diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/landing.test.ts b/src/tui-opentui/landing.test.ts
index a5f3430b8..20fe2e938 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/landing.test.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/landing.test.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import {
 import { LOCKUP_WORDMARK } from "./lockup"
 import pkg from "../../package.json" with { type: "json" }
 import { MARK_LARGE, MARK_MID, MARK_SMALL } from "./mark-shape"
+import { SNOW_CHAR } from "./mark-anim"
 import { UI } from "./theme"
 
 const SIZE = { width: 80, height: 24 } as const
@@ -229,11 +230,14 @@ describe("landing screen", () => {
       try {
         await settle(h)
         const still = markRows(h).join("\n")
+        const stripSnow = (text: string) => text.replaceAll(SNOW_CHAR, " ")
 
-        // Idle re-entry holds the filled frame however far the clock moves.
+        // Idle re-entry holds the mountain's filled frame however far the
+        // clock moves — but the snow drifting over it is not still, since the
+        // idle landing screen is exactly where it needs to animate.
         paintLanding(shell, 1_700, false)
         await settle(h)
-        expect(markRows(h).join("\n")).toBe(still)
+        expect(stripSnow(markRows(h).join("\n"))).toBe(stripSnow(still))
 
         const frames = new Set<string>()
         for (const nowMs of [0, 500, 1_100, 1_900, 2_600, 3_400]) {
@@ -248,6 +252,49 @@ describe("landing screen", () => {
     }, SIZE)
   })
 
+  test(
+    "an idle mount keeps the snow drifting on its own, with nothing pumping frames by hand",
+    async () => {
+      // Regression for CL-5737: every other test in this file drives the mark
+      // by calling `paintLanding` directly with a hand-picked clock. That is
+      // exactly why the landing snow shipped completely unreachable — none of
+      // those tests go through the real driver a running session actually
+      // uses. This one mounts the shell for real and lets it repaint itself:
+      // no `paintLanding`/`renderMark` calls, and critically no `renderOnce`
+      // loop either while waiting — a test that pumps frames by hand can stay
+      // green even when production's self-driving mechanism is dead, which is
+      // exactly the blind spot that let the throttled build ship frozen snow.
+      await withTestRenderer(async (h) => {
+        const shell = createAppShell(h.renderer, {
+          terminal: { columns: 80, rows: 24 },
+          wireKeys: false,
+          run: "idle",
+        })
+        try {
+          await settle(h)
+          const before = markRows(h).join("\n")
+
+          // Real wall-clock wait, no renderOnce in between: only the mount's
+          // own idle-repaint timer can be advancing the snow here. `flush`
+          // waits on the renderer's own scheduler settling rather than
+          // forcing frames, so it does not manufacture the motion itself.
+          await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 3_000))
+
+          await h.flush()
+          const after = markRows(h).join("\n")
+
+          expect(after).not.toBe(before)
+
+          const stripSnow = (text: string) => text.replaceAll(SNOW_CHAR, " ")
+          expect(stripSnow(after)).toBe(stripSnow(before))
+        } finally {
+          shell.dispose()
+        }
+      }, SIZE)
+    },
+    15_000,
+  )
+
   test("a starter key fills the prompt; a typed prompt keeps its digits", async () => {
     await withTestRenderer(async (h) => {
       const shell = createAppShell(h.renderer, {
diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/landing.ts b/src/tui-opentui/landing.ts
index e58c03ff2..9f5bd1813 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/landing.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/landing.ts
@@ -271,8 +271,9 @@ function markChunks(
   grid: MarkGrid,
   nowMs: number,
   still: boolean,
+  reducedMotion = false,
 ): readonly TextChunk[][] {
-  return renderMark({ nowMs, still, grid }).map((row) =>
+  return renderMark({ nowMs, still, grid, reducedMotion }).map((row) =>
     row.map((cell) => fgChunk(cell.fg)(cell.char)),
   )
 }
@@ -403,17 +404,20 @@ export function fitLandingMark(above: LandingAbove, grid: MarkGrid | null): void
 }
 
 /**
- * Repaint the mark for the given clock. `still` holds the fully-filled frame —
- * the idle state, and the reduced-motion state.
+ * Repaint the mark for the given clock. `still` holds the mountain's
+ * draw/fill/fade timeline on its fully-filled frame — the idle state.
+ * `reducedMotion` is the separate hook that suppresses snow; it does not
+ * affect `still`'s mountain framing.
  */
 export function paintLandingMark(
   above: LandingAbove,
   nowMs: number,
   still: boolean,
+  reducedMotion = false,
 ): void {
   const grid = above.grid
   if (grid === null) return
-  const chunks = markChunks(grid, nowMs, still)
+  const chunks = markChunks(grid, nowMs, still, reducedMotion)
   const offset = MARK_LARGE.rows - grid.rows
   above.markRows.forEach((line, index) => {
     const row = chunks[index - offset]
diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/mark-anim.test.ts b/src/tui-opentui/mark-anim.test.ts
index cb321f7f5..e634e2a9d 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/mark-anim.test.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/mark-anim.test.ts
@@ -106,19 +106,38 @@ describe("renderMark", () => {
     const grid = renderMark({ nowMs: 0, still: true, grid: MARK_LARGE })
     grid.forEach((row, y) => {
       row.forEach((cell, x) => {
-        // Still mode has no snow — only space or mountain blocks.
-        expect(` ${MOUNTAIN_CHARS}`).toContain(cell.char)
+        // Still mode freezes the mountain, but snow still drifts over the sky.
+        expect(` ${MOUNTAIN_CHARS}${SNOW_CHAR}`).toContain(cell.char)
         if ((MARK_LARGE.coverage[y]?.[x] ?? 0) === 1) expect(cell.char).toBe("█")
       })
     })
   })
 
-  test("the still frame is clock-independent and has no snow", () => {
-    const a = markText(renderMark({ nowMs: 0, still: true }))
-    const b = markText(renderMark({ nowMs: 987_654, still: true }))
+  test("still holds the mountain fixed while the clock advances", () => {
+    // Snow moves with the clock even in still mode (the idle landing screen),
+    // so isolate the mountain by stripping snow before comparing.
+    const stripSnow = (text: string) => text.replaceAll(SNOW_CHAR, " ")
+    const a = stripSnow(markText(renderMark({ nowMs: 0, still: true })))
+    const b = stripSnow(markText(renderMark({ nowMs: 987_654, still: true })))
     expect(b).toBe(a)
     expect(a.replace(/[\s\n]/g, "").length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
-    expect(a.includes(SNOW_CHAR)).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  test("snow keeps drifting in still mode while the mountain stays frozen", () => {
+    const times = [0, 1500, 3000, 4500, 6000, 7500]
+    const snowSets = times.map((nowMs) => {
+      const grid = renderMark({ nowMs, still: true, grid: MARK_LARGE })
+      const snow: string[] = []
+      grid.forEach((row, y) => {
+        row.forEach((cell, x) => {
+          if (isSnow(cell.char)) snow.push(`${y},${x}`)
+        })
+      })
+      return snow.join("|")
+    })
+    const withSnow = snowSets.filter((s) => s.length > 0)
+    expect(withSnow.length).toBeGreaterThan(1)
+    expect(new Set(withSnow).size).toBeGreaterThan(1)
   })
 
   test("the animated frame advances with the injected clock", () => {
@@ -203,11 +222,12 @@ describe("renderMark", () => {
     expect(mountains).toBeGreaterThan(flakes)
   })
 
-  test("still mode freezes the mark with no snow motion", () => {
+  test("still mode freezes the mountain but not the snow", () => {
     const a = renderMark({ nowMs: 0, still: true, grid: MARK_SMALL })
     const b = renderMark({ nowMs: 50_000, still: true, grid: MARK_SMALL })
-    expect(markText(b)).toBe(markText(a))
-    expect(a.flat().some((cell) => isSnow(cell.char))).toBe(false)
+    const mountainText = (grid: typeof a) =>
+      grid.map((row) => row.map((cell) => (isMountain(cell.char) ? cell.char : " ")).join("")).join("\n")
+    expect(mountainText(b)).toBe(mountainText(a))
   })
 
   test("snow drops out during the fade-out phase, matching the mark", () => {
diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/mark-anim.ts b/src/tui-opentui/mark-anim.ts
index a3a62dafe..450cbc9f2 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/mark-anim.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/mark-anim.ts
@@ -9,8 +9,11 @@
  *
  * Over the sky (zero-coverage cells) a sparse field of pixel snow falls on the
  * same injected clock. Density and speed stay low so the ridgeline keeps its
- * silhouette; `still` (idle or reduced motion) freezes the mark and drops the
- * snow entirely. Mountain cells always win over flakes.
+ * silhouette. `still` freezes the mountain's own draw/fill/fade timeline to
+ * its fully-filled frame but leaves snow drifting — the landing screen is
+ * idle by definition, so tying snow to the same flag that freezes the
+ * mountain would mean it never falls. `reducedMotion` is the separate hook
+ * that does suppress snow. Mountain cells always win over flakes.
  *
  * Everything here is pure and clock-injected: `nowMs` is the only time source,
  * so the caller's existing 250 ms status tick drives the animation and tests
@@ -94,8 +97,20 @@ export type MarkCell = {
 
 export type MarkInput = {
   readonly nowMs: number
-  /** Hold the mark still: idle session, or reduced motion. */
+  /**
+   * Hold the mountain's draw/fill/fade timeline on its fully-filled frame:
+   * idle session, or reduced motion. Snow is not gated by this — see
+   * `snowOn` in `renderMark`.
+   */
   readonly still: boolean
+  /**
+   * Reduced-motion hook: suppresses snow regardless of `still`. Nothing
+   * wires a live setting into this yet, but the parameter exists so a
+   * future reduced-motion setting has a real path to gate motion, rather
+   * than overloading `still` (which only ever freezes the mountain's
+   * draw/fill/fade timeline). Defaults to off.
+   */
+  readonly reducedMotion?: boolean
   /** Which baked rasterization to composite. Defaults to the compact grid. */
   readonly grid?: MarkGrid
 }
@@ -138,7 +153,8 @@ function snowflakeAt(
  * the mark is a mountain, and a mountain is opaque.
  *
  * Sky cells (zero coverage) may hold a single falling snow pixel. Flakes never
- * overwrite mountain coverage, and `still` suppresses them entirely.
+ * overwrite mountain coverage; `reducedMotion` suppresses them, `still` does
+ * not (see `snowOn` below).
  *
  * `alpha` has no terminal equivalent, so it scales the block height instead:
  * the mark sinks toward empty rather than blending to black.
@@ -149,9 +165,11 @@ export function renderMark(input: MarkInput): readonly (readonly MarkCell[])[] {
   const { drawProg, fillProg, alpha } = markFrame(seconds, input.still)
   const revealed = drawProg * shape.cols
   const fillLine = shape.rows * (1 - fillProg)
-  // Fade out drops the snow too so the decoration doesn't outlast the mark
-  // it drifts over.
-  const snowOn = !input.still && alpha === 1
+  // Independent of `still`: the mountain can be frozen full while snow still
+  // drifts (the idle landing screen). `reducedMotion` is the actual
+  // motion-suppression hook. Fade out drops the snow too so the decoration
+  // doesn't outlast the mark it drifts over.
+  const snowOn = alpha === 1 && !input.reducedMotion
 
   const grid: MarkCell[][] = []
   for (let row = 0; row < shape.rows; row++) {
diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts b/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts
index 9e87951c9..458695141 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ function dispatchOverlayAccept(
 /** Renderer surface required by the shell (CliRenderer / createTestRenderer). */
 export type ShellRenderer = Pick<
   CliRenderer,
-  "root" | "width" | "height" | "keyInput" | "on" | "off"
+  "root" | "width" | "height" | "keyInput" | "on" | "off" | "isDestroyed"
 >
 
 export type AppShellOptions = {
@@ -1930,6 +1930,13 @@ type ShellInternals = {
   landingAnimating: boolean
   /** Clock of the last painted mark frame, so a resize can redraw in place. */
   landingNowMs: number
+  /**
+   * Cancels the mount-scoped idle repaint timer (see `armLandingIdleTimer`
+   * in `createAppShell`), or null while none is armed. Cleared by whichever
+   * teardown happens first — the landing going away (`clearLandingMark`) or
+   * the whole shell disposing (`dispose`) — so it can never outlive either.
+   */
+  landingIdleTimerCancel: (() => void) | null
   /** Chrome content (empty array = zone off). */
   chrome: {
     /**
@@ -2533,6 +2540,8 @@ function clearLandingMark(shell: AppShell): void {
   const landing = bag?.landing
   if (bag === undefined || landing === null || landing === undefined) return
   bag.landing = null
+  bag.landingIdleTimerCancel?.()
+  bag.landingIdleTimerCancel = null
   shell.transcript.remove(landing.above.box)
   destroySubtree(landing.above.box)
   shell.root.remove(landing.below)
@@ -2556,26 +2565,36 @@ function clearLandingMark(shell: AppShell): void {
 }
 
 /**
- * Repaint the landing mark for `nowMs`. `animating` runs the draw/fill/fade
- * timeline; anything else holds the filled frame. No-op once the landing is
- * gone, so the caller can drive it unconditionally.
+ * Cadence of the mount-scoped idle repaint timer (see `armLandingIdleTimer`
+ * in `createAppShell`). The snow only needs to advance about half a row per
+ * second, so ~8fps is comfortably enough to read as motion.
+ */
+const LANDING_IDLE_REPAINT_INTERVAL_MS = 125
+
+/**
+ * Repaint the landing mark for `nowMs`. `animating` runs the mountain's
+ * draw/fill/fade timeline; anything else holds its filled frame. No-op once
+ * the landing is gone, so the caller can drive it unconditionally.
  *
- * A still mark draws the same frame for every clock value, so repainting it
- * only dirties renderables; the guard mirrors `setLockupFrame` and lets an idle
- * session sit without touching the paint tree.
+ * Always repaints while the landing is up, even when `animating` is false:
+ * the landing is idle by definition (no turn processing), and snow still
+ * needs to drift across a frozen mountain. Driven by the mount-scoped timer
+ * armed in `createAppShell` (see `armLandingIdleTimer`) rather than a render
+ * event, so the repaint cadence is independent of however often the renderer
+ * happens to paint.
  */
 export function paintLanding(
   shell: AppShell,
   nowMs: number,
   animating: boolean,
+  reducedMotion = false,
 ): void {
   const bag = internals.get(shell)
   const landing = bag?.landing
   if (bag === undefined || landing === null || landing === undefined) return
-  if (!animating && !bag.landingAnimating) return
   bag.landingAnimating = animating
   bag.landingNowMs = nowMs
-  paintLandingMark(landing.above, nowMs, !animating)
+  paintLandingMark(landing.above, nowMs, !animating, reducedMotion)
 }
 
 /** True while the landing composition is still mounted. */
@@ -5687,6 +5706,7 @@ export function createAppShell(
       }
       renderer.off(CliRenderEvents.FRAME, onFrame)
       renderer.off(CliRenderEvents.RESIZE, onResize)
+      internals.get(shell)?.landingIdleTimerCancel?.()
       flashTimers.get(shell)?.()
       flashTimers.delete(shell)
       try {
@@ -5726,9 +5746,48 @@ export function createAppShell(
     landingSuggestionsVisible: true,
     landingAnimating: false,
     landingNowMs: 0,
+    landingIdleTimerCancel: null,
     chrome: { task: [], tasksRaw: [], agents: [] },
     tasksPanelHidden: false,
   })
+  // The landing's snow needs a frame source that keeps running while the
+  // turn monitor is deliberately quiet (idle, no session yet). A plain timer
+  // armed at mount is that source: it does not depend on the renderer
+  // scheduling further frames, so it cannot stall the way riding the
+  // renderer's own FRAME event did (see CL-5737 history in the PR).
+  //
+  // Only repaints while idle (`landingAnimating` false): while a turn is
+  // processing, `paintPhaseAt` in runtime-bridge.ts drives the mountain's
+  // own draw/fill/fade loop off the turn monitor's clock, and this timer
+  // must not stomp that with an unrelated real-clock value.
+  //
+  // Cleared on whichever teardown happens first: the landing going away
+  // (`clearLandingMark`, first transcript row) or the whole shell disposing
+  // (`dispose` below, e.g. tests that never grow a transcript).
+  //
+  // Also self-cancels on `renderer.isDestroyed`: a real terminal session
+  // always disposes the shell, but headless test harnesses commonly destroy
+  // the renderer directly (`withTestRenderer`'s cleanup) without ever
+  // calling `shell.dispose()`. Without this check the timer would keep
+  // firing against renderables the harness already tore down.
+  const landingIdleHandle = setInterval(() => {
+    if (renderer.isDestroyed) {
+      clearInterval(landingIdleHandle)
+      return
+    }
+    const bag = internals.get(shell)
+    if (bag?.landing == null || bag.landingAnimating) return
+    paintLanding(shell, Date.now(), false)
+  }, LANDING_IDLE_REPAINT_INTERVAL_MS)
+  landingIdleHandle.unref?.()
+  {
+    const bag = internals.get(shell)
+    if (bag !== undefined) {
+      bag.landingIdleTimerCancel = () => clearInterval(landingIdleHandle)
+    } else {
+      clearInterval(landingIdleHandle)
+    }
+  }
   transcriptSpacers.set(shell, transcriptSpacer)
   if (onCommandOpt) setPaletteOnCommand(shell, onCommandOpt)
   if (onObserveRequestOpt) {