diff --git a/qml/settings/MainPage.qml b/qml/settings/MainPage.qml
index 10b434c..afe80ff 100644
--- a/qml/settings/MainPage.qml
+++ b/qml/settings/MainPage.qml
@@ -42,9 +42,14 @@ Item {
         refreshIp()
         refreshBrightness()
     }
+    // networkInfo() runs nmcli synchronously on the GUI thread (~200 ms), so
+    // poll only while this page is on screen. The page exists from startup
+    // inside the closed settings dialog; an always-running timer froze all
+    // animations every 5 s.
+    onVisibleChanged: if (visible) refreshIp()
     Timer {
         interval: 5000
-        running: true
+        running: page.visible
         repeat: true
         onTriggered: page.refreshIp()
     }
diff --git a/src/systeminfo.cpp b/src/systeminfo.cpp
index e335734..529d6cd 100644
--- a/src/systeminfo.cpp
+++ b/src/systeminfo.cpp
@@ -55,12 +55,13 @@ QString SystemInfo::scriptsDir() const
 
 void SystemInfo::writeHeartbeat()
 {
-    QSaveFile f(runDir() + "/qt.alive");
+    // Runs on the GUI thread every 5 s. Plain write, no QSaveFile: its
+    // commit() fsyncs, which on eMMC can stall the UI for a visible moment.
+    // bt-update only looks at the mtime, so atomicity is not needed.
+    QFile f(runDir() + "/qt.alive");
     if (!f.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly | QIODevice::Truncate))
         return;
-    QByteArray ts = QByteArray::number(QDateTime::currentSecsSinceEpoch());
-    f.write(ts);
-    f.commit();
+    f.write(QByteArray::number(QDateTime::currentSecsSinceEpoch()));
 }
 
 QString SystemInfo::appVersion() const