diff --git a/crates/rds-desktop/Cargo.toml b/crates/rds-desktop/Cargo.toml
index 39b1045..fdb308b 100644
--- a/crates/rds-desktop/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/rds-desktop/Cargo.toml
@@ -31,14 +31,14 @@ wgpu = { version = "30.0.1", default-features = false, features = ["std", "parki
 winit = { version = "0.30.13", default-features = false, features = ["rwh_06", "x11", "wayland", "wayland-dlopen"], optional = true }
 pollster = { version = "0.4", optional = true }
 serde.workspace = true
-rustix = { workspace = true, features = ["event"], optional = true }
+rustix = { workspace = true, features = ["event", "time"], optional = true }
 
 # The same thin AppKit bindings already used by winit, for a Dock icon when
 # launched directly from the CLI as well as from a packaged application.
 [target.'cfg(target_os = "macos")'.dependencies]
 objc2 = { version = "0.5.2", optional = true }
 objc2-app-kit = { version = "0.2.2", default-features = false, features = ["std", "NSApplication", "NSImage", "NSAlert", "NSButton", "NSPasteboard"], optional = true }
-objc2-foundation = { version = "0.2.2", default-features = false, features = ["std", "NSData", "NSObject"], optional = true }
+objc2-foundation = { version = "0.2.2", default-features = false, features = ["std", "NSData", "NSObject", "NSProcessInfo"], optional = true }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 noq.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/rds-desktop/src/decode_cpu.rs b/crates/rds-desktop/src/decode_cpu.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f485f1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/rds-desktop/src/decode_cpu.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+//! Read-only thread CPU clock; unsupported/failed observations stay absent.
+use std::time::Duration;
+pub(super) fn now() -> Option<Duration> {
+    use rustix::time::{ClockId, DynamicClockId, clock_gettime_dynamic};
+    let time = clock_gettime_dynamic(DynamicClockId::Known(ClockId::ThreadCPUTime)).ok()?;
+    Some(Duration::new(
+        u64::try_from(time.tv_sec).ok()?,
+        u32::try_from(time.tv_nsec).ok()?,
+    ))
+}
diff --git a/crates/rds-desktop/src/decode_cpu_unavailable.rs b/crates/rds-desktop/src/decode_cpu_unavailable.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbd58ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/rds-desktop/src/decode_cpu_unavailable.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+use std::time::Duration;
+pub(super) fn now() -> Option<Duration> {
+    None
+}
diff --git a/crates/rds-desktop/src/decode_work.rs b/crates/rds-desktop/src/decode_work.rs
index 798b4ba..43f0564 100644
--- a/crates/rds-desktop/src/decode_work.rs
+++ b/crates/rds-desktop/src/decode_work.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@ use std::sync::{
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 use tokio::{sync::Semaphore, task::AbortHandle};
 
+#[cfg(all(feature = "x11", any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "macos")))]
+#[path = "decode_cpu.rs"]
+mod cpu;
+#[cfg(not(all(feature = "x11", any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "macos"))))]
+#[path = "decode_cpu_unavailable.rs"]
+mod cpu;
+
 const BUDGET: u8 = 0;
 const QUEUED: u8 = 1;
 const NATIVE: u8 = 2;
@@ -20,6 +27,8 @@ pub(crate) struct Probe {
     phase: AtomicU8,
     admitted_ms: AtomicU64,
     native_ms: AtomicU64,
+    finished_ms: AtomicU64,
+    native_cpu_us: AtomicU64,
     seq: u64,
     bytes: usize,
     width: u32,
@@ -33,6 +42,8 @@ impl Probe {
             phase: AtomicU8::new(BUDGET),
             admitted_ms: AtomicU64::new(0),
             native_ms: AtomicU64::new(0),
+            finished_ms: AtomicU64::new(0),
+            native_cpu_us: AtomicU64::new(u64::MAX),
             seq: header.seq,
             bytes,
             width: header.width,
@@ -60,6 +71,16 @@ impl Probe {
         let admitted = self.admitted_ms.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
         let native = self.native_ms.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
         let elapsed = self.elapsed_ms();
+        let work_ms = (phase >= NATIVE).then(|| {
+            let end = if phase == DONE {
+                self.finished_ms.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
+            } else {
+                elapsed
+            };
+            end.saturating_sub(native)
+        });
+        let cpu_us = self.native_cpu_us.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
+        let cpu_ms = (cpu_us != u64::MAX).then_some(cpu_us / 1000);
         tracing::warn!(
             reason,
             frame_seq = self.seq,
@@ -80,7 +101,11 @@ impl Probe {
             } else {
                 native.saturating_sub(admitted)
             }),
-            native_work_ms = (phase >= NATIVE).then(|| elapsed.saturating_sub(native)),
+            native_work_ms = work_ms,
+            native_cpu_ms = cpu_ms,
+            native_non_cpu_ms = work_ms
+                .zip(cpu_ms)
+                .map(|(wall, cpu)| wall.saturating_sub(cpu)),
             "desktop decode scheduling health"
         );
     }
@@ -136,8 +161,20 @@ pub(crate) async fn run<T: Send + 'static>(
     let task_probe = probe.clone();
     let task = tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
         let _slot = slot;
+        let cpu_started = cpu::now();
         task_probe.mark(NATIVE);
         let result = work();
+        let cpu_finished = cpu::now();
+        task_probe
+            .finished_ms
+            .store(task_probe.elapsed_ms(), Ordering::Relaxed);
+        if let Some(micros) = cpu_finished
+            .zip(cpu_started)
+            .and_then(|(end, start)| end.checked_sub(start))
+            .and_then(|duration| u64::try_from(duration.as_micros()).ok())
+        {
+            task_probe.native_cpu_us.store(micros, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        }
         task_probe.mark(DONE);
         task_probe.report("completed_slowly");
         result
@@ -172,6 +209,38 @@ mod tests {
             height: 64,
         }
     }
+    #[cfg(all(feature = "x11", any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "macos")))]
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn thread_cpu_observation_distinguishes_work_from_native_waiting() {
+        static SLOTS: Semaphore = Semaphore::const_new(1);
+        let probe = Probe::new(&header(), 12);
+        run(&SLOTS, Duration::from_secs(3), probe.clone(), || {
+            let start = cpu::now().expect("supported platform thread clock");
+            let limit = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(2);
+            while cpu::now().unwrap().saturating_sub(start) < Duration::from_millis(20) {
+                assert!(
+                    Instant::now() < limit,
+                    "CPU fixture was indefinitely starved"
+                );
+                std::hint::spin_loop();
+            }
+            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(80));
+        })
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+        let cpu_us = probe.native_cpu_us.load(Ordering::Acquire);
+        let wall_ms =
+            probe.finished_ms.load(Ordering::Acquire) - probe.native_ms.load(Ordering::Acquire);
+        assert!(cpu_us >= 20_000, "actual native CPU work must be observed");
+        assert!(
+            wall_ms >= 100,
+            "native waiting remains part of elapsed time"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            cpu_us < wall_ms * 500,
+            "sleep cannot be reported as CPU work"
+        );
+    }
     #[test]
     fn cancellation_before_native_start_aborts_queued_decode() {
         static SLOTS: Semaphore = Semaphore::const_new(1);
diff --git a/crates/rds-desktop/src/render/platform.rs b/crates/rds-desktop/src/render/platform.rs
index 0cfdb24..d9fd787 100644
--- a/crates/rds-desktop/src/render/platform.rs
+++ b/crates/rds-desktop/src/render/platform.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,41 @@
 #![cfg_attr(target_os = "macos", allow(unsafe_code))]
 use winit::event_loop::EventLoop;
 
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+pub(super) struct RemoteActivity(objc2::rc::Retained<objc2_foundation::NSObject>);
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+impl Drop for RemoteActivity {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: the owned token came from this process's activity API and
+        // ends once, when the native viewer event loop returns or unwinds.
+        unsafe { objc2_foundation::NSProcessInfo::processInfo().endActivity(&self.0) };
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+pub(super) fn remote_activity() -> RemoteActivity {
+    use objc2_foundation::{NSActivityOptions, NSProcessInfo, NSString};
+    // SAFETY: Foundation owns the retained activity token; the RAII guard
+    // pairs its begin/end. This user-requested stream must remain responsive
+    // while covered, without preventing idle system/display sleep or locking.
+    let token = unsafe {
+        NSProcessInfo::processInfo().beginActivityWithOptions_reason(
+            NSActivityOptions::NSActivityUserInitiatedAllowingIdleSystemSleep,
+            &NSString::from_str("Remote desktop session"),
+        )
+    };
+    RemoteActivity(token)
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
+pub(super) struct RemoteActivity;
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
+pub(super) fn remote_activity() -> RemoteActivity {
+    RemoteActivity
+}
+
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 pub(super) fn paste_text() -> Result<Option<String>, crate::DesktopError> {
     use objc2_app_kit::{NSPasteboard, NSPasteboardTypeString};
diff --git a/crates/rds-desktop/src/render/viewer.rs b/crates/rds-desktop/src/render/viewer.rs
index 67addb2..053df7f 100644
--- a/crates/rds-desktop/src/render/viewer.rs
+++ b/crates/rds-desktop/src/render/viewer.rs
@@ -418,6 +418,7 @@ impl Viewer {
         Ok((Self { event_loop, app }, handle, receiver))
     }
     pub fn run(mut self) -> Result<(), DesktopError> {
+        let _activity = super::platform::remote_activity();
         self.event_loop
             .run_app(&mut self.app)
             .map_err(|e| DesktopError::Capture(e.to_string()))?;
diff --git a/docs/native-viewer.md b/docs/native-viewer.md
index c74e5ac..88ab4ec 100644
--- a/docs/native-viewer.md
+++ b/docs/native-viewer.md
@@ -394,3 +394,18 @@ automation tool's clock. It records only sequence, event class and local timing;
 key/button codes, coordinates, text and clipboard contents are excluded.
 These records locate delay; neither input dispatch nor a frame read proves
 physical display response.
+
+## Native work and macOS activity
+
+Slow decode diagnostics now separate elapsed native work from that worker's
+thread CPU time. Completed work fixes its end timestamp before reporting, so
+later reporting delay cannot inflate the native stage. A failed or unavailable
+CPU clock stays absent. Elapsed time minus CPU time includes scheduling and
+other native waiting; it is not a diagnosis of a particular OS cause.
+
+The macOS viewer owns a Foundation user-initiated activity for its event-loop
+lifetime, including a covered window's active reference processing. The guard
+ends the activity when the loop returns or unwinds. Its option explicitly
+allows idle system sleep and does not keep the display awake or prevent lock.
+This is scoped application activity, not a global power/QoS setting. Installed
+measurements still decide whether it improves a particular latency episode.
diff --git a/docs/research.md b/docs/research.md
index 01cc5f5..0e0a1b0 100644
--- a/docs/research.md
+++ b/docs/research.md
@@ -593,3 +593,17 @@ retry end that hold. This is application repair above QUIC, without replacing
 its loss detection or enlarging reader/decode budgets. The
 [follow-up report](reports/rds-reference-recovery-20261002.md) distinguishes the
 real-stream regression, installed diagnostics and still-open native acceptance.
+
+## 2026-10-02 native scheduling observations
+
+[Apple's activity guidance](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Performance/Conceptual/power_efficiency_guidelines_osx/PrioritizeWorkAtTheAppLevel.html)
+recommends a scoped activity for ongoing user-initiated work.
+[The allowing-idle-sleep option](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/foundation/processinfo/activityoptions/userinitiatedallowingidlesystemsleep)
+preserves idle system sleep. RDS uses that option for its native viewer; it does
+not claim App Nap was proven to cause the observed pauses and does not enable
+the stronger latency-critical option. The existing pinned Rustix dependency
+also supplies a read-only [thread CPU clock](https://docs.rs/rustix/1.1.5/rustix/time/enum.ClockId.html)
+to distinguish actual computation from elapsed native waiting on Linux/macOS.
+The fixture combines real CPU work and sleeping on one blocking worker and
+requires its CPU observation to exclude the wait. These observations do not
+replace installed latency/quality acceptance.