diff --git a/src/layers/awareness/rangeRing.test.mjs b/src/layers/awareness/rangeRing.test.mjs
index 17caa3bbc..db2758f56 100644
--- a/src/layers/awareness/rangeRing.test.mjs
+++ b/src/layers/awareness/rangeRing.test.mjs
@@ -774,6 +774,36 @@ test('a gradient disc behind the pulses fades inward and follows the subject', (
   assert.equal(scene.preRender.numberOfListeners, 0);
 });
 
+test("switching subjects keeps one pulse material in Cesium's global cache", (t) => {
+  const ring = ringRendering(t);
+  const { scene, rendering } = ring;
+  frameLoop(t, ring);
+  // Cesium keeps every new material type for the page's lifetime, so an
+  // unnamed fabric (a fresh GUID type each time) would grow it per subject.
+  const cached = () =>
+    Object.keys(Cesium.Material._materialCache._materials).length;
+  rendering.renderVisual({ ...flight(3), id: 'subject-0' });
+  const first = pulsePrimitives(scene).disc.appearance.material;
+  const size = cached();
+  let last = first;
+  for (let index = 1; index <= 6; index++) {
+    rendering.renderVisual({ ...flight(3 + index), id: `subject-${index}` });
+    last = pulsePrimitives(scene).disc.appearance.material;
+  }
+  assert.equal(cached(), size, 'subject switches add no cache entries');
+  rendering.clearVisual();
+  rendering.renderVisual(flight(3));
+  assert.equal(cached(), size, 'nor does a reselect');
+  // A material built from the cached template still owns its uniform values.
+  const again = pulsePrimitives(scene).disc.appearance.material;
+  assert.notEqual(again, last);
+  assert.notEqual(again.uniforms.radii, last.uniforms.radii);
+  assert.notEqual(again.uniforms.alphas, first.uniforms.alphas);
+  assert.ok(again.uniforms.radii instanceof Cesium.Cartesian4);
+  assert.ok(again.uniforms.lineColor instanceof Cesium.Color);
+  assert.equal(again.uniforms.lineWidth, AWARENESS_RANGE_PULSE.width);
+});
+
 test('a resting pulse disc is not rebuilt as the subject moves, and catches up on wake', (t) => {
   const ring = ringRendering(t);
   const { scene, rendering } = ring;
diff --git a/src/layers/awareness/rendering.js b/src/layers/awareness/rendering.js
index 2611dcbfb..969ffe5d5 100644
--- a/src/layers/awareness/rendering.js
+++ b/src/layers/awareness/rendering.js
@@ -176,6 +176,9 @@ export function awarenessRingFlash(nowMs) {
 /** Most pulses the pulse shader draws; its uniforms are vec4s. */
 export const AWARENESS_PULSE_GRADIENT_MAX = 4;
 
+/** The pulse disc's Cesium material type, one cached template per page. */
+const AWARENESS_PULSE_MATERIAL_TYPE = 'GevAwarenessPulseGradient';
+
 // Ellipse texture coordinates put the centre at (0.5, 0.5) and the rim at
 // distance 0.5, so `r` is the fraction of the range. Each pulse is a line
 // `lineWidth` CSS pixels wide whose outer `haloWidth` is a dark halo, half
@@ -804,10 +807,19 @@ export function createRendering({
         haloWidth: pulse.outlineWidth,
       };
       uniforms.color.alpha = pulse.gradientOpacity;
+      // A named type: Cesium caches every material type for the page's
+      // lifetime, so an unnamed fabric (a fresh GUID each time) would leave
+      // one entry per new visual. Built from the cached template, the
+      // uniforms come back as plain copies; restore this visual's own.
       const material = new Cesium.Material({
-        fabric: { uniforms, source: PULSE_GRADIENT_SOURCE },
+        fabric: {
+          type: AWARENESS_PULSE_MATERIAL_TYPE,
+          uniforms,
+          source: PULSE_GRADIENT_SOURCE,
+        },
         translucent: true,
       });
+      Object.assign(material.uniforms, uniforms);
       gradient = scene.primitives.add(
         createPulseGradient(groundCenter, material),
       );