diff --git a/config/runtime.exs b/config/runtime.exs
index 4575cdef..da797fdf 100644
--- a/config/runtime.exs
+++ b/config/runtime.exs
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ if config_env() == :prod do
       terrain: 3,
       iemre: 3,
       era5: 2,
+      era5_batch: 2,
       rtma: 2,
       backfill_enqueue: 1
     ],
diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop/workers/era5_month_batch_worker.ex b/lib/microwaveprop/workers/era5_month_batch_worker.ex
index 910928e7..2533b796 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop/workers/era5_month_batch_worker.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop/workers/era5_month_batch_worker.ex
@@ -13,9 +13,13 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Workers.Era5MonthBatchWorker do
   Uniqueness on the full arg set means Oban collapses duplicate enqueues
   for the same tile-month — multiple `Era5FetchWorker` requests for the
   same region collapse into a single batch.
+
+  Runs on its own `:era5_batch` queue so its slow CDS poll cycles don't
+  starve the fast `Era5FetchWorker` router that also lives in the ERA5
+  namespace.
   """
   use Oban.Worker,
-    queue: :era5,
+    queue: :era5_batch,
     max_attempts: 3,
     unique: [
       period: :infinity,