diff --git a/internal/uploads/worker.go b/internal/uploads/worker.go
index 591cab8..6da7b37 100644
--- a/internal/uploads/worker.go
+++ b/internal/uploads/worker.go
@@ -130,6 +130,24 @@ func NewWorker(s WorkerStore, c Converter, t Transcriber, tmpDir string, timeout
 	return w
 }
 
+// HasRoom reports whether a job from this user would be accepted right now. It lets the
+// intake refuse BEFORE spooling up to the upload cap and running ffprobe; Submit still
+// enforces the same limits atomically, so a race costs at worst one refused submit.
+func (w *Worker) HasRoom(userID string) bool {
+	w.mu.Lock()
+	defer w.mu.Unlock()
+	if w.stopped || len(w.queue) >= w.maxQueued {
+		return false
+	}
+	mine := 0
+	for _, q := range w.queue {
+		if q.UserID == userID {
+			mine++
+		}
+	}
+	return mine < w.maxPerUser
+}
+
 // Submit queues a job. It never blocks. It satisfies Submitter.
 func (w *Worker) Submit(j Job) error {
 	w.mu.Lock()