diff --git a/config/config.exs b/config/config.exs
index 9c7b4d63..50950ff4 100644
--- a/config/config.exs
+++ b/config/config.exs
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ config :microwaveprop, Oban,
     enqueue: 1,
     gefs: 2,
     terrain: 4,
+    # RoverPathProfileWorker runs the same full HRRR/terrain/score
+    # /loss/forecast pipeline as the propagation grid chain. Kept on
+    # its own queue at 1 slot/pod so a backfill flood can't stack
+    # multiple heavy path-computes in one BEAM heap (the OOM that
+    # took down hot pods on 2026-05-03).
+    rover_path: 1,
     commercial: 2,
     iemre: 10,
     # 2 slots so PropagationPruneWorker can run alongside the
diff --git a/config/runtime.exs b/config/runtime.exs
index 2ec4fc2d..4f73b6be 100644
--- a/config/runtime.exs
+++ b/config/runtime.exs
@@ -172,6 +172,15 @@ if config_env() == :prod do
     # :hrrr queue removed — per-QSO HRRR fetches flow through
     # hrrr_fetch_tasks and the Rust hrrr-point-worker (Phase 3 Stream C).
     terrain: 3,
+    # 1 slot per pod, same reasoning as :propagation. Each
+    # RoverPathProfileWorker job allocates a full path-compute heap
+    # (terrain points + 9 HRRR profiles + sounding + ionosphere +
+    # scoring + loss + forecast); 3 slots × 4 hot pods on the
+    # :terrain queue OOM-killed pods on 2026-05-03 when a backfill
+    # flood landed. Cluster-wide capacity is now (hot replicas + 1
+    # backfill) jobs at a time, which still drains a 200-job
+    # backlog inside ~30 min.
+    rover_path: 1,
     iemre: 3,
     backfill_enqueue: 1,
     admin: 1,
diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop/workers/rover_path_profile_worker.ex b/lib/microwaveprop/workers/rover_path_profile_worker.ex
index 2e7f6d9b..cdaa93af 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop/workers/rover_path_profile_worker.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop/workers/rover_path_profile_worker.ex
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Workers.RoverPathProfileWorker do
       handed `?rover_path_id=UUID` and renders without recomputing.
   """
   use Oban.Worker,
-    queue: :terrain,
+    queue: :rover_path,
     max_attempts: 5,
     unique: [
       period: 300,