diff --git a/src/zm_decoder_thread.cpp b/src/zm_decoder_thread.cpp
index 6b08efd39..e5b6e61d9 100644
--- a/src/zm_decoder_thread.cpp
+++ b/src/zm_decoder_thread.cpp
@@ -42,4 +42,10 @@ void DecoderThread::Run() {
       }
     }
   }
+
+  // Release any packets we sent to the codec but never received frames for.
+  // The codec context is about to be (or has been) torn down for Pause /
+  // reconnect; leaving stale entries would create a permanent latency
+  // offset against the next codec context on resume.
+  monitor_->flushDecoderQueue();
 }
diff --git a/src/zm_monitor.cpp b/src/zm_monitor.cpp
index 8bb33f4e2..89cc72b64 100644
--- a/src/zm_monitor.cpp
+++ b/src/zm_monitor.cpp
@@ -2892,6 +2892,21 @@ bool Monitor::applyDeinterlacing(std::shared_ptr<ZMPacket> &packet, Image *captu
   return true;
 }
 
+void Monitor::flushDecoderQueue() {
+  // Called from DecoderThread::Run() as the decoder thread exits, so no
+  // concurrent access to decoder_queue: the thread that mutates it is us.
+  if (decoder_queue.empty()) return;
+  Debug(1, "Flushing %zu in-flight entries from decoder_queue", decoder_queue.size());
+  for (auto &lock : decoder_queue) {
+    if (lock.packet_) {
+      lock.packet_->decoded = true;
+      lock.packet_->notify_all();
+    }
+  }
+  decoder_queue.clear();
+  packetqueue.notify_all();  // wake the analysis thread if it's waiting
+}
+
 bool Monitor::Decode() {
   AVCodecContext *context = camera->getVideoCodecContext();
   ZMPacketLock packet_lock;
@@ -3606,6 +3621,23 @@ unsigned int Monitor::Colours() const { return camera ? camera->Colours() : colo
 unsigned int Monitor::SubpixelOrder() const { return camera ? camera->SubpixelOrder() : 0; }
 
 int Monitor::PrimeCapture() {
+  // Stop the decoder before tearing the codec context down. The decoder
+  // thread holds a raw AVCodecContext* it got from
+  // camera->getVideoCodecContext(); camera->PrimeCapture() will Close() the
+  // camera (freeing that context) and OpenFfmpeg() a new one. Running the
+  // decoder against the dying context is unsafe; equally important, on
+  // exit the decoder thread releases the in-flight packet locks in
+  // decoder_queue (see DecoderThread::Run). Without that, stale entries
+  // survive the reconnect and create a permanent latency offset against
+  // the new codec context — the analysis thread blocks on
+  // !packet->decoded for those packets and the packetqueue fills to
+  // max_video_packet_count and stays there.
+  if (decoder) {
+    decoder->Stop();
+    packetqueue.notify_all();  // wake the thread if it's blocked on wait_for
+    decoder->Join();
+  }
+
   int ret = camera->PrimeCapture();
   if (ret <= 0) return ret;
 
diff --git a/src/zm_monitor.h b/src/zm_monitor.h
index d4daf6db2..4778d25e9 100644
--- a/src/zm_monitor.h
+++ b/src/zm_monitor.h
@@ -767,6 +767,13 @@ class Monitor : public std::enable_shared_from_this<Monitor> {
   RecordingOption Recording() const { return recording; }
 
   inline PacketQueue * GetPacketQueue() { return &packetqueue; }
+
+  // Called by the decoder thread as it exits. Releases packet locks for
+  // anything it sent to the codec context but never received as a frame
+  // (codec context is about to be torn down for Pause/reconnect, so those
+  // packets will never produce output). Marks them decoded so the analysis
+  // thread can advance past them.
+  void flushDecoderQueue();
   inline bool Enabled() const {
     return shared_data->capturing;
   }