diff --git a/modules/conga/commands.go b/modules/conga/commands.go
index 399d3bf3..baf04a76 100644
--- a/modules/conga/commands.go
+++ b/modules/conga/commands.go
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ asks first; --force skips the question. Off a terminal it never asks.`,
 				if err := confirmProduction(app, in, out, fmt.Sprintf("Delete every pending job of queue %q in production?", queue)); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
-				return withDB(ctx, app, func() error {
+				return withAppDB(ctx, app, func() error {
 					return clearQueue(ctx, app, queue, out)
 				})
 			},
@@ -336,7 +336,9 @@ func dueAt(c pact.Cadence, t time.Time) bool {
 }
 
 // withAppDB runs fn with the app's database: the published one when there is
-// one, otherwise one opened for the command the way withDB does.
+// one, otherwise one opened for the command the way withDB does. It serves
+// schedule:run --once and queue:clear, which may run in-process on an app
+// that already published its pool.
 func withAppDB(ctx context.Context, app *backpack.App, fn func() error) error {
 	if gdb, ok := app.Lookup[*gorm.DB](); ok && gdb != nil {
 		return fn()
diff --git a/modules/conga/commands_test.go b/modules/conga/commands_test.go
index c3590792..fd4e90f4 100644
--- a/modules/conga/commands_test.go
+++ b/modules/conga/commands_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import (
 // none; a running job and other queues are left alone.
 func TestQueueClear(t *testing.T) {
 	db, dsn := migratedDB(t)
-	app, gdb := testApp(t, db, dsn, map[string]any{"queue.queues.default": 1})
+	app, gdb := testApp(t, db, dsn, map[string]any{"queue.queues.default": 1, "app.key": testAppKey})
 	m, err := From(app)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -73,6 +73,21 @@ func TestQueueClear(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.Contains(out, `Clearing queue "default"`) || !strings.Contains(out, "Cleared 2 jobs") {
 		t.Fatalf("output = %q", out)
 	}
+	// In process, on the app that already published its pool (a plugin
+	// HasSchedule entry naming queue:clear): the block still holds the one
+	// worker slot, so these two stay pending.
+	for range 2 {
+		if err := m.Enqueue(ctx, nil, pingArgs{Tag: "pending-in-process"}, EnqueueOpts{}); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+	var inProcess bytes.Buffer
+	if err := bonfire.Call(ctx, RuntimeCommands(app, nil), "queue:clear", nil, &inProcess); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("in-process queue:clear: %v\n%s", err, inProcess.String())
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(inProcess.String(), "Cleared 2 jobs") {
+		t.Fatalf("in-process output = %q", inProcess.String())
+	}
 	close(release)
 	deadline := time.Now().Add(10 * time.Second)
 	for countRows(t, gdb, `SELECT count(*) FROM river_job WHERE kind = ? AND state = 'completed'`, "conga_test_block") != 1 {