diff --git a/internal/terminal/app.go b/internal/terminal/app.go
index 72919fc3..d4d0690b 100644
--- a/internal/terminal/app.go
+++ b/internal/terminal/app.go
@@ -480,10 +480,8 @@ func (app *App) loop(ctx context.Context) {
 	stopTimer(messageWarmTimer)
 	defer messageWarmTimer.Stop()
 
-	dirty := true
+	dirty := false
 	for {
-		dirty = app.drawDirtyFrame(ctx, dirty)
-
 		shouldQuit, nextDirty := app.runLoopStep(ctx, workTicker, frameTicker, extensionTimer, messageWarmTimer, dirty)
 		if shouldQuit {
 			return
@@ -493,16 +491,6 @@ func (app *App) loop(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (app *App) drawDirtyFrame(ctx context.Context, dirty bool) bool {
-	if dirty && !app.throttleDraws() {
-		app.draw(ctx)
-
-		return false
-	}
-
-	return dirty
-}
-
 func (app *App) runLoopStep(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	workTicker *time.Ticker,
@@ -530,10 +518,7 @@ func (app *App) runLoopStep(
 
 		return false, true
 	case <-app.frameTick(frameTicker, dirty):
-		if dirty {
-			app.emitExtensionRuntimeEventOrMessage(ctx, extensionEventTick, map[string]any{})
-		}
-
+		app.emitExtensionRuntimeEventOrMessage(ctx, extensionEventTick, map[string]any{})
 		app.draw(ctx)
 
 		return false, false
@@ -649,7 +634,7 @@ func (app *App) workTick(ticker *time.Ticker) <-chan time.Time {
 }
 
 func (app *App) frameTick(ticker *time.Ticker, dirty bool) <-chan time.Time {
-	if app.throttleDraws() || dirty {
+	if dirty {
 		return ticker.C
 	}
 
@@ -726,10 +711,6 @@ func stopTimer(timer *time.Timer) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (app *App) throttleDraws() bool {
-	return app.busy()
-}
-
 func (app *App) busy() bool {
 	return app.working || app.authWorking || app.compacting
 }
diff --git a/internal/terminal/render_internal_test.go b/internal/terminal/render_internal_test.go
index 6d6efce0..0d57605f 100644
--- a/internal/terminal/render_internal_test.go
+++ b/internal/terminal/render_internal_test.go
@@ -866,30 +866,62 @@ func runLoopStepWithContextAndDormantTimers(
 	)
 }
 
-func TestDrawDirtyFrame(t *testing.T) {
+func TestFrameTickOnlyRunsForDirtyState(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	testCases := []struct {
-		name     string
-		dirty    bool
-		wantDraw bool
-	}{
-		{name: "clean frame skips draw", dirty: false, wantDraw: false},
-		{name: "dirty frame draws", dirty: true, wantDraw: true},
-	}
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Hour)
+	t.Cleanup(ticker.Stop)
 
-	for _, testCase := range testCases {
-		t.Run(testCase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
+	app := newScrollableRenderTestApp(t)
+	app.working = true
 
-			app := newScrollableRenderTestApp(t)
-			screen, ok := app.screen.(*clipboardScreen)
-			require.True(t, ok)
+	assert.Nil(t, app.frameTick(ticker, false), "busy but unchanged UI must not redraw")
+	assert.Equal(t, ticker.C, app.frameTick(ticker, true), "dirty UI must wait for the frame tick")
+}
 
-			assert.False(t, app.drawDirtyFrame(context.Background(), testCase.dirty))
-			assert.Equal(t, testCase.wantDraw, len(screen.content) > 0)
-		})
-	}
+func TestRunLoopStepDrawsDirtyFrameAndEmitsTick(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	app := newExtensionRuntimeTestApp(t, `
+librecode.on("tick", function()
+  librecode.buf.set_text("tick_events", "tick")
+end)
+`)
+	screen := newClipboardScreen()
+	screen.SetSize(40, 8)
+	app.screen = screen
+	app.renderer = tui.NewRenderer(screen)
+	app.frame = nil
+
+	workTicker := time.NewTicker(time.Hour)
+	frameTicker := time.NewTicker(time.Millisecond)
+	extensionTimer := time.NewTimer(time.Hour)
+	messageWarmTimer := time.NewTimer(time.Hour)
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		workTicker.Stop()
+		frameTicker.Stop()
+		stopTimer(extensionTimer)
+		stopTimer(messageWarmTimer)
+	})
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(t.Context(), time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	shouldQuit, dirty := app.runLoopStep(
+		ctx,
+		workTicker,
+		frameTicker,
+		extensionTimer,
+		messageWarmTimer,
+		true,
+	)
+
+	assert.False(t, shouldQuit)
+	assert.False(t, dirty)
+	require.NotNil(t, app.frame, "dirty frame tick must draw")
+	require.Contains(t, app.extensionUI.Buffers, "tick_events", "dirty frame tick must emit tick")
+	assert.Equal(t, "tick", app.extensionUI.Buffers["tick_events"].Text)
 }
 
 func TestDrawLatestResize(t *testing.T) {