diff --git a/src/components/moderation/ModerationQueue.tsx b/src/components/moderation/ModerationQueue.tsx
index 44633d0b..7e3248fb 100644
--- a/src/components/moderation/ModerationQueue.tsx
+++ b/src/components/moderation/ModerationQueue.tsx
@@ -92,12 +92,14 @@ export const ModerationQueue = forwardRef<ModerationQueueRef>((props, ref) => {
     companies: new Map()
   });
   const [submissionMemo, setSubmissionMemo] = useState<Map<string, ModerationItem>>(new Map());
+  const [pendingNewItems, setPendingNewItems] = useState<ModerationItem[]>([]);
   const { toast } = useToast();
   const { isAdmin, isSuperuser } = useUserRole();
   const { user } = useAuth();
   const queue = useModerationQueue();
   const fetchInProgressRef = useRef(false);
   const itemsRef = useRef<ModerationItem[]>([]);
+  const loadedIdsRef = useRef<Set<string>>(new Set());
 
   // Get admin settings for polling configuration
   const { 
@@ -111,9 +113,10 @@ export const ModerationQueue = forwardRef<ModerationQueueRef>((props, ref) => {
   const refreshStrategy = getAutoRefreshStrategy();
   const preserveInteraction = getPreserveInteractionState();
 
-  // Sync itemsRef with items state
+  // Sync itemsRef and loadedIdsRef with items state
   useEffect(() => {
     itemsRef.current = items;
+    loadedIdsRef.current = new Set(items.map(item => item.id));
   }, [items]);
 
   const fetchItems = useCallback(async (entityFilter: EntityFilter = 'all', statusFilter: StatusFilter = 'pending', silent = false) => {
@@ -181,6 +184,19 @@ export const ModerationQueue = forwardRef<ModerationQueueRef>((props, ref) => {
         submissionsQuery = submissionsQuery.neq('submission_type', 'photo');
       }
 
+      // CRM-style claim filtering: moderators only see unclaimed OR self-assigned submissions
+      // Admins see all submissions
+      if (!isAdmin && !isSuperuser) {
+        const now = new Date().toISOString();
+        // Show submissions that are:
+        // 1. Unclaimed (assigned_to is null)
+        // 2. Have expired locks (locked_until < now)
+        // 3. Are assigned to current user
+        submissionsQuery = submissionsQuery.or(
+          `assigned_to.is.null,locked_until.lt.${now},assigned_to.eq.${user.id}`
+        );
+      }
+
       const { data: submissions, error: submissionsError } = await submissionsQuery;
 
       if (submissionsError) throw submissionsError;
@@ -384,22 +400,39 @@ export const ModerationQueue = forwardRef<ModerationQueueRef>((props, ref) => {
       });
       setSubmissionMemo(newMemoMap);
 
-      // Apply smart merge for state updates using ref for current items
-      const mergeResult = smartMergeArray(itemsRef.current, moderationItems, {
-        compareFields: ['status', 'reviewed_at', 'reviewer_notes'],
-        preserveOrder: silent && preserveInteraction,
-        addToTop: false,
-      });
-
-      if (!silent || mergeResult.hasChanges) {
-        setItems(mergeResult.items);
+      // CRM-style frozen queue logic
+      if (silent) {
+        // Background polling: ONLY detect NEW submissions, never update existing ones
+        const currentLoadedIds = loadedIdsRef.current;
+        const newSubmissions = moderationItems.filter(item => !currentLoadedIds.has(item.id));
         
-        // Track new items for toast notification
-        if (silent && mergeResult.changes.added.length > 0) {
-          setNewItemsCount(prev => prev + mergeResult.changes.added.length);
-        } else if (!silent) {
-          setNewItemsCount(0);
+        if (newSubmissions.length > 0) {
+          console.log('🆕 Detected new submissions:', newSubmissions.length);
+          
+          // Check against existing pendingNewItems to avoid double-counting
+          setPendingNewItems(prev => {
+            const existingIds = new Set(prev.map(p => p.id));
+            const uniqueNew = newSubmissions.filter(item => !existingIds.has(item.id));
+            
+            // Track these IDs as loaded to prevent re-counting on next poll
+            if (uniqueNew.length > 0) {
+              const newIds = uniqueNew.map(item => item.id);
+              loadedIdsRef.current = new Set([...currentLoadedIds, ...newIds]);
+              setNewItemsCount(prev => prev + uniqueNew.length);
+            }
+            
+            return [...prev, ...uniqueNew];
+          });
         }
+        
+        // DON'T update items array during background polling - queue stays frozen
+        console.log('✅ Queue frozen - existing submissions unchanged');
+      } else {
+        // Normal fetch: Load all items and reset pending
+        setItems(moderationItems);
+        setPendingNewItems([]);
+        setNewItemsCount(0);
+        console.log('📋 Queue loaded with', moderationItems.length, 'submissions');
       }
 
     } catch (error: any) {
@@ -1629,6 +1662,36 @@ export const ModerationQueue = forwardRef<ModerationQueueRef>((props, ref) => {
               {/* Action buttons based on status */}
               {(item.status === 'pending' || item.status === 'flagged') && (
                 <>
+                  {/* Claim button for unclaimed submissions */}
+                  {!lockedSubmissions.has(item.id) && queue.currentLock?.submissionId !== item.id && (
+                    <div className="mb-4">
+                      <Alert className="border-blue-200 bg-blue-50 dark:bg-blue-950/20">
+                        <AlertCircle className="h-4 w-4 text-blue-600" />
+                        <AlertTitle className="text-blue-900 dark:text-blue-100">Unclaimed Submission</AlertTitle>
+                        <AlertDescription className="text-blue-800 dark:text-blue-200">
+                          <div className="flex items-center justify-between mt-2">
+                            <span className="text-sm">Claim this submission to lock it for 15 minutes while you review</span>
+                            <Button
+                              onClick={async () => {
+                                const success = await queue.claimSubmission(item.id);
+                                if (success) {
+                                  // Refresh to update UI
+                                  fetchItems(activeEntityFilter, activeStatusFilter, false);
+                                }
+                              }}
+                              disabled={queue.isLoading}
+                              size="sm"
+                              className="ml-4"
+                            >
+                              <Lock className="w-4 h-4 mr-2" />
+                              Claim Submission
+                            </Button>
+                          </div>
+                        </AlertDescription>
+                      </Alert>
+                    </div>
+                  )}
+                  
                   <div className="space-y-2">
                     <Label htmlFor={`notes-${item.id}`}>Moderation Notes (optional)</Label>
                     <Textarea
@@ -1643,6 +1706,7 @@ export const ModerationQueue = forwardRef<ModerationQueueRef>((props, ref) => {
                         return next;
                       })}
                       rows={2}
+                      disabled={lockedSubmissions.has(item.id) || queue.currentLock?.submissionId !== item.id}
                     />
                   </div>
                   
@@ -1654,7 +1718,7 @@ export const ModerationQueue = forwardRef<ModerationQueueRef>((props, ref) => {
                           setSelectedSubmissionId(item.id);
                           setReviewManagerOpen(true);
                         }}
-                        disabled={actionLoading === item.id}
+                        disabled={actionLoading === item.id || lockedSubmissions.has(item.id) || queue.currentLock?.submissionId !== item.id}
                         variant="outline"
                         className={`flex-1 ${isMobile ? 'h-11' : ''}`}
                         size={isMobile ? "default" : "default"}
@@ -1666,7 +1730,7 @@ export const ModerationQueue = forwardRef<ModerationQueueRef>((props, ref) => {
                     
                     <Button
                       onClick={() => handleModerationAction(item, 'approved', notes[item.id])}
-                      disabled={actionLoading === item.id}
+                      disabled={actionLoading === item.id || lockedSubmissions.has(item.id) || queue.currentLock?.submissionId !== item.id}
                       className={`flex-1 ${isMobile ? 'h-11' : ''}`}
                       size={isMobile ? "default" : "default"}
                     >
@@ -1676,7 +1740,7 @@ export const ModerationQueue = forwardRef<ModerationQueueRef>((props, ref) => {
                     <Button
                       variant="destructive"
                       onClick={() => handleModerationAction(item, 'rejected', notes[item.id])}
-                      disabled={actionLoading === item.id}
+                      disabled={actionLoading === item.id || lockedSubmissions.has(item.id) || queue.currentLock?.submissionId !== item.id}
                       className={`flex-1 ${isMobile ? 'h-11' : ''}`}
                       size={isMobile ? "default" : "default"}
                     >
@@ -2090,8 +2154,13 @@ export const ModerationQueue = forwardRef<ModerationQueueRef>((props, ref) => {
                 variant="default"
                 size="sm"
                 onClick={() => {
+                  // Merge pending new items into the main queue at the top
+                  if (pendingNewItems.length > 0) {
+                    setItems(prev => [...pendingNewItems, ...prev]);
+                    setPendingNewItems([]);
+                  }
                   setNewItemsCount(0);
-                  fetchItems(activeEntityFilter, activeStatusFilter, false);
+                  console.log('✅ New items merged into queue');
                 }}
                 className="ml-4"
               >
diff --git a/src/hooks/useModerationQueue.ts b/src/hooks/useModerationQueue.ts
index 7f30ba19..a6c25e49 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useModerationQueue.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useModerationQueue.ts
@@ -305,6 +305,60 @@ export const useModerationQueue = () => {
     }
   }, [user, toast, fetchStats]);
 
+  // Claim a specific submission (CRM-style claim any)
+  const claimSubmission = useCallback(async (submissionId: string): Promise<boolean> => {
+    if (!user?.id) {
+      toast({
+        title: 'Authentication Required',
+        description: 'You must be logged in to claim submissions',
+        variant: 'destructive',
+      });
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    setIsLoading(true);
+    try {
+      const expiresAt = new Date(Date.now() + 15 * 60 * 1000);
+      
+      const { error } = await supabase
+        .from('content_submissions')
+        .update({
+          assigned_to: user.id,
+          assigned_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+          locked_until: expiresAt.toISOString(),
+        })
+        .eq('id', submissionId)
+        .or(`assigned_to.is.null,locked_until.lt.${new Date().toISOString()}`); // Only if unclaimed or lock expired
+
+      if (error) throw error;
+
+      setCurrentLock({
+        submissionId,
+        expiresAt,
+      });
+
+      startLockTimer(expiresAt);
+      fetchStats();
+
+      toast({
+        title: 'Submission Claimed',
+        description: 'You now have 15 minutes to review this submission',
+      });
+
+      return true;
+    } catch (error: any) {
+      console.error('Error claiming submission:', error);
+      toast({
+        title: 'Error',
+        description: error.message || 'Failed to claim submission',
+        variant: 'destructive',
+      });
+      return false;
+    } finally {
+      setIsLoading(false);
+    }
+  }, [user, toast, startLockTimer, fetchStats]);
+
   // Reassign submission
   const reassignSubmission = useCallback(async (submissionId: string, newModeratorId: string): Promise<boolean> => {
     if (!user?.id) return false;
@@ -355,6 +409,7 @@ export const useModerationQueue = () => {
     queueStats,
     isLoading,
     claimNext,
+    claimSubmission,
     extendLock,
     releaseLock,
     getTimeRemaining,