diff --git a/src/main/git/command-runner/git-admission-waiter-queue.ts b/src/main/git/command-runner/git-admission-waiter-queue.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1d49496497e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/git/command-runner/git-admission-waiter-queue.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+import type { AdmissionClass, AdmissionSlotKind, AdmissionWaiter } from './git-admission-state'
+import type { GitAdmissionTier } from './git-exec-options'
+
+type SelectedWaiter = {
+  waiter: AdmissionWaiter
+  slotKind: AdmissionSlotKind
+}
+
+type WaiterLane = {
+  items: AdmissionWaiter[]
+  head: number
+  count: number
+}
+
+const TIERS = ['interactive', 'status', 'background'] as const
+const createLane = (): WaiterLane => ({ items: [], head: 0, count: 0 })
+
+export class GitAdmissionWaiterQueue {
+  private readonly lanes: Record<AdmissionClass, Record<GitAdmissionTier, WaiterLane>> = {
+    general: {
+      interactive: createLane(),
+      status: createLane(),
+      background: createLane()
+    },
+    network: {
+      interactive: createLane(),
+      status: createLane(),
+      background: createLane()
+    }
+  }
+  private readonly countsByBudget = new Map<string, number>()
+  private totalCount = 0
+
+  get count(): number {
+    return this.totalCount
+  }
+
+  enqueue(waiter: AdmissionWaiter): void {
+    const lane = this.lanes[waiter.admissionClass][waiter.tier]
+    lane.items.push(waiter)
+    lane.count += 1
+    this.totalCount += 1
+    for (const key of waiter.budgetKeys) {
+      this.countsByBudget.set(key, (this.countsByBudget.get(key) ?? 0) + 1)
+    }
+  }
+
+  dequeue(waiter: AdmissionWaiter): void {
+    const lane = this.lanes[waiter.admissionClass][waiter.tier]
+    lane.count -= 1
+    this.totalCount -= 1
+    for (const key of waiter.budgetKeys) {
+      const current = this.countsByBudget.get(key)
+      if (current === 1) {
+        this.countsByBudget.delete(key)
+      } else if (current !== undefined) {
+        this.countsByBudget.set(key, current - 1)
+      }
+    }
+    this.compact(lane)
+  }
+
+  hasBudget(key: string): boolean {
+    return this.countsByBudget.has(key)
+  }
+
+  snapshot(): AdmissionWaiter[] {
+    return (['general', 'network'] as const)
+      .flatMap((admissionClass) =>
+        TIERS.flatMap((tier) => {
+          const lane = this.lanes[admissionClass][tier]
+          return lane.items.slice(lane.head).filter((waiter) => waiter.state === 'queued')
+        })
+      )
+      .sort((left, right) => left.id - right.id)
+  }
+
+  nextFitting(
+    admissionClass: AdmissionClass,
+    effectiveTier: (waiter: AdmissionWaiter) => number,
+    slotKindFor: (waiter: AdmissionWaiter) => AdmissionSlotKind | null,
+    abort: (waiter: AdmissionWaiter) => void
+  ): SelectedWaiter | null {
+    let selected: (SelectedWaiter & { tier: number }) | null = null
+    for (const rawTier of TIERS) {
+      const lane = this.lanes[admissionClass][rawTier]
+      for (let index = lane.head; index < lane.items.length; index += 1) {
+        const waiter = lane.items[index]
+        if (waiter.state !== 'queued') {
+          continue
+        }
+        if (waiter.signal?.aborted) {
+          abort(waiter)
+          continue
+        }
+        const slotKind = slotKindFor(waiter)
+        if (!slotKind) {
+          continue
+        }
+        const tier = effectiveTier(waiter)
+        if (
+          !selected ||
+          tier < selected.tier ||
+          (tier === selected.tier && waiter.id < selected.waiter.id)
+        ) {
+          selected = { waiter, slotKind, tier }
+        }
+        break
+      }
+    }
+    return selected
+  }
+
+  private compact(lane: WaiterLane): void {
+    let head = lane.head
+    while (head < lane.items.length && lane.items[head].state !== 'queued') {
+      head += 1
+    }
+    lane.head = head
+    if (lane.count === 0) {
+      lane.items.length = 0
+      lane.head = 0
+      return
+    }
+    const tombstones = lane.items.length - head - lane.count
+    if (head < 256 && (lane.items.length < 256 || tombstones <= lane.count)) {
+      return
+    }
+    lane.items = lane.items.slice(head).filter((candidate) => candidate.state === 'queued')
+    lane.head = 0
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/git/command-runner/git-subprocess-admission.test.ts b/src/main/git/command-runner/git-subprocess-admission.test.ts
index f734a9521b7..252b26df00b 100644
--- a/src/main/git/command-runner/git-subprocess-admission.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/git/command-runner/git-subprocess-admission.test.ts
@@ -349,6 +349,26 @@ describe('GitAdmissionScheduler', () => {
     expect(order).toEqual(Array.from({ length: 20 }, (_, index) => index))
   })
 
+  it('drains a large saturated FIFO burst without retaining settled waiters', async () => {
+    const scheduler = new GitAdmissionScheduler({ generalCap: 1, generalHeadroom: 0 })
+    const running = await scheduler.acquire(local('status'))
+    const count = 4_000
+    const order: number[] = []
+    const queued = Array.from({ length: count }, (_, index) =>
+      scheduler.acquire(local('background')).then((grant) => {
+        order.push(index)
+        grant.release()
+      })
+    )
+
+    expect(scheduler.snapshot().queued).toBe(count)
+    running.release()
+    await Promise.all(queued)
+
+    expect(order).toEqual(Array.from({ length: count }, (_, index) => index))
+    expect(scheduler.snapshot()).toMatchObject({ queued: 0, queuedWaiters: [] })
+  })
+
   it('captures killswitch state in each release closure', async () => {
     const scheduler = schedulerWithOneSlot()
     _resetGitAdmissionForTests(scheduler)
diff --git a/src/main/git/command-runner/git-subprocess-admission.ts b/src/main/git/command-runner/git-subprocess-admission.ts
index da17a758580..290894af0c2 100644
--- a/src/main/git/command-runner/git-subprocess-admission.ts
+++ b/src/main/git/command-runner/git-subprocess-admission.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { uncRouteKey } from '../../providers/working-directory-validation'
 import { classifyGitCommand } from '../wsl-direct-git-read-commands'
 import { createAbortError } from './abort-error'
+import { GitAdmissionWaiterQueue } from './git-admission-waiter-queue'
 import {
   ADMISSION_TIER_VALUE,
   AdmissionEventPublisher,
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ function routeKey(request: GitAdmissionRequest): string | null {
 export class GitAdmissionScheduler {
   private readonly config: AdmissionSchedulerConfig
   private readonly budgets = new Map<string, AdmissionBudget>()
-  private readonly waiters: AdmissionWaiter[] = []
+  private readonly waiters = new GitAdmissionWaiterQueue()
   private nextWaiterId = 0
   private readonly eventPublisher: AdmissionEventPublisher
 
@@ -72,13 +73,17 @@ export class GitAdmissionScheduler {
         reject,
         onAbort: () => this.abort(waiter)
       }
+      this.waiters.enqueue(waiter)
       request.signal?.addEventListener('abort', waiter.onAbort, { once: true })
       if (request.signal?.aborted) {
         this.abort(waiter)
         return
       }
-      this.waiters.push(waiter)
-      this.drain()
+      // Adding a blocked waiter cannot make an older waiter runnable. Avoid a
+      // queue scan for every arrival while the fixed-size budget is saturated.
+      if (this.slotKindFor(waiter)) {
+        this.drain(admissionClass)
+      }
     })
   }
 
@@ -87,9 +92,9 @@ export class GitAdmissionScheduler {
     queuedWaiters: { id: number; args: readonly string[]; tier: AdmissionWaiter['tier'] }[]
     budgets: Record<string, { baseUsed: number; headroomUsed: number }>
   } {
-    const queuedWaiters = this.waiters.filter((waiter) => waiter.state === 'queued')
+    const queuedWaiters = this.waiters.snapshot()
     return {
-      queued: queuedWaiters.length,
+      queued: this.waiters.count,
       queuedWaiters: queuedWaiters.map(({ id, args, tier }) => ({ id, args, tier })),
       budgets: Object.fromEntries(
         [...this.budgets].map(([key, budget]) => [
@@ -156,35 +161,28 @@ export class GitAdmissionScheduler {
     })
   }
 
-  private drain(): void {
-    let granted = true
-    while (granted) {
-      granted = false
+  private slotKindFor(waiter: AdmissionWaiter): AdmissionSlotKind | null {
+    return this.fits(waiter, 'base')
+      ? 'base'
+      : waiter.tier === 'interactive' && this.fits(waiter, 'headroom')
+        ? 'headroom'
+        : null
+  }
+
+  private drain(admissionClass: AdmissionClass): void {
+    while (true) {
       const now = this.config.now()
-      const ordered = this.waiters
-        .filter((waiter) => waiter.state === 'queued')
-        .sort(
-          (left, right) =>
-            this.effectiveTier(left, now) - this.effectiveTier(right, now) || left.id - right.id
-        )
-      for (const waiter of ordered) {
-        if (waiter.signal?.aborted) {
-          this.abort(waiter)
-          continue
-        }
-        const slotKind = this.fits(waiter, 'base')
-          ? 'base'
-          : waiter.tier === 'interactive' && this.fits(waiter, 'headroom')
-            ? 'headroom'
-            : null
-        if (!slotKind) {
-          continue
-        }
-        this.grant(waiter, slotKind, now)
-        granted = true
+      const selected = this.waiters.nextFitting(
+        admissionClass,
+        (waiter) => this.effectiveTier(waiter, now),
+        (waiter) => this.slotKindFor(waiter),
+        (waiter) => this.abort(waiter)
+      )
+      if (!selected) {
+        return
       }
+      this.grant(selected.waiter, selected.slotKind, now)
     }
-    this.pruneBudgets()
   }
 
   private grant(waiter: AdmissionWaiter, slotKind: AdmissionSlotKind, now: number): void {
@@ -198,6 +196,7 @@ export class GitAdmissionScheduler {
         budget.headroomUsed += 1
       }
     }
+    this.waiters.dequeue(waiter)
     const queueWaitMs = Math.max(0, now - waiter.enqueuedAt)
     this.publishEvent(waiter, slotKind, 'grant', queueWaitMs)
     queueMicrotask(() => {
@@ -210,7 +209,6 @@ export class GitAdmissionScheduler {
         queueWaitMs,
         release: this.releaseOnce(waiter, slotKind, queueWaitMs)
       })
-      this.removeWaiter(waiter)
     })
   }
 
@@ -234,7 +232,8 @@ export class GitAdmissionScheduler {
         }
       }
       this.publishEvent(waiter, slotKind, 'release', queueWaitMs)
-      this.drain()
+      this.pruneRouteBudgets(waiter.budgetKeys)
+      this.drain(waiter.admissionClass)
     }
   }
 
@@ -249,18 +248,14 @@ export class GitAdmissionScheduler {
         Math.max(0, this.config.now() - waiter.enqueuedAt)
       )()
     }
+    const wasQueued = waiter.state === 'queued'
     waiter.state = 'settled'
     waiter.signal?.removeEventListener('abort', waiter.onAbort)
-    this.removeWaiter(waiter)
-    waiter.reject(createAbortError())
-    this.drain()
-  }
-
-  private removeWaiter(waiter: AdmissionWaiter): void {
-    const index = this.waiters.indexOf(waiter)
-    if (index !== -1) {
-      this.waiters.splice(index, 1)
+    if (wasQueued) {
+      this.waiters.dequeue(waiter)
+      this.pruneRouteBudgets(waiter.budgetKeys)
     }
+    waiter.reject(createAbortError())
   }
 
   private publishEvent(
@@ -274,21 +269,20 @@ export class GitAdmissionScheduler {
       waiter,
       slotKind,
       queueWaitMs,
-      queued: this.waiters.filter((candidate) => candidate.state === 'queued').length,
+      queued: this.waiters.count,
       budgets: this.budgets
     })
   }
 
-  private pruneBudgets(): void {
-    const queuedKeys = new Set(
-      this.waiters.flatMap((waiter) => (waiter.state === 'queued' ? waiter.budgetKeys : []))
-    )
-    for (const [key, budget] of this.budgets) {
+  private pruneRouteBudgets(keys: readonly string[]): void {
+    for (const key of keys) {
+      const budget = this.budgets.get(key)
       if (
+        budget &&
         key.startsWith('route:') &&
         budget.baseUsed === 0 &&
         budget.headroomUsed === 0 &&
-        !queuedKeys.has(key)
+        !this.waiters.hasBudget(key)
       ) {
         this.budgets.delete(key)
       }