diff --git a/src/platform/3ds/ctr-gpu.c b/src/platform/3ds/ctr-gpu.c
index fe61c0566..02810e221 100644
--- a/src/platform/3ds/ctr-gpu.c
+++ b/src/platform/3ds/ctr-gpu.c
@@ -26,23 +26,21 @@ struct ctrUIVertex {
 	float rotate[2];
 };
 
-#define MAX_NUM_QUADS 256
-#define BUFFER_PARTITIONS 4
-#define VERTEX_BUFFER_SIZE MAX_NUM_QUADS * BUFFER_PARTITIONS * sizeof(struct ctrUIVertex)
+#define MAX_NUM_QUADS 4096
+#define VERTEX_BUFFER_SIZE MAX_NUM_QUADS * sizeof(struct ctrUIVertex)
 
 static struct ctrUIVertex* ctrVertexBuffer = NULL;
 static int ctrNumVerts = 0;
 static int ctrVertStart = 0;
-static int ctrVertPartition = 0;
 
-static C3D_Tex* activeTexture = NULL;
+static const C3D_Tex* activeTexture = NULL;
 
 static shaderProgram_s uiProgram;
 static DVLB_s* uiShader = NULL;
 static int GSH_FVEC_projectionMtx;
 static int GSH_FVEC_textureMtx;
 
-bool ctrInitGpu() {
+bool ctrInitGpu(void) {
 	// Load vertex shader binary
 	uiShader = DVLB_ParseFile((u32*) uishader, uishader_size);
 	if (uiShader == NULL) {
@@ -85,7 +83,7 @@ bool ctrInitGpu() {
 	return true;
 }
 
-void ctrDeinitGpu() {
+void ctrDeinitGpu(void) {
 	if (ctrVertexBuffer) {
 		linearFree(ctrVertexBuffer);
 		ctrVertexBuffer = NULL;
@@ -110,10 +108,23 @@ void ctrSetViewportSize(s16 w, s16 h, bool tilt) {
 	C3D_FVUnifMtx4x4(GPU_GEOMETRY_SHADER, GSH_FVEC_projectionMtx, &projectionMtx);
 }
 
-void ctrActivateTexture(C3D_Tex* texture) {
+void ctrFlushBatch(void) {
+	int thisBatch = ctrNumVerts - ctrVertStart;
+	if (!thisBatch) {
+		return;
+	}
+	if (thisBatch < 0) {
+		svcBreak(USERBREAK_PANIC);
+	}
+	C3D_DrawArrays(GPU_GEOMETRY_PRIM, ctrVertStart, thisBatch);
+	ctrVertStart = ctrNumVerts;
+}
+
+void ctrActivateTexture(const C3D_Tex* texture) {
 	if (texture == activeTexture) {
 		return;
 	}
+
 	if (activeTexture) {
 		ctrFlushBatch();
 	}
@@ -174,16 +185,11 @@ void ctrAddRectEx(u32 color, s16 x, s16 y, s16 w, s16 h, s16 u, s16 v, s16 uw, s
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (ctrNumVerts + ctrVertStart == MAX_NUM_QUADS) {
-		ctrFlushBatch();
-		++ctrVertPartition;
-		if (ctrVertPartition == BUFFER_PARTITIONS) {
-			svcBreak(USERBREAK_PANIC);
-		}
-		ctrVertStart = ctrVertPartition * MAX_NUM_QUADS;
+	if (ctrNumVerts == MAX_NUM_QUADS) {
+		abort();
 	}
 
-	struct ctrUIVertex* vtx = &ctrVertexBuffer[ctrVertStart + ctrNumVerts];
+	struct ctrUIVertex* vtx = &ctrVertexBuffer[ctrNumVerts];
 	vtx->x = x;
 	vtx->y = y;
 	vtx->w = w;
@@ -203,24 +209,17 @@ void ctrAddRect(u32 color, s16 x, s16 y, s16 u, s16 v, s16 w, s16 h) {
 	ctrAddRectEx(color, x, y, w, h, u, v, w, h, 0);
 }
 
-void ctrFlushBatch(void) {
-	if (ctrNumVerts == 0) {
-		return;
-	}
+void ctrStartFrame(void) {
+	ctrNumVerts = 0;
+	ctrVertStart = 0;
+	activeTexture = NULL;
 
 	C3D_BufInfo* bufInfo = C3D_GetBufInfo();
 	BufInfo_Init(bufInfo);
-	BufInfo_Add(bufInfo, &ctrVertexBuffer[ctrVertStart], sizeof(struct ctrUIVertex), 4, 0x3210);
-
-	GSPGPU_FlushDataCache(&ctrVertexBuffer[ctrVertStart], sizeof(struct ctrUIVertex) * ctrNumVerts);
-	C3D_DrawArrays(GPU_GEOMETRY_PRIM, 0, ctrNumVerts);
-
-	ctrVertStart += ctrNumVerts;
-	ctrNumVerts = 0;
+	BufInfo_Add(bufInfo, ctrVertexBuffer, sizeof(struct ctrUIVertex), 4, 0x3210);
 }
 
-void ctrFinalize(void) {
+void ctrEndFrame(void) {
 	ctrFlushBatch();
-	ctrVertStart = 0;
-	ctrVertPartition = 0;
+	GSPGPU_FlushDataCache(ctrVertexBuffer, sizeof(struct ctrUIVertex) * ctrNumVerts);
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/3ds/ctr-gpu.h b/src/platform/3ds/ctr-gpu.h
index e4d30965f..b271636f9 100644
--- a/src/platform/3ds/ctr-gpu.h
+++ b/src/platform/3ds/ctr-gpu.h
@@ -16,12 +16,13 @@ void ctrDeinitGpu(void);
 
 void ctrSetViewportSize(s16 w, s16 h, bool tilt);
 
-void ctrActivateTexture(C3D_Tex* texture);
+void ctrActivateTexture(const C3D_Tex* texture);
 void ctrTextureMultiply(void);
 void ctrTextureBias(u32 color);
 void ctrAddRectEx(u32 color, s16 x, s16 y, s16 w, s16 h, s16 u, s16 v, s16 uw, s16 vh, float rotate);
 void ctrAddRect(u32 color, s16 x, s16 y, s16 u, s16 v, s16 w, s16 h);
 void ctrFlushBatch(void);
-void ctrFinalize(void);
+void ctrStartFrame(void);
+void ctrEndFrame(void);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/platform/3ds/main.c b/src/platform/3ds/main.c
index 7912ca8b0..3377b3be9 100644
--- a/src/platform/3ds/main.c
+++ b/src/platform/3ds/main.c
@@ -92,11 +92,12 @@ static C3D_Tex outputTexture;
 static ndspWaveBuf dspBuffer[DSP_BUFFERS];
 static int bufferId = 0;
 static bool frameLimiter = true;
-static unsigned frameCounter;
+static u64 tickCounter;
 
 static C3D_RenderTarget* topScreen[2];
 static C3D_RenderTarget* bottomScreen[2];
 static int doubleBuffer = 0;
+static bool frameStarted = false;
 
 static C3D_RenderTarget* upscaleBuffer;
 static C3D_Tex upscaleBufferTex;
@@ -226,22 +227,38 @@ static void _csndPlaySound(u32 flags, u32 sampleRate, float vol, void* left, voi
 static void _postAudioBuffer(struct mAVStream* stream, blip_t* left, blip_t* right);
 
 static void _drawStart(void) {
-	C3D_FrameBegin(frameLimiter ? 0 : C3D_FRAME_NONBLOCK);
+}
+
+static void _frameStart(void) {
+	if (frameStarted) {
+		return;
+	}
+	frameStarted = true;
+	u8 flags = 0;
+	if (!frameLimiter) {
+		if (tickCounter + 4481000 > svcGetSystemTick()) {
+			flags = C3D_FRAME_NONBLOCK;
+		} else {
+			tickCounter = svcGetSystemTick();
+		}
+	}
+	C3D_FrameBegin(flags);
 	// Mark both buffers used to make sure they get cleared
 	C3D_FrameDrawOn(topScreen[doubleBuffer]);
 	C3D_FrameDrawOn(bottomScreen[doubleBuffer]);
+	ctrStartFrame();
 }
 
 static void _drawEnd(void) {
-	ctrFinalize();
+	if (!frameStarted) {
+		return;
+	}
+	ctrEndFrame();
 	C3D_RenderTargetSetOutput(topScreen[doubleBuffer], GFX_TOP, GFX_LEFT, GX_TRANSFER_IN_FORMAT(GX_TRANSFER_FMT_RGB8) | GX_TRANSFER_OUT_FORMAT(GX_TRANSFER_FMT_RGB8));
 	C3D_RenderTargetSetOutput(bottomScreen[doubleBuffer], GFX_BOTTOM, GFX_LEFT, GX_TRANSFER_IN_FORMAT(GX_TRANSFER_FMT_RGB8) | GX_TRANSFER_OUT_FORMAT(GX_TRANSFER_FMT_RGB8));
 	C3D_FrameEnd(GX_CMDLIST_FLUSH);
-	if (frameLimiter) {
-		while (frameCounter == C3D_FrameCounter(0)) {
-			gspWaitForAnyEvent();
-		}
-	}
+	frameStarted = false;
+
 	doubleBuffer ^= 1;
 	C3D_FrameBufClear(&bottomScreen[doubleBuffer]->frameBuf, C3D_CLEAR_COLOR, 0, 0);
 	C3D_FrameBufClear(&topScreen[doubleBuffer]->frameBuf, C3D_CLEAR_COLOR, 0, 0);
@@ -263,6 +280,7 @@ static int _batteryState(void) {
 }
 
 static void _guiPrepare(void) {
+	_frameStart();
 	C3D_FrameDrawOn(bottomScreen[doubleBuffer]);
 	ctrSetViewportSize(320, 240, true);
 }
@@ -442,12 +460,8 @@ static void _gameUnloaded(struct mGUIRunner* runner) {
 	}
 }
 
-static void _storeCounter(struct mGUIRunner* runner) {
-	UNUSED(runner);
-	frameCounter = C3D_FrameCounter(0);
-}
-
 static void _drawTex(struct mCore* core, bool faded) {
+	_frameStart();
 	unsigned screen_w, screen_h;
 	switch (screenMode) {
 	case SM_PA_BOTTOM:
@@ -657,7 +671,11 @@ static void _incrementScreenMode(struct mGUIRunner* runner) {
 
 static void _setFrameLimiter(struct mGUIRunner* runner, bool limit) {
 	UNUSED(runner);
+	if (frameLimiter == limit) {
+		return;
+	}
 	frameLimiter = limit;
+	tickCounter = svcGetSystemTick();
 }
 
 static uint32_t _pollInput(const struct mInputMap* map) {
@@ -995,7 +1013,7 @@ int main() {
 		.teardown = 0,
 		.gameLoaded = _gameLoaded,
 		.gameUnloaded = _gameUnloaded,
-		.prepareForFrame = _storeCounter,
+		.prepareForFrame = 0,
 		.drawFrame = _drawFrame,
 		.drawScreenshot = _drawScreenshot,
 		.paused = _gameUnloaded,