In one embodiment, a method displays images from a remote desktop of a desktop GUI on a client device. The method receives a plurality of image blocks for a frame update of an image of the desktop GUI being displayed on the client device. The remote desktop is being run on a host. The client device determines that one or more missing image blocks have not been received for the frame update and determines if the frame update should be performed without the one or more missing image blocks. If the frame update of the desktop GUI should be performed without the one or more missing image blocks, the client device performs the frame update of the desktop GUI using the plurality of image blocks without using the one or more missing image blocks.