diff --git a/plugins/_browser/api/ws_browser.py b/plugins/_browser/api/ws_browser.py
index 6e24b268c..ec5e137b3 100644
--- a/plugins/_browser/api/ws_browser.py
+++ b/plugins/_browser/api/ws_browser.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from helpers.ws_manager import WsResult
 from plugins._browser.helpers.runtime import get_runtime, list_runtime_sessions
 
 
-FRAME_IDLE_POLL_SECONDS = 0.05
+FRAME_READ_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 0.5
 FRAME_RETRY_DELAY_SECONDS = 0.5
 FRAME_STATE_REFRESH_SECONDS = 0.75
 SNAPSHOT_STATE_POLL_SECONDS = 0.75
@@ -445,11 +445,14 @@ class WsBrowser(WsHandler):
                         last_state_refresh = now
 
                     try:
-                        frame = await runtime.call("pop_screencast_frame", stream_id)
+                        frame = await runtime.call(
+                            "read_screencast_frame",
+                            stream_id,
+                            timeout=FRAME_READ_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
+                        )
                     except KeyError:
                         break
-                    if frame is None:
-                        await asyncio.sleep(FRAME_IDLE_POLL_SECONDS)
+                    except TimeoutError:
                         continue
 
                     frame["context_id"] = context_id
diff --git a/tests/test_browser_agent_regressions.py b/tests/test_browser_agent_regressions.py
index fff617ce5..eef2e141b 100644
--- a/tests/test_browser_agent_regressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_browser_agent_regressions.py
@@ -1162,7 +1162,10 @@ def test_browser_viewer_defaults_to_live_screencast_with_snapshot_fallback():
     assert "initial_viewport = self._viewport_from_data(data)" in ws_browser
     assert '"set_viewport"' in ws_browser
     assert "start_screencast" in ws_browser
-    assert "pop_screencast_frame" in ws_browser
+    assert "read_screencast_frame" in ws_browser
+    assert "FRAME_READ_TIMEOUT_SECONDS" in ws_browser
+    assert "FRAME_IDLE_POLL_SECONDS" not in ws_browser
+    assert "except TimeoutError:" in ws_browser
     assert "stop_screencast" in ws_browser
     assert "viewer_transport == VIEWER_TRANSPORT_SCREENCAST" in ws_browser
     assert '"viewer_transport": viewer_transport' in ws_browser