diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/render_queue.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/render_queue.rs
index 5e39a30c2..c7cce6e01 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/render_queue.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/render_queue.rs
@@ -451,6 +451,22 @@ fn queue_drop(app: &EffectcraftApp, ui: &egui::Ui, rect: Rect, p: &egui::Painter
     }
 }
 
+/// Elapsed and estimated remaining seconds at UI time `now`. The job reports them as frames
+/// finish; between reports they count on from the last one, as a clock does, so a slow frame
+/// doesn't read as a stalled render (#2593).
+fn live_times(ctx: &egui::Context, pr: &effectcraft_engine::render_queue::JobState, now: f64) -> (f64, Option<f64>) {
+    let report = (pr.current, pr.done, pr.item_elapsed.to_bits());
+    let since = ctx.data_mut(|d| {
+        let seen = d.get_temp_mut_or_insert_with(egui::Id::unique("rq-progress-seen"), || (report, now));
+        if seen.0 != report {
+            *seen = (report, now);
+        }
+        seen.1
+    });
+    let dt = if pr.finished { 0.0 } else { (now - since).max(0.0) };
+    (pr.item_elapsed + dt, pr.remaining.map(|r| (r - dt).max(0.0)))
+}
+
 /// The Current Render strip inside `top`: title, elapsed / remaining time, Render, Stop, Notify
 /// and the progress bar.
 fn current_render_strip(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, p: &egui::Painter, top: Rect, rq: &RqView, actions: &mut Vec<Action>) {
@@ -461,11 +477,15 @@ fn current_render_strip(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, p: &egui::P
     let cur_item = progress.as_ref().and_then(|p| p.current).and_then(|id| queue.iter().find(|i| i.id == id));
     let cur_name = cur_item.and_then(|i| app.session.project.item(i.comp)).map(|i| i.name.clone());
     if let Some(pr) = &progress {
-        let rem = pr.remaining.map(hms).unwrap_or_else(|| "–".into());
+        let (elapsed, remaining) = live_times(ui.ctx(), pr, ui.input(|i| i.time));
+        if rendering {
+            ui.ctx().request_repaint_after(std::time::Duration::from_millis(500));
+        }
+        let rem = remaining.map(hms).unwrap_or_else(|| "–".into());
         p.text(
             pos2(top.max.x - 12.0, top.min.y + 16.0),
             Align2::RIGHT_CENTER,
-            format!("Elapsed: {}     Est. Remain: {rem}", hms(pr.item_elapsed)),
+            format!("Elapsed: {}     Est. Remain: {rem}", hms(elapsed)),
             Tokens::ui(11.5),
             t.text_dim,
         );
@@ -903,4 +923,26 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(super::utc_stamp(u64::MAX), "584554051223-11-09 07:00:15");
         assert_eq!(super::hms(3725.4), "1:02:05");
     }
+
+    /// #2593: between progress reports the times count on from the last report, and a new
+    /// report starts the count again.
+    #[test]
+    fn render_times_tick_between_reports() {
+        let ctx = egui::Context::default();
+        let mut pr = effectcraft_engine::render_queue::JobState {
+            current: Some(1),
+            done: 2,
+            total: 10,
+            item_elapsed: 20.0,
+            remaining: Some(80.0),
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        assert_eq!(super::live_times(&ctx, &pr, 100.0), (20.0, Some(80.0)));
+        assert_eq!(super::live_times(&ctx, &pr, 103.0), (23.0, Some(77.0)));
+        assert_eq!(super::live_times(&ctx, &pr, 300.0).1, Some(0.0), "never below zero");
+        (pr.done, pr.item_elapsed, pr.remaining) = (3, 31.0, Some(72.0));
+        assert_eq!(super::live_times(&ctx, &pr, 301.0), (31.0, Some(72.0)));
+        pr.finished = true;
+        assert_eq!(super::live_times(&ctx, &pr, 400.0), (31.0, Some(72.0)), "a finished job stands still");
+    }
 }