diff --git a/pages/index.vue b/pages/index.vue
index 7fc23e0..0ac9483 100644
--- a/pages/index.vue
+++ b/pages/index.vue
@@ -842,12 +842,12 @@
                 </p>
               </div>
               <button
-                v-if="job.status === 'waiting' && canCutInStudioJob"
+                v-if="job.status === 'waiting'"
                 type="button"
                 class="shrink-0 rounded-full border border-sky-300/40 px-2.5 py-1 text-xs text-sky-100 hover:border-sky-200 hover:text-white"
                 @click="cutInStudioJob(job.id)"
               >
-                {{ job.cutIn ? 'Next' : 'Run next' }}
+                {{ job.cutIn ? 'Next' : (canCutInStudioJob ? 'Run next' : 'Start now') }}
               </button>
               <button
                 v-if="job.status === 'waiting' || job.status === 'held'"
diff --git a/pages/queue.vue b/pages/queue.vue
index 86bfcdb..ff642fc 100644
--- a/pages/queue.vue
+++ b/pages/queue.vue
@@ -88,13 +88,13 @@
           </div>
           <div class="flex flex-wrap gap-2">
             <button
-              v-if="job.status === 'waiting' && canCutIn"
+              v-if="job.status === 'waiting'"
               type="button"
               class="rounded-full border border-sky-300/40 px-3 py-1.5 text-xs text-sky-100 hover:border-sky-200 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50"
               :disabled="Boolean(busyId)"
               @click="cutIn(job)"
             >
-              {{ job.cutIn ? 'Next after current shot' : 'Run next' }}
+              {{ job.cutIn ? 'Next after current shot' : (canCutIn ? 'Run next' : 'Start now') }}
             </button>
             <template v-if="job.shots">
               <template v-if="canProcessShots(job)">
diff --git a/server/api/studio-queue.get.ts b/server/api/studio-queue.get.ts
index 1b4b0c3..c2f5ba8 100644
--- a/server/api/studio-queue.get.ts
+++ b/server/api/studio-queue.get.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { listShotQueues, summarizeQueue } from '~/server/utils/shotQueue'
-import { listStudioJobs, summarizeStudioJob } from '~/server/utils/studioQueue'
+import { kickStudioQueue, listStudioJobs, summarizeStudioJob } from '~/server/utils/studioQueue'
 
 export default defineEventHandler((event) => {
   const { owner } = assertLibraryOwner(event)
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ export default defineEventHandler((event) => {
       .filter(queue => !claimed.has(queue.id) && queue.status !== 'complete')
       .map(summarizeQueue)
     : []
+  if (jobs.some(job => job.status === 'waiting')) void kickStudioQueue()
   return {
     jobs,
     orphans,
diff --git a/server/utils/studioQueue.ts b/server/utils/studioQueue.ts
index b68bae9..6cbc5be 100644
--- a/server/utils/studioQueue.ts
+++ b/server/utils/studioQueue.ts
@@ -423,10 +423,12 @@ export async function requestCutIn(owner: string, id: string) {
   const jobsNow = readJobs(owner)
   const running = jobsNow.find(job => job.status === 'running')
     || jobsNow.find(job => job.status === 'held')
-  if (!running) {
-    throw createError({ statusCode: 409, statusMessage: 'Nothing is generating, so this job can just wait its turn' })
+  const target = jobsNow.find(job => job.id === id)
+  if (!target) throw createError({ statusCode: 404, statusMessage: 'Queued job not found' })
+  if (target.status !== 'waiting') {
+    throw createError({ statusCode: 409, statusMessage: 'Only a waiting job can cut in' })
   }
-  if (running.id === id) {
+  if (running?.id === id) {
     throw createError({ statusCode: 409, statusMessage: 'That job is already running' })
   }
   const updated = await mutate(owner, (jobs) => {
@@ -440,7 +442,7 @@ export async function requestCutIn(owner: string, id: string) {
     for (const item of jobs) {
       if (item.id !== id && item.status === 'waiting') item.cutIn = false
     }
-    const active = jobs.find(item => item.id === running.id)
+    const active = running ? jobs.find(item => item.id === running.id) : undefined
     if (active && active.status === 'running') {
       active.holdForCutIn = true
       active.resumeAutoRun = active.payload.queueAutoRun === true
@@ -448,14 +450,13 @@ export async function requestCutIn(owner: string, id: string) {
     }
     return structuredClone(job)
   })
-  const liveId = running.liveJobId
-  if (liveId) {
-    const live = getJob(liveId)
+  if (running?.liveJobId) {
+    const live = getJob(running.liveJobId)
     if (live?.library) {
       live.library.stopAfterCurrent = true
     }
   }
-  kickStudioQueue()
+  await kickStudioQueue()
   return updated
 }
 
@@ -533,6 +534,15 @@ export function kickStudioQueue() {
   return run
 }
 
+let kickRetryTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
+function scheduleKickRetry() {
+  if (kickRetryTimer) return
+  kickRetryTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+    kickRetryTimer = null
+    kickStudioQueue()
+  }, 2500)
+}
+
 function pendingAlive(job: StudioJob) {
   if (job.liveJobId && readPendingJob(job.liveJobId)?.promptId) return true
   if (!job.shotQueueId) return false
@@ -595,7 +605,12 @@ async function dispatchStudioQueue() {
         jobs: current.jobs.map(item => structuredClone(item))
       }
     })
-    if (await videoJobsBusy()) return
+    if (await videoJobsBusy()) {
+      if (listOwnersWithStudioQueues().some(owner => readJobs(owner).some(job => job.status === 'waiting'))) {
+        scheduleKickRetry()
+      }
+      return
+    }
     const cutIn = pickCutIn(store.jobs)
     if (cutIn) {
       await startStudioJob(cutIn)