diff --git a/web/src/app/_ui/job-row.tsx b/web/src/app/_ui/job-row.tsx
index 4a8d5d6..63e7fb3 100644
--- a/web/src/app/_ui/job-row.tsx
+++ b/web/src/app/_ui/job-row.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export function JobRow({
   album,
   kind,
   label,
+  marker,
   meta,
   note,
   bar,
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ export function JobRow({
   album: string;
   kind: Kind;
   label: string;
+  marker?: string;
   meta?: ReactNode;
   note?: ReactNode;
   bar?: ReactNode;
@@ -31,6 +33,7 @@ export function JobRow({
       <div className="stripe" />
       <div>
         <h3 className="title">
+          {marker ? <span className="nextup">{marker}</span> : null}
           {album} <span className="artist">· {artist}</span>
         </h3>
         {meta ? <div className="meta">{meta}</div> : null}
diff --git a/web/src/app/design.css b/web/src/app/design.css
index 0bc14a7..fcdd2b1 100644
--- a/web/src/app/design.css
+++ b/web/src/app/design.css
@@ -388,6 +388,13 @@ nav.contents .sep { flex: 1; }
 .tab .n { color: var(--rule-2); margin-left: 6px; }
 .tab.has-errors .n { color: var(--alert); }
 
+/* "Next up" badge on the first queued row (the item the worker claims next) */
+.nextup {
+  display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 9px; transform: translateY(-2px);
+  font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 0.56rem; letter-spacing: 0.13em; text-transform: uppercase;
+  color: var(--accent-ink); background: var(--accent); padding: 2px 7px; border-radius: 4px;
+}
+
 /* ── Kebab menu (⋮ popup for press actions) ───────────── */
 .dept.has-actions { align-items: center; }
 .dept.has-actions .fill { transform: none; }
diff --git a/web/src/app/queue.tsx b/web/src/app/queue.tsx
index 3c060c0..b5066dd 100644
--- a/web/src/app/queue.tsx
+++ b/web/src/app/queue.tsx
@@ -189,6 +189,14 @@ export function Queue() {
     const j = jobOf(r);
     buckets[categoryOf(j.state, j.currentStage)].push(r);
   }
+  // The API returns rows newest-first, but the worker claims the OLDEST queued job next
+  // (claim_next: ORDER BY createdAt ASC). Order the queue tab to match, so the item that runs
+  // next sits at the top instead of the bottom.
+  const ts = (r: Row) => (r.createdAt ? new Date(r.createdAt).getTime() : 0);
+  buckets.queue.sort((a, b) => ts(a) - ts(b));
+  // "Next up" = the first queued item the worker will actually claim (oldest, not individually
+  // paused) — mark it so the ordering reads clearly.
+  const nextUpId = buckets.queue.find((r) => !jobOf(r).paused)?.id ?? null;
   const queuedCount = buckets.queue.length;
   const downloading = buckets.active.length > 0;
   // Smart default: land on the tab that has something worth looking at.
@@ -289,6 +297,7 @@ export function Queue() {
         album={r.album}
         kind={d.kind}
         label={d.label}
+        marker={r.id === nextUpId ? "Next up" : undefined}
         meta={meta}
         note={note}
         bar={bar}