diff --git a/src/capturer/engine/linux/mod.rs b/src/capturer/engine/linux/mod.rs
index 07967fb3..15f3f0c5 100644
--- a/src/capturer/engine/linux/mod.rs
+++ b/src/capturer/engine/linux/mod.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use std::{
         mpsc::{self, sync_channel, SyncSender},
     },
     thread::JoinHandle,
-    time::Duration,
+    time::{Duration, SystemTime},
 };
 
 use pipewire as pw;
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ use pw::{
 
 use crate::{
     capturer::Options,
-    frame::{BGRxFrame, Frame, RGBFrame, RGBxFrame, XBGRFrame},
+    frame::{BGRxFrame, Frame, RGBFrame, RGBxFrame, VideoFrame, XBGRFrame},
 };
 
 use self::{error::LinCapError, portal::ScreenCastPortal};
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ static STREAM_STATE_CHANGED_TO_ERROR: AtomicBool = AtomicBool::new(false);
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 struct ListenerUserData {
-    pub tx: mpsc::Sender<Frame>,
+    pub tx: mpsc::SyncSender<Frame>,
     pub format: spa::param::video::VideoInfoRaw,
 }
 
@@ -133,31 +133,40 @@ fn process_callback(stream: &StreamRef, user_data: &mut ListenerUserData) {
                 .to_vec()
             };
 
+            // `timestamp` (from spa_meta_header.pts) is a PipeWire monotonic
+            // nanosecond count since an arbitrary reference — not wall-clock.
+            // display_time's SystemTime contract is wall-clock, so we use
+            // SystemTime::now() here (matches what the macOS and Windows
+            // engines do today).  Relative frame ordering survives via
+            // channel-send order; sub-millisecond buffer timing is lost.
+            let _ = timestamp; // suppress "unused" warning until we wire pts elsewhere
+            let display_time = SystemTime::now();
+
             if let Err(e) = match user_data.format.format() {
-                VideoFormat::RGBx => user_data.tx.send(Frame::RGBx(RGBxFrame {
-                    display_time: timestamp as u64,
+                VideoFormat::RGBx => user_data.tx.send(Frame::Video(VideoFrame::RGBx(RGBxFrame {
+                    display_time,
                     width: frame_size.width as i32,
                     height: frame_size.height as i32,
                     data: frame_data,
-                })),
-                VideoFormat::RGB => user_data.tx.send(Frame::RGB(RGBFrame {
-                    display_time: timestamp as u64,
+                }))),
+                VideoFormat::RGB => user_data.tx.send(Frame::Video(VideoFrame::RGB(RGBFrame {
+                    display_time,
                     width: frame_size.width as i32,
                     height: frame_size.height as i32,
                     data: frame_data,
-                })),
-                VideoFormat::xBGR => user_data.tx.send(Frame::XBGR(XBGRFrame {
-                    display_time: timestamp as u64,
+                }))),
+                VideoFormat::xBGR => user_data.tx.send(Frame::Video(VideoFrame::XBGR(XBGRFrame {
+                    display_time,
                     width: frame_size.width as i32,
                     height: frame_size.height as i32,
                     data: frame_data,
-                })),
-                VideoFormat::BGRx => user_data.tx.send(Frame::BGRx(BGRxFrame {
-                    display_time: timestamp as u64,
+                }))),
+                VideoFormat::BGRx => user_data.tx.send(Frame::Video(VideoFrame::BGRx(BGRxFrame {
+                    display_time,
                     width: frame_size.width as i32,
                     height: frame_size.height as i32,
                     data: frame_data,
-                })),
+                }))),
                 _ => panic!("Unsupported frame format received"),
             } {
                 eprintln!("{e}");
@@ -173,7 +182,7 @@ fn process_callback(stream: &StreamRef, user_data: &mut ListenerUserData) {
 // TODO: Format negotiation
 fn pipewire_capturer(
     options: Options,
-    tx: mpsc::Sender<Frame>,
+    tx: mpsc::SyncSender<Frame>,
     ready_sender: &SyncSender<bool>,
     stream_id: u32,
 ) -> Result<(), LinCapError> {
@@ -317,7 +326,7 @@ pub struct LinuxCapturer {
 
 impl LinuxCapturer {
     // TODO: Error handling
-    pub fn new(options: &Options, tx: mpsc::Sender<Frame>) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(options: &Options, tx: mpsc::SyncSender<Frame>) -> Self {
         let connection =
             dbus::blocking::Connection::new_session().expect("Failed to create dbus connection");
         let stream_id = ScreenCastPortal::new(&connection)
@@ -364,6 +373,6 @@ impl LinuxCapturer {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn create_capturer(options: &Options, tx: mpsc::Sender<Frame>) -> LinuxCapturer {
+pub fn create_capturer(options: &Options, tx: mpsc::SyncSender<Frame>) -> LinuxCapturer {
     LinuxCapturer::new(options, tx)
 }
diff --git a/src/capturer/engine/mod.rs b/src/capturer/engine/mod.rs
index e8aa3a00..a1535c11 100644
--- a/src/capturer/engine/mod.rs
+++ b/src/capturer/engine/mod.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ pub struct Engine {
 }
 
 impl Engine {
-    pub fn new(options: &Options, tx: mpsc::Sender<ChannelItem>) -> Engine {
+    pub fn new(options: &Options, tx: mpsc::SyncSender<ChannelItem>) -> Engine {
         #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
         {
             let error_flag = std::sync::Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool::new(false));
diff --git a/src/capturer/mod.rs b/src/capturer/mod.rs
index 04a189bb..769f13d0 100644
--- a/src/capturer/mod.rs
+++ b/src/capturer/mod.rs
@@ -111,7 +111,16 @@ impl Capturer {
             return Err(CapturerBuildError::PermissionNotGranted);
         }
 
-        let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel();
+        // Bounded (not `mpsc::channel()`): the Linux engine's PipeWire
+        // callback thread pushes frames into this channel unconditionally,
+        // independent of how fast `get_next_frame()` is drained downstream.
+        // An unbounded channel here means any transient slowdown in the
+        // consumer (encode/network backpressure) grows this queue without
+        // limit -- confirmed via heaptrack: ~1.44G leaked over a 25s run,
+        // entirely attributed to undrained `Frame` allocations queued from
+        // `engine::linux::process_callback`. A small bound applies real
+        // backpressure to the PipeWire iterate thread instead.
+        let (tx, rx) = mpsc::sync_channel(2);
         let engine = engine::Engine::new(&options, tx);
 
         Ok(Capturer { engine, rx })