diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Input/QueuedOutbox.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Input/QueuedOutbox.tsx
index c7175d639b..5af6b61880 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Input/QueuedOutbox.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Input/QueuedOutbox.tsx
@@ -458,6 +458,15 @@ function QueuedOutboxBase({
   const [expanded, setExpanded] = useAtom(queueExpandedFamily(steering.queueKey));
   const emptyEditId = useAtomValue(queueEmptyEditFamily(steering.queueKey));
   const mergeable = useMemo(() => queued.every(isMergeableQueuedMessage), [queued]);
+  /** Folding reads the queue, so an unresolved empty edit would carry the words
+   *  the user just deleted into the merged message. Same standdown the senders
+   *  use — the row's own controls, the drain, and the shortcut proxy. */
+  const mergeBlockedReason = (() => {
+    if (!mergeable) {
+      return localize('com_ui_queue_merge_blocked');
+    }
+    return emptyEditId != null ? localize('com_ui_queue_edit_empty') : undefined;
+  })();
   /** The shortcut's promise is the NEWEST waiting message, which is not the
    *  last array slot once a promotion has reordered the queue — so pick by
    *  stamp. Recovery-bound rows are skipped because steering refuses them
@@ -475,6 +484,14 @@ function QueuedOutboxBase({
     return newest;
   }, [queued]);
   const [next] = queued;
+  /** Index of the first row a promotion could overtake. Computed once: the
+   *  per-row prefix scan it replaces allocated and walked a slice for every
+   *  row, and the write-through editor re-renders this list on every
+   *  keystroke. */
+  const firstOvertakeable = useMemo(
+    () => queued.findIndex((item) => item.priority !== true),
+    [queued],
+  );
 
   const clearAll = useCallback(() => {
     void (async () => {
@@ -528,7 +545,10 @@ function QueuedOutboxBase({
       <button
         type="button"
         aria-expanded={expanded}
-        aria-label={localize(expanded ? 'com_ui_queue_collapse' : 'com_ui_queue_expand')}
+        /* Deliberately unlabelled: the accessible name comes from the count and
+         * next-up preview inside, which is the only description of the queue
+         * while the rows are unmounted. `aria-expanded` carries the show/hide
+         * state, so a label would only overwrite that summary. */
         data-testid="queue-group-toggle"
         onClick={() => setExpanded((prev) => !prev)}
         className={cn(ROW_CLASS, 'relative text-left hover:bg-surface-hover')}
@@ -565,7 +585,7 @@ function QueuedOutboxBase({
               /** A promotion lifts a row to the top of the promotions tier,
                *  which is still below every interrupt — so offering it when
                *  only interrupts sit ahead would advertise a no-op. */
-              canBump={queued.slice(0, position).some((ahead) => ahead.priority !== true)}
+              canBump={firstOvertakeable !== -1 && position > firstOvertakeable}
               sendPending={sendPending}
               onRestoreToComposer={onRestoreToComposer}
             />
@@ -578,8 +598,8 @@ function QueuedOutboxBase({
             type="button"
             className={PRIMARY_BTN_CLASS}
             data-testid="queue-merge"
-            disabled={!mergeable}
-            title={mergeable ? undefined : localize('com_ui_queue_merge_blocked')}
+            disabled={mergeBlockedReason != null}
+            title={mergeBlockedReason}
             onClick={() => steering.mergeQueued()}
           >
             <Merge className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden="true" />
diff --git a/client/src/components/Chat/Input/__tests__/PendingSteerChips.test.tsx b/client/src/components/Chat/Input/__tests__/PendingSteerChips.test.tsx
index 73b17143b7..b77080c0a1 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Chat/Input/__tests__/PendingSteerChips.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Chat/Input/__tests__/PendingSteerChips.test.tsx
@@ -767,6 +767,24 @@ describe('PendingSteerChips — queued outbox group', () => {
     expect(mockBumpQueued).toHaveBeenCalledWith('second');
   });
 
+  /** Promotion eligibility is computed in one pass, so verify the rule still
+   *  holds for a queue deep enough that the old per-row prefix scan mattered. */
+  it('offers Send next on every row past the first movable one, at depth', () => {
+    const deep = [
+      { id: 'armed', text: 'interrupt', createdAt: 9, priority: true },
+      ...Array.from({ length: 5 }, (_, i) => ({
+        id: `q${i}`,
+        text: `ordinary ${i}`,
+        createdAt: i,
+      })),
+    ];
+    renderChips(deep, { steering: outboxSteering() });
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByTestId('queue-group-toggle'));
+
+    // The interrupt and the first ordinary row cannot overtake anything.
+    expect(screen.getAllByTestId('queued-send-next')).toHaveLength(4);
+  });
+
   it('merges the batch into one turn', () => {
     renderChips(twoQueued, { steering: outboxSteering() });
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByTestId('queue-group-toggle'));
@@ -775,6 +793,38 @@ describe('PendingSteerChips — queued outbox group', () => {
     expect(mockMergeQueued).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
+  /** Folding reads the queue, so an emptied editor would carry the words the
+   *  user just deleted into the merged message. */
+  it('refuses to merge while an inline edit is empty', () => {
+    renderChips(twoQueued, { steering: outboxSteering() });
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByTestId('queue-group-toggle'));
+
+    const rows = screen.getAllByTestId('queued-message-row');
+    fireEvent.click(rows[1].querySelector('span[title]') as HTMLElement);
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByTestId('queued-message-edit'), { target: { value: '  ' } });
+
+    const merge = screen.getByTestId('queue-merge');
+    expect(merge).toBeDisabled();
+    fireEvent.click(merge);
+    expect(mockMergeQueued).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    // Resolving the edit releases it.
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByTestId('queued-message-edit'), { target: { value: 'rewritten' } });
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('queue-merge')).not.toBeDisabled();
+  });
+
+  /** Collapsing unmounts the rows, so the disclosure's own text is the queue's
+   *  only description — an aria-label would overwrite it. */
+  it('announces the count and next-up preview as the disclosure name', () => {
+    renderChips(twoQueued, { steering: outboxSteering() });
+
+    const toggle = screen.getByTestId('queue-group-toggle');
+    expect(toggle).not.toHaveAttribute('aria-label');
+    expect(toggle).toHaveAccessibleName(/com_ui_queue_count/);
+    expect(toggle).toHaveAccessibleName(/com_ui_queue_next_up/);
+    expect(toggle).toHaveAttribute('aria-expanded', 'false');
+  });
+
   it('refuses to merge while a recovered row holds a parked server source', () => {
     renderChips([twoQueued[0], { ...twoQueued[1], recoverySteerId: 'server-source' }], {
       steering: outboxSteering(),
diff --git a/client/src/locales/en/translation.json b/client/src/locales/en/translation.json
index d9836a1166..92a765f734 100644
--- a/client/src/locales/en/translation.json
+++ b/client/src/locales/en/translation.json
@@ -1618,12 +1618,10 @@
   "com_ui_question_unanswered": "No answer was given",
   "com_ui_queue": "Queue",
   "com_ui_queue_clear_all": "Clear all",
-  "com_ui_queue_collapse": "Hide queued messages",
   "com_ui_queue_count": "{{0}} queued",
   "com_ui_queue_edit_empty": "Type a message, or press Escape to keep the original",
   "com_ui_queue_edit_inline": "Edit this queued message",
   "com_ui_queue_escalate_newest": "Interrupt the run and send the newest queued message",
-  "com_ui_queue_expand": "Show all queued messages",
   "com_ui_queue_merge": "Merge into one message",
   "com_ui_queue_merge_blocked": "Recovered messages can't be merged — remove or send them first",
   "com_ui_queue_next_up": "Next: {{0}}",