diff --git a/src/bin/consciousness.rs b/src/bin/consciousness.rs
index ab49e92..f9b5220 100644
--- a/src/bin/consciousness.rs
+++ b/src/bin/consciousness.rs
@@ -909,9 +909,10 @@ async fn run(cli: cli::CliArgs) -> Result<()> {
     // Crossterm event stream
     let mut reader = EventStream::new();
 
-    // Render timer: 20fps
+    // Render timer — only draws when dirty
     let mut render_interval = tokio::time::interval(Duration::from_millis(50));
     render_interval.set_missed_tick_behavior(tokio::time::MissedTickBehavior::Skip);
+    let mut dirty = true; // draw first frame
 
     // Hide terminal cursor — tui-textarea renders its own cursor as a styled cell
     terminal.hide_cursor()?;
@@ -934,13 +935,16 @@ async fn run(cli: cli::CliArgs) -> Result<()> {
                             continue;
                         }
                         app.handle_key(key);
+                        dirty = true;
                     }
                     Some(Ok(Event::Mouse(mouse))) => {
                         app.handle_mouse(mouse);
+                        dirty = true;
                     }
                     Some(Ok(Event::Resize(w, h))) => {
                         app.handle_resize(w, h);
                         terminal.clear()?;
+                        dirty = true;
                     }
                     Some(Err(_)) => break,
                     None => break,
@@ -951,14 +955,16 @@ async fn run(cli: cli::CliArgs) -> Result<()> {
             // Input from observation socket clients
             Some(line) = observe_input_rx.recv() => {
                 app.submitted.push(line);
+                dirty = true;
             }
 
             // Turn completed in background task
             Some((result, target)) = turn_rx.recv() => {
                 session.handle_turn_result(result, target).await;
+                dirty = true;
             }
 
-            // Render tick
+            // Render tick — only redraws if dirty
             _ = render_interval.tick() => {
                 app.running_processes = session.process_tracker.list().await.len() as u32;
             }
@@ -966,11 +972,13 @@ async fn run(cli: cli::CliArgs) -> Result<()> {
             // DMN timer (only when no turn is running)
             _ = tokio::time::sleep(timeout), if !session.turn_in_progress => {
                 session.dmn_tick();
+                dirty = true;
             }
 
             // UI messages (lowest priority — processed in bulk during render)
             Some(msg) = ui_rx.recv() => {
                 app.handle_ui_message(msg);
+                dirty = true;
             }
         }
 
@@ -999,9 +1007,16 @@ async fn run(cli: cli::CliArgs) -> Result<()> {
             }
         }
 
-        // Drain pending UI messages and redraw
-        drain_ui_messages(&mut ui_rx, &mut app);
-        terminal.draw(|f| app.draw(f))?;
+        // Drain pending UI messages
+        if drain_ui_messages(&mut ui_rx, &mut app) {
+            dirty = true;
+        }
+
+        // Only redraw when something changed
+        if dirty {
+            terminal.draw(|f| app.draw(f))?;
+            dirty = false;
+        }
 
         if app.should_quit {
             break;
@@ -1015,10 +1030,13 @@ async fn run(cli: cli::CliArgs) -> Result<()> {
 
 // --- Free functions ---
 
-fn drain_ui_messages(rx: &mut ui_channel::UiReceiver, app: &mut tui::App) {
+fn drain_ui_messages(rx: &mut ui_channel::UiReceiver, app: &mut tui::App) -> bool {
+    let mut any = false;
     while let Ok(msg) = rx.try_recv() {
         app.handle_ui_message(msg);
+        any = true;
     }
+    any
 }
 
 async fn run_tool_tests(ui_tx: &ui_channel::UiSender, tracker: &tools::ProcessTracker) {