diff --git a/src/mred/mred.cxx b/src/mred/mred.cxx
index 1e4dca91d8..2bbe78e5a4 100644
--- a/src/mred/mred.cxx
+++ b/src/mred/mred.cxx
@@ -3697,6 +3697,7 @@ int wxHiEventTrampoline(int (*_wha_f)(void *), void *wha_data)
 static void suspend_het_progress(void)
 {
   HiEventTramp * volatile het;
+  double msecs;
 
   {
     Scheme_Object *v;
@@ -3704,6 +3705,10 @@ static void suspend_het_progress(void)
     het = (HiEventTramp *)SCHEME_CAR(v);
   }
 
+  msecs = scheme_get_inexact_milliseconds();
+  if (msecs < het->continue_until)
+    return;
+
   scheme_on_atomic_timeout = NULL;
 
   het->yielding = 0;
@@ -3725,11 +3730,18 @@ static void suspend_het_progress(void)
   }
 }
 
+#define HET_RUN_MSECS 200
+
 static void het_run_new(HiEventTramp * volatile het)
 {
+  double msecs;
+
   /* We're willing to start new work that is specific to this thread */
   het->progress_is_resumed = 0;
 
+  msecs = scheme_get_inexact_milliseconds();
+  het->continue_until = msecs + HET_RUN_MSECS;
+  
   if (!scheme_setjmp(het->progress_base)) {
     scheme_start_atomic();
     scheme_on_atomic_timeout = CAST_SUSPEND suspend_het_progress;
@@ -3790,8 +3802,11 @@ int mred_het_run_some(HiEventTrampProc do_f, void *do_data)
       /* We have work in progress. */
       if ((unsigned long)het->progress_base_addr < get_deeper_base()) {
 	/* We have stack space to resume the old work: */
+        double msecs;
 	het->in_progress = 0;
 	het->progress_is_resumed = 1;
+        msecs = scheme_get_inexact_milliseconds();
+        het->continue_until = msecs + HET_RUN_MSECS;
 	scheme_start_atomic();
 	scheme_on_atomic_timeout = CAST_SUSPEND suspend_het_progress;
 	if (!scheme_setjmp(het->progress_base)) {
diff --git a/src/mred/mred.h b/src/mred/mred.h
index b9fd8098b7..cbe7e861f7 100644
--- a/src/mred/mred.h
+++ b/src/mred/mred.h
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ public:
   Scheme_Jumpup_Buf_Holder *progress_cont;
   int timer_on;
   HET_TIMER_T timer_id;
+  double continue_until;
 #ifdef MZ_PRECISE_GC
   void *fixup_var_stack_chain;
 #endif