diff --git a/plugins/homekit/package-lock.json b/plugins/homekit/package-lock.json
index 517f9d57d..235031a2c 100644
--- a/plugins/homekit/package-lock.json
+++ b/plugins/homekit/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
    "name": "@scrypted/homekit",
-   "version": "0.0.54",
+   "version": "0.0.56",
    "lockfileVersion": 2,
    "requires": true,
    "packages": {
       "": {
          "name": "@scrypted/homekit",
-         "version": "0.0.54",
+         "version": "0.0.56",
          "dependencies": {
             "hap-nodejs": "file:../HAP-NodeJS",
             "lodash": "^4.17.21",
diff --git a/plugins/homekit/package.json b/plugins/homekit/package.json
index 1d167a206..a28b454cc 100644
--- a/plugins/homekit/package.json
+++ b/plugins/homekit/package.json
@@ -40,5 +40,5 @@
       "@types/qrcode": "^1.4.1",
       "@types/url-parse": "^1.4.3"
    },
-   "version": "0.0.54"
+   "version": "0.0.56"
 }
diff --git a/plugins/homekit/src/types/camera.ts b/plugins/homekit/src/types/camera.ts
index 88c8063b4..9583b6059 100644
--- a/plugins/homekit/src/types/camera.ts
+++ b/plugins/homekit/src/types/camera.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { CameraRecordingDelegate, CharacteristicEventTypes, CharacteristicValue,
 import { AudioRecordingCodec, AudioRecordingCodecType, AudioRecordingSamplerate, AudioRecordingSamplerateValues, CameraRecordingConfiguration, CameraRecordingOptions } from '../../HAP-NodeJS/src/lib/camera/RecordingManagement';
 import { startFFMPegFragmetedMP4Session } from '@scrypted/common/src/ffmpeg-mp4-parser-session';
 import { ffmpegLogInitialOutput } from '../../../../common/src/ffmpeg-helper';
+import throttle from 'lodash/throttle';
 
 const { log, mediaManager, deviceManager } = sdk;
 
@@ -153,15 +154,27 @@ addSupportedType({
             session.audioReturn?.close();
         }
 
+        const throttledTakePicture = throttle(async () => {
+            console.log('snapshot throttle fetch', device.name);
+            const media = await device.takePicture();
+            const jpeg = await mediaManager.convertMediaObjectToBuffer(media, 'image/jpeg');
+            return jpeg;
+        }, 9000, {
+            leading: true,
+            trailing: true,
+        });
+
         const delegate: CameraStreamingDelegate = {
             async handleSnapshotRequest(request: SnapshotRequest, callback: SnapshotRequestCallback) {
                 try {
-                    console.log('snapshot request', request);
+                    // an idle Home.app will hit this endpoint every 10 seconds, and slow requests bog up the entire app.
+                    // avoid slow requests by prefetching every 9 seconds.
 
                     if (device.interfaces.includes(ScryptedInterface.Camera)) {
-                        const media = await device.takePicture();
-                        const jpeg = await mediaManager.convertMediaObjectToBuffer(media, 'image/jpeg');
-                        callback(null, jpeg);
+                        // this call is not a bug, to force lodash to take a picture on the trailing edge,
+                        // throttle must be called twice.
+                        throttledTakePicture();
+                        callback(null, await throttledTakePicture());
                         return;
                     }
                     if (lastPicture + 60000 > Date.now()) {