diff --git a/client/scripts/player.gd b/client/scripts/player.gd
index 9a98575..675271a 100644
--- a/client/scripts/player.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/player.gd
@@ -38,13 +38,12 @@ const WALK_PEEL_SUSPEND_VERT_SEP: float = 0.48
 ## so shallow lips (~0.48 m) still peel; widened from 0.34 to cover ~0.35–0.47 m stair/goal gaps.
 const WALK_PEEL_SUSPEND_HORIZ_VERT_SEP: float = 0.46
 const WALK_PEEL_SUSPEND_HORIZ_DIST: float = 5.0
-## In [code]vlat && ncol[/code], when XZ is almost at arrival but [code]vert_sep[/code] sits in a tread
-## wobble band (~4.5–13 cm), full [member MOVE_SPEED] slide keeps pumping Y (NEON-16 ~0.89–0.95). Zero
-## horizontal [member velocity] for that tick so only floor snap settles height — narrow gates avoid
-## freezing open-floor approaches or long vertical offsets.
-const WALK_TREAD_FREEZE_HORIZ_FRAC: float = 0.92
-const WALK_TREAD_FREEZE_VERT_SEP_MIN: float = 0.045
-const WALK_TREAD_FREEZE_VERT_SEP_MAX: float = 0.13
+## With [method _walk_peel_suspend_near_goal] (tread snap/peel stability), zero XZ [member velocity] when
+## close in XZ but vertical arrival still unresolved — avoids band-edge flicker from a tight [code]vert_sep[/code]
+## window. [member WALK_PEEL_SUSPEND_HORIZ_DIST] can be 5 m; cap XZ here so we never freeze long crosses.
+const WALK_TREAD_FREEZE_HORIZ_MAX: float = 0.38
+## Freeze only while vertical error is in a “tread wobble” band (past arrival noise, not a big drop).
+const WALK_TREAD_FREEZE_VERT_ERR_MAX: float = 0.18
 ## [method _walk_has_close_floor_probe_below] often flips on stairs: next tread is ~0.104 m down but
 ## [member WALK_CONTINUATION_MAX_BELOW_FEET] is 0.078 m, so rays reject the hit → peel + zero snap
 ## alternate with full snap each tick (~y≈1.0 jitter). Require this many consecutive probe-fail frames
@@ -502,21 +501,23 @@ func _walk_peel_suspend_near_goal(feet_y: float, horiz_dist: float) -> bool:
 	return vsep <= WALK_PEEL_SUSPEND_HORIZ_VERT_SEP and horiz_dist <= WALK_PEEL_SUSPEND_HORIZ_DIST
 
 
-func _walk_tread_freeze_horizontal_active(feet_y: float, horiz_dist: float) -> bool:
+func _walk_tread_freeze_horizontal_active(_feet_y: float, horiz_dist: float) -> bool:
 	if not is_on_floor() or not _has_walk_goal:
 		return false
 	# Step-up / climb still needs XZ motion along the face.
-	if _auth_walk_goal.y > feet_y + 0.04:
+	if _auth_walk_goal.y > _feet_y + 0.04:
 		return false
-	if horiz_dist > ARRIVE_EPS * WALK_TREAD_FREEZE_HORIZ_FRAC:
+	if not _walk_peel_suspend_near_goal(_feet_y, horiz_dist):
 		return false
-	var vsep: float = absf(_auth_walk_goal.y - feet_y)
-	if vsep <= WALK_TREAD_FREEZE_VERT_SEP_MIN or vsep > WALK_TREAD_FREEZE_VERT_SEP_MAX:
+	if horiz_dist > WALK_TREAD_FREEZE_HORIZ_MAX:
 		return false
-	if _walk_vert_route_latched and _walk_nav_column_steering:
-		return true
-	# [code]vlat[/code] can unlatch on long descents; keep freeze only when clearly dropping.
-	return _auth_walk_goal.y < feet_y - DESCEND_GOAL_Y_MARGIN
+	var cap_half: float = CAPSULE_HALF_HEIGHT + PLAYER_CAPSULE_RADIUS
+	var verr: float = vertical_arrival_error(_auth_walk_goal.y, global_position.y, cap_half)
+	if verr <= VERT_ARRIVE_EPS:
+		return false
+	if verr > WALK_TREAD_FREEZE_VERT_ERR_MAX:
+		return false
+	return true
 
 
 func _walk_refresh_ledge_peel_debounce(feet_y: float, move_dir_xz: Vector2) -> void: