diff --git a/interface/src/GLCanvas.cpp b/interface/src/GLCanvas.cpp
index 7bc79e56d8..a098af7fbe 100644
--- a/interface/src/GLCanvas.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/GLCanvas.cpp
@@ -12,17 +12,21 @@
 #include <QMimeData>
 #include <QUrl>
 
-GLCanvas::GLCanvas() : QGLWidget(QGLFormat(QGL::NoDepthBuffer, QGL::NoStencilBuffer)) {
+GLCanvas::GLCanvas() : QGLWidget(QGLFormat(QGL::NoDepthBuffer, QGL::NoStencilBuffer)), _throttleRendering(false), _idleRenderInterval(100) {
 }
 
 void GLCanvas::initializeGL() {
     Application::getInstance()->initializeGL();
     setAttribute(Qt::WA_AcceptTouchEvents);
     setAcceptDrops(true);
+    connect(Application::getInstance(), &Application::focusChanged, this, &GLCanvas::activeChanged);
+    connect(&_frameTimer, &QTimer::timeout, this, &GLCanvas::throttleRender);
 }
 
 void GLCanvas::paintGL() {
-    Application::getInstance()->paintGL();
+    if (!_throttleRendering) {
+        Application::getInstance()->paintGL();
+    }
 }
 
 void GLCanvas::resizeGL(int width, int height) {
@@ -49,6 +53,27 @@ void GLCanvas::mouseReleaseEvent(QMouseEvent* event) {
     Application::getInstance()->mouseReleaseEvent(event);
 }
 
+void GLCanvas::activeChanged()
+{
+    if (!isActiveWindow())
+    {
+        if (!_throttleRendering)
+        {
+            _frameTimer.start(_idleRenderInterval);
+            _throttleRendering = true;
+        }
+    } else {
+        _frameTimer.stop();
+        _throttleRendering = false;
+    }
+}
+
+void GLCanvas::throttleRender()
+{
+    _frameTimer.start(_idleRenderInterval);
+    Application::getInstance()->paintGL();
+}
+
 int updateTime = 0;
 bool GLCanvas::event(QEvent* event) {
     switch (event->type()) {
diff --git a/interface/src/GLCanvas.h b/interface/src/GLCanvas.h
index 0f0cb5c7d0..7e4a4d0334 100644
--- a/interface/src/GLCanvas.h
+++ b/interface/src/GLCanvas.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #define __hifi__GLCanvas__
 
 #include <QGLWidget>
+#include <QTimer>
 
 /// customized canvas that simply forwards requests/events to the singleton application
 class GLCanvas : public QGLWidget {
@@ -17,6 +18,10 @@ public:
     GLCanvas();
 protected:
     
+    QTimer _frameTimer;
+    bool _throttleRendering;
+    int _idleRenderInterval;
+    
     virtual void initializeGL();
     virtual void paintGL();
     virtual void resizeGL(int width, int height);
@@ -34,6 +39,9 @@ protected:
 
     virtual void dragEnterEvent(QDragEnterEvent *event);
     virtual void dropEvent(QDropEvent* event);
+    
+    void activeChanged();
+    void throttleRender();
 };
 
 #endif /* defined(__hifi__GLCanvas__) */