diff --git a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/mod.rs b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/mod.rs
index a4aedb99..de14ef00 100644
--- a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/mod.rs
@@ -246,6 +246,8 @@ pub struct Context {
     pub(crate) state_stack: Vec<State>,
     pub(crate) font_color: Color,
     pub(crate) recording: Option<recording::Recording>,
+    /// GPU readback of the surface, with the generation it was read at
+    pub(crate) snapshot: Option<(u32, Image)>,
 }
 
 impl Drop for Context {
@@ -520,6 +522,10 @@ impl Context {
     }
 
     pub fn get_image(&mut self) -> Option<Image> {
+        if let Some(image) = self.cached_snapshot() {
+            return Some(image);
+        }
+
         #[cfg(feature = "gl")]
         {
             if let Some(ref context) = self.gl_context {
@@ -529,16 +535,28 @@ impl Context {
 
         self.flush();
 
-        let snapshot = self.surface.image_snapshot();
+        if self.surface_data.engine == SurfaceEngine::CPU {
+            return Some(self.surface.image_snapshot());
+        }
 
-        // A GPU snapshot is only readable through its context: copy it to the CPU.
-        let ret = if self.surface_data.engine != SurfaceEngine::CPU {
-            snapshot.make_raster_image(self.direct_context.as_mut(), CachingHint::Allow)
-        } else {
-            Some(snapshot)
-        };
+        // read back once per change
+        let generation = self.surface.generation_id();
+        let snapshot = self.surface.image_snapshot();
+        let image = snapshot.make_raster_image(self.direct_context.as_mut(), CachingHint::Allow)?;
+        self.snapshot = Some((generation, image.clone()));
+        Some(image)
+    }
 
-        ret
+    /// The last readback, if nothing was drawn since.
+    fn cached_snapshot(&mut self) -> Option<Image> {
+        if self.recording.is_some() {
+            return None;
+        }
+        let generation = self.surface.generation_id();
+        match &self.snapshot {
+            Some((cached, image)) if *cached == generation => Some(image.clone()),
+            _ => None,
+        }
     }
 
     pub fn draw_pixels(&mut self, image: &Image) {
diff --git a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/recording.rs b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/recording.rs
index 59178c13..431c249b 100644
--- a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/recording.rs
+++ b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/recording.rs
@@ -6,17 +6,24 @@ use skia_safe::{
     Rect, M44,
 };
 
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering};
+
 use crate::context::{Context, State};
 
 /// Recordings open with a save of their own: a bottom-level clip can't be undone, and `reset()` must.
 pub(crate) const RECORDING_BASE: usize = 2;
 
+static REVISIONS: AtomicU64 = AtomicU64::new(1);
+
 pub(crate) struct Recording {
     recorder: PictureRecorder,
     bounds: Rect,
     ops: Vec<FrameOp>,
     /// Began with a full-canvas clear, so no earlier frame shows through.
     cleared: bool,
+    /// Changes whenever something may have been drawn
+    revision: u64,
+    touched: bool,
 }
 
 impl Recording {
@@ -28,17 +35,32 @@ impl Recording {
             bounds,
             ops: Vec::new(),
             cleared: false,
+            revision: REVISIONS.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed),
+            touched: false,
         }
     }
 
     #[inline]
     pub(crate) fn canvas(&mut self) -> &Canvas {
+        self.touched = true;
+        self.recording_canvas()
+    }
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn recording_canvas(&mut self) -> &Canvas {
         // `restart` begins the next recording before returning.
         self.recorder
             .recording_canvas()
             .expect("recording canvas is always live")
     }
 
+    fn revision(&mut self) -> u64 {
+        if std::mem::take(&mut self.touched) {
+            self.revision = REVISIONS.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        }
+        self.revision
+    }
+
     fn cut(&mut self, stack: &[State], current: &State) {
         if let Some(picture) = self.restart(stack, current) {
             self.ops.push(FrameOp::Picture(picture));
@@ -52,7 +74,7 @@ impl Recording {
     }
 
     fn restart(&mut self, stack: &[State], current: &State) -> Option<Picture> {
-        let matrix = self.canvas().local_to_device();
+        let matrix = self.recording_canvas().local_to_device();
         let picture = self.recorder.finish_recording_as_picture(Some(&self.bounds));
         self.recorder.begin_recording(self.bounds, false).save();
         let canvas = self.recorder.recording_canvas().expect("just begun");
@@ -210,6 +232,11 @@ impl Context {
         self.recording = Some(Recording::new(self.surface_data.bounds));
     }
 
+    /// Unchanged while nothing is drawn.
+    pub fn revision(&mut self) -> Option<u64> {
+        self.recording.as_mut().map(Recording::revision)
+    }
+
     /// Frames must be replayed in order.
     pub fn take_frame(&mut self) -> Frame {
         let Some(recording) = self.recording.as_mut() else {
@@ -249,6 +276,7 @@ impl Context {
             return false;
         };
         recording.cut(&self.state_stack, &self.state);
+        recording.touched = true;
         let len = (row_bytes * info.height().max(0) as usize).min(bytes.len());
         recording.ops.push(FrameOp::Pixels(PixelWrite {
             width: info.width(),
@@ -301,6 +329,7 @@ impl Context {
         };
         let matrix = recording.canvas().local_to_device();
         recording.cut(&self.state_stack, &self.state);
+        recording.touched = true;
         recording.ops.push(FrameOp::External(ExternalDraw {
             state: StateSnapshot::take(&self.state_stack, &self.state, matrix),
             src,
diff --git a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface.rs b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface.rs
index b74aa259..29183e77 100644
--- a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface.rs
+++ b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface.rs
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ impl Context {
             state_stack: vec![],
             font_color: Color::new(font_color as u32),
             recording: None,
+            snapshot: None,
             #[cfg(feature = "gl")]
             window_surface: None,
             #[cfg(any(feature = "gl", feature = "vulkan", feature = "metal"))]
diff --git a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_d3d.rs b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_d3d.rs
index 015c9454..4415bf9a 100644
--- a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_d3d.rs
+++ b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_d3d.rs
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ impl Context {
             state_stack: vec![],
             font_color: Color::new(font_color as u32),
             recording: None,
+            snapshot: None,
             #[cfg(feature = "gl")]
             window_surface: None,
             #[cfg(any(feature = "gl", feature = "vulkan", feature = "metal"))]
diff --git a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_gl.rs b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_gl.rs
index 4c1b4901..446ba245 100644
--- a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_gl.rs
+++ b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_gl.rs
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ impl Context {
             state_stack: vec![],
             font_color: Color::new(font_color as u32),
             recording: None,
+            snapshot: None,
             surface_state: SurfaceState::None,
         })
     }
diff --git a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_metal.rs b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_metal.rs
index f4297279..344df498 100644
--- a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_metal.rs
+++ b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_metal.rs
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ impl Context {
             state_stack: vec![],
             font_color: Color::new(font_color as u32),
             recording: None,
+            snapshot: None,
             #[cfg(feature = "gl")]
             window_surface: None,
             #[cfg(any(feature = "gl", feature = "vulkan", feature = "metal"))]
@@ -269,6 +270,7 @@ impl Context {
             state_stack: vec![],
             font_color: Color::new(font_color as u32),
             recording: None,
+            snapshot: None,
             #[cfg(feature = "gl")]
             window_surface: None,
             #[cfg(any(feature = "gl", feature = "vulkan", feature = "metal"))]
@@ -353,6 +355,7 @@ impl Context {
             state_stack: vec![],
             font_color: Color::new(font_color as u32),
             recording: None,
+            snapshot: None,
             #[cfg(feature = "gl")]
             window_surface: None,
             #[cfg(any(feature = "gl", feature = "vulkan", feature = "metal"))]
diff --git a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_vulkan.rs b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_vulkan.rs
index c8b3deed..4be0ba04 100644
--- a/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_vulkan.rs
+++ b/crates/canvas-2d/src/context/surface_vulkan.rs
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ impl Context {
             state_stack: vec![],
             font_color: skia_safe::Color::new(font_color as u32),
             recording: None,
+            snapshot: None,
             #[cfg(feature = "gl")]
             window_surface: None,
             #[cfg(any(feature = "gl", feature = "vulkan", feature = "metal"))]
diff --git a/crates/canvas-c/src/c2d/context.rs b/crates/canvas-c/src/c2d/context.rs
index 97a3cc2b..5fe728eb 100644
--- a/crates/canvas-c/src/c2d/context.rs
+++ b/crates/canvas-c/src/c2d/context.rs
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ pub struct CanvasRenderingContext2D {
     refs: AtomicUsize,
     /// `context` only records; the real one lives on the render thread.
     threaded: Option<crate::c2d::render_thread::RenderTarget>,
+    /// Threaded: last image and the revision it shows
+    snapshot: Option<(u64, canvas_2d::context::Image)>,
 }
 
 impl CanvasRenderingContext2D {
@@ -245,6 +247,7 @@ impl CanvasRenderingContext2D {
             engine: Engine::CPU,
             refs: AtomicUsize::new(1),
             threaded: None,
+            snapshot: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -256,6 +259,7 @@ impl CanvasRenderingContext2D {
             engine: Engine::GL,
             refs: AtomicUsize::new(1),
             threaded: None,
+            snapshot: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -267,6 +271,7 @@ impl CanvasRenderingContext2D {
             engine: Engine::Vulkan,
             refs: AtomicUsize::new(1),
             threaded: None,
+            snapshot: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -278,6 +283,7 @@ impl CanvasRenderingContext2D {
             engine: Engine::Metal,
             refs: AtomicUsize::new(1),
             threaded: None,
+            snapshot: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -289,6 +295,7 @@ impl CanvasRenderingContext2D {
             engine: Engine::D3D,
             refs: AtomicUsize::new(1),
             threaded: None,
+            snapshot: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -323,6 +330,7 @@ impl CanvasRenderingContext2D {
             engine: Engine::CPU,
             refs: AtomicUsize::new(1),
             threaded: Some(target),
+            snapshot: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -373,7 +381,16 @@ impl CanvasRenderingContext2D {
     }
 
     pub fn image(&mut self) -> Option<canvas_2d::context::Image> {
-        self.with_pixels_source(|context| context.get_image()).flatten()
+        // skip the render thread if nothing was drawn
+        let revision = self.context.revision().filter(|_| !self.gpu_lost());
+        if let (Some(revision), Some((cached, image))) = (revision, &self.snapshot) {
+            if *cached == revision {
+                return Some(image.clone());
+            }
+        }
+        let image = self.with_pixels_source(|context| context.get_image()).flatten();
+        self.snapshot = revision.zip(image.clone());
+        image
     }
 
     pub fn image_data(
@@ -843,6 +860,7 @@ pub extern "C" fn canvas_native_context_create(
         engine: Engine::CPU,
         refs: AtomicUsize::new(1),
         threaded: None,
+        snapshot: None,
     }))
 }
 
@@ -878,6 +896,7 @@ pub extern "C" fn canvas_native_context_create_gl(
         engine: Engine::GL,
         refs: AtomicUsize::new(1),
         threaded: None,
+        snapshot: None,
     }))
 }
 
@@ -924,6 +943,7 @@ pub extern "C" fn canvas_native_context_create_gl_no_window(
         engine: Engine::GL,
         refs: AtomicUsize::new(1),
         threaded: None,
+        snapshot: None,
     }))
 }