diff --git a/core/artwork/worker.go b/core/artwork/worker.go
index 4adf53b5e..01c987603 100644
--- a/core/artwork/worker.go
+++ b/core/artwork/worker.go
@@ -125,7 +125,10 @@ func (w *Worker) RunPrune(ctx context.Context) error {
 }
 
 func (w *Worker) drain(ctx context.Context, concurrency int) (int, error) {
-	batch, err := w.deps.ds.ArtworkQueue(ctx).DequeueBatch(2 * concurrency)
+	// Dequeue well past the worker pool so a slow item (an external lookup burning its
+	// timeout) never idles the other slots: the pool stays fed until the batch runs out.
+	// DequeueBatch does not mark rows taken, so this is one query per pass, not per slot.
+	batch, err := w.deps.ds.ArtworkQueue(ctx).DequeueBatch(max(16, 4*concurrency))
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
@@ -141,7 +144,12 @@ func (w *Worker) drain(ctx context.Context, concurrency int) (int, error) {
 	var refreshMu sync.Mutex
 	var refresh []model.ArtworkQueueItem
 	for _, item := range items {
-		sem <- struct{}{}
+		select {
+		case sem <- struct{}{}:
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			wg.Wait()
+			return len(items), nil
+		}
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go func(it model.ArtworkQueueItem) {
 			defer wg.Done()
diff --git a/core/artwork/worker_test.go b/core/artwork/worker_test.go
index 41032bdd4..684efba67 100644
--- a/core/artwork/worker_test.go
+++ b/core/artwork/worker_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package artwork
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
@@ -602,6 +603,23 @@ var _ = Describe("Worker", func() {
 		})
 	})
 
+	Describe("batching", func() {
+		// The pool is fed from one dequeue per pass: a batch sized to the pool would make a
+		// single slow item idle the other slots for as long as it runs.
+		It("dequeues past the worker pool so one drain covers many items", func() {
+			for i := range 16 {
+				ds.MockedAlbum.(*tests.MockAlbumRepo).SetData(model.Albums{{ID: fmt.Sprintf("alb%d", i), Name: "Album"}})
+				Expect(queueRepo.Enqueue(model.ArtworkQueueItem{
+					ItemKind: "al", ItemID: fmt.Sprintf("alb%d", i), Priority: model.ArtworkPriorityScan,
+				})).To(Succeed())
+			}
+
+			n, err := w.drain(ctx, 2)
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(n).To(Equal(16), "a batch sized to the pool would have stopped at 4")
+		})
+	})
+
 	Describe("RunPrune", func() {
 		It("runs a prune under the worker mutex", func() {
 			Expect(w.RunPrune(ctx)).To(Succeed())