diff --git a/examples/index.ts b/examples/index.ts
index 2f8a3b1..927836d 100644
--- a/examples/index.ts
+++ b/examples/index.ts
@@ -220,6 +220,10 @@ async function runTest(
   // `?novao=true` forces the per-draw attribute-binding path (VAOs off) so the
   // VAO optimization can be A/B'd on a target device.
   const disableVertexArrayObject = urlParams.get('novao') === 'true';
+  // `?strictrender=false` restores legacy draw submission for bounds-margin
+  // nodes (renderOnlyInViewport defaults to true) so the clipped-quad
+  // overhead can be A/B'd with the ?debug=true overlay on a target device.
+  const legacyMarginRender = urlParams.get('strictrender') === 'false';
 
   const customSettings: Partial<RendererMainSettings> = {
     ...(typeof module.customSettings === 'function'
@@ -228,6 +232,7 @@ async function runTest(
     ...(globalTargetFPS !== undefined && { targetFPS: globalTargetFPS }),
     ...(debug && { enableContextSpy: true, fpsUpdateInterval: 500 }),
     ...(disableVertexArrayObject && { disableVertexArrayObject: true }),
+    ...(legacyMarginRender && { renderOnlyInViewport: false }),
   };
 
   const { renderer, appElement } = await initRenderer(
diff --git a/examples/tests/render-only-in-viewport.ts b/examples/tests/render-only-in-viewport.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f51b4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/tests/render-only-in-viewport.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import type { RendererMainSettings } from '@lightningjs/renderer';
+import type { ExampleSettings } from '../common/ExampleSettings.js';
+
+/**
+ * Manual A/B page for the `renderOnlyInViewport` renderer setting.
+ *
+ * The scene puts a row of color quads across all three bounds zones of a
+ * 400px bounds margin: some in the viewport, some in the margin ring, some
+ * beyond it. Open with `?test=render-only-in-viewport&debug=true` and
+ * compare the overlay's `draws`/`quads` counters:
+ *
+ * - `&strictrender=false` (gate off, legacy behavior): margin-ring quads are
+ *   submitted and GPU-clipped — they count.
+ * - default (gate on, the renderer default): margin-ring quads stay out of
+ *   the render list — `quads` drops by the ring count, pixels identical.
+ *
+ * No `automation` export on purpose: the feature changes no pixels, so there
+ * is nothing for the snapshot suite to capture — behavior is asserted by the
+ * CoreNode/CoreTextNode unit tests.
+ */
+
+export function customSettings(
+  urlParams: URLSearchParams,
+): Partial<RendererMainSettings> {
+  return {
+    boundsMargin: 400,
+    renderOnlyInViewport: urlParams.get('strictrender') !== 'false',
+  };
+}
+
+export default async function test({ renderer, testRoot }: ExampleSettings) {
+  renderer.createTextNode({
+    fontFamily: 'Ubuntu',
+    text: 'renderOnlyInViewport — compare quads with ?debug=true and ?strictrender=false',
+    fontSize: 28,
+    color: 0xffffffff,
+    x: 20,
+    y: 980,
+    parent: testRoot,
+  });
+
+  // 6 quads in the viewport (appWidth 1920), 2 in the margin ring
+  // (1920..2320), 5 beyond it (> 2320, never processed either way).
+  const colors = [0x336699ff, 0x993311ff, 0x339933ff];
+  for (let i = 0; i < 13; i++) {
+    renderer.createNode({
+      x: 40 + i * 320,
+      y: 300,
+      w: 280,
+      h: 400,
+      color: colors[i % 3],
+      parent: testRoot,
+    });
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/core/CoreNode.test.ts b/src/core/CoreNode.test.ts
index 7411be1..d9787e1 100644
--- a/src/core/CoreNode.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/CoreNode.test.ts
@@ -1463,4 +1463,146 @@ describe('set color()', () => {
       expect(node.renderTexture).toBe(texture);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('renderOnlyInViewport', () => {
+    // Viewport is 0..200; the preload (bounds-margin) ring extends to 400.
+    // A node at x=250 is InBounds (margin ring); at x=50 it is InViewport;
+    // at x=500 it is OutOfBounds.
+    function boundsStage(renderOnlyInViewport: boolean): Stage {
+      return mock<Stage>({
+        strictBound: createBound(0, 0, 200, 200),
+        preloadBound: createBound(0, 0, 400, 200),
+        defaultTexture: {
+          state: 'loaded',
+        },
+        renderer: mock<CoreRenderer>() as CoreRenderer,
+        renderOnlyInViewport,
+      });
+    }
+
+    function loadedTextureNode(stage: Stage, x: number): CoreNode {
+      const parent = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps());
+      parent.globalTransform = Matrix3d.identity();
+      parent.worldAlpha = 1;
+
+      const node = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps({ parent }));
+      node.alpha = 1;
+      node.x = x;
+      node.y = 0;
+      node.w = 100;
+      node.h = 100;
+      node.texture = mock<ImageTexture>({
+        state: 'loaded',
+        setRenderableOwner: vi.fn(),
+      });
+      node.textureLoaded = true;
+      return node;
+    }
+
+    it('off: a margin-ring node is renderable (legacy behavior)', () => {
+      const node = loadedTextureNode(boundsStage(false), 250);
+
+      node.update(0, clippingRect);
+
+      expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('on: a margin-ring node is not renderable but still owns its texture', () => {
+      const node = loadedTextureNode(boundsStage(true), 250);
+
+      node.update(0, clippingRect);
+
+      expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(false);
+      // Ownership is the load trigger and cleanup protection — it must stay.
+      expect(node.texture!.setRenderableOwner).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.anything(),
+        true,
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('on: a viewport node is renderable', () => {
+      const node = loadedTextureNode(boundsStage(true), 50);
+
+      node.update(0, clippingRect);
+
+      expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('on: a node becomes renderable when it crosses into the viewport', () => {
+      const node = loadedTextureNode(boundsStage(true), 250);
+      node.update(0, clippingRect);
+      expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(false);
+
+      // Scroll it in.
+      node.x = 50;
+      node.update(1, clippingRect);
+      expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(true);
+
+      // And back out into the ring.
+      node.x = 250;
+      node.update(2, clippingRect);
+      expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('on: an out-of-bounds node releases texture ownership', () => {
+      const node = loadedTextureNode(boundsStage(true), 500);
+
+      node.update(0, clippingRect);
+
+      expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(false);
+      expect(node.texture!.setRenderableOwner).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.anything(),
+        true,
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('on: a margin-ring placeholder is gated the same way', () => {
+      const stage = boundsStage(true);
+      const parent = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps());
+      parent.globalTransform = Matrix3d.identity();
+      parent.worldAlpha = 1;
+
+      const node = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps({ parent }));
+      node.alpha = 1;
+      node.x = 250;
+      node.y = 0;
+      node.w = 100;
+      node.h = 100;
+      node.placeholderColor = 0x336699ff;
+      node.texture = mock<ImageTexture>({
+        state: 'initial',
+        setRenderableOwner: vi.fn(),
+      });
+
+      node.update(0, clippingRect);
+      expect(node.placeholderActive).toBe(true);
+      expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(false);
+
+      node.x = 50;
+      node.update(1, clippingRect);
+      expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('on: color-only nodes in the margin ring are gated too', () => {
+      const stage = boundsStage(true);
+      const parent = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps());
+      parent.globalTransform = Matrix3d.identity();
+      parent.worldAlpha = 1;
+
+      const node = new CoreNode(stage, defaultProps({ parent }));
+      node.alpha = 1;
+      node.x = 250;
+      node.y = 0;
+      node.w = 100;
+      node.h = 100;
+      node.color = 0xff0000ff;
+
+      node.update(0, clippingRect);
+      expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(false);
+
+      node.x = 50;
+      node.update(1, clippingRect);
+      expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(true);
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/core/CoreNode.ts b/src/core/CoreNode.ts
index 321076c..62476aa 100644
--- a/src/core/CoreNode.ts
+++ b/src/core/CoreNode.ts
@@ -1833,7 +1833,11 @@ export class CoreNode extends EventEmitter {
         // texture has failed to load, we cannot render the texture itself —
         // but a placeholder color still renders in its place
         this.updateTextureOwnership(false);
-        this.setRenderable(this.placeholderActive);
+        this.setRenderable(
+          this.placeholderActive === true &&
+            (this.stage.renderOnlyInViewport === false ||
+              this.renderState === CoreNodeRenderState.InViewport),
+        );
         return;
       }
 
@@ -1853,6 +1857,17 @@ export class CoreNode extends EventEmitter {
       newIsRenderable = true;
     }
 
+    // renderOnlyInViewport: nodes in the preload margin keep texture
+    // ownership above (so loading proceeds) but stay out of the render list
+    // until they actually intersect the viewport.
+    if (
+      newIsRenderable === true &&
+      this.stage.renderOnlyInViewport === true &&
+      this.renderState !== CoreNodeRenderState.InViewport
+    ) {
+      newIsRenderable = false;
+    }
+
     this.updateTextureOwnership(needsTextureOwnership);
     this.setRenderable(newIsRenderable);
   }
diff --git a/src/core/CoreTextNode.test.ts b/src/core/CoreTextNode.test.ts
index c1edaf6..4168d8f 100644
--- a/src/core/CoreTextNode.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/CoreTextNode.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { mock } from 'vitest-mock-extended';
 import { CoreTextNode, type CoreTextNodeProps } from './CoreTextNode.js';
+import { CoreNodeRenderState } from './CoreNode.js';
 import { Stage } from './Stage.js';
 import { CoreRenderer } from './renderers/CoreRenderer.js';
 import { createBound } from './lib/utils.js';
@@ -144,3 +145,63 @@ describe('CoreTextNode (canvas) clearing text', () => {
     expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(false);
   });
 });
+
+describe('CoreTextNode (sdf) renderOnlyInViewport', () => {
+  const makeSdfRenderer = (): TextRenderer => {
+    const font = mock<FontHandler>({ type: 'sdf' });
+    return {
+      type: 'sdf',
+      font,
+      renderText: vi.fn(),
+      addQuads: vi.fn(),
+      renderQuads: vi.fn(),
+      init: vi.fn(),
+    } as unknown as TextRenderer;
+  };
+
+  function sdfNodeWithLayout(renderOnlyInViewport: boolean): CoreTextNode {
+    const stage = mock<Stage>({
+      strictBound: createBound(0, 0, 200, 200),
+      preloadBound: createBound(0, 0, 400, 200),
+      defaultTexture: { state: 'loaded' } as never,
+      defShaderNode: null as never,
+      renderer: mock<CoreRenderer>() as CoreRenderer,
+      renderOnlyInViewport,
+    });
+    const node = new CoreTextNode(
+      stage,
+      defaultProps({ text: 'Hello' }),
+      makeSdfRenderer(),
+    );
+    (node as unknown as { _cachedLayout: object })._cachedLayout = {};
+    node.worldAlpha = 1;
+    return node;
+  }
+
+  it('off: margin-ring SDF text is renderable (legacy behavior)', () => {
+    const node = sdfNodeWithLayout(false);
+    node.renderState = CoreNodeRenderState.InBounds;
+
+    node.updateIsRenderable();
+
+    expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('on: margin-ring SDF text stays out of the render list', () => {
+    const node = sdfNodeWithLayout(true);
+    node.renderState = CoreNodeRenderState.InBounds;
+
+    node.updateIsRenderable();
+
+    expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('on: viewport SDF text is renderable', () => {
+    const node = sdfNodeWithLayout(true);
+    node.renderState = CoreNodeRenderState.InViewport;
+
+    node.updateIsRenderable();
+
+    expect(node.isRenderable).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/core/CoreTextNode.ts b/src/core/CoreTextNode.ts
index 639034b..ba3e4c0 100644
--- a/src/core/CoreTextNode.ts
+++ b/src/core/CoreTextNode.ts
@@ -227,9 +227,14 @@ export class CoreTextNode extends CoreNode implements CoreTextNodeProps {
       return;
     }
 
-    // For SDF, check if we have a cached layout
+    // For SDF, check if we have a cached layout. renderOnlyInViewport gates
+    // SDF text the same way CoreNode gates quads: margin-ring text stays out
+    // of the render list until it intersects the viewport.
     this.setRenderable(
-      this.checkBasicRenderability() === true && this._cachedLayout !== null,
+      this.checkBasicRenderability() === true &&
+        this._cachedLayout !== null &&
+        (this.stage.renderOnlyInViewport === false ||
+          this.renderState === CoreNodeRenderState.InViewport),
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/src/core/Stage.ts b/src/core/Stage.ts
index 39941e2..eee60f4 100644
--- a/src/core/Stage.ts
+++ b/src/core/Stage.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,12 @@ export class Stage {
   public readonly renderer: CoreRenderer;
   public readonly root: CoreNode;
   public boundsMargin: [number, number, number, number];
+  /**
+   * When true, nodes inside the bounds margin but outside the viewport keep
+   * loading textures yet stay out of the render list. Read by
+   * `CoreNode.updateIsRenderable` on the scroll path.
+   */
+  public readonly renderOnlyInViewport: boolean;
   public readonly defShaderNode: CoreShaderNode | null = null;
   public strictBound: Bound;
   public preloadBound: Bound;
@@ -208,6 +214,7 @@ export class Stage {
     setBaselineMode(options.textBaselineMode);
 
     this.platform = platform;
+    this.renderOnlyInViewport = options.renderOnlyInViewport !== false;
 
     this.startTime = platform.getTimeStamp();
 
diff --git a/src/main-api/Renderer.ts b/src/main-api/Renderer.ts
index d020eec..be28cbd 100644
--- a/src/main-api/Renderer.ts
+++ b/src/main-api/Renderer.ts
@@ -296,6 +296,30 @@ export interface RendererRuntimeSettings {
    */
   boundsMargin: number | [number, number, number, number];
 
+  /**
+   * Only submit quads for Nodes that intersect the visible viewport.
+   *
+   * @remarks
+   * Nodes inside the bounds margin (`boundsMargin`) but outside the visible
+   * viewport still update and still load their textures (the margin remains
+   * the preload runway), but they stay out of the render list until they
+   * actually intersect the viewport — no quad writes, texture binds, or draw
+   * calls for content the GPU would clip anyway.
+   *
+   * Set to `false` to restore the previous behavior, where margin-ring Nodes
+   * are fully rendered every frame and clipped by the GPU. That keeps
+   * render-list membership stable ahead of scrolling at the cost of
+   * per-frame CPU for the off-screen ring.
+   *
+   * Trade-offs when enabled: the `renderable` event and autosize patching
+   * fire at viewport entry instead of margin entry, render-list rebuilds
+   * move to the visible edge (same frequency, different timing), and
+   * margin-ring content inside RTT subtrees is skipped.
+   *
+   * @defaultValue `true`
+   */
+  renderOnlyInViewport: boolean;
+
   /**
    * Factor to convert app-authored logical coorindates to device logical coordinates
    *
@@ -722,6 +746,7 @@ export class RendererMain extends EventEmitter {
       appHeight: settings.appHeight || 1080,
       textureMemory: resolvedTxSettings,
       boundsMargin: settings.boundsMargin || 0,
+      renderOnlyInViewport: settings.renderOnlyInViewport ?? true,
       deviceLogicalPixelRatio: settings.deviceLogicalPixelRatio || 1,
       devicePhysicalPixelRatio:
         settings.devicePhysicalPixelRatio || this.windowDevicePixelRatio() || 1,
@@ -791,6 +816,7 @@ export class RendererMain extends EventEmitter {
       appWidth,
       appHeight,
       boundsMargin: settings.boundsMargin!,
+      renderOnlyInViewport: settings.renderOnlyInViewport!,
       clearColor: settings.clearColor!,
       canvas: this.canvas,
       deviceLogicalPixelRatio,