diff --git a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.regs.cs b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.regs.cs
index 203f0820d6..34f1606372 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.regs.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.regs.cs
@@ -376,6 +376,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 		{
 			Reg2002_objhit = Reg2002_objoverflow = 0;
 			Reg2002_vblank_clear_pending = true;
+			//TODO - unfreeze ppu registers after poweron
 		}
 
 		//OAM ADDRESS (write)
diff --git a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.run.cs b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.run.cs
index f06cd93649..0be21faf44 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.run.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.run.cs
@@ -102,8 +102,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 		{
 			BGDataRecord *bgdata = stackalloc BGDataRecord[34]; //one at the end is junk, it can never be rendered
 
-			//262 scanlines
-			if (ppudead != 0)
+			if(ppudead != 0)
 			{
 				FrameAdvance_ppudead();
 				return;
@@ -128,6 +127,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 			runppu(postNMIlines * kLineTime - delay);
 
 			//this seems to run just before the dummy scanline begins
+			//ACTUALLY. it should run 3 cycles later
 			clear_2002();
 
 			TempOAM* oams = stackalloc TempOAM[128];
@@ -448,17 +448,33 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 
 		void FrameAdvance_ppudead()
 		{
-			//not quite emulating all the NES power up behavior
-			//since it is known that the NES ignores writes to some
-			//register before around a full frame, but no games
-			//should write to those regs during that time, it needs
-			//to wait for vblank
-			ppur.status.sl = 241;
-			runppu(postNMIlines * kLineTime);
-			ppur.status.sl = 0;
-			runppu(241 * kLineTime);
-			runppu(preNMIlines * kLineTime);
-			--ppudead;
+			if (ppudead == 2)
+			{
+				//"dead frame 0:"
+
+				//run scanlines 0 through 239.
+				runppu(240 * kLineTime);
+
+				//ok, that was a long time. let's call it a frame
+			}
+
+			if (ppudead == 1)
+			{
+				//"dead frame 1:"
+
+				//run pre-nmi idle (normally 1 scanline, sometimes longer)
+				runppu(preNMIlines * kLineTime);
+
+				//we're at the line where NMI is triggered. it happens 1 cycle in, but we're not worrying about that now.
+
+				//well, look at that. its time to begin the next frame in the normal FrameAdvance method
+
+				//this frame wasn't very long compared to the other one. oh well
+				//we need to keep 2 dead frames to keep from ruining old movies..
+				//i hope the basic timing changes doesnt wreck anything's logic.
+			}
+
+			ppudead--;
 		}
 	}
 }