diff --git a/images/chromium-headful/client/src/components/video.vue b/images/chromium-headful/client/src/components/video.vue
index 2a8a8c8f..2c5955c9 100644
--- a/images/chromium-headful/client/src/components/video.vue
+++ b/images/chromium-headful/client/src/components/video.vue
@@ -280,6 +280,10 @@
       return this.$accessor.connecting
     }
 
+    get controlling() {
+      return this.$accessor.remote.controlling
+    }
+
     get hosting() {
       return this.$accessor.remote.hosting
     }
@@ -807,6 +811,10 @@
     onMouseDown(e: MouseEvent) {
       this.unmuteOnInteraction()
 
+      if (!this.controlling && this.implicitHosting && !this.locked) {
+        this.$accessor.remote.request()
+      }
+
       if (!this.hosting) {
         this.$emit('control-attempt', e)
       }
diff --git a/images/chromium-headful/client/src/neko/index.ts b/images/chromium-headful/client/src/neko/index.ts
index 92df801d..3571bb88 100644
--- a/images/chromium-headful/client/src/neko/index.ts
+++ b/images/chromium-headful/client/src/neko/index.ts
@@ -240,17 +240,15 @@ export class NekoClient extends BaseClient implements EventEmitter<NekoEvents> {
       return
     }
 
-    if (this.id === id) {
-      this.$vue.$notify({
-        group: 'neko',
-        type: 'info',
-        title: this.$vue.$t('notifications.controls_taken', {
-          name: member.id == this.id && this.$vue.$te('you') ? this.$vue.$t('you') : member.displayname,
-        }) as string,
-        duration: 5000,
-        speed: 1000,
-      })
-    }
+    // KERNEL: drop the self-only "you took the controls" toast (was gated on
+    // this.id === id). With implicit hosting, control is now registered
+    // automatically on the first interaction (see remote.request() in
+    // video.vue), so it would fire on essentially every session's first click
+    // — pure noise for a single-viewer embedded live view. The chat event
+    // below (and other members' take/steal toasts elsewhere) is unaffected.
+    // Note: this is a shared component, so explicit control-takes in the full
+    // neko UI also lose this confirmation; acceptable since Kernel only ships
+    // the embedded live view.
 
     this.$accessor.chat.newMessage({
       id: member.id,
diff --git a/images/chromium-headful/client/src/store/remote.ts b/images/chromium-headful/client/src/store/remote.ts
index c8e9d282..52c53d90 100644
--- a/images/chromium-headful/client/src/store/remote.ts
+++ b/images/chromium-headful/client/src/store/remote.ts
@@ -15,9 +15,16 @@ export const state = () => ({
   implicitHosting: true,
   fileTransfer: true,
   keyboardModifierState: -1,
+  // true once a control/request has been sent and we're waiting for the
+  // server's control/locked response. Prevents rapid clicks from emitting
+  // multiple requests before `controlling` flips.
+  requesting: false,
 })
 
 export const getters = getterTree(state, {
+  controlling: (state, getters, root) => {
+    return root.user.id !== '' && root.user.id === state.id
+  },
   hosting: (state, getters, root) => {
     return root.user.id === state.id || state.implicitHosting
   },
@@ -36,6 +43,8 @@ export const mutations = mutationTree(state, {
     } else {
       state.id = host.id
     }
+    // host resolved (for us or someone else) — clear any pending request
+    state.requesting = false
   },
 
   setClipboard(state, clipboard: string) {
@@ -58,10 +67,15 @@ export const mutations = mutationTree(state, {
     state.fileTransfer = val
   },
 
+  setRequesting(state, val: boolean) {
+    state.requesting = val
+  },
+
   reset(state) {
     state.id = ''
     state.clipboard = ''
     state.locked = false
+    state.requesting = false
   },
 })
 
@@ -88,11 +102,12 @@ export const actions = actionTree(
       }
     },
 
-    request({ getters }) {
-      if (!accessor.connected || getters.hosting) {
+    request({ state, getters }) {
+      if (!accessor.connected || getters.controlling || state.requesting) {
         return
       }
 
+      accessor.remote.setRequesting(true)
       $client.sendMessage(EVENT.CONTROL.REQUEST)
     },