diff --git a/src/lib/realtime/__tests__/stream-reveal-buffer.test.ts b/src/lib/realtime/__tests__/stream-reveal-buffer.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee259c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/realtime/__tests__/stream-reveal-buffer.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { StreamRevealBuffer } from '../stream-reveal-buffer';
+
+describe('StreamRevealBuffer', () => {
+  it('auto-reveals incoming items when scrolled to top on a visible tab', () => {
+    const buffer = new StreamRevealBuffer([{ id: 'tx-1', timestampMs: 1_000 }]);
+
+    const state = buffer.pushIncoming({ id: 'tx-2', timestampMs: 2_000 });
+    expect(state.pendingCount).toBe(0);
+    expect(state.showRevealBanner).toBe(false);
+    expect(state.visibleItems.map((i) => i.id)).toEqual(['tx-2', 'tx-1']);
+  });
+
+  it('buffers incoming items when scrolled down or tab hidden and commits in order on reveal', () => {
+    const buffer = new StreamRevealBuffer([{ id: 'tx-1', timestampMs: 1_000 }]);
+    buffer.setScrollPosition(false);
+
+    buffer.pushIncoming({ id: 'tx-2', timestampMs: 2_000 });
+    const mid = buffer.pushIncoming({ id: 'tx-3', timestampMs: 3_000 });
+    // Duplicate is ignored
+    buffer.pushIncoming({ id: 'tx-2', timestampMs: 2_000 });
+
+    expect(mid.pendingCount).toBe(2);
+    expect(mid.showRevealBanner).toBe(true);
+    expect(mid.revealBannerLabel).toBe('2 new updates available');
+    expect(mid.visibleItems.map((i) => i.id)).toEqual(['tx-1']);
+
+    const revealed = buffer.revealPending();
+    expect(revealed.pendingCount).toBe(0);
+    expect(revealed.showRevealBanner).toBe(false);
+    expect(revealed.visibleItems.map((i) => i.id)).toEqual(['tx-3', 'tx-2', 'tx-1']);
+  });
+
+  it('bounds the pending buffer and respects prefers-reduced-motion', () => {
+    const buffer = new StreamRevealBuffer([], {
+      maxBufferSize: 2,
+      prefersReducedMotion: true,
+    });
+    buffer.setTabVisibility(false);
+
+    buffer.pushIncoming({ id: 'a', timestampMs: 100 });
+    buffer.pushIncoming({ id: 'b', timestampMs: 200 });
+    const state = buffer.pushIncoming({ id: 'c', timestampMs: 300 });
+
+    expect(state.pendingCount).toBe(2);
+    expect(state.animateReveal).toBe(false);
+
+    const committed = buffer.revealPending();
+    expect(committed.visibleItems.map((i) => i.id)).toEqual(['c', 'b']);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/realtime/stream-reveal-buffer.ts b/src/lib/realtime/stream-reveal-buffer.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d2576a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/realtime/stream-reveal-buffer.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+export interface StreamedFeedItem {
+  id: string;
+  timestampMs: number;
+}
+
+export interface StreamRevealControlState<T extends StreamedFeedItem> {
+  visibleItems: T[];
+  pendingCount: number;
+  showRevealBanner: boolean;
+  revealBannerLabel: string;
+  animateReveal: boolean;
+}
+
+export interface StreamRevealBufferOptions {
+  maxBufferSize?: number;
+  maxVisibleSize?: number;
+  prefersReducedMotion?: boolean;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Buffers incoming streamed feed items when the user is scrolled down or in a background tab,
+ * preventing mid-read scroll jumps while surfacing a "New Updates Available" reveal control.
+ */
+export class StreamRevealBuffer<T extends StreamedFeedItem> {
+  private readonly visibleById = new Map<string, T>();
+  private readonly pendingById = new Map<string, T>();
+  private readonly maxBufferSize: number;
+  private readonly maxVisibleSize: number;
+  private prefersReducedMotion: boolean;
+  private scrolledToTop = true;
+  private tabVisible = true;
+
+  constructor(
+    initialItems: readonly T[] = [],
+    options: StreamRevealBufferOptions = {}
+  ) {
+    this.maxBufferSize = options.maxBufferSize ?? 200;
+    this.maxVisibleSize = options.maxVisibleSize ?? 500;
+    this.prefersReducedMotion = options.prefersReducedMotion ?? false;
+    for (const item of initialItems) {
+      this.visibleById.set(item.id, item);
+    }
+    this.trimVisible();
+  }
+
+  setScrollPosition(isScrolledToTop: boolean): void {
+    this.scrolledToTop = isScrolledToTop;
+  }
+
+  setTabVisibility(isVisible: boolean): void {
+    this.tabVisible = isVisible;
+  }
+
+  setReducedMotion(reduced: boolean): void {
+    this.prefersReducedMotion = reduced;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Pushes an incoming streamed item. Auto-reveals if the user is at the top of a visible tab;
+   * otherwise queues into the bounded pending buffer.
+   */
+  pushIncoming(item: T): StreamRevealControlState<T> {
+    if (this.visibleById.has(item.id) || this.pendingById.has(item.id)) {
+      return this.getState();
+    }
+
+    if (this.scrolledToTop && this.tabVisible && this.pendingById.size === 0) {
+      this.visibleById.set(item.id, item);
+      this.trimVisible();
+      return this.getState();
+    }
+
+    this.pendingById.set(item.id, item);
+    this.trimPending();
+    return this.getState();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Commits all buffered items into the visible list in descending timestamp order.
+   */
+  revealPending(): StreamRevealControlState<T> {
+    for (const [id, item] of this.pendingById.entries()) {
+      if (!this.visibleById.has(id)) {
+        this.visibleById.set(id, item);
+      }
+    }
+    this.pendingById.clear();
+    this.trimVisible();
+    return this.getState();
+  }
+
+  getState(): StreamRevealControlState<T> {
+    const visibleItems = Array.from(this.visibleById.values()).sort(
+      (a, b) => b.timestampMs - a.timestampMs || a.id.localeCompare(b.id)
+    );
+    const pendingCount = this.pendingById.size;
+
+    return {
+      visibleItems,
+      pendingCount,
+      showRevealBanner: pendingCount > 0,
+      revealBannerLabel:
+        pendingCount === 1
+          ? '1 new update available'
+          : `${pendingCount} new updates available`,
+      animateReveal: !this.prefersReducedMotion && pendingCount > 0,
+    };
+  }
+
+  private trimPending(): void {
+    if (this.pendingById.size <= this.maxBufferSize) return;
+    const sortedOldestFirst = Array.from(this.pendingById.values()).sort(
+      (a, b) => a.timestampMs - b.timestampMs
+    );
+    const excess = this.pendingById.size - this.maxBufferSize;
+    for (let i = 0; i < excess; i++) {
+      this.pendingById.delete(sortedOldestFirst[i].id);
+    }
+  }
+
+  private trimVisible(): void {
+    if (this.visibleById.size <= this.maxVisibleSize) return;
+    const sortedOldestFirst = Array.from(this.visibleById.values()).sort(
+      (a, b) => a.timestampMs - b.timestampMs
+    );
+    const excess = this.visibleById.size - this.maxVisibleSize;
+    for (let i = 0; i < excess; i++) {
+      this.visibleById.delete(sortedOldestFirst[i].id);
+    }
+  }
+}