diff --git a/frontend/src/shared/encodeShotWhenIdle.test.ts b/frontend/src/shared/encodeShotWhenIdle.test.ts
index 3b1d39f7..7f055c65 100644
--- a/frontend/src/shared/encodeShotWhenIdle.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/shared/encodeShotWhenIdle.test.ts
@@ -57,3 +57,15 @@ test('an encoder that throws reports an empty string rather than killing the cal
   await wait(40);
   assert.equal(out, '');
 });
+
+test('shots that come due together encode one at a time with a breath between, never as one run', async () => {
+  const ticks: number[] = [];
+  const t0 = Date.now();
+  for (let i = 0; i < 4; i += 1) {
+    const log: string[] = [];
+    encodeShotWhenIdle(fakeImage(300 + i, log), 640, () => { ticks.push(Date.now() - t0); });
+  }
+  await wait(400);
+  assert.equal(ticks.length, 4);
+  for (let i = 1; i < ticks.length; i += 1) assert.ok(ticks[i] - ticks[i - 1] >= 40, `encodes ${i - 1} and ${i} ran ${ticks[i] - ticks[i - 1]} ms apart`);
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/shared/encodeShotWhenIdle.ts b/frontend/src/shared/encodeShotWhenIdle.ts
index dd2d8179..42d35747 100644
--- a/frontend/src/shared/encodeShotWhenIdle.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/shared/encodeShotWhenIdle.ts
@@ -6,31 +6,54 @@ import { perfBaseline } from '@/shared/perfBaseline';
 const MAX_GESTURE_WAITS = 6;
 const GESTURE_WAIT_MS = 400;
 const IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS = 1500;
+// One encode per idle slot with a breath between: a board full of shots coming due together used to land as one frameless run of encodes.
+const BETWEEN_ENCODES_MS = 50;
 
-// PNG-encoding a full-page capture blocks the main thread for ~180 ms; shrinking first and encoding in an idle slot keeps it off every gesture frame.
+interface PendingShot { image: ElectronNativeImage; maxWidth: number; done: (dataUrl: string) => void; waits: number }
+const queue: PendingShot[] = [];
+let pumping = false;
+
+function encodeNow(job: PendingShot): void {
+  let dataUrl = '';
+  try {
+    const sized = job.image.getSize().width > job.maxWidth ? job.image.resize({ width: job.maxWidth, quality: 'good' }) : job.image;
+    dataUrl = sized.toDataURL();
+  } catch {
+    dataUrl = '';
+  }
+  job.done(dataUrl);
+}
+
+function whenIdle(fn: () => void): void {
+  if (typeof requestIdleCallback === 'function') requestIdleCallback(() => fn(), { timeout: IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS });
+  else window.setTimeout(fn, 0);
+}
+
+function pump(): void {
+  const job = queue[0];
+  if (!job) { pumping = false; return; }
+  if (interactionActive() && job.waits < MAX_GESTURE_WAITS) {
+    job.waits += 1;
+    window.setTimeout(pump, GESTURE_WAIT_MS);
+    return;
+  }
+  queue.shift();
+  encodeNow(job);
+  if (queue.length === 0) { pumping = false; return; }
+  window.setTimeout(() => whenIdle(pump), BETWEEN_ENCODES_MS);
+}
+
+// PNG-encoding a full-page capture blocks the main thread for ~180 ms; shrinking first and encoding one per idle slot keeps it off every gesture frame.
 export function encodeShotWhenIdle(
   image: ElectronNativeImage,
   maxWidth: number,
   done: (dataUrl: string) => void,
 ): void {
-  let waits = 0;
-  const run = (): void => {
-    if (!perfBaseline() && interactionActive() && waits < MAX_GESTURE_WAITS) {
-      waits += 1;
-      window.setTimeout(run, GESTURE_WAIT_MS);
-      return;
-    }
-    let dataUrl = '';
-    try {
-      const sized = image.getSize().width > maxWidth ? image.resize({ width: maxWidth, quality: 'good' }) : image;
-      dataUrl = sized.toDataURL();
-    } catch {
-      dataUrl = '';
-    }
-    done(dataUrl);
-  };
+  const job: PendingShot = { image, maxWidth, done, waits: 0 };
   // The A/B seam keeps the old shape: encode right here, on whatever frame the capture landed in.
-  if (perfBaseline()) run();
-  else if (typeof requestIdleCallback === 'function') requestIdleCallback(() => run(), { timeout: IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS });
-  else window.setTimeout(run, 0);
+  if (perfBaseline()) { encodeNow(job); return; }
+  queue.push(job);
+  if (pumping) return;
+  pumping = true;
+  whenIdle(pump);
 }