diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9734957..edc063a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "netfelix-audio-fix",
-	"version": "2026.04.15.6",
+	"version": "2026.04.15.7",
 	"scripts": {
 		"dev:server": "NODE_ENV=development bun --hot server/index.tsx",
 		"dev:client": "vite",
diff --git a/server/api/__tests__/execute.test.ts b/server/api/__tests__/execute.test.ts
index 67fc77d..47f106b 100644
--- a/server/api/__tests__/execute.test.ts
+++ b/server/api/__tests__/execute.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
-import { extractErrorSummary } from "../execute";
+import { extractErrorSummary, shouldSendLiveUpdate, yieldAfterChunk } from "../execute";
 
 describe("extractErrorSummary", () => {
 	test("pulls the real error line out of ffmpeg's banner", () => {
@@ -47,3 +47,27 @@ describe("extractErrorSummary", () => {
 		expect(summary).toBe("Error: no space left on device");
 	});
 });
+
+describe("shouldSendLiveUpdate", () => {
+	test("throttles updates until interval passes", () => {
+		expect(shouldSendLiveUpdate(1_000, 800, 500)).toBe(false);
+		expect(shouldSendLiveUpdate(1_301, 800, 500)).toBe(true);
+	});
+});
+
+describe("yieldAfterChunk", () => {
+	test("yields once threshold is reached, resets chunk counter", async () => {
+		let yieldCalls = 0;
+		const sleep = async (_ms: number) => {
+			yieldCalls += 1;
+		};
+		let chunks = 0;
+		chunks = await yieldAfterChunk(chunks, 3, sleep);
+		expect(chunks).toBe(1);
+		chunks = await yieldAfterChunk(chunks, 3, sleep);
+		expect(chunks).toBe(2);
+		chunks = await yieldAfterChunk(chunks, 3, sleep);
+		expect(chunks).toBe(0);
+		expect(yieldCalls).toBe(1);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/server/api/execute.ts b/server/api/execute.ts
index e937bee..929458c 100644
--- a/server/api/execute.ts
+++ b/server/api/execute.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,23 @@ const app = new Hono();
 let queueRunning = false;
 let runningProc: ReturnType<typeof Bun.spawn> | null = null;
 let runningJobId: number | null = null;
+const LIVE_UPDATE_INTERVAL_MS = 500;
+const STREAM_CHUNKS_BEFORE_YIELD = 24;
+
+export function shouldSendLiveUpdate(now: number, lastSentAt: number, intervalMs = LIVE_UPDATE_INTERVAL_MS): boolean {
+	return now - lastSentAt > intervalMs;
+}
+
+export async function yieldAfterChunk(
+	chunksSinceYield: number,
+	chunksBeforeYield = STREAM_CHUNKS_BEFORE_YIELD,
+	sleep: (ms: number) => Promise<unknown> = (ms) => Bun.sleep(ms),
+): Promise<number> {
+	const next = chunksSinceYield + 1;
+	if (next < chunksBeforeYield) return next;
+	await sleep(0);
+	return 0;
+}
 
 function emitQueueStatus(
 	status: "running" | "paused" | "sleeping" | "idle",
@@ -329,14 +346,16 @@ async function runJob(job: Job): Promise<void> {
 	const updateOutput = db.prepare("UPDATE jobs SET output = ? WHERE id = ?");
 
 	const flush = (final = false) => {
-		const text = outputLines.join("\n");
 		const now = Date.now();
-		if (final || now - lastFlushAt > 500) {
+		if (!final && !shouldSendLiveUpdate(now, lastFlushAt)) {
+			pendingFlush = true;
+			return;
+		}
+		const text = outputLines.join("\n");
+		if (final || shouldSendLiveUpdate(now, lastFlushAt)) {
 			updateOutput.run(text, job.id);
 			lastFlushAt = now;
 			pendingFlush = false;
-		} else {
-			pendingFlush = true;
 		}
 		emitJobUpdate(job.id, "running", text);
 	};
@@ -349,7 +368,7 @@ async function runJob(job: Job): Promise<void> {
 		const progressed = parseFFmpegProgress(line);
 		if (progressed != null && totalSeconds > 0) {
 			const now = Date.now();
-			if (now - lastProgressEmit > 500) {
+			if (shouldSendLiveUpdate(now, lastProgressEmit)) {
 				emitJobProgress(job.id, progressed, totalSeconds);
 				lastProgressEmit = now;
 			}
@@ -364,6 +383,7 @@ async function runJob(job: Job): Promise<void> {
 			const reader = readable.getReader();
 			const decoder = new TextDecoder();
 			let buffer = "";
+			let chunksSinceYield = 0;
 			try {
 				while (true) {
 					const { done, value } = await reader.read();
@@ -377,6 +397,8 @@ async function runJob(job: Job): Promise<void> {
 						consumeProgress(line);
 					}
 					flush();
+					// Let pending HTTP requests run even when ffmpeg floods stdout/stderr.
+					chunksSinceYield = await yieldAfterChunk(chunksSinceYield);
 				}
 				if (buffer.trim()) {
 					outputLines.push(prefix + buffer);