diff --git a/packages/ludic.render3d/actor.ludic b/packages/ludic.render3d/actor.ludic
index 40af73a1..65eef2b5 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.render3d/actor.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.render3d/actor.ludic
@@ -448,3 +448,31 @@ function actor_release(render3d_st: mut Render3dState, a: Actor) -> void {
   if render3d_st.ac_spare == null { render3d_st.ac_spare = new []Actor }
   push(render3d_st.ac_spare, a)
 }
+
+# One command buffer's worth of draws at start-up, through the path every draw takes (pipeline, set,
+# buffers, draw), so Metal's pooled command storage is already the size a frame can need: a bigger
+# frame than any before once grew it in play (IOGPU, under vkQueueSubmit). Drawn into the screen
+# image before the first frame clears it.
+function r3d_warm_commands(render3d_st: mut Render3dState) -> void {
+  let n = gvk_cb_cap_of(render3d_st)
+  if Os.platform() != "macos" or n <= 0 or render3d_st.ac_lit == null { return }
+  let m = gpu_mesh_new(render3d_st)
+  let v = floats(24)
+  for k in 0 .. 3 { v[k * 8 + k] = 0.01;  v[k * 8 + 4] = 1.0 }
+  gpu_mesh_vertices(render3d_st, m, data_of(v), 96, GPU_STATIC)
+  gpu_mesh_attr(render3d_st, m, 0, 3, GPU_F32, 32, 0, false)
+  gpu_mesh_attr(render3d_st, m, 1, 3, GPU_F32, 32, 12, false)
+  gpu_mesh_attr(render3d_st, m, 2, 2, GPU_F32, 32, 24, false)
+  let ix = words(3)
+  ix[0] = 0;  ix[1] = 1;  ix[2] = 2
+  gpu_mesh_indices(render3d_st, m, data_of(ix), 12, 4)
+  m.count = 3
+  gpu_mesh_done(render3d_st, m)
+  gpu_fb_bind(render3d_st, 0)
+  gpu_use_program(render3d_st, render3d_st.ac_lit.prog)
+  for i in 0 .. n { gpu_draw_mesh(render3d_st, m) }
+  gvk_flush(render3d_st)
+  mesh_release(render3d_st, m)
+  free(v)
+  free(ix)
+}
diff --git a/packages/ludic.render3d/env.ludic b/packages/ludic.render3d/env.ludic
index 446217d9..125ab03c 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.render3d/env.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.render3d/env.ludic
@@ -339,6 +339,8 @@ export state Render3dState {
   gvk_us_set: long = 0
   gvk_us_draw: long = 0
   gvk_n_draws: int = 0
+  gvk_cb_draws: int = 0            # draws recorded into the frame's command buffer so far
+  gvk_cb_cap: int = -1             # a command buffer is submitted after this many (0 = never; -1 unread)
   gvk_n_asked: int = 0              # draws that reached gvk_draw_now: every one the renderer asked for
   gvk_n_flush: int = 0
   gvk_prof_frames: int = 0
diff --git a/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu_vk_draw.ludic b/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu_vk_draw.ludic
index fdb3bd3e..7d608d1e 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu_vk_draw.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu_vk_draw.ludic
@@ -1248,6 +1248,10 @@ function gvk_set_view(render3d_st: mut Render3dState, cb: pointer) -> void {
 # first / count select vertices or indices; count 0 means the mesh's own count. instances >= 1.
 function gvk_draw(render3d_st: mut Render3dState, p: int, m: Mesh, st: GvkState, first: int, count: int, instances: int, tx: words, tx_w: int, tx_cap: int, rec: words, rec_o: int) -> void {
   if render3d_st.gvk_prog_var == null or p <= 0 or p >= len(render3d_st.gvk_prog_var) or render3d_st.gvk_prog_var[p] == null { return }
+  let cap = gvk_cb_cap_of(render3d_st)
+  if cap > 0 and render3d_st.gvk_cb_draws >= cap { gvk_flush(render3d_st) }
+  if render3d_st.gvk_cb == null { render3d_st.gvk_cb_draws = 0 }
+  render3d_st.gvk_cb_draws += 1
   let prof = gvk_prof(render3d_st)
   var t0: long = 0
   if prof { t0 = gl_now_us() }
@@ -1974,3 +1978,15 @@ function gvk_pipeline_fast(render3d_st: mut Render3dState, p: int, m: Mesh, st:
   if p < 4096 { render3d_st.gvk_pc_last[p] = len(render3d_st.gvk_pc_prog) - 1 }
   return pipe
 }
+
+# Draws a command buffer holds before it is submitted and the frame goes on in the next. Metal pools
+# the storage a command buffer grew to and grows it only when one encodes more than any before, so
+# with a bound and that many drawn at start-up (r3d_warm_commands) play never grows it. 0: no bound.
+const GVK_CB_DRAWS: int = 512
+function gvk_cb_cap_of(render3d_st: mut Render3dState) -> int {
+  if render3d_st.gvk_cb_cap < 0 {
+    render3d_st.gvk_cb_cap = GVK_CB_DRAWS
+    if r3d_env_has(render3d_st, "R3D_CB_DRAWS") { render3d_st.gvk_cb_cap = Text.to_int(r3d_env(render3d_st, "R3D_CB_DRAWS")) }
+  }
+  return render3d_st.gvk_cb_cap
+}
diff --git a/packages/ludic.render3d/render.ludic b/packages/ludic.render3d/render.ludic
index 611ffc73..66a2650a 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.render3d/render.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.render3d/render.ludic
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ function r3d_load_step(render3d_st: mut Render3dState, i: int) -> bool {
     render3d_st.r3d_fog_density = 0.00024
     render3d_st.r3d_fog_falloff = 0.002
     render3d_st.r3d_ready = true
+    r3d_warm_commands(render3d_st)
     gpu_check(render3d_st, "r3d init")
   }
   return true