diff --git a/src/data/handTrackingConfig.ts b/src/data/handTrackingConfig.ts
index 6027d12..2b28dda 100644
--- a/src/data/handTrackingConfig.ts
+++ b/src/data/handTrackingConfig.ts
@@ -9,3 +9,8 @@ export const HAND_TRACKING_BROWSER_WASM_URL =
 export const HAND_TRACKING_BROWSER_MODEL_URL =
   "https://storage.googleapis.com/mediapipe-models/hand_landmarker/hand_landmarker/float16/1/hand_landmarker.task";
 export const HAND_TRACKING_BROWSER_DELEGATE: "CPU" | "GPU" = "CPU";
+
+// Delay before the runtime actually starts after `enabled` flips to true.
+// Absorbs React StrictMode's mount/unmount/mount cycle in dev and rapid
+// `nearby` toggles at trigger borders. Invisible to the user (~5 frames).
+export const HAND_TRACKING_RUNTIME_START_DELAY_MS = 80;
diff --git a/src/hooks/handTracking/useBrowserHandTracking.ts b/src/hooks/handTracking/useBrowserHandTracking.ts
index 7310f99..285fa2f 100644
--- a/src/hooks/handTracking/useBrowserHandTracking.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/handTracking/useBrowserHandTracking.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import {
   HAND_TRACKING_FRAME_HEIGHT,
   HAND_TRACKING_FRAME_WIDTH,
+  HAND_TRACKING_RUNTIME_START_DELAY_MS,
   HAND_TRACKING_TARGET_FPS,
 } from "@/data/handTrackingConfig";
 import {
@@ -169,10 +170,17 @@ export function useBrowserHandTracking({
       }
     };
 
-    void start();
+    // Delay the actual start so that a StrictMode mount/unmount/mount
+    // cycle, or a rapid `enabled` toggle at a trigger border, does not
+    // spin up the camera + MediaPipe twice in a few milliseconds.
+    const startTimer = window.setTimeout(() => {
+      if (cancelled) return;
+      void start();
+    }, HAND_TRACKING_RUNTIME_START_DELAY_MS);
 
     return () => {
       cancelled = true;
+      window.clearTimeout(startTimer);
       cleanup();
     };
   }, [enabled]);
diff --git a/src/hooks/handTracking/useRemoteHandTracking.ts b/src/hooks/handTracking/useRemoteHandTracking.ts
index e9dc1db..fafa568 100644
--- a/src/hooks/handTracking/useRemoteHandTracking.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/handTracking/useRemoteHandTracking.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   HAND_TRACKING_FRAME_WIDTH,
   HAND_TRACKING_JPEG_QUALITY,
   HAND_TRACKING_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  HAND_TRACKING_RUNTIME_START_DELAY_MS,
   HAND_TRACKING_TARGET_FPS,
 } from "@/data/handTrackingConfig";
 import { getHandTrackingWsUrl } from "@/utils/handTracking/handTrackingEndpoint";
@@ -330,10 +331,17 @@ export function useRemoteHandTracking({
       }
     };
 
-    void start();
+    // Delay the actual start so that a StrictMode mount/unmount/mount
+    // cycle, or a rapid `enabled` toggle at a trigger border, does not
+    // open the camera + WebSocket twice in a few milliseconds.
+    const startTimer = window.setTimeout(() => {
+      if (cancelled) return;
+      void start();
+    }, HAND_TRACKING_RUNTIME_START_DELAY_MS);
 
     return () => {
       cancelled = true;
+      window.clearTimeout(startTimer);
       cleanup();
     };
   }, [enabled, websocketUrl]);