diff --git a/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Messaging.Transport.Valkey/Options/ValkeyTransportOptions.cs b/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Messaging.Transport.Valkey/Options/ValkeyTransportOptions.cs
index 92a0ee4cc..6aa27d7aa 100644
--- a/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Messaging.Transport.Valkey/Options/ValkeyTransportOptions.cs
+++ b/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Messaging.Transport.Valkey/Options/ValkeyTransportOptions.cs
@@ -53,5 +53,5 @@ public class ValkeyTransportOptions
     /// Configurable via compose env var <c>VALKEY_QUEUE_WAIT_TIMEOUT</c>.
     /// </para>
     /// </summary>
-    public int QueueWaitTimeoutSeconds { get; set; } = 15;
+    public int QueueWaitTimeoutSeconds { get; set; } = 5;
 }
diff --git a/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Messaging.Transport.Valkey/ValkeyMessageQueue.cs b/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Messaging.Transport.Valkey/ValkeyMessageQueue.cs
index a11712924..aa7be1c9e 100644
--- a/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Messaging.Transport.Valkey/ValkeyMessageQueue.cs
+++ b/src/Router/__Libraries/StellaOps.Messaging.Transport.Valkey/ValkeyMessageQueue.cs
@@ -160,14 +160,30 @@ public sealed class ValkeyMessageQueue<TMessage> : IMessageQueue<TMessage>, INot
         }
         else
         {
-            // Read new messages
+            // Always drain pending entries first, then read new.
+            // This is critical: when the Pub/Sub consumer was stuck (known
+            // StackExchange.Redis bug — SE.Redis #1586), messages accumulated
+            // in the pending entries list (PEL). XREADGROUP with ">" skips them.
+            // Reading pending ("0") first ensures no messages are lost after recovery.
             entries = await db.StreamReadGroupAsync(
                     _queueOptions.QueueName,
                     _queueOptions.ConsumerGroup,
                     consumer,
-                    position: ">",
+                    position: "0",
                     count: request.BatchSize)
                 .ConfigureAwait(false);
+
+            // If no pending entries, read new messages
+            if (entries is null || entries.Length == 0)
+            {
+                entries = await db.StreamReadGroupAsync(
+                        _queueOptions.QueueName,
+                        _queueOptions.ConsumerGroup,
+                        consumer,
+                        position: ">",
+                        count: request.BatchSize)
+                    .ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
         }
 
         if (entries is null || entries.Length == 0)