A method, algorithm, architecture, circuit and/or system that compensates for frequency difference in oversampled CDRs. The oversampled CDR uses a programmable divider whose division ratio is changed, for one or more cycles, from its usual division ratio, when accumulated phase movement in either direction exceeds a threshold. Accordingly, the elasticity buffer in oversampled CDRs can be made much smaller or entirely eliminated, resulting in less area, and reduced or eliminated dependence of max allowed burst size on ppm difference. The threshold can be kept programmable, and more than half unit interval, to provide robustness towards high frequency jitter.