diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index 86f296a..187b641 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ joke_cache = {'data': None, 'timestamp': None}
 
 @app.route('/')
 def index():
-    """Render the main display page."""
-    return render_template('index.html')
+    js_path = os.path.join(app.static_folder, 'js', 'app.js')
+    cache_bust = int(os.path.getmtime(js_path))
+    return render_template('index.html', cache_bust=cache_bust)
 
 
 @app.route('/api/weather')
diff --git a/static/js/app.js b/static/js/app.js
index fa7cd80..f210549 100644
--- a/static/js/app.js
+++ b/static/js/app.js
@@ -276,10 +276,6 @@ async function showSlideshow() {
     activeSlot = 'a';
 
     loadSlide('a', photos[slideIndex]);
-    if (photos.length > 1) {
-        loadSlide('b', photos[(slideIndex + 1) % photos.length]);
-    }
-
     slideTimer = setInterval(advanceSlide, SLIDE_DURATION);
 }
 
@@ -291,58 +287,38 @@ function hideSlideshow() {
     const overlay = document.getElementById('slideshow-overlay');
     overlay.classList.add('hidden');
 
-    // Clear images to free memory
-    document.getElementById('slide-a').classList.remove('active');
-    document.getElementById('slide-b').classList.remove('active');
-    document.getElementById('slide-a').src = '';
-    document.getElementById('slide-b').src = '';
+    const a = document.getElementById('slide-a');
+    const b = document.getElementById('slide-b');
+    a.onload = null; b.onload = null;
+    a.classList.remove('active'); b.classList.remove('active');
+    a.removeAttribute('src'); b.removeAttribute('src');
 
     resetInactivityTimer();
 }
 
 function loadSlide(slot, url) {
     const img = document.getElementById(`slide-${slot}`);
-    if (slot === activeSlot) {
-        // Only fade in once the image is fully decoded — no blank-then-flash
-        img.onload = () => { img.onload = null; img.classList.add('active'); };
-        img.src = url;
-        // Handle cached images that won't fire onload
-        if (img.complete && img.naturalWidth > 0) {
-            img.onload = null;
-            img.classList.add('active');
-        }
-    } else {
-        img.src = url; // preload only
-    }
+    const show = () => { img.onload = null; img.classList.add('active'); };
+    img.onload = show;
+    img.src = url;
+    if (img.complete && img.naturalWidth > 0) show();
 }
 
 function advanceSlide() {
     const nextSlot = activeSlot === 'a' ? 'b' : 'a';
-    const current  = document.getElementById(`slide-${activeSlot}`);
-    const next     = document.getElementById(`slide-${nextSlot}`);
+    const current = document.getElementById(`slide-${activeSlot}`);
+    const next    = document.getElementById(`slide-${nextSlot}`);
 
-    const doSwap = () => {
+    slideIndex = (slideIndex + 1) % photos.length;
+
+    const swap = () => {
         next.onload = null;
         next.classList.add('active');
         current.classList.remove('active');
         activeSlot = nextSlot;
-        slideIndex = (slideIndex + 1) % photos.length;
-        const preloadSrc = photos[(slideIndex + 1) % photos.length];
-        // Wait for the fade-out transition to finish before preloading the next src.
-        // transitionend is unreliable (can be skipped if display sleeps), so use
-        // a plain timeout just past the 1.5s CSS transition as the trigger.
-        setTimeout(() => { current.src = preloadSrc; }, 1600);
     };
 
-    // If the preloaded image is ready, swap immediately; otherwise wait for it.
-    // Guard against a stuck onload by also setting src explicitly if needed.
-    if (next.complete && next.naturalWidth > 0) {
-        doSwap();
-    } else {
-        if (!next.src || next.src === window.location.href) {
-            // src was never set (stalled state) — kick it off now
-            next.src = photos[(slideIndex + 1) % photos.length];
-        }
-        next.onload = doSwap;
-    }
+    next.onload = swap;
+    next.src = photos[slideIndex];
+    if (next.complete && next.naturalWidth > 0) swap();
 }
diff --git a/templates/index.html b/templates/index.html
index 0c9813a..c265ac4 100644
--- a/templates/index.html
+++ b/templates/index.html
@@ -32,6 +32,6 @@
         <div class="slideshow-hint">Touch to return to calendar</div>
     </div>
 
-    <script src="{{ url_for('static', filename='js/app.js') }}"></script>
+    <script src="{{ url_for('static', filename='js/app.js') }}?v={{ cache_bust }}"></script>
 </body>
 </html>