diff --git a/include/fgc/ui/TuiUi.h b/include/fgc/ui/TuiUi.h
index daeb191..aa64519 100644
--- a/include/fgc/ui/TuiUi.h
+++ b/include/fgc/ui/TuiUi.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "fgc/ui/IUserInterface.h"
 
 #include <atomic>
+#include <chrono>
 #include <deque>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <string>
@@ -46,7 +47,15 @@ private:
     std::atomic<bool> running_{false};
     // When set, the 100ms auto-redraw is suspended so the screen holds still and
     // the operator can select/copy text (terminals drop a selection on repaint).
+    // Display freeze (the `p` key), for selecting text out of the pane. While
+    // set, refreshLoop() stops posting redraws, so the frame on screen ages.
+    // paused_at_ is when it was frozen, so the badge can say how stale it is.
     std::atomic<bool> paused_{false};
+    // Wall-clock time of the freeze, "HH:MM:SS", shown in the badge. Captured
+    // once: the badge must stay truthful WITHOUT a repaint, because repainting
+    // would pull the live snapshot and unfreeze what the pause is holding still.
+    std::string paused_at_hms_;
+    static std::string nowHms();
     // True while the gimbal overlay is open, so the refresh loop can periodically
     // re-pull a firmware dump (keeps the tracking counters ticking without 'd').
     std::atomic<bool> gimbal_overlay_open_{false};
diff --git a/src/ui/TuiUi.cpp b/src/ui/TuiUi.cpp
index 24347e8..caa09f1 100644
--- a/src/ui/TuiUi.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/TuiUi.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "fgc/ui/TuiUi.h"
 
+#include <ctime>
+
 #include "fgc/ChannelTopics.h"
 
 #include "fgc/DumpParser.h"
@@ -1247,13 +1249,30 @@ void TuiUi::pushLog(LogLevel level, const std::string& line) {
     }
 }
 
+// Wall-clock time the frame was frozen at, "HH:MM:SS". Captured once, because
+// the badge must not need a repaint to stay truthful - repainting would unfreeze
+// the very data the pause is holding still.
+std::string TuiUi::nowHms() {
+    const auto t = std::chrono::system_clock::to_time_t(std::chrono::system_clock::now());
+    std::tm tm{};
+    localtime_r(&t, &tm);
+    char buf[16];
+    std::strftime(buf, sizeof(buf), "%H:%M:%S", &tm);
+    return buf;
+}
+
 void TuiUi::refreshLoop() {
     using namespace std::chrono_literals;
     auto last_dump = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
     while (running_) {
         std::this_thread::sleep_for(100ms);
         if (!running_) break;
-        if (paused_) continue;  // frozen for text selection; don't repaint
+        // Frozen for text selection: do NOT repaint. Re-rendering would pull the
+        // live snapshot and the numbers would keep moving under the cursor,
+        // which is precisely what the freeze exists to prevent. The badge
+        // carries the wall-clock time of the freeze instead, so the frame says
+        // how old it is without having to be redrawn to say it.
+        if (paused_) continue;
         // While the gimbal overlay is open, re-pull a firmware dump every ~3s so
         // the encoder-tracking counters stay current without pressing 'd'.
         if (gimbal_overlay_open_.load() && sink_ &&
@@ -1332,7 +1351,15 @@ void TuiUi::uiLoop() {
             text("  " + s.header.tower + "  ") | bold,
             text("build " + s.header.build) | dim,
             filler(),
-            (paused_ ? text(" PAUSED ") | color(Color::Black) | bgcolor(Color::Yellow) | bold
+            // A frozen frame has to say that it is frozen, and for how long.
+            // Without the age it is indistinguishable from a hung program: the
+            // numbers simply stop, which during a multi-minute home reads as a
+            // crash. Costing 15 minutes of "is it stuck?" is how this got added.
+            // Says WHEN it froze, not just that it is frozen. Without the time a
+            // held frame is indistinguishable from a hung program - the numbers
+            // simply stop - which during a multi-minute home reads as a crash.
+            (paused_ ? text(" PAUSED @" + paused_at_hms_ + " ")
+                           | color(Color::Black) | bgcolor(Color::Yellow) | bold
                      : text("")),
             text(" " + mode + " ") | (s.header.live ? color(Color::Green) : color(Color::Yellow)) | bold,
             text("  up " + std::to_string(s.header.uptime_ms / 1000) + "s ") | dim,
@@ -1649,6 +1676,7 @@ void TuiUi::uiLoop() {
         }
         if (c == "p") {  // freeze/unfreeze the live refresh so text can be selected
             paused_ = !paused_;
+            if (paused_) paused_at_hms_ = nowHms();
             return true;  // this keypress redraws once so the indicator updates
         }
         if (overlay == Overlay::Help) {  // vim-style section nav while help is open