diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
index c6c8d1a839e..40a4fe48b9f 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
@@ -399,6 +399,7 @@ const MEDIA_URL_ATTRS = new Map([
 ]);
 
 const SLOW_IDLE_HEARTBEAT_MS = 1000;
+const HIDDEN_TRANSPORT_TICK_MS = 16;
 
 // One document.getAnimations() per seek and the pause after it, read on first use, shared by all adapters.
 function pageAnimationsForOnePass(): () => Animation[] {
@@ -4783,13 +4784,45 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
     armParkTimer();
   };
 
+  // Hidden documents run no animation frames but their media plays on, so tick on a timer.
+  // Chromium clamps it to ~1 s unless audio is audible: a clip may end up to 1 s late.
+  let transportTickTimerId: number | null = null;
+  const transportTickPending = () => state.transportRafId != null || transportTickTimerId != null;
+  const requestTransportTick = () => {
+    if (document.visibilityState === "hidden") {
+      transportTickTimerId = window.setTimeout(() => {
+        transportTickTimerId = null;
+        transportTick();
+      }, HIDDEN_TRANSPORT_TICK_MS);
+      return;
+    }
+    state.transportRafId = window.requestAnimationFrame(transportTick);
+  };
+  const cancelTransportTick = () => {
+    if (state.transportRafId != null) {
+      window.cancelAnimationFrame(state.transportRafId);
+      state.transportRafId = null;
+    }
+    if (transportTickTimerId != null) {
+      window.clearTimeout(transportTickTimerId);
+      transportTickTimerId = null;
+    }
+  };
+  // A frame requested just before the tab hid never fires: move a pending tick across.
+  const onTransportVisibilityChange = () => {
+    if (state.tornDown || !transportTickPending()) return;
+    cancelTransportTick();
+    requestTransportTick();
+  };
+  document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", onTransportVisibilityChange);
+
   const scheduleNextTransportFrame = () => {
     state.transportRafId = null;
     if (state.tornDown) return;
     const woken = transportWakeRequested;
     transportWakeRequested = false;
     if (woken || !canParkTransport()) {
-      state.transportRafId = window.requestAnimationFrame(transportTick);
+      requestTransportTick();
       return;
     }
     // Read fresh rather than reusing the tick's own `timingRevision`: the tick
@@ -4805,13 +4838,13 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
     // Inside a tick the tail is the only scheduler; setting the flag there is
     // what stops it parking on work it has just been told about.
     transportWakeRequested = true;
-    if (inTransportTick || state.transportRafId != null) return;
+    if (inTransportTick || transportTickPending()) return;
     if (transportParkTimerId != null) {
       window.clearTimeout(transportParkTimerId);
       transportParkTimerId = null;
     }
     transportWakeRequested = false;
-    state.transportRafId = window.requestAnimationFrame(transportTick);
+    requestTransportTick();
   };
 
   const followedOrLongestRunningAudio = (
@@ -5183,8 +5216,8 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
 
   installPositionEditsSeekReapply(window as Window & typeof globalThis);
 
-  // Start the rAF tick loop
-  state.transportRafId = window.requestAnimationFrame(transportTick);
+  // Start the tick loop
+  requestTransportTick();
   postTimeline();
   postState(true);
 
@@ -5339,10 +5372,8 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
   const teardown = () => {
     if (state.tornDown) return;
     state.tornDown = true;
-    if (state.transportRafId != null) {
-      window.cancelAnimationFrame(state.transportRafId);
-      state.transportRafId = null;
-    }
+    cancelTransportTick();
+    document.removeEventListener("visibilitychange", onTransportVisibilityChange);
     if (transportParkTimerId != null) {
       window.clearTimeout(transportParkTimerId);
       transportParkTimerId = null;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/transportPark.test.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/transportPark.test.ts
index 71df2620bce..0906841ef8a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/transportPark.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/transportPark.test.ts
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ describe("parked transport loop", () => {
 
   afterEach(() => {
     window.__hfRuntimeTeardown?.();
+    delete (document as { visibilityState?: DocumentVisibilityState }).visibilityState;
     document.body.innerHTML = "";
     window.__timelines = {} as Record<string, RuntimeTimelineLike>;
     delete window.__player;
@@ -983,4 +984,50 @@ describe("parked transport loop", () => {
     expect(window.__player!.isPlaying()).toBe(true);
     expect(media.isPaused()).toBe(true);
   });
+
+  const setVisibility = (state: DocumentVisibilityState) => {
+    Object.defineProperty(document, "visibilityState", { configurable: true, get: () => state });
+    document.dispatchEvent(new Event("visibilitychange"));
+  };
+
+  it("keeps the transport ticking on a timer while the document is hidden", () => {
+    // A hidden document runs no animation frames but its media keeps playing, so a
+    // transport driven by frames alone never ends a clip at the end of its window.
+    let nowMs = 1000;
+    vi.spyOn(performance, "now").mockImplementation(() => nowMs);
+    mount(`<audio id="a1" data-start="0" data-duration="1"></audio>`);
+    const media = stubMediaPlayback(document.getElementById("a1") as HTMLAudioElement, 10);
+    initSandboxRuntimeModular();
+    quiesce();
+
+    window.__player!.play();
+    settle();
+    expect(media.isPaused()).toBe(false);
+
+    setVisibility("hidden");
+    for (let i = 0; i < 100; i += 1) {
+      nowMs += 16;
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(16);
+    }
+
+    expect(window.__player!.getTime()).toBeGreaterThan(1);
+    expect(media.isPaused()).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("moves a pending tick between animation frames and a timer as visibility changes", () => {
+    mount();
+    initSandboxRuntimeModular();
+    quiesce();
+    window.__player!.play();
+    expect(raf.pending()).toBe(1);
+
+    setVisibility("hidden");
+    expect(raf.pending()).toBe(0);
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(16);
+    expect(raf.pending()).toBe(0);
+    expect(window.__player!.isPlaying()).toBe(true);
+
+    setVisibility("visible");
+    expect(raf.pending()).toBe(1);
+  });
 });