diff --git a/src/plugins/sharpa_avatar/core/avatar_hand_tracking_plugin.cpp b/src/plugins/sharpa_avatar/core/avatar_hand_tracking_plugin.cpp
index 34942b2bfe..22d12a9f67 100644
--- a/src/plugins/sharpa_avatar/core/avatar_hand_tracking_plugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/sharpa_avatar/core/avatar_hand_tracking_plugin.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <string>
 #include <string_view>
+#include <tuple>
 #include <utility>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ namespace
 {
 
 constexpr size_t kJointFlatbufferSize = 4096;
-constexpr auto kAvatarDataTimeout = std::chrono::seconds(10);
+constexpr auto kAvatarDataTimeout = std::chrono::seconds(3);
 constexpr auto kGloveRetryInterval = std::chrono::seconds(2);
 constexpr auto kGloveWaitLogInterval = std::chrono::seconds(10);
 constexpr auto kHapticCommandTimeout = std::chrono::milliseconds(200);
@@ -256,6 +257,7 @@ void GloveState::reset() noexcept
     robot_frame = {};
     device.reset();
     last_successful_fetch.reset();
+    last_sample_stamp = {};
 }
 
 AvatarTracker::AvatarTracker(AvatarPluginConfig config) : m_config(std::move(config)), m_sdk(m_config.sdk_config_path)
@@ -428,15 +430,26 @@ void AvatarTracker::refresh_data()
         }
 
         const bool expects_data = m_config.human || m_config.raw || m_config.robot;
+        // fetch_data() keeps returning a silent glove's last sample, so only a newer
+        // sample stamp counts as data for the timeout below.
         bool fetched_any = false;
+        const auto note_stamp = [&state, &fetched_any](const ::avatar::Stamp& stamp)
+        {
+            if (std::tie(stamp.sec, stamp.nanosec) >
+                std::tie(state.last_sample_stamp.sec, state.last_sample_stamp.nanosec))
+            {
+                state.last_sample_stamp = stamp;
+                fetched_any = true;
+            }
+        };
         if (m_config.human)
         {
             ::avatar::AvatarDataFrame frame;
             const bool fetched =
                 state.device->fetch_data(frame, ::avatar::DeviceDataCategory::HUMAN) == ::avatar::ErrorCode::SUCCESS;
-            fetched_any = fetched_any || fetched;
             if (fetched)
             {
+                note_stamp(frame.skeleton.header.stamp);
                 state.landmarks = std::move(frame.skeleton.landmark);
             }
             else
@@ -452,10 +465,10 @@ void AvatarTracker::refresh_data()
             }
             ::avatar::AvatarDataFrame frame;
             const bool fetched = state.device->fetch_data(frame, category) == ::avatar::ErrorCode::SUCCESS;
-            fetched_any = fetched_any || fetched;
             ::avatar::AvatarDataFrame& cached = cached_joint_frame(state, category);
             if (fetched)
             {
+                note_stamp(hand_payload(frame, category).header.stamp);
                 cached = std::move(frame);
             }
             else
diff --git a/src/plugins/sharpa_avatar/core/inc/avatar/avatar_hand_tracking_plugin.hpp b/src/plugins/sharpa_avatar/core/inc/avatar/avatar_hand_tracking_plugin.hpp
index 5dbd2657c0..1bf0bf97d4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/sharpa_avatar/core/inc/avatar/avatar_hand_tracking_plugin.hpp
+++ b/src/plugins/sharpa_avatar/core/inc/avatar/avatar_hand_tracking_plugin.hpp
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ struct GloveState
     ::avatar::AvatarDataFrame robot_frame;
     // Empty until start() or a successful fetch; drives the data-timeout window.
     std::optional<std::chrono::steady_clock::time_point> last_successful_fetch;
+    // Newest sample stamp seen; a fetch only counts as data when it advances this.
+    ::avatar::Stamp last_sample_stamp;
 };
 
 class __attribute__((visibility("default"))) AvatarTracker