diff --git a/src/server/tasks.js b/src/server/tasks.js
index 801bcaa..fb54855 100644
--- a/src/server/tasks.js
+++ b/src/server/tasks.js
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ export class Tasks {
     return this.store.tx(() => {
       for (const id of ids) this.requireLease(user, id);
       // Keep the verification queue moving: a few batches waiting per account at a time.
-      const max = this.config.maxQueuedBatches ?? 4;
+      const max = this.config.maxQueuedBatches ?? 8;
       const waiting = this.store.get(`SELECT COUNT(*) AS n FROM batches WHERE user_id = ? AND state IN ('queued', 'verifying')`, user.id).n;
       if (waiting >= max) {
         throw new HttpError(429, `you have ${waiting} batches waiting for verification (the limit is ${max}); keep your claims, do peer reviews meanwhile (td_list_peer_reviews), and submit again when one is done (td_get_batch shows it)`, { retryAfterSeconds: 120 });
diff --git a/src/server/verify.js b/src/server/verify.js
index ac3ea8e..f4ad594 100644
--- a/src/server/verify.js
+++ b/src/server/verify.js
@@ -79,7 +79,12 @@ export class Verifier {
       // Verification compiles only the submitted units, so every batch is small here; the units
       // that include a changed header are compiled in the merge's big lane.
       const b = this.store.tx(() => {
-        const row = this.store.get(`SELECT * FROM batches WHERE state = 'queued' ORDER BY id LIMIT 1`);
+        // Fair between accounts: the oldest batch of whoever has the fewest batches verifying, so a
+        // fast contributor with several batches waiting does not hold every slot.
+        const row = this.store.get(
+          `SELECT b.* FROM batches b WHERE b.state = 'queued'
+            ORDER BY (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM batches v WHERE v.user_id = b.user_id AND v.state = 'verifying'), b.id LIMIT 1`,
+        );
         if (row) {
           this.store.run(`UPDATE batches SET state = 'verifying' WHERE id = ?`, row.id);
           this.store.run(`UPDATE attempts SET state = 'verifying' WHERE batch_id = ? AND state = 'queued'`, row.id);