diff --git a/src/aare/gui/main_window.py b/src/aare/gui/main_window.py
index 29838c51..ea663b8a 100644
--- a/src/aare/gui/main_window.py
+++ b/src/aare/gui/main_window.py
@@ -608,6 +608,23 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         self.job_list_panel.remove_button.clicked.connect(self._remove_selected_from_queue)
         self.job_list_panel.hide()
 
+        # Queue controls act on the queue, whose order only the Queued chip
+        # view shows — so they are live there and greyed out elsewhere. The
+        # pop-out clones register themselves in _clone_automation_row. "run"
+        # kind stays enabled while automation runs: pausing is always allowed.
+        self._queue_action_buttons: list[tuple[QPushButton, str]] = [
+            (self.job_list_panel.play_button, "run"),
+            (self.job_list_panel.remove_button, "queue"),
+            (self.job_list_panel.clear_button, "queue"),
+        ]
+        self.tell_samples.status_chips.buttonClicked.connect(
+            lambda _chip: self._update_queue_buttons_enabled()
+        )
+        self.job_list_panel.automation_running_changed.connect(
+            lambda _running: self._update_queue_buttons_enabled()
+        )
+        self._update_queue_buttons_enabled()
+
         self.sample_lists_tabs = QTabWidget()
         self.sample_lists_tabs.addTab(dewar_tab, "Dewar samples")
         self.sample_lists_tabs.addTab(self.ref_tools_panel, "Auxiliary puck")
@@ -1297,6 +1314,16 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
             sample.db_id for sample in self.job_list_panel.table_model.samples
         )
 
+    @Slot()
+    def _update_queue_buttons_enabled(self) -> None:
+        queued_view = self.tell_samples.table_model.status_filter == "queued"
+        running = self.job_list_panel.is_running()
+        tip = "Active in the Queued view — click the Queued chip above the table"
+        for button, kind in self._queue_action_buttons:
+            enabled = queued_view or (kind == "run" and running)
+            button.setEnabled(enabled)
+            button.setToolTip("" if enabled else tip)
+
     @Slot()
     def _remove_selected_from_queue(self) -> None:
         self._unqueue_panel_selection(self.tell_samples)
@@ -1341,6 +1368,11 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
             dewar_panel.status_chips.buttonClicked.connect(
                 lambda chip: self.tell_samples.set_status_chip(chip.property("status_key"))
             )
+            # Pop-out chips drive the same shared filter — regate the queue
+            # buttons from here too.
+            dewar_panel.status_chips.buttonClicked.connect(
+                lambda _chip: self._update_queue_buttons_enabled()
+            )
             dewar_panel.set_status_chip(self.tell_samples.table_model.status_filter)
 
             dewar_tab = QWidget()
@@ -1408,6 +1440,14 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         unmount_button = QPushButton("⏏ Unmount")
         unmount_button.clicked.connect(lambda: self._on_manual_unmount_requested())
 
+        # Same Queued-view gating as the docked trio.
+        self._queue_action_buttons += [
+            (run_button, "run"),
+            (remove_button, "queue"),
+            (clear_button, "queue"),
+        ]
+        self._update_queue_buttons_enabled()
+
         row = QHBoxLayout()
         for button in (run_button, remove_button, clear_button, unmount_button):
             row.addWidget(button)