diff --git a/canframemodel.cpp b/canframemodel.cpp
index 496a165..42ca0a5 100644
--- a/canframemodel.cpp
+++ b/canframemodel.cpp
@@ -145,6 +145,15 @@ void CANFrameModel::sendRefresh(int pos)
     endInsertRows();
 }
 
+//issue a refresh for the last num entries in the model.
+//used by the serial worker to do batch updates so it doesn't
+//have to send thousands of messages per second
+void CANFrameModel::sendBulkRefresh(int num)
+{
+    //qDebug() << "Bulk refresh of " << num;
+    beginInsertRows(QModelIndex(), frames.count() - num, frames.count() - 1);
+    endInsertRows();
+}
 
 void CANFrameModel::clearFrames()
 {
diff --git a/canframemodel.h b/canframemodel.h
index 21c6d68..af2499d 100644
--- a/canframemodel.h
+++ b/canframemodel.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <QAbstractTableModel>
 #include <QList>
 #include <QVector>
+#include <QDebug>
 #include "can_structs.h"
 #include "dbchandler.h"
 
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ public:
     void addFrame(CANFrame &, bool);
     void sendRefresh();
     void sendRefresh(int);
+    void sendBulkRefresh(int);
     void clearFrames();
     void setDBCHandler(DBCHandler *);
     void setInterpetMode(bool);
diff --git a/mainwindow.cpp b/mainwindow.cpp
index 515aca6..2501026 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -75,11 +75,11 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent) :
     ui->cbSpeed2->addItem(tr("1000000"));
     ui->cbSpeed2->addItem(tr("33333"));
 
-    SerialWorker *worker = new SerialWorker();
+    SerialWorker *worker = new SerialWorker(model);
     worker->moveToThread(&serialWorkerThread);
     connect(&serialWorkerThread, &QThread::finished, worker, &QObject::deleteLater);
     connect(this, &MainWindow::sendSerialPort, worker, &SerialWorker::setSerialPort, Qt::QueuedConnection);
-    connect(worker, &SerialWorker::receivedFrame, this, &MainWindow::gotFrame, Qt::QueuedConnection);
+    connect(worker, &SerialWorker::receivedFrames, this, &MainWindow::gotFrames, Qt::QueuedConnection);
     connect(this, &MainWindow::updateBaudRates, worker, &SerialWorker::updateBaudRates, Qt::QueuedConnection);
     connect(this, &MainWindow::sendCANFrame, worker, &SerialWorker::sendFrame, Qt::QueuedConnection);
     connect(worker, &SerialWorker::connectionSuccess, this, &MainWindow::connectionSucceeded, Qt::QueuedConnection);
@@ -145,11 +145,12 @@ void MainWindow::updateBaudLabel(int baud0, int baud1)
     lbStatusBauds.setText(labelText);
 }
 
-void MainWindow::gotFrame(CANFrame *frame)
+//most of the work is handled elsewhere. Need only to update the # of frames
+//and maybe auto scroll
+void MainWindow::gotFrames()
 {
-    //qDebug() << "got frame from serial side. ID was " << frame->ID;
-    addFrameToDisplay(*frame, true);
     ui->lbNumFrames->setText(QString::number(model->rowCount()));
+    if (ui->cbAutoScroll->isChecked()) ui->canFramesView->scrollToBottom();
 }
 
 void MainWindow::addFrameToDisplay(CANFrame &frame, bool autoRefresh = false)
diff --git a/mainwindow.h b/mainwindow.h
index caffb26..88fc1f2 100644
--- a/mainwindow.h
+++ b/mainwindow.h
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #include "framesenderwindow.h"
 #include "dbchandler.h"
 
-#define VERSION 100
+#define VERSION 102
 
 namespace Ui {
 class MainWindow;
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ private slots:
     void connectionSucceeded(int, int);
 
 public slots:
-    void gotFrame(CANFrame *frame);
+    void gotFrames();
 
 
 signals:
diff --git a/serialworker.cpp b/serialworker.cpp
index b4c680e..a356d23 100644
--- a/serialworker.cpp
+++ b/serialworker.cpp
@@ -4,12 +4,19 @@
 #include <QDebug>
 #include <QTimer>
 
-SerialWorker::SerialWorker(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent)
+SerialWorker::SerialWorker(CANFrameModel *model, QObject *parent) : QObject(parent)
 {
     serial = NULL;
     rx_state = IDLE;
     rx_step = 0;
     buildFrame = new CANFrame;
+    canModel = model;
+    ticker.setInterval(250); //tick four times per second
+    ticker.setSingleShot(false); //keep ticking
+    ticker.start();
+    gotFrames = 0;
+
+    connect(&ticker, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(handleTick()));
 }
 
 SerialWorker::~SerialWorker()
@@ -25,6 +32,7 @@ SerialWorker::~SerialWorker()
         serial->disconnect(); //disconnect all signals
         delete serial;
     }
+    ticker.stop();
 }
 
 void SerialWorker::setSerialPort(QSerialPortInfo *port)
@@ -226,8 +234,10 @@ void SerialWorker::procRXChar(unsigned char c)
                 rx_state = IDLE;
                 rx_step = 0;
                 //qDebug() << "emit from serial handler to main form id: " << buildFrame->ID;
-                emit receivedFrame(buildFrame);
-                buildFrame = new CANFrame;
+                //emit receivedFrame(buildFrame);
+                canModel->addFrame(*buildFrame, false);
+                gotFrames++;
+                //buildFrame = new CANFrame;
             }
             break;
         }
@@ -322,3 +332,13 @@ void SerialWorker::procRXChar(unsigned char c)
         break;
     }
 }
+
+void SerialWorker::handleTick()
+{
+    if (gotFrames > 0)
+    {
+        emit receivedFrames(); //notify interested parties that there are new frames
+        canModel->sendBulkRefresh(gotFrames);
+        gotFrames = 0;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/serialworker.h b/serialworker.h
index 607f995..c8a43a7 100644
--- a/serialworker.h
+++ b/serialworker.h
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QSerialPort>
 #include <QSerialPortInfo>
+#include <QTimer>
 #include "can_structs.h"
+#include "canframemodel.h"
 
 enum STATE //keep this enum synchronized with the Arduino firmware project
 {
@@ -25,12 +27,12 @@ class SerialWorker : public QObject
     Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-    SerialWorker(QObject *parent = 0);
+    SerialWorker(CANFrameModel *model, QObject *parent = 0);
     ~SerialWorker();
 
 signals: //we emit signals
     void error(const QString &);
-    void receivedFrame(CANFrame *);
+    void receivedFrames(); //since the last tick we got at least one more frame
     void connectionSuccess(int, int);
     void connectionFailure();
     void deviceInfo(int, int);
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@ signals: //we emit signals
 private slots: //we receive things in slots
     void readSerialData();    
     void connectionTimeout();
+    void handleTick();
 
 public slots:
     void setSerialPort(QSerialPortInfo*);
@@ -49,6 +52,9 @@ private:
     bool quit;
     bool connected;
     QSerialPort *serial;
+    CANFrameModel *canModel;
+    QTimer ticker;
+    int gotFrames;
     STATE rx_state;
     int rx_step;
     CANFrame *buildFrame;