diff --git a/src/renderer/App.tsx b/src/renderer/App.tsx
index d4673748..52bd7695 100644
--- a/src/renderer/App.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/App.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ declare global {
   interface Window {
     __claudeTeamsSplashEnhancedStartedAt?: number;
     __claudeTeamsSplashScene?: SplashSceneHandle;
+    __claudeTeamsSplashEnhancedDisabled?: boolean;
     __claudeTeamsSplashStartedAt?: number;
   }
 }
@@ -38,7 +39,11 @@ export const App = (): React.JSX.Element => {
     const splash = document.getElementById('splash');
     if (splash) {
       const reducedMotion = window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches;
-      const scene = window.__claudeTeamsSplashScene ?? startSplashScene(splash, { reducedMotion });
+      const scene: SplashSceneHandle =
+        window.__claudeTeamsSplashScene ??
+        (window.__claudeTeamsSplashEnhancedDisabled
+          ? { stop: () => undefined, ready: Promise.resolve() }
+          : startSplashScene(splash, { reducedMotion }));
       const startedAt = window.__claudeTeamsSplashStartedAt ?? performance.now();
       const enhancedStartedAt = window.__claudeTeamsSplashEnhancedStartedAt ?? performance.now();
       const elapsed = performance.now() - startedAt;
@@ -62,6 +67,7 @@ export const App = (): React.JSX.Element => {
           scene.stop();
           window.__claudeTeamsSplashScene = undefined;
           window.__claudeTeamsSplashEnhancedStartedAt = undefined;
+          window.__claudeTeamsSplashEnhancedDisabled = undefined;
           splash.remove();
         }, fadeDuration);
       };
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/splash/splashScene.ts b/src/renderer/components/splash/splashScene.ts
index 3ecdd0af..8e5a2092 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/splash/splashScene.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/components/splash/splashScene.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ const TEAM_MEMBER_COUNTS = [4, 3, 5] as const;
 const TEAM_MEMBER_OFFSETS = [0, 4, 7] as const;
 const TEAM_LABELS = ['Marketing', 'Researchers', 'Coding'] as const;
 const MAX_DPR = 2;
+const SPLASH_SCENE_FRAME_INTERVAL_MS = 1000 / 30;
 const avatarCache = new Map<string, HTMLImageElement>();
 const avatarLoading = new Map<string, Promise<HTMLImageElement | null>>();
 
@@ -112,6 +113,7 @@ export function startSplashScene(
     particles: [] as DepthParticle[],
     running: true,
     frameId: 0,
+    lastRenderedAt: 0,
     startedAt: performance.now(),
   };
 
@@ -139,9 +141,16 @@ export function startSplashScene(
   const render = (now: number): void => {
     if (!state.running) return;
 
-    resize();
-    const time = (now - state.startedAt) / 1000;
-    drawScene(ctx, state.width, state.height, time, state.particles, reducedMotion);
+    if (
+      reducedMotion ||
+      state.lastRenderedAt === 0 ||
+      now - state.lastRenderedAt >= SPLASH_SCENE_FRAME_INTERVAL_MS
+    ) {
+      resize();
+      const time = (now - state.startedAt) / 1000;
+      drawScene(ctx, state.width, state.height, time, state.particles, reducedMotion);
+      state.lastRenderedAt = now;
+    }
 
     if (!reducedMotion) {
       state.frameId = window.requestAnimationFrame(render);
diff --git a/src/renderer/index.html b/src/renderer/index.html
index 80edd058..11f064a9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/index.html
+++ b/src/renderer/index.html
@@ -561,6 +561,7 @@
         var TEAM_MEMBER_OFFSETS = [0, 4, 7];
         var TEAM_LABELS = ['Marketing', 'Researchers', 'Coding'];
         var MAX_DPR = 2;
+        var SPLASH_SCENE_FRAME_INTERVAL_MS = 1000 / 30;
         var FALLBACK_AVATAR_URLS = [
           './assets/participant-avatars/01.png',
           './assets/participant-avatars/02.png',
@@ -637,6 +638,7 @@
             particles: [],
             running: true,
             frameId: 0,
+            lastRenderedAt: 0,
             startedAt: performance.now(),
           };
 
@@ -661,14 +663,21 @@
 
           function render(now) {
             if (!state.running) return;
-            resize();
-            drawScene(
-              ctx,
-              state.width,
-              state.height,
-              reducedMotion ? 1.2 : (now - state.startedAt) / 1000,
-              state.particles
-            );
+            if (
+              reducedMotion ||
+              state.lastRenderedAt === 0 ||
+              now - state.lastRenderedAt >= SPLASH_SCENE_FRAME_INTERVAL_MS
+            ) {
+              resize();
+              drawScene(
+                ctx,
+                state.width,
+                state.height,
+                reducedMotion ? 1.2 : (now - state.startedAt) / 1000,
+                state.particles
+              );
+              state.lastRenderedAt = now;
+            }
             if (!reducedMotion) state.frameId = window.requestAnimationFrame(render);
           }
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/main.tsx b/src/renderer/main.tsx
index b6137a82..91643c58 100644
--- a/src/renderer/main.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/main.tsx
@@ -9,12 +9,15 @@ import { App } from './App';
 import { initSentryRenderer } from './sentry';
 import { initializeNotificationListeners } from './store';
 
+import type { SplashSceneHandle } from './components/splash/splashScene';
 import type { AppStartupStatus, AppStartupStep } from '@shared/types/api';
 
 declare global {
   interface Window {
     __claudeTeamsUiDidInit?: boolean;
     __claudeTeamsSplashStaticTimer?: number;
+    __claudeTeamsSplashScene?: SplashSceneHandle;
+    __claudeTeamsSplashEnhancedDisabled?: boolean;
   }
 }
 
@@ -170,6 +173,11 @@ function stopStartupTicker(): void {
   startupTicker = undefined;
 }
 
+function stopEnhancedSplashScene(): void {
+  window.__claudeTeamsSplashEnhancedDisabled = true;
+  window.__claudeTeamsSplashScene?.stop();
+}
+
 function mountApp(): void {
   if (root) return;
 
@@ -204,6 +212,11 @@ async function bootstrapRenderer(): Promise<void> {
         return;
       }
       updateStartupSplash(nextStatus);
+      const currentStep = getCurrentStartupStep(nextStatus);
+      const stepElapsedMs = getStepElapsedMs(currentStep, nextStatus);
+      if (!nextStatus.ready && (nextStatus.error || stepElapsedMs >= VERY_SLOW_STEP_MS)) {
+        stopEnhancedSplashScene();
+      }
       if (nextStatus.ready) {
         finished = true;
         cleanup();