diff --git a/crates/video-streamer/src/streamer/mod.rs b/crates/video-streamer/src/streamer/mod.rs
index 3642270b4..a3af14737 100644
--- a/crates/video-streamer/src/streamer/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/video-streamer/src/streamer/mod.rs
@@ -99,9 +99,15 @@ pub fn webm_stream(
         }
     }
 
-    const MAX_RETRY_COUNT: usize = 3;
-    // To make sure we don't retry forever
-    // Retry is set to 0 when we successfully read a tag
+    // NOTE: MAX_RETRY_COUNT is intentionally set to 25. With the 3-second delay
+    // between retries, this yields a worst-case wait of 75 seconds before we
+    // give up on the current stream. This is acceptable in our live-streaming
+    // context because downstream components already enforce a stricter overall
+    // timeout, and tolerating longer temporary input stalls here reduces
+    // unnecessary reconnect churn on brief network or encoder hiccups.
+    // The counter resets to 0 on every successful tag read, so this only
+    // triggers on continuous EOF with zero progress.
+    const MAX_RETRY_COUNT: usize = 25;
     let mut retry_count = 0;
 
     let result = loop {
@@ -190,6 +196,10 @@ pub fn webm_stream(
                 },
                 _ = stop_notifier.notified() => {
                     let _ = tx.send(WhenEofControlFlow::Break);
+                },
+                _ = tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(3)) => {
+                    trace!("EOF wait timed out, retrying");
+                    let _ = tx.send(WhenEofControlFlow::Continue);
                 }
             }
         });
diff --git a/crates/video-streamer/src/streamer/tag_writers.rs b/crates/video-streamer/src/streamer/tag_writers.rs
index a98001fe1..7cae2398f 100644
--- a/crates/video-streamer/src/streamer/tag_writers.rs
+++ b/crates/video-streamer/src/streamer/tag_writers.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::time::Instant;
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
 use anyhow::Context;
 use cadeau::xmf::vpx::{VpxCodec, VpxDecoder, VpxEncoder};
@@ -13,8 +13,15 @@ use crate::debug::mastroka_spec_name;
 
 const VPX_EFLAG_FORCE_KF: u32 = 0x00000001;
 
+/// Maximum number of consecutive frames that can be skipped when adaptive frame
+/// skipping is active. Controls the trade-off between latency and frame delivery:
+/// - 1 = skip-encode alternating pattern, 50% max information loss (default)
+/// - 2 = up to 2 skips then 1 encode, 67% max loss
+/// - 0 = never skip (disables adaptive skipping effectively)
+const MAX_CONSECUTIVE_FRAME_SKIPS: u32 = 1;
+
 #[cfg(feature = "perf-diagnostics")]
-fn duration_as_millis_u64(duration: std::time::Duration) -> u64 {
+fn duration_as_millis_u64(duration: Duration) -> u64 {
     u64::try_from(duration.as_millis()).unwrap_or(u64::MAX)
 }
 
@@ -105,7 +112,9 @@ where
     last_encoded_abs_time: Option<u64>,
 
     // Adaptive frame skipping state
+    #[cfg(feature = "perf-diagnostics")]
     stream_start: Instant,
+    processing_time: Duration,
     last_ratio: f64,
     frames_since_last_encode: u32,
     adaptive_frame_skip: bool,
@@ -192,7 +201,9 @@ where
                 decoder,
                 cut_block_state: CutBlockState::HaventMet,
                 last_encoded_abs_time: None,
+                #[cfg(feature = "perf-diagnostics")]
                 stream_start: Instant::now(),
+                processing_time: Duration::ZERO,
                 last_ratio: 1.0,
                 frames_since_last_encode: 0,
                 adaptive_frame_skip: config.adaptive_frame_skip,
@@ -263,7 +274,9 @@ where
             "VideoBlock created"
         );
 
+        let processing_started = Instant::now();
         self.process_current_block(&video_block)?;
+        self.processing_time += processing_started.elapsed();
 
         Ok(WriterResult::Continue)
     }
@@ -369,13 +382,17 @@ where
         Ok(frame)
     }
 
+    /// Calculates the ratio of media time advanced to active processing time.
+    /// This uses `processing_time`, which is intended to exclude idle waits (for example,
+    /// time spent waiting for file growth during EOF retries), so that temporary stalls
+    /// do not permanently corrupt the frame skip decision.
     fn current_realtime_ratio(&self, media_advanced_ms: u64) -> f64 {
         #[allow(clippy::cast_possible_truncation)] // u64 max is ~584 million years in ms; no real truncation risk
-        let wall_ms = self.stream_start.elapsed().as_millis() as u64;
-        if wall_ms == 0 {
+        let processing_ms = self.processing_time.as_millis() as u64;
+        if processing_ms == 0 {
             1.0
         } else {
-            media_advanced_ms as f64 / wall_ms as f64
+            media_advanced_ms as f64 / processing_ms as f64
         }
     }
 
@@ -383,7 +400,12 @@ where
         // Skip encoding when falling behind real-time. The ratio naturally self-regulates:
         // skipping makes processing faster (decode-only), which pushes ratio back above 1.0,
         // which resumes encoding. This bang-bang control keeps the stream near real-time.
-        self.adaptive_frame_skip && self.last_ratio < 1.0
+        //
+        // Allow at most MAX_CONSECUTIVE_FRAME_SKIPS consecutive skips to cap information loss.
+        // With the default of 1, the pattern is skip-encode-skip-encode (50% max loss).
+        // Accepts growing delay over forced frame drops — preferable for shadow sessions
+        // where a few seconds of latency is tolerable but frozen frames are not.
+        self.adaptive_frame_skip && self.last_ratio < 1.0 && self.frames_since_last_encode < MAX_CONSECUTIVE_FRAME_SKIPS
     }
 
     #[cfg(feature = "perf-diagnostics")]