diff --git a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
index 67b2d4289..1bb76c2c3 100644
--- a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
+++ b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
@@ -230,15 +230,12 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
   private serverTurnHighWater: number = 0;
   private lastProcessedTick: number = 0;
   private backlogTurns: number = 0;
-
-  private catchUpMode: boolean = false;
-  private readonly CATCH_UP_ENTER_BACKLOG = 120; // turns behind to enter catch-up
-  private readonly CATCH_UP_EXIT_BACKLOG = 20; // turns behind to exit catch-up
+  private backlogGrowing: boolean = false;
 
   private pendingUpdates: GameUpdateViewData[] = [];
   private isProcessingUpdates = false;
 
-  // Adaptive rendering during catch-up: render at most once every N frames.
+  // Adaptive rendering when frames are heavy: render at most once every N frames.
   private renderEveryN: number = 1;
   private renderSkipCounter: number = 0;
   private lastFrameTime: number = 0;
@@ -329,7 +326,7 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
         return;
       }
       this.pendingUpdates.push(gu);
-      if (!this.catchUpMode) {
+      if (this.renderEveryN === 1) {
         this.processPendingUpdates();
       }
     });
@@ -344,13 +341,14 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
 
         // Decide whether to render (and thus process pending updates) this frame.
         let shouldRender = true;
-        if (this.catchUpMode && this.renderEveryN > 1) {
-          if (this.renderSkipCounter < this.renderEveryN - 1) {
-            shouldRender = false;
-            this.renderSkipCounter++;
-          } else {
-            this.renderSkipCounter = 0;
-          }
+        if (
+          this.renderEveryN > 1 &&
+          this.renderSkipCounter < this.renderEveryN - 1
+        ) {
+          shouldRender = false;
+          this.renderSkipCounter++;
+        } else if (this.renderEveryN > 1) {
+          this.renderSkipCounter = 0;
         }
 
         if (shouldRender) {
@@ -544,7 +542,6 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
           lastTickDuration,
           this.currentTickDelay,
           this.backlogTurns,
-          this.catchUpMode,
           this.renderEveryN,
         ),
       );
@@ -555,28 +552,26 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
   }
 
   private adaptRenderFrequency(frameDuration: number) {
-    if (!this.catchUpMode) {
-      // Back to normal rendering.
+    // Frameskip only matters while we have a backlog; otherwise stay at 1.
+    if (this.backlogTurns === 0) {
       this.renderEveryN = 1;
       this.renderSkipCounter = 0;
       return;
     }
 
-    const HIGH_BACKLOG = 200;
-    const LOW_BACKLOG = 50;
     const HIGH_FRAME_MS = 25;
     const LOW_FRAME_MS = 18;
 
-    if (this.backlogTurns > HIGH_BACKLOG && frameDuration > HIGH_FRAME_MS) {
-      // We are far behind and frames are heavy → render less often.
+    // Only throttle rendering if backlog is still growing; otherwise drift back toward 1.
+    if (this.backlogGrowing && frameDuration > HIGH_FRAME_MS) {
       if (this.renderEveryN < this.MAX_RENDER_EVERY_N) {
         this.renderEveryN++;
       }
     } else if (
-      this.backlogTurns < LOW_BACKLOG ||
-      (frameDuration > 0 && frameDuration < LOW_FRAME_MS)
+      !this.backlogGrowing &&
+      frameDuration > 0 &&
+      frameDuration < LOW_FRAME_MS
     ) {
-      // Either mostly caught up or frames are cheap again → move back toward normal.
       if (this.renderEveryN > 1) {
         this.renderEveryN--;
       }
@@ -625,27 +620,12 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
 
   private updateBacklogMetrics(processedTick: number) {
     this.lastProcessedTick = processedTick;
+    const previousBacklog = this.backlogTurns;
     this.backlogTurns = Math.max(
       0,
       this.serverTurnHighWater - this.lastProcessedTick,
     );
-
-    const wasCatchUp = this.catchUpMode;
-    if (!this.catchUpMode && this.backlogTurns >= this.CATCH_UP_ENTER_BACKLOG) {
-      this.catchUpMode = true;
-    } else if (
-      this.catchUpMode &&
-      this.backlogTurns <= this.CATCH_UP_EXIT_BACKLOG
-    ) {
-      this.catchUpMode = false;
-    }
-    if (wasCatchUp !== this.catchUpMode) {
-      console.log(
-        `Catch-up mode ${this.catchUpMode ? "enabled" : "disabled"} (backlog: ${
-          this.backlogTurns
-        } turns)`,
-      );
-    }
+    this.backlogGrowing = this.backlogTurns > previousBacklog;
   }
 
   private inputEvent(event: MouseUpEvent) {
diff --git a/src/client/InputHandler.ts b/src/client/InputHandler.ts
index 2cfa212cb..abe01cac3 100644
--- a/src/client/InputHandler.ts
+++ b/src/client/InputHandler.ts
@@ -131,10 +131,7 @@ export class TickMetricsEvent implements GameEvent {
     public readonly tickDelay?: number,
     // Number of turns the client is behind the server (if known)
     public readonly backlogTurns?: number,
-    // Whether the client is currently in catch-up mode
-    public readonly inCatchUpMode?: boolean,
     public readonly renderEveryN?: number,
-    public readonly beatsPerFrame?: number,
   ) {}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/client/graphics/layers/PerformanceOverlay.ts b/src/client/graphics/layers/PerformanceOverlay.ts
index bd101f80d..183c4fa44 100644
--- a/src/client/graphics/layers/PerformanceOverlay.ts
+++ b/src/client/graphics/layers/PerformanceOverlay.ts
@@ -233,9 +233,7 @@ export class PerformanceOverlay extends LitElement implements Layer {
         event.tickExecutionDuration,
         event.tickDelay,
         event.backlogTurns,
-        event.inCatchUpMode,
         event.renderEveryN,
-        event.beatsPerFrame,
       );
     });
   }
@@ -425,25 +423,17 @@ export class PerformanceOverlay extends LitElement implements Layer {
     this.layerBreakdown = breakdown;
   }
 
-  @state()
-  private backlogTurns: number = 0;
-
-  @state()
-  private inCatchUpMode: boolean = false;
-
   @state()
   private renderEveryN: number = 1;
 
   @state()
-  private beatsPerFrame: number | null = null;
+  private backlogTurns: number = 0;
 
   updateTickMetrics(
     tickExecutionDuration?: number,
     tickDelay?: number,
     backlogTurns?: number,
-    inCatchUpMode?: boolean,
     renderEveryN?: number,
-    beatsPerFrame?: number,
   ) {
     if (!this.isVisible || !this.userSettings.performanceOverlay()) return;
 
@@ -484,15 +474,9 @@ export class PerformanceOverlay extends LitElement implements Layer {
     if (backlogTurns !== undefined) {
       this.backlogTurns = backlogTurns;
     }
-    if (inCatchUpMode !== undefined) {
-      this.inCatchUpMode = inCatchUpMode;
-    }
     if (renderEveryN !== undefined) {
       this.renderEveryN = renderEveryN;
     }
-    if (beatsPerFrame !== undefined) {
-      this.beatsPerFrame = beatsPerFrame ?? null;
-    }
 
     this.requestUpdate();
   }
@@ -642,13 +626,10 @@ export class PerformanceOverlay extends LitElement implements Layer {
         <div class="performance-line">
           Backlog turns:
           <span>${this.backlogTurns}</span>
-          ${this.inCatchUpMode ? html`<span> (catch-up)</span>` : html``}
         </div>
-        ${this.inCatchUpMode
+        ${this.renderEveryN > 1
           ? html`<div class="performance-line">
-              Render every <span>${this.renderEveryN}</span> frame(s),
-              heartbeats per frame:
-              <span>${this.beatsPerFrame ?? "auto"}</span>
+              Render every <span>${this.renderEveryN}</span> frame(s)
             </div>`
           : html``}
         ${this.layerBreakdown.length
diff --git a/src/core/worker/WorkerClient.ts b/src/core/worker/WorkerClient.ts
index bde436f39..4edc97dee 100644
--- a/src/core/worker/WorkerClient.ts
+++ b/src/core/worker/WorkerClient.ts
@@ -100,12 +100,6 @@ export class WorkerClient {
     });
   }
 
-  sendHeartbeat() {
-    this.worker.postMessage({
-      type: "heartbeat",
-    });
-  }
-
   playerProfile(playerID: number): Promise<PlayerProfile> {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       if (!this.isInitialized) {
diff --git a/src/core/worker/WorkerMessages.ts b/src/core/worker/WorkerMessages.ts
index a8d30e9b1..0c5344da1 100644
--- a/src/core/worker/WorkerMessages.ts
+++ b/src/core/worker/WorkerMessages.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import { GameUpdateViewData } from "../game/GameUpdates";
 import { ClientID, GameStartInfo, Turn } from "../Schemas";
 
 export type WorkerMessageType =
-  | "heartbeat"
   | "init"
   | "initialized"
   | "turn"
@@ -31,10 +30,6 @@ interface BaseWorkerMessage {
   id?: string;
 }
 
-export interface HeartbeatMessage extends BaseWorkerMessage {
-  type: "heartbeat";
-}
-
 // Messages from main thread to worker
 export interface InitMessage extends BaseWorkerMessage {
   type: "init";
@@ -114,7 +109,6 @@ export interface TransportShipSpawnResultMessage extends BaseWorkerMessage {
 
 // Union types for type safety
 export type MainThreadMessage =
-  | HeartbeatMessage
   | InitMessage
   | TurnMessage
   | PlayerActionsMessage