diff --git a/clients/session/src/main.rs b/clients/session/src/main.rs
index dbb8ace3..0ff19c48 100644
--- a/clients/session/src/main.rs
+++ b/clients/session/src/main.rs
@@ -248,9 +248,14 @@ mod session_main {
             // 4:4:4 is opt-in and off by default (Settings "Full chroma"): the bit only says
             // "upgrade me if you can" — the host still gates on its own policy, its capturer,
             // HEVC, and a real GPU 4:4:4 encode probe, and answers the resolved chroma in the
-            // Welcome BEFORE we build a decoder. Advertised unconditionally when the user asks
-            // for it because every decode path here can produce it: the hardware ones where the
-            // driver decodes RExt, and swscale for the rest (the decoder demotes on its own).
+            // Welcome BEFORE we build a decoder. Advertised whenever the user asks because
+            // every path can DISPLAY it: the Vulkan presenter samples the 2-plane 4:4:4 pool
+            // formats (hardware RExt decode where the driver offers it — NVIDIA today) and
+            // swscale converts anything else for the software rung, with the decoder ladder
+            // demoting on its own. No capability probe gates the bit — software decode is the
+            // guaranteed floor — but the cost is VISIBLE, not silent: the Detailed stats
+            // overlay prints the resolved chroma ("4:4:4→4:2:0" when the host declined) and
+            // the decode path frames actually took.
             video_caps: punktfunk_core::quic::VIDEO_CAP_MULTI_SLICE
                 | if settings.hdr_enabled {
                     punktfunk_core::quic::VIDEO_CAP_10BIT | punktfunk_core::quic::VIDEO_CAP_HDR
diff --git a/crates/pf-client-core/src/session.rs b/crates/pf-client-core/src/session.rs
index 93c6dc38..d361df01 100644
--- a/crates/pf-client-core/src/session.rs
+++ b/crates/pf-client-core/src/session.rs
@@ -124,6 +124,21 @@ pub struct Stats {
     /// The decode path frames actually took this window (`"vaapi"`/`"software"`, empty
     /// until the first frame) — the OSD's trailing tag; tracks a mid-session fallback.
     pub decoder: &'static str,
+    /// The encoder's CURRENT target bitrate (kbps): the Welcome resolve, then live per
+    /// `BitrateChanged` ack. What `mbps` (measured goodput) is judged AGAINST — a user
+    /// staring at "19 Mb/s" can't otherwise tell "the encoder is capped at 20" from "my
+    /// 200 Mb/s ask was honoured and this scene is cheap" (the gap that let the
+    /// settings-drop bug ship four releases). `0` = an old host that never reported one.
+    pub target_kbps: u32,
+    /// Automatic bitrate is armed (ABR moves `target_kbps` on its own) — the OSD tags the
+    /// target `(auto)` so a moving figure reads as policy, not a broken setting.
+    pub auto_rate: bool,
+    /// The host resolved full-chroma 4:4:4 for this session (`Welcome::chroma_format`).
+    pub chroma_444: bool,
+    /// This session ADVERTISED `VIDEO_CAP_444` (the Settings "Full chroma" opt-in): with
+    /// `chroma_444` false, the host declined — the OSD says so instead of leaving the
+    /// switch's effect unobservable.
+    pub asked_444: bool,
 }
 
 /// Frames the pump keeps waiting for their 0xCF host timing (pts → capture→received µs).
@@ -361,6 +376,12 @@ fn pump(
         }
     };
     let force_software = params.force_software.clone();
+    // Session-constant stats facts (design/stats-unification.md): what the target figure is
+    // judged against and whether the 4:4:4 opt-in was honoured. `target_kbps` itself is read
+    // live per window — an Automatic session's ABR moves it.
+    let auto_rate = connector.wants_decode_latency();
+    let chroma_444 = connector.chroma_format == punktfunk_core::quic::CHROMA_IDC_444;
+    let asked_444 = params.video_caps & punktfunk_core::quic::VIDEO_CAP_444 != 0;
     // Audio is best-effort: a session without it still streams. Gamepads are the
     // app-lifetime service's job (the UI attaches it on Connected). Audio runs on its own
     // thread (one puller per plane), blocking on the audio queue like the Apple client.
@@ -823,6 +844,10 @@ fn pump(
                     0.0
                 },
                 decoder: dec_path,
+                target_kbps: connector.current_bitrate_kbps(),
+                auto_rate,
+                chroma_444,
+                asked_444,
             }));
             window_start = Instant::now();
             frames_n = 0;
diff --git a/crates/pf-client-core/src/video.rs b/crates/pf-client-core/src/video.rs
index f10a91d2..e9c7874b 100644
--- a/crates/pf-client-core/src/video.rs
+++ b/crates/pf-client-core/src/video.rs
@@ -950,6 +950,9 @@ pub(crate) fn drm_fourcc_for(sw: ffmpeg_next::ffi::AVPixelFormat) -> Option<u32>
     Some(match sw {
         AV_PIX_FMT_NV12 => fourcc(b'N', b'V', b'1', b'2'),
         AV_PIX_FMT_P010LE => fourcc(b'P', b'0', b'1', b'0'),
+        // Full-chroma 4:4:4 semi-planar (HEVC RExt decode on drivers that export it as
+        // two planes) — the presenter imports the full-size chroma plane like any other.
+        AV_PIX_FMT_NV24 => fourcc(b'N', b'V', b'2', b'4'),
         _ => return None,
     })
 }
@@ -1024,6 +1027,10 @@ mod tests {
             drm_fourcc_for(ffmpeg::ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_NV12),
             Some(0x3231_564e)
         );
+        assert_eq!(
+            drm_fourcc_for(ffmpeg::ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_NV24),
+            Some(0x3432_564e)
+        );
         assert_eq!(
             drm_fourcc_for(ffmpeg::ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_RGBA),
             None
diff --git a/crates/pf-client-core/src/video_vulkan.rs b/crates/pf-client-core/src/video_vulkan.rs
index f5ab3473..e76bbdaa 100644
--- a/crates/pf-client-core/src/video_vulkan.rs
+++ b/crates/pf-client-core/src/video_vulkan.rs
@@ -347,10 +347,16 @@ impl VulkanDecoder {
             }
             let fc = (*hwfc_ref).data as *mut ffi::AVHWFramesContext;
             let sw = (*fc).sw_format;
+            // The 2-plane layouts the presenter's CSC can sample: 4:2:0 (NV12/P010) and
+            // full-chroma 4:4:4 (NV24/P410 — HEVC RExt decode, semi-planar like all
+            // NVDEC output). The presenter's `vkframe_plane_formats` table is the final
+            // authority; anything else bails here so the session demotes cleanly.
             if sw != ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_NV12
                 && sw != ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_P010LE
+                && sw != ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_NV24
+                && sw != ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_P410LE
             {
-                bail!("Vulkan decode output {sw:?} unsupported (NV12/P010 only)");
+                bail!("Vulkan decode output {sw:?} unsupported (NV12/P010/NV24/P410 only)");
             }
             let vkfc = (*fc).hwctx as *const pf_ffvk::AVVulkanFramesContext;
             let vk_format = (*vkfc).format[0] as i32;
diff --git a/crates/pf-presenter/src/dmabuf.rs b/crates/pf-presenter/src/dmabuf.rs
index 2e16a145..ed63555a 100644
--- a/crates/pf-presenter/src/dmabuf.rs
+++ b/crates/pf-presenter/src/dmabuf.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-//! VAAPI dmabuf → Vulkan import: per-plane `VkImage`s (R8/GR88 for NV12, R16/GR1616
-//! for 10-bit P010) with the
+//! VAAPI dmabuf → Vulkan import: per-plane `VkImage`s (R8/GR88 for NV12 and full-chroma
+//! NV24, R16/GR1616 for 10-bit P010) with the
 //! surface's explicit DRM format modifier — the same layer-wise import the EGL presenter
 //! (`video_gl.rs`) proved on this hardware, minus the toolkit. Same-Mesa export/import
 //! is the contract; anything a driver rejects surfaces as a clean error and the caller
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ use std::os::fd::{BorrowedFd, IntoRawFd as _};
 const DRM_FORMAT_NV12: u32 = 0x3231_564e;
 /// `fourcc('P','0','1','0')` — 10-bit 4:2:0, 10 bits MSB-aligned in 16 (the HDR path).
 const DRM_FORMAT_P010: u32 = 0x3031_3050;
+/// `fourcc('N','V','2','4')` — 8-bit 4:4:4 semi-planar (full-size interleaved chroma
+/// plane): the 2-plane full-chroma export a VAAPI HEVC RExt decode can hand over. Same
+/// R8 + R8G8 views as NV12; the CSC shader keys chroma siting off the plane widths, so
+/// the full-size plane needs nothing else. (Intel's iHD prefers PACKED 4:4:4 exports —
+/// AYUV/Y410 — which are single-plane and would need their own CSC arm; those still
+/// demote to software decode. 10-bit 4:4:4 has no settled dmabuf fourcc at all.)
+const DRM_FORMAT_NV24: u32 = 0x3432_564e;
 const DRM_FORMAT_MOD_INVALID: u64 = 0x00ff_ffff_ffff_ffff;
 /// `DRM_FORMAT_MOD_LINEAR` — the fallback when the export carried no explicit modifier.
 const DRM_FORMAT_MOD_LINEAR: u64 = 0;
@@ -92,13 +99,14 @@ pub fn import(
     if std::env::var_os("PUNKTFUNK_HW_FAULT").is_some_and(|v| v == "import") {
         bail!("injected import failure (PUNKTFUNK_HW_FAULT=import)");
     }
-    let (luma_fmt, chroma_fmt) = match frame.fourcc {
-        DRM_FORMAT_NV12 => (vk::Format::R8_UNORM, vk::Format::R8G8_UNORM),
-        DRM_FORMAT_P010 => (vk::Format::R16_UNORM, vk::Format::R16G16_UNORM),
-        other => bail!("hw presenter handles NV12/P010 only (got {other:#x})"),
+    let (luma_fmt, chroma_fmt, chroma_full_res) = match frame.fourcc {
+        DRM_FORMAT_NV12 => (vk::Format::R8_UNORM, vk::Format::R8G8_UNORM, false),
+        DRM_FORMAT_P010 => (vk::Format::R16_UNORM, vk::Format::R16G16_UNORM, false),
+        DRM_FORMAT_NV24 => (vk::Format::R8_UNORM, vk::Format::R8G8_UNORM, true),
+        other => bail!("hw presenter handles NV12/P010/NV24 only (got {other:#x})"),
     };
     if frame.planes.len() < 2 {
-        bail!("2-plane 4:2:0 needs 2 planes (got {})", frame.planes.len());
+        bail!("2-plane YCbCr needs 2 planes (got {})", frame.planes.len());
     }
     // EGL could leave an INVALID modifier to the driver's implied choice; explicit-
     // modifier images can't — LINEAR is the only honest guess (debug-visible if wrong).
@@ -123,16 +131,14 @@ pub fn import(
         modifier,
     )
     .context("luma plane")?;
+    // 4:2:0 subsamples the chroma plane both ways; 4:4:4 (NV24) keeps it full-size.
+    let (cw, ch) = if chroma_full_res {
+        (frame.width, frame.height)
+    } else {
+        (frame.width.div_ceil(2), frame.height.div_ceil(2))
+    };
     let (chroma_img, chroma_mem) = match plane_image(
-        device,
-        ext_mem_fd,
-        frame.width.div_ceil(2),
-        frame.height.div_ceil(2),
-        chroma_fmt,
-        c.fd,
-        c.offset,
-        c.stride,
-        modifier,
+        device, ext_mem_fd, cw, ch, chroma_fmt, c.fd, c.offset, c.stride, modifier,
     )
     .context("chroma plane")
     {
diff --git a/crates/pf-presenter/src/run.rs b/crates/pf-presenter/src/run.rs
index 50c62fad..7490800c 100644
--- a/crates/pf-presenter/src/run.rs
+++ b/crates/pf-presenter/src/run.rs
@@ -1976,8 +1976,27 @@ fn stats_text(
     }
     let detailed = verbosity == StatsVerbosity::Detailed;
     let mut text = if detailed {
+        // The encoder target next to the measured rate is the figure whose absence let the
+        // settings-drop bug ship four releases: "19 Mb/s" alone can't distinguish "the
+        // encoder is capped at 20" from "my 200 Mb/s grant met a cheap scene". `(auto)`
+        // marks an Automatic session — the ABR moves the target by design, so a shifting
+        // number reads as policy, not a broken setting. Omitted against an old host that
+        // never reported a rate.
+        let target = match (s.target_kbps, s.auto_rate) {
+            (0, _) => String::new(),
+            (t, true) => format!(" · target {:.0} Mb/s (auto)", f64::from(t) / 1000.0),
+            (t, false) => format!(" · target {:.0} Mb/s", f64::from(t) / 1000.0),
+        };
+        // The chroma tag mirrors the HDR tag's honesty: `4:4:4→4:2:0` = the session asked
+        // for full chroma and the host resolved 4:2:0 (its policy/capturer/encoder gates
+        // said no) — otherwise the Settings switch's effect is unobservable.
+        let chroma = match (s.asked_444, s.chroma_444) {
+            (_, true) => " · 4:4:4",
+            (true, false) => " · 4:4:4→4:2:0",
+            _ => "",
+        };
         format!(
-            "{mode_line} · {:.0} fps · {:.1} Mb/s · {}{}",
+            "{mode_line} · {:.0} fps · {:.1} Mb/s{target} · {}{}{chroma}",
             s.fps,
             s.mbps,
             if s.decoder.is_empty() { "-" } else { s.decoder },
@@ -2263,6 +2282,12 @@ mod tests {
                 lost: 3,
                 lost_pct: 0.4,
                 decoder: "vulkan",
+                // Old-host baseline (no reported target, 4:2:0 never asked): the tier
+                // texts stay exactly what they were before the target/chroma elements.
+                target_kbps: 0,
+                auto_rate: false,
+                chroma_444: false,
+                asked_444: false,
             },
             PresentedWindow {
                 e2e_p50_ms: 6.4,
@@ -2303,6 +2328,42 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    /// Detailed shows the negotiated encoder target next to the measured rate — the
+    /// figure whose absence let the settings-drop bug ship four releases — tagged
+    /// `(auto)` when the ABR owns it, plus the honest chroma tag when 4:4:4 was asked.
+    #[test]
+    fn detailed_shows_target_and_chroma_resolution() {
+        let (mut s, p) = sample();
+        let line1 = |s: &Stats, v| {
+            stats_text(v, "m", s, &p, false, false, None)
+                .lines()
+                .next()
+                .unwrap()
+                .to_string()
+        };
+        // Explicit 200 Mb/s honoured, cheap scene: measured AND target both show — the
+        // exact pair a user needs to tell a capped encoder from an idle one.
+        s.target_kbps = 200_000;
+        assert!(line1(&s, StatsVerbosity::Detailed).contains("24.3 Mb/s · target 200 Mb/s · "));
+        // An Automatic session's moving target reads as policy, not a broken setting.
+        (s.target_kbps, s.auto_rate) = (20_000, true);
+        assert!(line1(&s, StatsVerbosity::Detailed).contains("target 20 Mb/s (auto)"));
+        // Normal keeps its old line — the target is a Detailed element.
+        assert!(!line1(&s, StatsVerbosity::Normal).contains("target"));
+        // An old host that never reported a rate shows no target element at all.
+        s.target_kbps = 0;
+        assert!(!line1(&s, StatsVerbosity::Detailed).contains("target"));
+        // 4:4:4 asked and granted…
+        (s.asked_444, s.chroma_444) = (true, true);
+        assert!(line1(&s, StatsVerbosity::Detailed).ends_with("· 4:4:4"));
+        // …vs asked and declined: the downgrade is said out loud, mirroring `HDR→SDR`.
+        s.chroma_444 = false;
+        assert!(line1(&s, StatsVerbosity::Detailed).ends_with("· 4:4:4→4:2:0"));
+        // Unasked stays untagged (4:2:0 is the default — not noise worth a tag).
+        s.asked_444 = false;
+        assert!(!line1(&s, StatsVerbosity::Detailed).contains("4:4:4"));
+    }
+
     /// Compact omits the latency term until the presenter's first e2e window lands.
     #[test]
     fn compact_waits_for_e2e() {
diff --git a/crates/pf-presenter/src/vk/present.rs b/crates/pf-presenter/src/vk/present.rs
index 1a9cef12..250065e2 100644
--- a/crates/pf-presenter/src/vk/present.rs
+++ b/crates/pf-presenter/src/vk/present.rs
@@ -815,19 +815,12 @@ impl Presenter {
 
     /// Per-plane views over a Vulkan-Video frame's multiplanar image — the CSC pass's
     /// exact sampling contract (the frames pool was created MUTABLE_FORMAT for this).
-    /// 8-bit NV12 (R8 + R8G8) and 10-bit P010/X6 (R10X6 + R10X6G10X6).
+    /// See [`vkframe_plane_formats`] for the accepted pool formats.
     fn vkframe_plane_views(&self, f: &VkVideoFrame) -> Result<[vk::ImageView; 2]> {
-        let (luma_fmt, chroma_fmt) = if f.vk_format == vk::Format::G8_B8R8_2PLANE_420_UNORM.as_raw()
-        {
-            (vk::Format::R8_UNORM, vk::Format::R8G8_UNORM)
-        } else if f.vk_format == vk::Format::G10X6_B10X6R10X6_2PLANE_420_UNORM_3PACK16.as_raw() {
-            (
-                vk::Format::R10X6_UNORM_PACK16,
-                vk::Format::R10X6G10X6_UNORM_2PACK16,
-            )
-        } else {
+        let Some((luma_fmt, chroma_fmt)) = vkframe_plane_formats(f.vk_format) else {
             bail!(
-                "Vulkan-Video pool format {} unsupported (expected 2-plane 4:2:0, 8/10-bit)",
+                "Vulkan-Video pool format {} unsupported (expected 2-plane 4:2:0 or 4:4:4, \
+                 8/10-bit — 3-plane layouts need a third CSC binding)",
                 f.vk_format
             );
         };
@@ -875,6 +868,36 @@ impl Presenter {
     }
 }
 
+/// The (luma, chroma) per-plane view formats for a Vulkan-Video pool format, or `None`
+/// when this presenter can't sample it (the caller bails; the decoder demotes to
+/// software — never a black screen).
+///
+/// The decision table IS the desktop 4:4:4 display contract, so it's a pure function
+/// with a test pinning it:
+/// - 2-plane 4:2:0, 8-bit (NV12-layout) and 10-bit (P010/X6) — the classic pair.
+/// - 2-plane 4:4:4, 8- and 10-bit — what NVIDIA's Vulkan Video reports for HEVC RExt
+///   full-chroma decode (semi-planar, like all NVDEC output). The CSC shader already
+///   handles the full-size chroma plane (its 4:2:0 siting correction self-disables when
+///   the plane widths match), so accepting the format here is all hardware 4:4:4 needs.
+/// - 3-plane 4:4:4 stays rejected: the CSC pass samples exactly two planes (luma +
+///   interleaved chroma); a triplanar pool needs a third binding + shader variant. No
+///   supported driver reports it for HEVC decode today — revisit when one does.
+fn vkframe_plane_formats(raw: i32) -> Option<(vk::Format, vk::Format)> {
+    let eight = (vk::Format::R8_UNORM, vk::Format::R8G8_UNORM);
+    let ten = (
+        vk::Format::R10X6_UNORM_PACK16,
+        vk::Format::R10X6G10X6_UNORM_2PACK16,
+    );
+    [
+        (vk::Format::G8_B8R8_2PLANE_420_UNORM, eight),
+        (vk::Format::G10X6_B10X6R10X6_2PLANE_420_UNORM_3PACK16, ten),
+        (vk::Format::G8_B8R8_2PLANE_444_UNORM, eight),
+        (vk::Format::G10X6_B10X6R10X6_2PLANE_444_UNORM_3PACK16, ten),
+    ]
+    .into_iter()
+    .find_map(|(f, planes)| (f.as_raw() == raw).then_some(planes))
+}
+
 /// Flatten the 3×vec4 rows for the push-constant block.
 fn bytemuck_rows(rows: &[[f32; 4]; 3]) -> &[f32] {
     // SAFETY: [[f32;4];3] is 12 contiguous f32s.
@@ -934,3 +957,42 @@ fn unlock_vkframe(f: &VkVideoFrame, sync: &VkFrameSync, submitted: bool, graphic
         unlock(f.frames_ctx as *mut pf_ffvk::AVHWFramesContext, vkf);
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    /// The pool-format decision table (what this presenter can sample → what stays on the
+    /// hardware path, everything else demotes to software decode). Pinned so a format
+    /// added or dropped here is a deliberate act, not a drive-by.
+    #[test]
+    fn vkframe_pool_format_decision_table() {
+        let eight = Some((vk::Format::R8_UNORM, vk::Format::R8G8_UNORM));
+        let ten = Some((
+            vk::Format::R10X6_UNORM_PACK16,
+            vk::Format::R10X6G10X6_UNORM_2PACK16,
+        ));
+        // 2-plane 4:2:0, both depths — the classic pair.
+        let f = |fmt: vk::Format| vkframe_plane_formats(fmt.as_raw());
+        assert_eq!(f(vk::Format::G8_B8R8_2PLANE_420_UNORM), eight);
+        assert_eq!(
+            f(vk::Format::G10X6_B10X6R10X6_2PLANE_420_UNORM_3PACK16),
+            ten
+        );
+        // 2-plane 4:4:4, both depths — hardware full-chroma (NVIDIA RExt decode). Same
+        // per-plane view formats; the full-size chroma plane is the shader's business.
+        assert_eq!(f(vk::Format::G8_B8R8_2PLANE_444_UNORM), eight);
+        assert_eq!(
+            f(vk::Format::G10X6_B10X6R10X6_2PLANE_444_UNORM_3PACK16),
+            ten
+        );
+        // 3-plane 4:4:4 and 2-plane 4:2:2: real formats a driver could report, NOT
+        // sampleable by the two-binding CSC — they must demote, not corrupt.
+        assert_eq!(f(vk::Format::G8_B8_R8_3PLANE_444_UNORM), None);
+        assert_eq!(f(vk::Format::G8_B8R8_2PLANE_422_UNORM), None);
+        assert_eq!(f(vk::Format::G16_B16R16_2PLANE_444_UNORM), None);
+        // Garbage never maps.
+        assert_eq!(vkframe_plane_formats(0), None);
+        assert_eq!(vkframe_plane_formats(-1), None);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/mod.rs b/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/mod.rs
index 59472a0e..6dcf1de0 100644
--- a/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/mod.rs
@@ -166,6 +166,12 @@ pub struct NativeClient {
     /// drained per window by the data-plane pump to feed the adaptive-bitrate controller's decode
     /// signal. Shared with the pump; see [`DecodeLatAcc`].
     decode_lat: Arc<Mutex<DecodeLatAcc>>,
+    /// The encoder's CURRENT target bitrate (kbps): seeded with the Welcome resolve, then updated
+    /// by every host `BitrateChanged` ack (the ABR's re-targets, host-side clamps). Where
+    /// [`resolved_bitrate_kbps`](Self::resolved_bitrate_kbps) is the session-start negotiation
+    /// frozen for the ABI, this one moves — it's what a stats HUD should print as "target".
+    /// `0` = an old host that never reported a rate.
+    live_bitrate_kbps: Arc<AtomicU32>,
     /// Whether the adaptive-bitrate controller is armed for this session (Automatic bitrate and not
     /// a rate-pinned PyroWave stream) — exposed via [`wants_decode_latency`](Self::wants_decode_latency)
     /// so an embedder skips the per-frame decode measurement when the controller wouldn't use it.
@@ -399,6 +405,8 @@ impl NativeClient {
         let hot_tids = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new()));
         let clock_offset = Arc::new(AtomicI64::new(0));
         let decode_lat = Arc::new(Mutex::new(DecodeLatAcc::default()));
+        // Seeded by the pump from the Welcome (before ready_tx), then follows every ack.
+        let live_bitrate = Arc::new(AtomicU32::new(0));
 
         let host = host.to_string();
         let frame_chan_w = frame_chan.clone();
@@ -411,6 +419,7 @@ impl NativeClient {
         let hot_tids_w = hot_tids.clone();
         let clock_offset_w = clock_offset.clone();
         let decode_lat_w = decode_lat.clone();
+        let live_bitrate_w = live_bitrate.clone();
         let ctrl_tx_pump = ctrl_tx.clone(); // the data-plane pump sends adaptive-FEC LossReports
         let worker = std::thread::Builder::new()
             .name("punktfunk-client".into())
@@ -475,6 +484,7 @@ impl NativeClient {
                     hot_tids: hot_tids_w,
                     clock_offset: clock_offset_w,
                     decode_lat: decode_lat_w,
+                    live_bitrate: live_bitrate_w,
                 }));
             })
             .map_err(PunktfunkError::Io)?;
@@ -523,6 +533,7 @@ impl NativeClient {
             hot_tids,
             clock_offset,
             decode_lat,
+            live_bitrate_kbps: live_bitrate,
             // The controller arms exactly when the pump does — all three terms, not two: Automatic
             // (the user asked for bitrate 0), not a rate-pinned PyroWave stream, AND the host
             // echoed the rate it actually configured. Dropping the last term made this
@@ -780,6 +791,15 @@ impl NativeClient {
         self.wants_decode
     }
 
+    /// The encoder's CURRENT target bitrate (kbps): the Welcome-resolved rate, live-updated by
+    /// every host `BitrateChanged` ack — an Automatic session's ABR re-targets and the host's
+    /// own clamps included. This is the figure a stats HUD should show as "target" next to
+    /// measured throughput (the [`resolved_bitrate_kbps`](Self::resolved_bitrate_kbps) field
+    /// stays the frozen session-start value). `0` = an old host that never reported one.
+    pub fn current_bitrate_kbps(&self) -> u32 {
+        self.live_bitrate_kbps.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
+    }
+
     /// Report this client's display-latch grid so the host can phase-lock its capture tick
     /// (design/phase-locked-capture.md; the vsync-aware presenters call this ~1 Hz).
     /// `next_latch_host_ns` must already be HOST clock — convert with
diff --git a/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/pump.rs b/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/pump.rs
index f3774164..fa57c7b7 100644
--- a/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/pump.rs
+++ b/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/pump.rs
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ pub(super) async fn run_pump(args: WorkerArgs) {
         hot_tids,
         clock_offset,
         decode_lat,
+        live_bitrate,
         ..
     } = args;
     // Copies the pump needs after `negotiated` is handed over to `connect`.
@@ -80,6 +81,9 @@ pub(super) async fn run_pump(args: WorkerArgs) {
     // Seed the live offset with the connect-time estimate BEFORE the embedder can observe the
     // client (ready_tx): clock_offset_now_ns() never reads a pre-handshake 0 on a skewed pair.
     clock_offset.store(negotiated.clock_offset_ns, Ordering::Relaxed);
+    // Same discipline for the live encoder target: the Welcome resolve is the starting truth
+    // (0 against an old host that reports none); every BitrateChanged ack moves it from there.
+    live_bitrate.store(negotiated.bitrate_kbps, Ordering::Relaxed);
     // Bumped by the control task each time a re-sync batch is APPLIED; the pump watches it to
     // reset its staleness counters and re-arm the clock-based jump-to-live detector.
     let clock_gen = Arc::new(AtomicU32::new(0));
@@ -134,6 +138,7 @@ pub(super) async fn run_pump(args: WorkerArgs) {
             mode_slot,
             probe: probe.clone(),
             bitrate_ack: bitrate_ack.clone(),
+            live_bitrate,
             recovery_kf: recovery_kf.clone(),
             clock_offset: clock_offset.clone(),
             clock_gen: clock_gen.clone(),
diff --git a/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/pump/control_task.rs b/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/pump/control_task.rs
index d58c04d1..50765441 100644
--- a/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/pump/control_task.rs
+++ b/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/pump/control_task.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ pub(super) struct ControlTask {
     pub(super) probe: Arc<Mutex<ProbeState>>,
     /// The latest host `BitrateChanged` ack, drained by the pump's ABR on its report tick.
     pub(super) bitrate_ack: Arc<Mutex<Option<u32>>>,
+    /// The live encoder-target mirror ([`NativeClient::current_bitrate_kbps`]): unlike the
+    /// drain-once ack slot above, this one always holds the latest acked rate for stats HUDs.
+    pub(super) live_bitrate: Arc<AtomicU32>,
     /// Outbound decode-recovery KEYFRAME asks, counted here because this is the one choke point
     /// every emitter funnels through (embedder, `note_frame_index`, the pump's own asks) — the
     /// pump drains the count per report window as the ABR's recovery signal.
@@ -44,6 +47,7 @@ impl ControlTask {
             mode_slot,
             probe,
             bitrate_ack,
+            live_bitrate,
             recovery_kf,
             clock_offset,
             clock_gen,
@@ -157,6 +161,11 @@ impl ControlTask {
                             kbps = ack.bitrate_kbps,
                             "host re-targeted encoder bitrate"
                         );
+                        // 0 would be a nonsense ack (the controller ignores it too) — don't
+                        // let it wipe the HUD's live target.
+                        if ack.bitrate_kbps > 0 {
+                            live_bitrate.store(ack.bitrate_kbps, Ordering::Relaxed);
+                        }
                         *bitrate_ack.lock().unwrap() = Some(ack.bitrate_kbps);
                     } else if let Ok(echo) = ClockEcho::decode(&msg) {
                         match resync.on_echo(&echo, wall_clock_ns()) {
diff --git a/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/worker.rs b/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/worker.rs
index 07b1f961..aec69afc 100644
--- a/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/worker.rs
+++ b/crates/punktfunk-core/src/client/worker.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use crate::config::{CompositorPref, GamepadPref, Mode};
 use crate::error::Result;
 use crate::input::InputEvent;
 use crate::quic::{HdrMeta, HidOutput};
-use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicI64, AtomicU64};
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicI64, AtomicU32, AtomicU64};
 use std::sync::mpsc::SyncSender;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ pub(crate) struct WorkerArgs {
     /// Decode-stage latency samples from the embedder (see [`NativeClient::decode_lat`]): the pump
     /// drains a window mean into the adaptive-bitrate controller's decode signal.
     pub(crate) decode_lat: Arc<Mutex<DecodeLatAcc>>,
+    /// The live encoder-target mirror (see [`NativeClient::live_bitrate_kbps`]): the worker seeds
+    /// it from the Welcome; the control task updates it on every `BitrateChanged` ack.
+    pub(crate) live_bitrate: Arc<AtomicU32>,
 }
 
 /// The worker: QUIC handshake, then the input/datagram/control tasks + the blocking
diff --git a/docs-site/content/docs/stats.md b/docs-site/content/docs/stats.md
index a864395c..64da2c79 100644
--- a/docs-site/content/docs/stats.md
+++ b/docs-site/content/docs/stats.md
@@ -45,8 +45,9 @@ captured input, switch mouse mode, disconnect — are in
 
 **Compact** is a one-line pill (fps · end-to-end ms · Mb/s, plus a loss flag when frames are being
 lost). **Normal** adds the stream line and the p50/p95 headline. **Detailed** adds the per-stage
-breakdown everywhere; on Linux/Windows it also adds the decode path and an HDR tag, on Android the
-decoder plus the full codec/bit-depth/colour line, and on iOS/tvOS the excluded OS present floor.
+breakdown everywhere; on Linux/Windows it also adds the encoder's target bitrate, the decode path,
+an HDR tag and a chroma tag, on Android the decoder plus the full codec/bit-depth/colour line, and
+on iOS/tvOS the excluded OS present floor.
 You can also set the level a stream starts at in each client's
 [Settings](/docs/client-settings#overlay). The examples below are the **Detailed** view.
 
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ Every client reports the same measurements, but each family lays them out a litt
 differently. Linux · Windows · Steam Deck:
 
 ```
-1920×1080@120 · 120 fps · 24.3 Mb/s · vulkan · HDR
+1920×1080@120 · 120 fps · 24.3 Mb/s · target 30 Mb/s (auto) · vulkan · HDR
 e2e 14.2/19.8 ms (p50/p95) · host 3.1 · net 6.7 · decode 2.1 · display 2.3 ms
 host: queue 0.6 · encode 1.8 · xfer 0.2 · pace 0.5 ms
 lost 3 (2.4%)
@@ -90,10 +91,18 @@ lost 3 (2.4%)
 ```
 
 - **Line 1 — the stream.** Resolution@refresh, frames received per second, and the
-  received video bitrate (goodput — FEC overhead not counted). Linux/Windows append the
-  decode path and an [HDR](/docs/hdr) tag (`HDR`, or `HDR→SDR` when a PQ stream is tone-mapped onto
-  an SDR screen); Android puts its decoder and the negotiated codec, bit depth, colour and
-  chroma on rows of their own underneath; the Apple clients don't report a codec at all.
+  received video bitrate (goodput — FEC overhead not counted). Linux/Windows follow the
+  measured rate with `target N Mb/s` — what the host's encoder is currently *allowed* to
+  produce — so a quiet desktop under a large grant (measured far below target) reads
+  differently from an encoder pinned at its cap (measured hugging the target). `(auto)`
+  means the [Automatic bitrate](/docs/client-settings#bitrate) controller owns the target
+  and moves it with network conditions; no target at all means an older host that doesn't
+  report one. Then the decode path, an [HDR](/docs/hdr) tag (`HDR`, or `HDR→SDR` when a PQ
+  stream is tone-mapped onto an SDR screen), and — when you asked for
+  [full chroma](/docs/client-settings) — the resolved chroma: `4:4:4` when the host
+  granted it, `4:4:4→4:2:0` when it couldn't. Android puts its decoder and the negotiated
+  codec, bit depth, colour and chroma on rows of their own underneath; the Apple clients
+  don't report a codec at all.
   If the session resolved to a [settings profile](/docs/profiles-and-links), its name closes this
   line. On **Android** a `⚠ panel NN Hz` warning joins it whenever the device's panel is refreshing
   *below* the stream's rate — the tell for a phone or TV governor that ignored the requested mode,