diff --git a/src/app/hooks/useMessageTranslation.ts b/src/app/hooks/useMessageTranslation.ts
index 872ced76f..7f9eb91ad 100644
--- a/src/app/hooks/useMessageTranslation.ts
+++ b/src/app/hooks/useMessageTranslation.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
-import { useAtom } from 'jotai';
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import { useAtom, useAtomValue, useSetAtom } from 'jotai';
 import { settingsAtom } from '../state/settings';
 import { useSetting } from '../state/hooks/settings';
 import {
   translationCacheAtom,
+  translationEntryAtomFamily,
   msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily,
   makeCacheKey,
-  findTranslation,
   addTranslation,
+  wasAutoTranslateTried,
+  markAutoTranslateTried,
 } from '../state/translation';
 import { chromeTranslationEngine as engine } from '../utils/translation/chromeEngine';
 import { sameLanguage } from '../utils/translation/langUtils';
@@ -47,12 +49,17 @@ export const useMessageTranslation = (eventId: string, text: string): MsgTransla
   const [targetLang] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'translateTargetLang');
   const [autoTranslate] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'autoTranslate');
   const [active, setActive] = useAtom(msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily(eventId));
-  const [cache, setCache] = useAtom(translationCacheAtom);
+  // Write-only: reading the whole cache array here (via useAtom) would
+  // resubscribe this message to every other message's writes. [Gitea #39]
+  const setCache = useSetAtom(translationCacheAtom);
 
   // The key includes a fingerprint of `text`, so an edit (same event id, new
-  // body) misses the old entry and re-translates instead of showing stale text.
-  const key = makeCacheKey(eventId, targetLang, text);
-  const cached = findTranslation(cache, key);
+  // body) misses the old entry and re-translates instead of showing stale
+  // text. Memoised so the O(len) fingerprint isn't recomputed every render.
+  const key = useMemo(() => makeCacheKey(eventId, targetLang, text), [eventId, targetLang, text]);
+  // Subscribes to only this message's cache slot, so translating one message
+  // no longer re-renders every mounted message. [Gitea #39]
+  const cached = useAtomValue(translationEntryAtomFamily(key));
 
   const [status, setStatus] = useState<MsgTranslationStatus>('idle');
   const [translated, setTranslated] = useState<string | undefined>(undefined);
@@ -74,13 +81,13 @@ export const useMessageTranslation = (eventId: string, text: string): MsgTransla
   // Auto-translate: when enabled, flip `active` on for foreign messages whose
   // model is already downloaded (no gesture/download needed). Messages needing
   // a first-time download keep the manual chip (which provides the gesture).
-  // Store the text we last auto-tried so an edit (new text) re-triggers auto
-  // detection instead of being suppressed by a one-shot flag.
-  const autoTriedText = useRef<string | undefined>(undefined);
+  // The "already tried" guard is hoisted to module scope (keyed by eventId) so
+  // it survives unmount — virtualised scrolling used to re-run detection every
+  // time the same message remounted with a per-hook-instance ref. [Gitea #39]
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!supported || !autoTranslate || active || cached || !eventId) return;
-    if (!text.trim() || autoTriedText.current === text) return;
-    autoTriedText.current = text;
+    if (!text.trim() || wasAutoTranslateTried(eventId, text)) return;
+    markAutoTranslateTried(eventId, text);
     let alive = true;
     (async () => {
       const from = await engine.detect(text);
diff --git a/src/app/state/translation.test.ts b/src/app/state/translation.test.ts
index 85ca3d46f..4b7090085 100644
--- a/src/app/state/translation.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/state/translation.test.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,32 @@
 import { test } from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { createStore } from 'jotai';
 
 // The module evaluates atomWithStorage(..., { getOnInit: true }) which reads
 // localStorage at load time. node has none — install a no-op mock, then import
 // dynamically (a static import would hoist above the mock).
+const localStorageBacking = new Map<string, string>();
 (globalThis as { localStorage?: unknown }).localStorage = {
-  getItem: () => null,
-  setItem: () => undefined,
-  removeItem: () => undefined,
+  getItem: (k: string) => localStorageBacking.get(k) ?? null,
+  setItem: (k: string, v: string) => {
+    localStorageBacking.set(k, v);
+  },
+  removeItem: (k: string) => {
+    localStorageBacking.delete(k);
+  },
 };
 
-const { addTranslation, findTranslation, makeCacheKey } = await import('./translation');
+const {
+  addTranslation,
+  findTranslation,
+  makeCacheKey,
+  translationCacheAtom,
+  translationEntryAtomFamily,
+  msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily,
+  wasAutoTranslateTried,
+  markAutoTranslateTried,
+  clearTranslationCache,
+} = await import('./translation');
 
 const entry = (key: string, translated = `t-${key}`, fromLang = 'de') => ({
   key,
@@ -66,3 +82,90 @@ test('findTranslation: returns match or undefined', () => {
   assert.equal(findTranslation(list, 'b')?.key, 'b');
   assert.equal(findTranslation(list, 'z'), undefined);
 });
+
+// [Gitea #39] Keyed cache subscription: a message only re-renders for its own
+// entry, not the whole array.
+test('translationEntryAtomFamily: looks up only its own key, unaffected by others', () => {
+  const store = createStore();
+  store.set(translationCacheAtom, () => [entry('a'), entry('b')]);
+
+  assert.equal(store.get(translationEntryAtomFamily('a'))?.translated, 't-a');
+  assert.equal(store.get(translationEntryAtomFamily('z')), undefined);
+});
+
+test('translationEntryAtomFamily: does not notify a subscriber when an unrelated key changes', () => {
+  const store = createStore();
+  store.set(translationCacheAtom, () => [entry('a')]);
+
+  let notifications = 0;
+  const unsub = store.sub(translationEntryAtomFamily('a'), () => {
+    notifications += 1;
+  });
+  // atomWithStorage's `onMount` resyncs the base atom from storage as soon as
+  // it gets its first subscriber, which — via the JSON round trip — produces
+  // a structurally-equal-but-different-reference array, firing exactly one
+  // notification unrelated to what this test checks. Drain it before
+  // asserting so we're isolating the behaviour under test.
+  notifications = 0;
+  try {
+    // Add an unrelated entry — 'a's object reference in the array is
+    // preserved by addTranslation, so selectAtom's Object.is bails.
+    store.set(translationCacheAtom, (prev) => addTranslation(prev, entry('other')));
+    assert.equal(notifications, 0);
+
+    // Changing 'a' itself does notify.
+    store.set(translationCacheAtom, (prev) => addTranslation(prev, entry('a', 'new-a')));
+    assert.equal(notifications, 1);
+  } finally {
+    unsub();
+  }
+});
+
+test('msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily: FIFO-capped at 500 members', () => {
+  const store = createStore();
+  // Prime "e0" with non-default state.
+  store.set(msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily('e0'), true);
+  assert.equal(store.get(msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily('e0')), true);
+
+  // Create 500 more distinct members so the cap evicts "e0" (oldest-created);
+  // real usage is one member per mounted message regardless of translation.
+  for (let i = 1; i <= 500; i += 1) {
+    msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily(`e${i}`);
+  }
+
+  // Evicted members are unmounted (`.remove()`d): re-accessing "e0" creates a
+  // fresh atom, so it comes back at its default (inactive) value — evidence
+  // the family doesn't grow without bound as the timeline is scrolled.
+  assert.equal(store.get(msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily('e0')), false);
+});
+
+test('translationEntryAtomFamily: stays usable well past the FIFO cap', () => {
+  const store = createStore();
+  store.set(translationCacheAtom, () => [entry('k0')]);
+  for (let i = 1; i <= 500; i += 1) {
+    translationEntryAtomFamily(`k${i}`);
+  }
+  // Unlike the active family, this family is *derived* from the persisted
+  // cache array, so a re-created (evicted-then-reaccessed) atom still finds
+  // the entry — eviction here is a memory-hygiene concern, not a data-loss
+  // one. Confirms the cap doesn't corrupt lookups either way.
+  assert.equal(store.get(translationEntryAtomFamily('k0'))?.key, 'k0');
+  assert.equal(store.get(translationEntryAtomFamily('k250')), undefined);
+});
+
+test('clearTranslationCache: wipes storage, live family members, and the auto-translate guard', () => {
+  const store = createStore();
+  localStorageBacking.set('cinny_translation_cache_v1', '[{"key":"x"}]');
+
+  store.set(msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily('ev1'), true);
+  markAutoTranslateTried('ev1', 'hola');
+  assert.equal(wasAutoTranslateTried('ev1', 'hola'), true);
+
+  clearTranslationCache();
+
+  assert.equal(localStorageBacking.has('cinny_translation_cache_v1'), false);
+  // Family member was `.remove()`d, so re-accessing it yields a fresh atom
+  // back at its default value.
+  assert.equal(store.get(msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily('ev1')), false);
+  assert.equal(wasAutoTranslateTried('ev1', 'hola'), false);
+});
diff --git a/src/app/state/translation.ts b/src/app/state/translation.ts
index b5858f80f..e59997f56 100644
--- a/src/app/state/translation.ts
+++ b/src/app/state/translation.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { atom } from 'jotai';
-import { atomWithStorage, createJSONStorage, atomFamily } from 'jotai/utils';
+import { atomWithStorage, createJSONStorage, atomFamily, selectAtom } from 'jotai/utils';
 import { normalizeLang } from '../utils/translation/langUtils';
 
 export type CachedTranslation = {
@@ -73,15 +73,75 @@ export const addTranslation = (
   return [entry, ...withoutDupe].slice(0, max);
 };
 
+// [Gitea #39] Every `atomFamily` here is capped with simple FIFO eviction:
+// a message mounts one entry in each family regardless of whether it's ever
+// translated, so scrolling a long-lived session used to grow both families
+// (and, for the active family, forever — it was never `.remove()`d at all).
+// The cap is generous relative to what's ever rendered at once, so evicting
+// the oldest-*created* member (not oldest-used) doesn't touch on-screen
+// messages in practice; a false eviction just means that message's atom is
+// recreated at its default value next access, which is harmless here (a
+// re-derived cache lookup / a re-collapsed "active" toggle).
+const FAMILY_CAP = 500;
+
 // Per-event "show translation" toggle, shared between the message menu action
 // (which flips it) and the inline body render (which reacts to it). Keyed by
 // event id so each message has its own independent state.
-export const msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily = atomFamily((_eventId: string) => atom(false));
+const activeFamilyOrder: string[] = [];
+export const msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily = atomFamily((_eventId: string) => {
+  activeFamilyOrder.push(_eventId);
+  if (activeFamilyOrder.length > FAMILY_CAP) {
+    const oldest = activeFamilyOrder.shift();
+    if (oldest !== undefined) msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily.remove(oldest);
+  }
+  return atom(false);
+});
 
 /**
- * Wipe the persisted translation cache. Called on logout — cached entries are
- * decrypted message plaintext, so they must not survive a session on a shared
- * device (mirrors the search-index wipe).
+ * Per-`(eventId, targetLang, textFingerprint)` cache slot, derived from the
+ * shared `translationCacheAtom` array via `selectAtom` with `Object.is`
+ * equality. `addTranslation` preserves the object reference of every entry it
+ * doesn't touch, so a message only re-renders when *its own* entry changes —
+ * fixing the render storm where translating one message re-rendered every
+ * mounted message subscribed to the whole array.
+ */
+const entryFamilyOrder: string[] = [];
+export const translationEntryAtomFamily = atomFamily((key: string) => {
+  entryFamilyOrder.push(key);
+  if (entryFamilyOrder.length > FAMILY_CAP) {
+    const oldest = entryFamilyOrder.shift();
+    if (oldest !== undefined) translationEntryAtomFamily.remove(oldest);
+  }
+  return selectAtom(translationCacheAtom, (list) => findTranslation(list, key), Object.is);
+});
+
+// Auto-translate "already tried" guard, hoisted to module scope and keyed by
+// event id (previously a `useRef` per hook instance, so virtualised scrolling
+// re-ran `engine.detect` every time the same message remounted). Stores the
+// text last auto-tried so an edit — same event id, new body — still
+// re-triggers detection instead of being suppressed by a stale entry.
+const AUTO_TRIED_CAP = 500;
+const autoTriedTextByEvent = new Map<string, string>();
+
+export const wasAutoTranslateTried = (eventId: string, text: string): boolean =>
+  autoTriedTextByEvent.get(eventId) === text;
+
+export const markAutoTranslateTried = (eventId: string, text: string): void => {
+  // Re-insert so the Map's iteration (insertion) order tracks recency for
+  // the FIFO cap below.
+  autoTriedTextByEvent.delete(eventId);
+  autoTriedTextByEvent.set(eventId, text);
+  if (autoTriedTextByEvent.size > AUTO_TRIED_CAP) {
+    const oldest = autoTriedTextByEvent.keys().next().value;
+    if (oldest !== undefined) autoTriedTextByEvent.delete(oldest);
+  }
+};
+
+/**
+ * Wipe the persisted translation cache, every live family member, and the
+ * auto-translate guard. Called on logout — all of this is derived from
+ * decrypted message plaintext, so none of it must survive a session on a
+ * shared device (mirrors the search-index wipe).
  */
 export const clearTranslationCache = (): void => {
   try {
@@ -89,4 +149,7 @@ export const clearTranslationCache = (): void => {
   } catch {
     /* localStorage unavailable — nothing to clear */
   }
+  activeFamilyOrder.splice(0).forEach((eventId) => msgTranslationActiveAtomFamily.remove(eventId));
+  entryFamilyOrder.splice(0).forEach((key) => translationEntryAtomFamily.remove(key));
+  autoTriedTextByEvent.clear();
 };