diff --git a/server/cmd/api/api/display.go b/server/cmd/api/api/display.go
index 060d318a..b2962e32 100644
--- a/server/cmd/api/api/display.go
+++ b/server/cmd/api/api/display.go
@@ -132,17 +132,32 @@ func (s *ApiService) patchDisplayLocked(ctx context.Context, req oapi.PatchDispl
 			}
 			width, height = realizedW, realizedH
 		}
-		// Re-assert the maximized window state via CDP so the window manager
-		// reflows the window onto the new root; applyResolutionAndConverge already
-		// verified the root size, which is the authoritative post-condition. Fatal on
-		// failure — returning 200 with the window stuck in its old state would
-		// leave the caller with no signal of the mismatch. The previous approach
-		// of restarting chromium so it could re-apply --start-maximized had the
-		// same effective contract but cost ~9s per resize and wiped browser-side
-		// state (Emulation.* overrides, devtools sessions); restart_chromium is
-		// still accepted for API compatibility but no longer triggers a restart
-		// on this path.
+		var restartForRate bool
 		if err == nil {
+			var optedOut bool
+			restartForRate, optedOut = chromiumRestartForDisplayChange(currentWidth, currentHeight, currentRefreshRate, width, height, refreshRate, req.Body.RestartChromium)
+			if optedOut {
+				log.Warn("refresh rate changed at the same resolution but restart_chromium=false; chromium keeps rendering at its previous rate until it restarts",
+					"from", currentRefreshRate, "to", refreshRate)
+			}
+		}
+		if restartForRate {
+			// Chromium relaunches maximized on the new mode, so the CDP
+			// maximize re-assert below isn't needed.
+			if restartErr := s.restartChromiumAndWait(ctx, "refresh rate change"); restartErr != nil {
+				log.Error("failed to restart chromium after refresh rate change", "error", restartErr)
+				err = fmt.Errorf("restart chromium after refresh rate change: %w", restartErr)
+			}
+		} else if err == nil {
+			// Re-assert the maximized window state via CDP so the window manager
+			// reflows the window onto the new root; applyResolutionAndConverge already
+			// verified the root size, which is the authoritative post-condition. Fatal on
+			// failure — returning 200 with the window stuck in its old state would
+			// leave the caller with no signal of the mismatch. Size changes don't
+			// restart chromium: Chromium picks them up live, and a restart costs
+			// about a second and wipes browser-side state (Emulation.* overrides, devtools
+			// sessions). Only refresh-rate-only changes restart; see
+			// chromiumRestartForDisplayChange.
 			if cdpErr := s.setWindowMaximizedViaCDP(ctx); cdpErr != nil {
 				log.Error("CDP maximize re-assert failed after Xorg resolution change", "error", cdpErr)
 				err = fmt.Errorf("CDP maximize re-assert failed: %w", cdpErr)
@@ -199,6 +214,24 @@ func (s *ApiService) patchDisplayLocked(ctx context.Context, req oapi.PatchDispl
 	}, nil
 }
 
+// chromiumRestartForDisplayChange reports whether a headful display change
+// needs a Chromium restart. Chromium on Linux re-reads the screen's refresh
+// rate when the X screen size changes, but ignores a mode switch that only
+// changes the refresh rate, so it keeps its old frame interval until it is
+// relaunched. Size-only and size-plus-rate changes are picked up live. The
+// sizes compared are the realized X root sizes, since libxcvt rounding can map
+// a different requested size onto the current one. restartChromium=false opts
+// out of the restart; optedOut reports that case so the caller can log it.
+func chromiumRestartForDisplayChange(fromW, fromH, fromRate, toW, toH, toRate int, restartChromium *bool) (restart, optedOut bool) {
+	if toRate == fromRate || toW != fromW || toH != fromH {
+		return false, false
+	}
+	if restartChromium != nil && !*restartChromium {
+		return false, true
+	}
+	return true, false
+}
+
 // resolveDisplayParams merges the request body with the current display
 // state, returning the final width, height, and refresh rate plus whether
 // any field would actually change. Callers use the changed flag to skip
diff --git a/server/cmd/api/api/display_test.go b/server/cmd/api/api/display_test.go
index f0eb93f4..2a2652d0 100644
--- a/server/cmd/api/api/display_test.go
+++ b/server/cmd/api/api/display_test.go
@@ -346,6 +346,35 @@ func TestResolveDisplayParams(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestChromiumRestartForDisplayChange(t *testing.T) {
+	boolPtr := func(v bool) *bool { return &v }
+
+	cases := []struct {
+		name                  string
+		fromW, fromH, fromRR  int
+		toW, toH, toRR        int
+		restartChromium       *bool
+		wantRestart, wantSkip bool
+	}{
+		{name: "rate up at same size", fromW: 1920, fromH: 1080, fromRR: 25, toW: 1920, toH: 1080, toRR: 60, wantRestart: true},
+		{name: "rate down at same size", fromW: 1920, fromH: 1080, fromRR: 60, toW: 1920, toH: 1080, toRR: 25, wantRestart: true},
+		{name: "rate change with restart_chromium=true", fromW: 1920, fromH: 1080, fromRR: 25, toW: 1920, toH: 1080, toRR: 60, restartChromium: boolPtr(true), wantRestart: true},
+		{name: "rate change with restart_chromium=false", fromW: 1920, fromH: 1080, fromRR: 25, toW: 1920, toH: 1080, toRR: 60, restartChromium: boolPtr(false), wantSkip: true},
+		{name: "size only", fromW: 1920, fromH: 1080, fromRR: 25, toW: 1280, toH: 800, toRR: 25},
+		{name: "size only with restart_chromium=true", fromW: 1920, fromH: 1080, fromRR: 25, toW: 1280, toH: 800, toRR: 25, restartChromium: boolPtr(true)},
+		{name: "size and rate", fromW: 1920, fromH: 1080, fromRR: 25, toW: 1280, toH: 800, toRR: 60},
+		{name: "no change", fromW: 1920, fromH: 1080, fromRR: 25, toW: 1920, toH: 1080, toRR: 25},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			restart, skipped := chromiumRestartForDisplayChange(tc.fromW, tc.fromH, tc.fromRR, tc.toW, tc.toH, tc.toRR, tc.restartChromium)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.wantRestart, restart)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.wantSkip, skipped)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestHeadlessRefreshRateSticky(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("setViewportOverride records sticky rate", func(t *testing.T) {
 		svc := &ApiService{}