diff --git a/app/api/time/route.ts b/app/api/time/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2765a4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/api/time/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
+
+export function GET() {
+  return new NextResponse(JSON.stringify({ serverNowMs: Date.now() }), {
+    status: 200,
+    headers: {
+      "content-type": "application/json",
+      "cache-control": "no-store",
+    },
+  });
+}
diff --git a/components/custom-ui/toast/toast-poll-notification.tsx b/components/custom-ui/toast/toast-poll-notification.tsx
index 58c98f3..b8c360f 100644
--- a/components/custom-ui/toast/toast-poll-notification.tsx
+++ b/components/custom-ui/toast/toast-poll-notification.tsx
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
 
 import { AnimatePresence, easeIn, motion } from "motion/react";
 import { QRCodeSVG } from "qrcode.react";
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { NumberTicker } from "@/components/shadcn-ui/number-ticker";
 import { useSocket } from "@/hooks/use-socket";
 import { useSocketUtils } from "@/hooks/use-socket-utils";
 import { ServerToClientSocketEvents } from "@/lib/enums";
 import { UpdatePollNotificationEvent } from "@/lib/types/socket";
-import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+import { cn, getServerOffsetMs } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { BearIcon } from "../icons/bear-icon";
 import { BullIcon } from "../icons/bull-icon";
 
@@ -164,9 +164,41 @@ export const ToastPollNotification = ({
   const xOffset = isLeft ? 100 : isRight ? -100 : 0;
   const yOffset = isCenter ? (isTop ? 100 : -100) : 0;
 
+  // Use a monotonic clock for ticking to avoid issues if the user changes system time.
+  // Compute the initial remaining time once, then decrease using performance.now().
+  const perfStartRef = useRef<number>(performance.now());
+  const initialRemainingMsRef = useRef<number>(data.endTimeMs - Date.now());
+
+  // Reset the baseline if the poll end time changes, using a server time offset
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let cancelled = false;
+
+    // Prefer the shared util for computing server time offset
+    async function initializeCountdownBaseline() {
+      const offsetMs = await getServerOffsetMs();
+      if (cancelled) return;
+      perfStartRef.current = performance.now();
+      initialRemainingMsRef.current = data.endTimeMs - (Date.now() + offsetMs);
+      // Force an immediate recompute so UI reflects corrected baseline
+      setSecondsLeft(
+        Math.max(0, Math.ceil(initialRemainingMsRef.current / 1000)),
+      );
+    }
+
+    initializeCountdownBaseline();
+
+    return () => {
+      cancelled = true;
+    };
+  }, [data.endTimeMs]);
+
   const getSecondsRemaining = useMemo(() => {
-    return () => Math.max(0, Math.ceil((data.endTimeMs - Date.now()) / 1000));
-  }, [data]);
+    return () => {
+      const elapsedMs = performance.now() - perfStartRef.current;
+      const remainingMs = initialRemainingMsRef.current - elapsedMs;
+      return Math.max(0, Math.ceil(remainingMs / 1000));
+    };
+  }, []);
 
   const [secondsLeft, setSecondsLeft] = useState<number>(getSecondsRemaining());
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/index.ts b/lib/utils/index.ts
index 388b907..3c4a938 100644
--- a/lib/utils/index.ts
+++ b/lib/utils/index.ts
@@ -248,6 +248,8 @@ export const slugify = (text: string) => {
     .replace(/_+/g, "_");
 };
 
+export { createMonotonicSecondsGetter, getServerOffsetMs } from "./time";
+
 /**
  * Calculate the time left for a poll
  * @param deadline - The deadline of the poll
diff --git a/lib/utils/time.ts b/lib/utils/time.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d2b951
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/utils/time.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/**
+ * Compute server time offset (serverNowMs - clientNowMs) with RTT midpoint correction.
+ * Tries /api/time first, then falls back to HEAD / Date header. Returns 0 on failure.
+ */
+export async function getServerOffsetMs(): Promise<number> {
+  // Prefer dedicated endpoint
+  try {
+    const t0 = performance.now();
+    const resp = await fetch("/api/time", { cache: "no-store" });
+    const t1 = performance.now();
+    if (resp.ok) {
+      const json = await resp.json();
+      const serverNowMs = Number(json?.serverNowMs);
+      if (Number.isFinite(serverNowMs)) {
+        const rttMs = t1 - t0;
+        const clientMidNowMs = Date.now() - rttMs / 2;
+        return serverNowMs - clientMidNowMs;
+      }
+    }
+  } catch {}
+
+  // Fallback to Date header
+  try {
+    const t0 = performance.now();
+    const res = await fetch("/", { method: "HEAD", cache: "no-store" });
+    const t1 = performance.now();
+    const dateHeader = res.headers.get("date");
+    if (!dateHeader) return 0;
+    const rttMs = t1 - t0;
+    const clientMidNowMs = Date.now() - rttMs / 2;
+    const serverNowMs = new Date(dateHeader).getTime();
+    return serverNowMs - clientMidNowMs;
+  } catch {
+    return 0;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Start a monotonic countdown based on an absolute end time and a server offset.
+ * Returns a getter that yields whole seconds remaining, clamped at 0.
+ */
+export function createMonotonicSecondsGetter(
+  endTimeMs: number,
+  offsetMs: number,
+) {
+  const perfStart = performance.now();
+  const initialRemainingMs = endTimeMs - (Date.now() + offsetMs);
+  return () => {
+    const elapsedMs = performance.now() - perfStart;
+    const remainingMs = initialRemainingMs - elapsedMs;
+    return Math.max(0, Math.ceil(remainingMs / 1000));
+  };
+}