diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/mhsl/minecraft/pixelpics/render/RenderManager.java b/src/main/java/eu/mhsl/minecraft/pixelpics/render/RenderManager.java
index cb8dedd..09e94e2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/mhsl/minecraft/pixelpics/render/RenderManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/mhsl/minecraft/pixelpics/render/RenderManager.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinPool;
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ import java.util.function.Supplier;
 import org.bukkit.Bukkit;
 import org.bukkit.plugin.IllegalPluginAccessException;
 import org.bukkit.plugin.Plugin;
+import org.bukkit.scheduler.BukkitTask;
 
 /**
  * Server-friendly scheduling for photo renders. Bounds CPU use and protects the server tick by:
@@ -33,6 +35,8 @@ import org.bukkit.plugin.Plugin;
  *       {@code queueSize} more waiting; further requests are rejected.</li>
  *   <li><b>CPU:</b> the ray tracing runs on a dedicated {@link ForkJoinPool} of {@code threads}
  *       {@link Thread#MIN_PRIORITY} workers instead of fanning out over the common pool.</li>
+ *   <li><b>Main thread:</b> at most one world snapshot ({@link #onMainThread}) per tick, also when several
+ *       jobs start at once.</li>
  * </ul>
  *
  * <p>Reserve a slot with {@link #tryReserve(UUID)}; if accepted, run the heavy work via
@@ -55,6 +59,10 @@ public final class RenderManager {
     private final ScheduledExecutorService watchdog;
     private final Set<UUID> activeUsers = ConcurrentHashMap.newKeySet();
     private final Set<Job<?>> jobs = ConcurrentHashMap.newKeySet();
+    /** Main-thread tasks of the jobs ({@link #onMainThread}), run one per tick by {@link #runNextMainTask}. */
+    private final ConcurrentLinkedQueue<MainTask> mainTasks = new ConcurrentLinkedQueue<>();
+
+    private final BukkitTask mainTaskPump;
     private volatile boolean shuttingDown = false;
     private final AtomicInteger inFlight = new AtomicInteger();
     private final int capacity;
@@ -78,6 +86,7 @@ public final class RenderManager {
             thread.setDaemon(true);
             return thread;
         });
+        this.mainTaskPump = Bukkit.getScheduler().runTaskTimer(plugin, this::runNextMainTask, 1, 1);
     }
 
     /** The bounded, low-priority pool the ray tracer must run its parallel work on. */
@@ -148,28 +157,24 @@ public final class RenderManager {
     }
 
     /**
-     * From a dispatched job's {@code work}: runs {@code task} on the main thread (next tick) and waits for its result.
-     * Lets a job capture its world snapshot only once it is its turn, so queued photos hold no snapshot. Returns null
-     * without running {@code task} once {@code cancelled} is set (timeout, shutdown), the plugin is disabled or the
-     * worker is interrupted.
+     * From a dispatched job's {@code work}: runs {@code task} on the main thread and waits for its result. Lets a job
+     * capture its world snapshot only once it is its turn, so queued photos hold no snapshot. The tasks of all jobs run
+     * one per tick in request order, so jobs starting together (a burst, or {@code max-concurrent} > 1) never stack
+     * their snapshots into one long tick. Returns null without running {@code task} once {@code cancelled} is set
+     * (timeout, shutdown), the plugin is disabled or the worker is interrupted.
      */
     public <T> T onMainThread(Supplier<T> task, AtomicBoolean cancelled) {
+        if (shuttingDown) return null;
         CompletableFuture<T> result = new CompletableFuture<>();
-        try {
-            Bukkit.getScheduler().runTask(plugin, () -> {
-                if (cancelled.get()) {
-                    result.complete(null);
-                    return;
-                }
-                try {
-                    result.complete(task.get());
-                } catch (Throwable t) {
-                    result.completeExceptionally(t);
-                }
-            });
-        } catch (IllegalPluginAccessException e) {
-            return null; // disabled meanwhile
-        }
+        mainTasks.add(new MainTask(
+                () -> {
+                    try {
+                        result.complete(task.get());
+                    } catch (Throwable t) {
+                        result.completeExceptionally(t);
+                    }
+                },
+                cancelled));
         while (!cancelled.get()) {
             try {
                 return result.get(50, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
@@ -187,6 +192,18 @@ public final class RenderManager {
         return null;
     }
 
+    /** Every tick: runs the oldest main-thread task whose job is still alive (cancelled ones are dropped). */
+    private void runNextMainTask() {
+        MainTask next;
+        while ((next = mainTasks.poll()) != null) {
+            if (next.cancelled.get()) continue; // its worker returns null on its own
+            next.run.run();
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private record MainTask(Runnable run, AtomicBoolean cancelled) {}
+
     /**
      * Stops all rendering without leaving a job undelivered: running and queued jobs are cancelled, the workers get
      * a few seconds to wind down, then every job's callback runs here (on the main thread) — {@code onSuccess} for
@@ -194,7 +211,9 @@ public final class RenderManager {
      */
     public void shutdown() {
         shuttingDown = true;
+        mainTaskPump.cancel();
         for (Job<?> job : jobs) job.cancelled.set(true);
+        mainTasks.clear();
         watchdog.shutdownNow();
         dispatcher.shutdownNow();
         try {
@@ -237,9 +256,11 @@ public final class RenderManager {
     }
 
     private static ForkJoinPool.ForkJoinWorkerThreadFactory lowPriorityForkJoinFactory() {
+        AtomicInteger counter = new AtomicInteger();
         return pool -> {
             ForkJoinWorkerThread thread = ForkJoinPool.defaultForkJoinWorkerThreadFactory.newThread(pool);
-            thread.setName("PixelPics-trace-" + thread.getPoolIndex());
+            // not getPoolIndex(): it is only assigned once the worker registers, here every name would end in -0
+            thread.setName("PixelPics-trace-" + counter.incrementAndGet());
             thread.setPriority(Thread.MIN_PRIORITY);
             thread.setDaemon(true);
             return thread;