diff --git a/library/core/reacord-discord-js.ts b/library/core/reacord-discord-js.ts
index dc90959..31b32ae 100644
--- a/library/core/reacord-discord-js.ts
+++ b/library/core/reacord-discord-js.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ function createReacordComponentInteraction(
       update: async (options) => {
         await interaction.update(getDiscordMessageOptions(options))
       },
+      deferUpdate: () => interaction.deferUpdate(),
     }
   }
 
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ function createReacordComponentInteraction(
       update: async (options) => {
         await interaction.update(getDiscordMessageOptions(options))
       },
+      deferUpdate: () => interaction.deferUpdate(),
     }
   }
 
@@ -106,13 +108,13 @@ function createReacordComponentInteraction(
 // TODO: this could be a part of the core library,
 // and also handle some edge cases, e.g. empty messages
 function getDiscordMessageOptions(
-  options: MessageOptions,
+  reacordOptions: MessageOptions,
 ): Discord.MessageOptions {
-  return {
+  const options: Discord.MessageOptions = {
     // eslint-disable-next-line unicorn/no-null
-    content: options.content || null,
-    embeds: options.embeds,
-    components: options.actionRows.map((row) => ({
+    content: reacordOptions.content || null,
+    embeds: reacordOptions.embeds,
+    components: reacordOptions.actionRows.map((row) => ({
       type: "ACTION_ROW",
       components: row.map(
         (component): Discord.MessageActionRowComponentOptions => {
@@ -143,6 +145,12 @@ function getDiscordMessageOptions(
       ),
     })),
   }
+
+  if (!options.content && !options.embeds?.length) {
+    options.content = "_ _"
+  }
+
+  return options
 }
 
 function createReacordMessage(message: Discord.Message): Message {
diff --git a/library/internal/interaction.ts b/library/internal/interaction.ts
index e5d9bba..e686e99 100644
--- a/library/internal/interaction.ts
+++ b/library/internal/interaction.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ export type ButtonInteraction = {
   channelId: string
   customId: string
   update(options: MessageOptions): Promise<void>
+  deferUpdate(): Promise<void>
 }
 
 export type SelectInteraction = {
@@ -27,4 +28,5 @@ export type SelectInteraction = {
   customId: string
   values: string[]
   update(options: MessageOptions): Promise<void>
+  deferUpdate(): Promise<void>
 }
diff --git a/library/internal/renderer.ts b/library/internal/renderer.ts
index 61177f6..fdbe03a 100644
--- a/library/internal/renderer.ts
+++ b/library/internal/renderer.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { Container } from "./container.js"
 import type { ComponentInteraction } from "./interaction"
 import type { Message, MessageOptions } from "./message"
 import type { Node } from "./node.js"
+import { Timeout } from "./timeout"
 
 type UpdatePayload =
   | { action: "update" | "deactivate"; options: MessageOptions }
@@ -20,6 +21,10 @@ export abstract class Renderer {
     .pipe(concatMap((payload) => this.updateMessage(payload)))
     .subscribe({ error: console.error })
 
+  private deferUpdateTimeout = new Timeout(500, () => {
+    this.componentInteraction?.deferUpdate().catch(console.error)
+  })
+
   render() {
     if (!this.active) {
       console.warn("Attempted to update a deactivated message")
@@ -47,6 +52,7 @@ export abstract class Renderer {
 
   handleComponentInteraction(interaction: ComponentInteraction) {
     this.componentInteraction = interaction
+    this.deferUpdateTimeout.run()
     for (const node of this.nodes) {
       if (node.handleComponentInteraction(interaction)) {
         return true
@@ -84,6 +90,7 @@ export abstract class Renderer {
     if (this.componentInteraction) {
       const promise = this.componentInteraction.update(payload.options)
       this.componentInteraction = undefined
+      this.deferUpdateTimeout.cancel()
       await promise
       return
     }
diff --git a/library/internal/timeout.ts b/library/internal/timeout.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c3b178c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/internal/timeout.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+export class Timeout {
+  private timeoutId?: NodeJS.Timeout
+
+  constructor(
+    private readonly time: number,
+    private readonly callback: () => void,
+  ) {}
+
+  run() {
+    this.cancel()
+    this.timeoutId = setTimeout(this.callback, this.time)
+  }
+
+  cancel() {
+    if (this.timeoutId) {
+      clearTimeout(this.timeoutId)
+      this.timeoutId = undefined
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/playground/main.tsx b/playground/main.tsx
index f50dcf9..d41c45a 100644
--- a/playground/main.tsx
+++ b/playground/main.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Client } from "discord.js"
 import "dotenv/config"
 import React from "react"
-import { ReacordDiscordJs } from "../library/main"
+import { Button, ReacordDiscordJs } from "../library/main"
 import { createCommandHandler } from "./command-handler"
 import { Counter } from "./counter"
 import { FruitSelect } from "./fruit-select"
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@ client.on("ready", () => {
 })
 
 createCommandHandler(client, [
+  {
+    name: "button",
+    description: "it's a button",
+    run: (interaction) => {
+      reacord.reply(
+        interaction,
+        <Button label="clic" onClick={() => console.log("was clic")} />,
+      )
+    },
+  },
   {
     name: "counter",
     description: "shows a counter button",
diff --git a/test/renderer.test.ts b/test/renderer.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..845a283
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/renderer.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+// test that the interaction update is _eventually_ deferred if there's no component update,
+// and that update isn't called after the fact
+// ...somehow
+test.todo("defer update timeout")
+
+export {}
diff --git a/todo.md b/todo.md
index a9bd7cd..642f5e3 100644
--- a/todo.md
+++ b/todo.md
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 # internal
 
 - [ ] combine `MessageOptions` and `Message` into a single message object (?)
-- [ ] consider always calling `deferUpdate` on component interactions
+- [x] consider always calling `deferUpdate` on component interactions
 
 # cool ideas / polish
 
@@ -45,4 +45,4 @@
 - [ ] uncontrolled select
 - [x] single class/helper function for testing `ReacordTester`
 - [ ] handle deletion outside of reacord
-- [ ] for more easily writing adapters, address discord API nuances at the reacord level instead of the adapter level. the goal being that adapters can just take the objects and send them to discord
+- [ ] for more easily writing adapters, address discord API nuances at the reacord level instead of the adapter level. the goal being that adapters can just take the objects and send them to discord. probably make use of discord api types for this