diff --git a/packages/dataqueue/src/processor.test.ts b/packages/dataqueue/src/processor.test.ts
index 734b386..7d567c5 100644
--- a/packages/dataqueue/src/processor.test.ts
+++ b/packages/dataqueue/src/processor.test.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,25 @@ async function claimJob(p: Pool, jobId: number) {
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Polls `predicate` until it is truthy or the timeout elapses.
+ * Throws if the condition is never met, so a hung pool fails fast instead of
+ * timing out the whole test.
+ */
+async function waitFor(
+  predicate: () => boolean | Promise<boolean>,
+  timeoutMs: number,
+  pollMs = 20,
+): Promise<void> {
+  const deadline = Date.now() + timeoutMs;
+  while (!(await predicate())) {
+    if (Date.now() > deadline) {
+      throw new Error(`waitFor: condition not met within ${timeoutMs}ms`);
+    }
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, pollMs));
+  }
+}
+
 // Integration tests for processor
 
 describe('processor integration', () => {
@@ -494,6 +513,116 @@ describe('concurrency option', () => {
       'Processor option "groupConcurrency" must be a positive integer when provided.',
     );
   });
+
+  it('should refill freed group slots while a slow job runs, honoring groupConcurrency (continuous pool)', async () => {
+    // Regression guard for the batch-barrier stall on grouped pipelines.
+    // groupConcurrency caps each claim below the number of ready jobs, so the
+    // rest land in later claims. With the old loop those later claims never
+    // happened until the whole in-flight batch drained, so one slow job stalled
+    // the entire group. The continuous pool must keep refilling the freed group
+    // slot — without ever exceeding groupConcurrency — so every fast job
+    // completes while the slow job is still in flight.
+    const GROUP = 'pipeline-1';
+    const FAST_JOBS = 5;
+
+    let releaseSlow!: () => void;
+    const slowReleased = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      releaseSlow = resolve;
+    });
+    let markSlowStarted!: () => void;
+    const slowStarted = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      markSlowStarted = resolve;
+    });
+    let fastCompleted = 0;
+    let inHandler = 0;
+    let maxInHandler = 0;
+
+    const handler = async (payload: { slow?: boolean }) => {
+      inHandler++;
+      maxInHandler = Math.max(maxInHandler, inHandler);
+      try {
+        if (payload.slow) {
+          markSlowStarted();
+          await slowReleased;
+
+          return;
+        }
+        fastCompleted++;
+      } finally {
+        inHandler--;
+      }
+    };
+    const handlers = { test: handler };
+
+    // High priority so the slow job is always claimed into the first group slot.
+    const slowId = await queue.addJob<{ test: { slow?: boolean } }, 'test'>(
+      pool,
+      {
+        jobType: 'test',
+        payload: { slow: true },
+        priority: 10,
+        group: { id: GROUP },
+      },
+    );
+    for (let i = 0; i < FAST_JOBS; i++) {
+      await queue.addJob<{ test: { slow?: boolean } }, 'test'>(pool, {
+        jobType: 'test',
+        payload: {},
+        group: { id: GROUP },
+      });
+    }
+
+    const processor = createProcessor(backend, handlers, {
+      batchSize: 10,
+      concurrency: 2,
+      groupConcurrency: 2,
+      pollInterval: 50,
+    });
+    processor.startInBackground();
+    try {
+      // Wait until the slow job actually occupies a group slot.
+      await slowStarted;
+
+      // Every fast job must finish while the slow job is still in flight. Under
+      // the old barrier this never happens (the loop waits on the slow job
+      // before claiming the rest of the group), so waitFor throws instead of
+      // the whole test hanging.
+      await waitFor(() => fastCompleted === FAST_JOBS, 5000);
+
+      expect(fastCompleted).toBe(FAST_JOBS);
+      // groupConcurrency was honored throughout (slow + at most one fast).
+      expect(maxInHandler).toBeLessThanOrEqual(2);
+
+      // The slow job never blocked the group — it is still processing.
+      const slowJob = await queue.getJob<{ test: { slow?: boolean } }, 'test'>(
+        pool,
+        slowId,
+      );
+
+      expect(slowJob?.status).toBe('processing');
+
+      // Release the slow job and let everything drain cleanly.
+      releaseSlow();
+      await waitFor(async () => {
+        const job = await queue.getJob<{ test: { slow?: boolean } }, 'test'>(
+          pool,
+          slowId,
+        );
+
+        return job?.status === 'completed';
+      }, 5000);
+    } finally {
+      releaseSlow();
+      await processor.stopAndDrain(5000);
+    }
+
+    const completed = await queue.getJobsByStatus<
+      { test: { slow?: boolean } },
+      'test'
+    >(pool, 'completed');
+
+    expect(completed.length).toBe(FAST_JOBS + 1);
+  });
 });
 
 describe('per-job timeout', () => {
diff --git a/packages/dataqueue/src/processor.ts b/packages/dataqueue/src/processor.ts
index feb8d43..49b6808 100644
--- a/packages/dataqueue/src/processor.ts
+++ b/packages/dataqueue/src/processor.ts
@@ -858,8 +858,16 @@ export const createProcessor = <PayloadMap = any>(
   }
 
   let running = false;
-  let intervalId: NodeJS.Timeout | null = null;
-  let currentBatchPromise: Promise<number> | null = null;
+  // Periodic timer that drives cron enqueueing and idle polling.
+  let pollTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | null = null;
+  // True while a getNextBatch claim is in progress, so claims stay serialized.
+  let claimInProgress = false;
+  // Set when a refill was requested while a claim was already running.
+  let pumpRequested = false;
+  // Number of jobs this processor currently has in flight.
+  let inFlight = 0;
+  // Promises for the in-flight jobs, awaited during graceful drain.
+  const inFlightJobs = new Set<Promise<void>>();
 
   setLogContext(options.verbose ?? false);
 
@@ -909,7 +917,10 @@ export const createProcessor = <PayloadMap = any>(
   return {
     /**
      * Start the job processor in the background.
-     * - This will run periodically (every pollInterval milliseconds or 5 seconds if not provided) and process jobs as they become available.
+     * - Keeps up to `concurrency` jobs in flight, refilling each slot as soon as
+     *   it frees instead of waiting for a whole batch to settle.
+     * - Polls every `pollInterval` milliseconds (5 seconds if not provided) for
+     *   new work and to enqueue due cron jobs.
      * - You have to call the stop method to stop the processor.
      */
     startInBackground: () => {
@@ -918,28 +929,97 @@ export const createProcessor = <PayloadMap = any>(
       log(`Starting job processor with workerId: ${workerId}`);
       running = true;
 
-      // Single serialized loop: process a batch, then either immediately
-      // continue (if full batch was returned) or wait pollInterval.
-      const scheduleNext = (immediate: boolean) => {
+      // Continuous worker pool: keep up to `concurrency` jobs in flight and
+      // refill each slot the instant it frees, rather than waiting for a whole
+      // batch to settle. This removes the head-of-line blocking where one slow
+      // job stalls the other slots (and, with groupConcurrency, the whole
+      // group) until it finishes.
+      const pump = async (): Promise<void> => {
         if (!running) return;
-        if (immediate) {
-          intervalId = setTimeout(loop, 0);
-        } else {
-          intervalId = setTimeout(loop, pollInterval);
+        // Serialize claims; remember the request so we refill afterwards.
+        if (claimInProgress) {
+          pumpRequested = true;
+          return;
+        }
+        // Pool is full; a finishing job will call pump() again.
+        if (inFlight >= concurrency) return;
+
+        claimInProgress = true;
+        pumpRequested = false;
+        let claimLimit = 0;
+        let claimed = 0;
+        try {
+          claimLimit = Math.min(concurrency - inFlight, batchSize);
+          const jobs = await backend.getNextBatch<
+            PayloadMap,
+            JobType<PayloadMap>
+          >(workerId, claimLimit, jobType, groupConcurrency);
+          claimed = jobs.length;
+
+          for (const job of jobs) {
+            emit?.('job:processing', { jobId: job.id, jobType: job.jobType });
+            inFlight++;
+            const jobPromise: Promise<void> = processJobWithHandlers(
+              backend,
+              job,
+              handlers,
+              emit,
+            )
+              .catch((err) => {
+                onError(err instanceof Error ? err : new Error(String(err)));
+              })
+              .finally(() => {
+                inFlight--;
+                inFlightJobs.delete(jobPromise);
+                // A slot just freed — try to claim more work immediately.
+                void pump();
+              });
+            inFlightJobs.add(jobPromise);
+          }
+        } catch (error) {
+          const err = error instanceof Error ? error : new Error(String(error));
+          onError(err);
+          emit?.('error', err);
+        } finally {
+          claimInProgress = false;
+        }
+
+        // Claim again right away when the queue likely still has ready work
+        // (we filled the whole request) or when a slot freed mid-claim.
+        const moreLikely = claimed === claimLimit || pumpRequested;
+        if (running && moreLikely && inFlight < concurrency) {
+          void pump();
         }
       };
 
-      const loop = async () => {
+      // Periodic tick: enqueue due cron jobs (onBeforeBatch) on a steady cadence
+      // regardless of pool saturation, then top up the pool. Also the idle poll
+      // so newly added jobs are picked up within pollInterval.
+      const tick = async (): Promise<void> => {
         if (!running) return;
-        currentBatchPromise = processJobs();
-        const processed = await currentBatchPromise;
-        currentBatchPromise = null;
-        // If we got a full batch, there may be more work — process immediately
-        scheduleNext(processed === batchSize);
+        if (onBeforeBatch) {
+          try {
+            await onBeforeBatch();
+          } catch (hookError) {
+            log(`onBeforeBatch hook error: ${hookError}`);
+            const err =
+              hookError instanceof Error
+                ? hookError
+                : new Error(String(hookError));
+            onError(err);
+            emit?.('error', err);
+          }
+        }
+        await pump();
+        if (running) {
+          pollTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+            void tick();
+          }, pollInterval);
+        }
       };
 
-      // Start the first iteration immediately
-      loop();
+      // Start the first iteration immediately.
+      void tick();
     },
     /**
      * Stop the job processor that runs in the background.
@@ -948,9 +1028,9 @@ export const createProcessor = <PayloadMap = any>(
     stop: () => {
       log(`Stopping job processor with workerId: ${workerId}`);
       running = false;
-      if (intervalId) {
-        clearTimeout(intervalId);
-        intervalId = null;
+      if (pollTimer) {
+        clearTimeout(pollTimer);
+        pollTimer = null;
       }
     },
     /**
@@ -960,17 +1040,16 @@ export const createProcessor = <PayloadMap = any>(
     stopAndDrain: async (drainTimeoutMs = 30000) => {
       log(`Stopping and draining job processor with workerId: ${workerId}`);
       running = false;
-      if (intervalId) {
-        clearTimeout(intervalId);
-        intervalId = null;
+      if (pollTimer) {
+        clearTimeout(pollTimer);
+        pollTimer = null;
       }
-      // Wait for current batch to finish, with a timeout
-      if (currentBatchPromise) {
+      // Wait for all in-flight jobs to finish, with a timeout.
+      if (inFlightJobs.size > 0) {
         await Promise.race([
-          currentBatchPromise.catch(() => {}),
+          Promise.allSettled(Array.from(inFlightJobs)),
           new Promise<void>((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, drainTimeoutMs)),
         ]);
-        currentBatchPromise = null;
       }
       log(`Job processor ${workerId} drained`);
     },
diff --git a/packages/dataqueue/src/types.ts b/packages/dataqueue/src/types.ts
index 66edf6e..57686eb 100644
--- a/packages/dataqueue/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/dataqueue/src/types.ts
@@ -567,14 +567,20 @@ export type JobHandlers<PayloadMap> = {
 export interface ProcessorOptions {
   workerId?: string;
   /**
-   * The number of jobs to process at a time.
-   * - If not provided, the processor will process 10 jobs at a time.
-   * - In serverless functions, it's better to process less jobs at a time since serverless functions are charged by the second and have a timeout.
+   * The maximum number of jobs to claim from the queue per poll.
+   * - If not provided, up to 10 jobs are claimed per poll.
+   * - With `startInBackground`, claims are capped to the number of free
+   *   concurrency slots, so this only matters when it is below `concurrency`.
+   * - In serverless functions, it's better to claim fewer jobs at a time since serverless functions are charged by the second and have a timeout.
    */
   batchSize?: number;
   /**
-   * The maximum number of jobs to process in parallel per batch.
-   * - If not provided, all jobs in the batch are processed in parallel.
+   * The maximum number of jobs to process in parallel.
+   * - With `startInBackground`, this is the steady number of jobs kept in
+   *   flight: each slot is refilled as soon as it frees, so a slow job never
+   *   blocks the other slots.
+   * - With the one-shot `start`, this caps parallelism within the single batch.
+   * - If not provided, defaults to 3.
    * - Set to 1 to process jobs sequentially.
    * - Set to a lower value to avoid resource exhaustion.
    */
@@ -604,7 +610,8 @@ export interface ProcessorOptions {
 export interface Processor {
   /**
    * Start the job processor in the background.
-   * - This will run periodically (every pollInterval milliseconds or 5 seconds if not provided) and process jobs (as many as batchSize) as they become available.
+   * - Keeps up to `concurrency` jobs in flight, refilling each slot as soon as it frees instead of waiting for a whole batch to settle.
+   * - Polls every pollInterval milliseconds (5 seconds if not provided) for new work as it becomes available.
    * - **You have to call the stop method to stop the processor.**
    * - Handlers are provided per-processor when calling createProcessor.
    * - In serverless functions, it's recommended to call start instead and await it to finish.