diff --git a/artiq/gateware/drtio/rt_packet_master.py b/artiq/gateware/drtio/rt_packet_master.py
index 45ffe1278..42370a09d 100644
--- a/artiq/gateware/drtio/rt_packet_master.py
+++ b/artiq/gateware/drtio/rt_packet_master.py
@@ -208,6 +208,10 @@ class RTPacketMaster(Module):
         self.sync.rtio += If(tsc_value_load, tsc_value.eq(self.tsc_value))
 
         tx_fsm.act("IDLE",
+            # Ensure 2 cycles between frames on the link.
+            NextState("READY")
+        )
+        tx_fsm.act("READY",
             If(sr_buf_readable,
                 If(sr_notwrite,
                     Case(sr_address[0], {
diff --git a/artiq/gateware/drtio/rt_packet_repeater.py b/artiq/gateware/drtio/rt_packet_repeater.py
index 5ccd8dd70..1798b6da8 100644
--- a/artiq/gateware/drtio/rt_packet_repeater.py
+++ b/artiq/gateware/drtio/rt_packet_repeater.py
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ class RTPacketRepeater(Module):
         self.submodules += tx_fsm
 
         tx_fsm.act("IDLE",
+            # Ensure 2 cycles between frames on the link.
+            NextState("READY")
+        )
+        tx_fsm.act("READY",
             If(self.set_time_stb,
                 tsc_value_load.eq(1),
                 NextState("SET_TIME")
diff --git a/artiq/gateware/test/drtio/test_rt_packet_repeater.py b/artiq/gateware/test/drtio/test_rt_packet_repeater.py
index d348a5efc..70f25adb0 100644
--- a/artiq/gateware/test/drtio/test_rt_packet_repeater.py
+++ b/artiq/gateware/test/drtio/test_rt_packet_repeater.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class TestRepeater(unittest.TestCase):
         pt, pr, ts, dut = create_dut(nwords)
 
         def send():
+            yield
             yield ts.eq(0x12345678)
             yield dut.set_time_stb.eq(1)
             while not (yield dut.set_time_ack):
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ class TestRepeater(unittest.TestCase):
             pt, pr, ts, dut = create_dut(nwords)
 
             def send():
+                yield
                 for channel, timestamp, address, data in test_writes:
                     yield dut.cri.chan_sel.eq(channel)
                     yield dut.cri.timestamp.eq(timestamp)
@@ -96,6 +98,7 @@ class TestRepeater(unittest.TestCase):
 
             def send_requests():
                 for i in range(10):
+                    yield
                     yield dut.cri.chan_sel.eq(i << 16)
                     yield dut.cri.cmd.eq(cri.commands["get_buffer_space"])
                     yield