diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.buffering.test.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.buffering.test.ts
index 84ee600405..25d1dc804c 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.buffering.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.buffering.test.ts
@@ -227,6 +227,52 @@ it("a hold for data does not reload a later clip", () => {
   expect(load.mock.contexts.filter((el) => el === later).length).toBe(before);
 });
 
+function laterClipHoldingARequest() {
+  const later = document.getElementById("later") as HTMLVideoElement;
+  Object.defineProperties(later, {
+    readyState: { get: () => 1, configurable: true },
+    networkState: { get: () => 2, configurable: true },
+  });
+  const srcWrites = new MutationObserver(() => {});
+  srcWrites.observe(later, { attributeFilter: ["src"] });
+  return { later, srcWrites };
+}
+
+it("a hold whose clip gets no data for 5 s frees the clips not due, whose open requests can fill the connection", () => {
+  const { voice, voiceReady, playFor } = playPodcast(
+    0,
+    "video",
+    '<video id="later" data-start="9" data-duration="1" src="/later.mp4"></video>',
+  );
+  const { later, srcWrites } = laterClipHoldingARequest();
+
+  playFor(4);
+  expect(srcWrites.takeRecords()).toHaveLength(0);
+  playFor(1.5);
+  expect(srcWrites.takeRecords().length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  expect([later.preload, later.getAttribute("src")]).toEqual(["none", "/later.mp4"]);
+  expect(voice.getAttribute("src")).toBe("/voice.m4a");
+
+  voiceReady.value = 4;
+  playFor(1);
+  expect(window.__player!.getTime()).toBeGreaterThan(0.9);
+});
+
+it("a hold whose clip is still receiving data frees nothing", () => {
+  const { voiceReady, playFor } = playPodcast(
+    0,
+    "video",
+    '<video id="later" data-start="9" data-duration="1" src="/later.mp4"></video>',
+  );
+  const { srcWrites } = laterClipHoldingARequest();
+
+  for (let s = 1; s <= 8; s++) {
+    voiceReady.bufferedTo = s * 0.05;
+    playFor(1);
+  }
+  expect(srcWrites.takeRecords()).toHaveLength(0);
+});
+
 it("a film held for data reads as choppy, so the app can lower it", () => {
   const reports: Array<{ choppy: boolean; waitingShare: number; heldBy: unknown }> = [];
   const { voiceReady, playFor } = playPodcast(0, "video");
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
index 86eee3beea..2224823f04 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
@@ -6194,6 +6194,32 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
           )
           .map(({ el }) => el);
 
+  const HELD_WITHOUT_PROGRESS_MS = 5000;
+  const loadProgress = (els: HTMLMediaElement[]) =>
+    els
+      .map((el) => {
+        let seconds = 0;
+        for (let i = 0; i < el.buffered.length; i++)
+          seconds += el.buffered.end(i) - el.buffered.start(i);
+        return `${el.readyState}:${seconds}`;
+      })
+      .join();
+  let heldProgress = { held: bufferingFor, mark: "", sinceMs: 0 };
+  const releaseMediaHoldingTheConnection = () => {
+    const nowMs = performance.now();
+    const mark = loadProgress(bufferingFor);
+    if (heldProgress.held !== bufferingFor || heldProgress.mark !== mark)
+      heldProgress = { held: bufferingFor, mark, sinceMs: nowMs };
+    if (nowMs - heldProgress.sinceMs < HELD_WITHOUT_PROGRESS_MS) return;
+    heldProgress.sinceMs = nowMs;
+    for (const { el, start, end } of resolveMediaClipIndex().clips) {
+      if (bufferingFor.includes(el) || isInClipWindow(state.currentTime, start, end)) continue;
+      if (el.readyState === 0 && el.networkState !== 2) continue;
+      el.preload = "none";
+      withoutOwnTimingRecords(el, () => releaseMedia(el));
+    }
+  };
+
   const transportTick = () => {
     if (state.tornDown || inTransportTick) return;
     inTransportTick = true;
@@ -6381,6 +6407,8 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
         !mediaNotReadyAt(state.currentTime, canResumeFrom).some((el) => bufferingFor.includes(el))
       ) {
         transport.play();
+      } else if (bufferingFor.length > 0) {
+        releaseMediaHoldingTheConnection();
       }
       postState(false);
     } finally {