diff --git a/src/automation/autonomousRunner.ts b/src/automation/autonomousRunner.ts
index 07d227a2..9624316a 100644
--- a/src/automation/autonomousRunner.ts
+++ b/src/automation/autonomousRunner.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ import {
 import type { DefaultRolesConfig } from '../core/types.js';
 import { resolveHardTaskTimeoutMs } from '../orchestration/taskBudget.js';
 import { stageTimeoutMs } from '../agents/stageTimeouts.js';
+import { DispatchRamp } from './dispatchRamp.js';
 import { pipelineExecutionBoundary } from '../agents/stageExecutionBoundary.js';
 import * as execution from './runnerExecution.js';
 import { draftFingerprint, pruneDraftCache, readDraftCache, writeDraftCache } from './draftCache.js';
@@ -331,6 +332,7 @@ export class AutonomousRunner {
   private config: AutonomousConfig;
   private engine: DecisionEngine;
   private scheduler: TaskScheduler;
+  private readonly dispatchRamp: DispatchRamp;
   private readonly durableRuns: DurableRunCoordinator;
   private outboxDrain: Promise<void> | null = null;
   private readonly schedulerHandlers = new Set<Promise<void>>();
@@ -601,6 +603,7 @@ export class AutonomousRunner {
 
   constructor(config: AutonomousConfig) {
     this.config = config;
+    this.dispatchRamp = new DispatchRamp(config.dispatchRampClaims ?? 2);
     // Config files may retain model pins from a previous provider. Normalize
     // them before the first heartbeat; switchProvider() used to do this only
     // after a live dashboard toggle, so a restart leaked OpenRouter model ids
@@ -3005,9 +3008,6 @@ export class AutonomousRunner {
         this.syslog(`  Filtered: ${agentTasks.length} → ${filteredTasks.length} (skipped ${agentTasks.length - filteredTasks.length} completed/failed)`);
       }
 
-      // Parallel processing mode. vela runs this branch on every heartbeat
-      // (maxConcurrentTasks 12, pairMode true) — an early `return` here used to
-      // skip everything below, including the retrospective lane (AGT-4181):
       // it was configured and deployed for 9+ hours (2026-09-02 20:26–
       // 2026-09-03 07:55) and never ran once, because vela never takes the
       // serial branch the lane's call sat in. `else` instead of `return` so
@@ -3062,7 +3062,7 @@ export class AutonomousRunner {
     }
 
     // Fill all available slots (worktree mode isolates each task)
-    const maxSlots = availableSlots;
+    const maxSlots = this.dispatchRamp.budget(availableSlots);
 
     // Pre-filter tasks to enabled projects only (before DecisionEngine selection)
     // This prevents DecisionEngine from wasting its max-slot budget on non-enabled projects.
diff --git a/src/automation/dispatchRamp.test.ts b/src/automation/dispatchRamp.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8b84b622
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/automation/dispatchRamp.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { DispatchRamp } from './dispatchRamp.js';
+
+describe('DispatchRamp', () => {
+  it('caps first-heartbeat claims with eight free slots and a full queue', () => {
+    const ramp = new DispatchRamp();
+    expect(ramp.budget(8)).toBe(2);
+  });
+
+  it('lifts the cap after the configured warm-up heartbeats', () => {
+    const ramp = new DispatchRamp();
+    expect(ramp.budget(8)).toBe(2);
+    expect(ramp.budget(8)).toBe(2);
+    expect(ramp.budget(8)).toBe(8);
+  });
+
+  it('uses the configured claim cap', () => {
+    expect(new DispatchRamp(3).budget(8)).toBe(3);
+  });
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/automation/dispatchRamp.ts b/src/automation/dispatchRamp.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..36acec6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/automation/dispatchRamp.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/** Limits new claims while a daemon warms up after startup. */
+export class DispatchRamp {
+  private heartbeatCount = 0;
+
+  constructor(
+    private readonly claimsPerHeartbeat = 2,
+    private readonly rampHeartbeats = 2,
+  ) {}
+
+  budget(availableSlots: number): number {
+    const slots = Math.max(0, Math.floor(availableSlots));
+    const budget = this.heartbeatCount < this.rampHeartbeats
+      ? Math.min(slots, Math.max(0, Math.floor(this.claimsPerHeartbeat)))
+      : slots;
+    this.heartbeatCount++;
+    return budget;
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/automation/runnerTypes.ts b/src/automation/runnerTypes.ts
index 09738411..46f4559d 100644
--- a/src/automation/runnerTypes.ts
+++ b/src/automation/runnerTypes.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ export interface AutonomousConfig {
    */
   autonomousHeartbeat?: boolean;
   maxConcurrentTasks?: number;
+  dispatchRampClaims?: number;
   /** Move unowned In Progress issues back to Backlog after this many idle hours. */
   stalledInProgressHours?: number;
   /** Issues the heartbeat must not pick because a person owns them (AGT-4682). */
diff --git a/src/core/config.ts b/src/core/config.ts
index a9e02c2a..4c599e60 100644
--- a/src/core/config.ts
+++ b/src/core/config.ts
@@ -399,9 +399,8 @@ const AutonomousConfigSchema = z.object({
   workerTimeoutMs: z.number().min(0).default(0),
   /** Reviewer timeout (ms). 0/unset = pipeline per-stage ceiling (not unlimited). */
   reviewerTimeoutMs: z.number().min(0).default(0),
-  /** Operator-controlled global task capacity. Safety comes from scopes and leases, not a hidden low cap. */
   maxConcurrentTasks: z.number().int().min(1).max(256).default(64),
-  /** Retire stale tracker claims so In Progress means a worker actually owns the task. */
+  dispatchRampClaims: z.number().int().min(1).max(256).default(2),
   stalledInProgressHours: z.number().min(1).max(168).default(6),
   /** Issues the heartbeat must not pick because a person owns them (AGT-4682). */
   skip: AgentSkipConfigSchema,
@@ -847,6 +846,7 @@ function transformConfig(raw: RawConfig): SwarmConfig {
       workerTimeoutMs: raw.autonomous.workerTimeoutMs,
       reviewerTimeoutMs: raw.autonomous.reviewerTimeoutMs,
       maxConcurrentTasks: raw.autonomous.maxConcurrentTasks,
+      dispatchRampClaims: raw.autonomous.dispatchRampClaims,
       stalledInProgressHours: raw.autonomous.stalledInProgressHours,
       skip: raw.autonomous.skip,
       maxConcurrentPerProject: raw.autonomous.maxConcurrentPerProject,
diff --git a/src/core/service.ts b/src/core/service.ts
index 53ffe6ca..9744d0b4 100644
--- a/src/core/service.ts
+++ b/src/core/service.ts
@@ -350,6 +350,7 @@ async function startServiceLocked(config: SwarmConfig): Promise<void> {
       autonomousHeartbeat: heartbeatEnabled,
       triggerNow: heartbeatEnabled,  // Execute immediately on start (heartbeat mode only)
       maxConcurrentTasks: config.autonomous.maxConcurrentTasks,
+      dispatchRampClaims: config.autonomous.dispatchRampClaims,
       stalledInProgressHours: config.autonomous.stalledInProgressHours,
       skip: config.autonomous.skip,
       maxConcurrentPerProject: config.autonomous.maxConcurrentPerProject,
diff --git a/src/core/types.ts b/src/core/types.ts
index c9036135..f572c241 100644
--- a/src/core/types.ts
+++ b/src/core/types.ts
@@ -648,6 +648,7 @@ export type AutonomousStartupConfig = {
   reviewerTimeoutMs?: number;
   /** Max concurrent tasks */
   maxConcurrentTasks?: number;
+  dispatchRampClaims?: number;
   /** Move unowned In Progress issues back to Backlog after this many idle hours. */
   stalledInProgressHours?: number;
   /** Issues the heartbeat must not pick because a person owns them (labels, epics, title tags). */