diff --git a/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/chat/Background.kt b/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/chat/Background.kt
index dbaeb26..ccd038f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/chat/Background.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/chat/Background.kt
@@ -41,20 +41,25 @@ import dev.kaizen.app.ui.theme.rememberDitherBrush
 
 /** Mesh/blob background: large, heavily blurred color circles that drift slowly. */
 @Composable
-fun MeshBackground(content: @Composable BoxScope.() -> Unit) {
+fun MeshBackground(animateBlobs: Boolean = true, content: @Composable BoxScope.() -> Unit) {
     val dark = isSystemInDarkTheme()
     val accent = LocalKaizenAccent.current
     val base = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.background
-    // Blobs are subtler in light mode.
     val factor = if (dark) 1f else 0.65f
-    val transition = rememberInfiniteTransition(label = "blobs")
-    val drift by transition.animateFloat(
-        initialValue = 0f,
-        targetValue = 1f,
-        animationSpec = infiniteRepeatable(tween(22000, easing = LinearEasing), RepeatMode.Reverse),
-        label = "drift",
-    )
-    // Dither overlay (drawn last, over everything) — kills 8-bit gradient banding.
+
+    val drift = if (animateBlobs) {
+        val transition = rememberInfiniteTransition(label = "blobs")
+        val d by transition.animateFloat(
+            initialValue = 0f,
+            targetValue = 1f,
+            animationSpec = infiniteRepeatable(tween(22000, easing = LinearEasing), RepeatMode.Reverse),
+            label = "drift",
+        )
+        d
+    } else {
+        0.5f
+    }
+
     val ditherBrush = rememberDitherBrush()
     Box(
         Modifier
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/chat/ChatScreen.kt b/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/chat/ChatScreen.kt
index a154ab3..3eabaaa 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/chat/ChatScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/chat/ChatScreen.kt
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ fun ChatScreen(
                 },
                 gesturesEnabled = true // Allows swiping from the screen's left edge to open the drawer
             ) {
-                MeshBackground {
+                MeshBackground(animateBlobs = messages.isEmpty()) {
                     Box(Modifier.fillMaxSize(), contentAlignment = Alignment.Center) {
                         // 1. Scrollable Chat Content
                         // Stretches to the full screen, allowing bubbles to scroll cleanly behind the floating bottom dock.
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/ui/sensor/TiltState.kt b/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/ui/sensor/TiltState.kt
index 9791d8e..77b49ca 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/ui/sensor/TiltState.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/dev/kaizen/app/ui/sensor/TiltState.kt
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ fun rememberTiltState(): State<Offset> {
                 Lifecycle.Event.ON_START -> {
                     if (!registered) {
                         sensorManager.registerListener(
-                            listener, sensor, SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_GAME
+                            listener, sensor, SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_UI
                         )
                         registered = true
                     }
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ fun rememberTiltState(): State<Offset> {
 
         lifecycle.addObserver(lifecycleObserver)
         if (lifecycle.currentState.isAtLeast(Lifecycle.State.STARTED)) {
-            sensorManager.registerListener(listener, sensor, SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_GAME)
+            sensorManager.registerListener(listener, sensor, SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_UI)
             registered = true
         }