diff --git a/convex/securityScan.test.ts b/convex/securityScan.test.ts
index 5fcc2e806..5dd8ecfb0 100644
--- a/convex/securityScan.test.ts
+++ b/convex/securityScan.test.ts
@@ -4223,6 +4223,33 @@ describe("securityScan", () => {
     expect(claimed.map((job) => job._id)).toEqual(["securityScanJobs:publish"]);
   });
 
+  it.each([1, 4, 16])(
+    "reads only the needed native queue rows for a %i-job claim with GitHub rollout off",
+    async (limit) => {
+      vi.stubEnv("CLAWHUB_GITHUB_SKILL_SYNC_ROLLOUT_MODE", "off");
+      const jobs = Array.from({ length: 512 }, (_, index) =>
+        makeScanJob({
+          _id: `securityScanJobs:bulk-${index}`,
+          source: "bulk-rescan",
+          createdAt: index + 1,
+          nextRunAt: index + 1,
+        }),
+      );
+      const { ctx } = makeClaimCtx(jobs);
+
+      const claimed = await claimQueuedJobsInternalHandler(ctx, {
+        workerId: "shared-worker",
+        lane: "shared",
+        limit,
+        leaseMs: 60_000,
+      });
+
+      expect(claimed.map((job) => job._id)).toEqual(jobs.slice(0, limit).map((job) => job._id));
+      const pages = await Promise.all(ctx.runQuery.mock.results.map((result) => result.value));
+      expect(pages.reduce((total, page) => total + page.page.length, 0)).toBe(limit);
+    },
+  );
+
   it("skips queued generic GitHub scans while still claiming NVIDIA scans when rollout is off", async () => {
     vi.stubEnv("CLAWHUB_GITHUB_SKILL_SYNC_ROLLOUT_MODE", "off");
     const genericJobs = Array.from({ length: 513 }, (_, index) =>
@@ -4290,6 +4317,11 @@ describe("securityScan", () => {
       "securityScanJobs:nvidia",
       "skillScanRequests:nvidia",
     ]);
+    // Sparse legacy jobs must not turn a one-job claim into hundreds of queries.
+    const publishPages = ctx.runQuery.mock.calls.filter(
+      ([, args]) => (args as { source: string }).source === "publish",
+    );
+    expect(publishPages.length).toBeLessThanOrEqual(3);
   });
 
   it("lets the catalog lane claim only the lowest-priority catalog source", async () => {
diff --git a/convex/securityScan.ts b/convex/securityScan.ts
index cc17b6ed2..a502379f2 100644
--- a/convex/securityScan.ts
+++ b/convex/securityScan.ts
@@ -3105,6 +3105,7 @@ export const claimQueuedJobsInternal = internalMutation({
       }
       const eligible: Doc<"securityScanJobs">[] = [];
       let cursor: string | null = null;
+      let pageSize = Math.min(takeLimit, MAX_CODEX_SCAN_CLAIM_LIMIT);
       do {
         const page: ReadySourceJobsForClaimPage = await runQueryRef<ReadySourceJobsForClaimPage>(
           ctx,
@@ -3113,14 +3114,18 @@ export const claimQueuedJobsInternal = internalMutation({
             source,
             now,
             cursor,
-            numItems: githubSkillSyncEnabled
-              ? Math.min(takeLimit, MAX_CODEX_SCAN_CLAIM_LIMIT)
-              : MAX_CODEX_SCAN_CLAIM_LIMIT,
+            numItems: pageSize,
             excludeGitHubSkillSync: !githubSkillSyncEnabled,
           },
         );
         for (const job of page.page) {
-          if (await isJobRolloutClaimable(job)) eligible.push(job);
+          if (await isJobRolloutClaimable(job)) {
+            eligible.push(job);
+          } else {
+            // Native claims should not read the whole queue. Expand only after
+            // blocked legacy GitHub jobs require scanning past the first page.
+            pageSize = MAX_CODEX_SCAN_CLAIM_LIMIT;
+          }
           if (eligible.length >= takeLimit) return eligible;
         }
         cursor = page.isDone ? null : page.continueCursor;
diff --git a/specs/security-moderation.md b/specs/security-moderation.md
index 69bae4685..3354c6baa 100644
--- a/specs/security-moderation.md
+++ b/specs/security-moderation.md
@@ -501,6 +501,10 @@ See also: [acceptable-usage.md](./acceptable-usage.md) for the marketplace polic
   backend claim path must cap only a single worker claim size and must not impose
   a global active-scan ceiling; horizontal capacity is controlled by worker
   dispatch count, worker batch limit, provider quotas, and cost monitoring.
+- Normal scan claims read only enough ready queue rows to fill the worker's
+  remaining capacity. Broader pagination is reserved for skipping blocked legacy
+  GitHub jobs or the catalog lane's bounded admission window; disabling a rollout
+  must not make every native one-job claim read hundreds of unrelated jobs.
 - The Skill Card verification envelope exposes ClawScan as the top-level
   `security` verdict for install automation, with deterministic and third-party
   scanner evidence grouped under `security.signals`. Clients should key install