diff --git a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/ContentView.swift b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/ContentView.swift
index caed5c18..08961694 100644
--- a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/ContentView.swift
+++ b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/ContentView.swift
@@ -500,12 +500,19 @@ struct ContentView: View {
                 }
                 // The resize spinner rides over the (blurred) stream; suppressed under the trust
                 // prompt, which owns the screen. It never hit-tests, so window-drag resizes keep
-                // steering and the next click still reaches the stream.
+                // steering and the next click still reaches the stream. Mounted ONLY while a
+                // resize is live: resident structure above the CAMetalLayer is what the stage-4
+                // direct-to-display hunt is eliminating — composited presents reach glass a full
+                // refresh later. The enter/exit fade rides the call-site transition + the
+                // .animation(value: resizing) below (the view's internal `if active` fade can't
+                // run when the whole view unmounts).
                 .overlay {
-                    if pendingFingerprint == nil {
-                        ResizeIndicatorView(active: model.resizing)
+                    if pendingFingerprint == nil, model.resizing {
+                        ResizeIndicatorView(active: true)
+                            .transition(.opacity.combined(with: .scale(scale: 0.92)))
                     }
                 }
+                .animation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.22), value: model.resizing)
             if let fp = pendingFingerprint {
                 TrustCardView(
                     fingerprint: fp,
diff --git a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/Video/Stage2Pipeline.swift b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/Video/Stage2Pipeline.swift
index 466b356e..23406643 100644
--- a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/Video/Stage2Pipeline.swift
+++ b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/Video/Stage2Pipeline.swift
@@ -216,6 +216,10 @@ private final class DeadlineLinkDelegate: NSObject, CAMetalDisplayLinkDelegate {
     private let renderSignal: DispatchSemaphore
     private let hint: FrameRateHint
     private let stats: PresentDebugStats?
+    /// One-shot: log the link's EFFECTIVE preferredFrameLatency after the first re-assert —
+    /// reads 1 while vendLeadMs sits at ~2 periods ⇒ the scheduler ignores the request while
+    /// the layer is composited (the promotion hunt); reads 2 ⇒ the system clamped it outright.
+    private var loggedEffective = false
 
     init(
         stash: LatestBox<CAMetalDrawable>, renderSignal: DispatchSemaphore,
@@ -235,6 +239,15 @@ private final class DeadlineLinkDelegate: NSObject, CAMetalDisplayLinkDelegate {
         // before add(to:), and whether a pre-add set survives scheduling is exactly the kind of
         // thing the vendLeadMs stat exists to catch — belt and braces.
         if link.preferredFrameLatency != 1 { link.preferredFrameLatency = 1 }
+        if !loggedEffective {
+            loggedEffective = true
+            let range = link.preferredFrameRateRange
+            let msg = String(
+                format: "deadline link up: effective preferredFrameLatency=%.2f "
+                    + "range=%.0f-%.0f preferred=%.0f",
+                link.preferredFrameLatency, range.minimum, range.maximum, range.preferred ?? 0)
+            presentLog.info("\(msg, privacy: .public)")
+        }
         // The link's own pipeline depth, measured: how far ahead of glass this vend runs.
         stats?.vendLead(
             ms: (update.targetPresentationTimestamp - CACurrentMediaTime()) * 1000)