diff --git a/mobile/lib/shared/relay/media_auth.dart b/mobile/lib/shared/relay/media_auth.dart
index 534fe1005d..85f740138e 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/shared/relay/media_auth.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/shared/relay/media_auth.dart
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ class MediaGetAuthService {
   // Includes the running job. Bound retained work during rapid history scrolls.
   static const _maxPendingSignatures = 64;
   int _pendingSignatures = 0;
+  static const _maxPendingRetries = 64;
+  int _pendingRetries = 0;
   Future<void> _signingTail = Future<void>.value();
 
   MediaGetAuthService({
@@ -107,13 +109,20 @@ class MediaGetAuthService {
   /// Keeps an in-flight consumer pending through one queue-saturation retry.
   ///
   /// Waits for the existing queue snapshot, then competes for normal admission.
-  /// A second rejection propagates; no retry loop or extra signing queue exists.
+  /// At most 64 consumers may wait or retry in addition to the 64 signing jobs.
+  /// Excess waiters and second rejections fail without a retry loop.
   Future<Map<String, String>> headersForAsyncWithRetry(String url) async {
     try {
       return await headersForAsync(url);
     } on MediaAuthQueueFull catch (error) {
-      await error.drained;
-      return headersForAsync(url);
+      if (_pendingRetries >= _maxPendingRetries) rethrow;
+      _pendingRetries++;
+      try {
+        await error.drained;
+        return await headersForAsync(url);
+      } finally {
+        _pendingRetries--;
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/mobile/test/features/channels/media_queue_recovery_test.dart b/mobile/test/features/channels/media_queue_recovery_test.dart
index d4232da06a..04fea0513b 100644
--- a/mobile/test/features/channels/media_queue_recovery_test.dart
+++ b/mobile/test/features/channels/media_queue_recovery_test.dart
@@ -61,6 +61,36 @@ class _VideoPlatform extends VideoPlayerPlatform {
 }
 
 void main() {
+  test('bounds retry waiters before signing capacity drains', () async {
+    final auth = _SaturatedAuth(alwaysReject: true);
+    var rejected = 0;
+    final requests = List.generate(
+      80,
+      (_) => auth
+          .headersForAsyncWithRetry('https://example.com/media/a')
+          .then<Object>(
+            (headers) => headers,
+            onError: (Object error) {
+              rejected++;
+              return error;
+            },
+          ),
+    );
+    await Future<void>.delayed(Duration.zero);
+    expect(auth.calls, 80);
+    expect(rejected, 16);
+    auth.drained.complete();
+    await Future.wait(requests);
+    expect(auth.calls, 144);
+    expect(rejected, 80);
+    // Retry permits are released even when the second admission fails.
+    await expectLater(
+      auth.headersForAsyncWithRetry('https://example.com/media/a'),
+      throwsA(isA<MediaAuthQueueFull>()),
+    );
+    expect(auth.calls, 146);
+  });
+
   test('retries saturation only once', () async {
     final auth = _SaturatedAuth(alwaysReject: true);
     final result = auth.headersForAsyncWithRetry('https://example.com/media/a');