diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 0676274db..82f547fc3 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -1171,7 +1171,12 @@ The connection owner spans preparation and the transferred Run without a reserva
 deadline; every exit releases it.
 
 The existing Worker scans pending inputs using the same bounded scheduling slots,
-Session locks, durable deadlines and engine capability checks. A self-hosted Session
+Session locks, durable deadlines and engine capability checks. Keep the five-second
+Environment-input scan cadence and at most 100 candidates per scan. At EOF after a
+nonempty cursor, refill the first page once in the same scan; an empty queue must
+not spin. Advance the cursor before readiness checks so an unavailable Runtime
+cannot starve later candidates. Preserve the four active slots and alternation
+between ordinary Turns and Environment inputs. A self-hosted Session
 waits for its dedicated enrolled device; it cannot select an arbitrary same-tenant
 device or migrate an existing binding. Preparation failure can retry while still
 pending without extending the deadline. Unknown promotion results or errors after
diff --git a/services/agents-api/internal/execution/worker_schedule.go b/services/agents-api/internal/execution/worker_schedule.go
index fce848474..51ca11939 100644
--- a/services/agents-api/internal/execution/worker_schedule.go
+++ b/services/agents-api/internal/execution/worker_schedule.go
@@ -35,8 +35,14 @@ func (s *workerSchedule) selectWork(ctx context.Context, w *Worker, devices []st
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		s.nextEnvironmentScan = time.Now().Add(5 * time.Second)
-		if len(environments) == 0 {
+		if len(environments) == 0 && s.environmentCursor != "" {
 			s.environmentCursor = ""
+			// Retry the first page now instead of spending a scan interval on EOF.
+			// A single refill preserves the candidate bound and cannot spin when empty.
+			environments, err = w.dispatcher.Store.ListEnvironmentInputWork(ctx, "", devices)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	var selected []scheduledWork
diff --git a/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_scan_test.go b/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_scan_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..462120807
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_scan_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+package store_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/MiniMax-AI-Dev/parsar/internal/agentdaemon/proto"
+	"github.com/MiniMax-AI-Dev/parsar/services/agents-api/internal/store"
+)
+
+func TestWorkerEnvironmentRetriesNewlyReadyAtNextScan(t *testing.T) {
+	h := newDispatchHarness(t)
+	enableWorkerEnvironment(t, h)
+	pending := workerEnvironmentReservation(t, h)
+	runtime := h.environments[pending.SessionID]
+	caps := workerEnvironmentCapabilities()
+	caps.Preparation = false
+	awaitFixtureCapabilities(t, runtime, caps)
+	frames := workerFrames(t, h, runtime)
+
+	h.session = publicSession(t, h, "scan-barrier")
+	receipt := h.message("barrier", "ordinary work")
+	scanned := time.Now()
+	_, stop := startEnvironmentExpiryWorker(t, h.d)
+	// Dispatch starts only after selectWork has examined the pending input on
+	// the same pass, while its exact Runtime is still incapable of preparation.
+	barrier := nextWorkerFrame(t, frames, proto.TypePromptRequest)
+	if barrier.ID != receipt.TurnID {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected scan barrier")
+	}
+	awaitFixtureCapabilities(t, runtime, workerEnvironmentCapabilities())
+	h.write(barrier.ID, proto.TypeDone, proto.DonePayload{Content: "complete"})
+	waitTurn(t, h, barrier.ID, store.TurnCompleted)
+
+	prepare := nextWorkerFrame(t, frames, proto.TypeExecutionPrepare)
+	if elapsed := time.Since(scanned); elapsed < 4*time.Second || elapsed > 8*time.Second {
+		t.Fatal("readiness retry must use the next scan, without an empty scan interval", elapsed)
+	}
+	if workerRuntimeForPreparation(t, h, prepare) != runtime {
+		t.Fatal("readiness retry moved Runtime ownership")
+	}
+	handle := acknowledgePreparation(runtime, prepare.ID)
+	runtime.write(prepare.ID, proto.TypePreparationStatus, proto.PreparationStatusPayload{Handle: handle, Revision: 2, State: "failed"})
+	nextWorkerFrame(t, frames, proto.TypeExecutionRelease)
+	stop()
+	stored, err := h.s.GetEnvironmentInputReservation(t.Context(), h.tenant, pending.SessionID, pending.ID)
+	if err != nil || stored.State != store.EnvironmentInputPending || !stored.Deadline.Equal(pending.Deadline) || len(stored.Receipts) != 0 {
+		t.Fatal("readiness retry changed pending identity or admitted work", stored, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWorkerEnvironmentPaginationReachesReadyTail(t *testing.T) {
+	h := newDispatchHarness(t)
+	enableWorkerEnvironment(t, h)
+	var last store.EnvironmentInputReservation
+	for range 101 {
+		pending := unboundWorkerEnvironmentReservation(t, h)
+		if pending.ID > last.ID {
+			last = pending
+		}
+	}
+	session, err := h.s.GetSession(t.Context(), h.tenant, last.SessionID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	runtime := connectFixtureRuntime(t, h, session)
+	h.environments[last.SessionID] = runtime
+	frames := workerFrames(t, h, runtime)
+	h.session = publicSession(t, h, "page-barrier")
+	receipt := h.message("barrier", "ordinary work")
+	scanned := time.Now()
+	_, stop := startEnvironmentExpiryWorker(t, h.d)
+	barrier := nextWorkerFrame(t, frames, proto.TypePromptRequest)
+	if barrier.ID != receipt.TurnID {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected page barrier")
+	}
+	h.write(barrier.ID, proto.TypeDone, proto.DonePayload{Content: "complete"})
+	waitTurn(t, h, barrier.ID, store.TurnCompleted)
+	// The first 100 unbound inputs must not pin the cursor, and the ready
+	// tail must wait for its own bounded page rather than an unbounded drain.
+	prepare := nextWorkerFrame(t, frames, proto.TypeExecutionPrepare)
+	if elapsed := time.Since(scanned); elapsed < 4*time.Second || elapsed > 8*time.Second {
+		t.Fatal("pagination lost the scan bound or starved the ready tail", elapsed)
+	}
+	if workerRuntimeForPreparation(t, h, prepare) != runtime {
+		t.Fatal("pagination selected the wrong Runtime")
+	}
+	handle := acknowledgePreparation(runtime, prepare.ID)
+	runtime.write(prepare.ID, proto.TypePreparationStatus, proto.PreparationStatusPayload{Handle: handle, Revision: 2, State: "failed"})
+	nextWorkerFrame(t, frames, proto.TypeExecutionRelease)
+	stop()
+}
diff --git a/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_test.go b/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_test.go
index 7b872a49f..2484ae9b9 100644
--- a/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_test.go
+++ b/services/agents-api/internal/store/environment_worker_test.go
@@ -147,8 +147,8 @@ func TestWorkerEnvironmentRetriesPendingWithoutExtendingDeadline(t *testing.T) {
 	h.write(request.ID, proto.TypeDone, proto.DonePayload{Content: "complete"})
 	waitTurn(t, h, request.ID, store.TurnCompleted)
 	second := nextWorkerFrame(t, frames, proto.TypeExecutionPrepare)
-	if time.Since(started) < 4*time.Second || first.ID == second.ID {
-		t.Fatal("pending preparation retried rapidly or reused a released owner")
+	if elapsed := time.Since(started); elapsed < 4*time.Second || elapsed > 8*time.Second || first.ID == second.ID {
+		t.Fatal("pending preparation missed its next scan or reused a released owner")
 	}
 	acknowledgePreparation(runtime, second.ID)
 	select {