diff --git a/crates/track/src/lib.rs b/crates/track/src/lib.rs
index 898019726..8867bfcb8 100644
--- a/crates/track/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/track/src/lib.rs
@@ -399,6 +399,12 @@ impl Crop {
     }
 }
 
+/// Largest distance (in top-level pixels, per axis) between the best coarse match and the
+/// motion prediction for which the fine stage searches only ±1 pixel per level.
+const SMALL_MOTION: f64 = 1.0;
+/// Lowest coarse NCC score of the best match for which the fine stage may search only ±1.
+const RELIABLE_SCORE: f64 = 0.8;
+
 /// Per-point tracking state.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 struct PointState {
@@ -499,7 +505,10 @@ impl PointState {
                 break;
             }
         }
-        // Fine: refine each seed down the pyramid in a 5 × 5 neighbourhood.
+        // Fine: refine each seed down the pyramid. A good motion prediction plus a reliable coarse
+        // match only needs a 3 × 3 neighbourhood per level; otherwise keep 5 × 5.
+        let near = cands[0].0 >= RELIABLE_SCORE && seeds.first().is_some_and(|c| (c[0] - cp[0]).abs() <= SMALL_MOTION && (c[1] - cp[1]).abs() <= SMALL_MOTION);
+        let rr: i32 = if near { 1 } else { 2 };
         let mut best = (f64::MIN, sc);
         for seed in seeds {
             let mut c = seed;
@@ -510,8 +519,8 @@ impl PointState {
                 // Start from the projected match; neighbours must beat it (no drift on ties).
                 let scorer = Scorer::new(pl, tp, c, shape);
                 let mut lb = (scorer.at(0, 0), c);
-                for j in -2..=2 {
-                    for i in -2..=2 {
+                for j in -rr..=rr {
+                    for i in -rr..=rr {
                         if i == 0 && j == 0 {
                             continue;
                         }
diff --git a/crates/track/src/tests.rs b/crates/track/src/tests.rs
index e97452ddc..c019996f5 100644
--- a/crates/track/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/track/src/tests.rs
@@ -163,6 +163,27 @@ fn recovers_translation_path_subpixel() {
     assert!(worst < 0.25, "worst error {worst} px");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn recovers_after_sudden_jumps_the_prediction_misses() {
+    // Alternating large steps defeat the velocity prediction, so the fine stage must keep its
+    // wider neighbourhood; smooth frames in between use the narrow one.
+    let path = |f: usize| {
+        let t = f as f64;
+        let jump = [0.0, 7.0, -5.0, 9.0, -8.0, 6.0, -7.0, 8.0];
+        let j = jump[f % jump.len()];
+        Pose { c: [120.0 + 1.5 * t + j, 100.0 + 1.1 * t - 0.6 * j], rot: 0.0, scale: 1.0 }
+    };
+    let f0 = frame(360, 260, path(0), 40.0, 0.02, 0, None);
+    let mut tr = Tracker::new(TrackOptions::default(), &[spec(path(0).c, 31.0, 91.0)], &Frame::new(&f0));
+    for f in 1..24 {
+        let img = frame(360, 260, path(f), 40.0, 0.02, f as u32, None);
+        let r = tr.step(&Frame::new(&img))[0];
+        let e = dist(r.center, path(f).c);
+        assert!(e < 0.3, "frame {f}: error {e} px");
+        assert_eq!(r.status, Status::Tracked);
+    }
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn layer_offset_and_channels() {
     let pose = |f: usize| Pose { c: [120.0 + 3.3 * f as f64, 100.0 - 1.7 * f as f64], rot: 0.0, scale: 1.0 };