diff --git a/lib/frame_stats.dart b/lib/frame_stats.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b97f44a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/frame_stats.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+// coverage:ignore-file
+// TEMPORARY diagnostic instrument (desktop interaction-lag investigation).
+// Guarded by TODO_FRAME_STATS=1 so it is inert in normal use.
+//
+// v3 adds an event-loop blocking monitor, which is the decisive instrument.
+// Frame gaps are ambiguous in a mostly-static UI: no frame is produced when
+// nothing needs drawing, so an idle user looks identical to a stalled isolate.
+// A periodic timer, by contrast, is scheduled regardless of drawing -- if it
+// fires late, the UI isolate was genuinely blocked, and by exactly how long.
+import 'dart:async';
+import 'dart:io';
+
+import 'package:flutter/scheduler.dart';
+
+/// Whether the frame-stats instrument is armed for this process.
+bool get frameStatsEnabled => Platform.environment['TODO_FRAME_STATS'] == '1';
+
+/// A frame whose own work exceeded this is a hitch worth naming. Set to zero
+/// by TODO_FRAME_STATS_ALL=1 so every frame is logged, which is what the
+/// raster-cost-vs-window-size sweep needs.
+int get _slowFrameUs =>
+    Platform.environment['TODO_FRAME_STATS_ALL'] == '1' ? -1 : 8000;
+
+/// How often the event-loop probe is scheduled.
+const _probePeriod = Duration(milliseconds: 16);
+
+/// Lateness beyond this means the isolate was blocked long enough to be felt.
+const _blockedMs = 24;
+
+final Stopwatch _clock = Stopwatch();
+Timer? _probe;
+
+String get _at => (_clock.elapsedMilliseconds / 1000).toStringAsFixed(2);
+
+/// Installs the frame-timing and event-loop instruments.
+void installFrameStats() {
+  if (!frameStatsEnabled) return;
+  _clock.start();
+  stdout.writeln(
+    '[frame-stats v3] armed; logging slow frames and UI-isolate blocking',
+  );
+  _installFrameTimings();
+  _installEventLoopProbe();
+}
+
+void _installFrameTimings() {
+  SchedulerBinding.instance.addTimingsCallback((timings) {
+    for (final t in timings) {
+      final build = t.buildDuration.inMicroseconds;
+      final raster = t.rasterDuration.inMicroseconds;
+      if (build + raster > _slowFrameUs) {
+        stdout.writeln(
+          '[FRAME $_at s] total=${((build + raster) / 1000)
+              .toStringAsFixed(1)}ms '
+          '(build=${(build / 1000).toStringAsFixed(1)} '
+          'raster=${(raster / 1000).toStringAsFixed(1)})',
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+/// Schedules a timer every [_probePeriod] and reports how late it actually
+/// fired. Lateness is time the UI isolate spent unable to run anything -- e.g.
+/// a synchronous JSON serialize of the whole note log.
+void _installEventLoopProbe() {
+  var expected = _clock.elapsedMicroseconds + _probePeriod.inMicroseconds;
+  void tick(Timer _) {
+    final now = _clock.elapsedMicroseconds;
+    final lateMs = (now - expected) / 1000;
+    if (lateMs > _blockedMs) {
+      stdout.writeln(
+        '[UI-BLOCKED $_at s] event loop stalled '
+        '${lateMs.toStringAsFixed(1)}ms',
+      );
+    }
+    expected = now + _probePeriod.inMicroseconds;
+  }
+
+  _probe = Timer.periodic(_probePeriod, tick);
+}
+
+/// Stops the probe. Only needed if the instrument outlives the app.
+void disposeFrameStats() => _probe?.cancel();
diff --git a/lib/main.dart b/lib/main.dart
index a6924a0..e0eb60c 100644
--- a/lib/main.dart
+++ b/lib/main.dart
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ import 'package:path_provider/path_provider.dart';
 import 'package:sqflite_common_ffi/sqflite_ffi.dart';
 
 import 'package:todo/data/note_repository.dart';
+import 'package:todo/frame_stats.dart';
 import 'package:todo/ui/capture_screen.dart';
 
 Future<void> main() async {
   WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
+  installFrameStats();
 
   // Desktop platforms need the FFI sqlite implementation initialised
   // before any database is opened; mobile uses the bundled library.
diff --git a/lib/ui/capture_screen.dart b/lib/ui/capture_screen.dart
index a3f1919..a760124 100644
--- a/lib/ui/capture_screen.dart
+++ b/lib/ui/capture_screen.dart
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import 'package:shared_preferences/shared_preferences.dart';
 import 'package:todo/data/note.dart';
 import 'package:todo/data/note_repository.dart';
 import 'package:todo/data/note_template.dart';
+import 'package:todo/frame_stats.dart';
 import 'package:todo/sync/local_backup.dart';
 import 'package:todo/sync/sync_service.dart';
 import 'package:todo/sync/sync_settings.dart';
@@ -415,6 +416,22 @@ class _CaptureScreenState extends State<CaptureScreen>
       appBar: AppBar(
         title: const Text('Capture'),
         actions: [
+          // TEMPORARY: forces continuous frame production so raster cost can
+          // be sampled at each window size. Armed by TODO_FRAME_STATS=1, which
+          // is never set under the test runner, so the branch is unreachable.
+          // coverage:ignore-start
+          if (frameStatsEnabled)
+            const Padding(
+              padding: EdgeInsets.only(right: 8),
+              child: Center(
+                child: SizedBox(
+                  width: 18,
+                  height: 18,
+                  child: CircularProgressIndicator(strokeWidth: 2),
+                ),
+              ),
+            ),
+          // coverage:ignore-end
           // Live count of stored notes, proving local persistence.
           StreamBuilder<int>(
             stream: widget.repository.watchCount(),