diff --git a/src/components/player/RadioController.tsx b/src/components/player/RadioController.tsx
index fe48182..b7f24ca 100644
--- a/src/components/player/RadioController.tsx
+++ b/src/components/player/RadioController.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ import { pickToEntry } from '../../lib/radio';
 // the end of the queue.
 const LOOKAHEAD = 3;
 
+// Only the most recent tracks are sent as "don't repeat these" — bounding the
+// request so a long radio session doesn't ship an ever-growing exclude list
+// (and a huge NOT IN on the server). Recent-repeat avoidance is what matters.
+const EXCLUDE_WINDOW = 150;
+
 /**
  * Headless controller: while a radio drives the queue, top it up as it drains
  * (§6.5 / B6 infinite feed). Mounted once in AppShell. A failed prefetch just
@@ -34,7 +39,7 @@ export function RadioController() {
           fromLikes: radio.fromLikes,
           exploration: radio.exploration,
           count: 10,
-          excludeIds: entries.map((e) => e.trackId),
+          excludeIds: entries.slice(-EXCLUDE_WINDOW).map((e) => e.trackId),
         }).unwrap();
         if (res.picks.length > 0) {
           dispatch(appendToQueue(res.picks.map(pickToEntry)));
diff --git a/src/store/slices/queue.ts b/src/store/slices/queue.ts
index 1f20134..a5843e8 100644
--- a/src/store/slices/queue.ts
+++ b/src/store/slices/queue.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ export interface QueueState {
   radio: RadioContext | null;
 }
 
+// An infinite radio keeps appending, so cap the backlog: once the queue grows
+// past QUEUE_CAP, drop the oldest *already-played* entries (never the current
+// track or the look-ahead), keeping at least KEEP_BEHIND for prev-navigation.
+const QUEUE_CAP = 300;
+const KEEP_BEHIND = 50;
+
 export const queueInitialState: QueueState = {
   entries: [],
   currentIndex: -1,
@@ -83,6 +89,17 @@ export const queueSlice = createSlice({
     },
     appendToQueue(state, action: PayloadAction<QueueEntry[]>) {
       state.entries.push(...action.payload);
+      if (state.entries.length > QUEUE_CAP) {
+        // Only trim entries safely behind the current one.
+        const drop = Math.min(
+          state.entries.length - QUEUE_CAP,
+          Math.max(0, state.currentIndex - KEEP_BEHIND),
+        );
+        if (drop > 0) {
+          state.entries.splice(0, drop);
+          state.currentIndex -= drop;
+        }
+      }
     },
     setExploration(state, action: PayloadAction<number>) {
       if (state.radio) state.radio.exploration = action.payload;