diff --git a/src/reddit/api.ts b/src/reddit/api.ts
index f75ec13..14bd8c0 100644
--- a/src/reddit/api.ts
+++ b/src/reddit/api.ts
@@ -331,6 +331,11 @@ export class RedditApiClient {
         }
       }
     } catch (error) {
+      if (axios.isAxiosError(error) && error.response?.status === 429) {
+        const rateLimitError = new RedditRateLimitError(getRateLimitDelayMs(error.response.headers));
+        this.logger.warn(rateLimitError.message);
+        throw rateLimitError;
+      }
       if (axios.isAxiosError(error) && error.response?.status === 404) {
         this.logger.warn(`User u/${username} profile not found`);
         return false;
@@ -367,6 +372,11 @@ export class RedditApiClient {
         return true;
       }
     } catch (error) {
+      if (axios.isAxiosError(error) && error.response?.status === 429) {
+        const rateLimitError = new RedditRateLimitError(getRateLimitDelayMs(error.response.headers));
+        this.logger.warn(rateLimitError.message);
+        throw rateLimitError;
+      }
       this.logger.warn(`Failed to check recent activity for u/${username}:`, error);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/services/monitor.ts b/src/services/monitor.ts
index 2428ab6..9218688 100644
--- a/src/services/monitor.ts
+++ b/src/services/monitor.ts
@@ -36,9 +36,12 @@ export class MonitorService {
         this.logger.debug(`Checking r/${subreddit.name} (${subreddit.type}) for new posts...`);
         const posts = await this.redditApi.getNewPosts(subreddit.name, 25, subreddit.type);
 
-        // Filter for valid, unprocessed posts
-        const validPosts: RedditPost[] = [];
-        for (const post of posts) {
+        // Reddit normally returns /new in descending order, but sort explicitly
+        // so we can stop as soon as the first fully eligible candidate is found.
+        // Previously we screened the entire batch before choosing one, causing up
+        // to two profile requests for every otherwise-valid post in the listing.
+        const newestFirst = [...posts].sort((a, b) => b.created_utc - a.created_utc);
+        for (const post of newestFirst) {
           if (this.postsRepo.isProcessed(post.id)) {
             continue;
           }
@@ -60,16 +63,7 @@ export class MonitorService {
             );
             if (isSeller) {
               this.logger.info(`Skipping post ${post.id} from u/${post.author} - seller signals detected`);
-              this.postsRepo.insert({
-                id: post.id,
-                subreddit: post.subreddit,
-                author: post.author,
-                title: post.title,
-                postUrl: this.redditApi.getPostUrl(post),
-                imageUrl: subreddit.type === 'image' ? this.redditApi.getImageUrl(post) : null,
-                processedAt: Date.now(),
-              });
-              this.postsRepo.setError(post.id, 'Seller signals detected');
+              this.recordRejection(post, subreddit.type, 'Seller signals detected');
               continue;
             }
           }
@@ -81,41 +75,33 @@ export class MonitorService {
             const tag = parseGenderTag(`${post.title}\n${post.selftext ?? ''}`);
             if (!tag) {
               this.logger.debug(`Skipping chat post ${post.id} - no gender tag in title/body`);
+              this.recordRejection(post, subreddit.type, 'No gender tag in title/body');
               continue;
             }
             if (!targetGenders.includes(tag)) {
               this.logger.debug(
                 `Skipping chat post ${post.id} - gender tag "${tag}" not in target list [${targetGenders.join(', ')}]`,
               );
+              this.recordRejection(post, subreddit.type, `Gender tag "${tag}" not targeted`);
               continue;
             }
           }
 
-          validPosts.push(post);
-        }
-
-        if (validPosts.length > 0) {
-          // Sort by creation time (newest first)
-          validPosts.sort((a, b) => b.created_utc - a.created_utc);
-
-          if (prioritizeRecent) {
-            const recent = validPosts.find((p) => p.created_utc >= recentCutoffSec);
-            if (recent) {
-              this.logger.info(`Found ${validPosts.length} new posts in r/${subreddit.name} (recent match)`);
-              return [recent];
-            }
-            // Remember the freshest non-recent candidate as a fallback and
-            // keep scanning other subs for an actually-recent post.
-            if (!fallback || validPosts[0].created_utc > fallback.created_utc) {
-              fallback = validPosts[0];
-            }
-          } else {
-            this.logger.info(`Found ${validPosts.length} new posts in r/${subreddit.name}`);
-            // Return just the first (newest) valid post
-            // This ensures we switch to a different random subreddit on the next poll cycle
-            // instead of processing a batch from the same subreddit
-            return [validPosts[0]];
+          // At this point the candidate has passed every check. Select it now
+          // rather than spending more Reddit requests screening users that
+          // cannot be acted on during this poll cycle.
+          if (!prioritizeRecent || post.created_utc >= recentCutoffSec) {
+            this.logger.info(
+              `Found eligible post in r/${subreddit.name}${prioritizeRecent ? ' (recent match)' : ''}`,
+            );
+            return [post];
           }
+
+          // This is the newest eligible post in this subreddit. Keep it as a
+          // possible fallback, then move to the next subreddit to look for a
+          // recent candidate. Older posts in this batch cannot improve it.
+          if (!fallback || post.created_utc > fallback.created_utc) fallback = post;
+          break;
         }
       } catch (error) {
         if (error instanceof RedditRateLimitError) throw error;
@@ -186,4 +172,22 @@ export class MonitorService {
   private sleep(ms: number): Promise<void> {
     return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
   }
+
+  /** Persist a completed screening decision so later polls do not repeat it. */
+  private recordRejection(
+    post: RedditPost,
+    subredditType: 'image' | 'chat',
+    reason: string,
+  ): void {
+    this.postsRepo.insert({
+      id: post.id,
+      subreddit: post.subreddit,
+      author: post.author,
+      title: post.title,
+      postUrl: this.redditApi.getPostUrl(post),
+      imageUrl: subredditType === 'image' ? this.redditApi.getImageUrl(post) : null,
+      processedAt: Date.now(),
+    });
+    this.postsRepo.setError(post.id, reason);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/tests/monitor.test.ts b/tests/monitor.test.ts
index d93ed42..38d9024 100644
--- a/tests/monitor.test.ts
+++ b/tests/monitor.test.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,40 @@ describe('MonitorService', () => {
 
     expect(result.length).toBe(1);
     expect(result[0].id).toBe('t3_2');
+    expect(redditApi.isSellerProfile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(redditApi.isSellerProfile).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'user2', config.reddit.sellerKeywords, config.reddit.sellerDomains, post2,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('finishes the seller and gender checks for one candidate before moving to the next', async () => {
+    const newer: RedditPost = {
+      id: 't3_newer', subreddit: 'chat-sub', author: 'newer', title: '[30M] hello',
+      url: '', permalink: '/r/chat-sub/newer', thumbnail: '', is_self: true,
+      created_utc: 2, over_18: false, spoiler: false,
+    };
+    const eligible: RedditPost = {
+      id: 't3_eligible', subreddit: 'chat-sub', author: 'eligible', title: '[25F] hello',
+      url: '', permalink: '/r/chat-sub/eligible', thumbnail: '', is_self: true,
+      created_utc: 1, over_18: false, spoiler: false,
+    };
+    const redditApi = createMockRedditApi([eligible, newer]);
+    const config = getTestConfig({
+      reddit: {
+        subreddits: [{ name: 'chat-sub', type: 'chat' }],
+        targetGenders: ['female'],
+      },
+    });
+    const postsRepo = createMockPostsRepo();
+    monitor = new MonitorService(
+      redditApi, postsRepo, createMockMessagesRepo(), config, logger, 0,
+    );
+
+    await expect(monitor.getUnprocessedPosts()).resolves.toEqual([eligible]);
+    expect(vi.mocked(redditApi.isSellerProfile).mock.calls.map(([username]) => username))
+      .toEqual(['newer', 'eligible']);
+    expect(postsRepo.insert).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ id: 't3_newer' }));
+    expect(postsRepo.setError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('t3_newer', 'Gender tag "male" not targeted');
   });
 
   it('tries next subreddit when first has no valid posts', async () => {
diff --git a/tests/reddit-api.test.ts b/tests/reddit-api.test.ts
index 3174e15..7805841 100644
--- a/tests/reddit-api.test.ts
+++ b/tests/reddit-api.test.ts
@@ -364,6 +364,18 @@ describe('RedditApiClient', () => {
       expect(result).toBe(false);
     });
 
+    it('propagates profile rate limits so the main loop backs off', async () => {
+      const error = {
+        isAxiosError: true,
+        response: { status: 429, headers: { 'retry-after': '42' } },
+      };
+      vi.mocked(axios.create).mockReturnValue({ get: vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(error) } as any);
+
+      const client2 = new RedditApiClient(getTestConfig(), logger);
+      await expect(client2.isSellerProfile('testuser', ['onlyfans']))
+        .rejects.toMatchObject({ retryAfterMs: 42_000 });
+    });
+
     it('returns true when a domain in the bio matches sellerDomains', async () => {
       const mockResponse = {
         data: {