diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6308da9..3224eb7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ version with its date and start a fresh empty `[Unreleased]` above it.
   The toggle is off by default; off keeps the numbered tabs and the existing
   interactions unchanged.
 
+- When the selected model is at capacity, the waiting indicator now says so
+  with the queue position and estimated wait, e.g.
+  `Model is queued (3 ahead · ~12s wait)...`, and returns to the usual
+  wording as soon as the request leaves the queue.
+
 ## [1.0.14] - 2026-09-20
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/src/core/types/chat.ts b/src/core/types/chat.ts
index e77d35d..7d89b55 100644
--- a/src/core/types/chat.ts
+++ b/src/core/types/chat.ts
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ export type StreamChunk =
   | { type: 'tool_output'; id: string; content: string }
   | { type: 'error'; content: string; code?: string }
   | { type: 'notice'; content: string; level?: 'info' | 'warning' }
+  | { type: 'model_queue'; status: 'queued' | 'ready'; queueCount?: number; waitTimeMs?: number }
   | { type: 'done' }
   | { type: 'usage'; usage: UsageInfo; sessionId?: string | null }
   | { type: 'context_compacted' }
diff --git a/src/features/chat/controllers/stream-controller.ts b/src/features/chat/controllers/stream-controller.ts
index ff07363..0ea1fce 100644
--- a/src/features/chat/controllers/stream-controller.ts
+++ b/src/features/chat/controllers/stream-controller.ts
@@ -174,6 +174,10 @@ export class StreamController {
         await this.appendText(`\n\n⚠️ **${chunk.level === 'warning' ? 'Blocked' : 'Notice'}:** ${chunk.content}`);
         break;
 
+      case 'model_queue':
+        this.thinkingIndicator.setQueue(chunk);
+        break;
+
       case 'error':
         await this.handleError(chunk, msg);
         break;
diff --git a/src/features/chat/controllers/thinking-indicator-controller.ts b/src/features/chat/controllers/thinking-indicator-controller.ts
index ced6f8e..f30bfe0 100644
--- a/src/features/chat/controllers/thinking-indicator-controller.ts
+++ b/src/features/chat/controllers/thinking-indicator-controller.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { formatDurationMmSs } from '../../../core/time/date';
+import type { StreamChunk } from '../../../core/types';
 import { FLAVOR_TEXTS } from '../flavor-texts';
 import type { ChatState } from '../state/chat-state';
 
@@ -8,10 +9,21 @@ interface ThinkingIndicatorControllerDeps {
   updateQueueIndicator: () => void;
 }
 
+type ModelQueueChunk = Extract<StreamChunk, { type: 'model_queue' }>;
+
 const SHOW_DELAY_MS = 400;
 
+function buildQueueLabel(chunk: ModelQueueChunk): string {
+  const parts: string[] = [];
+  if (chunk.queueCount && chunk.queueCount > 0) parts.push(`${chunk.queueCount} ahead`);
+  if (chunk.waitTimeMs && chunk.waitTimeMs > 0) parts.push(`~${Math.ceil(chunk.waitTimeMs / 1000)}s wait`);
+  return parts.length > 0 ? `Model is queued (${parts.join(' · ')})...` : 'Model is queued...';
+}
+
 /** Owns the delayed flavor-text indicator and its elapsed-time timer. */
 export class ThinkingIndicatorController {
+  private queueLabel: string | null = null;
+
   constructor(private readonly deps: ThinkingIndicatorControllerDeps) {}
 
   show(overrideText?: string, overrideCls?: string): void {
@@ -35,10 +47,12 @@ export class ThinkingIndicatorController {
       state.setThinkingIndicatorTimeout(null, null);
       if (!state.currentContentEl || state.thinkingEl || state.currentThinkingState) return;
 
-      const cls = overrideCls ? `qoderian-thinking ${overrideCls}` : 'qoderian-thinking';
+      const queueActive = this.queueLabel !== null;
+      const queueCls = queueActive ? ' qoderian-thinking--queue' : '';
+      const cls = `qoderian-thinking${overrideCls ? ` ${overrideCls}` : queueCls}`;
       state.thinkingEl = state.currentContentEl.createDiv({ cls });
-      const text = overrideText || FLAVOR_TEXTS[Math.floor(Math.random() * FLAVOR_TEXTS.length)];
-      state.thinkingEl.createSpan({ text });
+      const text = overrideText || this.queueLabel || FLAVOR_TEXTS[Math.floor(Math.random() * FLAVOR_TEXTS.length)];
+      state.thinkingEl.createSpan({ cls: 'qoderian-thinking-text', text });
 
       const timerSpan = state.thinkingEl.createSpan({ cls: 'qoderian-thinking-hint' });
       const updateTimer = () => {
@@ -64,8 +78,32 @@ export class ThinkingIndicatorController {
     }, SHOW_DELAY_MS), timerWindow);
   }
 
+  /** Reflects CLI model-capacity queue progress onto the waiting indicator. */
+  setQueue(chunk: ModelQueueChunk): void {
+    const { state } = this.deps;
+    if (chunk.status === 'ready') {
+      if (this.queueLabel === null) return;
+      this.queueLabel = null;
+      if (state.thinkingEl) {
+        state.thinkingEl.removeClass('qoderian-thinking--queue');
+        const label = state.thinkingEl.querySelector<HTMLElement>('.qoderian-thinking-text');
+        label?.setText(FLAVOR_TEXTS[Math.floor(Math.random() * FLAVOR_TEXTS.length)]);
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this.queueLabel = buildQueueLabel(chunk);
+    if (state.thinkingEl) {
+      state.thinkingEl.addClass('qoderian-thinking--queue');
+      state.thinkingEl.querySelector<HTMLElement>('.qoderian-thinking-text')?.setText(this.queueLabel);
+      return;
+    }
+    this.show(this.queueLabel, 'qoderian-thinking--queue');
+  }
+
   hide(): void {
     const { state } = this.deps;
+    this.queueLabel = null;
     if (state.thinkingIndicatorTimeout) {
       const activeWindow = this.deps.getMessagesEl().ownerDocument.defaultView ?? window;
       state.clearThinkingIndicatorTimeout(activeWindow);
diff --git a/src/qoder/stream/transform-qoder-message.ts b/src/qoder/stream/transform-qoder-message.ts
index f9fa07b..78c1fd5 100644
--- a/src/qoder/stream/transform-qoder-message.ts
+++ b/src/qoder/stream/transform-qoder-message.ts
@@ -428,6 +428,13 @@ export function* transformSDKMessage(
         if (notification) {
           yield notification;
         }
+      } else if (message.subtype === 'model_queue_status') {
+        yield {
+          type: 'model_queue',
+          status: message.status,
+          queueCount: message.queue_count,
+          waitTimeMs: message.wait_time_ms,
+        };
       }
       break;
 
diff --git a/src/style/components/thinking.css b/src/style/components/thinking.css
index 07a5012..f98c302 100644
--- a/src/style/components/thinking.css
+++ b/src/style/components/thinking.css
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
   color: var(--qoderian-compact);
 }
 
+.qoderian-thinking.qoderian-thinking--queue {
+  color: var(--text-warning);
+}
+
 .qoderian-thinking-hint {
   color: var(--text-muted);
   font-style: normal;
diff --git a/tests/unit/qoder/stream/transform-qoder-message.test.ts b/tests/unit/qoder/stream/transform-qoder-message.test.ts
index deb2053..ee7da9d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/qoder/stream/transform-qoder-message.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/qoder/stream/transform-qoder-message.test.ts
@@ -136,6 +136,52 @@ describe('transformSDKMessage', () => {
         },
       ]);
     });
+
+    it('maps model_queue_status queued progress to a model_queue chunk', () => {
+      const message = msg({
+        type: 'system',
+        subtype: 'model_queue_status',
+        status: 'queued',
+        request_id: 'req-1',
+        request_set_id: 'set-1',
+        model_key: 'qoder-model-queue-test',
+        queue_count: 3,
+        wait_time_ms: 12000,
+      } as any);
+
+      const results = [...transformSDKMessage(message)];
+
+      expect(results).toEqual([
+        {
+          type: 'model_queue',
+          status: 'queued',
+          queueCount: 3,
+          waitTimeMs: 12000,
+        },
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it('maps model_queue_status ready without optional queue fields', () => {
+      const message = msg({
+        type: 'system',
+        subtype: 'model_queue_status',
+        status: 'ready',
+        request_id: 'req-2',
+        request_set_id: 'set-2',
+        model_key: 'qoder-model-queue-test',
+      } as any);
+
+      const results = [...transformSDKMessage(message)];
+
+      expect(results).toEqual([
+        {
+          type: 'model_queue',
+          status: 'ready',
+          queueCount: undefined,
+          waitTimeMs: undefined,
+        },
+      ]);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('assistant messages', () => {