diff --git a/client/scripts/constants.gd b/client/scripts/constants.gd
index a4aaf0908..f286ad59b 100644
--- a/client/scripts/constants.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/constants.gd
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@ const DIALOGUE_MAX_WIDTH: int = 1200
 # Default camera zoom — used as fallback when get_camera_2d() returns null
 const CAMERA_DEFAULT_ZOOM: Vector2 = Vector2(2.0, 2.0)
 
+# #117: Camera smoothing speed — exponential interpolation via manual lerp in main.gd.
+# Same pattern as EntityRenderer.LERP_SPEED. At 8.0: ~55% convergence after 0.1s.
+# Slightly softer than entity movement (12.0) for a touch of cinematic camera lag.
+const CAMERA_SMOOTHING_SPEED: float = 8.0
+
 # #517: Implant UI font color grading — avoid pure white, project through a lens
 const IMPLANT_TEXT_COLOR: Color = Color("#E0F7FA")   # Cyan-white — primary text
 const IMPLANT_TEXT_DIM: Color = Color("#9EBFC4")     # Dimmed variant — secondary text
diff --git a/client/scripts/main.gd b/client/scripts/main.gd
index 9421f0c8b..cd7d6febc 100644
--- a/client/scripts/main.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/main.gd
@@ -35,13 +35,10 @@ const LISTENING_FOCUS_TICKS: int = 30  # D-071: stationary ticks before Listenin
 func _ready() -> void:
 	print("The Settled Reach — client initialized")
 
-	# Disable camera smoothing during init. Camera2D's position_smoothing
-	# lerps an internal smoothed_camera_pos toward global_position each frame.
-	# That smoothed position initializes at (0,0) — the Camera2D's default in
-	# the .tscn. Even after we set global_position to the player coords,
-	# smoothing causes the viewport to still show (0,0) on the first rendered
-	# frame because the lerp hasn't converged. With smoothing OFF, the viewport
-	# uses global_position directly. Re-enabled in _process() after anchor.
+	# #117: Manual lerp approach — disable Godot's built-in Camera2D smoothing.
+	# We lerp camera.global_position directly in _process() using CAMERA_SMOOTHING_SPEED,
+	# matching entity_renderer.gd's exponential smoothing pattern. Built-in smoothing
+	# would conflict because we'd be setting global_position to the target every frame.
 	camera.position_smoothing_enabled = false
 
 	# Connect to simulation (test mode sets CONNECTED immediately)
@@ -70,7 +67,7 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 		SimBridge.connection_state_changed.connect(_on_connection_state_changed)
 
 
-func _process(_delta: float) -> void:
+func _process(delta: float) -> void:
 	# Main game loop: poll snapshot, apply state, flush input
 	var snapshot: Variant = SimBridge.poll_snapshot()
 	if snapshot != null:
@@ -159,23 +156,18 @@ func _process(_delta: float) -> void:
 		_consume_conversation_ended()
 		_consume_dialogue_response()
 
-	# Track camera to player position every frame (D-015: locked, no panning)
+	# Track camera to player (D-015: locked, fixed-north).
+	# #117: Manual exponential smoothing — same pattern as EntityRenderer.LERP_SPEED.
+	# Teleport (flag set by _teleport_transition): snap immediately, resume lerp next frame.
+	# Init: camera already snapped in _ready() or late-anchor path above.
 	if _camera_anchored:
-		camera.global_position = GameState.player_position * Constants.TILE_SIZE
-
-	# Re-enable smoothing after the first anchored frame. The frame that just
-	# rendered used smoothing=OFF (correct viewport from frame one). Now we
-	# turn smoothing back on and sync its internal state so subsequent frames
-	# get smooth camera tracking during gameplay.
-	# #501: Skip re-enable during teleport — _teleport_transition() disables
-	# smoothing for a clean camera snap. Defer by one frame to avoid the
-	# re-enable block in the same _process() call undoing the snap.
-	if _camera_anchored and not camera.position_smoothing_enabled:
+		var target := GameState.player_position * Constants.TILE_SIZE
 		if _teleport_in_progress:
+			camera.global_position = target
 			_teleport_in_progress = false
 		else:
-			camera.position_smoothing_enabled = true
-			camera.reset_smoothing()
+			var weight := 1.0 - exp(-Constants.CAMERA_SMOOTHING_SPEED * delta)
+			camera.global_position = camera.global_position.lerp(target, weight)
 
 	# Send queued input to simulation
 	# #507: Server-bound inputs are accumulated into _pending_record_inputs across frames.
@@ -433,10 +425,9 @@ func _detect_teleport(old_pos: Vector2, new_pos: Vector2) -> bool:
 # Clears dialogue/monologue/interaction state (server clears its side too).
 # Scoped to Gauntlet testing only — production fast-travel uses diegetic gates.
 func _teleport_transition() -> void:
-	# Snap camera: disable smoothing, force re-anchor.
-	# _teleport_in_progress defers smoothing re-enable by one frame so the
-	# re-enable block at the bottom of _process() doesn't undo the snap.
-	camera.position_smoothing_enabled = false
+	# Snap camera immediately to new position. _teleport_in_progress causes
+	# the lerp block in _process() to snap again on the same frame (in case
+	# player_position updates after this call) and skip lerp next frame.
 	camera.global_position = GameState.player_position * Constants.TILE_SIZE
 	_camera_anchored = true
 	_teleport_in_progress = true