diff --git a/devtools/client/themes/toolbox.css b/devtools/client/themes/toolbox.css
index 6bab440280d3..0b54d264e067 100644
--- a/devtools/client/themes/toolbox.css
+++ b/devtools/client/themes/toolbox.css
@@ -527,6 +527,9 @@
   border-radius: 4.5px;
   top: calc(50% - 3.5px);
   background: var(--replaying-marker-background);
+}
+
+.webreplay-player .animate .message {
   transition-duration: 100ms;
 }
 
diff --git a/devtools/client/webreplay/components/WebReplayPlayer.js b/devtools/client/webreplay/components/WebReplayPlayer.js
index f7f0a806d541..fa7b56a7c290 100644
--- a/devtools/client/webreplay/components/WebReplayPlayer.js
+++ b/devtools/client/webreplay/components/WebReplayPlayer.js
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ class WebReplayPlayer extends Component {
       hoveredMessageOffset: null,
       unscannedRegions: [],
       cachedPoints: [],
+      shouldAnimate: true,
       start: 0,
       end: 1,
     };
@@ -286,8 +287,10 @@ class WebReplayPlayer extends Component {
       unscannedRegions,
       cachedPoints,
     };
+
     if (recording) {
       newState.recordingEndpoint = executionPoint;
+      newState.shouldAnimate = true;
     }
 
     this.setState(newState);
@@ -305,7 +308,7 @@ class WebReplayPlayer extends Component {
 
       messages = sortBy(messages, message => getMessageProgress(message));
 
-      this.setState({ messages, visibleMessages });
+      this.setState({ messages, visibleMessages, shouldAnimate: false });
     }
   }
 
@@ -704,8 +707,11 @@ class WebReplayPlayer extends Component {
   render() {
     const percent = this.getVisiblePercent(this.state.executionPoint);
     const recording = this.isRecording();
+    const { shouldAnimate } = this.state;
     return div(
-      { className: "webreplay-player" },
+      {
+        className: "webreplay-player",
+      },
       div(
         {
           id: "overlay",
@@ -716,7 +722,11 @@ class WebReplayPlayer extends Component {
           onMouseLeave: this.onPlayerMouseLeave,
         },
         div(
-          { className: "overlay-container " },
+          {
+            className: classname("overlay-container", {
+              animate: shouldAnimate,
+            }),
+          },
           div({ className: "commands" }, ...this.renderCommands()),
           div(
             {