diff --git a/PROJECT.md b/PROJECT.md
index 81f2801..3901042 100644
--- a/PROJECT.md
+++ b/PROJECT.md
@@ -3732,6 +3732,17 @@ scaled so the BODY matches the standing frame (98% of sprite height) and the rac
 this on any new pose with a raised prop.
 
 ## Gotchas learned the hard way
+
+- **MODULE-LEVEL STATE CLOCKED OFF `G.idleT` MUST SURVIVE THE CLOCK GOING BACK TO ZERO.**
+  `resetState()` rewinds `G.idleT` for every new run; anything living in a module's own closure does
+  not rewind with it. The camera flashes had both halves of that bug at once (2026-08-21): a
+  `flashNext` inherited from the previous run meant NO photographs until the new run's clock climbed
+  past it, and any flash still in flight was left with a `t0` in its own future, which makes
+  `1 - (now - t0)/life` permanently greater than 1 — a shutter frozen at full brightness in the
+  stand for the rest of the session. Oliver: "at a random place in the crowd some frozen midflash
+  circle is visible. after a few points the flashes unfreeze." `tickFlashes` now clears and re-arms
+  whenever the clock moves backwards. **If you add anything else with a remembered `t0` or a "next
+  at" in render.js, give it the same guard** — the reset path will not do it for you.
 - **Nothing outside the four slot accessors may know how many slots there are.** `endBurst` had
   `[0, 1, 2, 3, 4].find(i => slotId(i) === id)`, which was correct for exactly as long as the rack
   held five. `RACK_MAX` 4 → 9 and a burst weapon in slot 5..9 was suddenly unfindable, so it was
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 165aa6c..56a8da3 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -664,6 +664,6 @@ if (location.hostname !== 'splatter-tennis.wuwi.one' && !window.Capacitor?.isNat
     </div>
   </div>
 </div>
-<script type="module" src="src/main.js?v=304"></script>
+<script type="module" src="src/main.js?v=305"></script>
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/src/render.js b/src/render.js
index 4204157..d8df765 100644
--- a/src/render.js
+++ b/src/render.js
@@ -388,9 +388,19 @@ function buildCrowd() {
 // while the crowd is on its feet, which is the "slightly increase during applause" — a stand that
 // went white during a point would be a different, much louder feature.
 const flashes = [];  // {x, y, r, t0}
-let flashNext = 0;
+let flashNext = 0, flashLast = 0;
 function tickFlashes(standsBottom) {
   const now = G.idleT, top = Math.max(4, standsBottom - AD_H - 4);
+  // THE CLOCK CAN GO BACKWARDS AND THIS STATE CANNOT. `resetState` puts G.idleT back to 0 for every
+  // new run, while `flashes` and `flashNext` live in this module and survive it — so a fresh match
+  // inherited a `flashNext` from the last one (no photographs at all until the clock climbed back
+  // past it) and any flash still alive was left with a t0 in its future, which makes its fade
+  // `1 - (now - t0)/life` permanently greater than 1: a shutter frozen at full brightness in the
+  // stand, for ever. Oliver, 2026-08-21: "at a random place in the crowd some frozen midflash circle
+  // is visible. after a few points the flashes unfreeze". One guard, here, because this is the only
+  // place that owns the state — and it covers any future mode that rewinds the clock too.
+  if (now < flashLast) { flashes.length = 0; flashNext = now; }
+  flashLast = now;
   if (now >= flashNext) {
     // THE BIGGER THE MOMENT, THE MORE SHUTTERS. cheer() queues crowd.burst shutters proportional to
     // its own vol, and they fire back to back at a fifth of the normal gap — a match point empties