diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/de/ids_mannheim/korapxmltools/KorapXmlTool.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/de/ids_mannheim/korapxmltools/KorapXmlTool.kt
index 83bc07e..a919d47 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/de/ids_mannheim/korapxmltools/KorapXmlTool.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/de/ids_mannheim/korapxmltools/KorapXmlTool.kt
@@ -1081,6 +1081,13 @@
         return TextIdSortKey(prefix, monthRank, mid, tailNumber, textId)
     }
 
+    private fun compareQueuedTasksForScheduling(left: PrioritizedTask?, right: PrioritizedTask?): Int {
+        if (left == null && right == null) return 0
+        if (left == null) return 1
+        if (right == null) return -1
+        return left.compareTo(right)
+    }
+
     val texts: ConcurrentHashMap<String, NonBmpString> = ConcurrentHashMap()
     val sentences: ConcurrentHashMap<String, Array<Span>> = ConcurrentHashMap()
     val tokens: ConcurrentHashMap<String, Array<Span>> = ConcurrentHashMap()
@@ -2495,10 +2502,13 @@
                 // Throttle submission if this foundry is getting too far ahead
                 while (workStealingSchedulerActive && foundrySubmissionComplete.isNotEmpty()) {
                     // Find the minimum NEXT text ID across all foundries (either in queue or submitted)
-                    val minNextTextId = foundryTaskQueues.entries
+                    val minQueuedTask = foundryTaskQueues.entries
                         .filter { it.value.isNotEmpty() }
-                        .minOfOrNull { it.value.peek()?.textId ?: "~~~~~" }
-                        ?: foundryWatermarks.values.minOrNull()
+                        .minWithOrNull { left, right ->
+                            compareQueuedTasksForScheduling(left.value.peek(), right.value.peek())
+                        }?.value?.peek()
+                    val minNextTextId = minQueuedTask?.textId
+                        ?: foundryWatermarks.values.minWithOrNull(this::compareTextIds)
                         ?: textId
                     
                     // Calculate position difference
@@ -2607,9 +2617,8 @@
             val foundryToProcess = synchronized(foundryTaskQueues) {
                 foundryTaskQueues.entries
                     .filter { entry -> entry.value.isNotEmpty() }
-                    .minByOrNull { entry -> 
-                        // Use the NEXT text ID in queue (peek), not the completed watermark
-                        entry.value.peek()?.textId ?: "~~~~~"
+                    .minWithOrNull { left, right ->
+                        compareQueuedTasksForScheduling(left.value.peek(), right.value.peek())
                     }?.key
             }
             
diff --git a/app/src/test/kotlin/de/ids_mannheim/korapxmltools/GeneralFeaturesTest.kt b/app/src/test/kotlin/de/ids_mannheim/korapxmltools/GeneralFeaturesTest.kt
index ad43606..6b15dec 100644
--- a/app/src/test/kotlin/de/ids_mannheim/korapxmltools/GeneralFeaturesTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/kotlin/de/ids_mannheim/korapxmltools/GeneralFeaturesTest.kt
@@ -105,9 +105,42 @@
         assertEquals(expected, sorted, "Mixed month IDs should follow calendar order")
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun queueHeadSchedulerUsesMonthAwareTextOrder() {
+        val tool = KorapXmlTool()
+        val left = prioritizedTask(tool, "spacy", "DNB17_DEZ.81042")
+        val right = prioritizedTask(tool, "base", "DNB17_OKT.12345")
+
+        val scheduledFirst = tool.compareQueuedTasksForScheduling(left, right)
+        assertTrue(
+            scheduledFirst > 0,
+            "Queue scheduling must use compareTextIds semantics rather than raw string order"
+        )
+    }
+
     private fun KorapXmlTool.compareTextIds(a: String, b: String): Int {
         val m = KorapXmlTool::class.java.getDeclaredMethod("compareTextIds", String::class.java, String::class.java)
         m.isAccessible = true
         return m.invoke(this, a, b) as Int
     }
+
+    private fun KorapXmlTool.compareQueuedTasksForScheduling(left: Any, right: Any): Int {
+        val taskClass = Class.forName("de.ids_mannheim.korapxmltools.KorapXmlTool\$PrioritizedTask")
+        val m = KorapXmlTool::class.java.getDeclaredMethod("compareQueuedTasksForScheduling", taskClass, taskClass)
+        m.isAccessible = true
+        return m.invoke(this, left, right) as Int
+    }
+
+    private fun prioritizedTask(tool: KorapXmlTool, foundry: String, textId: String): Any {
+        val taskClass = Class.forName("de.ids_mannheim.korapxmltools.KorapXmlTool\$PrioritizedTask")
+        val ctor = taskClass.getDeclaredConstructor(
+            KorapXmlTool::class.java,
+            String::class.java,
+            String::class.java,
+            Runnable::class.java,
+            Long::class.javaPrimitiveType
+        )
+        ctor.isAccessible = true
+        return ctor.newInstance(tool, foundry, textId, Runnable { }, 0L)
+    }
 }