diff --git a/src/components/post-desktop/post-desktop.tsx b/src/components/post-desktop/post-desktop.tsx
index ca508e26..6e678d32 100644
--- a/src/components/post-desktop/post-desktop.tsx
+++ b/src/components/post-desktop/post-desktop.tsx
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ import usePostNumberStore from '../../stores/use-post-number-store';
 import { alertChallengeVerificationFailed } from '../../lib/utils/challenge-utils';
 import { usePublishCommentModeration } from '@plebbit/plebbit-react-hooks';
 import useQuotedByMap from '../../hooks/use-quoted-by-map';
+import useProgressiveRender from '../../hooks/use-progressive-render';
+import { REPLIES_PER_PAGE } from '../../lib/constants';
 
 const { addChallenge } = useChallengesStore.getState();
 
@@ -674,6 +676,7 @@ const PostDesktop = ({
     comment: post,
     sortType: 'old',
     flat: true,
+    repliesPerPage: REPLIES_PER_PAGE,
     accountComments: { newerThan: Infinity, append: true },
   });
   const { replies, hasMore, loadMore } = repliesResult;
@@ -737,6 +740,13 @@ const PostDesktop = ({
 
   const quotedByMap = useQuotedByMap(filteredReplies);
 
+  const visibleReplies = useProgressiveRender(filteredReplies, {
+    batchSize: 50,
+    intervalMs: 100,
+    resetKey: cid,
+    disabled: hasMore || !!targetReplyCid || !showAllReplies,
+  });
+
   // Virtuoso scroll position management for infinite replies
   const virtuosoRef = useRef<VirtuosoHandle | null>(null);
   const virtuosoStateKey = `replies-desktop-${cid}`;
@@ -888,7 +898,7 @@ const PostDesktop = ({
           !isInPendingPostView &&
           showReplies &&
           !hasMore &&
-          filteredReplies.map((reply, index) => (
+          visibleReplies.map((reply, index) => (
             <div key={index} className={styles.replyContainer}>
               <Reply
                 reply={reply}
diff --git a/src/components/post-mobile/post-mobile.tsx b/src/components/post-mobile/post-mobile.tsx
index 6c75550e..6dc2daed 100644
--- a/src/components/post-mobile/post-mobile.tsx
+++ b/src/components/post-mobile/post-mobile.tsx
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ import useFeedResetStore from '../../stores/use-feed-reset-store';
 import usePostNumberStore from '../../stores/use-post-number-store';
 import { alertChallengeVerificationFailed } from '../../lib/utils/challenge-utils';
 import useQuotedByMap from '../../hooks/use-quoted-by-map';
+import useProgressiveRender from '../../hooks/use-progressive-render';
+import { REPLIES_PER_PAGE } from '../../lib/constants';
 
 const { addChallenge } = useChallengesStore.getState();
 
@@ -497,6 +499,7 @@ const PostMobile = ({
     comment: post,
     sortType: 'old',
     flat: true,
+    repliesPerPage: REPLIES_PER_PAGE,
     accountComments: { newerThan: Infinity, append: true },
   });
   const { replies, hasMore, loadMore } = repliesResult;
@@ -537,6 +540,13 @@ const PostMobile = ({
 
   const quotedByMap = useQuotedByMap(filteredReplies);
 
+  const visibleReplies = useProgressiveRender(filteredReplies, {
+    batchSize: 50,
+    intervalMs: 100,
+    resetKey: cid,
+    disabled: hasMore || !!targetReplyCid || !showAllReplies,
+  });
+
   // Virtuoso scroll position management for infinite replies
   const virtuosoRef = useRef<VirtuosoHandle | null>(null);
   const virtuosoStateKey = `replies-mobile-${cid}`;
@@ -670,7 +680,7 @@ const PostMobile = ({
               !isInPendingPostView &&
               showReplies &&
               !hasMore &&
-              filteredReplies.map((reply, index) => (
+              visibleReplies.map((reply, index) => (
                 <div key={index} className={styles.replyContainer}>
                   <Reply postReplyCount={replyCount} reply={reply} roles={roles} threadNumber={post?.number} quotedByMap={quotedByMap} />
                 </div>
diff --git a/src/hooks/use-progressive-render.ts b/src/hooks/use-progressive-render.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8f47185f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/use-progressive-render.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import { startTransition, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+
+interface UseProgressiveRenderOptions {
+  batchSize?: number;
+  intervalMs?: number;
+  resetKey?: string;
+  disabled?: boolean;
+}
+
+const DEFAULT_BATCH_SIZE = 50;
+const DEFAULT_INTERVAL_MS = 100;
+
+/**
+ * Progressively reveals items in batches via startTransition to avoid blocking the UI
+ * when mounting many heavy components (e.g. 500 reply components).
+ * When disabled or once fully caught up, returns the full array immediately.
+ */
+const useProgressiveRender = <T>(items: T[], options: UseProgressiveRenderOptions = {}): T[] => {
+  const { batchSize = DEFAULT_BATCH_SIZE, intervalMs = DEFAULT_INTERVAL_MS, resetKey, disabled = false } = options;
+
+  const [progressState, setProgressState] = useState<{ key: string | undefined; visibleCount: number }>({
+    key: resetKey,
+    visibleCount: batchSize,
+  });
+  const isResetKeyChanged = progressState.key !== resetKey;
+  const visibleCount = isResetKeyChanged ? batchSize : progressState.visibleCount;
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (disabled || items.length <= batchSize) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const current = visibleCount >= items.length ? items.length : visibleCount;
+    if (current >= items.length) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const next = Math.min(current + batchSize, items.length);
+    const timer = window.setTimeout(() => {
+      startTransition(() => {
+        setProgressState({
+          key: resetKey,
+          visibleCount: next,
+        });
+      });
+    }, intervalMs);
+
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(timer);
+  }, [items.length, visibleCount, batchSize, intervalMs, disabled, resetKey]);
+
+  if (disabled || items.length <= batchSize) {
+    return items;
+  }
+
+  if (visibleCount >= items.length) {
+    return items;
+  }
+
+  return items.slice(0, visibleCount);
+};
+
+export default useProgressiveRender;
diff --git a/src/lib/constants.ts b/src/lib/constants.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..625871e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/constants.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+/** Max replies loaded per page from useReplies. Threads with > this use Virtuoso. */
+export const REPLIES_PER_PAGE = 500;
diff --git a/src/views/post/post.module.css b/src/views/post/post.module.css
index fdd0d19d..5bcf3646 100644
--- a/src/views/post/post.module.css
+++ b/src/views/post/post.module.css
@@ -456,6 +456,8 @@
 
 .replyDesktop {
   padding-top: 4px;
+  content-visibility: auto;
+  contain-intrinsic-size: auto 120px;
 }
 
 .replyDesktop .sideArrows {
@@ -490,6 +492,8 @@
 
 .replyMobile {
   padding-top: 7px;
+  content-visibility: auto;
+  contain-intrinsic-size: auto 120px;
 }
 
 .replyMobile .replyContainer {