diff --git a/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go b/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go
index 9ee78210..af5029f4 100644
--- a/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go
+++ b/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go
@@ -1657,7 +1657,6 @@ func ScreenWebShareCommand(ctx context.Context, pk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketType
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot web-share screen: %v", err)
 		}
-		pcloud.NotifyUpdateWriter()
 		infoMsg = fmt.Sprintf("screen is now shared to the web at %s", "[screen-share-url]")
 	} else {
 		err = sstore.ScreenWebShareStop(ctx, ids.ScreenId)
diff --git a/pkg/pcloud/pcloud.go b/pkg/pcloud/pcloud.go
index 2830feba..dca98837 100644
--- a/pkg/pcloud/pcloud.go
+++ b/pkg/pcloud/pcloud.go
@@ -30,11 +30,9 @@ const PCloudDefaultTimeout = 5 * time.Second
 
 const TelemetryUrl = "/telemetry"
 const NoTelemetryUrl = "/no-telemetry"
-const CreateWebScreenUrl = "/auth/create-web-screen"
 const WebShareUpdateUrl = "/auth/web-share-update"
 
-var updateWriterCVar = sync.NewCond(&sync.Mutex{})
-var updateWriterMoreData = false
+var updateWriterLock = &sync.Mutex{}
 var updateWriterRunning = false
 
 type AuthInfo struct {
@@ -101,7 +99,7 @@ func makeAnonPostReq(ctx context.Context, apiUrl string, data interface{}) (*htt
 
 func doRequest(req *http.Request, outputObj interface{}) (*http.Response, error) {
 	apiUrl := req.Header.Get("X-PromptAPIUrl")
-	log.Printf("sending request %v\n", req.URL)
+	log.Printf("[pcloud] sending request %v\n", req.URL)
 	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error contacting pcloud %q service: %v", apiUrl, err)
@@ -138,7 +136,7 @@ func SendTelemetry(ctx context.Context, force bool) error {
 	if len(activity) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
-	log.Printf("sending telemetry data\n")
+	log.Printf("[pcloud] sending telemetry data\n")
 	dayStr := sstore.GetCurDayStr()
 	input := TelemetryInputType{UserId: clientData.UserId, ClientId: clientData.ClientId, CurDay: dayStr, Activity: activity}
 	req, err := makeAnonPostReq(ctx, TelemetryUrl, input)
@@ -369,49 +367,21 @@ func DoWebScreenUpdates(authInfo AuthInfo, updateArr []*sstore.ScreenUpdateType)
 	return nil
 }
 
-func CreateWebScreen(ctx context.Context, screen *WebShareScreenType) error {
-	authInfo, err := getAuthInfo(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	req, err := makeAuthPostReq(ctx, CreateWebScreenUrl, authInfo, screen)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	_, err = doRequest(req, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func updateWriterCheckMoreData() {
-	updateWriterCVar.L.Lock()
-	defer updateWriterCVar.L.Unlock()
-	for {
-		if updateWriterMoreData {
-			updateWriterMoreData = false
-			break
-		}
-		updateWriterCVar.Wait()
-	}
-}
-
 func setUpdateWriterRunning(running bool) {
-	updateWriterCVar.L.Lock()
-	defer updateWriterCVar.L.Unlock()
+	updateWriterLock.Lock()
+	defer updateWriterLock.Unlock()
 	updateWriterRunning = running
 }
 
 func GetUpdateWriterRunning() bool {
-	updateWriterCVar.L.Lock()
-	defer updateWriterCVar.L.Unlock()
+	updateWriterLock.Lock()
+	defer updateWriterLock.Unlock()
 	return updateWriterRunning
 }
 
 func StartUpdateWriter() {
-	updateWriterCVar.L.Lock()
-	defer updateWriterCVar.L.Unlock()
+	updateWriterLock.Lock()
+	defer updateWriterLock.Unlock()
 	if updateWriterRunning {
 		return
 	}
@@ -449,6 +419,7 @@ func runWebShareUpdateWriter() {
 	numErrors := 0
 	numSendErrors := 0
 	for {
+		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
 		updateArr, err := sstore.GetScreenUpdates(context.Background(), MaxUpdatesPerReq)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Printf("[pcloud] error retrieving updates: %v", err)
@@ -460,7 +431,8 @@ func runWebShareUpdateWriter() {
 			}
 		}
 		if len(updateArr) == 0 {
-			updateWriterCheckMoreData()
+			sstore.UpdateWriterCheckMoreData()
+			continue
 		}
 		numErrors = 0
 		authInfo, err := getAuthInfo(context.Background())
@@ -472,13 +444,7 @@ func runWebShareUpdateWriter() {
 			time.Sleep(backoffTime)
 			continue
 		}
+		log.Printf("[pcloud] sent %d web-updates\n", len(updateArr))
 		numSendErrors = 0
 	}
 }
-
-func NotifyUpdateWriter() {
-	updateWriterCVar.L.Lock()
-	defer updateWriterCVar.L.Unlock()
-	updateWriterMoreData = true
-	updateWriterCVar.Signal()
-}
diff --git a/pkg/sstore/dbops.go b/pkg/sstore/dbops.go
index bb4b4344..852a6ef0 100644
--- a/pkg/sstore/dbops.go
+++ b/pkg/sstore/dbops.go
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ import (
 const HistoryCols = "h.historyid, h.ts, h.userid, h.sessionid, h.screenid, h.lineid, h.cmdid, h.haderror, h.cmdstr, h.remoteownerid, h.remoteid, h.remotename, h.ismetacmd, h.incognito, h.linenum"
 const DefaultMaxHistoryItems = 1000
 
+var updateWriterCVar = sync.NewCond(&sync.Mutex{})
+var updateWriterMoreData = false
+
 type SingleConnDBGetter struct {
 	SingleConnLock *sync.Mutex
 }
@@ -50,6 +53,25 @@ func WithTx(ctx context.Context, fn func(tx *TxWrap) error) error {
 	return txwrap.DBGWithTx(ctx, dbWrap, fn)
 }
 
+func NotifyUpdateWriter() {
+	updateWriterCVar.L.Lock()
+	defer updateWriterCVar.L.Unlock()
+	updateWriterMoreData = true
+	updateWriterCVar.Signal()
+}
+
+func UpdateWriterCheckMoreData() {
+	updateWriterCVar.L.Lock()
+	defer updateWriterCVar.L.Unlock()
+	for {
+		if updateWriterMoreData {
+			updateWriterMoreData = false
+			break
+		}
+		updateWriterCVar.Wait()
+	}
+}
+
 func NumSessions(ctx context.Context) (int, error) {
 	var numSessions int
 	txErr := WithTx(ctx, func(tx *TxWrap) error {
@@ -2383,6 +2405,7 @@ func ScreenWebShareStart(ctx context.Context, screenId string, shareOpts ScreenW
 		query = `INSERT INTO screenupdate (screenid, lineid, updatetype, updatets)
                  SELECT screenid, lineid, ?, ? FROM line WHERE screenid = ? ORDER BY linenum`
 		tx.Exec(query, UpdateType_LineNew, time.Now().UnixMilli(), screenId)
+		NotifyUpdateWriter()
 		return nil
 	})
 }
@@ -2417,6 +2440,7 @@ func insertScreenUpdate(tx *TxWrap, screenId string, updateType string) {
 	}
 	query := `INSERT INTO screenupdate (screenid, lineid, updatetype, updatets) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)`
 	tx.Exec(query, screenId, "", updateType, time.Now().UnixMilli())
+	NotifyUpdateWriter()
 }
 
 func insertScreenLineUpdate(tx *TxWrap, screenId string, lineId string, updateType string) {
@@ -2428,8 +2452,12 @@ func insertScreenLineUpdate(tx *TxWrap, screenId string, lineId string, updateTy
 		tx.SetErr(errors.New("invalid screen-update, lineid is empty"))
 		return
 	}
-	query := `INSERT INTO screenupdate (screenid, lineid, updatetype, updatets) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)`
-	tx.Exec(query, screenId, lineId, updateType, time.Now().UnixMilli())
+	query := `SELECT updateid FROM screenupdate WHERE screenid = ? AND lineid = ? AND (updatetype = ? OR updatetype = ?)`
+	if !tx.Exists(query, screenId, lineId, updateType, UpdateType_LineNew) {
+		query = `INSERT INTO screenupdate (screenid, lineid, updatetype, updatets) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)`
+		tx.Exec(query, screenId, lineId, updateType, time.Now().UnixMilli())
+		NotifyUpdateWriter()
+	}
 }
 
 func insertScreenCmdUpdate(tx *TxWrap, screenId string, cmdId string, updateType string) {
@@ -2474,7 +2502,9 @@ func InsertPtyPosUpdate(ctx context.Context, screenId string, cmdId string) erro
 		}
 		query = `SELECT updateid FROM screenupdate WHERE screenid = ? AND lineid = ? AND updatetype = ?`
 		if !tx.Exists(query, screenId, lineId, UpdateType_PtyPos) {
-			insertScreenLineUpdate(tx, screenId, lineId, UpdateType_PtyPos)
+			query := `INSERT INTO screenupdate (screenid, lineid, updatetype, updatets) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)`
+			tx.Exec(query, screenId, lineId, UpdateType_PtyPos, time.Now().UnixMilli())
+			NotifyUpdateWriter()
 		}
 		return nil
 	})