diff --git a/src/components-lib/media-height-controller.ts b/src/components-lib/media-height-controller.ts
index 06ae0341..374904d9 100644
--- a/src/components-lib/media-height-controller.ts
+++ b/src/components-lib/media-height-controller.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,16 @@ export class MediaHeightController {
     this._debouncedSetHeight();
   }
 
+  // Recalculate the height. This is necessary because ResizeObserver may not
+  // fire if the height of the media is constrained by the host's own max-height
+  // (e.g. during initial load, everything is 100% height of the host, so the
+  // rendered height never changes and thus ResizeObserver never fires). This
+  // manual "wakeup" allows the controller to temporarily lift the constraint
+  // and peek at the true desired height.
+  public recalculate(): void {
+    this._debouncedSetHeight();
+  }
+
   public destroy(): void {
     this._mutationObserver.disconnect();
     this._resizeObserver.disconnect();
@@ -76,6 +86,7 @@ export class MediaHeightController {
 
     // Calculate the true height.
     const selectedHeight = this._selectedChild.getBoundingClientRect().height;
+    const hostHeight = this._host.getBoundingClientRect().height;
 
     // Reset the original height so that browser transition animation can be
     // applied from the current to the target.
@@ -85,7 +96,12 @@ export class MediaHeightController {
     this._selectedChild.getBoundingClientRect();
 
     if (selectedHeight && !isNaN(selectedHeight) && selectedHeight > 0) {
-      this._host.style.maxHeight = `${selectedHeight}px`;
+      // Set the height to the larger of the selected child or the host itself.
+      // This ensures that the host (the carousel) expands to fit the media, but
+      // does not shrink smaller than itself (which would cause a "flash" or
+      // jump).
+      // See: https://github.com/dermotduffy/advanced-camera-card/issues/2109
+      this._host.style.maxHeight = `${Math.max(selectedHeight, hostHeight)}px`;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/components/live/carousel.ts b/src/components/live/carousel.ts
index dffb4de7..567eba34 100644
--- a/src/components/live/carousel.ts
+++ b/src/components/live/carousel.ts
@@ -344,6 +344,7 @@ export class AdvancedCameraCardLiveCarousel extends LitElement {
         @advanced-camera-card:carousel:select=${this._setViewHandler.bind(this)}
         @advanced-camera-card:media:loaded=${() => {
           this._mediaHasLoaded = true;
+          this._mediaHeightController.recalculate();
         }}
         @advanced-camera-card:media:unloaded=${() => {
           this._mediaHasLoaded = false;
diff --git a/src/components/viewer/carousel.ts b/src/components/viewer/carousel.ts
index b9cc6ff5..900fe197 100644
--- a/src/components/viewer/carousel.ts
+++ b/src/components/viewer/carousel.ts
@@ -346,6 +346,7 @@ export class AdvancedCameraCardViewerCarousel extends LitElement {
         }}
         @advanced-camera-card:media:loaded=${(ev: CustomEvent<MediaLoadedInfo>) => {
           this._loadedMediaPlayerController = ev.detail.mediaPlayerController ?? null;
+          this._mediaHeightController.recalculate();
           this._seekHandler();
         }}
         @advanced-camera-card:media:unloaded=${() => {
diff --git a/tests/components-lib/media-height-controller.test.ts b/tests/components-lib/media-height-controller.test.ts
index cd821d5b..73076c97 100644
--- a/tests/components-lib/media-height-controller.test.ts
+++ b/tests/components-lib/media-height-controller.test.ts
@@ -139,30 +139,29 @@ describe('MediaHeightController', () => {
       expect(host.style.maxHeight).toBe('200px');
     });
 
-    it('should ignore new chil to new children being added', () => {
+    it('should set height on recalculate', () => {
       const host = document.createElement('div');
       const controller = new MediaHeightController(host, 'div');
 
       const root = document.createElement('div');
-      const child_0 = document.createElement('div');
-      child_0.getBoundingClientRect = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({
-        height: 100,
+      const child = document.createElement('div');
+      child.getBoundingClientRect = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({
+        height: 700,
       });
-      root.appendChild(child_0);
+      root.appendChild(child);
 
       controller.setRoot(root);
+      controller.setSelected(0);
 
-      const child_1 = document.createElement('div');
-      child_1.getBoundingClientRect = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({
-        height: 200,
+      expect(host.style.maxHeight).toBe('700px');
+
+      child.getBoundingClientRect = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({
+        height: 900,
       });
-      root.appendChild(child_1);
 
-      callMutationHandler();
+      controller.recalculate();
 
-      controller.setSelected(1);
-
-      expect(host.style.maxHeight).toBe('200px');
+      expect(host.style.maxHeight).toBe('900px');
     });
   });