diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/InvestigationProgress.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/InvestigationProgress.tsx
index 5d14a10f238..c169cfa0a3a 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/InvestigationProgress.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/InvestigationProgress.tsx
@@ -18,18 +18,30 @@ import { durationText } from "../model/format";
 import { nextCheckStatus } from "../model/status";
 import { type Lens, type Job } from "../model/types";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/cva.config";
+import { QueueReasonText } from "./QueueReasonText";
+import { useQueueReason, type QueueContext } from "./useQueueReason";
 
 const steps = ["review runs", "find patterns", "check evidence"];
 const markers = { done: "✓", active: "▸", todo: "·" };
 const blocks = 32;
+const QUEUED_TITLE = { busy: "Waiting in line", no_worker: "Waiting for a worker", starting: "Picking up" } as const;
 
 function stageState(index: number, current: number): keyof typeof markers {
   if (index < current) return "done";
   return index === current ? "active" : "todo";
 }
 
-export function InvestigationProgress({ job, onCancel }: { job: Job; onCancel?: () => void }) {
+export function InvestigationProgress({
+  job,
+  queue,
+  onCancel,
+}: {
+  job: Job;
+  queue?: QueueContext;
+  onCancel?: () => void;
+}) {
   const now = useNow(1000);
+  const reason = useQueueReason(job, queue);
   const progress = analysisProgress(job);
   const fraction = analysisFraction(progress);
   const [samples, setSamples] = useState<ProgressSample[]>([]);
@@ -53,7 +65,7 @@ export function InvestigationProgress({ job, onCancel }: { job: Job; onCancel?:
     <section aria-label="Analysis progress" className="space-y-3 rounded-md border bg-muted/40 px-4 py-3 text-sm">
       <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-2">
         <span className="truncate" role="status">
-          <span className="font-medium">{progress.title}</span>
+          <span className="font-medium">{reason ? QUEUED_TITLE[reason.kind] : progress.title}</span>
           {!queued && <span className="text-muted-foreground"> · {progress.detail}</span>}
         </span>
         {onCancel && (
@@ -117,7 +129,9 @@ export function InvestigationProgress({ job, onCancel }: { job: Job; onCancel?:
         </ol>
         <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-x-5 gap-y-1 pt-1 tabular-nums">
           {queued ? (
-            <span className="text-muted-foreground">{progress.detail}</span>
+            <span className="text-muted-foreground">
+              {reason ? <QueueReasonText reason={reason} onConnect={queue?.onConnect} /> : progress.detail}
+            </span>
           ) : (
             stats.map(([key, value]) => (
               <span key={key}>
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/InvestigationsView.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/InvestigationsView.tsx
index 3a5894962ec..187e96df238 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/InvestigationsView.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/InvestigationsView.tsx
@@ -281,6 +281,12 @@ export function InvestigationsView({
           connected={connected}
           results={results}
           agents={Array.isArray(agents.data) ? agents.data : []}
+          queue={{
+            lenses,
+            workers: query.data?.workers ?? [],
+            onConnect: () => setWorkerSetup(true),
+            onOpenLens: selectLens,
+          }}
         />
       )}
       {editing && (
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/QueueReasonText.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/QueueReasonText.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cec98b30fbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/QueueReasonText.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { queueReasonText, workerTaskText, type QueueReason } from "../model/status";
+import type { QueueContext } from "./useQueueReason";
+
+export function QueueReasonText({ reason, onConnect }: { reason: QueueReason; onConnect?: () => void }) {
+  if (reason.kind !== "no_worker" || !onConnect) return <>{queueReasonText(reason)}</>;
+  return (
+    <>
+      No worker connected. Start one from{" "}
+      <button type="button" onClick={onConnect} className="font-medium text-foreground underline underline-offset-2">
+        Connect worker
+      </button>
+      .
+    </>
+  );
+}
+
+export function WorkerTasks({ reason, queue }: { reason: QueueReason; queue?: QueueContext }) {
+  if (reason.kind === "no_worker" || !reason.tasks.length) return null;
+  return (
+    <ol aria-label="What the worker is doing" className="flex flex-col">
+      {reason.tasks.map((task) => (
+        <li key={task.lensId}>
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            disabled={!queue}
+            onClick={() => queue?.onOpenLens(task.lensId)}
+            className="w-full truncate rounded px-1.5 py-0.5 text-left tabular-nums hover:bg-muted hover:text-foreground"
+          >
+            {workerTaskText(task)}
+          </button>
+        </li>
+      ))}
+    </ol>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/detail/InvestigationDetail.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/detail/InvestigationDetail.tsx
index 1a9d2297593..431bc9eefd3 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/detail/InvestigationDetail.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/detail/InvestigationDetail.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { Tabs, TabsList, TabsTrigger, TabsContent } from "@/components/ui/tabs";
 import { RunsTab } from "./RunsTab";
 import { InvestigationProgress } from "../InvestigationProgress";
 import { LiveRun } from "../live/LiveRun";
+import { type QueueContext } from "../useQueueReason";
 import { liveJob } from "../../model/live";
 import { RunNowDialog } from "./RunNowDialog";
 import { useState } from "react";
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ export function InvestigationDetail({
   connected,
   results,
   agents = [],
+  queue,
 }: {
   lens: Lens;
   readOnly: boolean;
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ export function InvestigationDetail({
   connected: boolean;
   results: ReturnType<typeof useInvestigationResults>;
   agents?: readonly string[];
+  queue?: QueueContext;
 }) {
   const [runNow, setRunNow] = useState(false);
   const {
@@ -102,10 +105,11 @@ export function InvestigationDetail({
           <InvestigationProgress
             key={active.id}
             job={active}
+            queue={queue}
             onCancel={readOnly ? undefined : () => void update((api) => api.cancelRun(lens.id))}
           />
         )}
-        {live && <LiveRun key={live.id} job={live} reviews={live.reviews} name={lens.settings.name} />}
+        {live && <LiveRun key={live.id} job={live} reviews={live.reviews} name={lens.settings.name} queue={queue} />}
         {runNow && (
           <RunNowDialog
             lens={lens}
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/live/LiveRun.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/live/LiveRun.tsx
index 5e0a561ca58..1a4fcf44fe2 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/live/LiveRun.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/live/LiveRun.tsx
@@ -13,14 +13,28 @@ import {
   shownCount,
   stripState,
 } from "../../model/live";
+import { queueReasonText } from "../../model/status";
 import type { Job, Review } from "../../model/types";
+import { QueueReasonText, WorkerTasks } from "../QueueReasonText";
+import { useQueueReason, type QueueContext } from "../useQueueReason";
 import { LiveDrawer } from "./LiveDrawer";
 import { LiveStrip } from "./LiveStrip";
 import { useStripOpen } from "./useLivePanels";
 import { useReviewPlayback } from "./useReviewPlayback";
 
-export function LiveRun({ job, reviews, name }: { job: Job; reviews: readonly Review[]; name: string }) {
+export function LiveRun({
+  job,
+  reviews,
+  name,
+  queue,
+}: {
+  job: Job;
+  reviews: readonly Review[];
+  name: string;
+  queue?: QueueContext;
+}) {
   const live = job.status === "queued" || job.status === "running";
+  const reason = useQueueReason(job, queue);
   const [stripOpen, setStripOpen] = useStripOpen();
   const [drawerOpen, setDrawerOpen] = useState(false);
   const [pinned, setPinned] = useState<string | null>(null);
@@ -42,7 +56,15 @@ export function LiveRun({ job, reviews, name }: { job: Job; reviews: readonly Re
       {stripOpen ? (
         <LiveStrip
           model={model}
-          state={stripState(withReviews, model)}
+          state={stripState(withReviews, model, reason ? queueReasonText(reason) : undefined)}
+          waiting={
+            reason && (
+              <>
+                <QueueReasonText reason={reason} onConnect={queue?.onConnect} />
+                <WorkerTasks reason={reason} queue={queue} />
+              </>
+            )
+          }
           playback={playback}
           reviewed={reviewed}
           selected={job.coverage.selected}
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/live/LiveStrip.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/live/LiveStrip.tsx
index bdd04b36621..3a7db401f5a 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/live/LiveStrip.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/live/LiveStrip.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 "use client";
 
 import { PanelRight, X } from "lucide-react";
+import type { ReactNode } from "react";
 
 import { ProviderLogo } from "@/components/molecules/models/ProviderLogo";
 import { agoLabel } from "@/components/view_logs/TraceView/lensField";
@@ -63,11 +64,13 @@ export function LiveStrip({
   selected,
   issues,
   cost,
+  waiting,
   onOpen,
   onClose,
 }: {
   model: string;
   state: StripState;
+  waiting?: ReactNode;
   playback: Pick<Playback, "played" | "current">;
   reviewed: number;
   selected: number;
@@ -96,9 +99,9 @@ export function LiveStrip({
           </p>
         )}
         {state.kind === "waiting" && (
-          <p role="status" className="py-0.5">
-            {state.message}
-          </p>
+          <div role="status" className="flex flex-col gap-0.5 py-0.5">
+            {waiting ?? state.message}
+          </div>
         )}
         {recent.length > 0 && state.kind !== "waiting" && (
           <ol aria-label="Recently reviewed traces" className="flex flex-col">
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/useQueueReason.ts b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/useQueueReason.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7337892d671
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/investigations/useQueueReason.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useNow } from "@/hooks/useNow";
+
+import { queueReason, type QueueReason } from "../model/status";
+import type { Job, Lens, LensList } from "../model/types";
+
+export interface QueueContext {
+  lenses: readonly Lens[];
+  workers: readonly LensList["workers"][number][];
+  onConnect: () => void;
+  onOpenLens: (id: string) => void;
+}
+
+export function useQueueReason(job: Job, queue: QueueContext | undefined): QueueReason | null {
+  const now = useNow(1000);
+  if (job.status !== "queued" || !queue) return null;
+  return queueReason(job, queue.lenses, queue.workers, now);
+}