
+        }
+        return jcrTemplate.doExecuteWithSystemSessionAsUser(user, renderContext.getWorkspace(),
                 renderContext.getMainResource().getLocale(), session -> {
 
             JCRNodeWrapper node = JSNodeMapper.toVirtualNode((Map<String, ?>) attr.get("content"), session, renderContext);
diff --git a/javascript-modules-engine/tests/cypress/e2e/ui/virtualNodeTest.cy.ts b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/cypress/e2e/ui/virtualNodeTest.cy.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d38bcf5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/cypress/e2e/ui/virtualNodeTest.cy.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import {addNode, createUser, deleteUser} from '@jahia/cypress';
+import {addSimplePage} from '../../utils/Utils';
+
+describe('Test virtual nodes', () => {
+    const pageName = 'testVirtualNode';
+
+    before('Create test page and contents', () => {
+        addSimplePage('/sites/npmTestSite/home', pageName, pageName, 'en', 'simple', [
+            {
+                name: 'pagecontent',
+                primaryNodeType: 'jnt:contentList'
+            }
+        ]).then(() => {
+            addNode({
+                parentPathOrId: `/sites/npmTestSite/home/${pageName}/pagecontent`,
+                name: 'test',
+                primaryNodeType: 'npmExample:testVirtualNode',
+                properties: [
+                    {name: 'jcr:title', value: 'Test Virtual Node'}
+                ]
+            });
+        });
+    });
+
+    it(`${pageName}: Check virtual nodes are correctly rendered in preview mode`, function () {
+        cy.login();
+        cy.visit(`/cms/render/default/en/sites/npmTestSite/home/${pageName}.html`);
+        cy.get('div[data-testid="testVirtualNodeSample_myProperty"]').contains('this is a virtual node property');
+        cy.get('div[data-testid="virtualNode_aliasedUser"]').should('be.empty'); // logged as root, no alias
+        cy.logout();
+    });
+    it(`${pageName}: Check virtual nodes are correctly rendered in customized preview mode`, function () {
+        cy.login();
+        let users = ['fooUser', 'barUser'];
+        users.forEach(user => {
+            createUser(user, 'testPassword');
+            cy.visit(`/cms/render/default/en/sites/npmTestSite/home/${pageName}.html?alias=${user}`);
+            cy.get('div[data-testid="testVirtualNodeSample_myProperty"]').should('have.text', 'this is a virtual node property');
+            cy.get('div[data-testid="virtualNode_aliasedUser"]').should('have.text', user);
+            deleteUser('testUser');
+        });
+        cy.logout();
+    });
+});
diff --git a/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/settings/definitions.cnd b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/settings/definitions.cnd
index ad57343..9891cd6 100644
--- a/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/settings/definitions.cnd
+++ b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/settings/definitions.cnd
@@ -137,3 +137,8 @@
 [npmExample:testRule] > jnt:content, npmExampleMix:npmExampleComponent, mix:title
  - triggerProp (string)
  - resultProp (string)
+
+[npmExample:testVirtualNode] > jnt:content, npmExampleMix:npmExampleComponent, mix:title
+
+[npmExample:testVirtualNodeSample] > jnt:content, npmExampleMix:npmExampleComponent, mix:title
+ - myProperty (string)
diff --git a/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/index.js b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/index.js
index 0e90cfe..5927e0a 100644
--- a/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/index.js
+++ b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/index.js
@@ -1,29 +1,31 @@
+export * from './contentList/ContentListParameters';
 export * from './hydratedNavMenu/HydratedNavMenu';
 export * from './navMenu/NavMenu';
-export * from './testCurrentContent/TestCurrentContent';
+export * from './testAbsoluteAreas/TestAbsoluteAreas';
 export * from './testAreaColumns/TestAreaColumns';
 export * from './testAreas/TestAreas';
-export * from './testAbsoluteAreas/TestAbsoluteAreas';
+export * from './testBoundComponent/TestBoundComponent';
 export * from './testConfig/TestConfig';
-export * from './testFindDisplayableContent/TestFindDisplayableContent';
-export * from './testGQL/TestGQL';
-export * from './testRender';
-export * from './testUrl/TestUrl';
-export * from './testGetNodeProps/TestGetNodeProps';
-export * from './testGetChildNodes/TestGetChildNodes';
 export * from './testContentTemplate/TestContentTemplate';
-export * from './testContentTemplate/TestContentTemplateView';
 export * from './testContentTemplate/TestContentTemplateOtherView';
-export * from './testReactViewRegistration/TestReactViewRegistration';
-export * from './testJCRQuery/TestJCRQuery';
-export * from './testReactClientSide/TestReactClientSide';
-export * from './contentList/ContentListParameters';
+export * from './testContentTemplate/TestContentTemplateView';
+export * from './testCrashingView/TestCrashingView';
+export * from './testCurrentContent/TestCurrentContent';
 export * from './testCurrentUser/TestCurrentUser';
-export * from './testIsNodeType/TestIsNodeType';
+export * from './testFindDisplayableContent/TestFindDisplayableContent';
+export * from './testGQL/TestGQL';
+export * from './testGetChildNodes/TestGetChildNodes';
+export * from './testGetNodeProps/TestGetNodeProps';
 export * from './testHasPermission/TestHasPermission';
-export * from './testUrlParameters/TestUrlParameters';
-export * from './testLocale/TestLocale';
-export * from './testCrashingView/TestCrashingView';
-export * from './testBoundComponent/TestBoundComponent';
 export * from './testI18n/TestI18n';
+export * from './testIsNodeType/TestIsNodeType';
+export * from './testJCRQuery/TestJCRQuery';
+export * from './testLocale/TestLocale';
+export * from './testReactClientSide/TestReactClientSide';
+export * from './testReactViewRegistration/TestReactViewRegistration';
+export * from './testRender';
 export * from './testRule/TestRule';
+export * from './testUrl/TestUrl';
+export * from './testUrlParameters/TestUrlParameters';
+export * from './testVirtualNode';
+
diff --git a/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/testVirtualNode/TestVirtualNode.jsx b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/testVirtualNode/TestVirtualNode.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e68f884
--- /dev/null
+++ b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/testVirtualNode/TestVirtualNode.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import {defineJahiaComponent, Render, useServerContext} from '@jahia/javascript-modules-library';
+
+
+export const TestVirtualNode = () => {
+    const {currentNode, renderContext} = useServerContext();
+    const aliasedUser = renderContext.getMainResource().getNode().getSession().getAliasedUser();
+    // create a virtual node (TestVirtualNodeSample)
+    const testVirtualNodeSample = {
+        name: 'testVirtualNodeSample',
+        nodeType: 'npmExample:testVirtualNodeSample',
+        properties: {
+            'myProperty': 'this is a virtual node property'
+        }
+    };
+    return (
+        <>
+            <h3>test virtual node</h3>
+            <div data-testid="virtualNode">
+                <div data-testid="virtualNode_aliasedUser">{aliasedUser == null ? "" : aliasedUser.getName()}</div>
+                <Render content={testVirtualNodeSample}/>
+            </div>
+            <hr/>
+        </>
+    )
+}
+
+TestVirtualNode.jahiaComponent = defineJahiaComponent({
+    nodeType: 'npmExample:testVirtualNode',
+    name: 'default',
+    displayName: 'test virtual node',
+    componentType: 'view'
+});
diff --git a/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/testVirtualNode/TestVirtualNodeSample.jsx b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/testVirtualNode/TestVirtualNodeSample.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be8e707
--- /dev/null
+++ b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/testVirtualNode/TestVirtualNodeSample.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import {defineJahiaComponent, getNodeProps, useServerContext} from '@jahia/javascript-modules-library';
+
+export const TestVirtualNodeSample = () => {
+    const {currentNode} = useServerContext();
+    const props = getNodeProps(currentNode, ['myProperty']);
+
+    return (
+        <div data-testid="testVirtualNodeSample_myProperty">{props['myProperty']}</div>
+    );
+};
+
+TestVirtualNodeSample.jahiaComponent = defineJahiaComponent({
+    nodeType: 'npmExample:testVirtualNodeSample',
+    componentType: 'view',
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/testVirtualNode/index.js b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/testVirtualNode/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6380709
--- /dev/null
+++ b/javascript-modules-engine/tests/jahia-module/src/react/server/views/testVirtualNode/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+export * from './TestVirtualNode';
+export * from './TestVirtualNodeSample';
\ No newline at end of file