diff --git a/src/maestro/me_startup.rs b/src/maestro/me_startup.rs
index 4fe5273..3ad0c85 100644
--- a/src/maestro/me_startup.rs
+++ b/src/maestro/me_startup.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ use crate::transport::middle_proxy::MePool;
 use super::generation::RuntimeTaskScope;
 use super::helpers::load_startup_proxy_config_snapshot;
 
+// Cleanup capacity follows the configured client admission semantics.
+mod capacity;
+
 // Restarting supervisors for long-lived ME maintenance tasks.
 mod supervisor;
 use supervisor::spawn_me_supervisors;
@@ -299,7 +302,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn initialize_me_pool(
                     config.general.me_route_blocking_send_timeout_ms,
                     config.general.me_route_inline_recovery_attempts,
                     config.general.me_route_inline_recovery_wait_ms,
-                    (config.server.max_connections as usize).saturating_add(128),
+                    capacity::me_connection_cleanup_capacity(config.server.max_connections),
                 );
                 startup_tracker
                     .complete_component(
diff --git a/src/maestro/me_startup/capacity.rs b/src/maestro/me_startup/capacity.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7da0c6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/maestro/me_startup/capacity.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/// Returns the cleanup reservation budget for simultaneously admitted ME clients.
+pub(super) fn me_connection_cleanup_capacity(max_connections: u32) -> usize {
+    if max_connections == 0 {
+        // Match frontend admission; adding headroom here would exceed Tokio's limit.
+        tokio::sync::Semaphore::MAX_PERMITS
+    } else {
+        (max_connections as usize)
+            .saturating_add(128)
+            .min(tokio::sync::Semaphore::MAX_PERMITS)
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::sync::Arc;
+    use std::time::Duration;
+    use tokio::sync::Semaphore;
+    use crate::transport::middle_proxy::{ConnRegistry, MeResponse};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn me_cleanup_capacity_preserves_zero_and_finite_limits() {
+        for (configured, expected) in [
+            (0, Semaphore::MAX_PERMITS),
+            (1, 129),
+            (128, 256),
+            (10_000, 10_128),
+            (u32::MAX, (u32::MAX as usize).saturating_add(128).min(Semaphore::MAX_PERMITS)),
+        ] {
+            let capacity = me_connection_cleanup_capacity(configured);
+            assert_eq!(capacity, expected);
+            assert!(capacity > 0 && capacity <= Semaphore::MAX_PERMITS);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn me_cleanup_capacity_zero_admits_512_simultaneous_leased_routes() {
+        let registry = Arc::new(ConnRegistry::with_route_and_cleanup_capacity(
+            8, me_connection_cleanup_capacity(0),
+        ));
+        let mut clients = Vec::new();
+        for index in 0..512 {
+            let client = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(1), registry.register_leased())
+                .await.unwrap_or_else(|_| panic!("registration {} blocked", index + 1))
+                .unwrap();
+            clients.push(client);
+        }
+        for (lease, mut receiver) in clients {
+            registry.route_nowait(lease.conn_id(), MeResponse::Ack(1)).await;
+            assert!(matches!(receiver.try_recv(), Ok(MeResponse::Ack(1))));
+            lease.unregister().await;
+        }
+        // All reservation capacity must remain reusable after explicit cleanup.
+        let (lease, _) = registry.register_leased().await.unwrap();
+        lease.unregister().await;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/transport/middle_proxy/pool_lifecycle.rs b/src/transport/middle_proxy/pool_lifecycle.rs
index 7734bff..c38a433 100644
--- a/src/transport/middle_proxy/pool_lifecycle.rs
+++ b/src/transport/middle_proxy/pool_lifecycle.rs
@@ -342,3 +342,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(lifecycle.spawn_producer(async {}).is_err());
     }
 }
+
+// Cleanup reservations must remain cancellation-safe under capacity pressure.
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod connection_tests;
diff --git a/src/transport/middle_proxy/pool_lifecycle/connection_tests.rs b/src/transport/middle_proxy/pool_lifecycle/connection_tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7cdc996
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/transport/middle_proxy/pool_lifecycle/connection_tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+use super::*;
+use std::future::{Future, poll_fn};
+use std::task::Poll;
+use super::super::pool_writer_security_tests::make_pool;
+use super::super::ConnRegistry;
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn shutdown_cancels_registration_waiting_for_cleanup_capacity() {
+    let mut pool = make_pool().await;
+    Arc::get_mut(&mut Arc::get_mut(&mut pool).unwrap().routing).unwrap().registry =
+        Arc::new(ConnRegistry::with_route_and_cleanup_capacity(8, 1));
+    let (lease, _receiver) = pool.register_connection().await.unwrap();
+    let mut waiting = Box::pin(pool.register_connection());
+    assert!(matches!(poll_fn(|cx| Poll::Ready(waiting.as_mut().poll(cx))).await, Poll::Pending));
+    pool.begin_shutdown();
+    assert!(tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(1), waiting).await.unwrap().is_none());
+    lease.unregister().await;
+    assert!(pool.shutdown_until(Duration::from_secs(1)).await);
+    assert!(pool.register_connection().await.is_none());
+}
diff --git a/src/transport/middle_proxy/registry.rs b/src/transport/middle_proxy/registry.rs
index 1655c4b..24493d3 100644
--- a/src/transport/middle_proxy/registry.rs
+++ b/src/transport/middle_proxy/registry.rs
@@ -331,3 +331,7 @@ impl ConnRegistry {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests;
+
+// Cleanup reservations must remain cancellation-safe under capacity pressure.
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod lease_capacity_tests;
diff --git a/src/transport/middle_proxy/registry/lease_capacity_tests.rs b/src/transport/middle_proxy/registry/lease_capacity_tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..10c7f6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/transport/middle_proxy/registry/lease_capacity_tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+use super::*;
+use std::future::{Future, poll_fn};
+use std::task::Poll;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn finite_cleanup_capacity_waits_until_dropped_route_is_received() {
+    let registry = Arc::new(ConnRegistry::with_route_and_cleanup_capacity(8, 128));
+    let mut cleanup = registry.take_cleanup_receiver().unwrap();
+    let mut clients = Vec::new();
+    for _ in 0..128 {
+        clients.push(registry.register_leased().await.unwrap());
+    }
+    assert_eq!(registry.routing.map.len(), 128);
+    assert_eq!(registry.cleanup_tx.capacity(), 0);
+    assert!(matches!(cleanup.try_recv(), Err(mpsc::error::TryRecvError::Empty)));
+    let mut waiting = Box::pin(registry.register_leased());
+    assert!(matches!(poll_fn(|cx| Poll::Ready(waiting.as_mut().poll(cx))).await, Poll::Pending));
+    let retired = clients.last().unwrap().0.conn_id();
+    drop(clients.pop().unwrap());
+    assert!(!registry.routing.map.contains_key(&retired));
+    assert!(matches!(poll_fn(|cx| Poll::Ready(waiting.as_mut().poll(cx))).await, Poll::Pending));
+    assert_eq!(cleanup.recv().await, Some(retired));
+    registry.unregister(retired).await;
+    let (lease, _) = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(1), waiting).await.unwrap().unwrap();
+    lease.unregister().await;
+    for (lease, _) in clients {
+        lease.unregister().await;
+    }
+    assert!(registry.routing.map.is_empty());
+    assert!(registry.routing.byte_budget.is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(registry.cleanup_tx.capacity(), 128);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn cancelled_registration_leaks_neither_route_nor_cleanup_permit() {
+    let registry = Arc::new(ConnRegistry::with_route_and_cleanup_capacity(8, 1));
+    let _cleanup = registry.take_cleanup_receiver().unwrap();
+    let (lease, _receiver) = registry.register_leased().await.unwrap();
+    for _ in 0..64 {
+        let mut waiting = Box::pin(registry.register_leased());
+        assert!(matches!(poll_fn(|cx| Poll::Ready(waiting.as_mut().poll(cx))).await, Poll::Pending));
+        drop(waiting);
+        assert_eq!(registry.routing.map.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(registry.cleanup_tx.capacity(), 0);
+    }
+    lease.unregister().await;
+    assert!(registry.routing.map.is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(registry.cleanup_tx.capacity(), 1);
+    let (lease, _) = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(1), registry.register_leased())
+        .await.unwrap().unwrap();
+    lease.unregister().await;
+    assert_eq!(registry.cleanup_tx.capacity(), 1);
+}