diff --git a/src-tauri/src/network/connection.rs b/src-tauri/src/network/connection.rs
index 55720b8..241ba12 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/network/connection.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/network/connection.rs
@@ -173,7 +173,9 @@ async fn connect(
             changed = cursor_data.changed() => {
                 changed.map_err(|_| "cursor sender closed")?;
                 let payload = { cursor_data.borrow_and_update().clone() };
-                if let Some(payload) = payload {
+                if let Some(payload) = payload
+                    && friend_presence.has_online_friends(&remote.id)?
+                {
                     send(&mut writer, &ClientMessage::Signed {
                         signature: keypair.sign(&message_bytes(&payload)),
                         payload,
@@ -183,7 +185,9 @@ async fn connect(
             changed = foreground_app_data.changed() => {
                 changed.map_err(|_| "foreground-app sender closed")?;
                 let payload = { foreground_app_data.borrow_and_update().clone() };
-                if let Some(payload) = payload {
+                if let Some(payload) = payload
+                    && friend_presence.has_online_friends(&remote.id)?
+                {
                     send(&mut writer, &ClientMessage::Signed {
                         signature: keypair.sign(&message_bytes(&payload)),
                         payload,
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/network/mod.rs b/src-tauri/src/network/mod.rs
index 8b81583..91bccf8 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/network/mod.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/network/mod.rs
@@ -95,6 +95,14 @@ impl Network {
     }
 
     pub fn send_live_data(&self, data: LiveData) {
+        let active_remotes = match self.friend_presence.active_remotes() {
+            Ok(remotes) if remotes.is_empty() => return,
+            Ok(remotes) => remotes,
+            Err(error) => {
+                eprintln!("failed to read friend presence for live data: {error}");
+                return;
+            }
+        };
         let sequence = match data.kind() {
             LiveDataKind::Cursor => self.next_cursor_sequence.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed),
             LiveDataKind::ForegroundApp => self
@@ -114,7 +122,10 @@ impl Network {
             eprintln!("failed to lock remote connections for live data");
             return;
         };
-        for connection in connections.values() {
+        for (remote_id, connection) in connections.iter() {
+            if !active_remotes.contains(remote_id) {
+                continue;
+            }
             match envelope.kind() {
                 LiveDataKind::Cursor => {
                     connection.cursor_sender.send_replace(Some(payload.clone()));
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/network/presence.rs b/src-tauri/src/network/presence.rs
index be2d13f..d3cc336 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/network/presence.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/network/presence.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,16 @@ pub(super) struct Change {
 pub(super) struct FriendPresence(Mutex<HashMap<String, HashSet<String>>>);
 
 impl FriendPresence {
+    pub(super) fn active_remotes(&self) -> Result<HashSet<String>, String> {
+        let by_remote = self.0.lock().map_err(|error| error.to_string())?;
+        Ok(by_remote.keys().cloned().collect())
+    }
+
+    pub(super) fn has_online_friends(&self, remote_id: &str) -> Result<bool, String> {
+        let by_remote = self.0.lock().map_err(|error| error.to_string())?;
+        Ok(by_remote.contains_key(remote_id))
+    }
+
     pub(super) fn remotes_for(&self, friend_id: &str) -> Result<HashSet<String>, String> {
         let by_remote = self.0.lock().map_err(|error| error.to_string())?;
         Ok(by_remote
@@ -128,6 +138,67 @@ fn diff(
 mod tests {
     use super::{Change, FriendPresence};
 
+    #[test]
+    fn live_data_routes_follow_each_remotes_online_friends() {
+        let presence = FriendPresence::default();
+        assert!(presence.active_remotes().unwrap().is_empty());
+        assert!(!presence.has_online_friends("remote-a").unwrap());
+
+        presence
+            .replace("remote-a", vec!["friend-a".into(), "friend-b".into()])
+            .unwrap();
+        presence.replace("remote-b", Vec::new()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            presence.active_remotes().unwrap(),
+            ["remote-a".to_owned()].into()
+        );
+        assert!(!presence.has_online_friends("remote-b").unwrap());
+
+        presence
+            .update("remote-a", "friend-a".into(), false)
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(presence.has_online_friends("remote-a").unwrap());
+        presence
+            .update("remote-a", "friend-b".into(), false)
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(!presence.has_online_friends("remote-a").unwrap());
+        assert!(presence.active_remotes().unwrap().is_empty());
+
+        let change = presence
+            .update("remote-b", "friend-a".into(), true)
+            .unwrap()
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            change.route_added,
+            "resuming must trigger current-state publication"
+        );
+        assert!(presence.has_online_friends("remote-b").unwrap());
+        assert!(!presence.has_online_friends("remote-a").unwrap());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn disconnect_snapshot_and_friend_removal_disable_live_data_routes() {
+        let presence = FriendPresence::default();
+        for remote in ["disconnected", "empty-snapshot", "removed-friend"] {
+            presence.update(remote, "friend".into(), true).unwrap();
+        }
+        presence.remove("disconnected").unwrap();
+        presence.replace("empty-snapshot", Vec::new()).unwrap();
+        assert!(!presence.has_online_friends("disconnected").unwrap());
+        assert!(!presence.has_online_friends("empty-snapshot").unwrap());
+        assert!(presence.has_online_friends("removed-friend").unwrap());
+        presence.retain(&[]).unwrap();
+        assert!(presence.active_remotes().unwrap().is_empty());
+        assert!(!presence.has_online_friends("removed-friend").unwrap());
+
+        let change = presence
+            .replace("disconnected", vec!["friend".into()])
+            .unwrap()
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(change.route_added);
+        assert!(presence.has_online_friends("disconnected").unwrap());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn friend_stays_online_while_any_remote_reports_presence() {
         let presence = FriendPresence::default();