diff --git a/.github/workflows/gitnexus-skill-evolution.yml b/.github/workflows/gitnexus-skill-evolution.yml
index 329640e78..7c9adda5a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gitnexus-skill-evolution.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gitnexus-skill-evolution.yml
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ on:
         required: false
         default: '3'
         type: string
+      workers:
+        description: 'Benchmark cells of one task to run at once — raise only to match the runner’s vCPUs'
+        required: false
+        default: '1'
+        type: string
       model:
         description: 'Model for the benchmark arms (match the model your skill users run)'
         required: false
@@ -129,6 +134,11 @@ jobs:
     env:
       GENERATIONS: ${{ inputs.generations || '1' }}
       RUNS: ${{ inputs.runs || '3' }}
+      # Serial by default. A cell that loses CPU to its siblings takes longer,
+      # and a session that reaches its timeout is an excluded run the promotion
+      # gate refuses to work with — so this only goes up when the runner has the
+      # vCPUs to back it (the box is sized for one cell at a time today).
+      WORKERS: ${{ inputs.workers || '1' }}
       MODEL: ${{ inputs.model || 'claude-sonnet-5' }}
       PROPOSER_MODEL: ${{ inputs.proposer_model || 'claude-opus-4-8' }}
       INCLUDE_EXPENSIVE: ${{ inputs.include_expensive && '1' || '' }}
@@ -303,6 +313,7 @@ jobs:
             --proposer-model "${PROPOSER_MODEL}" \
             --generations "${GENERATIONS}" \
             --runs "${RUNS}" \
+            --workers "${WORKERS}" \
             --claude-bin "${RUNNER_TEMP}/claude-canary/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code-linux-x64/claude" \
             --out-root "${OUT_ROOT}" \
             --apply \
diff --git a/eval/workflow_bench/evolve.py b/eval/workflow_bench/evolve.py
index 02481673b..ac1c56723 100644
--- a/eval/workflow_bench/evolve.py
+++ b/eval/workflow_bench/evolve.py
@@ -620,6 +620,8 @@ def runner_argv(
         str(args.tasks),
         "--runs",
         str(args.runs),
+        "--workers",
+        str(args.workers),
         "--model",
         args.model,
         "--claude-bin",
@@ -792,6 +794,13 @@ def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
         "quality matters more than cost here, so a stronger model is fine",
     )
     parser.add_argument("--runs", type=int, default=3, help="per arm per task; the gate needs ≥3")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--workers",
+        type=int,
+        default=1,
+        help="benchmark cells of one task to run at once (default 1, fully "
+        "serial); size it to the machine — see workflow_bench.runner --workers",
+    )
     parser.add_argument("--generations", type=int, default=1)
     parser.add_argument(
         "--arms",
@@ -857,6 +866,8 @@ def main() -> int:
         parser.error("--generations must be positive")
     if args.runs < 1 or args.timeout < 1:
         parser.error("--runs and --timeout must be positive")
+    if args.workers < 1:
+        parser.error("--workers must be positive")
     try:
         args.model = runner.normalized_model_identifier(args.model)
         args.proposer_model = runner.normalized_model_identifier(
diff --git a/gitnexus/test/unit/skill-evolution-workflow.test.ts b/gitnexus/test/unit/skill-evolution-workflow.test.ts
index ea484abf3..9549e3ec0 100644
--- a/gitnexus/test/unit/skill-evolution-workflow.test.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/test/unit/skill-evolution-workflow.test.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const workflowDocument = load(workflow) as {
     string,
     {
       environment?: unknown;
+      env?: Record<string, string>;
       'timeout-minutes'?: unknown;
       steps?: Array<{
         name?: string;
@@ -47,6 +48,14 @@ describe('gitnexus skill-evolution workflow contract', () => {
     expect(loop).toContain('--apply');
   });
 
+  it('passes the cell concurrency through to the benchmark', () => {
+    // The lane is serial unless told otherwise: concurrency only pays off when
+    // the runner has the vCPUs for it, and a cell starved of CPU drifts toward
+    // its session timeout, which the gate counts as an excluded run.
+    expect(stepRun('Run the propose → benchmark → gate loop')).toContain('--workers "${WORKERS}"');
+    expect(evolveJob?.env?.WORKERS).toBe("${{ inputs.workers || '1' }}");
+  });
+
   it('runs the proposer on its own model, separate from the benchmark arms', () => {
     const loop = stepRun('Run the propose → benchmark → gate loop');
     // The benchmark arms match the production model; the proposer/diagnosis