diff --git a/tools/linuxfs/overlay/usr/local/bin/droiddeck-session b/tools/linuxfs/overlay/usr/local/bin/droiddeck-session
index 092c77651..edbb3d565 100755
--- a/tools/linuxfs/overlay/usr/local/bin/droiddeck-session
+++ b/tools/linuxfs/overlay/usr/local/bin/droiddeck-session
@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ clear_stale_tmp() {
 }
 [ -z "${BL_INSIDE:-}" ] && clear_stale_tmp
 
+steam_update_stuck() {
+  [ "$1" -lt 60 ] || steam_updates=0
+  steam_updates=$((steam_updates + 1))
+  [ "$steam_updates" -ge 3 ]
+}
+
 collect_steam_logs() {
   [ -n "${BL_DEBUG_DIR:-}" ] || return 0
   local steam_root=${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/Steam
@@ -839,9 +845,11 @@ BUSCONF
         /usr/local/bin/droiddeck-steam-desktop-ui &
         desktop_ui_pid=$!
       fi
+      steam_started=$SECONDS
       "$steam_root/steamrtarm64/steam" "${_bl_ui[@]}" "${_bl_cdp[@]}" "${_bl_lang[@]}" -clientbeta "$steam_channel" \
         -no-cef-sandbox -cef-ozone-platform=x11 "${_bl_cef[@]}" "$@"
       rc=$?
+      steam_ran=$((SECONDS - steam_started))
       if [ -n "$desktop_ui_pid" ]; then
         kill "$desktop_ui_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
         wait "$desktop_ui_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -876,8 +884,7 @@ BUSCONF
         continue
       fi
       [ "$rc" -eq 42 ] || break
-      steam_updates=$((steam_updates + 1))
-      if [ "$steam_updates" -ge 3 ]; then
+      if steam_update_stuck "$steam_ran"; then
         echo "== steam: asked to restart for an update $steam_updates times and it is not installing; the session stops here rather than loop"
         break
       fi
diff --git a/tools/tests/test_steam_restart_cap.py b/tools/tests/test_steam_restart_cap.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1763bc77f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tests/test_steam_restart_cap.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import re
+import subprocess
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+SESSION = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "linuxfs/overlay/usr/local/bin/droiddeck-session"
+
+
+def stuck_function():
+    match = re.search(r"^steam_update_stuck\(\) \{\n.*?^\}\n", SESSION.read_text(), re.M | re.S)
+    return match.group(0) if match else None
+
+
+class SteamRestartCapTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def restarts(self, *seconds_up):
+        function = stuck_function()
+        self.assertIsNotNone(function, "droiddeck-session has no steam_update_stuck()")
+        script = function + "steam_updates=0\nfor up in %s; do\n" % " ".join(map(str, seconds_up))
+        script += "  if steam_update_stuck \"$up\"; then echo stop; else echo restart; fi\ndone\n"
+        return subprocess.run(["bash", "-c", script], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=30,
+                              check=True).stdout.split()
+
+    def test_an_update_that_keeps_asking_at_once_is_stopped_on_the_third(self):
+        self.assertEqual(["restart", "restart", "stop"], self.restarts(11, 13, 9))
+
+    def test_restarts_of_a_client_that_stayed_up_are_never_stopped(self):
+        self.assertEqual(["restart"] * 5, self.restarts(75, 4000, 90, 600, 61))
+
+    def test_a_run_that_stayed_up_starts_the_count_again(self):
+        self.assertEqual(["restart", "restart", "restart", "restart", "stop"], self.restarts(12, 10, 300, 14, 8))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()