diff --git a/src/textual_webterm/local_server.py b/src/textual_webterm/local_server.py
index a4c721b..7e29b3d 100644
--- a/src/textual_webterm/local_server.py
+++ b/src/textual_webterm/local_server.py
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ log = logging.getLogger("textual-web")
 
 DISCONNECT_RESIZE = (132, 45)
 
+# Avoid heavy screenshot rendering from processing unbounded output.
+SCREENSHOT_MAX_BYTES = 65536
+SCREENSHOT_CACHE_SECONDS = 1.0
+
 WEBTERM_STATIC_PATH = Path(__file__).parent / "static"
 
 
@@ -77,6 +81,28 @@ class LocalClientConnector(SessionConnector):
         await self.server.handle_session_close(self.session_id, self.route_key)
 
 
+def _apply_carriage_returns(text: str) -> list[str]:
+    """Interpret \r as 'return to start of line' (overwrite), not a newline.
+
+    This prevents terminals that redraw a single line (progress bars, prompts) from
+    expanding into many duplicate lines in screenshots.
+    """
+
+    lines: list[str] = []
+    current: list[str] = []
+    for ch in text:
+        if ch == "\r":
+            current.clear()
+        elif ch == "\n":
+            lines.append("".join(current))
+            current.clear()
+        else:
+            current.append(ch)
+    if current:
+        lines.append("".join(current))
+    return lines
+
+
 class LocalServer:
     """Manages local Textual apps and terminals without Ganglion server."""
 
@@ -108,6 +134,9 @@ class LocalServer:
         self._websocket_connections: dict[RouteKey, web.WebSocketResponse] = {}
         self._landing_apps = landing_apps or []
 
+        self._screenshot_cache: dict[str, tuple[float, str]] = {}
+        self._screenshot_locks: dict[str, asyncio.Lock] = {}
+
     @property
     def app_count(self) -> int:
         return len(self.session_manager.apps)
@@ -373,6 +402,8 @@ class LocalServer:
             raise web.HTTPNotFound(text="Session not found")
 
         replay_data = await session_process.get_replay_buffer()  # type: ignore[func-returns-value]
+        if len(replay_data) > SCREENSHOT_MAX_BYTES:
+            replay_data = replay_data[-SCREENSHOT_MAX_BYTES:]
         ansi_text = replay_data.decode("utf-8", errors="replace")
 
         try:
@@ -387,36 +418,56 @@ class LocalServer:
             height = DISCONNECT_RESIZE[1]
         height = max(5, min(200, height))
 
-        lines = ansi_text.splitlines()
+        lines = _apply_carriage_returns(ansi_text)
         if len(lines) > height:
             ansi_text = "\n".join(lines[-height:]) + "\n"
 
-        console = Console(record=True, width=width, height=height, file=io.StringIO())
-        decoder = AnsiDecoder()
-        for renderable in decoder.decode(ansi_text):
-            console.print(renderable)
+        now = asyncio.get_event_loop().time()
+        cached = self._screenshot_cache.get(route_key)
+        if cached is not None and (now - cached[0]) < SCREENSHOT_CACHE_SECONDS:
+            return web.Response(text=cached[1], content_type="image/svg+xml")
 
-        svg = console.export_svg(
-            title="textual-webterm",
-            code_format=(
-                '<svg class="rich-terminal" viewBox="0 0 {terminal_width} {terminal_height}" '
-                'xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">'
-                '<style>{styles}</style>'
-                '<defs>'
-                '<clipPath id="{unique_id}-clip-terminal">'
-                '<rect x="0" y="0" width="{terminal_width}" height="{terminal_height}" />'
-                '</clipPath>'
-                '{lines}'
-                '</defs>'
-                '<g clip-path="url(#{unique_id}-clip-terminal)">'
-                '<rect x="0" y="0" width="{terminal_width}" height="{terminal_height}" fill="#000" />'
-                '{backgrounds}'
-                '<g class="{unique_id}-matrix">{matrix}</g>'
-                '</g>'
-                '</svg>'
-            ),
-        )
-        return web.Response(text=svg, content_type="image/svg+xml")
+        lock = self._screenshot_locks.get(route_key)
+        if lock is None:
+            lock = asyncio.Lock()
+            self._screenshot_locks[route_key] = lock
+
+        async with lock:
+            # Another request may have refreshed the cache while we waited.
+            cached = self._screenshot_cache.get(route_key)
+            if cached is not None and (now - cached[0]) < SCREENSHOT_CACHE_SECONDS:
+                return web.Response(text=cached[1], content_type="image/svg+xml")
+
+            def _render_svg() -> str:
+                console = Console(record=True, width=width, height=height, file=io.StringIO())
+                decoder = AnsiDecoder()
+                for renderable in decoder.decode(ansi_text):
+                    console.print(renderable)
+
+                return console.export_svg(
+                    title="textual-webterm",
+                    code_format=(
+                        '<svg class="rich-terminal" viewBox="0 0 {terminal_width} {terminal_height}" '
+                        'xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">'
+                        '<style>{styles}</style>'
+                        '<defs>'
+                        '<clipPath id="{unique_id}-clip-terminal">'
+                        '<rect x="0" y="0" width="{terminal_width}" height="{terminal_height}" />'
+                        '</clipPath>'
+                        '{lines}'
+                        '</defs>'
+                        '<g clip-path="url(#{unique_id}-clip-terminal)">'
+                        '<rect x="0" y="0" width="{terminal_width}" height="{terminal_height}" fill="#000" />'
+                        '{backgrounds}'
+                        '<g class="{unique_id}-matrix">{matrix}</g>'
+                        '</g>'
+                        '</svg>'
+                    ),
+                )
+
+            svg = await asyncio.to_thread(_render_svg)
+            self._screenshot_cache[route_key] = (asyncio.get_event_loop().time(), svg)
+            return web.Response(text=svg, content_type="image/svg+xml")
 
     async def _handle_health_check(self, _request: web.Request) -> web.Response:
         return web.Response(text="Local server is running")
diff --git a/tests/test_local_server_unit.py b/tests/test_local_server_unit.py
index 6d24b57..8677fd1 100644
--- a/tests/test_local_server_unit.py
+++ b/tests/test_local_server_unit.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import pytest
 from aiohttp import web
 
 from textual_webterm.config import App, Config
-from textual_webterm.local_server import LocalServer
+from textual_webterm.local_server import LocalServer, _apply_carriage_returns
 
 
 class TestGetStaticPath:
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ class TestLocalServer:
 class TestLocalServerHelpers:
     """Tests for LocalServer helper methods."""
 
+    def test_apply_carriage_returns_overwrites_line(self):
+        text = "hello\rworld\nnext"
+        assert _apply_carriage_returns(text) == ["world", "next"]
+
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_keyboard_interrupt_closes_sessions_and_websockets(self, server, monkeypatch):
         ws1 = MagicMock()