diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.test.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.test.ts
index da1a666be6a..38e0436e01a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.test.ts
@@ -609,7 +609,7 @@ describe("initSandboxRuntimeModular", () => {
       }
     });
 
-    it("styles each hidden clip visible once, far scene included, so its cut does not do it first", () => {
+    it("styles a hidden clip visible once while playing toward its start, far scene included", () => {
       document.body.innerHTML =
         `<div data-composition-id="main" data-root="true" data-start="0" data-duration="10" data-width="1920" data-height="1080">` +
         `<div id="later" style="position: absolute" data-start="8" data-duration="1" data-hf-far-scene><p></p></div>` +
@@ -624,13 +624,28 @@ describe("initSandboxRuntimeModular", () => {
         if (el === later && shown && !later.hasAttribute("data-hf-far-scene")) styledVisible++;
         return original(el, pseudo);
       });
+      const raf = createManualRaf();
+      vi.spyOn(performance, "now").mockImplementation(() => raf.now());
+      window.requestAnimationFrame =
+        raf.requestAnimationFrame as typeof window.requestAnimationFrame;
+      window.cancelAnimationFrame = raf.cancelAnimationFrame as typeof window.cancelAnimationFrame;
       try {
         initSandboxRuntimeModular();
-        window.__player?.seek(1);
-        const once = styledVisible;
-        window.__player?.seek(2);
-        window.__player?.seek(3);
-        expect([once, styledVisible]).toEqual([1, 1]);
+        const counts: number[] = [];
+        const playFor = (ms: number) => {
+          for (let at = 0; at < ms; at += 100) raf.step(100);
+          counts.push(styledVisible);
+        };
+        for (const t of [6.5, 4]) {
+          window.__player?.seek(t);
+          counts.push(styledVisible);
+        }
+        window.__player?.play();
+        playFor(300);
+        playFor(1800);
+        playFor(1000);
+        window.__player?.pause();
+        expect(counts).toEqual([0, 0, 0, 1, 1]);
         expect([later.style.visibility, later.hasAttribute("data-hf-clip-hidden")]).toEqual([
           "hidden",
           true,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
index 1b034cf9e9c..20b57a36dbf 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
@@ -2889,14 +2889,19 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
       resolver: timingResolverFor(true),
     }),
   );
-  // A clip's first visible style pass is slow; each hidden clip gets it once on a seek, so its cut does not.
+  // A clip's first visible style pass is slow; playing, each hidden clip gets it once just before its start.
   const clipsNeverStyledVisible = new Set<StylableElement>();
   const clipsStyledVisible = new WeakSet<Element>();
-  const styleHiddenClipsVisibleOnce = () => {
-    const clips = Array.from(clipsNeverStyledVisible).filter(
-      (el) => el.isConnected && el.hasAttribute(CLIP_HIDDEN_ATTR),
-    );
-    clipsNeverStyledVisible.clear();
+  const styleClipsDueVisibleOnce = (t: number) => {
+    if (clipsNeverStyledVisible.size === 0 || !clock.isPlaying()) return;
+    const clips: StylableElement[] = [];
+    for (const el of clipsNeverStyledVisible) {
+      const start = resolveStartForElement(el, Number.NaN);
+      if (el.isConnected && el.hasAttribute(CLIP_HIDDEN_ATTR) && !(start <= t + LOOKAHEAD_SECONDS))
+        continue;
+      clipsNeverStyledVisible.delete(el);
+      if (el.isConnected && el.hasAttribute(CLIP_HIDDEN_ATTR) && start > t) clips.push(el);
+    }
     if (clips.length === 0) return;
     const farHosts = new Set(clips.flatMap((el) => el.closest(`[${FAR_SCENE_ATTR}]`) ?? []));
     for (const host of farHosts) host.removeAttribute(FAR_SCENE_ATTR);
@@ -5175,7 +5180,7 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
     const revision = opts?.revision ?? readCompositionTimingRevision();
     if (revision !== tweensRenderedThrough.revision)
       tweensRenderedThrough = { revision, time: Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY };
-    styleHiddenClipsVisibleOnce();
+    styleClipsDueVisibleOnce(t);
     const firstRenders = t > tweensRenderedThrough.time;
     // Only clips holding a tween that renders for the first time on this seek need their authored style read.
     const firstRendered =