diff --git a/start.sh b/start.sh
index b64e3ff..4f55a34 100755
--- a/start.sh
+++ b/start.sh
@@ -45,12 +45,17 @@ echo "xrandr result: $(DISPLAY=:99 xrandr | grep '*')"
 
 # ── Start PipeWire stack ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 export PULSE_RUNTIME_PATH="$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/pulse"
-rm -rf "$PULSE_RUNTIME_PATH"
 
 pipewire &
 sleep 1
 wireplumber &
 sleep 1
+# Remove the pulse socket directory that pipewire may have pre-created, then
+# immediately recreate it empty and start pipewire-pulse with no gap in
+# between — otherwise pipewire can recreate it first and pipewire-pulse
+# fails with "File exists" on the socket.
+rm -rf "$PULSE_RUNTIME_PATH"
+mkdir -p "$PULSE_RUNTIME_PATH"
 pipewire-pulse &
 
 # Wait for the PulseAudio-compatible socket
@@ -62,6 +67,14 @@ done
 
 export PULSE_SERVER="unix:${PULSE_RUNTIME_PATH}/native"
 
+# Raise the PipeWire scheduling quantum (buffer size). This container runs
+# llvmpipe software rendering + vp8enc + opusenc all competing for CPU at
+# ~800% on 8 cores. A larger quantum gives the audio graph more buffer
+# headroom to absorb brief scheduling jitter, trading a few ms of latency
+# (irrelevant for one-way streaming) for fewer audible underruns/crackling.
+# Default PipeWire quantum is often 1024; bump to 4096.
+pw-metadata -n settings 0 clock.force-quantum 4096 || true
+
 # Virtual microphone — use || true so a pre-existing module doesn't abort
 # the script (set -e is active). The "Failure: No such entity" in the old
 # logs was module-virtual-source failing; under PipeWire-Pulse we use