A ventricular pacemaker is configured to determine a ventricular rate interval by determining at least one ventricular event interval between two consecutive ventricular events and determine a rate smoothing ventricular pacing interval based on the ventricular rate interval. The pacemaker is further configured to detect an atrial event from a sensor signal and deliver a ventricular pacing pulse in response to detecting the atrial event from the sensor signal. The pacemaker may start the rate smoothing ventricular pacing interval to schedule a next pacing pulse to be delivered upon expiration of the rate smoothing ventricular pacing interval.