diff --git a/apps/web/__tests__/unit/video-frame-thumbnail.test.ts b/apps/web/__tests__/unit/video-frame-thumbnail.test.ts
index 8644b8c7138..6d2264bda35 100644
--- a/apps/web/__tests__/unit/video-frame-thumbnail.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/__tests__/unit/video-frame-thumbnail.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import { captureVideoFrameDataUrl } from "@/app/s/[videoId]/_components/video-frame-thumbnail";
+import {
+	captureVideoFrameDataUrl,
+	MAX_LIVE_THUMBNAIL_DRIFT_SECONDS,
+	shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail,
+} from "@/app/s/[videoId]/_components/video-frame-thumbnail";
 
 function createMockCanvas(options?: {
 	contextReturnsNull?: boolean;
@@ -189,3 +193,86 @@ describe("captureVideoFrameDataUrl", () => {
 		expect(factory).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
 	});
 });
+
+describe("shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail", () => {
+	it("exports default drift threshold of 1.5 seconds", () => {
+		expect(MAX_LIVE_THUMBNAIL_DRIFT_SECONDS).toBe(1.5);
+	});
+
+	it("returns true when hoverTime is within drift threshold of currentTime", () => {
+		expect(shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({ hoverTime: 10, currentTime: 10 })).toBe(
+			true,
+		);
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({ hoverTime: 11.2, currentTime: 10 }),
+		).toBe(true);
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({ hoverTime: 8.8, currentTime: 10 }),
+		).toBe(true);
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({ hoverTime: 11.5, currentTime: 10 }),
+		).toBe(true);
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({ hoverTime: 8.5, currentTime: 10 }),
+		).toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	it("returns false when hoverTime drifts beyond drift threshold", () => {
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({ hoverTime: 11.51, currentTime: 10 }),
+		).toBe(false);
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({ hoverTime: 8.49, currentTime: 10 }),
+		).toBe(false);
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({ hoverTime: 200, currentTime: 10 }),
+		).toBe(false);
+		expect(shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({ hoverTime: 0, currentTime: 10 })).toBe(
+			false,
+		);
+	});
+
+	it("supports custom maxDriftSeconds", () => {
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({
+				hoverTime: 13,
+				currentTime: 10,
+				maxDriftSeconds: 3,
+			}),
+		).toBe(true);
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({
+				hoverTime: 13.1,
+				currentTime: 10,
+				maxDriftSeconds: 3,
+			}),
+		).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	it("returns false for non-finite values", () => {
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({
+				hoverTime: Number.NaN,
+				currentTime: 10,
+			}),
+		).toBe(false);
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({
+				hoverTime: 10,
+				currentTime: Number.NaN,
+			}),
+		).toBe(false);
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({
+				hoverTime: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
+				currentTime: 10,
+			}),
+		).toBe(false);
+		expect(
+			shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({
+				hoverTime: 10,
+				currentTime: Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY,
+			}),
+		).toBe(false);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/CapVideoPlayer.tsx b/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/CapVideoPlayer.tsx
index cd8c6ccba2b..c5df67195b2 100644
--- a/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/CapVideoPlayer.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/CapVideoPlayer.tsx
@@ -59,7 +59,10 @@ import {
 	MediaPlayerVolumeIndicator,
 } from "./video/media-player";
 import { Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipTrigger } from "./video/tooltip";
-import { captureVideoFrameDataUrl } from "./video-frame-thumbnail";
+import {
+	captureVideoFrameDataUrl,
+	shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail,
+} from "./video-frame-thumbnail";
 
 // Mounted only mid-upload; its RPC client drags the Effect runtime along, so
 // keeping it behind a dynamic import keeps that chunk off finished videos.
@@ -629,14 +632,24 @@ export function CapVideoPlayer({
 
 	// The seek tooltip asks for a thumbnail on every render while the pointer is
 	// over the bar (per animation frame). The capture snapshots the *displayed*
-	// frame, so re-encoding is pure waste until the video has actually moved;
-	// caching by currentTime (with a small tolerance while playing) bounds the
-	// canvas + JPEG work to a few captures per second at most.
+	// frame, so it is only accurate when hovering near the current playback position.
+	// For distant timestamps, returning undefined lets MediaPlayerSeek render the
+	// chapter title and timestamp without showing a misleading stale snapshot.
+	// Re-encoding is pure waste until the video has actually moved; caching by
+	// currentTime bounds the canvas + JPEG work to a few captures per second at most.
 	const thumbnailCacheRef = useRef<{ time: number; url: string } | null>(null);
 	const generateVideoFrameThumbnail = useCallback(
-		(_time: number): string | undefined => {
+		(time: number): string | undefined => {
 			const video = videoRef.current;
 			if (!video) return undefined;
+			if (
+				!shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({
+					hoverTime: time,
+					currentTime: video.currentTime,
+				})
+			) {
+				return undefined;
+			}
 			const cached = thumbnailCacheRef.current;
 			if (cached && Math.abs(cached.time - video.currentTime) < 0.25) {
 				return cached.url;
diff --git a/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/video-frame-thumbnail.ts b/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/video-frame-thumbnail.ts
index 886eae01628..05bc1ea8454 100644
--- a/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/video-frame-thumbnail.ts
+++ b/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/video-frame-thumbnail.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,31 @@ export interface CaptureVideoFrameDeps {
 	quality?: number;
 }
 
+export const MAX_LIVE_THUMBNAIL_DRIFT_SECONDS = 1.5;
+
+export interface ShouldCaptureLiveThumbnailParams {
+	hoverTime: number;
+	currentTime: number;
+	maxDriftSeconds?: number;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Determines whether a live video element snapshot accurately reflects the hovered timeline time.
+ * Because HTMLVideoElement only holds decoded frame data for its active currentTime,
+ * snapshotting the element is only valid when hovering within close proximity of playback.
+ * Returning false for distant timestamps prevents displaying misleading frame snapshots.
+ */
+export function shouldCaptureLiveThumbnail({
+	hoverTime,
+	currentTime,
+	maxDriftSeconds = MAX_LIVE_THUMBNAIL_DRIFT_SECONDS,
+}: ShouldCaptureLiveThumbnailParams): boolean {
+	if (!Number.isFinite(hoverTime) || !Number.isFinite(currentTime)) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	return Math.abs(hoverTime - currentTime) <= maxDriftSeconds;
+}
+
 export function captureVideoFrameDataUrl(
 	deps: CaptureVideoFrameDeps,
 ): string | undefined {