diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7e0dc6a..1574bd5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ This avoids drift from letting two outputs auto-adjust independently.
 - Internal display controlled with `brightnessctl`
 - External monitor mirrored with `ddcutil` VCP code `10`
 - Compact GTK4/libadwaita OSD for custom brightness shortcuts
+- Debounced brightness changes: fast repeated key presses become one final jump
 - Optional Wayland top-edge positioning with `gtk4-layer-shell`
 - systemd user service for continuous external sync
 - Configurable backlight device, DDC bus, monitor model, step size, and sync interval
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ The installer writes:
 
 ```text
 ~/.local/bin/brightness-osd
+~/.local/bin/brightness-step
 ~/.local/bin/brightness-up-all
 ~/.local/bin/brightness-down-all
 ~/.local/bin/brightness-sync-hg342pcb
@@ -89,8 +91,11 @@ BRIGHTNESS_DDCUTIL_BUS="16"
 BRIGHTNESS_SYNC_INTERVAL="1"
 BRIGHTNESS_SYNC_MIN_PERCENT="1"
 BRIGHTNESS_OSD_VISIBLE_MS="1400"
+BRIGHTNESS_APPLY_DEBOUNCE_MS="180"
 ```
 
+`BRIGHTNESS_APPLY_DEBOUNCE_MS` controls how long the scripts wait for another key press before applying the final brightness. The OSD updates immediately to the target value, but `brightnessctl` runs only once at the end of a quick key-press burst.
+
 After changing DDC or sync values:
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/bin/brightness-down-all b/bin/brightness-down-all
index e7b1a69..1752e4a 100755
--- a/bin/brightness-down-all
+++ b/bin/brightness-down-all
@@ -7,8 +7,4 @@ if [[ -f "$CONFIG" ]]; then
   source "$CONFIG"
 fi
 
-BACKLIGHT_DEVICE="${BRIGHTNESS_BACKLIGHT_DEVICE:-intel_backlight}"
-STEP="${BRIGHTNESS_STEP:-10}"
-
-brightnessctl -q -d "$BACKLIGHT_DEVICE" set "${STEP}%-"
-"$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-osd" || true
+"$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-step" down
diff --git a/bin/brightness-step b/bin/brightness-step
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..12a0d94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/brightness-step
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+CONFIG="${BRIGHTNESS_AUTOMATION_CONFIG:-$HOME/.config/brightness-automation/env}"
+if [[ -f "$CONFIG" ]]; then
+  # shellcheck disable=SC1090
+  source "$CONFIG"
+fi
+
+BACKLIGHT_DEVICE="${BRIGHTNESS_BACKLIGHT_DEVICE:-intel_backlight}"
+BACKLIGHT_PATH="${BRIGHTNESS_SYNC_BACKLIGHT:-/sys/class/backlight/${BACKLIGHT_DEVICE}}"
+STEP="${BRIGHTNESS_STEP:-10}"
+DEBOUNCE_MS="${BRIGHTNESS_APPLY_DEBOUNCE_MS:-180}"
+STATE_DIR="${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR:-/tmp}/brightness-automation"
+STATE_FILE="$STATE_DIR/target-percent"
+STAMP_FILE="$STATE_DIR/target-stamp"
+LOCK_FILE="$STATE_DIR/lock"
+
+mkdir -p "$STATE_DIR"
+
+read_current_percent() {
+  local current max
+  current="$(<"${BACKLIGHT_PATH}/brightness")"
+  max="$(<"${BACKLIGHT_PATH}/max_brightness")"
+  printf '%s\n' "$(( (current * 100 + max / 2) / max ))"
+}
+
+clamp_percent() {
+  local value="$1"
+  if (( value < 1 )); then
+    value=1
+  elif (( value > 100 )); then
+    value=100
+  fi
+  printf '%s\n' "$value"
+}
+
+now_ms() {
+  date +%s%3N
+}
+
+apply_after_quiet_period() {
+  while true; do
+    sleep "$(awk "BEGIN { printf \"%.3f\", ${DEBOUNCE_MS} / 1000 }")"
+
+    local now stamp age target
+    now="$(now_ms)"
+    stamp="$(<"$STAMP_FILE")"
+    age="$(( now - stamp ))"
+
+    if (( age >= DEBOUNCE_MS )); then
+      target="$(<"$STATE_FILE")"
+      brightnessctl -q -d "$BACKLIGHT_DEVICE" set "${target}%"
+      exit 0
+    fi
+  done
+}
+
+if [[ "${1:-}" == "--apply-worker" ]]; then
+  apply_after_quiet_period
+fi
+
+if [[ "$#" -ne 1 || ! "$1" =~ ^(up|down)$ ]]; then
+  echo "Usage: $(basename "$0") up|down" >&2
+  exit 2
+fi
+
+(
+  flock 9
+
+  current="$(read_current_percent)"
+  if [[ -f "$STATE_FILE" ]]; then
+    base="$(<"$STATE_FILE")"
+  else
+    base="$current"
+  fi
+
+  case "$1" in
+    up) target="$(( base + STEP ))" ;;
+    down) target="$(( base - STEP ))" ;;
+  esac
+
+  target="$(clamp_percent "$target")"
+  printf '%s\n' "$target" >"$STATE_FILE"
+  now_ms >"$STAMP_FILE"
+
+  "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-osd" "$target" || true
+) 9>"$LOCK_FILE"
+
+if ! pgrep -f "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-step --apply-worker" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  nohup "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-step" --apply-worker >/dev/null 2>&1 &
+fi
diff --git a/bin/brightness-up-all b/bin/brightness-up-all
index 27a9daa..20fc67a 100755
--- a/bin/brightness-up-all
+++ b/bin/brightness-up-all
@@ -7,8 +7,4 @@ if [[ -f "$CONFIG" ]]; then
   source "$CONFIG"
 fi
 
-BACKLIGHT_DEVICE="${BRIGHTNESS_BACKLIGHT_DEVICE:-intel_backlight}"
-STEP="${BRIGHTNESS_STEP:-10}"
-
-brightnessctl -q -d "$BACKLIGHT_DEVICE" set "+${STEP}%"
-"$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-osd" || true
+"$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-step" up
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index ded9cf4..9777fed 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ install -d "$HOME/.config/systemd/user"
 install -d "$HOME/.config/brightness-automation"
 
 install -m 0755 "$ROOT/bin/brightness-osd" "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-osd"
+install -m 0755 "$ROOT/bin/brightness-step" "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-step"
 install -m 0755 "$ROOT/bin/brightness-up-all" "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-up-all"
 install -m 0755 "$ROOT/bin/brightness-down-all" "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-down-all"
 install -m 0755 "$ROOT/bin/brightness-sync-hg342pcb" "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-sync-hg342pcb"
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ BRIGHTNESS_DDCUTIL_BUS="$DDC_BUS"
 BRIGHTNESS_SYNC_INTERVAL="$INTERVAL"
 BRIGHTNESS_SYNC_MIN_PERCENT="$MIN_PERCENT"
 BRIGHTNESS_OSD_VISIBLE_MS="1400"
+BRIGHTNESS_APPLY_DEBOUNCE_MS="180"
 EOF
 fi
 
diff --git a/uninstall.sh b/uninstall.sh
index 08d09e7..2d23f74 100755
--- a/uninstall.sh
+++ b/uninstall.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ set -euo pipefail
 systemctl --user disable --now external-brightness-sync.service 2>/dev/null || true
 rm -f "$HOME/.config/systemd/user/external-brightness-sync.service"
 rm -f "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-osd"
+rm -f "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-step"
 rm -f "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-up-all"
 rm -f "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-down-all"
 rm -f "$HOME/.local/bin/brightness-sync-hg342pcb"