diff --git a/src/core/video.ts b/src/core/video.ts
index 08c0c13..c492137 100644
--- a/src/core/video.ts
+++ b/src/core/video.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ export class VideoPublisher {
   private produced = 0;
   private published = 0;
   private dropped = 0;
+  /** Audio position when the first frame showed up; the picture is hung off it. */
+  private anchor: { audioSeconds: number; frameIndex: number } | null = null;
   private pump: NodeJS.Timeout | null = null;
   private firstFrameTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | null = null;
 
@@ -152,10 +154,20 @@ export class VideoPublisher {
     const { fps } = this.options;
     const now = this.options.audioClock();
     const tolerance = 1 / (2 * fps);
+    const offset = config.VIDEO_SYNC_OFFSET_MS / 1000;
 
     while (this.queue.length > 0) {
       const frame = this.queue[0] as QueuedFrame;
-      const dueAt = frame.index / fps;
+      // The first frame sets the relationship between the two streams instead of
+      // assuming both start at zero: audio begins flowing before the picture is
+      // decoded, and pinning frames to an absolute zero puts the whole clip in
+      // debt. From there the spacing is held, which is what stops the drift.
+      if (!this.anchor) {
+        this.anchor = { audioSeconds: now, frameIndex: frame.index };
+        log.info({ audioSeconds: Number(now.toFixed(2)) }, "video anchored to the audio clock");
+      }
+      const dueAt =
+        this.anchor.audioSeconds + (frame.index - this.anchor.frameIndex) / fps + offset;
       if (now + tolerance < dueAt) break;
 
       this.queue.shift();
@@ -214,5 +226,6 @@ export class VideoPublisher {
     this.produced = 0;
     this.published = 0;
     this.dropped = 0;
+    this.anchor = null;
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/sources/video-pipeline.ts b/src/sources/video-pipeline.ts
index 526f807..063cc33 100644
--- a/src/sources/video-pipeline.ts
+++ b/src/sources/video-pipeline.ts
@@ -64,11 +64,6 @@ export function openVideoPipeline(
   const filters = [`scale=${width}:${height}`, `fps=${fps}`, "format=yuv420p"].join(",");
 
   const seek = seekSeconds > 0 ? ["-ss", seekSeconds.toFixed(2)] : [];
-  // Hand-tuning room for lip sync; the two tracks are published separately.
-  const offset =
-    config.VIDEO_SYNC_OFFSET_MS !== 0
-      ? ["-itsoffset", (config.VIDEO_SYNC_OFFSET_MS / 1000).toFixed(3)]
-      : [];
   // Split: fd 0 video in, fd 3 audio in, fd 4 frames out.
   // Progressive: fd 0 everything in, fd 3 frames out.
   const videoOutFd = split ? 4 : 3;
@@ -79,7 +74,6 @@ export function openVideoPipeline(
       "-hide_banner",
       "-loglevel",
       "error",
-      ...offset,
       ...seek,
       "-re",
       "-i",