diff --git a/pkg/sfu/downtrack.go b/pkg/sfu/downtrack.go
index a6498dcd4..07d7f45fa 100644
--- a/pkg/sfu/downtrack.go
+++ b/pkg/sfu/downtrack.go
@@ -246,8 +246,6 @@ type DownTrack struct {
 
 	totalRepeatedNACKs atomic.Uint32
 
-	keyFrameRequestGeneration atomic.Uint32
-
 	blankFramesGeneration atomic.Uint32
 
 	connectionStats            *connectionquality.ConnectionStats
@@ -273,6 +271,10 @@ type DownTrack struct {
 	maxLayerNotifierCh       chan struct{}
 	maxLayerNotifierChClosed bool
 
+	keyFrameRequesterChMu     sync.RWMutex
+	keyFrameRequesterCh       chan struct{}
+	keyFrameRequesterChClosed bool
+
 	cbMu                        sync.RWMutex
 	onStatsUpdate               func(dt *DownTrack, stat *livekit.AnalyticsStat)
 	onMaxSubscribedLayerChanged func(dt *DownTrack, layer int32)
@@ -294,13 +296,14 @@ func NewDownTrack(params DowntrackParams) (*DownTrack, error) {
 	}
 
 	d := &DownTrack{
-		params:             params,
-		id:                 params.Receiver.TrackID(),
-		upstreamCodecs:     codecs,
-		kind:               kind,
-		codec:              codecs[0].RTPCodecCapability,
-		pacer:              params.Pacer,
-		maxLayerNotifierCh: make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		params:              params,
+		id:                  params.Receiver.TrackID(),
+		upstreamCodecs:      codecs,
+		kind:                kind,
+		codec:               codecs[0].RTPCodecCapability,
+		pacer:               params.Pacer,
+		maxLayerNotifierCh:  make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		keyFrameRequesterCh: make(chan struct{}, 1),
 	}
 	d.forwarder = NewForwarder(
 		d.kind,
@@ -346,6 +349,7 @@ func NewDownTrack(params DowntrackParams) (*DownTrack, error) {
 	}
 	if d.kind == webrtc.RTPCodecTypeVideo {
 		go d.maxLayerNotifierWorker()
+		go d.keyFrameRequester()
 	}
 
 	return d, nil
@@ -584,57 +588,58 @@ func (d *DownTrack) GetTransceiver() *webrtc.RTPTransceiver {
 	return d.transceiver.Load()
 }
 
-func (d *DownTrack) maybeStartKeyFrameRequester() {
-	//
-	// Always move to next generation to abandon any running key frame requester
-	// This ensures that it is stopped if forwarding is disabled due to mute
-	// or paused due to bandwidth constraints. A new key frame requester is
-	// started if a layer lock is required.
-	//
-	d.stopKeyFrameRequester()
-
-	locked, layer := d.forwarder.CheckSync()
-	if !locked {
-		go d.keyFrameRequester(d.keyFrameRequestGeneration.Load(), layer)
-	}
-}
-
-func (d *DownTrack) stopKeyFrameRequester() {
-	d.keyFrameRequestGeneration.Inc()
-}
-
-func (d *DownTrack) keyFrameRequester(generation uint32, layer int32) {
-	if d.IsClosed() || layer == buffer.InvalidLayerSpatial {
+func (d *DownTrack) postKeyFrameRequestEvent() {
+	if d.kind != webrtc.RTPCodecTypeVideo {
 		return
 	}
 
-	interval := 2 * d.rtpStats.GetRtt()
-	if interval < keyFrameIntervalMin {
-		interval = keyFrameIntervalMin
+	d.keyFrameRequesterChMu.RLock()
+	if !d.keyFrameRequesterChClosed {
+		select {
+		case d.keyFrameRequesterCh <- struct{}{}:
+		default:
+		}
 	}
-	if interval > keyFrameIntervalMax {
-		interval = keyFrameIntervalMax
+	d.keyFrameRequesterChMu.RUnlock()
+}
+
+func (d *DownTrack) keyFrameRequester() {
+	getInterval := func() time.Duration {
+		interval := 2 * d.rtpStats.GetRtt()
+		if interval < keyFrameIntervalMin {
+			interval = keyFrameIntervalMin
+		}
+		if interval > keyFrameIntervalMax {
+			interval = keyFrameIntervalMax
+		}
+		return time.Duration(interval) * time.Millisecond
 	}
-	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Duration(interval) * time.Millisecond)
+
+	interval := getInterval()
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(interval)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
 	for {
-		locked, _ := d.forwarder.CheckSync()
-		if locked {
+		if d.IsClosed() {
 			return
 		}
 
-		if d.writable.Load() {
-			d.params.Logger.Debugw("sending PLI for layer lock", "generation", generation, "layer", layer)
+		select {
+		case _, more := <-d.keyFrameRequesterCh:
+			if !more {
+				return
+			}
+		case <-ticker.C:
+		}
+
+		locked, layer := d.forwarder.CheckSync()
+		if !locked && layer != buffer.InvalidLayerSpatial && d.writable.Load() {
+			d.params.Logger.Debugw("sending PLI for layer lock", "layer", layer)
 			d.params.Receiver.SendPLI(layer, false)
 			d.rtpStats.UpdateLayerLockPliAndTime(1)
 		}
 
-		<-ticker.C
-
-		if generation != d.keyFrameRequestGeneration.Load() || !d.writable.Load() {
-			return
-		}
+		ticker.Reset(getInterval())
 	}
 }
 
@@ -986,11 +991,15 @@ func (d *DownTrack) CloseWithFlush(flush bool) {
 	close(d.maxLayerNotifierCh)
 	d.maxLayerNotifierChMu.Unlock()
 
+	d.keyFrameRequesterChMu.Lock()
+	d.keyFrameRequesterChClosed = true
+	close(d.keyFrameRequesterCh)
+	d.keyFrameRequesterChMu.Unlock()
+
 	if onCloseHandler := d.getOnCloseHandler(); onCloseHandler != nil {
 		onCloseHandler(!flush)
 	}
 
-	d.stopKeyFrameRequester()
 	d.ClearStreamAllocatorReportInterval()
 }
 
@@ -1174,7 +1183,7 @@ func (d *DownTrack) DistanceToDesired() float64 {
 func (d *DownTrack) AllocateOptimal(allowOvershoot bool) VideoAllocation {
 	al, brs := d.params.Receiver.GetLayeredBitrate()
 	allocation := d.forwarder.AllocateOptimal(al, brs, allowOvershoot)
-	d.maybeStartKeyFrameRequester()
+	d.postKeyFrameRequestEvent()
 	d.maybeAddTransition(allocation.BandwidthNeeded, allocation.DistanceToDesired, allocation.PauseReason)
 	return allocation
 }
@@ -1216,7 +1225,7 @@ func (d *DownTrack) ProvisionalAllocateGetBestWeightedTransition() VideoTransiti
 
 func (d *DownTrack) ProvisionalAllocateCommit() VideoAllocation {
 	allocation := d.forwarder.ProvisionalAllocateCommit()
-	d.maybeStartKeyFrameRequester()
+	d.postKeyFrameRequestEvent()
 	d.maybeAddTransition(allocation.BandwidthNeeded, allocation.DistanceToDesired, allocation.PauseReason)
 	return allocation
 }
@@ -1224,7 +1233,7 @@ func (d *DownTrack) ProvisionalAllocateCommit() VideoAllocation {
 func (d *DownTrack) AllocateNextHigher(availableChannelCapacity int64, allowOvershoot bool) (VideoAllocation, bool) {
 	al, brs := d.params.Receiver.GetLayeredBitrate()
 	allocation, available := d.forwarder.AllocateNextHigher(availableChannelCapacity, al, brs, allowOvershoot)
-	d.maybeStartKeyFrameRequester()
+	d.postKeyFrameRequestEvent()
 	d.maybeAddTransition(allocation.BandwidthNeeded, allocation.DistanceToDesired, allocation.PauseReason)
 	return allocation, available
 }
@@ -1245,7 +1254,6 @@ func (d *DownTrack) GetNextHigherTransition(allowOvershoot bool) (VideoTransitio
 func (d *DownTrack) Pause() VideoAllocation {
 	al, brs := d.params.Receiver.GetLayeredBitrate()
 	allocation := d.forwarder.Pause(al, brs)
-	d.maybeStartKeyFrameRequester()
 	d.maybeAddTransition(allocation.BandwidthNeeded, allocation.DistanceToDesired, allocation.PauseReason)
 	return allocation
 }
@@ -1464,10 +1472,9 @@ func (d *DownTrack) handleRTCP(bytes []byte) {
 	pliOnce := true
 	sendPliOnce := func() {
 		_, layer := d.forwarder.CheckSync()
-		isAnyMuted := d.forwarder.IsAnyMuted()
-		d.params.Logger.Debugw("received PLI/FIR RTCP", "layer", layer, "isAnyMuted", isAnyMuted)
+		d.params.Logger.Debugw("received PLI/FIR RTCP", "layer", layer)
 		if pliOnce {
-			if layer != buffer.InvalidLayerSpatial && !isAnyMuted {
+			if layer != buffer.InvalidLayerSpatial {
 				d.params.Logger.Debugw("sending PLI RTCP", "layer", layer)
 				d.params.Receiver.SendPLI(layer, false)
 				d.isNACKThrottled.Store(true)
@@ -1796,10 +1803,6 @@ func (d *DownTrack) GetAndResetBytesSent() (uint32, uint32) {
 func (d *DownTrack) onBindAndConnectedChange() {
 	d.writable.Store(d.connected.Load() && d.bound.Load())
 	if d.connected.Load() && d.bound.Load() && !d.bindAndConnectedOnce.Swap(true) {
-		if d.kind == webrtc.RTPCodecTypeVideo {
-			d.maybeStartKeyFrameRequester()
-		}
-
 		if d.activePaddingOnMuteUpTrack.Load() {
 			go d.sendPaddingOnMute()
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/sfu/forwarder.go b/pkg/sfu/forwarder.go
index 49c955291..e0ac55742 100644
--- a/pkg/sfu/forwarder.go
+++ b/pkg/sfu/forwarder.go
@@ -1374,7 +1374,11 @@ func (f *Forwarder) updateAllocation(alloc VideoAllocation, reason string) Video
 
 func (f *Forwarder) setTargetLayer(targetLayer buffer.VideoLayer, requestLayerSpatial int32) {
 	f.vls.SetTarget(targetLayer)
-	f.vls.SetRequestSpatial(requestLayerSpatial)
+	if targetLayer.IsValid() {
+		f.vls.SetRequestSpatial(requestLayerSpatial)
+	} else {
+		f.vls.SetRequestSpatial(buffer.InvalidLayerSpatial)
+	}
 }
 
 func (f *Forwarder) Resync() {
@@ -1392,7 +1396,7 @@ func (f *Forwarder) resyncLocked() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (f *Forwarder) CheckSync() (locked bool, layer int32) {
+func (f *Forwarder) CheckSync() (bool, int32) {
 	f.lock.RLock()
 	defer f.lock.RUnlock()
 
diff --git a/pkg/sfu/videolayerselector/dependencydescriptor.go b/pkg/sfu/videolayerselector/dependencydescriptor.go
index 1f8a9390b..1fc8e5f31 100644
--- a/pkg/sfu/videolayerselector/dependencydescriptor.go
+++ b/pkg/sfu/videolayerselector/dependencydescriptor.go
@@ -332,6 +332,17 @@ func (d *DependencyDescriptor) CheckSync() (locked bool, layer int32) {
 		return false, layer
 	}
 
+	allBroken := true
+	for _, chain := range d.chains {
+		if !chain.Broken() {
+			allBroken = false
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if allBroken {
+		return false, layer
+	}
+
 	d.decodeTargetsLock.RLock()
 	defer d.decodeTargetsLock.RUnlock()
 	for _, dt := range d.decodeTargets {