diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
index 84d27e7..6fe1eed 100644
--- a/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     "Algo",
     "Authed",
     "Authorise",
+    "Debounces",
     "Inequal",
     "KRISTWALLET",
     "KRISTWALLETEXTENSION",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8e239c7..aed7805 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     "i18next": "^19.7.0",
     "i18next-browser-languagedetector": "^6.0.1",
     "i18next-http-backend": "^1.0.20",
+    "lodash.throttle": "^4.1.1",
     "react": "^17.0.1",
     "react-dom": "^17.0.1",
     "react-i18next": "^11.8.6",
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@
     "@types/debug": "^4.1.5",
     "@types/file-saver": "^2.0.1",
     "@types/jest": "^26.0.20",
+    "@types/lodash.throttle": "^4.1.6",
     "@types/node": "^12.19.16",
     "@types/react": "^17.0.1",
     "@types/react-dom": "^17.0.0",
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 364322f..9c1b819 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
   i18next: 19.8.7
   i18next-browser-languagedetector: 6.0.1
   i18next-http-backend: 1.1.0
+  lodash.throttle: 4.1.1
   react: 17.0.1
   react-dom: 17.0.1_react@17.0.1
   react-i18next: 11.8.6_i18next@19.8.7+react@17.0.1
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@
   '@types/debug': 4.1.5
   '@types/file-saver': 2.0.1
   '@types/jest': 26.0.20
+  '@types/lodash.throttle': 4.1.6
   '@types/node': 12.20.0
   '@types/react': 17.0.2
   '@types/react-dom': 17.0.1
@@ -2065,6 +2067,16 @@
     dev: true
     resolution:
       integrity: sha1-7ihweulOEdK4J7y+UnC86n8+ce4=
+  /@types/lodash.throttle/4.1.6:
+    dependencies:
+      '@types/lodash': 4.14.168
+    dev: true
+    resolution:
+      integrity: sha512-/UIH96i/sIRYGC60NoY72jGkCJtFN5KVPhEMMMTjol65effe1gPn0tycJqV5tlSwMTzX8FqzB5yAj0rfGHTPNg==
+  /@types/lodash/4.14.168:
+    dev: true
+    resolution:
+      integrity: sha512-oVfRvqHV/V6D1yifJbVRU3TMp8OT6o6BG+U9MkwuJ3U8/CsDHvalRpsxBqivn71ztOFZBTfJMvETbqHiaNSj7Q==
   /@types/minimatch/3.0.3:
     dev: true
     resolution:
@@ -7838,6 +7850,10 @@
     dev: true
     resolution:
       integrity: sha512-stgLz+i3Aa9mZgnjr/O+v9ruKZsPsndy7qPZOchbqk2cnTU1ZaldKK+v7m54WoKIyxiuMZTKT2H81F8BeAc3ZQ==
+  /lodash.throttle/4.1.1:
+    dev: false
+    resolution:
+      integrity: sha1-wj6RtxAkKscMN/HhzaknTMOb8vQ=
   /lodash.uniq/4.5.0:
     dev: true
     resolution:
@@ -13365,6 +13381,7 @@
   '@types/debug': ^4.1.5
   '@types/file-saver': ^2.0.1
   '@types/jest': ^26.0.20
+  '@types/lodash.throttle': ^4.1.6
   '@types/node': ^12.19.16
   '@types/react': ^17.0.1
   '@types/react-dom': ^17.0.0
@@ -13389,6 +13406,7 @@
   i18next: ^19.7.0
   i18next-browser-languagedetector: ^6.0.1
   i18next-http-backend: ^1.0.20
+  lodash.throttle: ^4.1.1
   prettier: ^2.2.1
   react: ^17.0.1
   react-dom: ^17.0.1
diff --git a/src/components/ws/WebsocketService.tsx b/src/components/ws/WebsocketService.tsx
index f666b30..ce3affd 100644
--- a/src/components/ws/WebsocketService.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ws/WebsocketService.tsx
@@ -12,22 +12,29 @@
 import { findWalletByAddress, syncWalletUpdate } from "../../krist/wallets/Wallet";
 import WebSocketAsPromised from "websocket-as-promised";
 
+import throttle from "lodash.throttle";
+
 import Debug from "debug";
 import { useMountEffect } from "../../utils";
 const debug = Debug("kristweb:ws");
 
-const DEFAULT_CONNECT_DEBOUNCE = 1000;
-const MAX_DEBOUNCE = 360000;
+const REFRESH_THROTTLE_MS = 500;
+const DEFAULT_CONNECT_DEBOUNCE_MS = 1000;
+const MAX_CONNECT_DEBOUNCE_MS = 360000;
+
 class WebsocketConnection {
   private wallets?: WalletMap;
   private ws?: WebSocketAsPromised;
   private reconnectionTimer?: number;
 
   private messageID = 1;
-  private connectDebounce = DEFAULT_CONNECT_DEBOUNCE;
+  private connectDebounce = DEFAULT_CONNECT_DEBOUNCE_MS;
 
   private forceClosing = false;
 
+  // TODO: automatically clean this up?
+  private refreshThrottles: Record<string, (address: string) => void> = {};
+
   constructor(private dispatch: AppDispatch) {
     debug("WS component init");
     this.attemptConnect();
@@ -62,7 +69,7 @@
 
     this.messageID = 1;
     await this.ws.open();
-    this.connectDebounce = DEFAULT_CONNECT_DEBOUNCE;
+    this.connectDebounce = DEFAULT_CONNECT_DEBOUNCE_MS;
   }
 
   async attemptConnect() {
@@ -81,7 +88,7 @@
     debug("failed to connect to server, reconnecting in %d ms", this.connectDebounce, err);
 
     this.reconnectionTimer = window.setTimeout(() => {
-      this.connectDebounce = Math.min(this.connectDebounce * 2, MAX_DEBOUNCE);
+      this.connectDebounce = Math.min(this.connectDebounce * 2, MAX_CONNECT_DEBOUNCE_MS);
       this.attemptConnect();
     }, this.connectDebounce);
   }
@@ -157,8 +164,26 @@
   }
 
   /** Queues a command to re-fetch an address's balance. The response will be
-   * handled in {@link handleMessage}. */
+   * handled in {@link handleMessage}. This is automatically throttled to
+   * execute on the leading edge of 500ms (REFRESH_THROTTLE_MS). */
   refreshBalance(address: string) {
+    if (this.refreshThrottles[address]) {
+      // Use the existing throttled function if it exists
+      this.refreshThrottles[address](address);
+    } else {
+      // Create and cache a new throttle function for this address
+      const throttled = throttle(
+        this._refreshBalance.bind(this),
+        REFRESH_THROTTLE_MS,
+        { leading: true, trailing: false }
+      );
+
+      this.refreshThrottles[address] = throttled;
+      throttled(address);
+    }
+  }
+
+  private _refreshBalance(address: string) {
     debug("refreshing balance of %s", address);
     this.ws?.sendPacked({ type: "address", id: this.messageID++, address });
   }