diff --git a/web/src/components/timeline/ActivityStream.tsx b/web/src/components/timeline/ActivityStream.tsx
index 9aceda227..704be1081 100644
--- a/web/src/components/timeline/ActivityStream.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/timeline/ActivityStream.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import { ObjectLifecycleSequence } from "@/types/timeline";
 import { LifecycleIcon } from "@/components/overlay/detail/ObjectLifecycle";
 import { getLifecycleItemDescription } from "@/utils/lifecycleUtil";
 import { useActivityStream } from "@/contexts/ActivityStreamContext";
+import scrollIntoView from "scroll-into-view-if-needed";
+import useUserInteraction from "@/hooks/use-user-interaction";
 
 type ActivityStreamProps = {
   timelineData: ObjectLifecycleSequence[];
@@ -20,6 +22,11 @@ export default function ActivityStream({
 
   const effectiveTime = currentTime + annotationOffset;
 
+  // Track user interaction and adjust scrolling behavior
+  const { userInteracting, setProgrammaticScroll } = useUserInteraction({
+    elementRef: scrollRef,
+  });
+
   // group activities by timestamp (within 1 second resolution window)
   const groupedActivities = useMemo(() => {
     const groups: { [key: number]: ObjectLifecycleSequence[] } = {};
@@ -63,7 +70,7 @@ export default function ActivityStream({
 
   // Auto-scroll to current time
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!scrollRef.current) return;
+    if (!scrollRef.current || userInteracting) return;
 
     // Find the last group where effectiveTimestamp <= currentTime + annotationOffset
     let currentGroupIndex = -1;
@@ -75,17 +82,24 @@ export default function ActivityStream({
     }
 
     if (currentGroupIndex !== -1) {
-      const element = scrollRef.current.children[
-        currentGroupIndex
-      ] as HTMLElement;
+      const element = scrollRef.current.querySelector(
+        `[data-timestamp="${filteredGroups[currentGroupIndex].timestamp}"]`,
+      ) as HTMLElement;
       if (element) {
-        element.scrollIntoView({
+        setProgrammaticScroll();
+        scrollIntoView(element, {
+          scrollMode: "if-needed",
           behavior: "smooth",
-          block: "center",
         });
       }
     }
-  }, [filteredGroups, effectiveTime, annotationOffset]);
+  }, [
+    filteredGroups,
+    effectiveTime,
+    annotationOffset,
+    userInteracting,
+    setProgrammaticScroll,
+  ]);
 
   return (
     <div
@@ -127,6 +141,7 @@ function ActivityGroup({ group, isCurrent, onSeek }: ActivityGroupProps) {
 
   return (
     <div
+      data-timestamp={group.timestamp}
       className={`cursor-pointer rounded-lg border p-3 transition-colors ${
         isCurrent
           ? "border-primary/20 bg-primary/10"
diff --git a/web/src/hooks/use-draggable-element.ts b/web/src/hooks/use-draggable-element.ts
index bff6a1c70..e7f77a6f5 100644
--- a/web/src/hooks/use-draggable-element.ts
+++ b/web/src/hooks/use-draggable-element.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import { useTimelineUtils } from "./use-timeline-utils";
 import { FrigateConfig } from "@/types/frigateConfig";
 import useSWR from "swr";
 import { formatUnixTimestampToDateTime } from "@/utils/dateUtil";
 import { useDateLocale } from "./use-date-locale";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
+import useUserInteraction from "./use-user-interaction";
 
 type DraggableElementProps = {
   contentRef: React.RefObject<HTMLElement>;
@@ -71,9 +72,9 @@ function useDraggableElement({
 
   // track user interaction and adjust scrolling behavior
 
-  const [userInteracting, setUserInteracting] = useState(false);
-  const interactionTimeout = useRef<NodeJS.Timeout>();
-  const isProgrammaticScroll = useRef(false);
+  const { userInteracting } = useUserInteraction({
+    elementRef: timelineRef,
+  });
 
   const draggingAtTopEdge = useMemo(() => {
     if (clientYPosition && timelineRef.current && scrollEdgeSize) {
@@ -507,47 +508,6 @@ function useDraggableElement({
     }
   }, [timelineRef, segmentsRef, segments]);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const handleUserInteraction = () => {
-      if (!isProgrammaticScroll.current) {
-        setUserInteracting(true);
-
-        if (interactionTimeout.current) {
-          clearTimeout(interactionTimeout.current);
-        }
-
-        interactionTimeout.current = setTimeout(() => {
-          setUserInteracting(false);
-        }, 3000);
-      } else {
-        isProgrammaticScroll.current = false;
-      }
-    };
-
-    const timelineElement = timelineRef.current;
-
-    if (timelineElement) {
-      timelineElement.addEventListener("scroll", handleUserInteraction);
-      timelineElement.addEventListener("mousedown", handleUserInteraction);
-      timelineElement.addEventListener("mouseup", handleUserInteraction);
-      timelineElement.addEventListener("touchstart", handleUserInteraction);
-      timelineElement.addEventListener("touchmove", handleUserInteraction);
-      timelineElement.addEventListener("touchend", handleUserInteraction);
-
-      return () => {
-        timelineElement.removeEventListener("scroll", handleUserInteraction);
-        timelineElement.removeEventListener("mousedown", handleUserInteraction);
-        timelineElement.removeEventListener("mouseup", handleUserInteraction);
-        timelineElement.removeEventListener(
-          "touchstart",
-          handleUserInteraction,
-        );
-        timelineElement.removeEventListener("touchmove", handleUserInteraction);
-        timelineElement.removeEventListener("touchend", handleUserInteraction);
-      };
-    }
-  }, [timelineRef]);
-
   return { handleMouseDown, handleMouseUp, handleMouseMove };
 }
 
diff --git a/web/src/hooks/use-user-interaction.ts b/web/src/hooks/use-user-interaction.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b59a6d49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/hooks/use-user-interaction.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+
+type UseUserInteractionProps = {
+  elementRef: React.RefObject<HTMLElement>;
+};
+
+function useUserInteraction({ elementRef }: UseUserInteractionProps) {
+  const [userInteracting, setUserInteracting] = useState(false);
+  const interactionTimeout = useRef<NodeJS.Timeout>();
+  const isProgrammaticScroll = useRef(false);
+
+  const setProgrammaticScroll = useCallback(() => {
+    isProgrammaticScroll.current = true;
+  }, []);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const handleUserInteraction = () => {
+      if (!isProgrammaticScroll.current) {
+        setUserInteracting(true);
+
+        if (interactionTimeout.current) {
+          clearTimeout(interactionTimeout.current);
+        }
+
+        interactionTimeout.current = setTimeout(() => {
+          setUserInteracting(false);
+        }, 3000);
+      } else {
+        isProgrammaticScroll.current = false;
+      }
+    };
+
+    const element = elementRef.current;
+
+    if (element) {
+      element.addEventListener("scroll", handleUserInteraction);
+      element.addEventListener("mousedown", handleUserInteraction);
+      element.addEventListener("mouseup", handleUserInteraction);
+      element.addEventListener("touchstart", handleUserInteraction);
+      element.addEventListener("touchmove", handleUserInteraction);
+      element.addEventListener("touchend", handleUserInteraction);
+
+      return () => {
+        element.removeEventListener("scroll", handleUserInteraction);
+        element.removeEventListener("mousedown", handleUserInteraction);
+        element.removeEventListener("mouseup", handleUserInteraction);
+        element.removeEventListener("touchstart", handleUserInteraction);
+        element.removeEventListener("touchmove", handleUserInteraction);
+        element.removeEventListener("touchend", handleUserInteraction);
+      };
+    }
+  }, [elementRef]);
+
+  return { userInteracting, setProgrammaticScroll };
+}
+
+export default useUserInteraction;