diff --git a/src/app/hooks/useCallSpeakers.ts b/src/app/hooks/useCallSpeakers.ts
index 7412a147d..836621bf6 100644
--- a/src/app/hooks/useCallSpeakers.ts
+++ b/src/app/hooks/useCallSpeakers.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { CallEmbed } from '../plugins/call';
 import { isUserId } from '../utils/matrix';
+import { nextSpeakerSet } from '../utils/speakerSet';
 import { useCallMembers, useCallSession } from './useCall';
 import { useCallJoined } from './useCallEmbed';
 
@@ -40,50 +41,20 @@ export const useCallSpeakers = (callEmbed: CallEmbed): Set<string> => {
     const getDoc = (): Document | undefined =>
       callEmbed.iframe.contentDocument ?? callEmbed.iframe.contentWindow?.document ?? undefined;
 
-    const syncState = (): void => {
-      // [lotus #2] Prefer the fork's io.lotus.call_state events over scraping
-      // EC's rendered DOM. Falls back to the DOM path below when the fork hasn't
-      // sent yet (null) OR sent a spurious empty list (you're always present in
-      // your own joined call, so [] means "no usable data", not "nobody").
-      const lotus = callEmbed.getLotusParticipants();
-      if (lotus !== null && lotus.length > 0) {
-        const ls = new Set<string>();
-        lotus.forEach((p) => {
-          if (p.speaking && isUserId(p.userId)) ls.add(p.userId);
-        });
-        setSpeakers(ls);
-        return;
-      }
-      const doc = getDoc();
-      if (!doc) {
-        setSpeakers(new Set<string>());
-        return;
-      }
-      const s = new Set<string>();
-      // Re-scan every tile on each mutation and build the set from the full
-      // current DOM state, not just the tiles that mutated this batch.
-      const tiles = doc.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>('[data-video-fit]');
-      tiles.forEach((el) => {
-        const style = callEmbed.iframe.contentWindow?.getComputedStyle(el, '::before');
-        if (!style) return;
-        const tileBackgroundImage = style.getPropertyValue('background-image');
-        const speaking = tileBackgroundImage !== 'none';
-        if (!speaking) return;
-
-        const speakerId = el.querySelector('[aria-label]')?.getAttribute('aria-label');
-        if (speakerId && isUserId(speakerId)) {
-          s.add(speakerId);
-        }
-      });
-      setSpeakers(s);
-    };
-
     let tileObserver: MutationObserver | undefined;
 
-    const attachObserver = (): void => {
-      const doc = getDoc();
-      if (!doc) return;
+    const detachTileObserver = (): void => {
       tileObserver?.disconnect();
+      tileObserver = undefined;
+    };
+
+    // #32 — only attach the DOM fallback observer while the fork isn't
+    // supplying usable speaker data; it stays disconnected for the rest of
+    // the call once io.lotus.call_state starts reporting participants.
+    const attachTileObserver = (): void => {
+      if (tileObserver) return;
+      const doc = getDoc();
+      if (!doc?.body) return;
       // Watch the whole document for attribute changes on tiles (which carry
       // the speaking indicator) and for new tiles being added/removed.
       tileObserver = new MutationObserver((mutations) => {
@@ -106,10 +77,49 @@ export const useCallSpeakers = (callEmbed: CallEmbed): Set<string> => {
         attributes: true,
         attributeFilter: ['class', 'style'],
       });
-      syncState();
     };
 
-    attachObserver();
+    const syncState = (): void => {
+      // [lotus #2] Prefer the fork's io.lotus.call_state events over scraping
+      // EC's rendered DOM. Falls back to the DOM path below when the fork hasn't
+      // sent yet (null) OR sent a spurious empty list (you're always present in
+      // your own joined call, so [] means "no usable data", not "nobody").
+      const lotus = callEmbed.getLotusParticipants();
+      if (lotus !== null && lotus.length > 0) {
+        detachTileObserver();
+        // #32 — bail out of setState (and the re-render it causes) when the
+        // derived set is unchanged from the previous one.
+        setSpeakers((prev) => nextSpeakerSet(prev, lotus));
+        return;
+      }
+      const doc = getDoc();
+      if (!doc) {
+        setSpeakers(new Set<string>());
+        return;
+      }
+      // Fork gave no usable data (older fork, or hasn't sent yet) — fall back
+      // to scraping the DOM, and keep watching it for changes.
+      attachTileObserver();
+      const s = new Set<string>();
+      // Re-scan every tile on each mutation and build the set from the full
+      // current DOM state, not just the tiles that mutated this batch.
+      const tiles = doc.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>('[data-video-fit]');
+      tiles.forEach((el) => {
+        const style = callEmbed.iframe.contentWindow?.getComputedStyle(el, '::before');
+        if (!style) return;
+        const tileBackgroundImage = style.getPropertyValue('background-image');
+        const speaking = tileBackgroundImage !== 'none';
+        if (!speaking) return;
+
+        const speakerId = el.querySelector('[aria-label]')?.getAttribute('aria-label');
+        if (speakerId && isUserId(speakerId)) {
+          s.add(speakerId);
+        }
+      });
+      setSpeakers(s);
+    };
+
+    syncState();
     // [lotus #2] Re-derive whenever the fork pushes new call-state.
     const unsubLotus = callEmbed.onLotusCallState(syncState);
 
@@ -120,7 +130,7 @@ export const useCallSpeakers = (callEmbed: CallEmbed): Set<string> => {
         if (getDoc()?.body) {
           bodyWatcher?.disconnect();
           bodyWatcher = undefined;
-          attachObserver();
+          syncState();
         }
       });
       const doc = getDoc();
@@ -128,7 +138,7 @@ export const useCallSpeakers = (callEmbed: CallEmbed): Set<string> => {
     }
 
     return () => {
-      tileObserver?.disconnect();
+      detachTileObserver();
       bodyWatcher?.disconnect();
       unsubLotus();
     };
@@ -158,42 +168,20 @@ export const useRemoteAllMuted = (callEmbed: CallEmbed | undefined): boolean =>
 
     const localUserId = callEmbed.room.client?.getUserId() ?? '';
 
-    const syncState = (): void => {
-      // [lotus #2] Prefer the fork's io.lotus.call_state over DOM scraping;
-      // ignore a spurious empty list (fall back to DOM).
-      const lotus = callEmbed.getLotusParticipants();
-      if (lotus !== null && lotus.length > 0) {
-        const remote = lotus.filter((p) => p.userId !== localUserId);
-        setMuted(remote.length > 0 && remote.every((p) => !p.audioEnabled));
-        return;
-      }
-      const doc = getDoc();
-      if (!doc) {
-        setMuted(false);
-        return;
-      }
-      // Each participant's mute icon has data-muted="true"|"false" and
-      // aria-label set to their Matrix user ID.
-      const muteIcons = doc.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>('[data-muted]');
-      let remoteCount = 0;
-      let remoteMutedCount = 0;
-      muteIcons.forEach((el) => {
-        const userId = el.getAttribute('aria-label') ?? '';
-        if (userId === localUserId) return;
-        remoteCount += 1;
-        if (el.getAttribute('data-muted') === 'true') remoteMutedCount += 1;
-      });
-      // "All muted" badge: true only when there is at least one remote
-      // participant and every one of them is muted (not merely any single one).
-      setMuted(remoteCount > 0 && remoteMutedCount === remoteCount);
-    };
-
     let tileObserver: MutationObserver | undefined;
 
-    const attachObserver = (): void => {
-      const doc = getDoc();
-      if (!doc) return;
+    const detachTileObserver = (): void => {
       tileObserver?.disconnect();
+      tileObserver = undefined;
+    };
+
+    // #32 — only attach the DOM fallback observer while the fork isn't
+    // supplying usable participant data; it stays disconnected for the rest
+    // of the call once io.lotus.call_state starts reporting participants.
+    const attachTileObserver = (): void => {
+      if (tileObserver) return;
+      const doc = getDoc();
+      if (!doc?.body) return;
       // Watch the whole document for attribute changes on data-muted elements
       // and for new tiles being added/removed.
       tileObserver = new MutationObserver((mutations) => {
@@ -216,10 +204,43 @@ export const useRemoteAllMuted = (callEmbed: CallEmbed | undefined): boolean =>
         attributes: true,
         attributeFilter: ['data-muted'],
       });
-      syncState();
     };
 
-    attachObserver();
+    const syncState = (): void => {
+      // [lotus #2] Prefer the fork's io.lotus.call_state over DOM scraping;
+      // ignore a spurious empty list (fall back to DOM).
+      const lotus = callEmbed.getLotusParticipants();
+      if (lotus !== null && lotus.length > 0) {
+        detachTileObserver();
+        const remote = lotus.filter((p) => p.userId !== localUserId);
+        setMuted(remote.length > 0 && remote.every((p) => !p.audioEnabled));
+        return;
+      }
+      const doc = getDoc();
+      if (!doc) {
+        setMuted(false);
+        return;
+      }
+      // Fork gave no usable data (older fork, or hasn't sent yet) — fall back
+      // to scraping the DOM, and keep watching it for changes.
+      attachTileObserver();
+      // Each participant's mute icon has data-muted="true"|"false" and
+      // aria-label set to their Matrix user ID.
+      const muteIcons = doc.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>('[data-muted]');
+      let remoteCount = 0;
+      let remoteMutedCount = 0;
+      muteIcons.forEach((el) => {
+        const userId = el.getAttribute('aria-label') ?? '';
+        if (userId === localUserId) return;
+        remoteCount += 1;
+        if (el.getAttribute('data-muted') === 'true') remoteMutedCount += 1;
+      });
+      // "All muted" badge: true only when there is at least one remote
+      // participant and every one of them is muted (not merely any single one).
+      setMuted(remoteCount > 0 && remoteMutedCount === remoteCount);
+    };
+
+    syncState();
     // [lotus #2] Re-derive whenever the fork pushes new call-state.
     const unsubLotus = callEmbed.onLotusCallState(syncState);
 
@@ -230,7 +251,7 @@ export const useRemoteAllMuted = (callEmbed: CallEmbed | undefined): boolean =>
         if (getDoc()?.body) {
           bodyWatcher?.disconnect();
           bodyWatcher = undefined;
-          attachObserver();
+          syncState();
         }
       });
       const doc = getDoc();
@@ -238,7 +259,7 @@ export const useRemoteAllMuted = (callEmbed: CallEmbed | undefined): boolean =>
     }
 
     return () => {
-      tileObserver?.disconnect();
+      detachTileObserver();
       bodyWatcher?.disconnect();
       unsubLotus();
     };
diff --git a/src/app/utils/speakerSet.test.ts b/src/app/utils/speakerSet.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e7a647bcc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/utils/speakerSet.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { test } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { nextSpeakerSet, sameSet } from './speakerSet';
+
+test('sameSet: identity, size and membership', () => {
+  const a = new Set(['@a:x', '@b:x']);
+  assert.equal(sameSet(a, a), true);
+  assert.equal(sameSet(a, new Set(['@b:x', '@a:x'])), true);
+  assert.equal(sameSet(a, new Set(['@a:x'])), false);
+  assert.equal(sameSet(a, new Set(['@a:x', '@c:x'])), false);
+});
+
+test('nextSpeakerSet returns the SAME reference when speakers are unchanged (#32)', () => {
+  const prev = new Set(['@a:x']);
+  const next = nextSpeakerSet(prev, [
+    { userId: '@a:x', speaking: true },
+    { userId: '@b:x', speaking: false },
+  ]);
+  assert.equal(next, prev);
+});
+
+test('nextSpeakerSet returns a new set when speakers change, ignoring non-user ids', () => {
+  const prev = new Set(['@a:x']);
+  const next = nextSpeakerSet(prev, [
+    { userId: '@a:x', speaking: false },
+    { userId: '@b:x', speaking: true },
+    { userId: 'not-a-user-id', speaking: true },
+  ]);
+  assert.notEqual(next, prev);
+  assert.deepEqual(Array.from(next), ['@b:x']);
+});
diff --git a/src/app/utils/speakerSet.ts b/src/app/utils/speakerSet.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..57910d2ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/utils/speakerSet.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { isUserId } from './matrix';
+
+/** Minimal shape of a `io.lotus.call_state` participant entry we need here. */
+export type SpeakingParticipant = { userId: string; speaking: boolean };
+
+/** True when both sets contain exactly the same members. */
+export const sameSet = <T>(a: Set<T>, b: Set<T>): boolean => {
+  if (a === b) return true;
+  if (a.size !== b.size) return false;
+  for (const v of a) {
+    if (!b.has(v)) return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Derives the speaking-users set from a `io.lotus.call_state` participant
+ * list. Returns `prev` unchanged (same reference) when the derived set is
+ * equal to it, so callers using the functional `setState` form can bail out
+ * of a re-render (#32 — the fork pushes this multiple times per second).
+ */
+export const nextSpeakerSet = (
+  prev: Set<string>,
+  participants: readonly SpeakingParticipant[],
+): Set<string> => {
+  const next = new Set<string>();
+  participants.forEach((p) => {
+    if (p.speaking && isUserId(p.userId)) next.add(p.userId);
+  });
+  return sameSet(prev, next) ? prev : next;
+};