diff --git a/src/assets/locales/en.json b/src/assets/locales/en.json
index 32488472..e39f3011 100644
--- a/src/assets/locales/en.json
+++ b/src/assets/locales/en.json
@@ -483,7 +483,8 @@
       },
       "playback": {
         "speedLabel": "Playback speed",
-        "title": "Playback settings"
+        "title": "Playback settings",
+        "disabled": "(Disabled in watch party)"
       },
       "quality": {
         "automaticLabel": "Automatic quality",
diff --git a/src/components/player/atoms/settings/PlaybackSettingsView.tsx b/src/components/player/atoms/settings/PlaybackSettingsView.tsx
index bb532c65..a1d1e5a7 100644
--- a/src/components/player/atoms/settings/PlaybackSettingsView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/player/atoms/settings/PlaybackSettingsView.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import classNames from "classnames";
-import { useCallback } from "react";
+import { useCallback, useEffect } from "react";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 
 import { Toggle } from "@/components/buttons/Toggle";
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ import { Menu } from "@/components/player/internals/ContextMenu";
 import { useOverlayRouter } from "@/hooks/useOverlayRouter";
 import { usePlayerStore } from "@/stores/player/store";
 import { usePreferencesStore } from "@/stores/preferences";
+import { useWatchPartyStore } from "@/stores/watchParty";
 
 function ButtonList(props: {
   options: number[];
   selected: number;
   onClick: (v: any) => void;
+  disabled?: boolean;
 }) {
   return (
     <div className="flex items-center bg-video-context-light/10 p-1 rounded-lg">
@@ -19,11 +21,13 @@ function ButtonList(props: {
         return (
           <button
             type="button"
+            disabled={props.disabled}
             className={classNames(
               "w-full px-2 py-1 rounded-md tabbable",
               props.selected === option
                 ? "bg-video-context-light/20 text-white"
                 : null,
+              props.disabled ? "opacity-50 cursor-not-allowed" : null,
             )}
             onClick={() => props.onClick(option)}
             key={option}
@@ -43,14 +47,23 @@ export function PlaybackSettingsView({ id }: { id: string }) {
   const display = usePlayerStore((s) => s.display);
   const enableThumbnails = usePreferencesStore((s) => s.enableThumbnails);
   const setEnableThumbnails = usePreferencesStore((s) => s.setEnableThumbnails);
+  const isInWatchParty = useWatchPartyStore((s) => s.enabled);
 
   const setPlaybackRate = useCallback(
     (v: number) => {
+      if (isInWatchParty) return; // Don't allow changes in watch party
       display?.setPlaybackRate(v);
     },
-    [display],
+    [display, isInWatchParty],
   );
 
+  // Force 1x speed in watch party
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isInWatchParty && display && playbackRate !== 1) {
+      display.setPlaybackRate(1);
+    }
+  }, [isInWatchParty, display, playbackRate]);
+
   const options = [0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2];
 
   return (
@@ -62,11 +75,17 @@ export function PlaybackSettingsView({ id }: { id: string }) {
         <div className="space-y-4 mt-3">
           <Menu.FieldTitle>
             {t("player.menus.playback.speedLabel")}
+            {isInWatchParty && (
+              <span className="text-sm text-type-secondary ml-2">
+                {t("player.menus.playback.disabled")}
+              </span>
+            )}
           </Menu.FieldTitle>
           <ButtonList
             options={options}
-            selected={playbackRate}
+            selected={isInWatchParty ? 1 : playbackRate}
             onClick={setPlaybackRate}
+            disabled={isInWatchParty}
           />
         </div>
       </Menu.Section>
diff --git a/src/components/player/internals/KeyboardEvents.tsx b/src/components/player/internals/KeyboardEvents.tsx
index aa5485bb..9d395731 100644
--- a/src/components/player/internals/KeyboardEvents.tsx
+++ b/src/components/player/internals/KeyboardEvents.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { useOverlayStack } from "@/stores/interface/overlayStack";
 import { usePlayerStore } from "@/stores/player/store";
 import { useSubtitleStore } from "@/stores/subtitles";
 import { useEmpheralVolumeStore } from "@/stores/volume";
+import { useWatchPartyStore } from "@/stores/watchParty";
 
 export function KeyboardEvents() {
   const router = useOverlayRouter("");
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ export function KeyboardEvents() {
   const mediaPlaying = usePlayerStore((s) => s.mediaPlaying);
   const time = usePlayerStore((s) => s.progress.time);
   const { setVolume, toggleMute } = useVolume();
+  const isInWatchParty = useWatchPartyStore((s) => s.enabled);
 
   const { toggleLastUsed } = useCaptions();
   const setShowVolume = useEmpheralVolumeStore((s) => s.setShowVolume);
@@ -48,7 +50,9 @@ export function KeyboardEvents() {
     delay,
     setShowDelayIndicator,
     setCurrentOverlay,
+    isInWatchParty,
   });
+
   useEffect(() => {
     dataRef.current = {
       setShowVolume,
@@ -67,6 +71,7 @@ export function KeyboardEvents() {
       delay,
       setShowDelayIndicator,
       setCurrentOverlay,
+      isInWatchParty,
     };
   }, [
     setShowVolume,
@@ -85,6 +90,7 @@ export function KeyboardEvents() {
     delay,
     setShowDelayIndicator,
     setCurrentOverlay,
+    isInWatchParty,
   ]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -116,8 +122,8 @@ export function KeyboardEvents() {
         );
       if (keyL === "m") dataRef.current.toggleMute();
 
-      // Video playback speed
-      if (k === ">" || k === "<") {
+      // Video playback speed - disabled in watch party
+      if ((k === ">" || k === "<") && !dataRef.current.isInWatchParty) {
         const options = [0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2];
         let idx = options.indexOf(dataRef.current.mediaPlaying?.playbackRate);
         if (idx === -1) idx = options.indexOf(1);
diff --git a/src/hooks/useWatchPartySync.ts b/src/hooks/useWatchPartySync.ts
index cbe08cba..daa3653e 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useWatchPartySync.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useWatchPartySync.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ interface RoomUser {
     isPaused: boolean;
     time: number;
     duration: number;
-    playbackRate: number;
   };
   content: {
     title: string;
@@ -80,10 +79,6 @@ export function useWatchPartySync(
   const display = usePlayerStore((s) => s.display);
   const currentTime = usePlayerStore((s) => s.progress.time);
   const isPlaying = usePlayerStore((s) => s.mediaPlaying.isPlaying);
-  const currentPlaybackRate = usePlayerStore(
-    (s) => s.mediaPlaying.playbackRate,
-  );
-
   // Get watch party state
   const { roomCode, isHost, enabled, enableAsGuest } = useWatchPartyStore();
 
@@ -169,10 +164,6 @@ export function useWatchPartySync(
     const predictedHostTime = getPredictedHostTime();
     const difference = currentTime - predictedHostTime;
 
-    // Handle playback rate sync
-    const needsPlaybackRateSync =
-      hostUser.player.playbackRate !== currentPlaybackRate;
-
     // Handle time sync
     const activeThreshold = isPlaying ? 2 : 5;
     const needsTimeSync = Math.abs(difference) > activeThreshold;
@@ -188,21 +179,10 @@ export function useWatchPartySync(
       Math.abs(hostUser.player.time - state.previousHostTime) > 5;
 
     // Sync if needed
-    if (
-      (needsTimeSync ||
-        needsPlayStateSync ||
-        needsJumpSync ||
-        needsPlaybackRateSync) &&
-      !isSyncing
-    ) {
+    if ((needsTimeSync || needsPlayStateSync || needsJumpSync) && !isSyncing) {
       state.syncInProgress = true;
       setIsSyncing(true);
 
-      // Sync playback rate first if needed
-      if (needsPlaybackRateSync) {
-        display.setPlaybackRate(hostUser.player.playbackRate);
-      }
-
       // Sync time
       display.setTime(predictedHostTime);
 
@@ -229,7 +209,6 @@ export function useWatchPartySync(
     hostUser,
     isHost,
     currentTime,
-    currentPlaybackRate,
     display,
     isSyncing,
     getPredictedHostTime,
@@ -262,7 +241,6 @@ export function useWatchPartySync(
                 isPaused: latestStatus.player.isPaused,
                 time: latestStatus.player.time,
                 duration: latestStatus.player.duration,
-                playbackRate: latestStatus.player.playbackRate,
               },
               content: {
                 title: latestStatus.content.title,
diff --git a/src/stores/watchParty.ts b/src/stores/watchParty.ts
index 547fcd1b..1d5ddbe6 100644
--- a/src/stores/watchParty.ts
+++ b/src/stores/watchParty.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { create } from "zustand";
 import { persist } from "zustand/middleware";
 
+import { usePlayerStore } from "@/stores/player/store";
+
 interface WatchPartyStore {
   // Whether the watch party feature is enabled
   enabled: boolean;
@@ -27,6 +29,14 @@ const generateRoomCode = (): string => {
   return Math.floor(1000 + Math.random() * 9000).toString();
 };
 
+// Helper function to reset playback rate to 1x
+const resetPlaybackRate = () => {
+  const display = usePlayerStore.getState().display;
+  if (display) {
+    display.setPlaybackRate(1);
+  }
+};
+
 export const useWatchPartyStore = create<WatchPartyStore>()(
   persist(
     (set) => ({
@@ -35,19 +45,23 @@ export const useWatchPartyStore = create<WatchPartyStore>()(
       isHost: false,
       showStatusOverlay: false,
 
-      enableAsHost: () =>
+      enableAsHost: () => {
+        resetPlaybackRate();
         set(() => ({
           enabled: true,
           roomCode: generateRoomCode(),
           isHost: true,
-        })),
+        }));
+      },
 
-      enableAsGuest: (code: string) =>
+      enableAsGuest: (code: string) => {
+        resetPlaybackRate();
         set(() => ({
           enabled: true,
           roomCode: code,
           isHost: false,
-        })),
+        }));
+      },
 
       updateRoomCode: (code: string) =>
         set((state) => ({