diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/pool-spawn-coordinator.test.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/pool-spawn-coordinator.test.ts
index 4b1fc2beb7..66f41f7b60 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/pool-spawn-coordinator.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/pool-spawn-coordinator.test.ts
@@ -269,6 +269,56 @@ test('a failed or repeated cleanup releases exactly one slot', async () => {
 })
 
 
+test('raising the limit at runtime drains queued waiters into the new slots', async () => {
+  const coordinator = new LocalBackendSpawnCoordinator(1)
+  const first = await coordinator.acquire('a')
+  const queuedB = coordinator.request('b')
+  const queuedC = coordinator.request('c')
+  await flush()
+  assert.equal(coordinator.activeCount, 1)
+  assert.equal(coordinator.queuedCount, 2)
+
+  coordinator.setLimit(2)
+  const releaseB = await queuedB.acquired
+  assert.equal(coordinator.activeCount, 2)
+  assert.equal(coordinator.queuedCount, 1)
+
+  first()
+  const releaseC = await queuedC.acquired
+  assert.equal(coordinator.activeCount, 2)
+  releaseB()
+  releaseC()
+  assert.equal(coordinator.activeCount, 0)
+})
+
+test('lowering the limit never revokes granted slots; new requests queue until under cap', async () => {
+  const coordinator = new LocalBackendSpawnCoordinator(3)
+  const releases = await Promise.all(['a', 'b', 'c'].map(key => coordinator.acquire(key)))
+  coordinator.setLimit(1)
+  assert.equal(coordinator.activeCount, 3, 'granted slots stay granted')
+
+  const queued = coordinator.request('d')
+  await flush()
+  assert.equal(coordinator.queuedCount, 1)
+
+  releases[0]()
+  releases[1]()
+  await flush()
+  assert.equal(coordinator.queuedCount, 1, 'still over the new cap of 1')
+
+  releases[2]()
+  const releaseD = await queued.acquired
+  assert.equal(coordinator.activeCount, 1)
+  releaseD()
+})
+
+test('setLimit rejects a non-positive or fractional cap', () => {
+  const coordinator = new LocalBackendSpawnCoordinator(2)
+  assert.throws(() => coordinator.setLimit(0), RangeError)
+  assert.throws(() => coordinator.setLimit(1.5), RangeError)
+  assert.equal(coordinator.limit, 2)
+})
+
 // ── main.ts wiring ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 // The coordinator is only as good as the timeout main.ts hands it. A queued
 // ticket that outlives the renderer's backend-boot budget holds the pool key
@@ -296,4 +346,12 @@ test('a failed or repeated cleanup releases exactly one slot', async () => {
     assert.match(mainSource, /localBackendSpawnCoordinator\.request\(poolKey, \{ timeoutMs: POOL_SLOT_WAIT_MS \}\)/)
     assert.doesNotMatch(mainSource, /request\(poolKey, \{ timeoutMs: POOL_IDLE_MS \}\)/)
   })
+
+  test('main.ts pushes the live pool max into the coordinator when the preference changes', () => {
+    // Pool sizing is a live device preference (#92581); the hard cap must
+    // follow it, otherwise raising the max in Settings would leave spawns
+    // queued behind the launch-time value.
+    assert.match(mainSource, /new LocalBackendSpawnCoordinator\(poolLimits\.maxBackends\)/)
+    assert.match(mainSource, /localBackendSpawnCoordinator\.setLimit\(poolLimits\.maxBackends\)/)
+  })
 }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/pool-spawn-coordinator.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/pool-spawn-coordinator.ts
index f7c234041d..8e565ed133 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/pool-spawn-coordinator.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/pool-spawn-coordinator.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export async function releaseLocalBackendSlotAfterExit(
  * the child exits or the start fails. Remote descriptors never call request().
  */
 export class LocalBackendSpawnCoordinator {
-  readonly #limit: number
+  #limit: number
   #active = 0
   #queue: Waiter[] = []
 
@@ -43,6 +43,25 @@ export class LocalBackendSpawnCoordinator {
     return this.#active
   }
 
+  get limit(): number {
+    return this.#limit
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Adopt a new cap at runtime (the pool size is a live device preference).
+   * Raising it drains waiters into the newly freed slots immediately; lowering
+   * it never revokes a granted slot — the running backends simply stay over
+   * the cap until they exit, and LRU eviction (main.ts) converges the pool.
+   */
+  setLimit(limit: number): void {
+    if (!Number.isInteger(limit) || limit < 1) {
+      throw new RangeError('Local backend spawn limit must be a positive integer.')
+    }
+
+    this.#limit = limit
+    this.#drain()
+  }
+
   get queuedCount(): number {
     return this.#queue.length
   }
@@ -119,12 +138,16 @@ export class LocalBackendSpawnCoordinator {
 
       released = true
       this.#active -= 1
-      const next = this.#queue.shift()
+      this.#drain()
+    }
+  }
 
-      if (next) {
-        this.#clearTimer(next)
-        next.resolve(this.#grant())
-      }
+  /** Hand free slots to queued waiters while under the (possibly lowered) cap. */
+  #drain(): void {
+    while (this.#active < this.#limit && this.#queue.length > 0) {
+      const next = this.#queue.shift()!
+      this.#clearTimer(next)
+      next.resolve(this.#grant())
     }
   }
 }