diff --git a/src/relay/dispatcher-writer-admission.test.ts b/src/relay/dispatcher-writer-admission.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c30fbb47d71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/relay/dispatcher-writer-admission.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,203 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import {
+  DEFAULT_PRODUCER_QUEUE_MAX_BYTES,
+  DISPATCHER_CONTROL_QUEUE_MAX_FRAMES,
+  DispatcherWriterAdmission,
+  type DispatcherWriterEntry,
+  type DispatcherWriterLane
+} from './dispatcher-writer-admission'
+
+function createEntry(
+  lane: DispatcherWriterLane,
+  id: number,
+  estimatedBytes = 1
+): DispatcherWriterEntry {
+  return {
+    lane,
+    encode: () => Buffer.from(String(id)),
+    estimatedBytes,
+    onSettled: () => undefined,
+    settled: false
+  }
+}
+
+function admitOrThrow(admission: DispatcherWriterAdmission, entry: DispatcherWriterEntry): void {
+  const result = admission.admit(entry, Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER)
+  if (!result.accepted) {
+    throw new Error(`entry rejected from ${entry.lane}`)
+  }
+}
+
+function shiftOrThrow(
+  admission: DispatcherWriterAdmission,
+  lane: DispatcherWriterLane
+): DispatcherWriterEntry {
+  const entry = admission.shift(lane)
+  if (!entry) {
+    throw new Error(`missing queued entry from ${lane}`)
+  }
+  return entry
+}
+
+describe('DispatcherWriterAdmission', () => {
+  it('drains a release-scale lane in FIFO order across compactions', () => {
+    const entryCount = 30_000
+    const admission = new DispatcherWriterAdmission(DEFAULT_PRODUCER_QUEUE_MAX_BYTES)
+    const entries = Array.from({ length: entryCount }, (_, index) =>
+      createEntry('ordinary', index, 64)
+    )
+
+    for (const entry of entries) {
+      admitOrThrow(admission, entry)
+    }
+    expect(admission.queuedEntries).toBe(entryCount)
+    expect(admission.retainedProducerBytes).toBe(entryCount * 64)
+    expect(admission.peek('ordinary')).toBe(entries[0])
+
+    for (let index = 0; index < entries.length; index++) {
+      const shifted = shiftOrThrow(admission, 'ordinary')
+      if (shifted !== entries[index]) {
+        throw new Error(`FIFO mismatch at ${index}`)
+      }
+      admission.release(shifted)
+      if (index === 0 || index === Math.floor(entryCount / 2)) {
+        expect(admission.peek('ordinary')).toBe(entries[index + 1])
+      }
+    }
+
+    expect(admission.shift('ordinary')).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(admission.queuedEntries).toBe(0)
+    expect(admission.retainedProducerBytes).toBe(0)
+  })
+
+  it('keeps accounting retained until shifted entries are released', () => {
+    const producerAdmission = new DispatcherWriterAdmission(4)
+    const producerEntries = Array.from({ length: 4 }, (_, index) => createEntry('ordinary', index))
+    for (const entry of producerEntries) {
+      admitOrThrow(producerAdmission, entry)
+      expect(shiftOrThrow(producerAdmission, 'ordinary')).toBe(entry)
+    }
+    expect(producerAdmission.queuedEntries).toBe(0)
+    expect(producerAdmission.retainedProducerBytes).toBe(4)
+    expect(producerAdmission.canAdmitProducer(1, 1)).toBe(false)
+    producerAdmission.release(producerEntries[0])
+    expect(producerAdmission.canAdmitProducer(1, 1)).toBe(true)
+    for (const entry of producerEntries.slice(1)) {
+      producerAdmission.release(entry)
+    }
+
+    const controlAdmission = new DispatcherWriterAdmission(1)
+    const controlEntries = Array.from({ length: DISPATCHER_CONTROL_QUEUE_MAX_FRAMES }, (_, index) =>
+      createEntry('control', index)
+    )
+    for (const entry of controlEntries) {
+      admitOrThrow(controlAdmission, entry)
+      expect(shiftOrThrow(controlAdmission, 'control')).toBe(entry)
+    }
+    expect(controlAdmission.queuedEntries).toBe(0)
+    expect(controlAdmission.canAdmitControl(1)).toBe(false)
+    controlAdmission.release(controlEntries[0])
+    expect(controlAdmission.canAdmitControl(1)).toBe(true)
+    for (const entry of controlEntries.slice(1)) {
+      controlAdmission.release(entry)
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('replaces only the live liveness tail after a consumed prefix', () => {
+    const admission = new DispatcherWriterAdmission(1)
+    const first = createEntry('liveness', 1)
+    const queued = createEntry('liveness', 2)
+    const replacement = createEntry('liveness', 3)
+
+    admitOrThrow(admission, first)
+    admitOrThrow(admission, queued)
+    expect(shiftOrThrow(admission, 'liveness')).toBe(first)
+    expect(admission.admit(replacement, Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER)).toEqual({
+      accepted: true,
+      replaced: queued
+    })
+    expect(shiftOrThrow(admission, 'liveness')).toBe(replacement)
+    expect(admission.queuedEntries).toBe(0)
+    expect(admission.admit(createEntry('liveness', 4), Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER)).toEqual({
+      accepted: false
+    })
+
+    admission.release(first)
+    admission.release(replacement)
+    const afterRelease = createEntry('liveness', 5)
+    admitOrThrow(admission, afterRelease)
+    expect(shiftOrThrow(admission, 'liveness')).toBe(afterRelease)
+    admission.release(afterRelease)
+  })
+
+  it('takes only the live suffix after deep partial drains and refills', () => {
+    const admission = new DispatcherWriterAdmission(10_000)
+    const initial = Array.from({ length: 4_096 }, (_, index) => createEntry('ordinary', index))
+    for (const entry of initial) {
+      admitOrThrow(admission, entry)
+    }
+    for (let index = 0; index < 3_000; index++) {
+      const shifted = shiftOrThrow(admission, 'ordinary')
+      expect(shifted).toBe(initial[index])
+      admission.release(shifted)
+    }
+    const refill = Array.from({ length: 2_048 }, (_, index) =>
+      createEntry('ordinary', initial.length + index)
+    )
+    for (const entry of refill) {
+      admitOrThrow(admission, entry)
+    }
+
+    const expected = [...initial.slice(3_000), ...refill]
+    const queued = admission.takeQueued()
+    expect(queued).toEqual(expected)
+    expect(admission.queuedEntries).toBe(0)
+    expect(admission.retainedProducerBytes).toBe(expected.length)
+    for (const entry of queued) {
+      admission.release(entry)
+    }
+    expect(admission.retainedProducerBytes).toBe(0)
+  })
+
+  it('preserves close-time lane and per-lane FIFO order', () => {
+    const admission = new DispatcherWriterAdmission(1_024)
+    const fixedBulk = createEntry('fixed-bulk', 1)
+    const liveness = createEntry('liveness', 2)
+    const control = createEntry('control', 3)
+    const legacy = createEntry('legacy-response', 4)
+    const interactive = createEntry('interactive', 5)
+    const ordinaryOne = createEntry('ordinary', 6)
+    const ordinaryTwo = createEntry('ordinary', 7)
+    const bulk = createEntry('bulk', 8)
+    for (const entry of [
+      fixedBulk,
+      liveness,
+      control,
+      legacy,
+      interactive,
+      ordinaryOne,
+      ordinaryTwo,
+      bulk
+    ]) {
+      admitOrThrow(admission, entry)
+    }
+
+    const queued = admission.takeQueued()
+    expect(queued).toEqual([
+      liveness,
+      control,
+      legacy,
+      interactive,
+      ordinaryOne,
+      ordinaryTwo,
+      fixedBulk,
+      bulk
+    ])
+    for (const entry of queued) {
+      admission.release(entry)
+    }
+    expect(admission.queuedEntries).toBe(0)
+    expect(admission.retainedProducerBytes).toBe(0)
+    expect(admission.canAdmitControl(1)).toBe(true)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/relay/dispatcher-writer-admission.ts b/src/relay/dispatcher-writer-admission.ts
index 71865b3c1f0..70b86f0e97b 100644
--- a/src/relay/dispatcher-writer-admission.ts
+++ b/src/relay/dispatcher-writer-admission.ts
@@ -50,15 +50,84 @@ export function relayWriterControlReserve(highWaterMark: number): number {
   return Math.min(64 * 1024, Math.max(1024, Math.floor(highWaterMark / 4)))
 }
 
+const LANE_QUEUE_COMPACTION_HEAD_THRESHOLD = 64
+
+class DispatcherWriterLaneQueue {
+  private entries: (DispatcherWriterEntry | undefined)[] = []
+  private head = 0
+
+  get length(): number {
+    return this.entries.length - this.head
+  }
+
+  push(entry: DispatcherWriterEntry): void {
+    this.entries.push(entry)
+  }
+
+  peek(): DispatcherWriterEntry | undefined {
+    return this.entries[this.head]
+  }
+
+  shift(): DispatcherWriterEntry | undefined {
+    const entry = this.entries[this.head]
+    if (!entry) {
+      return undefined
+    }
+    this.entries[this.head] = undefined
+    this.head++
+    this.compact()
+    return entry
+  }
+
+  pop(): DispatcherWriterEntry | undefined {
+    if (this.length === 0) {
+      return undefined
+    }
+    const entry = this.entries.pop()
+    if (this.entries.length === this.head) {
+      this.reset()
+    }
+    return entry
+  }
+
+  takeAll(): DispatcherWriterEntry[] {
+    const queued: DispatcherWriterEntry[] = []
+    for (let index = this.head; index < this.entries.length; index++) {
+      const entry = this.entries[index]
+      if (entry) {
+        queued.push(entry)
+      }
+    }
+    this.reset()
+    return queued
+  }
+
+  private compact(): void {
+    if (this.head === this.entries.length) {
+      this.reset()
+      return
+    }
+    if (this.head >= LANE_QUEUE_COMPACTION_HEAD_THRESHOLD && this.head * 2 >= this.entries.length) {
+      this.entries = this.entries.slice(this.head)
+      this.head = 0
+    }
+  }
+
+  private reset(): void {
+    this.entries.length = 0
+    this.head = 0
+  }
+}
+
 export class DispatcherWriterAdmission {
-  private readonly queues: Record<DispatcherWriterLane, DispatcherWriterEntry[]> = {
-    liveness: [],
-    control: [],
-    'legacy-response': [],
-    interactive: [],
-    ordinary: [],
-    'fixed-bulk': [],
-    bulk: []
+  private readonly queues: Record<DispatcherWriterLane, DispatcherWriterLaneQueue> = {
+    liveness: new DispatcherWriterLaneQueue(),
+    control: new DispatcherWriterLaneQueue(),
+    'legacy-response': new DispatcherWriterLaneQueue(),
+    interactive: new DispatcherWriterLaneQueue(),
+    ordinary: new DispatcherWriterLaneQueue(),
+    'fixed-bulk': new DispatcherWriterLaneQueue(),
+    bulk: new DispatcherWriterLaneQueue()
   }
   private controlBytes = 0
   private controlFrames = 0
@@ -115,7 +184,7 @@ export class DispatcherWriterAdmission {
   }
 
   peek(lane: DispatcherWriterLane): DispatcherWriterEntry | undefined {
-    return this.queues[lane][0]
+    return this.queues[lane].peek()
   }
 
   shift(lane: DispatcherWriterLane): DispatcherWriterEntry | undefined {
@@ -123,7 +192,7 @@ export class DispatcherWriterAdmission {
   }
 
   takeQueued(): DispatcherWriterEntry[] {
-    return Object.values(this.queues).flatMap((queue) => queue.splice(0))
+    return Object.values(this.queues).flatMap((queue) => queue.takeAll())
   }
 
   release(entry: DispatcherWriterEntry): void {