diff --git a/server/src/domain/jobs/job.repository.interface.ts b/server/src/domain/jobs/job.repository.interface.ts
index e431675a0..5a9bf901e 100644
--- a/server/src/domain/jobs/job.repository.interface.ts
+++ b/server/src/domain/jobs/job.repository.interface.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ export interface IJobsRepository {
 	// Atomically claim a job
 	claimDue(type: JobType, now: number): Promise<Job | null>;
 
+	// locks up to `limit` due rows in one batch
+	claimDueBatch(type: JobType, limit: number, now: number): Promise<Job[]>;
+
 	// Completes a repeating job
 	recordSuccess(id: string, nextScheduledAt: number, intervalMs: number, now: number): Promise<boolean>;
 
@@ -34,7 +37,7 @@ export interface IJobsRepository {
 	// Job CRUD
 	// ********************
 
-	// Create jobs. Takes a JobSeed — the repo owns volatile lease/counter defaults on insert.
+	// Create jobs. Takes a JobSeed
 	upsertJob(job: JobSeed): Promise<boolean>;
 
 	// Pause/Resume
@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@ export interface IJobsRepository {
 	// Delete, drop all rows
 	deleteById(refId: string): Promise<boolean>;
 
-	// Delete a single typed row for a monitor (e.g. drop just the geo row, keep check/evaluate)
+	// Delete a single job of type
 	deleteByIdAndType(refId: string, type: JobType): Promise<boolean>;
 
 	// Get job
diff --git a/server/src/domain/jobs/job.repository.mongo.ts b/server/src/domain/jobs/job.repository.mongo.ts
index a3a80f221..a8c0a5d12 100644
--- a/server/src/domain/jobs/job.repository.mongo.ts
+++ b/server/src/domain/jobs/job.repository.mongo.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,33 @@ class MongoJobsRepository implements IJobsRepository {
 		return doc ? this.toEntity(doc) : null;
 	};
 
+	claimDueBatch = async (type: JobType, limit: number, now: number) => {
+		if (limit <= 0) return [];
+		const dueAndFree = {
+			type,
+			isActive: true,
+			nextScheduledAt: { $lte: now }, // due
+			$or: [{ lockedUntil: null }, { lockedUntil: { $lt: now } }], // free or expired lock
+		};
+
+		// 1. Pick the oldest-due candidates
+		const candidates = await JobModel.find(dueAndFree).sort({ nextScheduledAt: 1 }).limit(limit).select({ _id: 1 }).lean<{ _id: string }[]>();
+		if (candidates.length === 0) return [];
+		const ids = candidates.map((d) => d._id);
+
+		// 2. lock them. Re-check free/expired so we never steal another worker's live lock
+		//    only the rows this updateMany actually flips end up with claimed
+		const lockedUntil = now + LOCK_MS;
+		await JobModel.updateMany(
+			{ _id: { $in: ids }, $or: [{ lockedUntil: null }, { lockedUntil: { $lt: now } }] },
+			{ $set: { lockedBy: this.workerId, lockedUntil } }
+		);
+
+		// 3. Read back exactly the rows we now hold from this batch, keyed by the lockedUntil time
+		const docs = await JobModel.find({ _id: { $in: ids }, lockedBy: this.workerId, lockedUntil }).lean<JobDocument[]>();
+		return docs.map(this.toEntity);
+	};
+
 	recordSuccess = async (id: string, scheduledRunAt: number, intervalMs: number, now: number) => {
 		// Fixed rate job scheduling
 
diff --git a/server/src/domain/jobs/job.type.ts b/server/src/domain/jobs/job.type.ts
index 7ffd0f2f8..70d635f81 100644
--- a/server/src/domain/jobs/job.type.ts
+++ b/server/src/domain/jobs/job.type.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 export const JOB_TYPES = ["check", "geo-check", "evaluate", "cleanup-orphaned", "cleanup-retention"] as const;
 export type JobType = (typeof JOB_TYPES)[number];
-export const LOCK_MS = 30_000;
+export const LOCK_MS = 60_000;
 export const BACKOFF_MS = 5_000;
 export const PARKED = Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER;
 
diff --git a/server/src/worker/worker.db-queue.ts b/server/src/worker/worker.db-queue.ts
index cb56ac477..c333491df 100644
--- a/server/src/worker/worker.db-queue.ts
+++ b/server/src/worker/worker.db-queue.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const SERVICE_NAME = "JobQueue";
 const POLL_MS = 250;
 const CLEANUP_INTERVAL_MS = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
 const CONCURRENCY: Record<JobType, number> = {
-	check: 50,
+	check: 500,
 	"geo-check": 20,
 	evaluate: 20,
 	"cleanup-orphaned": 1,
@@ -205,13 +205,13 @@ export class DBQueueWorker implements IWorker {
 		const tick = async () => {
 			if (this.stopped) return;
 			try {
-				// Drain rows up to concurrency limit
-				while (this.inFlight[type] < CONCURRENCY[type]) {
-					const job = await this.jobsRepository.claimDue(type, Date.now()); // Claim a job
-					if (!job) break; // we're done, no jobs due
-					this.inFlight[type]++; // increment in flight jobs to stay within concurrency limits
+				// Claim a batch sized to the free capacity
+				const capacity = CONCURRENCY[type] - this.inFlight[type];
+				const jobs = await this.jobsRepository.claimDueBatch(type, capacity, Date.now());
+				for (const job of jobs) {
+					this.inFlight[type]++; // stay within concurrency limits
 					this.runJob(job).finally(() => {
-						this.inFlight[type]--; // job is done, decrement in flight count
+						this.inFlight[type]--; // job done, free the slot
 					});
 				}
 			} catch (error: unknown) {