diff --git a/src/components/SpotMap.tsx b/src/components/SpotMap.tsx
index b7735ac..a1699d5 100644
--- a/src/components/SpotMap.tsx
+++ b/src/components/SpotMap.tsx
@@ -794,6 +794,9 @@ export function SpotMap({
   // MarkerClusterGroup for spot/shop/gear/tour markers
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
   const clusterGroupRef = useRef<any>(null);
+  // Signature of the marker set currently on the map — lets us skip a full
+  // rebuild when the parent hands us new arrays with identical content.
+  const markerSigRef = useRef<string>('');
   const onMapMoveRef = useRef(onMapMove);
   const navigate = useNavigate();
 
@@ -1052,6 +1055,38 @@ export function SpotMap({
     // Wait for map to be fully loaded before adding markers
     if (!map.getContainer()) return;
 
+    // Skip the whole rebuild when nothing that affects the rendered markers has
+    // actually changed. Every spot/listing/tour/event/crew is an addressable
+    // event, so a new event id means an edit — ids + weather colours are enough
+    // to detect real changes. Without this, the unrelated identity churn the
+    // parent hands us (trust scores, comment/zap totals and re-sorts all produce
+    // fresh arrays) tore down and rebuilt every Leaflet marker several times per
+    // load, which is what made the pins feel slow.
+    const markerSig = [
+      `${showSpots}|${showShops}|${showGear}|${showTours}|${showEvents}|${showCrews}|${weatherEnabled}`,
+      locationGroups
+        .map((group) => {
+          const first = group.spots[0];
+          const weather =
+            weatherEnabled && weatherData && first?.geohash
+              ? weatherData.get(first.geohash)
+              : undefined;
+          return [
+            group.geohash,
+            group.spots.map((s) => s.event.id).join('.'),
+            group.marketplaceItems.map((i) => i.event.id).join('.'),
+            weather?.skateability.color ?? '',
+            weather?.weather.weatherIcon ?? '',
+          ].join(':');
+        })
+        .join('|'),
+      tours.map((t) => t.id).join('.'),
+      events.map((e) => e.id).join('.'),
+      crews.map((c) => c.id).join('.'),
+    ].join('~~');
+    if (markerSig === markerSigRef.current) return;
+    markerSigRef.current = markerSig;
+
     // Clear existing markers from cluster group and array
     if (clusterGroupRef.current) {
       clusterGroupRef.current.clearLayers();
@@ -1059,6 +1094,9 @@ export function SpotMap({
     markersRef.current.forEach((marker) => marker.remove());
     markersRef.current = [];
 
+    // Markers built this pass; added to the cluster group in batches below.
+    const pending: L.Marker[] = [];
+
     // Ensure we have location data before adding markers
     if (locationGroups.length === 0) return;
 
@@ -1180,12 +1218,8 @@ export function SpotMap({
         });
       }
 
-      // Add to cluster group (enables auto-clustering at high densities)
-      if (clusterGroupRef.current) {
-        clusterGroupRef.current.addLayer(marker);
-      } else {
-        marker.addTo(map);
-      }
+      // Queue for a batched add to the cluster group (see flush below).
+      pending.push(marker);
       markersRef.current.push(marker);
     });
 
@@ -1284,12 +1318,8 @@ export function SpotMap({
           className: 'custom-popup tour-popup',
         });
 
-        // Add tour markers to cluster group as well
-        if (clusterGroupRef.current) {
-          clusterGroupRef.current.addLayer(tourMarker);
-        } else {
-          tourMarker.addTo(map);
-        }
+        // Queue for a batched add to the cluster group (see flush below).
+        pending.push(tourMarker);
         markersRef.current.push(tourMarker);
       });
     }
@@ -1357,11 +1387,8 @@ export function SpotMap({
           className: 'custom-popup event-popup',
         });
 
-        if (clusterGroupRef.current) {
-          clusterGroupRef.current.addLayer(eventMarker);
-        } else {
-          eventMarker.addTo(map);
-        }
+        // Queue for a batched add to the cluster group (see flush below).
+        pending.push(eventMarker);
         markersRef.current.push(eventMarker);
       });
     }
@@ -1460,15 +1487,42 @@ export function SpotMap({
           className: 'custom-popup crew-popup',
         });
 
-        if (clusterGroupRef.current) {
-          clusterGroupRef.current.addLayer(crewMarker);
-        } else {
-          crewMarker.addTo(map);
-        }
+        // Queue for a batched add to the cluster group (see flush below).
+        pending.push(crewMarker);
         markersRef.current.push(crewMarker);
       });
     }
-  }, [locationGroups, tours, showTours, events, showEvents, crews, showCrews, onSpotClick, handleViewDetails, weatherEnabled, weatherData, navigate]);
+
+    // Add the queued markers to the cluster group in batches across animation
+    // frames. `addLayers` is the plugin's bulk API — it clusters the batch and
+    // refreshes once, instead of the old one-marker-at-a-time `addLayer`, which
+    // re-clustered the whole set for every single pin. Batching keeps the main
+    // thread responsive (no freeze on a few hundred pins) and lets nearby pins
+    // paint first; cancel it if the effect re-runs before it finishes.
+    const group = clusterGroupRef.current;
+    if (!group) {
+      pending.forEach((marker) => marker.addTo(map));
+    } else if (pending.length > 0) {
+      const CHUNK_SIZE = 150;
+      let offset = 0;
+      let cancelled = false;
+      let raf = 0;
+      const flush = () => {
+        if (cancelled || !clusterGroupRef.current) return;
+        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+        (clusterGroupRef.current as any).addLayers(pending.slice(offset, offset + CHUNK_SIZE));
+        offset += CHUNK_SIZE;
+        if (offset < pending.length) {
+          raf = requestAnimationFrame(flush);
+        }
+      };
+      flush();
+      return () => {
+        cancelled = true;
+        if (raf) cancelAnimationFrame(raf);
+      };
+    }
+  }, [locationGroups, tours, showTours, events, showEvents, crews, showCrews, showSpots, showShops, showGear, onSpotClick, handleViewDetails, weatherEnabled, weatherData, navigate]);
 
   // Update BTC Map markers
   useEffect(() => {